The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1913-12-19
The Fair Creole'C Fortune
BY SIR WALTER BEsA MT m JAMES RICE
Scheming Of a Desperate
Woman For the Sake Of a
.Profligate Brother and the
Resulting Adventures Of
Winsome Yirginie ferrier:


the writer. lis to keep the boy where
he is. Let him stick to the thing that
he knows. AS for sugar planting be-
ing precarious. it has kept you for
thirty years. and. | dare say, it will
keep him. England is not a good
country just now, especially for men
like me, who have a dozen farms on
their hands," and so on.
Captain KemysS had hoped that
some chance might have been found
for Tom when the crash so long i'm
minent. should come 1T last. Then he
took up the other letter. which was in
a writing strange to him. When. now
a dozen years and more agone, his
guardianship Of Nirginie began, .here
was a econ guardian, also II OF
Captain Terriers brother officers, who
had sold out and was then living at
Southsea. 1t was understood tina. he
was to hold an honorary office, and
that the child would continue to live
with her mother at Mon Desir, while
Captain Kcmyss managed her estate.
So honorary was the Office that the
acting guardian had almost forgotten
the existence of his coadjutor, and had
even learned that he was dead.
The letter was from his widow.
Dear Sir AS the widow Of you old
friend and brother officer. one who was
associated with you in the office of guar
~ ~ fn Mice ToS.yt,r 7 %y,,c$ T paoI m in
PRODUCTION or excuse for addressing you.
Circumstances nav not allowed me un-
til lately to offer any hospitality to my
ward, il I ma call her SO. / am now,
however, / rejoice to say, at last in a po-
sition to discharge one at least OF the
duties accepted for me by my late hus-
band.
HE married. heard that he mar
ried-1 forgot who she was" said the
squire, as he stopped at this point to
recall things, somebody of good fam
lily. I know, and she had expectations.
Let me see. They We're hard up when
l heard last-lived IN d cottage at
Southsea; that must have been twelve
years ago. Then Jack died, I suppose,
and she's come into the money at last.
l suppose that is what she means"
I believe that our dear Virginie-or Lu-
cie-forgive me if the name has escaped
my memory-must now be seventeen years
OF age. I hear from the colonel of the
One Hundred and Eightieth. just returned
from your lovely island, that she is per-
fectly charming and perfectly beautiful.
| have also learned, to my great satisfac-
ton, that you have SO we'll nursed her
estate that she is now a considerable heir
ess. Now. my dear sir, do you not think
1t would be a great pity that this young
lady, while she is still young, with her
affections free, should not come to Eng
land and make acquaintance with her own
people? l have the honor of knowing
Miss Ferrier. l was talking on this sub
iect to her on the last occasion Of meeting
her. l am happy to inform you that she
expressed herself in the Nindest manner
concerning her unknown cousin and will.
l am sure, show her all the attention
When she comes home that she can desire
or expect AS for me, I do not disguise
the fact that l should like to nave a
young and beautiful girl wing with me
partly because 1t is pleasant to have young
and pretty faces about one. Others may
hunt for lions; it is my principle, my dear
Captain kemyss, that men care more for
lionesses. When l get my fair creole l
shall not let her go in a hurry.
AS regards matrimonial prospects,, you
may entirely trust me. l will stop the
first sign of a Irritation in the very bud
unless the man is thoroughly what you
have a right to expect. There are not so
many men of the right kind in this town,
especially since the terrible blight that
has fallen upon landowners. yet there
may be some. OF course l know there
are many dangers which beset a girl of
fortune or expectations. London is al
ways Astounding in penniless adventures.
literary men. subalterns, younger sons
and even %curates, who are longing to mar
ry an heiress and hang up their hats and
sit down idle for life. But they shall not
get near our Virginie, l will surround
her. my dear captain. | will be like a
hollow square with fixed bayonets until
the right man approaches, and then | will
be a benevolent fairy. OF course. with a
girl Of good-almost of ~noble-birth, who
has none but good relatives-I think /
have heard that her mother belongs to
the house of Desmarets dAuvergne-who
has also a great and productive sugar IS
tate-With. the colonel said, "A hundred
and twenty thousand pounds. but per-
haps that is too good to be true-should
look very high indeed. There is nothing
to which she may not aspire, though If
we dream Of A coronet We should be So
Der. Our thoughts ought not to run high
er than an earl or a viscount. However,.
I will do my best. Character, of course.
as we'll as position. should be carefully in
quired into.
! have written honestly to you, because
II you were really a private friend of my
late husband you must be a man Of the
world. l frankly think that my offer is
a good one and that in the interests Of the
girl you ought not to refuse 1t. If her
mother lives my invitation will extend to
her; but. on the whole. I sincerely think
1t will be better that the child should
come alone and acquire by living entire
~ among English people the ideas. the
air and the tone of English society.
l hope to have a favorable answer by