The Opelousas courier., 1904-08-06

8E99lE.


@ % figures before MIN.
1T is a smash-utterly
Well, it's no good wilmington done
for"
Jack gave a sigh, for there was
something more than q financial loss
impending, and he knew it.
Throughout the seven and twenty
years of his life he had been accus-
toned to regard himself, and had been
regarded by others, as a rich, mans
son. Wetmore & Wetnnore had always
been held above suspicion. AS he sat
in his comfortably furnished rooms he
could hear the cries of the news-boys
with the special edition Of the evening
papers
'Further details Of the Wetmore
failure"
He rose from the table and pushed
the papers YEARLY from him. Stroll
ing from the dressing CON adjoining
he exchanged his smoking jacket for
q dress coat and arranged his tie with
a critical air.
III it 10 to be my last appearance"
be said, sat least I'll make 1t as out
wardly respectable as l cam"
Then he frowned and looked thought
fully at the. fire, his hand unconscious
" moving toward the mantclpiece till
1t touched a massive silver frame con-
tanning a portrait, a recent one evident
". Of a particularly handsome girl.
Its no good, Bessie-no good, my
dear. I dare not speak to you now.
I'm done for"
Twenty minutes later the butler at
B%lansford's announced Mr.. Wetmore,
and after q few words with Mrs.
Blansford, his hostess, he passed into
the ballroom. In all the brilliant
crowd there was only one face he
looked for, n well-known figure for
the sight Of which he yearned.
At last, after wandering through
several rooms he saw her. She was
sitting under a shaded lamp, apparent
~ paying but little attention to the
man who was talking to her. But the
instant Mr.. Wetmore passed through
the door she beckoned to him.
"Come and sit here, Jack" said she,
nointing to the vacant seat just left
By the other man.
She regarded him with an amused
little smile and a nod of approval. She
was q young. woman with ideas Of her
own, and she appreciated the light,
careless manner with which he seemed
to carry his misfortune.
stYou don't look very doleful. Jack,
under the circumstances"
He laughed a little.
"My dear Miss Blansford, do you
think it would help matters If l went
about looking like a mute at a fun
eral?"
"And pray, my dear jack" she re
torted mockingly. "since when ]. have
become Miss BlansfordT
"since I heard the news last night
he answered grimly.
"Oh! very well, If you are going t
pout and quarrel with your friends
just because you've lost o little
money
TT may be a little, but unfortunately
1t happens to be all I've got. ! owt
a good deal besides"
Wetmore rosl and held out his hand
He was fast losing his ~self-control.
81 must be OFF. I came only to sa.
goodbye to you"
Miss Blansford closed her fan witt
q snap.
"sit down, Jack, at once. and dom
be an idiot"
Taken aback at this sudden and pre-
emptory command, he obeyed.
snow. then, what was 1t you reall.
came to say to met"
ITO say good-by, and ask you {
wish me good luck" he answered.
what would you have said If thing
had-had been different2 Shall I te
you2s she whispered. aYou woul
have said, Bessie, /. love you An
now. just because you're a goose an
m idiot, and I happen to possess NOR
money than i know what to do witt
you would rather die than say fou
simple little words like that"
"Oh, Bessie
"Yes. oh. Bessie she continue
mockingly. Its always oh, Bessie
And yet through sheer ebstinacy 70
are putting poor Bessie to the troubl
OF making a formal proposal for til
honor of your hand In marriage
Wetmore sprang tG his feet.
81 won't Iisten." said he. Its NJ
fair OF you, Bessie"