The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-03-28

[ .eNuf WIFI SlAsS ~ieage brokc ~ asking
hesitatingiy:
Is what you said Just now really true?
! VIII you have nothing leftZ'
2 Practically nothing. Estates can't be
Z disposed " from one moment 10 another.
and one doesn't knew FOR certain what
I they VIII fetch. But ] take q that az
best ! shall have to make a fresh star.
with four or five hundred year. Ny
/ fich old uncle. as told you, has formally
washed his hands Of me- so | need no.
expect a shilling from him. and Il stands
/ % reason that you and l. having been
brought up as We have been. must not
Z cream or joint hgat against penury. I
nave been CHASTITY fool won't at
tempt 20 make excuses for myself but
I az least / have just sense enough 10 be
able 10 distinguish between what is pos
/ sihle and what isn't"
/ What vas perhaps impossible was that
I any seif-respecting girl. after such a
/ speech as that. could hold an apparently
/ reluctant swain 10 his bargain LILY
{ Meade. who was not less self-respecting
/ man another, took this view, and the
/ coloquy terminated without demonstra-
! ti0ns Of love or regret on either side.
! IEat there should have been disappolnt-
ment on both sides only proves what re-
1 qrires no proof. that the human race Is
/ BY nature unreasonable
! some weeks later paragraphs IN the
newspapers proclaimed that marriage
had been arranged, and would shortly
take place. between Viscount Pennington
and Lily. daughter Of the late Mr.. George
Meade. Philip Crossley, whom this intel
hgence reached, through the medium Of
an evening journal. at his club. started
forthwith for Hansplsce, where Miss G.s-
borne lived, in order to enjoy the poor
satisfaction Of exclaiming: Didn't l tell
you SOP"
i don't remember that you did" was
me ladys rejoinder, when he had been ed
hiltted INTO her presence and had fired off
the above ejaculation; but a. the same
tifne' can't see what right you have 10
look indignant
m not indignant" Philip declared: Il
dont care straw. If she be not fair for
me, or 10 me-and / must say-but really
ITS OF no consequence. She may marry
anybody she likes without the slightest
apprehension Of breaking my heart
Come. Bob! you know, If nobody else does.
mat this is ancient history, and that /
nave given up bothering myself about the
matter"
Miss Bob stroked her chin meditatively.
while she contemplated the young mans
slightly flushed cheeks. well" she re.
sumed, after a pause, land what is to be
the next moveg'
The next move? oh, the Bankruptcy
Court, / imagine. I've settled nv racing
debts; but my account at the bank is con-
slderably overdrawn, and If other credit
ors see tit TO press for payment-which I
am given TO understand is their intentiC.
i shall have TO file my petition, that's
all. Unfortunately, nobody seems to be
pining just al present for neglected es-
tate and tumbledown mansion in the
Midlands"
IF it comes TO that" said Miss Gis-
borne, III buy your place; in many ways
it would just me-
81 am sorry for that, my dear old Bob.
because you can't have il. Not until it
has passed out Of my possession. any
how. You needn't mention terms, thank,
you; decline them in advance"
The worst Of ii was that he meant what
he said, and that Miss Osborne knew he
did.
Phil" she exclaimed piteousIy, lis
there no way in which you will allow me
TO help your
There is one way, and only one. in
obviously enamored Of him 10 give him
pecuniary assistance. She had no thought
OF suggesting il; yet-how do such unfore-
seen situations come about?-at the expi-
ration OF half an hour she actually did
suggest it. The main thing, after all was
to preserve him from utter ruin; her per-
sonal pride was a small affair in COMPARE
son with the attainment of that end:
moreover, he was genuinely fond of her,
il he was nOt-as, of course, he was not
in love with her.
As for Philip, it may be affirmed that
wnen he took both Miss Bob's hands in
his and addressed her by sundry affection
ate epithets he was less mercenary than
an unbiased spectator would doubtless
have pronounced him TO be- He made TO
absurd pretense of addressing her as a
lover; he only said what, AT the moment,
was perfectly true-that he cared more
for her than for anybody else in the world,
and that if he had not cared so much for
her It would have been out of the ques-
ton for him TO accept all that she was
ready to bestow upon him. Perhaps she
understood; perhaps she did not; in any
event, she professed herself more than
satisfied.
only there must be an end and a fin
ish of betting" said she; that is my sole
stipulation, Phil"
Thus Lord Pennington's fiancee was
speedily made aware that what is sauce
for the goose is sauce for the gander, and
that the right of seeking consolation is
open to all. 1t may even have occurred TO !
her that her former lovers consolation
was more complete than her own; fer
Lord Pennington was an unamiable per
son, hereas everybody liked Miss Bob
and Phil had always been wont 10 sing
her praises. After all, that lucky young
man might well be deemed TO have gained |
more than he had lost. He would not now
be compelled to part with the home of his |
forefathers, and although most Of his !
horses had been brought 10 the hammer, /
he had decided 10 retain Missel Thrush, I
which was entered for the Leger, and /
which was still considered by many COM !
petent judges TO be the best colt of the |
year.
Ii never rains, hut il pours. No sooner /
had Philip been snatched back from the /
laws of bankruptcy TO prospective al /
fiuence than his uncle. old David Cross |
lev. stretched out TO him the right hand /
Of pardon and congratulation.
you are next door TO an imbecIle, my /
boy" this opulent and childless irOnmas- |
ter candidly remarked: but you are GO !
ing 20 marry the most sensible woman / /
have ever met, ard believe / can trust /
her 10 take care that you don't throw 1
GOOD money after bad So We viii forget /
the past"
he made haste 10 forget the present. !
and the future into the bargain, by sue /;
cunbing 10 a sudden attack OF govt in i
the stomach II was really most consid- |
crate Of him, and II his nephew, who in 1
heritea the whole OF his large fortune, /
heayed some signs over what might have \
been. these, IL is needless 10 say. were /
stiied in the presence Of Miss Bob. II /
was. Indeed. manifostiy absurd as we'll 4
as Lngrateful. TO include the winning of |
Lily Meade among things which might f.
have been. To begin with, Old David 4
had bequeathed his money TO Miss GLs-
bcrne's future husband as such, and 4
!. Guild never have intTusted IL 10 an ir-
responsible spendihrill added 10 which. /
a g.rl whose affections were susceptible
OF the precipitate transfer displayed 10y /
! a., .a..ff 4 ga4Yrsfu ha Hcenuurei nor