Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-12-11

mutual friend. Dl TOrtOreli1 mad bad
luck one night, lost pot Of money, and
finally, having nothing else left that
was worth having, staked the House
by the Lock-very dilapidated, and in
shocking state Of repair.
well, that's the way Wildred got it,
and there are those who do say that
after having won almost everything
Tortorelli had Wildred financed him till
his marriage with rich American, on
the proviso that Tortorelli should get
him into the smart set. Those are
only Wildred's enemies, of course, for,
like most men of strong character, he
has a few, though, on the whole, his
generosity has made him extremely
popular"
Then he knew no one when he first
appeared over the social horizon?" l
went on questioning.
Driscoll laughed. II never heard of
any one who knew him before the day
when he first blazed forth as a social
luminary, about three or four years
ago. He took house in town for tire
season, | ren.ember--it was the Duke of
Torquay S-One of the finest in town,
and let for fabulous sum. Then he
and Tortoreli gave a ball together,
somehow securing several royalties, 70
say nothing of Paderewski and La Belle
Otero and one or two other celebrities,
who must each have cost him some
where from a thousand to two thousand
pounds for the one night.
after that Wildred was made, OF
course for the ball was a brilliant sue
cess. By the way, that was the first
time he ever met the beautiful Miss
Cunningham, who had just made a tri-
umphant debut as the beauty of ner
season-in fact, most people think, the
most beautiful girl vino has been seen
since the day when Mrs. Langtry Great
Cunningham: was at the ball, with the
Tryssidys, and, blase chap as he. was
even then, Wildred went down at~the
first shot from a pair of dark eyes -
violet brown? no one was ever yet
sure of their color Of course, she's A
great heiress, but the man must be
blind and paralyZed who couldn't fall in
love with Karine Cunningham for her.
self; and, however he gets it, Carson
own"
How does gossip say he gets it?" I
went on to inquire with eagerness
which | concealed as best l could.
g, ooh, gossip doesn't trouble itself
much in that way" Driscoll laughed
1T only concerns itself to eat his din
ners, for, as matter of fact, though |
can't exactly vouch for it myself, there
isn't much secret about the way the
money pours in. It's the mans extra
ordinary luck! He seems to have lot
of relations who are always good
naturedly going off the hooks and lCav-
ing Wildred fortunes just when he
needs them most Old fellows in the
Antipodes, don't you know, who might
really quite as well be dead as not. It's
all straight enough, of course, but the
funny thing is that if one hears one day
that Wildred has come rather a cropper
at Newmarket or the Derby, or some
where else. the news within the month
is pretty sure to be that another john
ny in Australia or elsewhere has de-
liberately slipped his cable and left
Mildred a cool fifty thousand or 50 at
the very least"
Hardly had the laughter prompted
by his own words died on Driscolls
lips when, to my establishment, the
man of whom we spoke sauntered into
the room. He was looking at peace
with all the world, and as nearly hand
some as it was possible for him to look,
the contrast between him and the pod
gy. elderly gentleman by whom he was
accompanied being much to his ad-
vantage.
Talking of angels." calculated Dris-
coll beneath his breath, what do you
think of that for coincidence"
as he a member here?" l asked in
an equally low voice, for l did not wish
Mildred to have the satisfaction of
guessing that he had formed the sub
ject of conversation between me and
my companion.
NO" Driscoll said, "but he often
comes in with old Wigram, who's been
a great traveller, you know, and who
now goes in for DAZZLING in chemistry.
That's Wildred's great fad, and makes
the two, who are as different as pos
sible, rather chummy."
AS we spoke on, still in somewhat
cautious tones, the two newcomers
drew nearer to us, greeting several men
whom they knew. and finally sat down.
The room felt the colder to me for
Carson Wildred's entrance.
Half an hour dragged along, and 1
was thinking of moving on, when as l
passed Wildred with slight inclin-
alton in return for his, somewhat to