The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-01

ing of his mother, and life at Gaunt Royal and gLhdy Betty Drake. MT. Lampirthy fFowhed His apologies were not usually received with this in- difference, especially when they were made to any one who was asking hts
 T beg your pardon" said Father Francis, after q pause T was think tng of your little girl. How beautiful she Isl There ts something In life which money cannot destroy"
 Mir. Lamplrthy laughed bitterly.
 How old is shep continued Father Francis Has she ever been in MT Lampirthy locked at him as though desirous of tracing the reason of this peculiar question.
 '-She Is i4," he replied stiniy, and she has never been in Wales. She is l not my child, only my stepdaughter. She is. as you say. beautiful. And one day she will be the richest woman. in | the worId.sNIn your opinion. and per- haps in mine as well the combination | of wealth and lovefiness will not tend | to her advantage"
 She is but chiId." said Father | Francis softly. Her mind Is wax, and receives the impressions of her sur roundings- It is curious that I should fancy had seen her before. Of course have not"
 "of course not. if you've just come l from the deserts of Arabia. Now let us talk business"
 A gleam of hope came into the. eyes of the enthusiast. and all thought of the child passed from his mind.
 +Business?'' he queried. Yes. MT. Lamplrthy, I must apologize for the interruption. Only one thing occu- pies my mind. have stated my case. You think 1t is worthless, and the mere vision of dreamer. Yet some of the, greatest things in the world have first come to men in visions.T
 You are a dreamer" replied Mir. Lampirthy,. picking up piece of paper | and pencil Tam not sure that you | are not mad. Your mind is the exact | antIthesis of my own, for with me ev- ery4hihK resolves itself Into question 1 of pounds. shillings and pence, and I l am. of course, practical man. But I | win confess to you that your words have not been altogether wasted They have touched weak spot in my arr 1 nor. have always had the desire to 1 attempt something which has never yet been attempted. something in which I can pit all my wealth and energy | against an almost insuperable obstacle. Many ideas have occurred to me from time to time, and have put my back into the work, but In each case they have been matters of finance, and the | victory has been too easy. Here you offer me the only merit In anything you have said"
 He paused. ana carefully selecting another cigar from his case. he lit 1t, and scrutinized the face of the dream CT. Father Francis did not speak, but his whole face and body was eloquent. The crucial moment had come. and his whole future work. and perhaps the fu- ture happiness of the world, depended on the man who faced him, quietly smoking cigar. The tenslty of the occasion was shown in every line of his features in his eyes. In the pose of his limbs. But he did not dare to speak. A single word might destroy everything.
 Your scheme for the houses" con tinued MT. Lampirthy "does not ap- peal to me- It seems useless and vis- ionary. I do not think they will do any good. do not believe that you can nnd forty thousand men in Eng land to undertake the work at starva- ton wages. I am sure that you will meet with the opposition of every kind of religious denomination. You called these houses both homes and fort resses. The latter title seems to me to be the more. correct. They will appear in this light to the inhabitants of the towns and villages. They will provoke resentment and irritation. be rather a hindrance than help to your cause. I think can spend my money in a way (which will be profitable to myself and which will incidentally further the cause you have at heart. have told you that want to pit all the force of my wealth against some great obstacle.