Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-14


Ask no question. Pompey, but go ahead
with the yarn growled the first neuten-
| ant
We'll. it seems that Mrs Costobell is
| dead. She got enteric a week after the
| Orient sailed. and was goner in four days
| Before she died she owned up"
| He paused. with base eye to effect. Not
| man moved a muscle
| "All right" he cried IT will make no
| more false starts. Mrs. Costobell begged
| her husbands forgiveness for her treatment
| of him, and confessed t.iat she and Lord
| Ventnor planned the affair for which An
! struther was tried by court-martial. 1t
| must have been beastly business, for Cos
| tobell was sweating with rage, though his
| words were icy enough. And you ought to
| have seen Ventnors face when he heard of
| the depositions sworn to and signed by
| Mrs. Costobell and by several Chinese SER
wants whom she bribed to give false evil
| dence He promised to marry Mrs Costo-
| bell If her husband died, or, in any event,
| to bring about a divorce when the Hong
| Kong affair had blown over. Then she
| learnt that he was after Miss Iris, and
! there is no doubt her fury helped on the
| fever. Costobell said that, for his wifes
! sake, he would have kept the wretched
| thing secret but he was compelled to clear
| Anstruther's name, especially as he came
| across the other old Johnnie
"Pompey. you are incoherent with excite
ment. Who is the other old Johnnie?' ask
ed the first huff severely.
Didn't 1 tell you? Why, Anstruther's
/
| just touch of Yorkshire in his tongue. I
gathered that he diSinnerited his nephew
when the news of the court-martial reached
| him. Then he relented and cabled to him.
Getting no news, he came east to look for
| him. He met Costobell the day after the
| lady died, and the two swore-the stout
uncle can swear a treat-anyhow, they VOW
| ed to be avenged on Ventnor and to clear
| Anstruthers character. living or dead Poor
| old chap! He cried like baby when he
asked the youngster to forgive him. 1t was
| quite touching. l can tell you"
Playdon affected to search for his pocket
handkerchief.
DO tell US, or it will be worse for you."
cried his mentor.
Give me time, air, a drink! What you
| fellows want is a photograph. Let me see
Well, Costobell shook Ventnor off at last,
| with the final observation that Anstruther's
| court-martial has been quashed The next
batch of general orders will reinstate him
| in the regiment, and it rests with him to
decide whether or not criminal warrant
shall be issued against his lordship for con-
spiracy. Do you fellows know what con-
sGir-
You cuckoo! What did Miss Deane do?"
"Clung to Anstruther like a weeping
angel and kissed everybody all round when
Ventnor got away. Well-hands on !
mean her father, Anstruther and the stout
uncle Unfortunately l was not on In that
scene But for some reason, they all near
ly wrung my arm off, and the men were so
excited that they gave the party rousing
cheer their rickshaws went OIL IN
bunch Will no Christian gentleman get me
drink"
The next commotion arose in the hotel
when Sir Arthur Deane seized the nrst
opportunity to explain the predicament IN
which his company was placed, and the
blow which Lord Ventnor yet had 1t IN ms
power to deal.
Mr.. William Anstruther was an interested
auditor. Robert would have spoken, but
his uncle restrained him.
Leave this to me, lad he exclaimed.
When l was coming here IN the Sirdar
there was lot oil talk about Sir Arthur s
scheme and there should not be much DIFF
ficulty in raising all the brass required, II
half what 1 heard be true. Sit you down.
Sir Arthur and tell us all about it,
The ship owner required no second bid
ding. With the skill for which he was
noted. he described his operations in de-
tail. telling how every farthing of the first
installments of the two great loans was
paid up, how the earnings of his fleet would
quickly overtake the deficit in capital
value caused by the loss of the three ships,
and how, in six months time, the leading
financial houses of London, Paris and Ber-
lin would be offering him more money than
he would need.
To shrewd man of business the project
could not fail to commend itself, and the
Yorkshire squire though a tri1e obstinate
in temper, was singularly clear headed in
other respects. He brought his great fist
down on the table with a whack.
Send cable to your company. Sir Ar
thur, he cried, land tell them that your
prosp son-in-law will provide the f1O,-
600 you require. l will see that his draft is
honored. You add, If you like, that
another ten will be ready if wanted when
d-er-deuced bad turn in my life This
time, think, am doing him good one
You are, indeed l said Iris father en-
is taking up will be worth four times it's
face value in two years."
"All the more reason to make his hold
Ing twenty instead of ten roared the
Yorkshireman. But look here You talk
about dropping proceedings against that
precious earl whom / saw today Why
not tell him not to try any funny tricks
your account? We have him in our power.
Dash 1t all, let us use him a bit"
Even Iris laughed at this naive sugges-
ton 1t was delightful to think That their
arch enemy was actually helping the baro-
nets affairs at that very moment and
would continue to do SO until he was flung
aside as being of no further value AL
though Ventnor himself had carefully
avoided any formal commitment the cable
grams awaiting the ship owner at Singa-
pore showed that confidence had already
been restored by the uncontradcted use OF
his lordships name.
Robert at last obtained a hearing
You two are quietly assuming the atti-
tude of the financial magnates of this e,th.
ering' ne said Il must admit that you
have managed things very well between
you, and l do not propose for one moment
to interfere with your arrangements.
nevertheless, Iris and are re lilly the CHIEF
moneyed persons present. You spoke of
financial houses in England and on the con-
tinent backing up your loans six months
hence. Sir Arthur. You need not 90 to
them. We will be your bankers"
The baronet laughed with a whole-heart
ed gaiety that revealed whence Iris GOT
some part, at least, of her bright disposi-
ton. 'p'''-
will you sell your island, Roberto" he
a fraid tI,af
could wheedle any one into buying it,
But father. dear" INTERRUPTED the girl
earnestly, what Robert says rs true We
have a gold mine there. 1t is worth SO
much that you will hardly believe II until
there can no longer be any doubt in vonr
mind. l suppose that is why Robert asked
me not to mention his discovery to yo,
earlier
mo. Iris, that was not the reason said
her lover, and the older men felt that more
| idle fancy inspired the astounding intelIt-
gence that they had just heard ..Your
love was more to me than all the gold In
the world. / had won you 1 meant TO
keep you, but 1 refused to buy YOU
He turned to her father His pentnn
emotion mastered him. and he spoke as one
who could longer raj