The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-05-20


explained chaS her bali sisfer Elia aai
remained az home bscas~e she lad
souss writing 70 m
Poor Ella said Mrs. B.srkeft. WITH
I eTusive sympathy, "porr dear zfrL
I N really dreadfully fond se aer. Tsu
must give me your advice Mr. Mar
chant. concerning her AZ dinner
feet alr-ady-fOrxvs me Tor saying
sol feel already a. though you were
one of rhe family
Il have noticed 4 all along 10 ron
kaOw. aud I am 80 dell gh1--i. Quire
surhanred, really And my influence
with the dear zri VIII make Ter Ike
, you I dare say 7ou may have thought
her lirrie-vasr staH sey. cold but
"a A matter ~ sses- n has only been
Oh. bless my soul. thick soup. please
what u THE expressiou7 IL has Ouly
seen-it has only been
"MaidenIY reserve suggested James
Marchant.
Precisely. Precisely whaz
was trying 70 say- How clever of
you, dear Mr. Ma-rha1r.
4 want 70 speak 70 yo1 a5o1t rhat.
Mrs- Benkett. I'm atrad yOu tou't re-
allzs what I slean when say that
haven't brought much home WITH ne.r
Now. MP dear Mr.. MArchanr-~
You must allow ne, please. To tsu
you exacrly ny posision- Caless I
work aad earu money We sla'nr
have
~Ar. Marrhnlt sf.ls eleoorare r1se 8
one that 7 have heard of before \
woman Ike myself 1Oesn't i've IA this
world fOr-weiL a certain number x
years. for nothing
-N0," said Mr. Marchant, 1T costs
money, I know
hat = not at AL what I mean. Bur
when you came back from the Cape l
few weeks ago. and hlnt-,i that you
had only A few hundreds. 7 could 49,
through ir AZ 0nce- II waA-rhis IL A
dreldfC!ly slanZy expression-too thin.
Bgc the dear girl. Of course. didn't ace
through IL and consequently you may
feel quite sure that she Will love you
FOR yourself alone. That's all you
Eaute,l, ISN'T it?'
Thai, most certainly. Is al that
wanted. but
And fortunately enough 10 con
firm my suspicious- cane ac-nss a
letter addressed ID friend Of nine;
she didn'c know that saw II. but
nlaaa- -ed % do IT, al the saal%-trou
pour partner. BgrchInn-
~ReaLy2-
James Marchant was suddenly IL
ter-sted.
And Ar. Burchison said that you
and he had made q piI=-such an odd
expression isn't Itf-of twenty thou
sand poUnds. And he said that be
thought you would both stay on for a
few years, but, a. we know, you sen-
sibIy enough came home"
Mrs. Beckett looked triuna phantfy
across at her Angular daughter oppo-
site, who was baviing information
about the weather % a deaf arehdea-
con, and then at Marchant She saook
her head wagZish!y at the man from
the Cape.
Can see that letter. LIZ asked
sharply.
Luckily have it In my pocket. but
! really don't know wherher I ought
to show it to you. You see 1t IA pri-
vate7
rs that why you took it, Mrs.. Beck
etr?'
Come, cone, Mr.. Marcha1t. Don't
b. too severe. One has To keep ones
eyes open IA this world
She found the letter with some diff
fculty, for the pockets In ladies'
dresses are remote and difficult to ar
cess and, under ambush Of his plate.
Marchant read 1t.
Mrs. Beckett" he said excitedly.
''you have, without knowing il, done
me very great service. BurchisOn de
ciared 10 me that he had invested our
gains, and that all the money had been
lost. II seems from this letter that b.
has behaved shamstully, and shall
make him disgorge every penny that
belongs TO me. I shall go back To the
Cape by the next boat"
This Is very unsatisfactory de-
clared Mrs. Beckett, aggrievetIly. You
can't very well get married before next
Saturday"
The dear girl will walt" he an.
swered confidently.
Il am not 80 sure Of that" said Mrs.
Beckett sharply. Dear Madeleine
IL not 20 young as she was"
80 I should judge. But what has
she To do with the affair? Is she 10 be
bridesmaidT
Madeleine has been bridesmaid
quite often enough" said her mother.
This time, providing this money af-
fair Of yours comes out right, she will
be the bride"
Whose bride, Mrs. BeckettT
why bless the man." cried Mrs.
Beckett, yours"
II don't see how that can be man
aged with convenience. There's a law
against bigamy, / believe BESIDES. |