The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-07-30

| IhSfo WIS Nl course no moro sleep for
us that night and tho remainder Of it
was passed by Jano in examining tho
house from top to bottom every half
hour or so, owing to Il rooted conviction
on her part that Il burglar might still bo
lurking Oh tho promises, concealed in
tho ccllarcttc, or tho jam cupboard, or
behind the drawing room curtains.
by that mornings post | heard, as |
expected should do, from Sir George
| Danvers, but tho contents of tho letter
| surprised me. llc wrote most cordially.
thanking mo for my kindness in under
taking such a>h9avy responsibility U am
suro never fclt it to be so) for an cntiro
stranger, and ended by scnling mo q
pressing invitation to como down TO
Stoke Morcton that very day, that he and
his son, whose future wife was also stay
ing with them, might have tho pleasure
OF making tho acquaintance of ono to
whom they were so much indebted. He
added that his eldest son Charles was also
going down from London by y certain
train that day, and chat ho had told him
to be OH the lookout for mo at the sta
ton in case WAS able to como at such
short notice. mado up my mind to go,
sent Sir George telegram to that effect
and proceeded to fish up tho jowcls out
of tho tea caddy.
Jane, who had never ceased for ono
instant to comment on tho event of tho
night, positively shriclied when she saw
me shaking the bag FREQ from tea leaves.
"Good gracious! tho burglarsw she ex-
claimed. "Why, they might have taken
them if they had only known"
| Or course thcy had not known, as n
had been particularly secret about them;
but wished all the same that | had not
left them there all night, us Jano would
insist, and continue insisting, that they
had been exposed to great danger. |
| argued tho matter with her at first, but
women, find, are imperviors, as q rule,
to masculine argument and it is II mis-
take to reason with them. 1t is, in fact,
| putting tho sexes for tho moment on an
| equality to which the weaker one is un-
accustomed and consequently unsllitcd
y few hours later l was rolling swiftly
| toward Stoke Nloreton in u comfortable
smoking carriage, Cnly occuJieu by my
self and Mr.. Charles Danv Ms, u hand
somc young fellow with a pnle face, and
| that peculiar tired Mariner which
| Qhou9h, as | soon found, natural to himD
Is SO often affected by the young men Of
the day.
| "And SO Ralph has come in for u
legacy i'll diamonds" he said, li3tlessly,
whom we had exchanged tho usual civili-
tics and had become to u certain degree
acquainted. "Dear me! how these good,
steady young men prosper in tho world
When last heard from him ho had pro-
vailed upon tho ono perfect woman in
the universe to consent to. marry him,
end his aul.t (by the way, you will meet
her there, too-Lady Mary Cunning
| han) had murmured something Vague
| but gratifying about tc5tamcntary in
| tentions. A week later Providence fills
| his brimming cup with Il legacy of
| jewels, estimated at?"- Charles opened
his light, sleepy Dyes wide and looked
lnquiringly at mo. "What arc they esti-
mated at?' no asked, as T did not an
| swor.
l really had no idea, but 1 shrugged
| my shoulders and looked wise.
| 'IIJtlmated at Il fabulous sum, ," he said
closing his eyes again. "4Ah! had they
been lnino with what joyful alacrity
| should l have ascertained their exact
money value. And mirc they ought TO
haVo been if the sacred law Of primo
genituro (hat special providenca which
watches over The interests Of eldest sons)
had been duly observed. Sir John had
not tho pleasure Of my acquaintance,
but fear he must havo heard some re-
ports-no doubt entirely without founda-
| tlOn-rcSpectlnS my career, which in
/ duccd him to pass nc over in this man.
ner. What amoral! My father and my
| Aunt Mary arc always dclicatcly point
ing out tho difference between Ralph
and myself. wish were Il good young
man, like Ralph. 1t seems to pay best
III the long run; but may as we'll in
form you, Col. Middleton of the painful
fact that am tho black sheep of the
family"
| ooh, come, come" l remarked un-
easily.
| 81 should not have alluded to the sub
| ject if you were not likely to become
fully aware of it Oh your arrival, SO
will be beforehand with my relations |
was brought up in the way I should CO."
he continued with the utmost uncon-
corn, as If commenting on something
that did not affect him in the least, "but
L did not walk in it, partly owing to the
uncongcnial companionship that it in
| 'oi'cu, cSpcClally lllilC OIL my aunt Mary,
who took up SO much room herself in
tho narrow path that sho cifcctually
kept me out Of it, From my earliest
youth, also, l toolf extreme interest
III the parable of the proligal, and
as soon as it became possible
cxcmplificd it myself. 1 may even
say that | acted tho part in manner
that did credit to a beginner; but tho
wind up was ruined by tho lamentablo
inability OF others, who shall be name
less, to throw themselves into the spirit
OF the piece. AT various intervals" he
continued, always rs if speaking Of some
ono else, II have returned home, but
| regret to say that Oh each occasion nv
reception was not in any way what /
could have wished The flavor of IL fattcd
calf is absolutely unknown to me; and
SO far from meeting me half way,
havc, in extreme cases, when impcllcd
homoward by urgent pecuniary consid-
| erations, found myself Obliged to wall,