Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1910-05-26
at doesn't matter to me, sir.


is the great thing nowadays! 1t i:
rather to a mans credit that BIZ
should have risen from nothing
But Mr.. Melford didn't rise from
nothing" said Guy, quietly; che rose
from clay and dirt, and he brought {
great deal of it with him, SIR
The earl raised his eyes and glanced
at the grave, handsome face.
What does it matter?" he said
you do not marry the father!"
Heaven forbid" CALCULATED Guy.
1.-THE father is nothing. A navy
We have the sons of navvies, or little
better in the House of Lords! I re
peat it doesn't matter! The son is moi
a navvy!'
NO. said Guy, calmly. HE is :
cad."
The earl tried to reach the poker
but failed, and Guy got in and poked
the fire.
1.-The SOM have seen him! He has
gentleman
1.-THE outside manners. no doubt,
said Guy.
The earl frowned.
But this is wide of the question
The thing is the girl he said. did
you see much of her?"
mot much; l dined there, and
drove them to the races yesterday
and gave them some lunch" said Guy
'And she is beautiful and ladylike
That is enough! 1t is more than can
be said of half our order. And how far
has the thing gomez"
mo further" said Guy, after a
pause.
Il am afraid said the earl, slow
ly and with oppressive politeness,
that you did not read my letter.
Eyes I did, sir.
"Then it's purpose must have es-
capped you; and yet I thought that I
had put the matter plainly"
''You put it plainly enough, sir!'
said Guy.
''Not too plainly. In case I should
rot have done so, let me repeat the
gist of my letter My dear Guy, we
are on the brink of ruin. For years
past, long before my time, Latcham
has been in difficulties. have done
my best! But it has been as effective
as the stopping of foot leak in the
hold of a vessel with an inch of putty.
For generations the Latchams have
been spendthrifts. There is not an
acre. not an inch of the estate that
could be mortgaged that is not mort
gagged. There is lien on the very
plate that stood upon your dining
table tonight We are poor beyond the
dreams of poverty
Lord Guy pulled in silence for mo-
Ment.
81 dined like prince tonight!
There must be an army of servants
here?"
'You did. There are" admitted the
earl. Il suppose you think it would
have been better if you had had a
cold mutton chop, and glass of
cheap sherry? Pshaw! You do not un-
derstand! A house-such house as
ours-stands erect till it falls! 1t
neither bends nor, crawls. While we
live We live as our forefathers did; as
princes, if you will! We have a duty
to perform; we discharge it! But the
whole thing is rotten-rotten to the
core; l tell YOU that every acre is
mortgaged; that the plate you saw
upon the table is pledged; that there
is bill of sale upon every article in
Latcham pom this chair in which |
sit!'
Guy flung his cigar in the fire.
eve are on the brink of ruin. There
is only one thing can save us, only
one person. You are the person, and It
is by marriage that the crash may be
averted."
81 did not know it was SO bad"
ut is very, very bad. have told you
the plain truth. Great Heavens! when
I think that there are people in the
world who envy us; who actually rant
upon public platforms against the
bloated aristocrats, as they call us!
There is no time in my life that l
would be willingly have changed
places with the workmen who came
to mend the roof, Or one of the gar
deners-with any of my man servants.
/ have never walked along the ter
race without wishing that the Court
could be levelled with the ground, and
that / could live in a small cottage
built upon it's ruins. Envy! If the
world knew how heavily our resposi
bilities prey upon us, how weary we
were with the burden of it all, |
think even the idiots who rant and
rave about equality On public plat.
forms would pity us. Will you be kind
enough to give me some of that lem
on water?"
Guy reached the silver jug, and
poured out a glassful of the decoc
ton, and the earl drank it slowly, his
eyes fixed on the fire.
But enough of this Now that you
know all, Guy, what do you intend to
do? | did not write to you, and
propose this plan without considera
ton. Of course, know that you would
make good marriage-that is the
duty of every man who has title and
no money to support it. But the ad