Silas Dennington's Money,

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10682, 9 July 1912, Page 2

Silas Dennington's Money,

OUR SERIAL.)

BY F. L. DACRE.

John's Heire;s," "i'ke Shadow of Skr.n:;

Daughter-of My-iery," etc.

CHAPTER XVII— Continued. Sir Peter Tempest was pretending to bo watching the swans, which wero being fed by half a dozen youngsters. "It's Madge's father," Jack whispered. "I don't suppose that he knows me from Adam." "But I caught him looking very hard in this direction." ( "Then he was looking at von, and wondering how an angel got down to earth without wings! We'll act just as though he were an absolute stranger to me, and I'll be careful not to show rny profile. My nose gives me away to my old familiars." "There's a suggestion of the Roman about it. Your nose is of the handsome, commanding type, and such noses indicate largeness of mind and generosity.' _ "Rosamund, you are magnificent. Trv again!" But while the badinage was going on, Sir Peter disappeared, unobserved by either, and for the nresent Jack gave him no further serious thought. With love the heart becomes a fair and fertile garden, with sunshine and warm hues, but it is very apt to hypnotise a man's judgment, and Teddy Brown had a plain talk with bis master next morning. Knowing nothing of Jack's real motives for buying Theodore Grant's stock, he regarded it as another act of imbecility, caused by his infatuation for the curiosity dealer's daughter. Grant was burdened with a lot of unsaleable rubbish, and hard up, and to help him, for his daughter's sake Oastlemaine had bought the stuff. Brown was also vastly displeased by his master's obstinacy in starting a new weekly paper in the dog days, but as the thing was on the way they must give it a special advertising push. This required money, and money was getting short. "We must borrow some," Jack said, confidently.

"Where from?" "Your bank." "Not so easy. You deposit one thousand eight hundred, and drain the bank in a few weeks in a highly speculative business. Bankers are not philantrophists. If the manager knew who you really are it would be a different matter."

"You must help me, Brown." "I don't feel satisfied; you've been taken the bit between your teeth too oarlv. The new paper won't go ; there isn't a 'taking' thing in it. The writers have sent in matter which nobody else would buy; and as to the proposed prizes, they don't appeal to the middle-class public. It's a deliberate suicide."

"What, with a million at the back of me? Look here, you arc sore because I disregarded your .advice, and I promise not to do it again. Some day I will tell you my reason." "They are apparent to everybody," scoffed Brown. "I've seen so much of failures that the dread of another makes me sick at the stomach. I know that the credit is all right now—worth five thousand pounds ; but the moment you have contracted a liability you owe it, oven if you have three months' grace. There are about eighty thousand undischarged bankrupts walking about England, and nearly all of them owe their misfortunes to this rotten system of credit." Jack gave a short laugh". "I'm a millionaire, Brown, and you know it. \We must have a couple of thousands pounds in eas,h, and the credit on top of that_ will see us established on a firm basis. I'll pay well for the accommodation."

"The lenders will see to that," was the grim rejoinder. "I'll go and interview the manager, and I shall have to spin him a yarn. I know the money's safe, Imt it's another thing to convince him."

Brown marched off, grumbling and growling. He was hack within an hour, and with a rueful smile spread out four bills of exchange on the table in front of .Tack." "Fortunately the manager was in good humour," lie said, "and I tcld the tale. He relies upon my judgment, as I rarely do bad business. Here are four bills for your acceptance, for six hundred pounds each, at one, two, three and four months. To show my confidence, I've agreed to indorse them. Now, I shall'lie in your hjnds, and if you don't pay them I must, or go into bankruptcy again. As soon as they are duly executed and returned to the bank, two thousand pounds will be paid into your credit account."

Jack wrote his name across the bills in high good humour. "We are flying now," he said exultantly. "Flying kites!" "You will have your little joke. Brown, but I am going to give you a twenty-pound note for helping me out of a hole."

About midday a steady drizzle set in, so there was no walk with Rosamund that afternoon. On his ways to lunch, he popped into Mr Grant's •shop. Just a few minutes with Rosamund, who was busy with her drawing, and a short talk with her father. He could safely take the balance of the stock in four equal weekly deliveries, and he wanted Mr Grant to know it. He did not regard the investment as a bad one, by any means. He had faith in the value of the advertisement, and many of the articles he intended to retain for his own use and

Author of ;, Held in Bondage," t: A Phantom of the

| pita sure- -Jus and Rosamund's. I He wont into Finch's, in the Strand a sni ' clc » " ItiJe deniolishincr n coup e of sandwiches folt a tap onh's ; shoulder and heard his name Vlce^ [ rrn e,uun K t on ) T want vou!" Ihc whispered words, almost confi[dentwl in their utterance, turned him •sick and faint. So the «ame was up! Heprotended to g0 on with his lunch, waiting for the next development and expecting to face a Scotland' Yard official. Jhe thoughts raced through his mind. It would he impossible for him to got into touch with Grantlev for some weeks. What a sensation for the newspapers! And just when things-

"Well, you're a cool one," the voice said again. "X ev er a start, or a tremour. How d'ye do, Jack?" The speaker was standing alongside him now, and with feelings of mingled relief and .rage he faced Sir Peter Tempest, who was calmly giving an order to tho attendant for an iced champagne.

"We can't talk .here," whispered Sir Peter; "there are people coming into the bar, and I met Inspector Brock not a hundred yards away. He was going into Somerset House."

"I don't car a hang for Inspector Brock!" flashed Jack. "Hang!" shuddered Sir Peter. "I wonder you dare breath© the word. Look here, boy, I mustn't be seen with you. Where can we meet?"

"Anywhere you like, if there is any reason for it."

"Reason? Good Lord, man, there is your duty to mankind generally, and to your brother in particular. This game can't be played indefinitely." Ho held up a warning finger. The attendant had pricked up his ears. "I'll come round to the office after dark — say ten o'clock. No trouble, I'm staying at the Savoy." With that he drank his champagne, and left the bar.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE ONLY WAY,

j Jack had always had the reputation [of being an easy going fellow. He was good natural and even-tempered until rubbed the long-way, although it took a good deal of rubbing to arouse him. A knowledge of unjust treatment, too, would turn up the rough j edge of his nature, and at such times lie wasn't exactly nice to the enemy. He was very sore over the meeting with Sir Peter Tempest, because of the strong friendship that had existed between them. Sir Peter had been constantly running after him, and he had spent almost as much of his time at the Grange as at Lis home. Sir Peter could do nothing without his "dear boy Jack," and finally, out of the goodness of his heart, Jack had cherished dreams of putting Sir Peter on i his feet again, at the cost of many thousands of pounds. Then came the episode of Jake Murdock, and the tragedy. He turned all those things over in his mind on hi;; way back to the office, and remembering the manner of Sir Peter's greeting in Finch's, and the hard glitter in his eyes, he gritted his teeth.

j "And that man," ho thought, "is | Macro's father! It's almost inconceivable ! What the donee does ho mean by my duty to mankind and to my brother? I'll cram the words down' his throat!"

He went upstairs, and fortunately found plenty to do. A roll of proofs from the printers, and a dozen letters needed prompt attention. He had furnished the front room on the top floor for the use of a typewriter, and the whole of the building was now occupied. the back being used for the despatching of advertising matter. His own sitting room had been turned into an editorial den. He worked steadily until five o'clock, then went out to mail a handful of letters. Tt was still raining, and the heavy clouds gave no promise of relief. An unaccountable depression liad settled upon him. Was it the weather, or the incident at Finch's? Brown's attitude was not exactly beatific, either. No doubt his financial mind saw rocks ahead, and Jack was perforce obliged to acknowledge to himself that he was recklessly piling up big liabilities. He .turned into one of Lyons' shops with the intention of buying a shillings worth of cakes, and taking them to the Grant's. A glance at the clock however told him that by this time Rosamund would have cleared away their tea things, so he took a seat Etf one of the tables, deciding to staythere until after the office was closed.

He sipped the tea that was served to him, and read an evening piper, now and then looking over the top of it at th© hurrying human Stream outside and the forest of flying umbrellas.

(To "be Continued).