The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-05-22

money to improve their estates, and
can't get it at less than that rate.
Your three hundred would bring you
in twenty-seven pounds, Ethel,
twenty-seven pounds is lot of
money!
What could poor Ethel do? In
his plausible, affectionate manner
and all for her own good, too-Cecil
talked her over quickly between love
and business experience, coaxing
kisses and nine per cent interest, en-
dearing names and knowledge of
West Indian affairs, till helpless
little Ethel willingly promised to
give up her poor little three hundred
and even arranged to meet Cecil Sc
cretly on Thursday at the Bank of
England, about Colonial Office din
ner hour, to effect the transfer on her
own account, without saying a single
word about it to Aunt Emily or Mr..
Cartwright. CeciPs conscience for
he had conscience, though he did
his best to stife it-gave him a Bit
ter twinge every now and then, as
one question after another drove him
time after time into a fresh bit of de-
ceit; but he tried to smile and smile
and be villain as unconcernedly and
lightly as possible. Once only toward
the end of the evening when every
thing was settled, and Cecil had talked
about his passage, and the important
business with which he was entrust-
ed, at full length, a CLEAN of sus-
picion seemed to flash for a single
second across poor Ethel's deluded
little brains. Jamaica-promotion-
three hundred pounds-it was all so
sudden and so connected; could Cecil
himself be trying to deceive her, and
using her money for his wild treas
ure hunt? The doubt was horrible,
degrading, unworthy of her or him;
and yet somehow for single mo-
ment she could not help half-uncon-
sciously entertaining it.
Cecil" she said, hesitating, and
looking into the very depths of his
truthful blue eyes; you're not con-
cealing anything from me, are you?
It's not some journey connected with
John Cann?"
Cecil coughed and cleared his
throat uneasily, but by great effort
he kept his truthful blue eyes still
fixed steadily on hers. Gle would
have given the world if he might
have turned them away, but that
would have been to throw up the
game incontinently) "My darling
Ethel" he said evasively, "how on
earth could the Colonial Office have
anything to do with John Cann?"
answer me yes or no. Cecil. Do
please answer me yes or mo-"
Cecil kept his eyes still fixed i'm
movably on hers, and without mo-
ment's hesitation answered quickly,
mo-" 1t was an awful wrench, and
his lips could hardly frame the hor-
rid falsehood. but for Ethel's sake he
answered mo"
"Then l know l can trust you,
Cecil" she said, laying her head for
forgiveness on his shoulder. ooh,
how wrong it was of me to doubt you
for secondl'
Cecil sighed uneasily, and kissed
her white forehead without a single
word
"After all" he thought to himself,
as he walked back to his lonely lodg-
ings late that evening, 81 need never
tell her anything about it. lean pre-
tend, when I've actually got John
CAMS treasure, that l came across
the clue accidently while l was in
Jamaica; and | can lay out three
hundred of it there in mortgages;
and she need never know single
word about my innocent little decep-
ton. But, indeed, in the pride and
delight of SO much money, all our
own, she'll probably never think at
all of her poor little paltry three
hundred"