Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-07-07
cHArIER n. ncentinusn

10 London, nominally 10 read with a
famous Bayswater coach" whom he
saw about nee in a fortnight; in real
ity TO plunge, as deeply as his limited
pocket-nloney would allow. into the
deadly vortex Of West-end life, into
which so many hurl themselves and
from which so very few ever emerge.
Unfortunately for him. too. he knew
scarcely any young men OF the good
sets. and, as a consequence. drifted in
TO very doubtful society from the very
outset. Indeed, he was in a fair way
to become indissolubly associated with
biliiard-shar1Jers, racing-touts, b~ar-loaf-
ers and ..bounders'' generally, when
fate threw his cousin, stephen Deane.
across his path.
They became acquainted by the mere
accident of both being customers of the
same halter, in whose shop they hap
pened TO be at the same time. Struck
by the identity Of the names, the hat
ter informed stephen Deane that his
youthful patron was the son and heir
of Sir Derek Deane. of Deanshurst.
To a man Of the world like stephen
(then In his thirtieJh year, and a bar
rister Of the Middle Temple) this hint
quite sufficed to justify the few words
Of explanation AMI the exchange of
cards which followed. Within five
minutes he was conveying his youth
full kinsman to luncheon at Cavour's,
and, in the course of the repast. had
pumped him pretty dry as to the state
of affairs at Deanshurst and his W
mode of life in London.
1t may be remarked that the sickly-
looking child OF ten had grown into a
singIlarly-handsome man--of the aqui-
line nose, black moustache, ~pale-faced
~type-who was moreover, one of the
best-dressed ~elegants In the West-end.
Country bred Derek was, naturally
enough. not a little impressed with his
new-found cousins faultless appear
ance and somewhat proud of being In
his company.
Have you found your way into q
club YETI" inquired stephen, towards
the close of his cross-examination.
.'Oh, yesr' was the reply. I'm a
member Of the Aspasia and of the
Faustinian: we hav lots of fun there
II expect You do" assented his cou-
sin. drily. "But I'm not speaking of
supper clubs.
"Well, I'm not a member of the Carl
tom laughed Derek, III that's what
YOU mean. The others are good enough
fer me-"
"How old are you? TWENTY
mot quite. Next birthday. j say.
come round TO my rooms after lunch.
will you. I've got some rafting good
cigars, and ! expect n couple of real
good chaps to drop in presently"
II can't. my dear boy" replied Ste
phen: ''but ii you'll meet me, say, in
the Burlington Arcade, at seven, wen
go and dine somewhere together
"All right" assented Derek. I'm be
there" And with this understanding
they parted.
Stephen Deane had ample subject
matter for reflection that afternoon.
The ill-mannered, uncouth cub whom
he had lunched was the heir of a very
old man. to a baronetcy, Deanshurst.
and 10000 a year. Title and wealth,
Failing this loutish boy. then Oscar
came Lext In the succession: and. If
Oscar died h~eirless, he. Stephen would
succeed him.
Two lives the scarce needed the old
mans between him and all that he
most crayed for in this world. Yes,
just two lives. One, that of a young
hegotten on OF spite: the other,
that OF his own brother. What We're
his chances against these two lives?
Small, he told himself, but by 10
means hopeless. A boy who, at nine
fncn hnlnnwnd ~ Two nfnht 1f,ths and
never counted his WHISTLES and sodas,
was not likely to cumber the earth
,ery long,
Oscar, as the result of an unsuccess-
full love affair years before. had
joined a West India regiment, and was
then upon his way home, invalided
and wofully broken down in health.
Kumor had II, moreover, that he had
become hopelessly addicted 10 drink.
He. therefore, did not appear to be a
very formidable obstacle in his broth
er's path.
Still, either or both or .saxn migDr rive
for many years to come, or might die,
leaving male issue. So that Stephen
Deane was not far from the truth
when he told himself that his own
chance was small, but not hopeless.
And the question that henceforth en-
crossed his thoughts was whether
something might not be done to assist
that chance, small though IL was.
He WIS, as has been stated, a barris-
ter by profession, but he had never put
any heart into his work. and had not
held half a dozen briefs in as ,nany
years. He had dabbled In literature,
and his name was not unknown TO ed
itors Of society journals and the light
err class of magazines; but his earn
ings from this source had V suf-
feed to pay his cabs and cigars. Yet
he occupied a luxuriousl furnished
set Of chambers, always appeared TO
be well supplied with cash, and Ia
dulged In a distinctly-expensive style
of living.
His mother, with three unmarried,
uncovered daughters upon her hands,
had very properly refused to tax her
income Oh his behalf since his call to
the bar. How, then, had he contrived
to present so brave a front TO the
world? How do hundreds Of other
men, similarly circumstanced. confrive
to do the same thing? Simply by study
ing mankind, and by carefully cultivat-
Ing such money-making talents as he
possessed, without being over-scrupu-
lous In putting them to profitable ac-
count.