Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-08-09


that 9thee young man should himself
go over and attend to the sale of It.
Inc proceeds were far in OF
time n several years Alec would be
able to wipe out his debts, and start
with a clean slate.
To do him justice, fremont was
neither spendthrif, nor heartless. AS
the prospective Earl Of Breeme was
subject proportionate.y, to. the strain
81 poverty which ground down his
extraVagant set he f~requented, went
g beyond the allowance his father
could make him. It had never oc-
CURED to him that he could meet the
situation in any other way than by
dropping out OF his ;'set,', which was
unthinkable, or by borrowing the
~wherewithal5 to keep his end up.
tfals friends had already reached
their limit on loans, and at the last
influx Of pressing bids from trades
men and Others, he had had resort
Q q professional nloney-lender. 1t
was only in the dilemma of the lat
tiers untimely threats that fremont
9 at last found himself forced to
put p matter up to the EarH-a pre-
olcament from which he shrank quite
as much out OF consideration for his
fatners III health as from a. feeling Of
shame at the repeated mismanage-
ment of his affairs.
With characteristic l~ight-hearted-
ness, once the matter had been decid-
ed. fremont had set forth on his mis-
SION to Canada, with every resolution
to make this the last OF his unpleas-
ant financial experiences. He had
planned his return so as to escort his
7 sister and her American friend to
england, where Claire Wilton was, at
n EarY's urgent invitation and to
James great delight, to pay a long Wis
1T to aBreeme House. 4
Lady Jane had been sitting in the
lounge for five minutes, with care
fully suppressed nervousness waiting
for her brother, before he came saun-
tering in. Es
He came over to her, and with Eng
lish coolness nodded to his sister as If
since.
DO, Janey. Had a good time in
Yankee land with your little Miss
Croesus?" he asked, smiling.
Very nice, thanks, Alec. It's rath-
err too rapid for an old fogy like me
-but they are awfully kind and open
hearted! I never knew anything like
Makes us feel a Bit slow. doesn't it.
what?" he drawled.
"Yes--and * horribly inhospita-
ble!" h added in her quiet, whisper
ing voice. TT makes us ashamed to
think how little. we ever do for any
OF them. when4t they come, to England;
no Wonder we get a reputation for be-
Ing cold and snippy!"
There wasNa pause.
"Well-how about Canada?" she
asked. II do hope it came out all
right?"
Ripping. taney!" We've made
our eternal fortunes!"
She looked up with such happiness
IN her eyes, and such a flush OF re-
lief from anxiety, that he fastened
to tone down his exaggeration.
At any rate, I car wash my hands
of that usurious Unterberg-the mon
e%y-lender, you}know. It's like a mill
stone off ones neck. And thererl be
a bit over, besides"
"Oh Alec, how splendid" Lady
James eyes were moist her face radi;-
ant. Dear old boy-won't father be
delighted. 1t will be such a load off
him; it will do him more good than
anything else
Alec felt a twingel Of compunction;
by inference his sisters comment
touched him on the raw:
where's Miss Wilton?' he asked.
She's dressing; she'll be here di-
rect'y. I know you'll like her, Alec.
It was too bad that you were away
when she was at Breeme before.
Fathers simply devoted to ,her-I
never saw him take to anyone SO
quickly. She seemed to put new life
into him" S
Lady Jane laughed.
When she was staying with us
those few weeks. she didn't go in Tor
anything, but just Breeme itself. 1t
seems to fascinate her-the house
and everything in 1t, the grounds, the
people-the whole place."
Does she. ride 2"
"Yes--she loves It; but we really
hadn't anything decent to mount her
.Well-we must get something,
time: 5s Ms,yl al al 1 MSst, :; regular gala
Alec drawled it out with a glance
OF real. tenderness at Lady James al
most pathetically happy face It cut
him to realize why he SO seldom saw
her looking like this. q
You're a brick, Janey-always
were" he said. And her smile seemed
to him like an affectionate. hug.
Lord fremont turned away. He
ful figure standing beside them.
"Oh! I beg your pardon" be said.
LET me introduce myself. Miss Will
ton. this is Alec n-a-Es.s. the rnwor-
thy brother Of my little sistel
here"
"And this, Lord fremont" laughed
Claire, completing. the introduction,
lis Claire Wilton. the fortunate friend
Of your little sister, Jane; here
The bugle sounded the mess-ca1l for
dinner, and they took their way down
to the brilliantly lighted saloon, alive
with .people trying to find their seats,
and buzzing with conversation.
Jane, retiring within her habitua1
reserve OF silence, noticed with quiet
satisfaction the spontaneous ease with
which her brother quickly establish
ed himself in Claire's good graces.
His relief from harassment had en-
personality. He responded to Claire
Wtlton's quick wit with a readiness
and warmth that seemed to promise
|congenial intimacy.
They were among the last to leave
the saloon, Lord fremont making his
way to the smoking room. s
"Your Englshman," commented
Claire to Lady Jane, with that little
furrowing Of the sbrows and half clos
civilizations, when he oncasdecides Ia
drop the national mask OF cold indif-
ference, AN make particularly
charming impression.r I
CRATER ii. 45Ss
A Scrap 81 Paper.
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