The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-08-31

III
III TS table, set with
I1 glasses for two, n
decantcr, brlef
lLl pipe, n tobacco-boX
u and matches. Such
was his custom, ana
every night after dinner OLD
John Tregony who had served him,
boy and man, as Tregony has ever
served n DcnZil, used to light the IL
brary candles and lead Sir Jasper to
his seat beside the fire, placing the
table handy at his side. Then hc
would draw large armchair to the
other side OF the fireplace, as though
in expectation of n visitor, and, clos
ing the door, would leave Sir Jasper
to his thoughts.
There Sir Jasper Danzil sat alone,
broodng over the past till the clock
on the mantcl shelf struck ten. Then
he filed goblet and rose with
glass uplifted toward the empty chair.
"Many happy returns of the day, my
dear boyw he said, with stately bow
To the chair. Gentlemen" he con
appealed to the long rows OF portraits
of dead-and-gonc Denzils that lined
the oak paneled alls-"gcntlcmcn all,
give you toast. Here's TO the
health of my dear son, the heir of Mt.
Royalr
The other glass remained unempticd
and the brier pipe untouched. Sir
...,Is. NIL tIan mir
belonged to his only son, now lost t.
him.
Fifteen years ago they had parted
In anger and Sir Jasper had never
seen or beard Of his boy beyond that
he had died I'm California of starvation
and fever. lie had refused TO believe
this report, and every night John Ire
gony, his butler, would lay the glass
and the pipe and place the chair for
Master Harry, who never came.
"IIe will come tomorrow" Such
had been the burden of Jasper Den
Zirs life Cor fifteen long years, TO the
grief Of the faithful John Trcgony and
the chagrln of Rufus Denzil. Sir Jas
per's nephew and his next heir.
Rufus could not bear any reference
TO Harry Dcnzils fate, for his mind
was uneasy concerning certain re-
port which he had caused to be in
serted i'm California paper ana Ger
tain certificates which he had obtained
under false pretcnscs from n trusting
justice of the State of California.
Tonight he felt restless and uneasy
as he viciously cannoncd the balls en-
the billiard table
"What if he should not bc dead after
ALP he murmurcd. Great Scott,
how it blows" he added, as a violent
gust OF wind shriekcd with rattle
of rain across the skylight.
He was glad when Trcgony entered
with cold syphon, for there
were no visitors i'm the house. and the
loneliness OF the billiard room op-
pressed him.
From the sea sounded the deep
voice of the wet westerly gale, min
gled with the distant crash of the
great waves as they fell with thun-
dering boom OH the black rocky ledges
of Mount Royal Bay.
ITS a bad night, john" remarked
Rufus to the old retainer.
"Ay, ny, sir! it's black night. and
there1l be some fat wrecks along the
coast by the morningw said John Ire
Gony, shaking his head, less in sor-
row than in anticipation; for John
came Of an old Cornish stock. and
found IL hard to regard wreck other.
wise than MS gift from the sea.
"You wouldn't mind IL there was a
wreck-eh. John?' qucried Rufus Den.
zil
"Not a-zactly tha-a-t, sir" replied
John slowly, but If there is a wreck
well-there IL is. and it's no use AIDE
spisin' what a blessed Providence may
send in the way of salvage. Us don't
put the ship ashore anyway"
Then John Tregony left the room
whilst Rufus Denzil seated himself
10 ponder over his affairs.
He was head over heels i'm debt. ant
his creditors were becoming clamor
Gus. An income OF $500 per annum
even when eked out 10y nrst-clas
hand at whist and an unerrng cue a
Billiards. he had found insufficient {,
satisfy tastes that were hardly to b
INDUCED In 10y those whose rent roll
represented five figures.
He turned uneasily in his seat MS n
thought Of the old man In the library
who was so long a-dying.
H.
He called to mind how Sir Jaspc