US.
——o • By Owek Oliveb, I. People think I’m no end of a Johnny, but I’m not. I once did a really clever thing. I admit that she made me; but some fellows never do a clever thing at all. Nobody could make them. To begin with myself, I’m Lord Charles Manson, and I’m pretty well oft. Tbs governor tied my money up till I was 25 When a fellow gets as old as that h< begins to get sensible, if he’s ever goinj to be. Hawke and Solomon thought 1 wasn’t. They may ihaVe had some grounds foi their suspicion. When they showed m< the draft prospectus of “ The Royal Ice land Gold Mining Company (Limited),’ I don’t mind owning that I thought i( was a really good thing. The prospectus said it was, and print looks so convinc mg. Them were a lot of figures showing how much ice you melted, how much gold you got, what it cost, and What Wa! profit—so per cent, I think the profit was It looked such a nice company that j thought I’d like to have a cut in. “ H’m!” I said. “ I suppose the shares will all be snapped up ? ’Pan my word, I ” “My dear fellow,” said Hawke, “ii you wou d like-!—” " Of course I should,” I said-. “ Then leave it to me ” “ We’ll see yon through,” said Solomon. “ How maiy shares do you want?” “ Well,” I said, “ 1 couldn’t draw more than £IO,OOO without letting old Vance know, and he’d be sure to go to my mother, and make a fuss.” Vance is om solicitor. “So I can’t have more than 10,000.” They were £1 apiece. “ My dear boy," said Solly, “ You shall have them. In a month they’ll be up to £5, and then you can sell out.” Afterwards they altered the prospectus » bit, and put me in as chairman. 1 didn’t see the use; but they explained it was on account of my being a lord, and well known as a cricketer. “ I can’t make speeches,” I pointed out, “ or do much of the management.” “ Not at all,” Hawke promised. “ Solly and I are the managing directors. 01 oourse, we shall be glad of your advice at all times." “What shall I do first* then ?” I asked. “ The chairman ought to have a voice in the concern ?” “Oh —er oeriainly,” said Hawke. "Come round tho offices with us this afternoon, and see the staff. Perhaps you can scggest some improvements.” We went to the offices accordingly. In one room there was a very nice young lady in a very neat blouse. She had one of those pretty Irish faces —hall innocent, half saucy—and she made a dainty little bow. “ This is Miss Reilly, our typewriter,’ they said. “ Pray don’t let me disturb you,” 1 said. “It’s^-or—a very fine day.” It was a beastly day, as a matter of fact. “ It is finer than it was,” she assented. “ Er—how do you like typewriting ?” “Itis my living, my lord. I’Ve hardly thought whether I like it or not.” “ Miss Reilly does her work admirably,” Hawke informed me. “ Then,” I said, ♦’l hope she’s weli paid.*’ “ Certainly,” said Hawke tainly !” " What-er—salary does Miss Reilly get ?” I demanded. “ Umph !" said Hawke. “ I think——' He looked at Solomon. “ Wall,’’ said Solomon, “ for tho xno ment ” 1 “Do you mind my asking you, Misi 'Reilly ?" “ Certainly not, my lord. Twenty-fiv( shillings a week.” “ Really,” I said firmly* “ this seems i matter in which some improvement mighi be made.” “ Of course,” said Hawke—" of course I’d no idea it was so little.” “ Shall we say thirty shillings t” Solo i man asked me. I “ Thirty-five shillings,” I Suggested. I “ I will instruct the cashier at once*’ Hawke promised. “ You will find hii lordship always ready to appreciate gooc [work, Mias Reilly.” I went in once or twice afterwards t< see that she had her rise all right, am talked to her. She was an officer’; daughter; but her father was dead, and her mother an invalid, so she had t( work. 11. One afternoon 1 was haring a stroll ic the Park before dinner, when sh< happened to come along. I’d heard hei say that she Went home that way. I wa: wondering whether she would object to my walking with her, when she suddenly stopped. “ May 1 have a few words with yon, my lord?” she asked. " As many as you like,” I said. “ You are an honourable gentleman ?” “ Well,” said I, “ I hope so.” “I rely upon your not mentioning wbat lam going to say. I can’t afford to lose my place.” “You can entirely rely upon me,” I assured her. She hesitated a moment, studying her tiny shoes. “I don’t think yon are aware,” she said at last, “that your company is only a paper one.” “ Why,” I ejaculated, “ the prospectus ——” She laughed so suddenly that I laughed too. “ The prospectus ? Surely yon don’t believe that I” I asked her to sit down. " 1 suppose you mean there isn’t much gold 1” “Thereisn’t any gold. There never frill be any gold. The company is a nere device te get the money of foolish leopk. Of course, yon probably won’t oelieve me; but ” , "No one could help believing you,” I assured her. No ene’opuld. “But I bought Hawke and Solomon were too iharp ” “ They are, much too sharp.” “ Uzqph I” I didn’t know what to say. fortunately the man who collects the teoce lor the chairs made a diversion, (he wanted to pay for hers, bat couldn’t lad her pocket in time, luckily. " Thej’vp taken a lot of shares,” I ienMuntd* \ ] * * a*. \ ~ ’
They, with a few of their trtends ind you, hold them practically all.” “ Then they’ll lose their money.” ! “ Scarcely, as they paid themselves for : the shares. Shall I toll you what theV ' will do ?” ; r< Please. You’re awfully good.” . “ They have just given instructions th brokers to buy largely, kndwiug that s tberß is practically not one to sell. B they have bought a few shares at high prices, people will think that there o is a fortune in the company. They trill see that it’s chairman is a gentleman of 1 position, with a reputation as an honest ’English sportsman.” I bowed, ’ not r knowing what else to do. “So Hawlte, 6 Solomon, and Co, will gradually dispose ibexr shares, and you and the new j shareholders will be left with an utterly worthless concern.” 3 evidently been a previous fool 1 , 1 don’t see what I can do now.” ; f ‘Don’t you? Ido. When they We 3 given sufficient orders to buy largely, 5 and sell them your shares.” Uauhged , aloud. [ “ Dpoa my word. Miss Reilly,” I said, “ you are as clever as you are—er 3 ; —pretty.” i “ Oh, no !” she said with a blush. ” Wall,” I admitted, “ perhaps not sd f exceedingly clever as that.” “ I didn’t mean that at oil,” she said. * You—you really shouldn’t, my lord.’’ “ Please don’t be offended," I implored, “ because I meant it—both > things.” She explained that intention j made my offence worse, 5 We arranged that she was to let me r know when to tell my brokers to selK r We were just shaking hands for good l ( bye, when I had an idea. “ I say, Miss Reilly,” I said, “ If I get I rid of my shares to Hawke.and Solomon* , won’t they sell them to some poof wretches who can’t afford the loss as well i as I can ?” [ “You can’t help that,” she answered slowly. j “By Jove, I can !” “You promised to do what I told [ you.” “ I’d do almost anything you told me r —jump into the wa er, or ” [ “ Probab'y you can swim,” she . remarked sarcastically. “Yes-es. Well, into the fire, I can burn 1" j “Don’t be so silly! I beg your pardon, my lord. But really you are j “ A bit of a fool,” I said regretfully! j 11 but, I hope, as you said, an honourable one.” “ I know what you can do,” she said, ; with sudden animation. “As soon as , you’ve sold them your shares send a P notice to the papers that you have severed your connection with the Com. pany.” “ Miss Reilly,” I said, “ you are splendid !” [ During the next week I met her every . day. Finally I sold all the shares to Hawke and Solomon, through theif various brokers, gaining about £7OOO over the transaction. Then I sent my letter to the papers. When it appeared next morning I laughed till I nearly t choked myself. After breakfast I went round to the j office to give Hawke and Solomon—or both, if they liked—a chance to punch . my head. They hadn’t arrived, so I went in and sat on Miss Reilly’s table, - y and told her she must share the profits J but she wouldn’t. Presently they cams i, in. “Oh!” sneered' Hawke. “Here is . the pretty dear who has sold Us. Mind , she doesn’t sell you a worse one, you; B mean underhanded-—” “ That’s enough,” I said, getting up. ; 8 “We shall not require Miss Reilly any i more,” said Solomon suavely, “ now that. % her dear friend, the chairman, has left t us.” “ Put on your hat, Miss Reilly,” I di- j reoted ; and she obeyed without a word. : “ No doubt,” said Hawke, with an evil j . grin, “ his lordship will find more pleas* ing occupation— I knew he’d beat me in argument, so j i » knocked him down. I wonld hare s knocked Solomon down, too, but he . j bolted. So she and I went out together*; On the quiet landing halfway down I 0 put my arm round her, and told her she’d 1 have to marry me. She tried to push B m ® away ; but, of course, she couldn’t,; I so she sobbed on my shoulder instead*; 0 I’m not going to tell you all I said. The; long and short of it was she wouldn’t' have me. , Yes, she did love me, since I was so, B cruel as to make her tell. That was just I f why she wouldn’t marry me. She would, 3 let me help her out of my profits, perhaps,, , for her mother’s sake, till she had found 1 1 another place, if I meant what I said! about throwing the money away other* wise. j When I got home, my TJnole John,-! who has the brains of the, family, was, . with my mother, and I told them the] whole story* I thought there would t»: , an awful row, but there wasn’t. [ “ You want someone to take cafe of you," said Uncle John grimly. M/ mother dropped a few tears in her lap before she spoke. ' “Is she a lady, Charlia 7” she asked. ; 1 assured her that she was an angel,: just down from heaven. Then UncleJohn laughed, “He might da worse, Frances,”he said. “ She’s brought him a dowry already.”, “ And he loves her,” said my mothef softly. j My mother and I went round to Lucy's lodgings that afternoon. She came for* ward to greet us with flashed cheeks a plueky little attempt at a smile; My mother kissed her. “ I have oome to See my clever little daughter that is to be,” she said. And Lucy jumped at her, and put hat on her shoulder, and cried—by Jftva she: did ory 1 ■, < We form a company of our <rtrn aow,«| and if she is managing director, I amin chairman. It is a very limited —made up of her and me.
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Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 163, 8 February 1902, Page 4
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1,927US. Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 163, 8 February 1902, Page 4
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