The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-20

llmners in Fleet street? Pshaw. you talk
like n fool"
| suffered his temper. for he was worth
couple OF thousand 3 year TO me. Pres
entity he became calmer. and the humor
of the thing dawned upon his dull mind.
"Ha." he said. snuffllng ferociously
from the great diamond studded box he
always carried, II shouldn't wonder II
that's Master Bertic Watts-you know
eh?-wel. that's like him. and his scoun-
drcly impudcnce-the vagabond'
Did not L read somewhere that he was
going TO be married. | remarked at laz-
ard, but the notion iiclIled him immense
~, and he rolled about liz his chair. shak-
ing the snuff from his box over his fur
coat and even upon my papers.
"Gcs. you read IT." he gasped at last.
IA fine tale too. why. what's he sot?--
four hundred n year in Whitehall. ana
what he can draw out of me-not much
Mr.. Sutton-not much.
| had no doubt OF that. but / kept my
face while he went on TO mutter and to
chortlc; and showed him a bracelet OF
rubbies which he desired instantly TO
purchase. ] had put price OF 520 pounds
upon II, meaning To accept 200, so that
we haggled for two hours by the clock
and had then done business. He took
the rubles away with him, while i caused
the further sum 10 be set against him
In the ledger, where already there were
so many unpaid Items under the name.
He owed me 5000 pounds at the least but
I could not press the account. or / should
have lost him; and while j was often sore
troubled for lack OF the money. / knew
that l should get il at his death. and so
aided his jewel-hunger This was pro-
digious. All the gems that ! sold
watches. necklaces. tiaras. brooches and
great safe In his bedroom and there i'm
INJURED. No one ever saw them but him
self His wives. both Of whom were dead,
had scarce enjoyed the possession Of
collector, OF the hungersr after stones,
alone consumed him. or all his mean
ness. this was the most contemptble--
this hiding OF fair treasure from the light
il lived upon--this gross boarding Of
beautiful things for one mans selfish en-
joyment,
ing at my door. so lm going TO give
something away. am T?--but I amt, SUIT
ton. j ain't"-and walking off as though
he had found satisfaction in the negative
thus conveyed TO me- picked up the pa
per, and read again that young Berthe
Watts was at last engaged 10 the Hon.
Eva Bentley. and that the wedding was
TO be celebrated in a months time. Every
one i'm town said that old Birmingham
would do something for Watts when the
time for the marriage actually came. and
il was gossip in the clubs that her people
had given their consent-for they were
historically poor-only upon the sincere
assurance from their daughters flance
that his uncle really was very fond OF
him, and would present him with hand
some check on the wedding day. But
here was the announcement of the we'd
ding. and the curmudgeon had just said
being reader in speech with me, per-
haps than with any one of his few ac-
quaint9nccs-that he Gid not mean 10 give
the young people n halfpenny. IT did
occur to me that possibly he might have
bought the ruby bracelet for the exceed
ingly pretty girl to whom his nephew
was engaged; but in this / was mistaken,
as You shall presently seei and tho inter
est OF the whole problem deepcned when
| learned later on in the smoking room
of my club that the marriage was likely
TO be postponed. and something OF scan
Gal TO ensuc. Bertie Watts. they said,
was going about like a ravepous beast.
seeking what financier he could dcvour.
His opinion of his uncle was expressed in
phrases OF which the chief ornament was
appalling curses and malcdictons, He
declared he would have the whip OF
him yet. would make him pay handsomely
for all the trouble he had put people to
In short. behaved like man who was
absurdly i'm love, regardless of that finan-
cial prudence which is so dear TO the
sight Of parents and of guardians Even
he. however, could not foresee the strange
thing about to happen To him, or the
very curious opportunity which was
tIt. IN hn '1i