The Springfield herald., 1912-05-10
The COMEDY of the
JEWELED LINKS
By MAX PEMBERTON
Copyright. BY W. @. Chapnan.)

w. q. Chapman)
| at hazard; but the notion tickled him
immensely. and he rolled about in his
chair. shaking the snun from his box
over his fur coat, and even upon my
papers.
Yes. you read It," he gasped at
last, "a fine tale too. Why, what's he
got?-four hundred n year In White
hall, and what he can draw out of me
not much, Mr.. Sutton-not much"
l had no doubt of that, but l kept
my face while he went on to mutter
and to chortle; and / showed him a
bracelet of rubies. which he desired
instantly to purchase. 1 had put a
price of 42O pounds upon 1t. meaning
to accept 800, 80 that we haggled for
two hours by the clock and had then
done business. He took the rubies
away with him, while 1 caused the
further sum to be set against him in
the ledger. where already there were
so many unpaid items under the name.
but l could not press the account, or
should have lost him: and while was
often sore troubled for lack of the
money, knew that should get 1t at
his death. and SO aided his jewel-hun-
ger. This was prodigious. All the
gems that I sold-watches, necklaces,
tiaras. brooches and breastpins were
conveyed at once to the great safe in
his bedroom and there immured. No
one ever saw them but himself. His
wives. both of whom were dead, had
scarce enjoyed the possession of a bar
maids jewelry. The passion of the
| collector, of the hungerer after stones.
i alone consumed him. OF all his mean
ness. this was the most contemplate
this hiding of fair treasure from the
light 1t lived upon-this gross hoard
| ing of beautiful things for one mans
selfish enjoyment
When he left Bond street that day.
crying at my door, so I'm going to
give something away. am I?-but
amt. Sutton, ain't'-and walking
of as though he had found satisfac-
tion In the negative thus conveyed to
me. / picked up the paper, and read
again that young BERTHE Watts was at
last engaged to the Hon. Eva Bentley.
and that the wedding was to be cele-
brated in months time. Every one
in town said that old Harningham
would do something for Watts when
the time for the marriage actually
came; and it was gossip in the clubs
that her people had given their con-
sent-for they were historically poor
only upon the sincere assurance
from their daughters f1ance that his
| uncle really was very fond OF him, and
| would present him with a handsome
check on the wedding day. But here
was the announcement of the wedding,
| and the old curmudgeon had just said
being reader in speech with me.
perhaps, than with any one of his few
acquaintances-that he did not mean
to give the young people halfpenny.
1t did occur to me that possibly he
might have bought the ruby bracelet
for the exceedingly pretty girl to
whom his nephew was engaged; but
in this / was mistaken, as you shall
OF the whole problem deepened
when l learned later on in the
smoking room of my club that
the marriage was likely to be
postponed, and something of scan
dal to ensue. BERTHE Watts, they said,
was going about like ravenous beast
seeking what financier he could de-
YOUR. His opinion of his uncle was
expressed In phrases of which the
chief ornament was appalling curses
and maledictions. He declared he
would have the whip-hand Of him
yet, would make him pay hand
somely for all the trouble he had put
people to-in short, behaved like a
man who was absurdly in love. regard
less of that financial 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 op-
portunity which was shortly to be his.
A week passed. There was no def
mite announcement Of any postpone
ment of the arrangements noted by
The Hyde Park Gazette, nor did such
part of society as is represented by
the tonguesters, hear that Berthe had
persuaded his uncle. The thing was
kind of deadlock in its financial aspect
until at last the world of Belgravia
knew that the young lady's father.
Lord Varnley, had consented to let
the wedding be, and to trust to Harm
ingham's better sense when the time
of the accomplishment came. 1 saw
Watts one day driving with his fiancee
near the Achilles statue. and thought
that he looked glum enough; but he
came to me on the following morning
for a diamond aigrette. and although
he couldn't pay for it l let him have
1t.
It'll be all right in a month, Sut-
ton" said he; you know the old
chaps hard enough, but he can't let
me marry on nothing a year, can he
| now?"
I said that the thing was possible:
| and for his own sake vent4red to hint
that 1t was even probable, an opinion
which he took in no good part. suck
ing his stick silently for while, and
| then laughing with poor little