Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07
CHAPTER XVIII.
A Letter.

On Monday evening after dinner. when
the dessert had been placed on the table
and the butler had closed the door. Mr..
Everard and his son sat for a while in
silence. Leonard. a little flushed and a
little nervous of voice. began:
Have you had any more bills?" He
had expected none. and thus hoped to be-
gin by scoring against his father II was
something OF a set down TO him when the
latter taking some papers from his
breast pocket. handed them to him, say
ing:
"Only these" Leonard took them in 81
lenc, and looked al them. All were re-
quests fer payment. of debts due by his
son In each case the full bill in
closed. He was silent a while, but his
father spoke:
1T would almost seem as IL all thesa
people had made up their minds that you
w.re Of no further USE to them If they
ever expected TO do any more business
with YOU they would never risk Your. Gus
tom by send ng their dunning letters to
me." Then without pausing he said but
in n sharper voice:
Have YOU raid the jewelers.? This is
Monday
without SPEAKING Leonard took leisure
uraly from his pocket a folded paper
This he opened. and. after deliberately
smoothing out the folds. handed II 10 his
father. Doubtless something in his man
ner had already convinced the latter that
the. debt was paid. He knew his son too
we'll ~ take his tacit insolence as du" 10
any cause but the conviction OF security.
He took the paper in as leisurely way
as I had been given. adjusted his spec
tacles and read it. Seeing that his son
had scored this time. he covered MS
chasrin with an appearance of paternal
satisfaction.
Good" was mis- only verbal expression
Of IT, All the same. his feelings had not
been soothed. his evaporation continued.
Neither was his CULVER Yet empty. He
shot his next arrow:
II am glad you paid off those usurers
! ,onard. still in silence. took frcm his
pocke, second paper. which he handed
over unfolded. Mr.. Everard opened IT.
read /; and returned IT politely.
Good, Those other debts have YOU
paid them With calm elaboration.
which was so full of tacit rudeness that
II made his father flush. Leonard an
swered:
Not yet. sir. But shall think OF
them presently. ! don't care TO be bus
was apparent that though he spoke
verbally OF his creditors. his meaning was
with regard to others also.
when will they be paid'" AS his son
hesitated. he went or: II am alluding
10 those who have written 20 M. take
IL that as my estate Is not entailed. and
as ycu. have no income except from me,
the credit which has been extended To
YOU has been rather on my account th7n
your own. Therefore, as the mater
touches my own nana. | am entitled n
know something of what is going on.
His manner as we'll as his words were SO
threatening that Leonard was n little
afraid. He might imperil his inheritance
He answered quickly:
"Of cours". sir, you shall know every
thing After all. you know. my affairs
a~e your affa RS.
II know nothing of the sort. / may.
G. course he annoyed by Your affairs
" II dis IGNORED. in a way. by them. But
acc.pt no responsibility Whatever In
IL -, AS you hara made your bed. so
r,ist you lie on it,. Leonard got more
alarmed, so he said as geniaiy he
could:
It's all right. sir. ! assure you. All
m. debts. both these you knew of and
scme you dcn':. l shall settle very
stortly.:
How soono'' The question was
st,rnly put.
.'In a few digs dare say week a,
furthest will see everything Strengthened
CUT
The elder man stood up. saying grave ly
as he went to the door:
.'You. will do well TO tell me when the
last of them Is paid. There is something
which l shall then want to tell YOU
Without waiting for reply he went to hi:
study.
Leonard had expected a satisfactor,