Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-02-05

Batlsnssgsa HntEiIiHs k''si3 FlflNH HnH
bis unc6ao4aied Admiration Joy ne'
softened her manner toward MN 10 'n'
point Of liberation.
And Neergard, from his equlvocal
footing In the house Of RutLVen' Cd
tanned another no less precarlouS IL
the house Of Fane-all Ill the Desi"'
ming OH purely gaming basis. HOW
ever, Gerald had already proposed MN
for the Stuyyesant aud Pfo"ceniu'''
clubs, and. furthermore, stormy uis'
cussion was now in progress ailloHs
the members of the famous SioWltha
over an amazing proposition from 'i'e''
treasurer, Jack Ruthven.
This proposal was nothing less 'han
to admit Neergard TO membership III
that wealthy and exclusive couhtr!
club rs a choice Of the lesser eVli, lor
it appeared, according to Ruthven, that
Neergard, If admitted, was WILING 10
restore to the club free or rent tue
thousands of acres vitality necessary ID
the clubs existence as Il game preserve
merely retaining the title to these lanos
for himself.
Draymore was incensed ut the pro-
posal, Harmon, Orchil and tane were
disgustedly nOncommittal, but Phoe'
nix Notify was perhaps the angries'
man ON Long Island.
'In the name Of decency, JACK, he
said, "what are you dreaming OF! ls i.
not enough that this man Neergard
holds us up once? Do understan
that he has the impudence 10 do i
again with your connivancc? Are yo'
going to let him sandbag us into elect
ing him? Is that the sort of holiu.
YOU stand for? Well, then, | Tell yo,
III never vote for him. I'd rather se'
these lakes and streams Of ours Cry
I'D. I'll rather see the last pheasant
shared and the last covey leave for tht
other end of the island than buy o.
that Dutchman with a certificate o.
membership in the Siowitha.'
I'm that case,' retorted Ruthven,
"we'd better wind up our affairs ana
make arrangements for an auctioneer.'
"All right. Wind up and be hanged!
said Notify. "There'll be at least suffi
cient self respect left in the treasury
to 60 round"
Which was all very fine, and Notify
meant it at the time, but outside OF
the asset of self respect there was too
much money invested in the lands,
plant and buildings, in the streams,
lakes, hatcheries and forests of the
Siowitha. The enormously wealthy
seldom stand long upon dignity if that
dignity is going to be very expensive.
Only the poor can afford disastrous self
respect.
So the chances were that Neergard
would become a member, which was
why he had acquired the tract, and the
price he would have to pay was not
only in taxes upon the acreage, but Sc
cretly a solid sum in addition to little
Mr.. Ruthven, whom he was binding to
him by every tie he could pay for.
He suffered Gerald and little Ruth
ven to pilot him. He remained cheer
fully Obvious to the snubs and indif-
ference accorded him by Mrs. Ruthven.
Mrs. Fame and others of their entouf-
age whom he encountered over the card
tables or at card suppers. And all the
while he was attending to his business
with an energy and activity that ought
to have shamed Gerald and did at
times particularly when he arrived at
the Office utterly unfit for the work be-
fore him.
But Neergard continued astonishing
" tolerant and kind, lending him mon
ey, advancing him what he required,
taking up or renewing notes for him
until the boy, heavily in his debt,
plunged more heavily still in sheer des-
peration, onlySto founder the deeper at
every struggle to extricate himself.
Alike Ruthven suspected something
Of this, but it was useless as we'll as
perilous in other ways for her to argue
with Gerald, for the boy had come to
point where even his devotion to her
could not stop him. He must go On.
Meanwhile the Ruthvens were living
almost lavishly and keeping four more
horses. But Eileen Erroll's bank bal
ance had now dwindled to three fig
ures, and Gerald had not only acted of
fensively toward Selwyn, but had quar-
relied so violently with Austin that the
latter, thoroughly incensed and disgust
ed, threatened to forbid him the house.
"The little fool" he said to Selwyn,
"came here last night sinking OF
wine and attempted to lay down the
law to me-tried to dragon me into q
compromise with him over the invest
ments l have made for him! BY God,
Phil, he shall not control one cent until
the trust conditions are fulfilled,
though it was left to my discretion
too. And l told him so fatty. | told
him he wasn't fit to be trusted with
the coupons of a repudiated South
American bond
"Hold On, Austin. That isn't the
way TO tackle boy like that"
"Isn't it? Well. why not? Do you
expect me to dicker with him?"
mo; but, Austin, you've always been
a little brusque with him. Don't you
think
mo, don't. It's discipline he needs,
and he'll get it good and plenty every
time he comes here"
Tim afraid he may cease coming
here. That's the worst of it. For his
sisters sake l think we ought to try
to put up with
'Put IN! Put up! I've been doing
nothing else since he came of age.