The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-05-06
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CHAPTER LII

the bay of ST. Michel The one is lady
who. though considerably past the meri-
dian Of life, still bears traces of remark
able beauty-Julia Caterham. Her COM
panion was a good-looking. blonde man.
Of thirty or Whereabouts. with the bearing
of soldier most indelibly impressed upon
him.
~ was very good of you TO come. Aunt
Julia you have been an uDspeakable COM
fort, not only to Mary. but TO myself all
this trying time. She has no intimate
friend in this place. and in their hour of
trial a husband cannot be all. \ woman
hungers for a friend of her own SEX"
Tut. Fred you know perfectly well
that l have always loved Mary better
than anything on earth. l had to love
you in the first place because she loved
you. and of course | had to love that
tot there and here she pointed to a
child of about three years of age, who
was playing at a little distance from
them, because you two loved her. As
if it was likely that 1 should not come
to Mary in her trouble"
1.-THE weather seems settled" he rejoin-
ed; "and l trust you will have fine
crossing tomorrow"
Il shall come over to see you and Mary
many a time; and yet" she continued
more gravely, Il heartily wish it were
not so. This is place for you. man
OK your years. condemned TO wear out his
life without occupation it is sad TO think
upon
Il know it. / know it, he replied Bit
terly: "and you know. Aunt Julia, how
aard have striven, and still strive, to get
occupation of some kind But after ten
years soldering one seems to be fit for
Qothing else. How could / possibly guess
that before two years time he would
marry a girl that could almost be his
granddaughter. and that the result would
De my disinheritance in favor of the new
arrival:"
Hush. Fred" replied Miss Caterham
gently. 1T is of no use talking over
shat is done past redemption. though L
am afraid you played your cards some
what injudiciously."
''Injudiciousy ~ he broke in holly.
You didn't suppose I was going to see
lin make an utter idiot of himself with
,ut pointing out his folly to him."
Il am afraid, my dear Fred replied
he lady, that you did not discuss the
hing in quite so temperate a fashion as
would have been advisable There, not
mother word" she continued quietly, as
die saw he was about to interrupt her.
Don't destroy my last evening by talking
wer this unfortunate subject. You and
rour father have quarreled, apparently
rrevocably None of US can even suggest
fit mediator between you. There is no
more to be said. We can only hope that
line may eventually right what is now
wrong"
I'm the meantime, Aunt Julia. must
i've here because it is cheap, or until l
an get something to do. As soon as
an leave Mary 1 shall run across to Lon
!on again, and see if / can hear of any
hing"
Let us hope you'll be successful; but
is time we went home. Tea time,
dissy: come along" and taking the child
" the hand, Miss Caterham led the way
owards the town.
Fred Chichester might well look de-
pondingly at his prospects. His case was
omewhat hard. brought about in some
MEASURE, no doubt. by his own hot tenn
er: but the Chichesters, unfortunately.
rere ever a beadstrong race. His future
ears ago, he married a girl of very
God family. True, they we're by no means
ich people, and his Mary, being one of
many daughters, came to him a dowerless
ride. But what did that matter? Chi
hester was an only son. and his father,
nth whom he was a prime favorite, was
wealthy man. That his progenitor, at
he age of fifty-eight, should have fallen
ver head and ears in love with the
youngest daughter of the rector of his
,arish was rather hard upon Fred. He
uddenly found himself with wife and
hid, without profession. and with the
interest of some six thousand or so, the
roceeds of his commission, to live upon.
&c tried hard to make his little income
% as far as possible: but poor Fred
md never been brought up to study 'the
economies and he was steadily, though
lowly, trenching upon his capital.
Miss Caterham duly took her departure
he next morning, and she journeycd
,ack to London reflected very sadly over
fred Chichester's prospects. OF course,
man has only about two hundred
md fifty pounds year, it is his business
@ keep himself and his family on that /:
cut il was quite clear to Miss Caterham
hat the Chichesters would spend the
ghole of their capital before they had
earnt how TO I've upon that income. Then
he idea of a young fellow like Fred be-
ug condemned to moon away his life in
little French country town! 1t was
90 pitiful. What a thousand pities he
iad left the army!
Mr.. Carbuckle. friend, welcomed her
warmly back to London He listened
.rayely to the story Of Fred Chichester's
,roken career; but, as that luckless exile
iad himself foretold. almost the first
question the barrister asked was in what
direction he had best exert himself
LET me know the sort of thing he
wants, and I'll engage that I'd manage
10 get at some of the people who have
.he giving away of sucn posts If you
ask my advice. should say the best thing
Eou could dc is to try and bring about
4 reconciliation between father and son."
81 never saw Mr.. Chichester except on
the day Of Fred's wedding; but he Is a
very bitter, obstinate old man. from all
accounts. and 1 am afraid Fred gave
him very great provocation. You must
81 forget that I have asked you to help
m in any way that you can. And now.
NdTDuckle. Wdul ~ tOhSu4l SOkt
about another subject. 1t so happens
during the last few years that l have
bayed a little money. 1 want TO invest
1t in something that will return a very
large interest"
'"Then on my word. Miss Caterham.
there are only three ways open to you
that / know of. You must put IL on a
horse race, take it to Homburg. or invest
1t in the Great Tontine.'"
"The race course and Homburg arr
preposterous but what earth is u =
Great Tontine'?'
Enthusiastically did Mr. Carbuc
plunge into an explanation of what
termed Mr.. Salisbury's magnificent G
ception You are probably destin
Miss Caterham.' he said at length, =
lose this money, whatever you do with
It; you might as well lose hundred In
the Great Tontine' as anywhere else. For
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