The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-09-29
His Vindication

and Archie Douglas, the youngster,
! caught the infection. Then the occu-
pants of the smoke room followed suite
in splendid style. Neale was generally
considered too lazy even to yawn, so his
action was on this dull November even,
ing considered by his fellow clubmen to,
be of sufficient import to call for COM
ment.
''You are getting too fat, Neale, ven
tured his neighbor. TRY u motor
cycle. If the exercise won't reduce,
your ponderosity and cure you of
yawns the novelty and effluvium mixed
will"
Douglas did not this time follow his
seniors lead, but joined in the CONVEX
sation with:
Il did my best to save him from syn
cope through lazincss by challenging
him at billiards, till l found that the
only vacant table was the one next to
that on which that fellow Pemberton
was playing. l don't care to play even
in the same room with him. Why isn't
he at home with his wife, instead of
tl,rusting his company upon us?"
MY dear fellow, am glad you were
spared the double humiliation of de-
feat, and the witness thereof by the
man you choose to dislike. l think,
however, your remarks are at least un-
guarded. l know ! surprise you. but l
must tell you that you are unjust to
him.
20, but look at this ostentatious dis
play of his filthy lucrc!" blurted out
the youngster. "If he can afford to sub
scribe $1,000 to the West Indian relief
fund, he need not make it so public. He
has the bearing of tradesman, and not
that of a gentleman"
SOFTLY, my lad" rejoined thereputed
cynic.
"Then, there is the case of poor Gus
Darrell. 1t is common talk that Penn
berton was responsible in some way or
another for his DOWNFALL" persisted
hisrelentless accuser. Then, those dia-
monds that were lost-thcre is some
thing very suspicious about that af-
| fair"
"Ah! Diamonds! What would you
say if l told you all about that mysteri-
Gus problem?" queried Neale.
Every man within hearing jumped to
his feet at this bomb thrown amongst
them. Neale knew all about the dia-
monds stolen from the neck of Muriel
Ross in her mothers house, and in the
presence OF the donor--Horace v. Penn
berton-her at1ianced husband. Here
was the material to hand for splendid
yarn!
Thought that would wake up the
slumbcrcrs." laughed the cynie. 81
won't disappoint you. Any man who
will pledge his word not to repeat my
story may follow Douglas and myself
to the private room upstairs. Bring me
whisky and soda and good cigar, and
I'll start at once.
THE late lamented Mr.. Algernon
Ross left to mourn his loss" said Neale.
with a preparatory cough, "a widow
with three children. The eldest, Muriel,
who has lately married Douglass
friend Pemberton, is, as you know, y
beautiful, accomplished woman. The
two younger children are schoolboys
named Sid and Bert, Two greater
Tartars in one house never met
"This worthy and happy family lived
at an old-fashioped house called The
Homestead | have called the house
old fashioned, but internally 1t is not so
now, for after a seasonable and rea-
sonable period of mourning Mrs. Ross
turned the old house inside out, and
with the aid of art decorations and
electric bells she succeeded in produc-
ing the most curious of curious anom-
alies--a new old house.
$50 much for the house, The chief
attraction in 1t or around it was Mrriel;
her charms, and the comfortable little
income in her own right, attracted
suitors by the score; but there were
never more than two in the race and
those two were Pemberton and Gus
Darrell
"Darrell was the same age as Muriel,
) and they had been playmates together.
He was journalist of distinct ability
and great promise; but promise is q
very unsubstantial thing to live on in
the present, and poor Gus suffered from
chronic shertness of funds,
"But it was not to be. Pemberton
! came, saw and conquered. The precise
workings of the feminine heart and
, mind which made the choice of a man
ten years her senior, and a reputed
hard, unpublished business man to boot,
I am not able TO determine.
II have heard that, when he cares to
, display it, Pemberton can furnish o
standard of conversational perfection
that many o college man would envy,
J He has q grasp, too, of subjects WHICH
you would pardon man of letters be-
ing ignorant of, These accomplish
ments may furnish the secret of his
success, or they may not-the fact re-
mains that he became n devoted lover,
and poor Gus had to witness the whole
affair with as good a'grase as he could
muster.
"The first indication Muriel observed
of Pembertons wealth was magnifi-
cent diamond pendant she received
from him about a month after the be-
trothal ring, on her twenty-frst birth
day. The ring was simple, but good,
but the pendant must have cost him
nearly $4,000,
"The Homestead was full of people
every day and every evening after this
The news of the engagement and the
fame of the jewels travelled to every
casual acquaintance the Ross family
had ever made, and the way lapsed
claims 10 friendship were reworked was
simply astounding.
'ln the circumstances, Gus Darrell