Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-04-08
CHAPTER I.

Herbert Phillimore, lifth Viscount LAX
ington, had reached his twenty sixth birth
day and the end of his tether. There had
been no holder plunger on the race course
"The cleverest young one that has ever
been Out." muttered some. How on
earth does he get his inf,rmaton?" muir
INJURED others. The bookmake,3 said moth
Ing. but continued doggel,y to lay him
shorter odds than ever. It> bubble soon
burst, as it has burst many e time be-
fore The Viscount was 10 more astute
than his fellows. nor blessed With any ex-
traordinary sources of information. 1t
was simply luck
1t did not occur to him to retire when
the smash came, to turn over a new leaf,
and attempt to live upon what was left
of his income but he quite recognized
that something must be done, and that the
Sinews of war must be raised from other
resources than his own in future. He
fell back, as might have been expected,
upon the usual expedient of unmarried
and impecunious nobility-the marrying of
money. A popular. good-looking fellow of
slx-and-twenty, who can place a coronet
on his brides brow, has not long to seek
for such opportunity.
Iakington was fortunate. He carried
off the great matrimonial prize of the
season from a host of competitors. A
quiet, lady-like girl, who, without being
a beauty, was still quite sufficiently good
looking but whose greatest charm, prob
ably, in the eyes of the world was that
she was the only child of Anthony Lyme
Wregis, the great fnancier. To define
what Mr.. Lyme Wregis was, was pretty
nearly as difficult as to say what he was
bot. He seemed to have finger In pretty
nearly every big speculation that was
afoat. His enemies declared that he was
"salter of diamond fields" promoter of
'bogus" silver mines, phantom railways,
and every description of bubble specula-
ton that filled the pockets of those that
started them at the expense Of the unfor-
tunate dupes that took shares in them
However, whatever he touched turned to
gold He had given a park to the people,
built unto himself a palace at Fulham,
and was reputed to be worth more than
a million of money. The Viscount's mar
riage was to take place the week after
Ascot. and the noble bridegroom, in con-
junction with three kindred spirits as
ing in one of those pretty little houses
that lie dotted around the village of
Bracknell, and which had ben taken by
the quartette for the races .t
1t is the evening of the Cup" day,
and the party are lounging at the open
windows of the drawing room. and lam
puidly discussing the results of the fierce
combat they have waged with the knights
of the pencil the last three days.
How did you come through to-day,
Lakington?" asked Sir Gerald Fitzpat-
rick.
only so so,' replied the viscount; 81
had a pretty good win over Brown Ouch
ess in the New Stakes, but | knocked it
all down afterwards, and a bit more be-
sides. | am fourteen hundred and fifty
out. and shall have to bet in earnest to-
morrow if am ever to get home"
II say" suddenly exclaimed Carbuckle,
a rising barrister, have any of you taken
shares in the Great Tontine'? What does
your father-in-law, that is to be, think Of
1t. Lakington? Does the scheme COM
mend itself to the great fnancier?'
Well" replied the Viscount, laugh
ing. las II so happens | did mention the
subject to him. Now, as you know. he
Is no racing man-never troubles his head
about it, in short; but, with a view,
presume, to suit my limited apprehension,
he puts his opinion of that scheme into
turf vernacular. He described it as back
ing yearling entered for the Derby to be
run when he was twenty years old, and
remarked further that he looked to turn
ing his money over a good many times,
and making a good deal of it, between
this and then"
well. ! don't know. | rather like the
idea myself. 1t commends itself to my
mind as putting away something for ones
old age" observed Fitzpatrick.
- very broken reed to trust to, Ger
aid. and / most sincerely hope that you'll
have good deal more than that to fall
back upon in the days to come"
but what on earth is it?'' exclaimed
Fortescue. Pray explain to me what is
the meaning of the Great Tontine'"
"The Great Tontine,' my dear For
tescue.'' replied the barrister, ''is a scheme
for the benefting of society, as orig
mated in the fertile brain of Mr.. Sails
bury. the great operate impresario. He
has discovered that London has no opera
house worthy of the greatest metropolis