Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-04-18

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him. and finding. as he ex-
pected. a little coterie OF c%ongenial
spirits, he passed a pleasant and profit
able hour or two with the luck steadily
on his side. Then. flushed with vic
tory and in something of a boastful
Lord B~eachco!nbe, on his way out.
Your pardon. my Lord." he cried.
retreating a step, and bowling low:
it's a pity you We're not here sooner.
Nat Bedloe n Lord Eustace rave
been throwing dice. n the ace came
up 16 times running! Cad l never
saw such a thing before"
Il throw dice-can't see any
sport In it," drawled -Beachcombe: but
that must a been worth seeing.
Have you been playing? With your
usual good luck. no doubt?"
Sir Godfrey shrugged his shoulders.
Il u make the most of my few re-
manning days Of bachelor freedom"
he said. Il intend to settle down when
l am married, and become a model man
OF family. But I am still a gay BACH
elor, n very much at your service
at the club or e~lsewhere."
You forget that 1 am already mar
ireland a father. no less!" Beach
combe replied, in his friendliest manner.
Still. l have not entirely given up
worldly pleasures. / still book a little
wager from time to time. and as my
lady has a passion for Ombre. she can
not grumble If I still take a hand at
ecarte or whist. Is your wedding day
fixed? No doubt the marriage OF so
charming and popular a lady as the
v~iscountess Brooke will be a brilliant
junction. All the court will wish to do
her honor; perhaps even her gracious
majesty intends to be present
II fear that the state of her grand
mothers health will prevent Lady
Prue's indulging her natural desire to
shine on this occasion. AS the old
lady's heiress. of course she can not
minute wills may be changed and for
lost for a tri1e."
"Ha! is the venerable countess SC
wealthy as to make her will a matter
of Importance? Yet she passes for
poor: and when I was-when ! had the
enviable relations to Lady Prue. she
assured me-yet these old women
are often miserly-no doubt h
will give the world a surprise when her
hoards are unearthed. I congratulate
YOU upon your prospects! A bride so
root! You are indeed the favored of
the gods! With such a prize in Your
erasn. You will scarcely think it worth
while to remember our little wager"
Five thousand guineas will co,ne i'm
very handy to start housekeening!'
\ 5000 sAa ~ kdliX. 1IS IdukN WAS
echoed with a boisterous merriment
rhat STARTLED him like an explosion.
Lord F~eachccrbe was so little given
~ mirth. his laughter was SO noise,ess
and so rarely RESPONSIVE to another
mans hi'arity. that the ioyial shouts
and eleet"l contnrtions with which be
received Sir Cenffrey's retort would
hav" disturbed less susceptible nerves
than his.
IN" sinister sounds rang in his oars
I'll *he afternoon as he sat throug,, a
'rearv debate which did not interest
m" few members present sufficiently
'" mterrnnt tho reneral conversation.
wat was ' ord Beachcombe laughing
az n" asked himself "a hundred times.
with cverincreasing Irritation. He was
NOT q man to lake the loss Of a laree
sum of money c%heerfullv. Yet it was
imnossihle for him to l,aye any s,s-
nicirn of a serious in,nediment to the
marria ee. Still. Sir Godfrey decided
That delav was perilous and a sccret
Known to five persons has fifty LOOM
holes to escape throneh so for p v~st
number of reasons Prue must he in
dured. by fair means. IL possihle-h,,t
somehow. anyhow--to marry him inn
madiately.
To reassure himself. Sir Geoefrey
CAREFUL" read h record Of the wager
n satisfied himself that 1t merely re-
unired him 10 marry Lady Prudence
- viz III VI a e LstIIl
date. There was no stipulation Of what
kind Of marriage 1t should be. and
even should 1T be contested later. Lord
Beachcombe could not repudiate a
wager that had been settled. even If
the method Of winning 1t were open TO
criticism. He heartily cursed Robin
for failing to be hanged according to
reliable calculations. and was ever in
clined to blame Prue for lack OF fore
sight. but he pooh-hoohed the possi-
bflity of danger in ignoring the New
gate wedding and the idea of Robin as
a serious rival brought a contemptuous
sheer to his lips.
AT the first opportunity he slipped
away and hurried back to MAYFAIR,
where he found Prue and Peggie in a
state OF p~leasurable excitement. and
the anteroom thronged with milliners
and MERGERS as in the early times of
Lady Prue's Lively widowhood.
Surrounded by obsequious trades
men. anxious to atone for their late i'm
portunities by reckless offers Of I'M
limited credit to the reinstated favor
lite, Prue was in her element. Over
little French woman draped a flmy
scarf. while gloves and ribbons, sacks
and heads" silken hose and rainbow
stufs were spread before her on every
side n half q dozen voices. raised in
laudation Of these and other wares too
numerous to mention. filled the air with
confusion.
Barbara Sweeting. as high priestess
of fashion. criticised. selected, con-
demned and approved. while Lady
Drumloch. installed on her favorite
sofa. buried in her choicest cash
meres, voiced an occasional opinion in
her crisp. decisive way. to which Prue
gave more than 8 heed.
"A fair day to you. LADIES'" cried
Sir Geoffrey. IT faith. I feel like a
stag-beetle among the butterflies." He
l hent nver pruo no though ~nxamluip0 n