Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-05-20
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CHAPTER KILL
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him into an easy chair, proffered him
tobacco in all shapes, and then said:
Now you shall tell me what there is
to tell about dear old Bob; by the time
you have done that | hope you will feel
that | am no longer a stranger
Jack Phllimore heartily responded to
his hosts cordial welcome. and briefly
told the little there was to tell about Bob
Ringwood.
by, the way" he continued, that
was very curious bit of news that you
sent me in your last letter to him. |
never heard my uncle make the slightest
ellusion to being engaged in any such
big lottery as you mentioned. OF course,
understand that it is only chance but
If it did come off it would be tremend-
GUS wndfall for him. should think it
would enable him to clear Laketown."
That, of course. | cannot say, hav-
Ing no conception of the extent of his
liabilities but since | wrote Lord LAX
ington has taken steps to ensure that a
big slice of that hundred and sixty thou
sand pounds falls to himself. | was talk
ing over the whole thing with Mr.. Car
buckle. one of the great guns Of our
profession. and an old friend of the Wis
counts. and he said it was quite one of
the smartest moves he had ever heard
Of
What the deuce do you mean?" said
Philimore.
why. surely you have heard that your
cousin. the Honorable Miss Beatrice, is
about TO be married.
Yes; to a fellow called Pegram, | am
told And why on earth she is going to
marry him we can none of us understand,
unless it is that the beast has lots of
money
Il can make that clear to you in a
very few words Pegram senior is one
of the three nominators left in the Great
Tontine.' His son is to marry Lord
Iakington's daughter, so that the Wis
count and Pegram senior may share the
whole hundred and sixty thousand pounds
between them as soon as they can prove
the death of the nominee of Miss Cater
ham. the third nominator left in. He
was an old man of wandering habits, and,
as he has not been heard of for some
time, the probability is that the result
of the inquiries the pegrams are insti-
tuting will result in the discovery of his
decease.'
"What a rascally plot exclaimed Jack
Phillimore passionately. Il begin to see
1t all now Beatrice is sacrificing herself
and me for the sake of her father. Do
you know that | looked upon myself as
engaged to my cousin when | left Eng
land some few months ago"
"No. | cannot say | did: nor did |
know of this projected marriage till about
three nights ago. | certainly did know
that Lord Lakington had a daughter, be-
cause. as Miss Caterhams representative
of the Great Tontine. | made it my duty
TO inOuire about the other competitors. l,
like the Pegrams, am diligently searching
for Miss Caterham ms missing nominee, al
though. of course in diametricaly opposite
interest to theirs my object being to find
the old man alive. and theirs to find him
dead. Do you love your cousin Beatrice
In genuine earnest"
DO | love her? What nonsense you
are talking: she is the only woman
aver cared rush about in the course of
nv life. Have | not come home to claim
her as my bride and prevent this DIS
g1-aceful marriage, if possbleF
Then you will excuse my asking you
one more delicat te question. Have you
been at all successful!'
"No. nv uncle won't listen to me. He
says the marriage is all arranged and
must take place while Beatrice refuses to
see me-
"Well. Mr.. Phillimore you cannot be
aid TO have done much for yourself as
vet What do you say to entering into
partnership with me? If some vague sus-
n;cions | have formed should happen to
h. justified. there will be an end to this
ma rriage at once
AZ will do anything to save Beatrice
from her mprudence. She may never
h. mine but | am convinced that she
e. MARRYING this man very much against
ber own inclihations, and is likely to be
q very miserable wife in consequence
lust wait a bit, while | think it
over" replied Ringwood, and he began
IN walk up and down the room. Two or
three minutes thought, and he came to a
.+on and said Now listen to me, and
don't interrupt me till / have finished.
Won can easily understand that TO gain
such sum as this an INSCRIPTIONS per
con would NOT be likely to stick at any
Grand which he fancied might escape de-
,action. A very clever man, upon hear
tnr that | was acting for Miss Cater
ham. remarked. 1 can only say. that in
your case. | should scrutinize the other
comoetitors pretty closely That Is how
come to know 50 much about your uncle
,nd the Pegrams as | do. Now. although
pohlemen at times have shown themselves
nv no means exempt from the frailties
- their baser-born brethren. still ] am
not for a moment insinuating that Lord
I.kinrton would condescend 10 foul play
Of any description but, about these Peg
rams. strictly between you and me. i
don't feel implicit confidence. They are
LAWYERS. and the old man especially has
the reputation Of being a hard, crafty
man. very INSCRIPTIONS in driving a bar
cain. and dabbling a good deal Of specu-
istion and money lending. ] intend to
Investigate the proceedings Of the Peg
rams during the last few months pretty
closely. and. IL possible, find out who is
,b.;r nominee. Now this ought 10 suit
Won as well Is me. IL Pegram has com
uuItted a fraud. this marriage Will oi