The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-10-17

him Tor q Gl.OOOt DO not 9dmit MIN,
good Mr.. Aarons. / beseech you
rake Sir Godfrey upstairs, Jacob,
and tell him / am engaged, but win
wait ON him anon said the Jew. Then
turning to his fair client with an mn
~sinuating smile, he added, Nov, IL
your Iadyship chooses. you ma have
an opportunity oftJudglng between my
statement Of this gentleuan's finances
and hts
lie indicated, by a gesture, a door in
an obscure corner OF the room.
What! play the spy upon my be-
tr0thed husband2 Never, nevert' ex-
claimed Prue Indignantly. Yet she did
go away. and her plant form
seemed to sway toward the little dark
door. as though q stronger viii than
her controlled her muscles.
It's no harm" said the Jew. in his
silkiest tones, as he opened the door
leading into a room scarcely bigger
than a closet, but light, and furnished
with a single chair, and q table litter
ed with papers and thick with dust.
Half-involuntartly, Prue yielded, and
the door closed upon her. II need not
listen" she said, alf-apologizing ia
herself for an action she disdained.
But the room was small, and that, per-
haps. was why she did not think IL
worth while TO o away from the
door.
IA. . AZ ollG W AAGI HGdu UWEIGn
she heard Sir Geoffrey's voice, and for
some moments she was conscious OF
nothing but a confused murmur, out
Or which, at last, her own name rang
sharp and clear.
The Lady Prudence Brooke has
honored me by accepting my hand
she heard Sir Godfrey say, IN q tone
that was evidently Intended to discour-.
age adverse cCncHnent.
II congfiratulate your Honor" said
AarOns politely. The ladyss charms
do credit to your choice. But such
Injuries are costly, and I am not SUR
prised that you need money. II is IN
fortunate that times are so hard and
money SO scarce. I have just suffered
q terrible loss. The death OF Lord Bos-
common, whose father survives him.
had turned s10,0 900 worth OF post-obits
into waste paper, and the failure OF
Johnson and-but this does not Inter-
est your Honor. Beset as I am, / shall
De able to accommodate an old 7Fnd val
ued CLIENT like yourself, no doubt, re
the security Is satisfactory. You have
good security to offer, of course ?''
"Ohl 1T Is no use beating about the
bush with you Aarons. / have no
fresh security, but you can surely let
me have q couple of thousand more on
the Yorkshire estate.
mot a silver" said the money lend
err firmly. Even the entailed proper
~ Is encountered beyond its utmost
value. Had you come to announce
your marriage with Miss Cheeseman,
the alderman's daughter, or Mrs. Gold
waite, the bankers widow, i do not
say / would have refused the necessary
funds for the courtship and wedding on
your note-of-hand. But the Viscount-
tess Brooke fs.doweriess-over head and
oars in debt. and without penny of
expectations.'
Miserable little Jew" muttered the
fair dame he so Pitilessly anatomical:
.tGeoffrey will XII. him.
Dowerless res; over head and ears
In debt possibly; hut NOT without ex-
pectations," said Sir Geoffrey, display
ng none OF the anticipated fury. you
overlook the fact that she is the fay-
orite granddaughter Of Lady Drum
loch, who, for all her miserly ways, I
am credibly. informed. Is enormously
wealthy"
"oho!' cried the Jew, maIiciousIy en-
joying this display or a motive not al
together flattering to the unsupported
listener. Your honor Is not quite so
simple as I began to fear" =
did You really think I was fool
enough TO leap before looking? p retort-
ed Sir Godfrey, with a fatuous laugh
that set Prue5s ears tingling. ITO be
sure, the wealth OF Golconda could not
add to the Lady Prue's charms, but in
this wicked world one can not live on
love, and as ] have little else to offer,
rejoice. for her sake as well as my
own, that she has q rich grandmother.
who cannot, 1t Is to be hoped-I should
say. lalnented-live long to enjoy her
boards. They will, / am convinced, be
put to excellent use by Lady Prudence
Beaudesert."
But how, If I could provo to YOU.
Sir Godfrey, that Lady Drumloch, in
stead Of being a rich miser, is a very
poor old woman, whose kinsman loans
her q house to live in, and whose sole
income Is an annuity. from which she
has-perhaps--saved enough to bury
her3 ! know not who may have told
you OF this tabled wealth, but / am
pretty sure it IL not either OF her
Indeed, no, said Sir Geoffrey re-
fiectively. No such sordid p. subject
has eve been preached !; between us.
Yet had II from a reliable source.''
Well, ! advise YOU to make very
sure Of II, Sir Godfrey; it win be no
or the Lady Prudence, to marry her
without either or you having anything
you can call your own-exeept your
.'Tis true. muttered the baronet. aTt
cannon raise q thousand pounds-are
Lady P~rudence:s debts so very CREATE
II do not betray the secrets OF one
client to another" said Aarons, with a
sinister smile. Even now / have acted
against my own interests In my desire
to befriend two headstrong young peo-
pie, Nay, / would gladly go further. and
hnd q rich wife for your honor n a
rich, husband for the S~yiscountess, 81
YOU would both. listen to reason"
Ii a E.E EassTrHt q ---~----- y. r