Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

“I CANNOT MARLY YOU.” 81 CHAPTER IX. ‘‘T CANNOT MARRY YOU.’’ The following morning his conclusion pleased him still more, and before his necktie was arranged he had reached a decision. He was very jolly all that day, and although it was an unusually dull morning at the stock exchange, he looked as happy as if each of his customers had made a fortune, to say nothing of himself. ‘*Plenty doing in Eldridge’s office to-day, Ishould judge, ’’ remarked one of his fellow-brokers, enviously, to a friend at luncheon. ‘‘He’s as chipper as though he’d struck a mine.”’ ‘‘Is that so?’’ responded the other. ‘‘Why, I haven’t seen him on the floor all the morning. He must have sent his orders over there. ”’ ‘‘Oh, well, money is nothing to him. I believe he likes to pay commissions. Helps the other poor devils along, you know.”’ ‘‘Like you and me, Parsons.’ ’ ‘‘Yes, poor devils like us, Barnett.’’ ‘‘He’s a lucky dog, that Eldridge.”’ ‘Rolling in it.’’ One night about three weeks later Arthur found himself again in the balmy atmosphere of Mr. Clayton’s drawing- room, after first having asked for the ladies. ‘‘Mr. Clayton is out, is he not?’’ he said to the butler, as the latter took his hat and stick. , “Ves sir, he dined out, Mr. Eldridge,’’ responded the man, EGomichbooks (C©@)