The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-05

old fellow Tor IulI Hall lHinooo' Ano
situation dazed him.
"Can't you-can't we have that! what
have they got for dinner anyway?
s.A nice roas' of mutton"
'sThe very thing, Joe. Serve 1t I'M
nediately, and here, you folks buy some
thing more for yourselves. We mustn't
keep the guests waiting"
He handed the darby a dollar, and
the old fellow slowly pocketed it,
'sServe luncheon at once, :" ordered Mr.,
Barker, who was becoming impatient.
"What are you waiting for?'
"Look a-here, Mars Charles" said the
old man, slowly and deliberately. "Hev
you any lice what that mutton cost?"
Il can't say / have. A dollar, per-
haps."
.sThe ign'ance of some people," con-
tinued the darby, sis incomprehensible.
Thet muttons worth ten dollars if it's
worth red cent, but seem as how you
don't want it,
He was turning away when Mr.. Bar
ker stopped him. 1t began to dawn upon
the young man from Twenty-third street
that he was being blackmailed.
ssHere's your ten dollars, you black
rascal"
He took the money from his pocket
and handed it to Joe.
Bring us up couple OF bottles OF
claret," he said.
ssI've got to buy 'em, sab. That'll cost
you five dollars more. It's mighty good
wine and cheap, sah." n
.sYou black rascaF-he began again.
"That expresshun will cost you just
two dollars, Mars Barker. Doan you
call 'specible servant no black rascle.
You'd better put up de cash. Lunch an
wine and dem things is apt to rise
mighty quick in this house under some
circumstances"
Barker saw he had to alter his tactics.
He put up another five dollars without
murmur.
Mr.. Hanson and his wife had departed
upstairs to wash their hands.
'sIts awful, murmured Evelyn as she
passed him on her way to the table.
Mamma ran right onto one Of the Van
Lith trunks in the front room"
He drank his five dollar wine recklessly
to gain courage. Old Hanson sat and
gorged himself on the ten dollar lunch,
Mrs. Hanson, he thought, eyed him sus-
piciously, and old Joe served them with a
broad grin on his ebony countenance.
.sIf this kind of thing keeps up for a
week I am ruined" he said to Evelyn as
the day finally closed, and at last he saw
his wife's parents safely retired for the
night.
'sI've an idea mother already suspects
something" said Evelyn. "rve good
mind to take her into my confidence and
confess all"
But this proposition alarmed him more
than anything else.
s.Don't do that. I've got $500 left yet.
Let's stick it out. At, say, forty dollars
day, how long can we hold the fort?"
"Just ten days!'
ssAnd in ten days then it is either
fight, the North river or the morgue."
''Ten days is a good long time" re-
piled Evelyn. 81 shan't worry myself
so far ahead. Good night. I'm off to
Sleep"
Eight days of the ten had elapsed.
The Bankers, with courage born of
desperation, had "stuck it out" They
had become accustomed to their new po-
sition, and, despite their failing means,
Charlie sometimes even fancied himself
rich.
\
The Hansons were delighted with their
new son-in-1aw. No words in the Eng
lish language were expressive enough to
sing his praises. They had driven here
and there, been taken to all the theaters
and feted every day on the fat of the
land. They had been made to feel their
importance. The Hansons, of Denver,
had never enjoyed themselves SO much
| in their lives.
Barker was nearly crazy. What would
he not have given to be back in Twenty
third street, and, if he must be shot for
running away with old man Hanson's
daughter, at least have the satisfaction
of dying like an honest MANI
On the morning of the ninth day he
found letter on the breakfast table.
Old man Hanson was there with his
famous appetite, eating eggs which had
cost fifty cents apiece and ham which
had been purchased from the blackmail-
ers at dollar slice.
The letter was from his father in Bos-
ton and read as follows:
MY DEAR CHARLEs-Your mother has just
| learned from Mrs. Stewart who arrived in
Boston from New York yesterday, of your re-
cent marriage and also of your late good for
| tune in Wall street. always knew you would
| fall on your feet, and you can now afford to
| laugh at those who have hitherto called you
| the fool of the family. Meantime you may ex-
pect us by an early train tomorrow, as we are
| anxious to see our new daughter. Your affec-
| tionate father, HORACE B. BARKER.
P. ST. send this to your new house in Fifty
seventh street, which Mrs. Stewart tells us
you purchased of the Van Lith estate. She
Says it is splendid property. I hope you got
bargain.
1t was the last straw. Unable to re-
press his feelings, the miserable Barker
uttered loud groan and rushed from
the room, nor did he stop until be reached
his chamber. Throwing himself into a
chair, he buried his face in his hands and
remained for some time in condition