The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-04-22
CHAPTER I.

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The girl sprang to her
feet as If she were some timid crea-
ture Of the wild aroused from sylvan
broodings by knowledge of imminent
danger. In her terror she upset three
wineglasses on the luncheon table.
One, rose tinted and ornate, crashed
to the floor. and the noise seemed to
irritate the owner of Linden House
more than his niece's shrill terror.
mo need to bust up our best set of
'ock glasses just because | 'appen to
mention ovid Dickey Bulmer," he
growled.
I'm sorry" she said and stopped to
pick up the fragments scattered over
the carpet.
Leave that alone" came the sharp
order. Its Ugh time you an me 'ad
a straight talk. an l can't do wi folk
bouncin' about like an injia rubber
ball when I've got things to say to
EN-"
He gulped down some of the wine.
darted 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 it
creaked
Iris Yorke, accustomed TO this rit-
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 unbeliev-
able If it were not true! But he had
shown kindness TO her in his DOM
ineering way. Shocked almost at the
disloyalty Of her thoughts. Iris tried to
close the rift that had opened so un-
expectedly.
ut was stupid of me to take you
seriously" she said. You cannot real
ly mean that Mr.. Bulmer wishes to
marry me-"
II meant it right enough, my lass"
he said.
But. uncle. dear
stop a bit. Listen to me first an
say your say when I've finished. Like
everybody else, you think Pm 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 maggot inside? You're the
first I've told about the maggot. Fact
is. I'm broke. Shipownin' is rotten
nowadays unless you've lots of CAPT
tai. I've lost mine. Unless ! get help,
an thumpin' big slice of it. my name
figures In the Gazette. want 100000.
an oo's goin' to give it to me? ! put
it to ovid Dickey yesterday, an e said
you couldn't raise money in Liverpool
today to build ferryboat. But e said
summat else. If you wed i'm e makes
you partner in the firm of Verify,
Bulmer & 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 to
bein' the wife Of millionaire. even If |
e is doddrin' ovid idiot to talk of
marryin' ag'in."
"Oh. unclew
With a wall Of despair the girl sank |
back and covered her face with her |
hands. Now that she believed the in |
credible she could utter no protest. |
The sacrifice demanded was too great. |
Verify was angry. almost alarmed. |
Resistance. even Of this passive sort, |
raised the savage in him. Hitherto |
Iris had been ready to obey his slight
est within.
There's no use cryin' oh, UNCLE
an kickin' up FUSS" he snapped vi.
ciously. Where would you ave bin,
I'd like to know. If 1t wasn't for me?
In the gutter-that's where your pre-
cious fool Of father left your mother
an you. You're the best dressed an
best lookin' an best dedicated girl +
Bootle today-thanks to me. When
voup mother kon ,era fen war 90 an,