Silas Dennington's Money,

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10683, 10 July 1912, Page 2

Silas Dennington's Money,

'CUR SI RIAL.)

C73APTEH XVll.—Continued. Again Jack plunged into mental calculations. Font - thousand pounds were wanted to clear off Theodore Grant's stock, and of this lie had paid over a fourth. Then there was the current expenses,and he had only half the money in hand, and that lie had borrowed at a ruinous raie of interest. .But the accounts were piling up in the ledger, and cheques were steadily coming in. The tenant of Dennington Court had that day sent the rent —three months in advance — one hundred and fifty pounds. The cheque was in his pocket. Why not

•;>■•.? it! J It would not he dishonourable to do so. Grantley did .not want the money yet, and the payment had come most opportunely—weeks before it was duo under the agreement. Nothing need be paid to the printer nor papermakor for weeks. It was their own proposal to give them extended credit; they wanted to make sure of his orders. Yes, the cheque for the rent for the Court shonl l bo pal'l into his own account next <l::y, end he would settle right up with Theodore Grant. It was all for Rosamund's sake. The decision was a relief to iris mental distraction, although he knew that it would leave him stranded. '

Ho jumped up in a better frame of mind, and while paying for his tea, caught sight of his reflection in one of the glass panels on the wall. His beard was getting ragged, and his air clustered over his oars, and down over his collar at the back. He had been careful to keep both darkened close to the skin, but was utterly tired of the job.

"I'll reduce the labour by half," he resolved. "I'll have my hair cut, and my board shaved ofF. I wonder what Rosamund will say? I haven't had the, pluck to face a barber yet." He went to a barber's and the sweep of the razor took years from his apparent age.

"A beard doesn't suit you, sir." the barber said. "I like to see all this square chin and jaw clean. Weak chins look better when they are covered. Pardon, but this is very bad dye on your hear —sticky and nasty. I can sell you something far better. I see you have put on it some grey, too. If you put yourself in my hands, I will dye it properly. You have reasons to want to be old perhaps?" Jack scowled, and the barber saw his reflection in the mirror. "A thousand pardons! I want to look young, and I am grey at thirty. Monsieur want to look old, and make his hair grey. But we Frenchmen age sooner than you English."

"I look like a kid in .my natural hair, and I am holding a responsible position, with older men under me.** "Aha! Bnt you ore blond, and make one grand mistake to be fhrk. Mow you must so on dying black, or your people wilt see. tt's no thins; — nothing!" he added, with a grandiose air. "I have one private room upstairs where T treat the hair of dudes and lords and judges." "I shall know when? to come next time," Jask answered the*barbcr evasively. Ho permitted himself to be brushed down by the solicitous barber, and escorted to the door, but he did not hear the barber say to an assistant: "Jules, quick! Follow that man and see where he rroes. His disguise Is clumsy—'bad! What for? Because he is afraid to go to the exnert." Meanwhile .Tack, crouching under his umbrella, hurried back to Nether Street. He was glad to find his office, closed, and was just letting himself in atth'e side door, when he caught a glimpse of Rosamund at her window. "Jack," she called down, "I've finished the last illustration —quite an inspiration ; 'I want you to see it." She was smiling unon him, then of a sudden the smile left her lips, and a staitled look l'vipi<! inio her eyes—surprise, bewilderment. He understood, and darted across the street. Mr Grant was at b*rs desk, pondering over his big stock hook. Ife looked up," and nodded.

"I've marked off the next lot of things." "You can tota up the whole lob i while you aro alfout it. I'll give you a cheque for the full amount in a week, and send my man over to remove the stuff —lock, stock, and barrel. You can. arrange to get out of Nether Street as soon as you like.' "Oh!" gasped the old man. "Can it be that I am reprieved?" "It's true enough. I've had a little windfall to-day, and can spare all the money." --.''Are you eccentric, or mad, or what?"

"Merely very much in love, and I want to marry Resamund." "What do you know —what have you heard " Theodore Grant's face blanched, and the hand resting on the open pages of his book trembled until the desk vibrated.

"Nothing—nothing! What could I hear? What are you talking about? Rosamund refuses to leave you alone in this dusty, foul-smelling"place, and I have bought you out, so that the obstacle to our early marriage may be removed." A quivering sigh passed Theodore Grant's lips.

"You have shaved off your beard," he said inconsequently. "You look years younger, Jack. What on earth made you grow the disfigurement? Yes, we will get away from here. Rosa-

BY F. L. DACRE.

Author of "He-Id in Bondage," ''A Phr.iitorr of (he John's IlcirtiSj''' "li.-e Shudow of £h::.•!-.. of My=t<?ry, 5> etc.

:>u:r,:i >ivo= t.V rr.-j. The y.crcf -arv - rangotr.onis w.j rake t^ne." -. fin \n!l <!c-!l those promises?" "As .soon as J can." "T should like tn lui.v them—or rent them until I can spare the money I want more space already, and there's nothing to bo got near my place. 'Besides, I could never relish the idea of a stranger having them. This is consecrated ground to me —every bo;>rd—every brick, because 1 met Rosamund hero."

"Very good of you," said Grant slowly, "and it Mill save me trouble and expense. You are a queer sort of mystery, Jack Gastlemaine."

A customer walked in, and Jack seized the opportunity to go upstairs. He heard some wrangling in the shopj and when the sitting-room door was shut the voices were only muffled. "A beardless youth stands before you, Rosamund." He took Iter in his arms, and she- gave him one long, searching look. "()!i, Jack, I like you better!—-if that if. possible." "But you stared down'at me in a horrified sort of way." "No, not quite. I thought that I had made a mistake and was talking to someone else. Here is the drawing I want you to see." The rich colour flooded her face. "Do you recognise the scene? It fits into the story beautifiillv."

"Of course! AVhy, it is our own particular lovers' seat in the park, and the figures arc ours—spooning." "Don't you like it?" she asked, with a touch of anxiety. "The best thing you've done, lut our love is sacred to me." "Oh, I did not mean it that way," Rosamund said, the tears rushing into her eyes. "Have I vexed you, Jack?"

"Not a bit; don't take any notice of mejj'm upset. What a racket your father makes —always quarrelling. He needn't trouble now; I'm , buying him out this week, so that he I and you can get out of Nether Street. ■■ The one bar to our marriage will then ! be gone." J Rosamund did not reply. She had I walked over to the window to hide her quivering lips, her tearful eyes. Suddenly she tore Up the sketch into a dozen pieces, and tossed them into the grate. "Why did you do that?" he sharply asked. "How could you do it?" "You didn't like the picture." "As a public print —no ; but I should have valued it to the end of my life." Rosamund held out her hands impulsively. "I am disappointed, Jack, and you fiv.? angry. Won't you forgive mc? I am not the angelic creature you fancy me; lam really bad-tempered and. horrid."

The door was thrown open, 'and Theodore Grant walked in. His eyes gleamed, and his brows were corrugated. He looked from one to the other, and shrugged his shoulders.

"A tiff? Pshaw! I thought it was too warm to last! Look you, Cn;tbmaine, I've shut up the business, and T shan't open it again. You've the stuff —that v,-,as one of the spies you saw come into the shop. Now go back on your word, and I am ruined! Nothing can save me. There are two of them out there in the street." Ho laid a hand on Jack's shoulder. "See for yourself. Both have notebooks—both believe themselves to be the witnesses of my undoing. Give me your cheque to-night; post-date if you must, and -take my receipt. The things are yours; I wash my hands of them. Rosamund." He turned to speak to his daughter, but Rosamund had slipped out of the room. "Oh, I forgot that you two had been quarrelling. Early days, Castlemaine, early, days." His eyes rested'on the fragments of the sketch. "I see; ■ her work doesn't please you. Well, there need be no more of it now. She's been working two days on that wretched trash, buoyed up by the flummery you are always pouring into her ears. We will go away immediately—to the South coast —a couple of months' holiday, and then I can settle down for the rest of my years." His words —his manner of utterance, jarred upon Jack's overstrained nerves.

"I'm not the man to go back on my word, Mr Grant," he said'stifflv. He had been making rapid mental calcula- ' tions. There was the cheque belonging to Grantley in his pocket-book, and there was the money already banked to Grantley's credit. He was provided with a dozen signed cheques with I which to pay any needful expenses of ' Dennington Court, so that it would be a simple matter to draw Grantely's balance from the hank, aud treat it as a temporary loan. Oh, yes, it could' be done. He faced Theodore Grant' coldly. "I'll give you the cheque in full now, and there need be no question of post-dating it. Secure a com-,'! plete discharge ready while I get the cheque."

(To tie Continued)