The Press., 1893-01-05

But Judith sat opposite.
 As she entered the living room she heard her father say to his guest: s'So you think it would be impossible to trace your branch of the family to that of Sir Bruce Mildmay, who fought so we'll for the house of Lancaster in the old wars of the Roses? He is mentioned, sir, in the ancient chronicles, and his 'scutcheon has Plantagenet quarterings. There are many of his descendants still extant in England"
 MT. Mildmay's face was turned aside, but Judith could see that his back was shaking slightly with suppressed laugh ter.
 "Why, no, sir, no; never heard of Sir Bruce in my life. None of our Mild mays has been great or distinguished for anything in particular. My father was a very poor man, genuine Yankee with 8 knack at inventions, and like inventors in general he was always hard up. He kept tavern, taught school, drove stage and speculated in land, and between whiles contrived number of useful things that have since made the fortune of other men, but nothing ever succeeded with him. I had to work my way through school and college as I could; borrowed the money to fit myself for my professionalism of civil en- gineer-and paid it by days wages earned in shop or at farm labor. did anything that would keep me going. Happily had inherited a little of my fathers inventive knack, and was not as easily gulled as he was, and when I went west and found an abandoned mine filled with water that nobody had been able to clean out offered to do it for half share in the enterprise. 1 rigged up machinery that freed the workings in less than month, and the profit turned out to be pretty large.'
 AS MT. Midway proceeded with his account of himself old Renwick's gaze had become void and stony. He had frozen again into his stiff, formal polite ness. The old hidalgo look had come back to his high, bony features and cold, faded blue eyes.
 'I see what you have been striving for," said the old man, wearily waving his hand. Success, success, the god of our nation; the avid love of gain; souls traf6cked for gold. Yes, sir, know the whole story, from A to Zed." The tone was rasping, icily edged. The young man turned crimson up to the very roots of his hair, and instinctively turned to- ward Judith, where she had paused in laying the table with the poor remnants of the old Renwick china. She had caught her fathers trenchant tone with feeling of inward dismay. She hoped her father would not bully the young stranger; patronize and condescend to him he was sure to do, but she knew he was capable of the violent outbreaks of testy old age. A sympathetic glance seemed to pass from her eyes to Mild mays, reassuring him, and presently she heard him say ill clear, emphatic. hon. est voice:
 ''I am 10 worshiper of money, Mr. Renwick. There are things I would lay down millions to gain if I had them to command. After father died I had my old mother to care for, and, thank God, Ihave been able to place her in a good home and provide for her happy old age. I had my young sisters to edu- cate and my brother to establish in life, and there were other poor relatives-a pair of aged aunts and an old decrepit uncle. l could not let them go to the almshouse. It was my first duty to take care of those dependent on me-
 Every commendable no doubt, very commendable," said the old man from the surface of his false teeth and laying together his chilly finger tips. But he had gone into his shell and did not emerge again that day.
 Judith fitted out of the room after placing the glass of autumn leaves and red berries in the middle of the table. She had folded under the frayed edges of the tablecloth and placed a napkin over hole too much in evidence. Mrs. Sparkler had now brought the basket of dinner, smoking hot, to the back door, and swiftly Judith conveyed it to the board. Old Renwick took the place at the head of the table, waving Mildmay to seat at his right hand, Judith sat down behind the tray, but ate nothing. She waited on the guest and on her father with punctilious care.
 "Boiled beef" said the old man loftily, sticking his knife into the tender pulp on the platter before him. q told you, sir, it was pot luck, only pot luck to- day. In my fathers time, sir, the cellar of this house was we'll stocked with wine-good, sound brands of port and Madeira-but I was forced to give up the use of wine from my gouty tendencies some years ago, and hope, sir, you will pardon the omission"
 Mildmay saw Judith flush little as the old gentleman proceeded to draw the long bow, and he made haste to &C., quit himself in suitable manner as he raised 8 cracked glass to his lips con- taining nothing more potent than water from the old Renwick we'll. He looked about without seeming to notice any thing. At the meager table service, the makeshifts of the frayed tablecloth, the old caster propped on three legs, the battered spoons, thin as shaved horn, and the ragged napkins-all told pitt ful story to man of quick perceptions, but Judith sat opposite. He saw her