The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-02-15
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
; A Financial Failure

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1t was like a clap Of thunder from Q
cloudless sky.
We were speaking Of the failure Of
Goshawk & Guldridge.
Goshawk & Guldridge were a firm Of
bankers In Hobblegate, where their name
was a tower of credit. Government"
might decline and greenbacks huctuate,
but Goshawk & Guldridge were always
at par.
They might have gone bail for brace
Of millions without ever being asked to
Justify" There was something in tho
very curve of Goshawk's nose and in the
broad folds of Guldridge's vest that sa-
vored of solvency.
"Have you heard the newsT
"What newsT
"Goshawk s. Guldridge"-
"For heavens sake. speakF'
Smashed - debts a million - assets
nothing-partners absconded!"
Seth Dodge caught it in two directions.
The loss of his own money was bad
enough, but 1t was too provoking to see
Kate Orville's, on which he had long
cast tender glances, go the same luckless
road. He fairly cursed old Orville's stu
pidity In trusting his niece's entire for
tune In the very hands in which he had
himself trusted and lost the bulk Of his
own.
Seth had fallen In love with Kate at
first sight-of her grandfather's will,
which he had read over for amusement
in the probate office one day.
From that document he learned that
H. o.
sand In her own right, which her uncle,
Walter Orville, was appointed trustee to
keep till her marriage or majority. The
money, Seth knew, was snug In the vault
of Goshawk & Guldridge.
He lost no time in declaring the state
of his feelings, which Uncle Walter
seemed to reciprocate, II Kate didn't. We
won't say positively that Archie War
ham had anything to do with the coolness
of Seth's reception on her part. Appar-
emily he hadn't, for when Seth began his
visits Arches suddenly ceased. and Kate
tossed her pretty head and didn't seem to
care.
What with Uncle Walters backing.
his own perseverance and Archie War
hams demoralized retreat, Seth felt his
chances were by no means desperate.
h6 COulu dhOIu " w AT. A4O as AOs
an impatient lover. His own finances
were easy, and as long as Hates money
was secure there was no need of haste.
But terrible awakening came that
day when men rushed to and fro. star
Ting each other with the announcement:
"Goshawk & Guldridge have failed"
With the depletion of his own pocket
departed all hope Of its repletion from
Hates.
To withdraw before acceptance a mnt-
rimonial offer, the consideration" Of
which, In legal parlance, had failed,
struck him as the first thing 10 be done
under the circumstances, and for that
purpose Seth presented himself without
delay before Uncle Walter, whom he
found at his office looking as serene as II
nothing had happened. The imperturba-
BILE old stole!
81 suppose you've heard the news? he
began.
Uncle Walter had heard 1t.
But Seth never shirked a duty-to him
self. With much circumlocution and by
ways that were indirect he managed at
last to make himself understood by Uncle
Walter.
The old gentleman didn't seem much
taken HDdCk. AuCIS was u lOuCu Va COh-
tempt In his tone as he thanked his Wis
itor for the very unnecessary pains hc
had taken, and when he bowed Seth out
the latter felt considerably lower than
before he entered.
Uncle Walter got home early that even
ing. II he was angry at finding Archie
Warham there, he didn't show 1t. Kate
looked as happy as though she hadn't
hrk no. tncfamH
treasure worth all the world.
Don't mind 1t, uncle" she cried. "You
see don't, and I've heard all about It."
"And l suppose you've heard it, too?"
said Uncle Walter, turning sharply on
come to recant.
"Now, don't be angry, uncle, dear"
coaxed Kate. "I'd have been glad to
marry Seth to please you, butt
"Confound Seth Dodge?'
"But, you see, 1 couldn't love him."
Kate continued, land IL did love
Archie, and-and"-
Uncle Walter didn't break out in pas
sion, and that encouraged Kate to go on.
"And Archie has asked me to be his
without any money, and-and-Tve
promised, and he says you shall live with
u.s."
1t was a quiet little wedding, that Of
Archie and Kate. 1t came off one bright
morning while all Hobblegate was too
much agog with the recent financial
shock to think of anything else.
When Kate kissed Uncle Walter good
by, before starting on her unpretendlng
wedding tour, the old gentleman slipped
q folded paper into her hand.
Che oonpoJ with an exclamation of
surprise. 1t was a check on one Of the
first city banks for $100,0OOl
"You see," said Uncle Walter, "Td a
lurking suspicion that all wasn't right
with those scamps, and so checked out
your money three days before they fail
ed"
About the same time another wedding
took place. Seth Dodge kept his losses
to himself, and without loss Of time Of
fered his heart and hand to Miss Elvira
Fenoose. She accepted both at sight.
Miss Elvira was a maiden of forty odd
autumns and not to be called handsome.
Seth knew her to be the possessor Of
goodly batch of fve-twenties, from which
she derived a handsome income by cut
ting off the coupons.
The morning after the wedding Seth
hinted-delicately, of course-that cir
cumstances over which he had no control
had left him little short of cash Mt
present-in fact, and not to put too fine
point upon 1t, deucedly hard up.
Elvira stopped his mouth with kisses.
edging in between them:
"Never mind, hubby, dear. Why, that
rascally Goshawk & Guldridge ran Of
with all my bonds, but 1t doesn't worry
me a bit, now that I've got you, you