A STRANGE BET

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8189, 23 July 1906, Page 7

A STRANGE BET

'Specially written for the Age by Rath Reich.) PART ll.—Continued. When next morning he ohipped biß breakfast —egg, the constant reourrenoe of "Nix, Nix, I'm in a fix" led him to an idea or two. The baron and he had been the best of friends ever after the remarkable bet between them. The barou had often baoked his lordship's horses from the distant Nix burg; he had sometimes written him a few affectionate lines, always winding them up with a hearty invitation for a visit to Nixburg, To Nixbarg then, Fastfoot resolved to go. In a few weeks England might become to hot for him, or at any rate spend the interval between now and then in the country that for so long bad been dear to him, and with friends who cared for him. If the worst should happen he oould live pleasantly in the Nectsar Valley on £2OO, instead of starv'nc on such a .small i'ncome in England. ?nd then—prehaps Nix ooul i help him oat of his scrape!

Oh, prothetio presentment! He asked for leave of absence, and the powers that were, most graciously granted him leave for eight weeks.

Some days later a cheerful and noisy group of persons were assembled on the lawn of .the Nixburg. The baron, his baroness and numerous lads aud iusses were clustered round a stalwart man, who overtopped by inches even the tall baron.

Two English tourists passing along the road that almost skirted the lawn observed this welcoming scene with no small amusement. "Noisy beggars these Dutohies," sa'd the one.

,f Aye," laughed the other, "Always hugging and kissing in these parts. Even the old boy"—that was Nix—"buzzed him, faugh!"

"Haw, yes. Regular pops. Could bear 'em quite plainly. Queer ways these foreigners have—so unenglisfa!"

"Welcome! Thrice welcome! A thousand times weloome," came from the [lawn. The Nixes affeotionate huggings and greetings defled oriticism. Thoy were warm enough t& thaw lumps of ice from any man's heart. Ah! These halcyon days that followed! Will you ever forget them my lord? How the boys and girls vied with each other to secure the best place in your affections. How hoirely and unaffected'y tbey all strove to banish your occasional frawn of anxiety! What tender ytjt modest inquiries a 9 to the reason of your sadness, when you received that letter of the giagntic progress l°f the G.Sp. No wonder that you opened your heart to your kind hearted friend in a hnlf-hope that he might be able to assist you with a loan. And so he would, had not the rapid increase of his progeny compelled him to tie up every thaler of his saving* in safe and lasting investments. While Fastfoot was still struggling agninst a slight feeling of disappointment, yet comforted by the sincere sympathy of the baron, the baroness joined the oonoave. Nix, the blunt, who never kept any news from his wife, at once blurted the whole matter IJout. And Bhe, taking a formidible ball of worsted from her oapanious pocket, began at once to knit with that click, click, that, it is said, helps a German woman to think. At last "Try von Benjamin," she said. "He'll help you. He has helped us." "At least," she oorreoted herself, he had offered his good services more ttian once."

It is true that on few occasions on which the baron and the councillor had met, the latter had always aoted with a great show of cordiality towards his quandam fellow student. Nix in his simplicity bad taken all his professions of friendship in good faith; be did not know |the crookedness of the financier's mind,'nor had the least suspicion that in that mind there always lay hidden a dread of awakennig the reoollction of that remarkable event on his youthful days which he owed his present prosperity and that in this dread was to be found the reason of von Benjamin's affability. The baron recognized readily the reason why his lordship oould not possibly apply to Benjamin in bis straights. As to himself, neither he nor bis good lady saw any reason why he bhould not avail himself of the financier's offers so as to help his English friend oat of a temporary difficulty; and so he wrote to the former on bis own behalf, eready to transfer the obligation, when granted, to Fastfoot.

Von Benjamin reoeived that letter in an impropitious moment. He was too busy hatjhiijg that immense golden egg of the G.Sp. to bo bothered about Vtbat stupid baron." As to his proffers of go'od service of which thut nobletnan had reminded him—poo-r-mere oivilities.

Therefore Benjamin wrote a very negative reply, courteous in form but barbed with several nasty stings in fact a studiously insolent letter. Nix snorted with indignation as he read it: "The cad, the mean cad!" be cried. Then be threw the letter to the baroness. She read it and bit her lips. This time the click of the knitting needles helped the snap of ber temper. "A mass of insults,' she said, "What are you going to do about it?" (To be Continued.)