The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-15

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'What-what IS your fee, DR.. Jeyeson2
Shall / give your man check?"
Twenty guineas, If you please. Per-
haps you will leave it there on the table.
Either gold or notes."
With trembling hand Mr.. Maybury
counted out the amount
''Twenty-ope sovereigns," he said thick
ly. Rather lot of money to pay for be-
ing told that ones not going to live a
week. isn't it?"
"I'n see you to the door myself, Mr..
Maybury And above all. don't speak of
this to a soul. Make 1t, ! beg, your own
secret"
Harley street Is really a very straight
thoroughfare, but to Maybury, walking
down unsteadily toward Cavendish
square, 1t seemed full of odd convolutions.
More than once he had to stop and grip
at ratings in order to recover his self
possession; passers-by stared at him GU
riously and a servant girl said something
so very amusing about his manner to q
servant next door that the servant next
door nearly slipped down the area steps.
In Cavendish square he became himself.
He was a man used to obstacles; his prac-
tice in overcoming them came to his aid
now First he must go somewhere and
think. His club? No; there he would find
men whom he knew His fiat IN Ashley
Gardens? Yes. He would be alone there.
Much to think about and much to do be-
fore he left ChaTing Cross that evening.
He would, as the Harley street man had
advised him, keep his own company; there
was no one in the world with whom he
would care to share the secret. He feared
that if he were to tell some men Of his
acquaintance they would have difficulty
in repressing signs of satisfaction.
tWish now" he said, desolately, that
had Toada one Of two friends"
A familiar tap on the shoulder from a
walking stick made him start
Me dear boy" said Miss Tearle' S
father, what on earth d'you mean by
loafing about Bond street at this hour of
the day? I thought you were always up
to your eyes in business You're taking
a day off, maybe?"
yes" he said shortly.
I'm right, them" exclaimed Miss
Tearle's father with surprise. 1t was, in
fact not often that he was correct. What
wonderful perception on my parti I was
telling me daughter only last night that
retained all me powers Of insight But,
tell me now, is there anything going that
you can recommend to me for an Invest
ment?'
my dear Tearles," said Maybury with
impatience, don't bother me. Besides,
you know very well that you have no
money to invest"
'T am free to confess" acknowledged
Miss Tearle's father, that for the mo-
ment I had overlooked that fact. Is
there any message for me dear Margaret?
How that girl adores you, me dear May
bury!'
'Are you sure that that is so?"
Well" said the other, hedging, ''she
adores you as much as can be expected
under the circumstances. I'll be plain
with you, Maybury. She never quite for
gotten her young cousin who. died out in
West Africays and that's the truth. But,
after ALL he went on indulgently, that 8
nothing. IT will all pass off. You're a
man of the world, Maybury."
Temporarily"
''Ah!" said Miss Tearle's father "Wen
none of US live forever unfortunately.
And that reminds me. Have you such a
thing as five-pound note. nleboy about
you that you could conveniently spare for
twenty-four hours? I'm infinitely obliged
to YOU" Af- H~' se@aS
"Tearle!"
'Slr?" said the grateful old gentleman
with reference to Margaret?2 Maybury
hesitated for a moment. The march of
four young women across the pavement
from a brougham to a shop separated
them for a few moments. 81 want to ask
you something. Do you think that she
would be sorry if-if anything serious
were to happen TO me?"
''Me boy! You're not the kind Of man
that anything serious happens to. You re
took nowings for that"
81 want an answer to my question.
"Maybury,""s said Mr.. Tearle, placing the
note carefully in his pocketbook, as
though to hint that it would be disbursed
with great caution, ''Ill tell you the truth.
Time was when she became engaged to
you at my particular request, and there
was no great affection on her side. But
I'm speaking the honest truth when
tell you that she is now positively fond
of you
'Ahw
''To be brutally frank laughed the old
gentleman, "let me tell you that you have
some good qualities below the surface,
but that it takes time to find them. For
my part, consider myself deeply indebt-
ed to you
81 suppose you are" said Maybury.
Goodbye"
''I hate the word goodbye" said the
effusive old Irishman. "Let US borrow the
phrase of our lively neighbors and say au
revoir"
Goodbye" repeated the other steadily.
1t was a great relief to him when the
lift had taken him up to his floor in Ash
ley gardens and he was able to lock the
dining room door upon himself. The two
matronly servants did not hear him ar
rive and they went on in high pitched
tones with quarrel which was not really
quarrel, but kind of sham debate
probably started to chase monotony. The
elder of the two had been a servant with
his parents; her voice made him think
of his mother. One of Mayburyis best
traits, and one that he never revealed to
the world. was his affection for the mem
ory of his mother; for the first time
since her death he thought of the posi-
billty of meeting her again.
"Eut she was good woman" he said.
Was it too late to make some reparation
for his. acts Of the last few years? The
clock on the mantlepiece struck the hour
and reminded him that there were no
moments to waste. He went TO the desk
in the corner-there was a writing desk
in every room in the flat-and unlocked
the stationery stand. He opened his
chcckbook and laid 1t on the ledge, and
for half an hour he wrote swiftly sew
eral letters. 1t was not possible to make
amends to all the people to whom he
had acted unfairly. but there were some
who. by reason of their association with
him, Were now in distressed circum-
stances. To these he wrote letters which
had for company a check.
''There seems" he said thoughtfuIIy.
after the half hours work, "a good deal
to clear up
To Margaret Tearle he wrote a long,
affectionate letter, the composition Of
which cost him some trouble; when he
had finished 1t he thought for a moment
and then tore it into many pieces. he
cause he felt that it would give pain.
He substituted a friendly little note
simply announcing his departure May
bury had never made his will because 1t
had always seemed an absurdly prelna-