The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-08-31

nv services for his niece. She en-
ioyed perfect health.
/ was requested by Mr.. Sharp to
call daily, and I did SO most consci-
entiously, but that Miss Fairleigh
derived any benefit from my medi-
cines fif she took them) I am not
prepared to admit, though check
which was forced upon me at an
early date was very acceptable. and
1 could not afford to quarrel with
my bread and butter.
Three months passed away. l was
absurdly happy. suppose l must
have been ''gone coon'' from the
first. I know that I was now over
head and ears in love with Grace,
and, although / had not divulged my
secret to her by an open proposal of
marriage, she was not ignorant as
to how matters stood with me from
a cardiac point of view; neither, as
I rightly gathered little later, was
her uncle.
was only waiting for a looking
upward in my practice to plead
my love with fervor and all the elo-
quence'I / could command. But the
practice did not "look up" Indeed,
things financial were becoming
worse and worse with me- Bills
rained down upon me with monot-
onous regularity, and was becom-
ing desperate.
One evening after had been din
ing with the Sharps my host invit-
ed me into his study fer smoke. I
felt that something was in the wind,
and my surmisal was not incorrect.
"You are looking gloomy tonight,
Hardman, y he remarked after we
had selected chairs and relapsed in
to comfortable attitudes. "You are
in trouble-in trouble financially,
eh3 Iknow it, and you will find it
to your advantage to be plain with
me.
hardly knew how to express my
self, and confessed lamely enough
that / was more or less on my last
legs He continued without COM
ment:
"You are also, think. in love
with Oracle. Is it not soG"
''It is quite true, Mr. Sharp"
s'Then why don't you marry
her2''
My companion gazed into my face.
q comical smile. playing about his
lips. His bluntness positively
amazed me. -
ST fear that what cannot support
one wcold be a poor living for two, ;"
I said after amoment's thought. IF
Xcould afford to marry your niece,
I would gladly do so tomorrow"
"You mean thatf''
"Most certainly I do. Hove her. "
He arose from his chair and stood
beside me, looking into my eyes
steadily.
"Listen, Hardman. Oracle is a
lady by birth and education. She is
also as good a girl as ever breathed.
She has no relations in the world
saving myself, and I may have to
leave her at any time. I have made
inquiries about you, and know
your past to be clean one. Given
q helping hand at the start, you
would succeed at the finish. Tell
me, how much would you require to
buy good practice or to start in a
fair way against ordinary opposi-
tionf''
I was becoming more and more
astonished. Was the man going to
adopt mea
'It would be possible to do the
thing decently for $4,000, would it
mott" he said presently, FOR ] had
felt too taken aback to volunteer
any suggestions. He waited for a
reply.
II could go into partnership with
an old friend Of my father for less
than that" I answered. ''Dr. Jor-
dan offered to give me a share for
81,5oO when I passed my 'fnal,'
but I could not find the capital"
where does Jordan live9"
SIN Birmingham"
''Is the practice a good one and
can you trust hint"
"There ia no doubt about the prac-
tice, and Jordan is an excellent fell
low, an old bachelor, and if he had
not lost lot of money when we did
in the same concern would have
been rich man today"
Sharp laid a heavy hand on my
shoulder.
"Go and ask Oracle to marry
you, he said in a low voice. II am
sure that she will do so. On your
wedding day will give her $4,000,
and will give you $4,000 tomor-
row, with which you can settle your
affairs here and arrange with Jor-
dan, the condition being that you
ask no questions and undertake to
marry this month
"But. Mr.. Sharp" l cried, "such