Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-10-16

''Inerc is no better man living. This
makes me ashamed of being so loath
to marry him."
"Well, but, Molly, consider. Who has
bestowed this fine character upon his
lordship?"
Everybody who knows him-Sam
Semple for one. He is never weary of
singing the praises of his patron"
"He is n grateful soul and, on his
own account, pillar of religion. I
will show you presently what an orna-
ment he is to religion. Who elseT'
"The Rev. Benjamin Purden, once his
tutor. Surely he ought to know"
Surely. Nobody ought to know bet
ter. l will show you presently how adj
mirable witness to character this
reverend divine must be esteemed"
"There is Sir Harry Malyns, who as
sured US that his lordship is thought to
be too virtuous for the world of fash
ion."
"He is himself, like the parson, fine
Judge Of character. Is that all?"
mo. The Lady Anastasia herself
spoke to me Of his nobility"
"She has also spoken to me-of other
things. See here, Molly" I lugged
out the two letters. What have here
contain the characters of all these ex-
cellent persons = the latest scandals
about them, their regulations and their
practices"
"But, Jack. what scandals7 What
reputations?"
"You shall see, Molly. oh, the allie
cations may be false, one and all. For
what know Sam may have the wings
of an archangel, and Mr.. Purden may
be already overripe for the new Jeru-
salem. But you shall read"
offered her the letters. NO." she
said. "Read them yourself"
"The first, then, is from my fathers
first cousin, Zachary Pentecrosse, a
bookseller in Little Britain, which is a
part of London. He is, believe, a re-
spectacle, God fearing man. You will
observe that he does not vouch for the
truth of his information"
then read ut length the letter which
you have already heard.
what do you think, MollyT
II don't know what to think. Is the
world SO wicked|
Here is another letter, concerning
the Rev. Benjamin Purden. Observe
that this Is another and an independ-
ent Witness" So read the second let
| ter, which you have also heard.
what do you think Of this worthy
gentleman, Molly"
"Oh, Jack, l am overwhelmed! Tell
me more. what it means
ut means, my dear, that ruined
gamester thought to find an heiress
who would know nothing of his tar
nished reputation. She must be rich.
All he wanted was her money. She
must not have her money tied up; it
must be all in his own hands, to do
with 1t what he chose-that is to say,
to dissipate and waste it in riot and
raking and gambling
lord Fylingdale? Jack, think of his
face, think Of his manners. Are they
such us you would expect in a rake?"
"There are perhaps different kinds Of
rakes. Tom Rising would spend the
night drinking and bawling songs. An
other kind would practice wickedness
as eagerly, but with more politeness.
What do know Of such meni Ger
tain l am that Lord FyIingdale would
not scour the streets and play the Mo-
hawk, but that he has found other vices
more pleasant and more, apparently,
polite is quite possible"
81 don't understand, Jack. All the
gentlemen like Mr.. Rising drink and
sing. Do all gentlemen who do not
drink practice other yices?"
"Well, Molly, you have seen the vicar
taste q glass of wine. He will roll 1t in
the glass; he will hold 1t to the light,
admiring the color; he will inhale the
fragrance; he will drink it slowly, little
by little, slipping the contents, and he
will not take more than single glass
or two Mt the most. In the same time
Tom Rising would have gulped down q
whole bottle. One man wants to graf
ify many senses; the other seeks only
to get drunk as quickly as he can. So,
take 1t, with the forbidden pleasures
Of the world. One man may cultivate
his taste; the other may be satisfied
with the coarse and plentiful debauch-
cry. This is not, however, talk for
honest folk like you and me-"
go on with your story, Jack. Never
mind the different ways Of wicked
ness"
well, he heard of an heiress. She
belonged to q town remote from fash
iona town of simple merchants and
sailors. She was very rich; much rich
er than he at first believed
"Who told him about this heiress?
"a creature called Sam Semple,
whom the captain once cudgeled. Why,
Molly, 1t was revenge. In return for
the cudgeling he would place you and
your fortune In the hands Of man
who would bring misery upon you and
ruin on your fortune. Heavens, how
the thing works out! And it happened
just in the nick of time that a spring
was found in the town-a spring whose
medicinal properties HAP I Jumped
to my feet. "Molly, who found that
spring. Sam Semple. Who wrote to
the doctor about it? Sam Semple.
Who spread abroad report that the
physicians of London were sending
their patients to Lynn? Sam Semple.
How many patients have come to us
from London? None, save and except
only the party Of those who came Sc
cretly in his lordship's train to sing his
praises aud to work his wicked will.
Why, Molly burst into laugh,
for now understood, rs one some
times does understand, suddenly and
without proof other than the rapid con-
clusion, the full meaning Of the whole.
Molly, say, there has never been any
medicinal spring here at all. The doc