The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-06-06
The Ring of
the MatterhOrn
By John j. a'Becket


eye. "there's no need Of your being any
nore disagreeable than necessary. I
admit the prospect of escaping from
ny life here and escaping from You
Dakes this atrocious proposition have
force that nothing else could lend it.
The Earl OF Darlington can't be much
more Of q trial than you. sho added
shotly.
''That's the sensible way to look at
Il. my dear" returned Uncle Josiah.
With brisk and unruf'ied cheerfulness
'-But Matilda didn't know you we'll
Matilda was business woman at least
It was 90 like her to leave her Iaoney
to Darlington and at the same time
rG In you as beneficiary. thus seem.
ing to have regard for her own fam
lily. don't know why she should have
cared about that" he went on. disre.
garding apparently Miss Rodney beau.
tifully undisguised look Of disgust.
''She never minded rs while shs was
alive But people funk so when they
are going to die" he observed ohilo-
sophically. However, as was observ-
ing. Matilda foolishly thought that you
were q degenerated niece and might
balk at the prospect of marrying bag
of disease and thousands of pounds Of
debt. So she ties up your mother and
your sisters good fortune with your
consent Marry this titled blackg nard,
aps. your mother and sister will he in.
dependent and comfortable for life.
They won't have to live with him. You
know. So there Is no reason wig they
sbouldn't be happy"
Josiah" cried Mrs Rodney, 'this
- brutal cannot endure It. II you
continue like that. shall have to leave
the room"
There's no reason why you should
not. my dear. he replied cheerfully.
lyon can cry and plead with Florence
Inter on"
Don't be silly. mamma. said Miss
Rodney prosaically. "Uncle Josiah is
potting Il as badly a. he can. ont even
DO cannot do more than justice to this
vile. miserable scheme of my aunt.
am thankful to you for letting mamma
go the thing just. as 1t is" she said to
her uncla
"Oh. don't mention 1t. said the old
eynic. ''It Is q pleasure to help yon out
tn this trying moment. l can sen you
with the coronet Of a countess stuck on
top Of your head. They wear coronets.
don't theyf
''But you will note our dear Matil.
aA's forethought. he went on. "I am
almost proud, Of her. You might kick
over al this debt and disease. 50 she
Ribss you with your mothers ami ais.
tsr's happiness. Why she should have
thought that Darlington would possibly
talk at bestowing his distinguished self
ON You don't see. unless she Knew
that his favorite type of woman was
the chorus girl II he refuses, you get
it all But he won't refuse, promise
you- You refuse. and he gets ii. And
~ he gets IL. he has got to tack. the
maine OF Gardner on to his own. Oh,
Matilda was corker for family Iride.
The idea of perpetuating the IA lnily
name In that way Hitching it IN to
IN earl's titlel Ii was great. Why
couldn't you. IL you accept him and
become the mother of a little earl TO be,
name him Josiah. after met That is
new name In the British nobility. 1t
would probably be the only strong.
healthy thing about the poor little
chap He would surely be scrofulous as
. falial compliment to his papa"
This is . little disgusting. said
Miss Rodney. looking at her venomous
old uncle In way that even he felt.
81 decline TO hear any more on the sub
1sct You have really in your coarse
freedom OF language expressed the plain
truth- i have never 30 agreed with You
n my life l simply refuse. without the
seed OF another moments delibera tion.
my aunt's infamous proposition. The
only thing thas can palliate her daring
TO make IL Is tha' che did the same
thing herself And she. heaven save the
mark. was an American grill Don't
lat the subject be mentioned In my
hearing again.
But. Florence. demonstrated her
mother in an injured way. don't be
rash. There Is no need of any hasty
conclusion. You are taking all that
Jour uncle says about this young man
as true. He may DO very nice young
fellow.
Mammal said Miss Rodney ex-
plosively. "As IL the vileness of the
Earl Of Darlington Was not known TO
everybody who reads even the Ameri.
can newspapers only have heard Of
him again and again. Even the decent
men in his own set despise him and cut
him. II IL hard that when this wretch.
ed woman could have done her duty by
us she should have left so degrading a
proof Of her utter hard heartedness and
unwomanly feeling Why. mother.
exclaimed the girl. wrought up by the
melancholy dissent that was visible on
Mrs Roduey's face. lyon would not
have me degrade my womanhood be.
yond all self respect IL you were to have
millions by IT, That ia what this course