Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-01-07

and skillful use of all the arts OF
which he was master, had made her
his. And not only her, but two mil
lions of money.
His brain whirled, and he walked
along in kind of ecstasy But pres
emily he came to himself and began to
think of ways and means.
To carry out his plans to their full
fillment he wanted money, and at the
present moment his funds were run
ming low.
He meant TO give her no time to re-
consider her consent. He would plead
and insist on a speedy marriage. He
would want money for this.
There was one person of whom
Mordaunt Royce could get the sum
he required, and that was BERTHE,
Lord Dewsbury, and his evil genius
led him to the rooms in Piccadilly.
Two or three men were seated in
the room smoking and drinking, and
BERTHE hailed his appearance with joy
Gus alacrity.
Here's Royce, the long absent,
mysterious Royce!" he exclaimed, as
Royce entered, looking the picture of
health and prosperity.
They sat down to loo, and Royce,
who had of late played badly and with
bad luck, seemed to have recovered his
old form He won heavily. Pontclerc
then proposed that they should change
sides, and still Royce won, and BERTHE,
now opposed to him, lost.
They played until far into the night,
and then the party broke up, leaving
BERTHE and Royce alone together.
'I've lost tonight" said BERTHE, with
have stuck to you for a partner, old
fellow"
81 wish you had" said Royce, put
ting a pile of gold and notes in his
pockets. Can lend you anything?"
"Oh, no, thanks" said BERTHE, care
lessly Much Obliged all the same!
4 No, | shall pay a visit to that old
curmudgeon Craddock, of Chain Court,
Fenchurch street,"
! BERTHE sat over the fire thinking of
his losses and his fast disappearing
estate.
In the morning. about twelve, he
drove his mail phaeton down to the
city.
Mr.. Chaddock swung round upon his
stool as the elegantly dressed figure
of the young peer entered the office,
and greeted him with a welcoming
grin.
"Ah, my dear young lord!" he
croaked; land what can | do for
your"
How do you do, Mr.. Craddock?
never come here but think of the
spider and the fly. But now to bust
ness; ! want a thousand pounds"
Old Craddock opened the safe
slowly, and as he did so something
fell out.
1t was an oil painting BERTHE
stopped forward and picked it up. It
was the portrait that Craddock had
taken from the Void 1t was the
face of Joan herself.
He sat with the picture in hands,
astounded and overwhelmed.
What's that?" said Craddock, peer
ing at it, "Oh, that picture" and he
held out his hand for it.
Didn't know you were connois-
seur. Mr.. Craddock," he said, Jest
ingly, How did you come by this?"
Hem! ah, that's a portrait of my
my aunt. Give it here, my lord" he
said.
Your aunt is good-looking wo-
man. anyway" said BERTHE "Nicely
painted too, viii you sell it, Grad
! dock?"
! mo, no" said the old man. Family
portrait-can't part with it,"
Look here" he said, you can
make out that check for nine hun.
dred and fifty, if you like, and throw
the portrait in; I've taken a fancy to
! It,"
"Oh. very WELL" he said, slowly. 'If
you have taken a fancy to it, you shall
have it; but it's cheap"
Cheap! | should think SOL" said
BERTHE, with flush on his cheek, and
he put the picture under his arm as
he put the check in his pocket and
went out.
III Mr.. Craddock had been blessed
with the faintest glimmer of what he
had sold, BERTHE would not have pur.
chased that picture for twenty times
/. fifty pounds,
CHAPTER XXI.
Lord Berthe carried the pictprs
which he had bought of old Craddock
home to his rooms in Piccadilly. If
anyone had asked him why he had
felt such keen pang of mingled pain
and pleasure at the sight of the face
: on the canvas, which was so strangely
like that of the young and beautiful
girl he had rescued nom Stuart Vii.
liars hands, BERTHE would have been
puzzled to find an answer.
: He had only seen Joan for a few
, minutes; but her beauty. her name.
less grace, her helplessness. and the
terrible danger in which she was
placed had produced an extraordi
nary effect upon him.
I