Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-04-30

Don't be absurd, Maude; you know
very well whom / mean-that dark man
your last partner"
And wherefore should | not dance
with him?" inquired Miss Denison.
For a hundred reasons. His name
alone should have sufficed to prevent it."
Dear me-" laughed the young lady,
merrily. You have piqued my woman's
curiosity. Do tell me who this monster
of iniquity is, for, truth to say, l did
not catch his name when he was intro
duced to me-"
You didn't know who he was? l
thought not. That's young Pearman-
the unmitigated cad'
so that was Mr.. Pearman, was it?"
remarked Maude, musingly. "Well, Gren-
vile, l don't think l should have danced
with him had l known who he was
but, you see, didn't, and | cannot see
that it is of much consequence now. One
is not obliged to recognize the partner of
quadrille again unless one likes, you
know; and though I'll plead guilty to
finding him amusing, don't think l wish
to prosecute the acquaintance. But don't
you think it is getting time to leave?
Mrs. Learmont, you are as good as gold"
said Maude, turning to her chaperone,
waiting in this resigned manner for me-
However, l am quite at your disposal
now"
Pray don't think of me; 1 want you
to thoroughly enjoy your ball, and am
quite willing to look on at your valsing
for another hour l have lots of people
to come and talk to me- you know"
"Yes!" laughed Maude; 81 am quite
aware that you have lots of old friends,
only too glad to have the chance of a
quiet chat with you, and know also that
you would sit here and pinch yourself to
keep awake sooner than debar your god
daughter of five minutes qualification
but also have conscience Go and see
about the carriage, Grenville."
1t is very curious to watch what trifling
affairs influence the tenor of our lives.
Maude Denison has deemed it of little
consequence that she has danced a quad
rifle with Samuel Pearman; and yet that
dance is fated to draw many tear from
the proud grey eyes. Grenville Rose, ere
thirty minutes are over, will be tortured
in way which he is powerless to resist.
The sire of the dark-featured young
man who had expressed such admiration
for Maude Denison had begun life as a
solicitors clerk, from which in due course
of time he blossomed forth into an attor-
ney, and sat himself down in the little
town of Bury st. Edmunds, with view
to the persecution of mankind or the re-
dressing OF his fellow mems grievances,
as circumstances and the presentation of
six and eightpence might direct. Bury
st. Edmunds lies no great distance from
the famous Heath of Newmarket. In de-
fault of other business, Mr. Pearman
took to attending the race meetings there
at; gradually he became acquainted with
many of those multifarious hangers-on
that exist so mystically by racing. He
had naturally an acute understanding
and he now got many hint as to where
to lay out little money profitably. The
traffickers in horsefesh and followers of
the turf have their subjects of litigation
as well as those who pursue other avoca-
tions. Who was so handy to employ as
Pearman? and, by degrees, he began to
make a name as a solicitor in horse cases
at the racing metropolis and became rich.
In due course Harold Denison, Maude's
father, had passed through his hands.
Denison had started in life with a fine
property but burning the candle, not only
at both ends, but little in the middle
besides, he had soon done away with that.
Pearman was everything he should be on
the occasion; but when his client emerged
from his. sea of troubles, two-thrds of the
Glinn estate were in the hands of the
solicitor. Still, everyone said Denison's
had been a very bad breakup; that the
had been sold at a fair valua- |
ton; and that, but for Pearman. Harold
Denison would not have been able to keen
Glinn and such acres as were still left
to him. By this time Pearman was an
owner Of race horses, and kept a stud
Of his own. He had married lady in |
some way connected with usury, and, hav-
ing altogether acquired considerable |
fortune, made the first mistake in his |
career, and set up for country gentle
man.
He built a big house on the estate 30
recently lopped of the Glinn property: he |