The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-04-29
TOMPK INS.
By P. DEFINING.
copyright, 1895, by the Author.J
Con cluded.

replied Tompkins logged
ly, looking down and poking with a
short stick in the ground at his feet
"And that is what has made you act
so queer, unused Mrs Pember.
Have you seen her?"
Let him te, the story, Caroline"
urged the old gentleman peevishly.
Tompkins looked gloomily out upon
the lake and the broad landscape for
few moments, and then, resuming his
narrative, said:
"As was saying, have worked hard
and have got a nice little pile l am
worth $35, 900. When / made up my
mind to come east this summer, the
money to pay Uncle Jason for what he
had done was all ready 1t made me
choke to think how long | had let it
run l figured it up as near as could
the 5000 that came to me in the col
lege and the 5000 after tbat-and put
in the simple interest at per cent, ao-
cording to the York state law, which
brought the sum total up to nearly 5000,
and to fix it all right made it an even
81, 900. Then | bought new buokskin
bag and went to bank in Chicago and
got the money all in gold. knew that
would please Uncle Jason. He once
talked of going to California to dig. |
suppose he had never seen pile of the
real yellow coin in his life. ! wrote to
him that was to be in Burlington and
that | would be ever SO glad if he would
come over and see me / met him yes
terday afternoon as he got off the boat,
down at the steamboat landing. He
knew me, and knew him, although we
were both changed good deal, After
we had talked little and got used to
each other | took him up to my room in
the hotel. was in hurry to get at the
business part of my visit with him first,
for it seemed to me that it would be bet
ter to let him see, to begin with, that
was not exactly poor nor such an un-
grateful cub as maybe he had thought |
was. 1t was my resolve that before we
talked of anything else would get that
money off my conscience knew that
then | could hold up my head and dis
cuss our neighbors and old times, and it
would be plain sailing for me. had
pictured to my mind dozen times how
Uncle Jason would look with that new
yellow buckskin bag crammed with
gold on his knee, steadying it with his
hand talking to me. So when got him
up to my room and seated him in n
chair | began the performance got
red in the face and suffered and -four
ished round with the bag and the gold,
and to tell the truth | fully expected to
make the old mans hair rise right up.
But it did not work. He got shaky and
trembled and somehow did not seem to
want the money at all and finally owned
how it was He said that he had never
given me cent 1t was all Lucy Cary's
doing. And she had made him promise
on his everlasting Bible oath, as he
called it, that he would not tell. She
had put him up to the whole thing.
Even that first Sc bill had come from her
wages"
My old classmate ceased speaking.
He was becoming flushed and excited.
He gazed abstractedly at the broad
blue mirror of old Champlain, upon
which he and had looked together so
often in the days of our youth.
Mr.. Pember sat silently. Mrs. Penn
Der was whimpering behind her hand
kerchief
ventured the inquiry, "Have you
seen Lucy yet2''
Tompkins' face quivered. He was 81
lent.
Mrs. Pember's interest in the ques-
ton restored her. Tell us, have you
seen herr" she asked.
II heard of it yesterday" Tompkins
replied huskily, with an effort
why, Timothy, what is the natter"
cried Mrs. Pember, rising from her seat
and coming to him as he bent his head
and buried his face in his hands. The
motherly woman took off his soft hat,
and stroking his hair said: "You had
better tell. 1t wilrdo you good" And
then she put his hat on again and stood
wiping her eyes in sympathy, while he
struggled with himself
The storm of feeling passed away,
and Tompkins, having gained control
of his emotions, slowly lifted his face
from his hands and sat peering out un-
der his hat brim, looking apparently at
a boat upon the lake At last he said
in calm voice, "She's dead"
1t was very still after this announce.
ment. The softest breath of June scarce
ly whispered in the pines overhead, and
the vast landscape below seemed strange
ly at rest in the fervid brightness of the
summer noon.
My old olassmate was the first to
break the silence.
well" said he YEARLY, st must
be about time for dinner Let us go to
the hotel"
We took the little brown road and
walked down long and shaded, quiet
street. Memories of college days and
romantic summer nights with music
and starlight and the long, long
thoughts of youth, came back to me as |
looked at the houses and gardens famil-
lar in college days and chatted about
them with Mrs. Pember
Timothy always means we'll, said
she to me, oonfidentially reverting to
the subject Of which all were thinking,
but it was very wrong for him to neg
lect that poor factory girl, don't you
think so?"