Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-05-26
u.

ticuSstiLN ANc iitIIutttt '!o.IitIS+ III Soii. tiit
made his way towards the residence of
the banker. which was an imposing struc-
turc standin. on the corner of Market
and Sixth streets.
"Smonth sailing at last" he thought. as
he passed lnrriedly down l'rcnt street to
Market. II shall leave the residence of
my Hattie a free man. with my note in
my possession. and I trust with Mr.. De
Rosc,te's consent to make my sweetheart
my bride. Now. this money I could Use
for the balance of the five years: but why
pay eight hundred Il year if it can he
avoided? True, there is Il way that /
might retain it and l think run little risk,
but l mast he caitious-i have not nerve
enough to try it. When I get back from
Baltimore | will have time to think the
matter over. There will he other oppor-
tunitics. and perhaps better ones"
Thus SoliloInizing. the young man hast
cnca IN up Market street. and ut exactly
half after ten the sounding of the door
bell announced To the banker his arrival.
MIR. Deltosettc was seated in the library
reading Il novel. The bedroom door stood
wide open. and so did the door leading
from thai To the bathroom beyond. The
two windows of the library, as we'll as
those of the chamber. opening ont on the
lawn on the east side of the house, We're
raised 10 admit the slight breeze that was
borne westward from the ocean. seven
miles away. and yet. so warm WAS it that
the banker had discarded his coat and sat
in his shirt sleeves.
aunt Hannah. the door" he suddenly
exclaimed. rs he heard the signal: but no.
ticing that there WAS no response from the
sable Hannah. he muttered: "Do2ing.
probably" and passed through the parlors
ont into the hall and opened the door him
self.
"Comc in. Come in. Robert. l am all
alone. / think the servants, even. have
gone To bed. as meme responded to the bell.
1 presume Hattie would have remained
below if | had informed her l was looking
for You but you know late hours for
No,in. people cause dull eyes the next
morning. and then ] thought that perhaps
YOU would not desire her to he present.
Herman entered the house not ten min
rtes ago ! presume he would have lccn
in the library yet but for the fact that l
told him you We're coming to take UP Your
note. and that there was IL private matter
about which we were to confer. He looks
cd much mnnoycd-nay. excited. Do you
know. he had the audacity to ask my
daughters hand to-tlay?'
BY this time the two men had reached
the library.
II am not surprised" said Robert. II
had sMrmised that he would. and imag-
incl what your answer would be. l know
Miss Hattie has no affection for him."
"Al.. ha, all bestowed on you, l sup
posc..'
Thu young mans face flushed. II think,
SIR" he said. that if l am so fortunate
as To gain your consent, l possess a sutti-
Gent quantity of her regard to be able to
induce her to become my wife,"
II nave not been blind. Robert. 1 nave
seen the trend of matters for some time,
and shall he quite content to trust my
daughters happiness to you 1 am salts
fed that you love each other. You nave
proved Your ability to take care of 81 wife.
even though adversely frown on you. 1
give you my consent freely. my boy"
"Oh. thank you, sir. l shall leave for
Baltimore with Il light heart, and now
for the other matter. l musE not keep
you up later"
'Oh. as for that. it is not yet %elcvcn:
hut on your w account. if you must
leave mt four. You will not be gone long,
/ trust?'
II shall be home Saturday evening, fonr
days only; and now for the note. This
bag contains the coin. twelve thousand
five hundred dollars. You can see the on
press seal is still intact. Give me credit
for such sum as remains above the amount
of the note and interest,"
Certainly. my hoy, with pleasure. since
YOU ask it: but you might as well nave
kept it. Hattie, as you know, is an only
child. and the prospect is that between
YOU. yon will handle all of Alvin DeIeo-
settles coin one of these days: that is. all
hut a small legacy that will go to Her.
man Craven. to whom a larger one, l
think. would prove Il curse, and remem-
brances to servants
God grant that the years before YOU
are called away. Mr.. Dc1tosette. may be
many said the young man. with deep
feeling. Wilmington could i'll afford to
lose YOU, and Notwithstanding my love for
dear Hattie. there would be Il void that
could never be filed
We'll. we'll. WI must all 90. my boy; hut
l will try and remain with you awhile
yet. and when I die you must take the
helm Mt the bank. l founded that insti-
tuition. and l desire it to live after me-"
Here the banker pulled open IL drawer
of his desk. withdrew tllerefrom the note,
and after writing across the face of it the
words: Satisfaction received in full, this
eighteenth day of August. eighteen hun
bred and tifty-scven." to which he affixed
his signature. handed it to Robert with
these words:
Keep it as a mcmcnto of what you ac-
complishcd i'll two years."
Il will give it to Jennie, to paste in her
scrap book" was the reply.
Lets sec." said the banker. that will
leave seventeen hundred dollars to he
placed to Your credit. 1 might give you
a receipt for that"
NO, no. 1t is nccdless.' exclaimed
Robert. Merely pass it to my credit to-
morrow, and now l will bid you-"
He was interrupted by n jingling of the
doorbell.
"Why, who can this be at this time of
night" said the banker. Robert" he
continued. you are younger than l am.
Will you sec-confound the sleepy ser.
vants!"
The young man hastcned to the front
door; sprang back the catch, and OPEN
ai IL