The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-06-06
The Ring of
the MatterIl0rn
By John j. a'Becket

1er Qealt0y CQ6eh ana Sl4tteA III ueA
eve. there's no need of your being any
more disagreeable than necessary. I
admit the prospect of escaping from
my life here and escaping from you
makes this atrocious proposition have
force that nothing else could lend it
The Earl Of Darlington can't be much
more Of trial than you. she added
thotly.
.tThat's the sensible way to look at
1t, my dear returned Uncle Josiah.
with brisk and unruf1ed cheerfulness.
s.But Matilda didn't know you we'll
Matilda was business woman at least.
Il was so like her to leave her money
to Darlington and at the same time
rope 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's beau
.tifully andisguised look of disgust.
.'She never minded us while she was
alive. But people funk so when they
are going to die he observed phllo-
sophically. However, as was observ-
ing, Matilda foolishly thought that you
were a degenerated niece and might
balk at the prospect of marrying bag
of disease and thousands Of pounds Of
debt So she ties up your mothers and
your sisters good fortune with your
consent. Marry this titled blackgaard,
and your mother and sister will be in
dependent and comfortable for life
They won't have to live with him. you
know. So there is no reason wig they
shouldn't be happy.
..Josiah, % cried Mrs Rodney, 'sthis
is brutal cannot endure it. If you
continue like that. shall have to leave
the room.
There's no reason why you should
not, ny dear. he replied cheerfully.
..You can cry and plead with Florence
later on.
Don't be silly, mamma, said Miss
Rodney prosaically. ''Uncle josiah IS
putting it as badly as he can, but even
he cannot do more than justice to this
vile, miserable scheme Of my aunt. l
am thankful to you for letting mamma
see the thing just as it is. she said to
her uncle
..Oh. don t mention it, - said the old
cynic- cit is pleasure to help you out
in this trying moment. | can see you
with the coronet of a countess stuck on
top of your head They wear coronets,
don't they?
.sBut you will note our dear NATL
aa's forethought, /" he went on. 81 am
almost proud of her. You might kick
over all this debt and disease. So she
bribes you with your mothers and SIS
ter's happiness Why she should have
thought that Darlington would possibly
Lalk at bestowing his distinguished self
on you I don't see, unless she knew
that his favorite type of woman was
the chorus girl If he refuses, you get
it all. But he won't refuse, promise
you. You refuse, and be gets it. And
if he gets it, he has get to tack the
name Of Gardner on to his own. Oh,
Matilda was corker for family pride
The IDEA of perpetuatlng the family
name in that way. H;tching it on to
an earl's title! 1t was great. Why
couldn't you, If you accept him and
become the mother Of a little earl to be,
name him Josiah, after me? 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
filial compliment to his papa
.sThis is a little disgusting, said
Miss Rodney. looking at her venomous
old uncle in way that even he felt
''I decline to hear any more on the sub
jecs. You have really in your coarse
freedom of language expressed the plain
truth. I have never so agreed with you
in my life I simply refuse. without the
need Of another moments deliberatlon.
my aunt's Infamous proposition. The
only thing that can palliate her daring
to make it is that she did the same
thing herself And she. heaven save the
mark. was an American girl! Don't
: let 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 taxing all that
your uncle says about this young man
as true He may be very nice Young
fellow.
Mamma =! said Miss Rodney ez-
plosively LAS if the vileress OF the
Earl Of Darlington was not known 10
everybody who rea6s even the Anleri-
can newspapers OILY have heard OF
him again and again Even the decent
men in his own set despise hi,a and cut
him Il is hard that when this wretch
ed woman could have done he- duty by
us she should have left SO degrading
p-oof of her utter hard heartedness and
unwolaanly feeling. Why. mother,
exclaimed the girl. wrought up by the
melancholy dissent that was visible on
Mrs. Rodaeys face. Yen would not
hore u,e deora6e my T0lnannO0d be-