Ching Ching's Novelettes No. 1: Snapson of the 'Snake' — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

( 15 ) to die. Your life is drawing to an end—his has little more than begun. One grain of good nature in you would have stopped the idea of such a crime.” | “ He comes of a proud braggart race,’ said the merchant, smiting the bed with sudden ferocity. ‘“ His father despised me as a trader. He never said so, but I knew it—-—” ‘“T have heard my mother say that you erred in thinking so,” interposed Will. ‘My father, though of good family, had no pride. He held aloof from you because you sneered at him when he was poor. When he unex- tedly became rich you would have made friends with him. But he refused then, and he was right.” “A cub of the old race,” muttered the merchant, fixing his eyes fiercely on him, “ take him from my sight. The game isup. I have played for a stake and lost—that’s all.” “ How like an innocent man you talk !” said Snapson. ‘‘Give a rogue rope enough, and he will hang himself,” muttered the oflicer. “Tt is time we left him,” said Snapson. “I have nothing more to say to the old villam—nor anything to anybody else here, but I think a little action is required.” Then he let Will go, turned to Dopper, whom he took by the collar and led to the door. There he kicked him halfway down the stairs, and Grip, anxious to escape the like fate, dashed away at such a pace that he tripped over his friend, and the pair went down together. a * @ ® * La * * * Mr. Warrington was tried and convicted, and, owing to his age, was let oft with two years’ Imprisonment. But that was enough for him—he died in rison. ' Will’s affairs were taken in hand by a respectable lawyer, and he was put to a comfortable school, where the neglect he had suffered from was speedily counteracted, In due time he came in to his fortune, and among the first to get the benefit of his generosity was Snapson, the hard-faced but kind-hearted old seaman, on whom he settled a modest income for life. The old man, he was getting old then, came down toa place Will had bought in the county of Warwickshire from the last of an old family, who had squandered the remnant of his fortune on the turf. It was one of those grand old houses that we find dotted about the country, beautiful in themselvesand ripened by the hand of time intoa thing of beauty and a joy to every beholder. Will had become a handsome man. There was nothing of the delicate boy about him as he came out to welcome the rough old man to whom he, in one sense, owed his life and position. “ Welcome,” he said, holding out both his hands. Snapson took them, looking at him with curious tender pride. They Lad not met for three years, and Will had changed much in the meantime, LOA@O@ @ COIN S (SO)