The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-03-31
JOE VAS VERY FAT AND VERY BA5AFUL

as companion for herself, incidentally borrowing from her the little legacy which her former patroness had left her Colonel Crawley would invest it to such great advantage for dear Miss Briggs, hebecca said.
 Old Sir Pitt died and Rebecca and Raw don journeyed to Queens Crawley to the funeral, where she was speedily recon
 cled to the new Sir Pitt, and even the new baronets wife-born Lady Jane Sheepshanks-began to think that the
 little woman had been sadly malgned. The Crawleys began giving elegant lit tie parties which at first were attended only by the men; but the great Marquis of Steyne took up the adventurous couple and ordered that they be received at his town residence of Gaunt House. That settled it. Rebecca now flew in | the very highest society and her name was in all the fashionable intelligence" She was presented at court and the Countess of FitzWillis spoke quite dis | tinctly to her three times at dinner ! party.
 When that happened to anybody there was no question any longer as to their social standing
 Of course, Becky paid nobody-except
 now and then when a creditor got too pressing and Rawdon had won a little money a cards, or his wife had got hold
 
 ing, Then she would give an importunate person a little on account to keep him l quiet
 | Who would think of refusing credit to sucn great people the Crawleys now were! When she had party, game from 1 Lord Steyne's farm at Stillbrook and | wine from his cellars helped her out im- mensely As for the boy. little Rawdon, | Rebecca hated the child and saw as little | of him as possible until finally Lord Steyns got him a place in the famous 1 Whtefriars school and he was out of the | way
 | Lord Steyne also made Miss Briggs l houselteeper at one of his country places, | giving Becky money to pay back to the spinster the borrowed legacy. But Mrs. Crawley compromised by buying Briggs | a new silk dress and salted away the rest Of his lordshps donation in her writing desk, where she was accommodating a lit- tie fund for herself against a rainy day. Lord Steyne continued to be exceeding ly kind to the Crawley family and finally promised Rawdon a post as Colonel Gov ernor so soon as the thing could be brought about.
 Such was the condition of affairs with the Crawleys when Lord Steyne gave his great entertainment at Gaunt House. All the world of fashion was there and the occasion was even graced by an exalted parsonage, who stood near the Throne of the Three Kingdoms. Becky was bril- 1 liant. dazzling, and shone triumphant on
 the social heights whicn she had stormed. When it was all over and the happy
 little woman was in her carriage. MT. Wenham, Lord Steyne's man of business and general factotum. proposed to Col
 on1 Crawley that as their ways lay In
 tho same direction they walk in the cool
 ing night and enjoy a cigar They had not proceeded far. however, wh two men came up to them and one tapping the Colonel on the shoulder ar rested him for little debt of hundred pounds which the Colonel had probably forgotten. Lend me a hundred Wen ham" said Crawley; but wenham de- clared he had not so much money in the world. and made of while the Colonel was taken to sponging house. "The amount is small" thought the
 Colonel. "The deuce is in it if we can't
 raise that. There is no use disturbing the little womans sleep.
 And so he turned in and slept soundly, and the next morning sent note to
 Becky, directing har to pawn certain things and release him. It was evening
 when the messenger returned with
 BeclSy's answer. She had been i'll In bed:
 she had been distracted with callers she
 had thI own herself at Lord Stynes feet
 and begged him to loan her the money.
 He had promised to do so the next morn-
 ing. when she would fly to the rescue of
 her "cher monstre"
 There was tone in Becky's note that
 jared on Rawdon. His suspicious were
 aroused He hurriedly wrote a few lines
 to his brother. Sir Pitt. and dispatched
 it by the messenger.
 Sir Pitt being away, this note fell into
 the hands of his wife and 1t was the