The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-11-18

thought, but wisely said 10 hing then.
But as he was hurrying off as usual
towards the font door, Adelaide laid
her hand on his arm: " Rob, Pm afraid
you're not well; won't you stay at home
this eve ming? I'll do anything to amuse
ycu," she added, with her brightest
smile.
AS he turned towards her, the light
from the hall lamp fell on his boyish,
attractive face. Instead of its usual
easy, good natured look, Adelaide was
shocked by its pallor, and The strange
expression abe ut the eyes.
Don't mind me, Ada" he said, Try
ing to smile "l'm all right, and must
go down to Carter's; he said he would
help me out on my 'trig,'" he added.
But his face kept coming between
Adelaide's plans for her visit all the
evening. Was it sickness that made
Rob look SO Ought she to have a Pale
blue or one of the new greens for an
evening drts'? And that lovely bon
net at Stevens'-could she afford to
buy that ? She certainly could, if she
had her cloth suit fixed over. If Rob
should be sick-he never had been
since she could remember-but what if
there was something on his mind
What if he worried about his studies
more than tn y supposed, and that the
coming examinations weight d on him
What if he were learning to smoke like
that horrid Carter, whom she never did
like ? Oh, if her blessed, wise little
mother could only have stayed with
them, she would know what to do.
She herself must do more to make home
attractive-she wou' d coax Ter father
to let her have more company in tie
evenings now nd then.
Kate had gone to bed and Louis was
studying in his own room. Mr.. Bar
rirg ger always buried himself in his
books and magazines in his sanctum
upstairs. Adelaide sat in the pretty
library, her hands busy on an apron,f for
Kate, her the lights Ike eping pace with
the needle flashing in and out of her
work.
How foolish she was Rob would
come home soon, and laugh at her
fl ars. How loud that door sounded |!
was that scream upstair,? That GER
tainly was the front door-how Mt rvous
sic was getting, and she always des-
pissed nerve> There, at last, that W. s
his step in the hall.
She threw down her work and ran
out: son, Rob, I've been so worried
about you Are you sure" She
stopped suddenly, as she saw that it
was net Rob but Alan Gregory, Rob's
old friend, whom be had seemed to
drop lately. Adelaide turned cold with
sudden foreboding, but she said at
once: 81 beg your pardon, Alan. l
the ught it was Rob; he has not come
home yet"
81 know. l wan ed TO see you,
Adelaide. Can we go in hert?" asked
the young fellow, indicating the Ii
brary.
AIDE laide led the way with what
courage she could muster. "What is
i?" she asked, and Alan answered at
once: It's Rob; he is in trouble, and
l determined to come to you. man
aged TO get Rob's key, though he
didn't want me to come. You see he
has some way been getting more and
more under the influence of Carter,
who is bad lot, and he owes Garter
quite a sum. Carter has been threat
ening to write to your father, until
Rob was desperate. 'I'll run away
first; anything but that he said, and
Carter said: No, my man, you don't
play that game and the first thing
tonight he had Rob arrested" Alan
paused, full of pity for the white face
before him.
"And where is he now?" Adelaide
asked, in voice which sounded as il
it belonged to somebody else.
At the station house. I'm awfully
sorry; but had so little mcnev, and l
didn't know anything be, ter than to
come to you," stammered poor Alan,
the son Of poor, Woodworking minis
ter, who was going through college IA
the hardest.
"You did just right; have money;
L shall be ready to 60 with you in mo-
ment," said Adelaide gelly. She
was hurrying off, when Alan stopped
her with: Your father must mo-
know; Rob insists on that"
Adelaide looked at him bewildered,
for, strange as it may seem, the idea OF
going to her father bad never occurred
TO her. She had Away been so uccus
toned to both seeing and making his
way easy that she only felt now that he
must not be troubled with this worsl
trou lie of all.
When they were 'airly started, AIDE
laide said suddenly: you are 50
kind, Alan. 1t us take the very
shortest way" and then she said moth
ing more. But her senses seemed
keyed to the highest pitch as she fol
lowed Alan through the corridors and
into cell. She knew it was some
dreadful nightmare which must end
some time. For hat looked like Rob
sitting there, on'y Rob was so young
nd ligbt-hearted, and This was man
with an old, haggard face.
"Roh, Rob, tell me, what do you owe
Carter? have money, can pay him."
said his sitter, passing her hand gently
over the b wed head.
Rob started and said in low, mo-
notonous voice: You can't, its such
an awful sum. 1 don't see how it ever
got so large. Ididn't mean to do wrong.
Ada, but just had good times and
drilted along with Carter's set, and now
just SC e the end. He declares owe it
all to him. But l deserve it, knew