The times., 1901-05-05


Better than th4t. jack" said the vi
car. Take these two letters. Show then
to Molly and ask her to wait while the
! captain makes enquiries. If Lord Flying
dale is an honorable man, he will court
| enquiry. If not, then we are well rid Of a
! noble knave." +a.-,
| took the letters ahd ran across the
empty market place. On my way | saw
, the captain. He was walking toward the
| Crown, with hanging head
| Let us first deal With the captain He
entered the room. hung up his hat on the
usual peg. and put hispstick in its accus-
toned corner Then he took his seat and
| looked around.
4 am glad" ne said that there is
! none present except you two My
! friends l am heavy at heart"
| so are we said the vicar. But so
! on, captain"
You have heard, perhaps a rumor
/ of what has been arranged?''
There are rumors of many kinds.
! The place is full of rumoTs. IL is ru-
| mored that a certain Colonel Lanyon is
| a sharper 1t is also rumored that Sam
Semple is villain 1t is further rumored
! that the Rev. Benjamin Purden is dis
grace to the cloth. and there is yet anoth-
er rumor. What is your rumOr, captain
Lord Fylingdale proposes to marry
Molly, and | have accepted, and she has
accepted. but it was to be profound Sc
cret'
1T is so profound secret that the
company at the gardens this evening
are talking about nothing else.
The captain groaned Il have received
letter he said. II do not believe it,
| but the contents are disquieting. There
is no signature. Read it.
The vicar read it: Captain Crowle-
Sir you are very simple old man. You
are so ignorant of London and of the
fashionable world that you do not even
know that Lord Fylingdale, to whom you
are about to give your ward is the most
notorious gambler. rake and prOhigate
in the whole of that quarter where the
of f1 Caai md of lfvN
on their prOhigate lives. In the interests
OF innocence and virtue make some en-
qu1ry into the truth of this statement
before laying your lovely ward in the
arms of the villain who has come to Lynn
with no other object than to secure her
fortune"
1T is an anonymous letter, said the
vicar. but there is something to be
said in support of it. From what source
did you derive your belief in the virtues
of this young nObleman?'
From Sam Semple.
''Who is in the service of his lordship
! know not what he does for him, but if
he is turned out of that service he will
infallibly be clapped into a debtors
prison.
There is also that grave and rever-
end divine
The man Purden. He is notorious for
writing ribald verses and for leading
life that is a disgrace to his profession"
There is also the Lady Anastasia.'
Il know nothing about her ladyship
except tfld1 Sne keeps the DanR, as they
cali 1t, every evening and that the gam
ing table allures many TO their destruc-
ton.
My friends" said the captain. what
am | to do2'
You must make enquiry You must
tell Lord Fylingdale that things have
been brought to you; that you cannot
believe them If. as is possible, you do
not, but that you must make enquiries
before trusting your ward TO his protec-
tion. You are her guardian captain.
II am more than her guardian. ! love
her better than If she was my own child.
We know you do. captain. There
fore write letter to him Tell him these
things. Say that you must have time to
make these enquiries. | will help you with
the letter. And tell him as well that you
must have time to draw up settlements. If
he is honest, he WIFI consent 10 this inves-
tigation into his private character. IF ne
wants Molly and not her money bag he
will at once agree 10 the settlement of her
fortune upon herself
I am an old fool, / suppose. said the
captain. Il have Believed everything and
everybody. Yet I cannot-no, my friends,
/ cannot think that this man so proud.
so brave. who risked his life for Molly, is
what this letter says.
Other letters sag the same thing. Now,
captain let US write"
The letter which was dictated by the
vicar was duly written. signed. and seal
ed. Then it was semi up stairs to his
lordship's private room.