The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-06-14

stop, Tor luck was dead against him,
but he stubbornly refused. and how
could |, as n winner, decline to go on?
| should have been only too glad to
cry quits at the end of the game, but
we cannot control fate"
But surely four monthsT" | urged.
"Will make all the difference in the
world to me-. | require the money
now and shall not want il then. Mr..
Trevor, we are both men of the world"
Royle hastily added. perhaps aware
that the coarse frankness of his last
speech was scarcely BETTING a dis
interested sutton. II am not rich
man. worse luck. Sir Hector Bruce's
name is good for n million ut least.
Now, If your friend had won this
money should have been bound to
settle on Monday morning? Just so.
Well. the point of my argument is
surely obvious?"
''Sir Hector has nothing to do with
It," | replied coldly. He would be
the last man in the world to recognize,
much less pay, his sons gambling
debts"
Royle shrugged his shoulders. "Or
a debt Of honor?" he asked. with an iii
concealed sheer. well, you know him
best"
! declined proffered cigarette. while
the speaker lit one and. leaning back
In his chair, seemed to reconsider the
situation.
~ will tell you what will do" he
said at last, thoughtfully Ticking away
flake Of ash. IF our young friend
will give us his word of honor that he
will never touch another card, will
give him a month from today to pay
up in. There! can't say more"
Nor did waste time, seeing that fur
ther parley was useless. had obtain
ed months respite at any rate for the
young simpleton awaiting me, being OF
course aware that terms as to Ber-
trans future conduct were imposed
only to conceal the rapacious nature OF
his creditor child would have seen
through Remington Royle.
I'VE must hope for the best, Ber-
tram" were my parting words. AT
matter over Do nothing until you
hear from me-" The outlook was
gloomy enough. but ! resolved If mat
tiers came to climax TO take Lady
Bruce into our confidence, trusting 10
her influence to mollify Sir Hectors
wrath and to open his purse strings.
The 18th Of August found me in Scot
land. where had taken moor for the
season with a friend. The shooting
was in wild. lonely part Of the coun-
try. on the northern coast Of Caithncss.
and was more remarkable for scenery
than sport, which was Of n poor. tame
description. But the rent was low. and
Hume. busy barrister. was, like my.
self. less keen on big bags than on pure
air and physical exercise. The lodge
was within a stones throw Of the
North sea. 1t stood on q steep. rocky
cliff. from the summit OF which n mar
row. zigzag pathway descended TO a
sandy cove snugly sheltered from tile
wind and waves. This smooth strip of
beach was on still. sunny days my IA
vorte retreat, but my energetic com
panion seldom accompanied me OH
these laZing expeditions. was there
fore alone when one bright afternoon
while contemplating nature through
fragrant clouds Of "Honeydew" a
strange object in the water attracted
my attention. The ripping wavelets
drftod it laZily TO and fro, and. with
idle curiosity, strolled to the fringe OF
the tiny breakers and drew the thing &c
land 1t was pint bottle which. judg.
ing from its appearance. had once con.
tanned champagne. 1t was now almost
shapeless. for the barnacles and other
sea drift cllnging to its neck and sides
showed that 1t must have been months
If not years in the water. The cork,
however, was intact, and | discovered,
with renewed interest, that the bottle
contained an Enclosure, probably a let
ter, which could distinctly be heard
rafting against its now opaque sides.
"A message from some shipwrecked
sailor" was my first thought as ]
bore my treasure carefully up the
steep hillside and into the house. Here
the cork was easily removed, but O
hammer had to be brought into requi-
sition and the vessel shattered before
could handle its contents. | was right.
1t was letter. but with no inscrip-
ton, and at first suspected hoax,
but as | opened the envelope two fin
ger rings, bent almost oval to admit
Of their insertion. fell upon the table
Ind dispelled all ideas of practical
Joke. The writing had become almost
illegible, and it was only with IIume's
assistance that contrived TO decipher
this weird missive from another world.
And this is what we read:
YACHT DAYDREAM, or Norway, Aug. IL, 1890.
entreat that this letter may be given, with It's
inclosure to my mother, Mrs Myers, Ivy Lodge,
Rosedale, Hastings. am about 70 take my lie.
The man for whom have sacrificed all has to-
night confessed that have no right to bear his
pame that our marriage was illegal and only
trap to lure me from my home. ] cannot face
The shame. Mother, forgive your unhappy child,
who dies loving as she has always loved you.
The wedding ring viii tell you how hasely have
been deceived. May the vengeance Of heaven over
take Edgar Middleton, my murderer!
MARGARET MYras.
Scarcely that" observed Hume,
with legal precision, as we came to the
last word. "But Mr.. Middleton, who