Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1900-08-11
think the colonel could-bad-that he

oh" says Miss Vandeleur: she stops
short and looks at Evelyn. But Mai
Arthnrs we always thought was It man
who had plenty of money"
The colonel thought so. Toe" says
Evelyn ruefully. He doesn't think so
now. At all events, however it was, he
asked the colonel TO lend him some mon
ey and the colonel did ii. He can't say
no to any one"
"A great pity. He backed some bills
for him, | supposeT
Yes, that is it, eagerly: as if helped
out of difficulty. 1T is the same thing,
isn't it?'
Worse, far worse.' says Miss Van
deleur, with a very concerned air
We'll, that's what he did, says Eve
Ign.
About this time last year, or perhaps a
month or two later, Maj. Arthurs had
dropped down upon Fenton as if from
the clouds.
He had, however, brought with him
| considerable amount OF information
about himself, and references to relations
or friends of theirs in the ncighborhood;
to say nothing of an excellent hunting
stud, groom, helper, and all the
! usual signs of being comfortably off, If
not actually wealthy.
He had just retired from the army
I why, most satisfactorily explained. He
/ had distant connections who were
known, by name at least, TO all al Fen
| ton: perhaps not sufficiently well known
| to be put down on their correspondence
! list, but still known; and after all, one
| can write at any moment even 10 the
! commOnest stranger, and get an answer,
/ too. if occasion arises for il.
He was Il youngish man, who might
have been thirty and probably was forty;
| with manner so gay, SO insouClant, so
genuine, that soon he was a general ia
vorite in Fenton.
At Parklands he had been made spe-
cially welcome, his mother twho luckily
| for her was dead for many years. hav-
ing been a cousin and a great friend Of
Lady Stamer's.
To Col Darcy this dropper in upon
his stupidity had been perfect godsend.
He had welcomed him as such after a
| first delightful interview, during which
| Mai. Arthurs had displayed such a
| knowledge of horseflesh as should en-
charm the soul of any IrishmaG.
| As a fact he really did understand
! horses. He was. too, genial man IN
| conversation; never self-assertiVe, never
unduly obstinate, always willing TO con-
cede a touchy point; always ready to
smooth the angularity of troublesome
| corner. He was indeed of so gay and
of so harmonious disposition that rich
and poor alike paid him court; and one
! poor Irishman III particular was brought
| to great straits because of him.
| No one knew how it began; the colonel
| himself being always rather haZy about
| it, But at all events he induced the
colonel to put his name to several bills
for him, always protesting in his lightest,
ARREST manner that it was but a matter
| of the moment only. Indeed, so well APP
| pointed was the well-connected man that
the colonel felt the sort of worldly pleas
ure in helping the rich that we all do.
| The last bill had been signed in Janu-
airy, a six-months' bill, and almost direct
| ly afterwards the genial man had disap-
peared. He had hidden the neighbor-
| hood generally goodby for a week or
| two. He was going to London On Fri
| day-c0uld he do any commissions? He
would be back on Monday. This to the
women. He had even pressed the colonel
| to come up to town with him, knowing
| perhaps that the colonel never had
money to fritter away upon trips of any
sort.
He had gone to London-or to the 9TH
or place-hut he had certainly not come
| back on Friday, or any other day. In
deed he never came back at all.
/ Though to show he was not a common
| villain who might be a disgrace to this
mild book, let it be known at once that
his references were quite correct; that
he was related to 50 and So that his
mother was Lady Stamer's cousin; but
that. in spite of all these claims to re-
speciality, he was an unmitiEated
blackguard. who had been kicked ont Of
| the army and every club to which he
had belonged for cheating. and was now
merely beaS tot prey, roaming the
earth in search of some such easy prey
rs Col. darcy.
All this might have been matter of
comment, and might have prevented
many important and sad events in Fen
ton, if somebody had taken the precau-
ton to write line or two about him to
those people whom he had, with the
boldneSs of the successful swindler, Civ
! Ell as referees.
The colonel was the victim. but for a
| long time he had remained blind to his
/ situation. He had indeed thought moth
1 ing of the unpleasant position in which
| he stood, until note from the manager
/ of the local bank saving the FIRST hin
was due. reused within him n faint touch
of anxiety as to whore Arthurs was
! He wrote to the club address that Ar
! thurs had given him. but got no answer
! He wrote again. and was informed that
/ Mai. ArthurS had taken his name off the
| books two years ago. He then wrote
/ to his home address. where the mans
/ father was ponularlv supposed t. be liv.
/ ing. and received in return q postcard
; from the hCusCkeeper. to say Mai Ar
! thurs had not been there for eighteen
/ months. and that she had no idea where
/ he was at present.
| All this was very diSroura cling. Gel
/ Darcy was conscious Of q slight feeling
! OF alarm. Int dielikinc unpleasant sou-
/ Satiops Of all sorts thrust Il detcrmin"dly
| into the background He took ihe whole
2ffair indeed with extraordinary phleSm.
until the second Hill fell dine, and was
/ forthwith protested.
/ Then doubt that AgthUrs must 10
/ dead first filed his breast and that. II
50, 1T might prove awkward for him
| Col. Darcy. II was not indeed until his
! wife who sometimes had g!impseS of
common sense. suggested "a him that,
! possibly Arthurs might hav" been an ac-
| ccmplished swindler that the full mean
| ing of the injury that had been done him
awokc within his breGSt.
| If this thing was tTue-why, then
! He conld not follow ont the thoughts;
in one little second. il seemed 10 him, he
was by many years an Older luan: but hc
bad to face it out. Why. thcn--hc was
n pauper and his children beegars.
1t was Il bitter moment Al that he
| had wonld scarcely S1lfice 10 meet the
unjust debt His house. his few acres.
his furniture, his ho.ses-thJt were his
! principal means ~ iiYiug-ihat last