The morning call., 1892-08-16
THE MAN In POSSESSION.


81 am. Oh. I don't want your escort!
I'm going with Mrs. Jackson. I'll take
cab and call for her on my way"
'All right, my dear. I'll turn into my
den, as have some writing to do"
So to his particular sanctum in the front
basement (most families would have made
it housekeeper's room) he betook himself
In due course. Not TO write, however. but
to the companionshp of a strange, shabby
gepteel individual who was consuming
whisky and water and smoking pipe, and
of whose presence in the house Mrs. Sten-
lake had not the fainteSt conception.
Ii should be explained that Griffith STEM
lake had married young widow with two
little girls They had not been very happy
during the last year. Their attitude toward
each other might aptly be described as an
armed neutrality. Each drifted his own
way. The lady was votary of pleasure
and must have money at any cost. Her
husband was a man Of weak charactef
hence he supplied the needful meekiy ana
concealed his difficulties from her, knowing
that she in her turn would only uppTalu
him for his folly.
cessfully secreted from her the shabby man
in hi. den (which she never intruded upoD).
the said shabby individual being no less
person than man IN possession Grlfhth.
In his indolent fashion, was a student of
character This man amused him and he
resolved TO spend the evening In his COM
pany until Mrs. Stenlake's return. He
found him peeping between the veneuans,
apparently trying to get glmpSe OF that
lady as she went out at the front door
Don't let yourself be seen, for goodness
saker exclaimed Griffith.
'AlI right. SIT; Pm sure l don't want to
be-" the brokers' man replied very quietly;
but as he turned Stenlske noticed a strange
look in his face Your wife, sir? She's
very pretty woman"
I'm glad you think So"
'fOh, don't mind me, sir. She brings back
to my memory some one once knew"
"a lIme?"
"Yes-well. no. suppose you'd be as
tonished to hear I'd ever been anything
different from a bum bailif?"
"No. Mr.-by the way, what is your
name?"
well enough for me at present. l suppose
you'd be surprised to hear I'd been a solici-
tor once?"
II should indeed"
We'll, | was. And that I'd been struck
of the rOl?'
mo, shouldn't be surprised at that"
'Ah, well, that's just what | wasn't l
simply sank gracefully into oblivion. Only
about four years ago the final crash took
place, mind you, and all because was too
tTUstful for this world"
"a confding lawYer?"
"Ah, you may well laugh. But I paid
dearly for my experience l bartered away
beth fortune and happiness, and now l be-
lieve in no one"
HI sat for moment pulling at his pipe
and then continued:
cit was all through lady who came to
me representing that she was entitled to a
large fortune. She told me she did not wish
to take proceedings IL the matter at once,
as there was young man in love with her
who would not propose to her if he knew it,
lest It might be thought he wanted her for
money. l believed this romantic tale and
advanced her-well, nearly every penny [
bad In the world. Then she levanted. and
had 10 lace my wife and little children
and tell them they were beggars. She was
furious and Jealous, too. for she thought
there vas more Ia the matter than l would
confess to. / pleaded excuses then-I can
fnd none now. II vas a cOWardly piece OF
folly on my part She left me, taking the
little ones. l d0n't know how they Jared.
L became penniless wanderer. without
home, without friends l sank lower and
lower until l nave found my level. Expert
euce has taught me cunning. care has made
me drink; so L have become a brokers
man.
He stopped speaking Griffith was
thoughtful and there was a long silence be-
tween them. Mr.. Stenlake cOughed and
.winked. The man In possession did the
same. The room was full of smoke. a great
deal more smoke, surely, than could posi-
bly, have been caused by their pipes.
Griffith opened the door. The passage was
suil Of smoke, too, and at the same moment
the servant-maid came positively flying
down Tie stairs wildly shriekiDg-
Fire. Fre!"
"Hanoa!" said Bill Sangster, starting ND.
bis utterance little thick, for he had abb
soTbed nearly as much whisky as was good
for him. whats this? What's upP Is
this some dodge?"
Il know no more what's the matter than
you do"
And the children! Where are theyP"
cried BIZ, passing his hand over his eyes.
I'm the top-frontroom," Stenlake replied,
mechanically
He was not person gifted with presence
OF mind, but the idea struck him at the
time, now did this man know %here were
children In the house? He had not seen
them, and no one had told of them, But
Sangster had not stopped to think. He had
rushed upstairs, and Griffith, going after,
met him coming down again.
The fires In there" he exclaimed: "the
door Is lockedl My God, they'll be burned
sllventhe poor little children. Where's the
key?"
safety L don't know where my wife put
"Ahl" cried the brokers' man, clasplng
MS hands In evident anguish you're not
their father-you don't care; but at least
shes their mother-she must love them a
little, after all. and-Janew he yelled, rush
Ing into the kitchen, "a hammer, a hatchet.
or something to burst the door open with.
for the love of heayen"
Jane was not there. She had fed up The
street to give the alarm. but Sangster soon
Iouno kitchen-chopper, armed with which
he ran upstairs again. On the landing he
me- Stenlake, who had tried to ascend but
had been beaten back, choked and blinded
by the dense volumes OF smoke.
II go up again, he said in gasps. tits
very good Of you-but don't attempt tits
simply madness"
LET me pa.sv cried the man In nos
session, authorltatiVely. and disappeared
into the darkness
=. Griffith Stenlake. although not spch @ bad
sort Of an easy-going. weak fellow In the
main. was not the man to actively prevent
other people from making heroes Of them
selves.
Meantime at the top of the house the sr-
onlzed cries OF the children could be heard
aud tie determined crashl crashi against
tie panels OF the door. That is like a
human sound, too. 1t seems to say. 81 will
conquer or die"
Quick. quick, or it will be too late. The
deVourIng flames are fast gaining ground
Oh, heaven help that brave bearti Yes,
llst one more vigorous blow. The door is
living into splinters. The smoke and flames
burst forth, but be is inside.
All TINS happened in very few minutes
and by that time the engines were there
paylng on the house. They lose no time
when they are summoned, that gallant
brigade, winch Tor true her0ism can beat all
your soldiers from Alexander downward.
QuickP exclaimed Stenlake "The
escape! There's a man and two children in
the top roomW :" ~
In twinking the ladder is set up and
one & Oh the men ls ascending IL. At the
wlhoo" ne can see sort of demon-a
blackeDed form illumined by the glare of
the Hame-holding in either arm terrified
little girl; they were safe and sound, The
nreman caught them and babe their pre-
md Df.t1 I.
been Tor them. Somehow his foot slipped
and he fell backward Then there was an