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"liation agains'Erhest; which, .she
kneWj was without foundation.
That year hei trustees,. oldihSfv
bothof theni, died. . James was
instrumental in the appointment
df their successors. A week later
they sanbtidnedtHe irivestment df
her money. The new stores
sprdrig up all over the town. But
James was riever at busiHess; he
was speculating in Wall street.
Then came the panic and the
crash. Securities dropped to half,
their value". About this time
James endeavdred td see Minna
again"; .
He -waylaid her and met her
orie evening when . she Hvas, re
turning home- He begged her to.
marry him. He swore that he
loved her with all His heart: Why
would she throw :atfa.y her life
, on Ernest, who would never come
back. """Doubtless he meant well,
but, cpuld .she not. ,seej that he
would never be worth the sacri-.
.ficej" . - ,
Minna .was. touched by his "hu
mility: Besides, Ernest's letters
Had ceased six months before and
she was hurt and angry. In the
revulsion of f eelmg she.. was; al
Hiosfc friendly to James. She con
sented to.renew.their former intij
niacy. .Shejiaid .a, visit to. the. old
ine.rchant, who, haying long sine?
withdrawn fr.dm all participation.
N in the business, remained at
Home, reading dreaming, arid se-.
cretiyipf rowing 'for his lost son.,
. She and James were, engaged.
Ernest receiv,eda letterTjrjelBy An
nouncing this, and paying that
,the marriage was to take .place
ihe following month. ' That
bro'tight him hurrying home-And
it happened that.'he arrived at a
critical, moment. ,
The store was bankrupt. The
branch stores were all involved.
The, :fortune: accumulated i5y old
Farle'igh'fiad' been burned up like
waste p'ap'er: And James Far
leigh was, in debt to, the turie of
nearly $200,000. .All Minna's cap
ital would thardly fill the hole and
stave off the creditors.
Thatwas the time when Ernest
appeared once again at his fath
er's house. In the room; when he
was arinbunced; were the oid mer
chant; James and Minna. ' Ernest
came in :not badly dressed: but
unmistakably oiit.of place among
the mahogapy and the Persian
rugs. He itbod. still, surprised at
meeting Minna, there, though, he
might have been prepared. Min
na. greeted him coldly. ,
"This is yotii sori, Ernest," she
Said to the bid man, who, Half
blind, la oh -the lounge, His face
turned inquiringly toward the
riewcoriier.
"I Have, no son," "answered
Henry- Farleigh. "When he
comes back a prtisperos man I
shall ..re'eeive him again; I .will
help him nd more':" k
-t"Yo . hear that?", inquired;
James- coldlyi . "Go.od-rhornihg.-
This is my -house. v
Ernest laughe'd. .It was hot the
timid, deprecating laugh ,6 form
er days, but a ringing' laugh of
healthy amusement:
"I understood that this hotisc
was for sale." .he said.
"What's, th-.r?" crieel Henry
Farleigh shat ply. " Your house
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