The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1901-05-09
:. /; *! 80 w., I|,
,N5S0S aI1 'iSss "A Il FFFFaBSg
HE OSORERN DAUGHTER.
ID QSOKERX DAUGF
BY CHARLOTTE N. BRAErE.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS ASSOCIATION.

gest nothing?" said the earl.
Every loop-hole is closed, my lord"
was the brief reply.
And you are quite sure, Ransome,
that there is nothing left on which
can borrow money-nothing more that
l can MORTGAGE"
Il believe honestly that the only OBJ
| ject belonging to the Ravensmere es-
tates which remains unmortgaged my
lord, is Yourself" replied Arley Ran
some.
1T is equally sure that no one will
lend money on me" said Lord Caraven,
laughingly. Give me-not the details,
but a resume; give me some faint idea
OF how stand
Arley Ransome, lawyer and money
lender, the calm, inscrutable man OF
! business, looked at the young earl
| perhaps he wondered at his perfect
calmness then he glanced at sheet
Of paper lying on the desk.
! ut will not be pleasant TO hear, Lord
Caraven," he said, slowly: but you
ask for 1t. To begin. At the age of
Fl you succeeded to the Ravensmere
estates and title; the estates were clear
of all debts and membranes; the
rent roll was thirty thousand per an
mum; there was, besides. sum of fifty
thousand pounds in the Funds, the saw
ings OF the late earl--that is correct,
believer"
Quite so,' was the curt reply.
"You are now 90 years of age, my
lord, and In seven years you have run
through fortune"
Keep to facts; no comments-plain
facts" said the earl.
THE plain facts are these" con-
tinued the lawyer, "the fifty thousand
went, believe, to pay the first years
losses on the Derby"
yet my horse won," interrupted
Lord Caraven
THE winning OF that Derby was
your ruin, my lord. After that you
continually forestalled your income by
borrowing money; then your losses on
the turf and the gaming table were so
great that you were compelled to raise
heavy mortgage on the estate; then
you borrowed money on the pictures,
the plate and the furniture at Ravens
| mere. In fact, my lord, briefly told.
your situation is this--you are hope
lessly, helplessly ruined You owe six
ty thousand pounds mortgage money,
and owe forty thousand pounds bor-
rowed money-and you have nothing
to pay 1t with. You received notice
from me six months since that the
mortgage money was called in. Unless
it Is paid in six weeks from now the
! estate-Ravensmere Castle, with all it's
belongings passes from you; it will be
seized with all its contents"
Are you quite sure that I can bor-
row no more?" asked the earl.
Quite sure, my lord, you have sold
| all the timber that you could SELL as I
told you--the only thing left is your
self"
Then. unless repay the sixty thou
sand pounds in six weeks, Ravensmere
becomes the property OF the man who
lent the money!"
Precisely So" replied Arley Ran
some.
Then l hope he may live to enjoy
it, for / have not sixty shillings.
Hush" he continued, seeing that the
lawyer was about to speak-"no COM
ments | am ruined man, as you say:
but I will not submit to criticism. I
say frankly that have been wicked
spendthrift prodigal; say frankly
that IL could begin life again. would
live differently / have been worse
than fool have been dupe. 1t is
all over now, and have the price OF
my folly to pay"
ut is a bitter price. too. my lord.
May ask what you think OF doing?"
"You may ask-T know no answer.
In six weeks lose Ravensmere, and
with 1t all sources Of income, and. be-
| sides that, l am forty thousand pounds
in debt, and have not forty shilIings
to pay 1t with. II seems to me there is
but one thing to be DONE"
Arley Ransome looked up anxiously.
What is that?" he asked
Il had better invest the trife | have
remaining in the purchase OF revolver
you can imagine for what purpose: 1t
will be but fitting end to such ca
reer as mine. really do not think.
Ransome. that I have had hundred
thousand pounds worth of pleasure.
What comments the newspapers will
| make upon me! They will head their
paragraphs. Suicide of a Spendthrift
Earl'-they will draw excellent morals
and warnings from my fate. Men Of
my age will read It and think what a
dupe must have been: it will not be a
noble ending for the last of the Cara