The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-12

had refused. not because of the scan tlal, but because -her soul had become filled with loathing of the fortune hunting and title-seeking life in which she was enveloped. And if the writer of the letter added that Lady Kew had died in the midst of all this trou- ble before she could change her will which left Ethel all her great fortune who will say that the true friend add ed this with any idea that 1t could affect Give or the Colonel? No. in- deed. Great fortunes are not so plen- tIful that even the best of us can af- ford to Ignore them. But as for any thing more, the writer Of that letter knew full well that Colonel Newcome would care for nothing so much as the knowledge that his darling Ethel was not the mercenary wretch that he had been forced to think her.
 But the letter never reached its des- tination. few months afterward, the Colonel returned to London with MT. and Mrs. Give Newcome. Give had married Miss Rose Mackenzie.
 Colonel Newcbme. who would dine on & crust and wear a coat for ten years, opened a magnificent house for his children. He commanded the eager services of upholsterers, painters and carriage makers in his splendid Indian way. He presented Rosey with won- deFIuli JeWelB, anu Nde AAauc hopPy Dy the sight of the blooming young crea- ture decked in these magnifcences. The Bundlecund Banking Company was fin a highly flourishing condition. It's directors told the Colonel that it was his duty. as their leading director, to live in splendor. The wealthiest people of London sought his board and naturally expected entertainment on scale proportionate to the great af- fairs of the great institution.
 All the world began to pay great att tention to Colonel NeWcome now. Ev- erybody knew confidently exactly how many millions of rupees he was worth. He began to- feel quite convinced that he was wonderful man of business and put all his friends and acquaint- ances and dependents into the com pany whose enormous profits from in- digo and cotton and opium and copper and a score of other commodities were growing more enormous daily.
 Yet in all this glow and glory of achievement and honor the furrows deepened around the CoIonefs old eyes whenever he looked at Give. He could see that his boy was not happy. He appeared dutifully at the board meet ings and other business conclaves that produced the Newcome- wealth; but he yawned and went away and galloped his horse alone. or returned to his painting room ana WOfKcu away Tn niS old velvet jacket He spent little time with his wife. and that little was too clearly uncomfortable for both of them. Poor Give tossed unhappily in his bed of down and black Care rode behind him on his fine horses.
 So the Colonel was not happy. either, not happy in the society of his new friends; not happy even when he won his election to Parliament as the mem- Der for Newcome against his hated nephew. Sir Barnes himself.
 The brave old soldier was never to take that seat.
 One day the news came to London that the great Indian merchant Whc was at the head of the Bundlecund Banking Company had died sudenly from cholera in his palace in Calcutta The next day the whole world knew that the Bundlecund company had been a vast, complicate. enormous swindlt and Colonel Newcome. after three score and ten honorable years. was ruined.
 The bills were put up in the spIen- did house. Colonel Newcome gave up even his pension and allowed the brok- CTS to take everything down to two swords that were the only ornaments of the plain 'itile room with tns irun bedstead where he had lived ;n that splendid house. Then he and his, quite penniless. went to poor quarters, where Give tried 10 support them with his art.
 The poor ola man .Gava un avAa hi4