A STRANGE BET

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8189, 25 July 1906, Page 7

A STRANGE BET

"Specially written for the Age by Ruht Eelob.)

PART ll.—Continued,

On oar friends' return home Lord,

Fastfoot had, together with that yellow strip of document, a deed of tiansferof it from Njx to himself

in his pocket book. He was now the Legal Owner of Benny's Olaasioil Nosel What the baroness said to my lord after this transaction we know not. It is oertain that the night's fast train carried his lordship to the capital of the principality. On the next morning he drove to

the gorgeous residence of Herr von Benjamin, Gommeroi&l Councillor of his Royal Highness—a resplendent footman took him into the presence of that dignitary. At the primary sight of his visitor's card, duly tendered to him in the customary silver salver, Benny—he was only Benny at that oruoial moment—had felt an uncomfortable sensation in that part of his anatomy, where his lordship

had placed his partiug kick so many years igo. But ne rallied Bpeedily. He had siuoe then risen to pro-

minence—Fastfoot had fallen to a nothingless, comparatively so. He controlled millions, Fastfoot—pshaw. "I'll receive him. I'll daunt him with my splenriour." He received his visitor with a show of cordiality, blended with a plainer show of "Too busy to spare much time." His iordahip, ignoring the ostentatious hints of the latter kind, opened his pocket book ; took therefrom the little yellow atrip of parchment we know so well and held it out for the Councillor's perusal. The Councillor read it in dismay. He had for years been in fear of Nix's indiscreet divulgenoe of so ridiculous a transaction; but since that noble man had become a genuine

"pater familiae," he had heard no more of the matter, and he certainly never thought that the horrible "note of sale" was still in existence. Still, if most lamentably deficient in physical courage, our finanoiera had faced too many "Loura de Bourse," to betray any dismay now, being no!: deficient ia mental courage. "Veß, I see," he said. "Well, what of it?" Fastfoot tendered him the deed of transfer— nay tie put all the papers into his bands. Benjamin clutched the great amusement of the lord. "They are quite in order duplicated and registered," he said .vith a smile. "Herr von Benjamin, sinoe you are in a hurry to get rid of me, I shall not detain you long. The object of my visit is merely to inspect my newly-acquired property and to see that you have taken proper onre of it in all these years. The Councillor was too shrewd not to see that the visit of Fast foot had a determinate aim, one hostile to himself; and he knew also that even in the days of his youth, he h£d entered rarely upon any course of action without good hopes of success. Though nothing thus far had been said about a determinate aim of Fastfoot's visit, the man of £'s b. d. fe»t that Fastfoot wanted money—blackmail.

He should want c it. Conneoting

rapidly in his mind Nix's request of a few days ago with the deed he had just perused, he at once concluded that the two nobles were acting in concert, and equally rapidly he cast up a pro and con account in whioh the credit balance was his. Yet, looking at the tall, musoular form of the Englishman, his handsome, firm face, and noticing his cool, confident and aristooratio bearing, it required all his habit of self-control, and the knowledge of his wealth, position and influence to obeok a feeling of apprehension. For the present the,best would be to treat the whole matter as a joke and to put Faßtfoot into good humour. "Hah, hah,,' he oried with forced gaiety. "So yon still remember our old froliCß! Fine times they were, eh? Letmesee! That was in 18—! Ah, yesi I was just nineteen then, just a boy, a minor. ,' Fasfcfoot saw through the cunning drift of that little speeoh, and grimly resolved to pay him out for it. 'Hah, hah," he mocked, "just so, just so, my dear friend. They were fine times, and that frolio of the bet was so good a joke that I have come to ooutinue it, hah, hah! Only my dw Councillor, permit me to correct you on the point of age: You .were then twenty-two years of age. .but no matter. Yoa acknowledge the legality of tnis paper?" "Just a joke, of course. Do you know you have not changed a hit since those fine days? Still up to larks! What a tine thing it is to keep one's youth up so long. We others but we must celebrate our meeting by clinking glasses."' He rang for a footman, the footman brought wine, and all the time the Councillor observed hiß unwelcome guest aarrowly and kept him as he thought, from the subject matter of his visit by incessant talk. And thus they «at and toasted each other and time passed sprightly. Fastfoot enjoyed the situation immensely. He felt as If he were salmon fisning, with Benny as a salmon on the end of his line. He pulled him almost up to the strain and then gave him the whole line again. Seeing that his qaondam companion was on pins and needles, he purposely 'span out his visit to the verge of indecorum. At last the financier could stand the strain no longer. He pleaded a most urgent business matter. He was grieved to have so soon to part from his dear friend. They would soon meet again. ("Never, if I can help it," he thought). His lordship was going to stay for some time in the residence? Yes? Well then, at any time he oould be of servioe—he had a little, a leetle influence, just a leetle, that he would with pleasure put at his lordship's disposal." (To be Continued). i k For Bronohial Coaghs>nd Colds, Wood's " Great Peppermin Cure, 1/6-and 2/6 pel bottle