The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-27


riage was likely to be postponed and
something of a scandal to ensue. BERTHE
Watts, they said, was going about like
a ravenous beast, seeking what flnancier
he could devour. His opinion OF his uncle
was expressed in phrases Of which the
chief ornament was appalling curses and
maledictions. He declared he would have
the whiphand Of him yet, would make him
pay handsomely for all the trouble he had
put people ton short, behaved like a
man who was absurdly in love, regardless
OF that financial prudence which is so
dear to the sight Of parents and of guar
dams. Even he, however, could not fore
see the strange thing about to happen
to him, or the very curious opportunity
which was shortly to be his.
A week passed. There was no def
mite announcement Of any postponement
of the arrangements noted by the Hyde
Park Gazette, nor did such part Of
society as is represented by the tongue
sters hear that BERTHE had persuaded
his uncle. The thing was a kind Of dead
the world Of RelsraVia knew that the
young lady's father, Lord Varnley, had
consented to let the wedding be, and to
trust to Harningham's better sense when
the time Of the accomplishment came. I
saw Watts one day, driving with his
finance near the Achilles statue, and
thought that he looked glum enough, but
he came to me on the following morning
for diamond aigrette. and altho he
couldn't pay for it I let him have it.
It'll be all right In month, Sutton"
said he; ''you know the old chaps hard
enough. but he can't: let me marry on
nothing year, can he now?'
l said that the thing was possible; and
for his own sake ventured to hint that
1t was even probable. an opinion which
he took In no good part, sucking his stick
silently for a while. and then laughing
with poor little chuckle that seemed to
come from the very top of his head.
'WeI,' he exclaimed at last, 'its dew
ilish rough on a fellow to have q reia-
ton Of that sort, isn't it?-a positive dis
grace to the family. + wonder what the
old blackguard is going to give me for a
wedding present. Did he ask you to show
him any American tickers, by the way? ]
shouldn't wonder if he presented me with
brass clock, and Eva with guinea set
in jet-he's mean enough"
He bought a ruby bracelet here some
days ago." remarked. as in parenthesis.
did he now?" he exclaimed in tone
OF pleasure. IT wonder if it's for the
grille? but. Of course, it couldn't be. He d
die to give away anything that once went
into his old safe. Look here, Sutton,
and go halves? feel like something des-
perate."
I told him that that was impossible,
and he went away with the aigrette in his
pocket, and very thoughtful expression
upon his face. Before he did So how
ever, he had uttered the pious wish that
his uncle might die Of some tormenting
visitation: and that he might be alive to
dance on the day of the funeral. I must
say that I sympathized with him, for he
was a good-looking and kindly -hea rted
young fellow, who for many years had
been led to believe that his relations
would do something for him; and who wa s
about to be grievously disappointed. Nor
could forget that he was engaged to one
| Of the prettiest girls In town-and for her
| sake enjoyed kind of reflected SYM
| pathy which was sincere enough on the
part Of every man who knew him.
| The date Of the wedding was now fixed,
| being the 21st Of January, to be well
!, ahead Of Lent. I saw Watts very fire.
quently during the following ten days, he
coming with expectunt persistency to ask
me if his uncle had yet bought him any
thing; and remaining disappointed almost
to the very eve of his marriage. In fact
the wedding was to take place on the
| Wednesday, and it was only on the previ-
GUS Monday that Lord Tarninghan
assembled: my stairs, putting and blowing
and in a shocking temper, to make his
purchase of present.
Sutton" he said, ''this is the creates
| tomfoolery on earth-that young rascal Il
going to get married after all, and sup.
pose I'll have to give him something
| "You can scarce do less" said with 6
smile.
"Of course I can do less" he replied
q cots, 1t lI.s-
all, dye see not a brass halfpenny Loci
at the ass, maudlng about the first pref
ty face he sees over q dinner table wl1e1
he might marry money twenty times TO
4 the asking of it. Did make, such ,
! fool of myself when I was his age?'
! assured him that he did nothing o
the sort.
Then what's he want to do it for
Thinks he's going to get something GU
OF me. perhaps--out of me, but he amt
not siXpence; not If they hadn't enough
to get to the station with. IIa, ha! Tn
not such a spendthrift as look"
lie talked in this strain for some while
and then fell to haggling over gift. H
told me that the custom Of giving wed
ding presents was, the insane fashion of al
insane age; that he consented to folloy
1T only in view Of the fuss that societ
would make if his card did not lie o.
Lori Varnley's table when the other pres
,, ents were shown. In this bargaining h
displayed a meanness which was tri
, umphant even for him. I must hav
shown him quite a hundred rings, pins an
, watches of all values, from fifty pounds t
l five hundred before he could In anv wa
make up his mind and he did not cease t
, rebuke me for that which he called m
! preposterously extravagant insinuatior
Fifty sovereigns! a hundred sovereiens!
he kept exclaiming: sswhy, man alive, d
you think I'm made of money? Sho,
me something cheap, something that Az
pounds will buy, dye see? any bit of stuff
good enough for a jackanapes like that.
But not for your card on Lord Warn
) ley's table,"
why, what do you mean?"
people who are uncharitable, you know
might say that 1t was a curiously insult
cient present"
Dye think they'd say that7"
, Il am sure they would
PsbaW.-so am I; that comes Of be
ing thought rich man when you're a
poor as d parson. I'm quite a poor maj
,, you know, Sutton
I listened to him patiently and in th
: end persuaded him to buy Watts an es
quisite set of Jeweled links. These had
fine diamond In each of them, but the
greatest ornament was the superb ename
ing, worthy of Jean Toutin or Petite
ID with which all the gold was covered.
, asked one hundred and fifty pounds fl
these remarkable rnaments; and the oil
3 man, struck like the artist he was. wit
> the perfection Of the workmanship fixe
3 his greedy eyes upon them, and was pei
suadeu He protested that thew were &c
goOG far too good, for such a WORTHLESS