The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-13

toloved in shrill high tones.
Tom Robe, as he bowed in response,
..,,,gbr that never before had his health
,.sr drunk by such queer supper party.
The owner of the big voice was Mr.. Dali
,.s heaviiy-feshed men, with pendulous
.,seks and a SOLDERING tongue-a coarse.
,,,a5ucated man, who looked back on six
- wears of animal life with lip-smacking
dissatisfaction; a vulgar, purse-proud
man. full of greed and low cunning, and
orneltv. BY his side was Mr.. Sharpe,
ohio was tall, thin, ferret-eyed, nimble-
tongied. and quick-witted.
A. for Tom Robe, he had a pleasant
f,ce pair of broad shoulders. and an in
senuous manner, and was altogether a
rboIesome looking young fellow. He had
lately been called to the Utter bar. Strange
"a saw. he had a sneaking liking for the
cross and underlined person at the top
of the table, and Mr.. Dallas, on his part,
,bought there was. no one in the world
Ike his nephew, Tom Robe. Had Tom
tsen older and seen more of the world
he had Judged more truly and thought less
c1aritably, but he did not know that,
alone of all the world, he received kindly
words and indulgent treatment from Mr.
DALLAS.
What do you think of the lad, Sharper"
asked Mr. Dallas. Does me credit?"
He has cost you a lot of money" was
sb3rue's non-cornmittal answer.
Mr. Dallas purpled, for his heart was
tiei round with his purse strings, and he
did not like to be reminded of expenditure
whats that to your ne clustered "Its
nv money. l can do with il what l like
and in time Tom viii get all that is left
Of it, l can pay my debts; aye, and
can buy anything I want, and that's more
than some people can do, Sharpe" He
swallowed a glass of rich old port at a
gJIp.
Sharpe drank more slowly than his en-
poyer-he was Mr. Dallas clerk and man
Of all work-and he kept sip, slipping, al
lowing no drop of wine to pass his palate
Without paying its full toll of favor. He
turned his keen eyes on Mr. Dallas and
again maliciously touched the raw spot.
'"rhe last cheque," he said, was for"
Hold your tongue" shouted Mr.. Dali
las and the globes of the chandelier rang
to his loud tones. Look here, Sharpe,
said just now 1 could buy anything 1
wanted. Tell Tom about that swell of a
Guardsman who couldn't. Listen to the
story, Tom; it's a good joke-how l kept
that overbearing proud officer under my
thumb and screwed and screwed and
screwed and screwed him. Didn't 1,
Sharper"
You did"
"He used to come staggering over me
with his aristocratic airs and graces and
swear at me for finty-hearted old mis-
er. But I took all that out of him. Didn't
I, sharae?"
You did"
Tell US about 1t, Sharpe, the way you
do when we are atone. Look here, Tom,
this is the first time the story has been
told to a third party. Fire away, Sharpe"
You see it was this way, Mr. Robe"
said Sharpe, settling down as TO a familiar
task; there was an officer of the Guards
"Of the Guards" chuckled Mr.. Dallas
Who bore one of the highest and most
honorable names 10 be found in 'Debrett.'
Highest and most honorable Names
repeated Mr.. Dallas. All through the mar
rative he murmured the phrases which
struck his fancy as if he were making re-
sponses at church. and whenever Sharpe
omitted any words to which he had been
e
sisted on the sentence being recast SO that
they might be brought in.
This officer wanted money" continued
Sharpe They all do, and they always do,
and generally they want 1t badly. He came
to Mr.. Dallas and got the money-on Sc
curty; but the security was bad, and there
was no end OF a rumpus, the pert young
sprig cutting UP very rough, as If he was
the injured person. Mr.. Dallas put in an
execution in some rooms the puppy rented
IN the Albany, and sold him up, every
stick. After little the officer remembered
that there had been some letters in a
writing desk"
Gold mounted, gold fittings, arms, and
initials engraved" commented Mr.. Dali
las.
And he wanted the letters back; but he
did not get them"
Ihere was a pause, and, for the life Of
him, Tom could not help expressing the
opinion which Sharpe asked for by both
eye and manner
but the letters could not be retained?"
'Of course not, but they were. You see,
this officer of the Guards, this curled darl-
ing, this pet of the West End, could not
make a noise, because the letters compro-
mlsed a lady of title"
1t was plain to Tom that both the mon
ey-lender and his clerk viewed this piece
OF sharp practice with great admiration.
In fact the letters were written by the
lady of title, and would have ruined her
mad they been made public. So Mr.. Dali
4as very naturally put high price upon
them, very high price, for great lady's
equation was at stake. OF course the
officer hadn't any"
OF the Guards" protested Mr.. Dallas.
You are always forgetting of the
Guards "
Well well; the officer of the Guards
hadn't any money, and was unable TO
borrow any money, and couldn't work for
any money-and what was he to do? We
put on the screw tight, but it was precious
niue we got out of him. He sold his COM
mssion-in the Guards-and he went down
ana down, and down, until in the long run
what DO you think this noble youth be-
came? Guess-a clerk to Mr.. Dallas. All,
,uere was fan for you; a relocated
o-ar-sknned officer of the Guards became
money-lender's clerk. And he dared not
,cnpiain or run away. for we had the
NIIers and a woman's reputation in our
Aahds, and we made him work hard. We
s'Ve him all the dirtiest work to do, the
c5Hecting of the smallest rents of the