The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-07-08
lives hidden by tho future, they two
should meet again.
CHAPTER XIV,
poRRIE's TEMPTATION.

WemoFAVlo uuy MA9h AfHAN "'N'N
discarded Stella, the family Of Samuel
Gubbs sat in the drawing room Of his
house at Queens Gate. Wealth had
etiectually done its work in rendering
the apartments rs magnificent and un'
comfortable as possible. The furniture,
being rich in white satin and gorgeous
ly gilt, belonged, according to the up.
holsterer's opinion, to the period Of
Louis Quatorse.
High-legged, handicapped tables,
stationed between the windows, sup
ported great Sevges vasesi straight
backed, stitE.Armed Couches warned the
wary ltom repose; chandelier OF cTys-
tai and silver reflected itself with dag
cling multiplicity In mirrors framed by
golden flowers and ilorld foliagei q
chimney-pieCe OF cleaning marble was
ornamented by a bronze clock with
NEUROLOGICAL iiguresj and on the
creamy background Of the carpet Hour,
ished plants Of tropical luxuriance and
Oriental color.
Dinner was over Fraulein Hlrten
was meditatng on the wisdom OF her
fayorlte schopenhauer, Bobbie was
reading book of adventures by land
and sea, whilst Ada Gubbs and Virgil
Lechmere wore playing Q game OF ches'.
The owner OF the mansion was writing
letters down stairs In the study.
Once his duties as tutor were over Tor
the day Virgil Lechmere was free TO
spend his time-as he pleased, yet he
seldom sought amusement abroad, save
when he took Ada and her brother to
concert or to play The attraction Of
these quiet evenings spent by the family
might be wholly imperceptible 70 other
young men to him they We're, from the
! first, centered in the girl who shared SO
many hours of his daily life. 10 read
to her, to hear hor play or sing, to teach
her chess, were sources OF pleasure that
outweighed the enioyments he might
meet elsewhere.
The freshness OF her mind just
awakening to the deeper impressions Of
life, the charm OF her manner unspoiled
by contact with the world, the uncon-
vsntionality Of her ways, and the beauty
Of her youth, exercised keen tascina'
ton for him,
AS he sat facing her, their heads al.
most meeting above tho chess board,
their hands occasionally touching, his
eyes looking into hers, no ono observing
would have doubted his love fof the
girl. That she loved him was equally
certain, though she had never acknowl.
edged such q thought and till now
merely accepted the pleasure his com.
paniouIhip gave her as the effect Of
friendship.
Almost in silence they continued the
game, regardless OF the world around,
absorbed in each other little knowing
what factors were working to change
their fate and TO shape their course.
The faded German lady quite unheeded
them, humanity being much less inter-
esting to her than philosophy; whilst
Dobbie, who had laid down his book,
was making up his mind to take what
was for him-and what proved TO be to
others-Rn important step.
The lad was allowed twenty pounds a
year pocket money, this sum being
paid him quarterly but not in adqance.
Not having parslmonious disposition
he had generally spent his money 20
month from the time 1t was received,
and had frequently experienced the
discomfort OF passing weeks without q
penny he could call his own. How hls
cash went he never reCkoned or never
cared; nor did he regret Its disappear
ance. A constant supply of cigarettes,
TO be smoked in the privacy OF his own
room, was q necessity; French sweet
meats in the most alluring OF boxes
were constant temptation; there was
alwaya aome tribe In shop window he
wanted to buy; there were even poor
and ragged boys OF his own age, vendors
OF matches, sellers Of newspapers,
sweepers OF crossings, whose appeals
touched his heart and drew forth silver
from his pocket.
For the last six weeks he had been
wholly penniless, and, as fate would
have It, never had the desire Of posses.
sion so strongly assaulted him. Never
had shop windows so openly tainted
him with his inability to secure their
treasures.
That which he now longed for above
all earthly things was placed in the cor
ner OF a jewelers. window, half hidden
from the vulgar gaze, but revealed to
him in q most entiCing manner This
was nothing less than scarf pin,
shaped as fox's head, In garnet, with
diamond eyes aud ruby tongue aud
| ears.
Whenever he found himself in the
vicinity Of Regent street, whore this
treasure was exposed to view, he has
tened to see If it had disappeared; and
his satisfaction at behUldfngit was only
equaled by his wonder that it had not
already been purchased. Long ago he
had entered the shop and made inqui-
ries regarding the price, which no was
told was guineas, and had his quarc
ter's allowance been then in his posses
sion he would gladly have given II in
exchange for the pin, though he went
penniless for the next three months.
Indeed there was something bewitch-
ing and almost demoniacal in the man
ner in which the fox looked and thrust
his tongue out at the lad, who some
times smiled aud sometimes sighed as
he regarded the animal with whom al.
ready he felt on terms Of friendship.
Eventually he quite resolved that the
head should be his; he could no longer
withstand its personal appeal to be
taken into his possession. Besides the
pin he wanted now tennis racket ;
then lie had been several days out OF
cigarettes; and finally Ada's birthday
was approaching and no had no money
to buy hor d present.
For all these reasons he now resolved
10 summon courage, and boldly ask his
father, OF whom no stood somewhat In
dread, To give him ten pounda indie.
pendent Of his usual allowance. Aud
observation showing him that "the
governor" was usually in better tenn
per and more approachable after din.