Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-02-27
CHAPTER XIX.
VIl II IIfV -Nf-Ns
MR. SUFIF'S LITTLE SURPRISE.

Mr.. SHELLS LITTLE SURPRISE.
! Mr.. Theodore Shelf had reached the ent
of his tether, and like shrewd bushes
man he knew it.
There is certain mad excitement II
standing on high ledge of an iceberg
when the steps which you have clambcret
up by have splintered away and the hun
bred foot cliffs above are threatening ev
cry instant to descend In crashing ava
lanche. You know you have to jump into
the cold green waters below or be crushed
out of existence, and lingering to the very
last second is not without its fierce pleas
ure. The dive is chilly, the waters beneath
unknown, final escape most hazardous
But it is not these things which stay you
1t is the nearness of the crash behind, and
that is fascinating beyond all words.
Mr.. Shelf was in similar position. He
knew that his commercial ledge was grow
ing more and more dangerous every min
ute by reason of the law Of the land
which loomed above him, and yet for the
life of him he could not tear himself away.
He had waiting for him that snug hacien-
da on the banks of the Rio Paraguay
which he had time before made ready
against a possible cataclysm, but 1t was
on in London was meat and drink to him.
His daring would be spoken about after.
yard, and though he might not be blessed,
it is true, still he would not be forgotten.
That last was perhaps the chief reason
which made him stay on. The vanity OF
the man was colossal. He had been tic
killed. by the improving young men, he had
been tickled In his tabernacle, he had
been tickled by a parliamentary constitu-
ency, but these did not glut him. He
wanted more, far more, and If he could
not distinguish himself in the way his
wife had hoped he would at least be IA
nous in his fall.
He had a scheme too, in his waiting OF
taking a vengeance on this same wife who
had made it necessary for him to fall at
all. Without her wild extravaganza he
would have been able to weather the COM
mercial depression which had weighed him
down, but she had scoffed at warnings
and increased the muster roll of her guests
and fed them on bank notes. What this
scheme was he confided to no one but
George, and George did not split. George
hated Mrs. Shelf to the extent of showing
ivory whenever she was near him.
George, " said Mr.. Shelf at the conclu-
sion of one of these grim condolences, Il
shall be a lonely man. You must come
out there with me-" And George poked
cold black nose into Mr. Shells hand and
said that he should be vastly disappointed
if he was left behind.
Now, Mr.. Theodore Shelf intended to
have his vengeance on the night of ball
which his wife was going to give, and
which for sheer gorgeousness and distin'
guished assembly was to rival by far all
her previous efforts, and he was quite sat
isfed in his own mind that the action
would be entirely justifiable. Still he was
a man not without natural affections. He
was extremely fond Of his ward, Amy
Rivers, even though through the old fash
toned wooden headedness of his ootrustee
he did not have the actual handling Of a
penny of her money. The cotr ustee was
lawyer with an admiration for 4 per
cent corporation stocks, and he insisted on
Miss Rivers fortune staying in these and
showed cause why the script should re-
main in his own office safe. The money
tempted Theodore Shelf to the sin of GOV.
eteousness continually-he could have
made such excellent use of it-but to the
mans credit be it said he never visited
his irritation ON his ward. Indeed he was
only known to be disagreeable to her once
and that once was the last time he and she
had speech together, and what he had said
was entirely to her interest and without
any profit to himself. Itwas on the morn
ing of the great ball, and he called her to
him in his room and asked If Fairfax
would be there that evening
"Of course, ~ she said, why?"
"After what has passed between us'"
''You mean in the ciry:"
Il do, my dear. Mr. Fairfax has dis
pleased me much. First of all, he resigned
from the directorate of my new company,
the Brothers Steamship association, on
which had placed him, very flattering
position for so young man, and then he
caused me deep sorrow in doubling the
pureDess of my motives in floating the
company at all. / am long suffering,
Amy, and because it is my duty to bear
with the hasty l do SO as much as posi-
BILE. But Mr.. Fairfax overstepped the
mark. Such spirit as his would cause dis
sension among our simple minded work
ers, and felt it due to them that he should
no longer be at their side.''
so you gave him the-well, the sack.
OF course know"
Perhaps" said Mr.. Shelf, with smile
Of pain, "he will be able to obtain employ
ment elsewhere. or being a Young man Of