Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-05-21
CHAPTER VI.

Indignation. "Pompous, poverty-stricken !"
were the epithets he applied to the squire,
in these first moments of his wrath Even
usurious solicitor is possessed of pride
of some kind, and though he may hold it
in tolerable subsection during the early
stages of his career, like other mems,
1t WAKES fat and thrives wonderfully un-
der the accumulation of wealth. Harold
Denison had trampled 1t remorselessly un-
der foot. Then the irritation subsidized,
and the astute old head once more began
TO reckon up the chances of the game. He
played 1t all over again in his own mind
NO" he muttered don't think | made
any mistakes! | was fool to lose my
temper, though. Hadn't | made up my
mind, all along that he'd take 1t pretty
much in that way, to start with? When
| think how many OF 'em I've seen run
rusty about their family names, places,
and plate 1t was foolish-ay, very fool
ish-to be annoyed at Denison's tantrums.
Names?-bah !" continued the old man,
contemptuously. IF it came all the way
from the Conqueror, its worth on stamp
ed paper is the only valid test"
Sam Pearman, when he heard the re-
suit OF his fathers mission, took rather
a different view of 1t from his progenitor.
AS a younger man he lacked the patience (;
and then, moreover, was there not the
blow to his self-esteem? Between twenty
and thirty we feel that acutely from
thirty to forty, with a sort of modified
soreness at fifty the conceit has been
taken out of most OF US, and we are no
longer astonished at finding that the world
rates us a little lower than our own val
uation. Electroplate may pass for gold
for a short season, In these days, but So
,ciety is pretty certain to detect the ring
of false metal ere very long.
Samuel the junior had so far been a
fortunate man In pursuit Of his ambi-
tions. Though not so successful as he
could have wished, yet, to a certain e1-
tent, he had worked his way into the
county society. There were many houses
that he was occasionally asked to, as an
odd bachelor to make up. Despite all his
father had said at the time, man with
Sam Pearman's eye to the main chance
could not conceive a man in Harold
Denson's position rejecting a proposal so
very much to his own advantage. He
might recognize a certain amount of diff
ficulty on the part of the lady, but men
Of his age are not wont to be diffident
about their own powers of attraction on
these occasions, and Sam Pearman was
one Of the last to entertain apprehensions
on that score.
"He don't know what's good for him,
and that's about the size of 1t !" was that
rentleman's remark, as his sire retailed
the account of his interview with Deni-
son, 1--WE shall have to exercise a little
gentle pressure. I'm not going to be
choked off my game, at all events at this
stage of the proceedings. Invalids often
require coercion to make them take the
tonics necessary for their existence, and
II will be for you to make Denison under
stand that he will cease to be Denison Of
Glinn, at all events, unless he is prepared
to welcome me as a son-in-law."
Leave it to me, Sam, and don't be
In a hurry. / made up my mind about it
the other night i don't say all, my boy,
but a good many things l have made up
my mind to have come to pass In course of
time. Leave me alone to work the oracle
1ust now, and, depend upon it, I'll give
you due notice when it's time for you to
make a move"
The son acquiesced. II at times he
thought his father was getting a little
slow at turf tactics-a pursuit from which
he had in great measure withdrawn-he
still held a firm belief that his parent
was difficult to beat in the great game of
life, more especially when he held win
ming card or two in his hand.
Some two or three weeks elapsed and
then, one spring morning, Harold Deni-
son received letter to the effect that Mr..
Pearman of Mannersley felt it incumbent
on himself to call in his money lent on
mortgage, a more favorable opportunity
for investment having offered
That this would probably be the result
of their last interview, the squire had
foreseen. Yet, as days went by without
any such notince, he began fondly to hope
that the attorney had seen the presump-
ton he had been guilty Of, and that things
would still jog quietly along in their old
way. How ephemeral that way had now
become, under almost any circumstances,
he still kept locked within his own
breast. But as he read that letter the
squire knew well that the rubicon was
passed, that his ships were burnt, and
himself defeated He knew, too well, that
to raise that ten thousand anywhere else
would result in an exposure Of his af-
fairs tantamount to ruin. He was quite
aware that Pearman was equally convers
ant with the fact. He prepared himself
for the impending crash.
But there is certain amount Of notice
requisite on the calling in Of mortgage
and this gave Harold Denison time tc
rehect-wAether for good or evil the read
crs Of this story must determine. Had
the blow fallen at once, he would have
abandoned Glinn, grimly, and set up his
lonely tent In some remote watering place
But the crafty solicitor had measured the
strength of his prey with great accuracy
1t was not without design that the notice
Of the foreclosure Of the mortgage hat
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