Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-04-16

/ and looking dS IL she were SApSCIIuS
anything but bad news.
well my lady, my master is in a
terrible trouble he said plunginS
still further into the business.
I'm terrible trouble?" echoed Lady
Eleanor; and her face flushed. What
do you mean, Fleming?"
Its money matters, my lady,
said Fleming; and her face flushed.
| What do GU mean, Fleming?"
Its money matters, my lady," said
Fleming, gravely, and looking around
as if he feared an eavesdropper.
His lordship-I'm obliged to speak
freely my lady, or else you won't I'M
derstand; but it's out of no disre-
spect to his lordship, who has been
the best of masters to me-
Say what you have to say quite
without reserve" said Lady Eleanor,
in low voice.
well, my lody, was going to say
that his lordship has always been
hard up, as gu may say. There's al
ways been a difficulty with the
|
gentlemen like Lord Yorke," he said
"They don't know, and can't be ex-
pected to know, the value Of money
like common ordinary folk, and so
] they-well, they outrun the con-
stable"
Lord Auchester is in debit" said
Fleming. THAT would be nothing,
for ever since I've been in the serv-
ice he has been in debt. But now the
people he owes the money to want
him to pay them"
He gave the information as though
| it were the most extraordinary and
unnatural conduct on the part of any
creditor of Lord Auchester that he
should wan payment.
People who owe money must pay
it some time, Fleming" suggested
Lady Eleanor
'Yes-ah, yes, my lady, some time"
admitted Fleming, but not all at once.
1t seems as if all the people my lord
owes money to had Joined together
and resolved to drop upon him in
heap. There's man in possession
in Bury street my lady"
"a man in possession!" repeated
Lady Eleanor, as if she scarcely
understood.
eyes, a bailiff, my lady, sitting there
in his lordship's sitting-room; and
daresn't throw him out of the win
dow"
"And-and Lord Yorke, Fleming
suppose he is in great trouble about
this?"
"Wen, my lady, he is in great
trouble; but if you mean he is cut up
about this money matter, l can't say
that he is. He don't seem to care one
| bit about it, and takestit as cool and
Indifferent as if-well, as if nothing
mattered. But he is in great trouble
for all that, and he has been for
weeks past"
you had better tell me everything,
I think, Fleming"
We'll, my lady, it's just this: His
| lordship had a blow-a disappoint-
ment of some kind 1t isn't money,
| it isn't betting, or card-playing, or
should have heard of it, for his lord
ship generally makes some remarks,
/ such as I've had a good day, Flem-
ing OF I'm stone broke, Fleming so
that I know what kind of luck he's
had: it isn't that. It's something
worse-if there is anything worse, .
he put in, philosophically. GA little
while ago his lordship was in the very
best of spirits; never saw him in
better. and he's a bright-hearted gen
tleman, as you know, my lady. I'm
speaking of the time when he came
back from that place in the country
where he and his grace the duke
were-Portmaris."
Lady Eleanor leaned her head on
her hand so that her face was hid
den from him.
Then all of a sudden a change
came, and his lordship got bad, very
| bad. 1t was dreadful to see him, my
lady. Eat nothing, cared for nothing;
scarcely ven spoke. Nothing but
smoke, smoke, all day, and wander in
| anu OUT 1OOhluS llhS lhC SoAOSC VI AAAAAA
self. And he, who used to be so
bright and cheerful, with the laugh
always ready! I'd have given some
thing to have spoken a word, and
asked him what was the matter; but
we'll. my lady, with all his pleasant
ness, my masters the last gentleman
to take a liberty with"
"You don't know what it was, this
terrible disappointment" said Lady
| Eleanor, almost inaudibly.
Fleming hesitated and glanced at
her. then he coughed discreetly behind
his hand.
It was sufficient answer, and Lady
| Eleanor's face grew red.
Whatever it was that made him SO
happy and cheerful, it was knocked
on the head and put an end to, my
| lady" he said. "And so it is that
this regular smash-up of affairs