The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-27
CHAPTER XIX.

That evil genius who seems to devote his
time to aiding the schemes of those whose
aims are vicious took charge of Rhoda
Barr'S note and placed it on Harlans desk
at an opportune moment Some weeks had
passed since we saw him last and he had
begun to realize that both the bar and a
baby have their drawbacks. He had won
his first case but his second and third had
gone against him. Furthermore the time
had come when his daughter felt bound to
impress her personality upon the house,
hold at the most absurd hours, and Harlan
had discovered that the insomnia begot-
ten by crying child is practically incura-
BILE
He had again become nervous and irrita-
ble His good resolutions regarding his
treatment of his wife had ended, like a
cigar, in smoke. After she had fully re-
gained her health he had gradually for
gotten the promises he had made to her
as she lay in bed and had resumed his
former self-absorbed mode of life.
There was one new feature in his exis-
tence that exercised over him an influence
that seemed to him almost ludicrous. He
found that, in spite of her midnight dis
turbances, he was very much in love with
his daughter. When his wife and father
agreed that the youngster very strongly
resembled him, Harlan would feel his
cheeks glow with a sensation of pleasure
When the child had become sufficiently
mature to smile as he addressed her the
young fathers heart would beat tumultu-
ously. At last, he thought, l have found a
being who will give me the affection and
sympathy that my being Graves. In
fluenced by this conviction he wrote poem,
signed it Rupert" and sent it to the Cen
ta0y. 1t was accepted at once and he was
correcting the proofs thereof when Rhoda
Barr's note was laid before him. He read
it through twice, glanced at the printed
slips on his desk, felt their literary excel
lence and forgot their origin. Then he
wrote as follows:
my DEAR RHoDA:
will call on you tomorrow evening at
nine.
Yours as the Future Wills.
HARLAN"
"Im an ass" he muttered to himself, as
he shut his desk and went across the
street for cocktail
The following evening Harlan Otis arose
little after eight o'cloc from dinner
table that had been rendered convvial by
the presence of the Hon. John Upper In
man, who had come to New York for the
purpose of seeing his first born grand
child. There had arisen some con-
straint among them all, at first
owing to the GOODNESS of the
elder Otis and the pomposity of the
ex-Minister to Portugal but the oily ten
denotes of well-served meal had over
come all this and Alices father had been
gracious enough to lay aside his usual ego
tistic exterior and conform to his hosts
apparent mood. The result had been that,
as the wine passed around, feeling of
good-fellowship had arisen that made
Alice smile with satisfaction and told
Harlan that he could keep his engagement
with Rhoda Barr
III be back soon" he had said as he left
stairs to the nursery, kissed the velvet
cheek of the sleeping babe and gone forth
to find the woman who had pretended to
admire his poems.
About four o'clock the following morning
a man came out of the Prince Royal. an
apartment house on Seventy-third street.
He looked up and down the street. No
body was in sight. Drawing a revolver
from his pocket he put bullet through
his brain. AS he lay there dying, alone
and helpless, the dawn heard a spirit sigh:
Il love my little girl. May the world be
good to her"
Two years later the following item ap-
peared in New YORK newspaper: "Alice
Otis, nee 1nman, widow of the late Harlan
Otis, was married yesterday to John Ar.
uold, M. D."
THE END.