Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-11-21
CHAPTER III.

DalrympleE"
DO you think that she would have
me?" he asked, with a composure that
showed that the idea was not unconsid-
cred. she is worthy of a better man
than l am, and | have no wish to mar
ry"
That isn't much Of a reason. You
have to think of what is best for your
daughter and Miss Dalrymple. Your lit
tie one ought to have a mother-some one
from whom she will be inseparable when
you are gone and there's not a soul in
the world better fitted to take the place
OF a mother than that girl"
She must marry Audrey that is the
husband for that sweet girl"
DIR. Awdreyn' | exclaimed in aston
ishment, for l had never thought of him
as marrying man.
Yes. He loves her-I know he does.
Who could see her and know her, and
not love her? And he is an excellent
fellow. l wish he were a little lighter
and better looking; but l couldn't wish
MIN to have a better heart, or a more
ilovable disposition. He's a fine man,
Tony"
lie won't marry her, for all that. It's
as much as ever he can do to keep his
head above water now, and fool as he is
in worldly matters-he wouldn't tie a
milestone round his neck"
Miss Dalrymple is not a milestone"
SAID poor old Flexmore, warmly.
L know that. She's a good woman and
would work herself i'll to help her hus-
band, or worry herself i'll if she couldn't.
That is what Audrey would not have his
wife do and the only way to prevent it
Is to keep single And single he'll keep"
No, heene, no he must marry Ger
trude. | have thought it all out. My
little Laure must have a father as we'll
as a mother when I'm gone-and 1 don't
think that is long hence, Tony. l shan't
see sixty-four."
tried to combat this notion, though |
myself was far from thinking it improba
Bile; and then to turn the conversation,
l said
We'll, to go back to what you have
been thinking out-what's your idea?"
wish to put Audrey in a position to
marry Miss Dalrymple. | know he is
poor, but | am rich l would leave him
every penny | have on the condition that
he adopts Laure as his daughter"
4 see your notion. There will then be
a second inducement for him to make
Miss Dalrymple his wife in the fact that
the child is inseparabe from her. l think
the idea is an extremely good one, so
good that l wish l had thought of it my
self"
Very well, tnen; draw up will in
accordance with it. Settle everything
upon Awdrey, subject to deduction for a
few smaller legacies that | will write in.
Let me have the draft of it in week at
the outside, Tony" he said eagerly.
| promised to do this, and went home
turning the matter over in my mind. | |
considered it from time to time during |
the week, and finding no material objec- |
ton to the scheme, l put Flexmore's |
notion into legal form, with certain mod
iications, and then took . rough draft |
for his inspection.
Is your master at home?" l asked the |
girl who opened the door.
YES, sir; he's in the library with Mrs. |
Yeames and Mr. yeames"
MFR. Yeames? what Mn Yeames?" l |
asked the little maid, sharply.
Mr.. Lynn Yeames is his name, think,
sir; young gentleman"
Mrs Ieames son. | know him." |
said l and then l stood, rubbing my feet |
on the mat and wondering what on earth |
brought him upon the scene for. No |
good. | felt sure.
MIR. Lynn Yeames was the son of Mrs. |
Yeames by her second marriage. This |
was not much in his favor, but the rest |
was much less to his advantage. l had |
been twice employed by Flexmore on his |
account; once to settle some college debts |
which Mrs Yeames declared she could not |
meet, and second time to stay an action |
for breach of promise, threatened by |
townsman's daughter with whom he had |
got entangled. Fellows brought up by |
foolish women on bad principles are al |
ways either getting out of scrapes or get |
ting into them, and l asked myself which |
purpose had procured his uncle the doubt
full pleasure of this visit
| shook myself together, and went into
the library with my wits on the alert
LYNN Yeames was at this time about
four-and-twenty and his looks would have
deceived anyone but lawyer. A sturdy
Soung fellow of average height, but very
thick-set His skin was very fair, his
ewes very blue, his lips very red his hair
was combed down on one side of his fore
had. and he had small carroty mus
tache Most people, | believe, would
have been favorably impressed with him,
but | did not Ike him.
He had come down, it seemed, to spend
= few DAYS, and he had only been here a
sav and was awfully bored already-not
n decent billiard board in the place, and
not a light to be seen after ten-thirty
He wanted to know if there was any
fishing or shooting, or any mortal thing a
man might do to earn a nights repose.
There's the piano, Lynn, dear" sug-
gested Mrs. Yeames, anxious to show off
her sons accomplishments.
Have you heard anything lately from
Miss Kite?" | asked. This was the name
of the injured young lady at Oxford
IF you please, do not mention the
name of that horrid, designing, worthless
person." said Mrs. Yeames.
shes worth four hundred pounds
more than she was, madam" said l :; for
that's what l had to pay to make her
withdraw her action"
Mrs. Yeames fiicked the dust off her
silk gown and looked decidedly uncom-
Portable.
No new scrape, l hope, Mr.. Lynn" l
continued.
Not exactly. What in the world should
make you suppose there wasp he asked
sheepishly, for it takes very little to up
set the equanimity of these boisterous
young gentlemen.
why, seeing you here !"
81 want to find some shooting. That's
all l came for"
4 can let you have it, if you are pre-
pared to pay. l have a client who will
let you the shooting over two thousand
acres Come to my Office and L will ar
range it at once"
l wanted to get him away from there,
for already l scented the purpose with
which he had been brought; and 1 was
anxious to let him the shooting which was
twenty miles off.
oh you cannot so yet, dear inter
posed Mrs. Yeames; you have not seen
Laurie. How is that little darling,