Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-07-17
Continued.

small DuL certain lHCoIHc' "h'h Nv
was going to India, he said, laugh
ingly, that he knew had good heal
for business, and that, If ever | saw
a chance Of turning his five per cent
into ten, | was to do 1t. When they
wrote to me for this last five thousand
pounds, thinking was helping to make
his fortune as well as treble my own,
without awaiting his permission, |
sent 1t; and it Is all lost, lanthe.
Could any man be 80 mad, 80 foolish
as have been?"
you must pay 1t back, papa" she
said cneerfully. "You dlu not intend
to lose It,"
PAY it back" he moaned. II
would to Heaven that | could! You
do not realize what | mean, when |
say that ! am a ruined man. 1t
means that !, Maurice Care, earl Of
Croombe, stand before you pennlless.
The home of my ancestOrs-this old
abbey, where the best and brayest ol
my race have lived and died-has
gone from me. My income is
paortgaged--I have sold the Home
farm am as utterly ruined ana
without resource as n pauper within
the work-house gates, Yet ! could
bear It all If It were possible to repay
Wyndham Care. cannot live,
Ianthe, to hear myself called thief. ,
She had grown very pale as she
listened
mo man can say that dear You
brighten yourself with shadow.
Wyndham told you to do better with
his money, If you could"
"And | have lost It. Ianthe, what
answer shall | make to him II Ge
comes to me and says, Where Is my
all, tho fortune | left IN your hands,
could not sell my jewels? AID
the pictures--surely they would Ds
worth more even than Ave thousand
pounds?"
"The jewels are not worth one-haf
the sum, and the pictures-do you not
understand Ianthe?-tho house as 1t
stands, have gone from me. | am
destitute, penniless. Was there over
n sorrow like unto mine2
And this Is Christmas" said the
girl, thoughtfully. when every one Ia
supposed to be so happy? Papa, what
shall we do?"
81 cannot tell. | dare not think.
am n ruined man. DO you realize ali
that that means for you, Ianthe-you,
brought up In the midst of luxury, &c
customed to carriages, horses, ser
wants, to dress as you liked. to 10 rs
you liked? what will become OF you,
my darling? When we two walk cut
of here hand in hand, there viii be no
homo for us to go to; we shall not
have one shilling in the wide world,
Now do you realize what ruin means?'
She grew even whittier, and looked
Mt him wI,h great startled eyes.
Are matters so bad, papa"
He tore his hands from her grasp,
and, with n passionate cry, fell on HIS
knees before her,
Can you forgive me, Ianthe? |
would die to win your pardon.
have ruined your bright young life
you, the fairest, the brightest of my
race You will have to work FOR
your daily bread? Can you ever for
give me?"
Papa do not speak to me In hat
fashion. You have done all for the
best. should have nothing to for.
give, even II you had done the dead
Hest wrong ] am your child-it IL
not for me to Judge you, Let me help
you-Comfort you-but do not ask
me for pardon, ! am willing to suffer
with YOU
yesterday" said tho old earl, In
his trembling voice, when the letter
came to tell mo that the mine was a
failure. thcro came also a letter from,
John Culross that is, from his cX.
ocutors-he himself the man who
lent the moncy-is dead, They arc
calling in all the moneys due to him;
they have asked for the ten thousand
pounds, They have given me formal
notice for It's repayment; II in three
months 1t is not paid | shalt lose
Croombe nbbcy--it will pass from my
hands into theirs
"Thrcc months" she repoated--tC
nCI II SttUltu ike u lNlll'N'' NbiNlN
much can be done in three months
you can borrow the money from some
one else papa"
"Who would lend ten Thousand
pounds to ruined man? OF Cours,
shall send for Il lawyer, aud do my
best; but ! know it will be useless
Croombe abbey, tho home of TIL
Cares, will become the property Of .
manufacturer. 1t Is enough to make
the dead Cares rise from then
graves"
Her beautiful face flushed hotly
her eyes dashed fire.
papa" she said, there Is one thinl
we must do at onCe--we must tell the
truth to Lord Ravencourt, You thinr
he Is here because he admires me: "
must know that am no longer ricl
heiress. We shall see II that makes
any difference to him. Then we must
under some pretext or other sent
away our v.~.,ors, How sorry | an
that we wasted money on that foolsl