Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-05-26

lie girl &praug 10 her
feet rs if she Were some tilnl crca-
turc Of the wild aroused from sylvan
broodirgS 10y knowledge Of imminent
danger In her terror she upset three
wineGlnsSeS on the luncheon table
one. rose tinted ard ornate. crashed
t. tho aoOr. and the noise seemed to
irritate the owner Of Linden House
more thau his niecc'S shriil terror.
mo need to bust up our best set of
'oc" glasses just because 'appen to
mention ovid Dickey Bulmcr." he
crowled.
Tin sorry" she said and stopped to
pick up the fragments scattered over
the carpet
Leave that alone" came the sharp
order. It's 'ich time you au' mo ad
a straight talk an cau't do wi folk
bouncin' about like an injia rubber
bali when I've got things 10 say to
en-
He gulped down some of the wine.
dartcd his tongue several times in and
out between his teeth. smacked his
lips. replaced his cigar in his mouth
and leaned back in his chair until 1t
creaked.
Iris Yorke. accustomed to this rt-
ual. found herself even in her pres
ent trouble wondering how it was
possible that David Verify could be
her mothers brother. This coarse
hammered man. brother to the sweet
voiced. tender hearted gentlewoman
whose gracious wrath was left I'M
dimmed in the girls memory by the
lapse of years-it would be nnbelley
able if it were not true. But he had
shown kindness TO her in bis dom
ineering way. Shocked almost ut the
dislOyalty If her thoughts. Iris tried to
close the rift that had opened so I'M
eXpectedly.
1T was stupid of me to take you
seriously" she said. You cannot real
ly mean that Mr.. Bulmer wishes to
marry me-"
he said
But. uncle. dear
stop n bit Listen to me first an
say your say when I've finished. Like
everybody else. you think I'm rich
man. David Verify. Esq. shipowner
Of Linden House an Exchange build
ings-it looks all right. don't it. like
one of them furrin apples with rosy
peel an Il maggot inside: You're the
first I've told about the n,iggot. Fact
Is. I'm broke. Shipownin' is rotten
nowadays unless you've lots Of capt
tai. I've lost mine. Unless get help.
an thumpn' big slice of it, my name
figures In the Gazette. l want tJ0,0O0.
an oo's goin' TO give II 10 me? put
1t to ovid Dickey yesterday. an q said
you couldn't raise money in Liverpool
today 20 build ferryboat. But e said
summat else. II you wed I'm e makes
you a partner in the firm OF Verify,
Bulmer 4 Co. see? Wot's wrong
with that? I've done everything for
you up to date. Now It's your turn.
Simple, isn't It? P'raps ought to
have explained things differently. but
1t didn't occur to me you'd hobject 70
tein' the wife Of a millionaire. even II
g is a doGcrin' OVID idiot TO talk Of
marryin ag'in,''
"Oh. cncle"
With n wall of despair the girl sank
back and covered her face With her
sands. Now tnHt she believed the in
crcdible 50. toJlG inter- no protest
Tn3 sacrifice demanded WAS too great
Verify was angry. almost alarmed.
Resistance. oven Of this passive sort.
raised the savage In him. Hitherto
LIS hod been ready to ob-y his slight
IS. within.
There's no u,a cryin' oh. uncle.
an klokin' up n fuss he snapped VI
ciocrlv, Where would you ave bla.
"a like 20 know. II it wasn't for me!
II tia gu:tsr--tha:'s where your pre-
cious ;otI u q father eft your mother
an you YJ,.sn he best dressed an
besg lockin an oest dedicated girl \
Eoot!e today-thanks t. me. When
your mother KEN ere :al year ago an
SAID h,r l'r'tary Gent Of n 'ushnnd was
dead, neither OF You 'ad 'nd squ1r.
me2l Tor weeks. Wher that. will
YOU? 1t isn't ny fill, you've got &c
marry Bulmcr. It's just biz OF in
formal 3ad iuck-the same TOR both OF
NJ, IL It comes TO that. An why
after I've given you all the sweetsT
The cir! staggered TO her feet.
II will do wha. YOU ask" she mur
nured. though there WAS pitiful quiz
.ring ut the corners Of her mouth that
bespoke Al agony beyond the relief OF
ears. bat please don't say any more
md never again allude to my dear IA
lher In that way or may may for
get what owe you"
The door closed and he was alone.
Taking small notebook from hi
pocket. be jotted down IN array of fg
nres. he was 40 absorbed In thel
analysis that nc I'D not see Iris wall
listicssiy across the lawn that spreat
its summer grernery IN front OF TIN
dining room windows. And that wa
s>W thing for David. The sight OF tb