Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-02-04

There. Fraser!-Tell Tom to run across to Uncle Mar
joribanks with this note and hurry back!-If he stops to
talk to Matilda Ann, I'll take his scalp.
But Lucy!-Lucy?-Lucy won't want to be married to
a pauper with a mansion and a park-but l know what it
will be:-Nothing will change me-Rich or poor, l am
yours, Lucy.-Dear old girl (writes).
MY darling LUCY have just had an awful shock
Mrs. Mcpherson writes to say that old Fudge has left for
Australia and taken my little all with him. love you
and shall never love anyone but you in all my life, but of
course you won't marry a beggar (even with a mansion
and a park, and so, dear, you are free, unless it is your
choice to wait until l shall have recovered by hard work
my lost fortune. AS for me, l am yours until death, only
I thought 1t right to let you know, and even If you give me
up, l am, your devoted slave. Algernon."
But she. won't give me up,-I know she won't-my little
Lucy-(folds letter and addresses envelope, rising) Fraser
-(rings belD-Fraser-(goes to door,
Here's a letter from auntie and a long letter from
uncle:
"AIgernon-I am, l may say, fatally wounded-(Good
heavens-has he shot selfY- shot, NOR
tally injured by a member Of my f~amily.-The gun that
fired the shot is no other than the letter l have just re-
ceived from you,-no Martini-Henry could have done its
work better. This morning while on a accommodating ex-
petition in the village l ran across Mrs. Mcpherson. AS
she was flying signals of distress, l halted on my march
to question her and l drew from her the information that
her husbands partner, Fudge, had absconded with your
funds.-The blow was so severe that I was obliged to
abandon my position and retire upon the nearest public
house, which happened to be the Alwyn Arms. Here l for
titled and entrenched myself and it was not until the aft
ernoon that / felt sufficiently strengthened to continue
the advance on Marengo House. You can imagine my
horror on opening your dispatch to discover the treachery
of one, upon whose loyalty l would have staked the cam
paign. Had it not been for the reconnaissance this morn
ing l should have been under the impression, that, still
amply endowed with the fortune your father bequeathed
to you, and which you have so recklessly squandered,-
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES required a momentary
loan of $1,000 and with the motto of my house "noblesse
obige' ever before my eyes, 1 should have instantly COM
Piled, an old soldier, would have marched unsuspect-
ingly into the ambush your cunning had prepared for my
1pCtT11atipn 7 nnalOca n III IiDnc frOro IyO1rh nart-h Oln
aunt. Marengo Majoribanks.
Late Major Her Majesty's Dragon Guards"
IN. b need not say that it will be out of the ques-
ton for me or any member of my family to accept your
invitation to dinner this evening""
The old-the old-no, l won't-I won't abuse him be-
hind his back, but when 1 see him I'll let him know!
(Sighs), (writes):
my Dear Doctor, and My Dear Old Friend-A calamity
has overtaken me-to be ~brief-Fudge has disappeared
with all my money! am, of course, temporarily embar.
raised. Remembering your many expressions of good
will and your oft repeated request that | should apply
to you when in trouble, l do not hesitate now to ask you
to aid me by giving bearer your cheque for $1,000, for
which l enclose my l.. o. u hope that in spite of my
misfortune you will not fail to come to dinner this even
ing and we'll uncork a bottle of IA to drown our sorrow.
Always your afectionate friend,
Algernon Alwyn."
All, let's see what Auntie Munich has to say "opens let
ter, reads):
my Dear Algernon-Your uncle has just, with the
greatest delicacy and with all possible consideration for
my feeble condition, broken to me the fearful crash that
has enveloped our house in it's awful pall!-To think that
only a few moments ago l was a happy woman watering
my beloved roses in a sunlit garden, when out of a clear
sky the bolt fell and ravaged in an instant, like a pack
of cards, the beautiful placid sea on which We were sail
ing so peacefully. To think, Algernon, that you, in whom
have always had such mistaken faith, should have been
the serpent to gnaw away with one blow the founda-
tions of our confidence in humanity!-You poor uncle
says hat by your act you have placed yourself within
the power of the police and without, the pale of society.
You will know, of course, why it would have been i'm
possible for us to comply with your attempt to rob us,
by yielding up a thousand pounds: We have your
cousin Robert to consider. and it is, as you are aware,
compromising a felony to rob Peter to pay Paul. | am
with every expression of sorrow and horror, your COM
pletely collapsed aunt,
Marjory Marjoribanks,"
"P. Sand oh, Algernon, I was looking forward with
so much pleasure to our first dinner this evening, that is
another sad blow!-P. s. P. S.-you will have to dis
charge that expensive cook!"
This is getting worse and worse!-Why, oh, why
doesn't Tom come back with a word from Lucy-then
wouldn't mind that abusive nonsense!-Six to dinner
three friends gone-No, that's not fair to Bobbie-
(writes):
Dear Old Bobbie| suppose you've heard by now OF
my smash?-all gone-nothing left but the house and the
park.-Have you any dollars to spare? If SO, bring them
around at dinner time, If you can get out without a row
Well have one more good dinner and laugh and chat
and drink brown sherry!-never mind about the dollars II
you're hard up, but come! From your old flag,
Algle."
(Tears letter open):
my Dear Sir ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS think I'll sill
down (sits)-"My Dear Sir Algernon-Lucy being par
ticularly engaged,-Mr. Robert Marjoribanks is visiting
us this afternoon, damn Robert Marjoribanks!-T an
taking it upon myself to answer your letter. AS soor
as the dear child read what you had to say she was great
ly distressed, and came to confde in me. My Dear Sill