The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-07-05


rid of her, he ragged and chafed. He
was tied hand and foot. She held his
money, and her shrewd wit had more
than doubled it. She was all-powerful.
and he could but wait until her death
or some lucky accident should rid him
of her, and leave him free to follow out
the scheme he had matured "Once rid
OF her, ne thought, in his solitary rides
over the station of which he was tho
nominal owner, the rest is easy. / shall
return TO England with a plausible story
of shipwreck. and shall doubtless be re-
ceived with open arms by the dear
mother from whom have been so long
parted. Richard Devine shall have his
own again"
One day the chance came to him.
His wife was Ill and the ungratefuI
scoundrel stole five hundred pounds.
and. taking two horses. reached SYDNEY.
and obtained passage in a vessel bound
for Rio.
Having escaped from thralldom, John
Rex proceeded to play for the great
stake Of his life with the utmost caution
This was the tale he hit upon: He had
been saved from the burning Hydaspes
by vessel bound for Rio. Ignorant of
the death of Sir Richard, and prompted
by the pride which was known to be
leading feature of his character. he had
determined not to return. until fortune
should have bestowed upon him wealth
at least equal to the inheritance from
which be had been ousted. In Spanish
America he had striven to accumulate
that wealth in vain. As traveller, specu-
lator. sailor, he had toiled for fourteen
years, and had failed Worn out and
penitent, he had returned home to find a
corner of English earth in which to Law
his weary bones The tale was plausible
enough. and in the telling of it he was
armed at all points. There was little
fear that the navigator of the captured
Osprey. the man who had lived in Chill.
and ''cut out" cattle on the Carrum
Plains, would prove lacking in knowl-
edge of riding. seamaDship, or Spanish
customs. Moreover, he had determined
upon a course of action which showed
his knowledge of human nature.
The will under which Richard Devine
inherited had been made when the tes-
tator was In the first hopeful glow of
paternity. By its terms Lady Devine
was to receive life interest of three
thousand a year in her husbands prop
erty-which was placed in the hands of
two trustees until her eldest SON died.
or attained the age of twenty-five years.
When either of these events should oc-
eur, the property. was to be realized.
Lady Devine receiving a sum of hun
dred thousand pounds. the remainder go
ing absolutely to the son, if living. The
trustees appointed were Lady Devine's
father. COL Wotton Wade, and Mr.. ST.
las Kuaid, Sir Richards solicitor. Col.
Wade. before his death. had appointed
his own son. Mr.. Francis Wade, TO act
in his stead. When Mr.. Quad died
Francis Wade continued alone in his
trust Sir Richards sister and her hus-
band, Anthony Frere, of Bristol. were
long ago dead. and their representative.
Maurice Frere, content at last in the
lot that fortune had sent him, had given
up all thought of meddling with his un-
cle's business. John Rex. therefore. in
the person Of The returned Richard, had
but two persons to satisfy-Mr. Fran
els Wade and Lady Devine.
This he found to be the easiest task
possible. Francis Wade was an invalid
virtuoso, who detested business. and
whose ambition was to be known as a
man Of tasse- The possessor of small
independent income, he had resided at
North End ever silce his fathers death.
When, at his sisters urgent wish. he
estate. he put all the floating capital
into three per cents. and was content to
see the interest accumulate. Lady De-
vine had never recovered the shock of
tn circumstances attending Sir Richard
death, and clinging to the belief in her
sons existence. regarded herself as the
mere guardian of his interests. to be
displaced at any moment by his sudden
return The. retired pair lived thus to-
gether, and spent in charity and bric-a-
brac about q fourth of their mutual in
come. By both of them the return of
the wanderer was hailed with delight
To Lady Devine it meant the realization
of a lifelong hope. To Francis Wade il
meant relief from the responsibility of
| looking after another persons money.
Il shall not think of interfering with
the arrangements which you have made,
my a-ar uncle" said Mr.. John Rex, on
the night of his reception ut
wou- be most ungrateful of me to do so.
Ny wants are very few. and can easily
be supplied. / will see your lawyers
some day, and settle it,"
"See them at once, Richard; see them
at once l am no man Of business, you
know, but ! think you viii find all
right"
! Richard. however, put off the visit
from day to day. He desired to have as
little to do with lawyers as possible.
| He had resolved upon his course of ac-
ton. He would get money from his
mother for immediate needs. and when
that mother died he would assert his
rights. "My rough life has untitled me
for drawing rooms, dear mother" he
sail. do not let there be display
about my return. Give me a corner to
smoke my pipe and am happy" Lady
Deyine, with loving, tender pity. for
which John Rex could not altogether
account, consented, and 'Mr. Richard''
soon came TO be regarded as q marty.
to circumstances, a man conscious of his
! own imperfections. and one whose imper-
fections were, therefore, to be lightly
| dwelt upon. So the returned prodigal
had his own suite of rooms. his own
StIfduiSs Ills own "a uk account, anu was
merry.
Thus taken upon trust, Mr.. Richard
Devine mixed in the very best of bad so
ciety, and had no lack of agreeable
friends to help him TO spend his money
SO admirably did he spend it, that Fran
els Wade became at last alarmed at the
frequent drafts, and urged his nephew t.
bring his affairs to a final settlement
Richard Devine--in Paris, or Hamburg
or London, or elsewhere-could never b.
got to attack business, and Mr.. Francis
Wade grew more and more anxious. Tn
poor gentleman positively became il
through the anxiety consequent upon hi
nephew's designations. Il wish, my dea
Richard, that you would let me know
what to do" he wrote. IL wish, m.
dear uncle, that you would do what yol
think best" was the nephew's reply.
Mr. Wade began to repent of his to
easy taking of matters in the beginning
Not that he had suspicion of Rex. bu
that he remembered that Dick was al