Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-04-22
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CHAPTER V.

IOrd laklngton is at present eXperl
tncing a rather feverish time of 1t. Thi
being one of the last three shareholder
left in the Great Tontne" is the larges
speculation he has ever emba rked in. Ii
his racing days he had never stood t.
win so tremendous stake as this. L
meant either fortune or ruin. A few
months might see him in possession o.
eight thousand year. or deprived of thu
very comfortable income his dividend from
the big lottery afforded him.
He went to the Vivacity Theater, ant
was duly shown into the managers sane
tum. Good morning, Hemmingby," ht
exclaimed as he entered Il have come
down to have chat with you, because
you know something about everybody"
We'll, | can't expect you to condole
with me for being at last out of it. II
is too much your interest for that; and
really thought, Viscount. | should have
outstayed you. But you have of course
had your letter from the directors, inform
ing you that my nominee has gone at
last Well, | can't complain and have
had my hundred back a good many times
out of it
Il want you to tell me something about
my two antagonists"
Il can tell you very little about Miss
Caterham. She is maiden lady living
at Kew, and | know nothing further
about her beyond the fact that her nomi-
nee has been unaccountably missing for
the last two years. AS for Pegram. he is
a lawyer down in North Wales. 1t was
i in6nppd hi tn ta bor in, r
ITS a tremendous big stake to be play
Ing for observed Lord Lakington; "a
hundred and sixty thousand pounds 1t
would be a nuisance to lose this income
now. | wonder whether it would be pos
sible to compromise. You know this law
yer fellow you might sound him on the
subject for me-
III do that for you with pleasure"
replied the manager Il often see him.
/ invested a little money in Llanbarlym,
and occasionally go down to look after
some house property | have got there.
His son. too. Bob Pegram always gives
me look in when he comes to town.
tell you what Viscount | never thought
of it before, but the directors are about
right to keep the nominees names a Sc
cret. It's a big pile, and the temptation
becomes rather powerful when you find
there is nothing but the life of an old
man of eighty between you and hundred
and sixty thousand pounds"
What do you mean:'
why. that there are plenty of men
wouldn't hesitate to choke the life out of
the poor old chap if they got fair
chance and could by so doing make GER
tain of landing the lot"
Yes rejoined the Viscount. II quite
agree with you. The temptation to bring
the whole thing to conclusion in their
bwn favor would be irresistible. The
nominees must, at all events, feel easier
In their minds that their names are
profound secret"
Lord Lakington walked away from the
Vivacity Theater considerably relieved in
his mind by this new idea which had oc-
Cured to him. 1t was SO clearly the best
thing to do for both of them, and the
more he reflected upon it the more con-
vinced he became that the Welsh lawyer
must be quite as keen to come to an ar
as himself 1t was too horri-
BILE TO think of going back to those days
of abject poverty which he experienced
before the 'Tontine" commenced paying
such great interest. He would have been
delighted could he have known that Mr.
Pegram is very ready to hear of COM
promise but whether his lordship will be
quite as we'll pleased with the terms Of
that compromise is somewhat open to
question. Old Pegram has made it his
business for the last two or three years
to pick up all he can about the share
holders still left in the lottery No de-
tails about their past and present lives
Or ordinary habits are beneath his notice,
and he would willingly have ascertained
the names of all the nominees had that
been possible. Lord Lakington, for in
stance, would have been astonished had
he been made aware how much old Pc
gram knew concerning him. The old
Welsh solicitor, too. has ascertained
great deal concerning Miss Caterham.
He had learnt. probably from Hemming-
by, that her nominee was missing and
no sooner did he find by the directors
letter that Hemmingby was no longer a
shareholder, than he told his son, with
q grin, that it was time to take steps to
secure their share of the Inheritance.
You see, Bob" said the old man,
"there was nothing to be done till there
were only two or three of US left in.
am main glad that this Hemmingby is ont
Of it. He is a terrible sharp fellow, and
| had just as soon that he wasn't play
ing against me. Now, the first thing
to be done is to find out all about this
nominee. It is quite clear we
can't move a step without that. Now,
the best chance, in my opinion, of get
ting at it is for you to call upon Miss
boldly to introduce the subject
of the 'Tontine' and the missing man. of
course not discovering your own ignor-
ance concerning him. Recollect this she
Is retired maiden lady and elderly. As
l rule they are talkative. Be excessively
polite and quiet in manner. | think
-he odds are, Bob, that she blurts out
the name we want before ten minutes are
over"
Upon my word, / believe you are
right. / suppose | had better call in an
assumed name"
do nothing of the sort. The proba- !
biIities are that a quiet, elderly lady like |
Miss Caterham has never troubled her |
self TO inquire the names of the other |
"well, it shall be as you like" replied
Bob Pegram; 'but l think you are
Trong."