Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-02-10

master. Say no more. sir. shall no,
trouble you again. am like the
Psalmist who put his trust in princes
and verify was he disappointed"
Matt was conscience stricken; he had
leaned on Victor: he had found com
fort and a sense Of safety in the old
fellows rugged affection. 1t was hard
to see 1t 60. and 1t appeared doubly
valuable, now that It was lost. Matt
telegraphed to Snood & Hargreaves:
| Please give immediate effect to my let.
ter and remit money for ring by express
Telegraph reply. saying when ] may ex'
| pect to receive 1t.
When this was accomplished he en-.
countered the concluding disaster Of
that whole disastrous morning. His
telephoned request to speak TO Miss
Marshall was received by maid. who
said that her mistress was Ill and
could not come down. Nor could a
message be carried to her because she
was asleep. One might be left. how.
ever. Did the gentleman wish to leave
one?
Matt, wretchedly perturbed, could
think Of nothing else than that Miss
Marshall was to be informed that be
had rung her up. "Broughton. not
Button - B.r-o-u-g-h-t-o-n - and please
tell her shall call this afternoon In
the hope Of seeing her and perhaps
take her for drive II the weather
clears and she Is well enough
At 8 he was at Fair Oaks III worse
downpour than ever. only to find him
self rebuffed. Half soaked. he stood
on the threshold and was told that
Miss Marshall could see no one and
that the doctor had given her some
sleeping stuff. The general. too, had
intrenched himself against callers.
Matt climbed into his buggy and drove
of, sick with despair.
Splashing along the muddy road, he
wondered at himself for refusing that
$4,000. With the money they had Of
fered him Chris. for was not this what
1t amounted to? With $50.0OO in his
pocket he might go up to that big
house and take her bodily away, mar
ry her, have her for his very own?
Ninety.nine men out of hundred
would have taken the money would
have jumped at 1t. Fifty thousand
dollars! 1t might be years before he
would be worth quarter as much
And here he was throwing 1t out OF the
window like quixotc fool. 1t was
not In him to betray John Mort. 1t
was simply that he was incapable Of
1t. He almost wished that he was not
It was not principle nor religion nor
lnything-but Il fact. He himself was
quite helpless. volition lay altogether
beyond him. 1t was something he
could not do. that was all.
At home there was telegram await
ing him. II read:
Matthew Broughton. Care Mrs. Sattane.
Manaswan. Conn:
Experts pronounce ruby flawed and
worth $500 only Firm faces substantial
loss on advance already made. II accrued
interest be not promptly paid shall dis
pose Of ring at end Of statutory period
Telegraph instructions.
SNOOD & HARGREAVES.
It was q blow to make any man
stagger; defenseless. his first instinct
was to hide In his room. Matt locked
the door and with desperation read the
telegram again. Good God. all he had
then was the money in his pocket!
Were It not for Chris he would have
been less unnamed. The sea IL a
hard master. but 1t will always feed
and clothe a man who has made it his
trade. he couldn't starve-it wasn't
that. But it meant losing Chris-aban-
doning all thought and dreams Of her
as his wife.
How did he know that he wasn't be-
ing cheated7 There was no 1aw in
the ruby. Everything John Mort had
was Of the best. Of the finest. "Ex-
perts pronounce ruby Hawed" The
chap would have paid him $500 then
and there for the ring. He was an
expert himself. that bald man. He
hadn't dillydallied or anything, but
had been eagerness itself to clinch the
bargain. 1t was inconceivable that he
had been mistaken. He was thief.
that was what he was. low. con-
temptible thief, who had discovered
how to get the ring for thousand
the thousand originally advanced.
he ragged up and down the room in
impotent wrath. People knocked and
spoke through the keyhOle, but he dis
regarded them. One, alone, could have
been Of the least solace to him, and
she was lying in that great. grim house
beyond those miles Of dripping woods.
But she would know soon enough
too soon. A few days and they would
say goodby for the last time. forever.
unless a miracle happened. The gen.
eral was the only person capable OF
figuring In a miracle. But Matt built
no hopes there. 1t was impossible to
associate BLESS you. my children
with that keen. proud face-rather. a
whitening sentiment and n glance that
would strike like q knife. The miracle
would be how to get out alive-how to
escape with the lest shred Of self re-
spect.
No, with $4,000. with Daggancourt
and the aid of Chris intrepid spirit, 1t
had been within the bounds Of reason.
Tho rose could have been plucked.
general or no general. and carried In
triumph to that Kentucky farm. But
$50 was eighty-nothing.
By supper time he had somewhat re-
covered his composure and. though
very pale, contrived in other respects
to conceal the crushing nature Of his
misfortune. He announced gravely
that he had received bad news and
begged that he might be excused from
giving the particulars.
After supper he got his overcoat and
settled himself In a dry corner Of the
veranda, where his reflections were
suddenly arrested by the stoppage of
an automobile at the gate and the de-
scent Of vaguely familiar figure. 1t
was an immense limousine, not unlike
the one he had associated with Mr..
Kay's departure the night before. In
fact, the vaguely familiar figure was
Mr.. Kay himself, advancing hurriedly
I'D the board walk.
brought the mint with your? asked