Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-12-03
CHAPTER X.
KAVANAGH.

Quilted EGdCQ6Q NY cur anu CduSeu mo
to stop at the foot Of the stairs. The
suspicion thar 1 was the object OF
merriment stuug my newly awakened
pride. Jealous already OF Kavanagh's
influence and a~ttributing to him the
same feeling OF animositv that ranked
In my heart, 1 conceived that be would
take advantage Of my absence to make
Taras hate me. A growing desire to
hear what be would say against me, to
know whether Taras would stand by me
or yield to his friend. impelled me to
steal back to the door, where 1 put my
ear TO the key-hole.
Kavsnagh was speaking In a low,
unsteady running tOn
That's the worst Of equality when
it's practiced by a thorough-going man
like you. One never knows what to eX-
pect, and may get q douche like this at
any moment. One day you introduce
me TO a nan with an Insignificant name
and the look OF a broken down trades
man, and l ind later on that he's a
royal duke, and noW-thanks, I'll help
myself il I may"
"And now, what do you take this
friend TO be?" Taras asked In a zone Of
amusement.
81 took her to be an illustrious refu-
gee al the least. A princess, possibly,
by her dress, distIngue style and a dis
tinctly aristocsatic cut Of features
probably an exceptionally learned
princess. There was the eccentric
ity Of genius in her silence, the sans
gene with which she reclined against
the wall and stared at INTO say moth
ing OF a decidedly unamiable expression
in those fine eyes Of hers. Yes, 1
would have laid ten to one il anything
that she was an illustrious refugee
before she opened her lips"
Then you altered your opinion?"
"Well, yes"
There was a pause. And here I may
observe that In giving this Dialogue and
others 1 write many words which were
not then in my vocabulary, and it must
be understood that 1 give but a very
bered impressions.
"By the way" added KaVanagh, 81
hope / was not indiscreet in accepting
EOur invitation"
II should not have asked you to come
Ia n I bad not wanted TO have a chat
with you; something more than a chat
"a serious talk. / should have hunted
you up tomorrow for this very pur-
pose"
You have the ~pleasantest way Of
making a man feel welcome. What is
the subject?'
"The girl who has just left the room.
In the first place, Barry K~avanagh,
there must be no m-isconceDtion with
regard TO her position here"
"My dear fellow, no one whose
opinion is worth consideration would
ever dream of doubling your honor or
the honesty Of your relations with this
young woman"
That idea never entered my magma
ton. 1t is quite another kind Of mis-
conception that L wish to avoid. Come,
you are o whose opinion is worth con-
sideratiOn. Tell me candidly what con-
ciusiOn you have formed with regard to
her in place Of the illustrious refugee
theory"
II should say that she is some IN
happy waii whom you have rescued
from the slough OF despair and the
slums OF W~hitechapel. with an object
as wildly ~impracticable as it is pro-
fOundly charitable"
THAT is the m~isconception that fear
ed" said Taras in a low, earnest voice,
contrasting strongly with the light tone
OF his friend. Il want you to under
stand that the girl owes nothing TO any
sentiment Of charity on my part in or
der that no chance word or accidental
look may convey such a suspicion to her
mind. If I gave her all that l possess
10 the world, down to the last farthing,
it would not repay what l owe her.
But for the daring, the bravery and the
endurance Of that slight, frail looking
girl 1 might now be on the road to Sibe-
ria"
GOOD heavens! I have not heard a
word Of this"
1T has al happened since I saw you
last. told you the police would not
let me alone, and they have not. They
laid a trap for me, and / walked into it
with the simplicity Of a woman, mainly,
l think, because the agent employed to
take me represented himself to be an
%eX-convict aud looked the character so
perfectly that l never suspected him OF
being anything worse. Usually, you
know. the police agent looks impecca-
BILE. They got me down in a cellar,
bound hand and foot and gagged. IcOuld
not get my hands free, but / worked the
cord of my feet and ate through my gag.
There was a pipe in the cellar, and
through that / communicated with the
girl whose voice l heard overhead. At
the risk of her life she contrived to get
herself into the cellar and me out Of 1t.
A vessel-frOm which l had been led to
believe that three refugees were to be
rescued-lay in the pool waiting for me,
and most likely 1 was to have been car
ried aboard and shipped of TO ST.
Petersburg the very night that this
brave girl saved me-"
Thank God you escaped! Give me
your hand, old man. To think that l
might have found this room empty
that 1 might never have smoked another
pipe with your
''YOu can understand now my feeling
toward that girl"
"By George, It's a heavy debt!' Then
10 a reflective tone he added after a
pause: II see. You propose to raise
this girl to your own level"
Higher if may. 1 aim at giving
her a new life"
''You have set yourself an enormous
task"
''You may help me now il you will"
"IfI will. Why, there's nothing in
the world that would give me greater
pleasure, II it were only TO prove the
sincerity Of an IriShman'S friendship"
If 1 had doubted that, l should not
have said a word 20 you on the subject.
l felt 1 could rely on your help in case
Of need, but l would not impose a task
nnon Won which beforehand seemed ut