The Irish standard., 1897-02-13
fcoeyrieh,. .ss,. by J. 8 Lippncot, conpany.l

49,
8. Ltppncou Conpanyl =.
said the solicitor. there would be mon
ey enough to satisfy. the.dcposit0rs and
other creditors, with. possibly q small
dividend for the stockholders. AS to
the~fatter, however, the Colonel init
mated that Philip would do well to
leave it out of his plans for the future;
in the meantime, and for presentneees-
stiles there were few hundred dollars
which he, the colonel, had taken the
liberty to transfer from Hal!am's to
his own bank out of the last selni-an-
nual dividend, which sum was subject
to Philips order. - .-~-~>"7--.'
The same mail brought letter from I
Helen. The securities which had been
set aside for her marriage portion were
still safe, and her letter from begun
ming to end was an urgent appeal 10
Philip to divert the settlement to his
mother. Blinded by the dull rage
which lashes out indiscriminately be-
cause it's real object is out of reach.
rhiIip was i'm no mood to search for al I
fectionate subtleties in letter which |
should have stirred his better nature
to its more hopeful depths. Heread it |
with unreasoning bitterness; wrote |
formal reply, thanking her for her dis
interestedne and asking to be. re-
leased from an engagement which, in
view of his losses, was. no longer sup
portable to him; scrubbed hurried
note to his mother, giving her the
barest outline OF what he had done;
and, ordering his horse, gaIloped off to
Duncan farm to tell Elsie of the new
misfortune.
He got speech with her alone. for a
wonder, and she listened and answered
, with ready sympathy. concluding by
asking him what he would do.
"For the present, and until can get
justice for Kilgrow, just what I've been
doing all summer. After that it will be
for you to say"
II don't understand" shesaid, shrink
ing little from the half-menace in his
reply.
Philip was disposed to be .pesverse.
and the; thought came to him quickly
that Helen could not be SO obtuse if she
; tried. 'You ought to know by this
time" he began, his resentment finding
its way into his voice. 9Th not say it,
though; I'll not say anything now, be-
cause I'm in no frame of mind to meas
, ure words with you or anybody. Just
the same, you mustn't begin at this
late day totry to eiude the fact thatyou
are responsible for what am"
It was brutal speech, and Thorn
dyke was sorry for it when the ride
back to town gave him time to reflect;
but he had gone to Elsie with the
i thought that she would in some way
! make haste to set herself over against
! his troubles, and he was disappointed
and irritated because she: bad; given
him nothing more than the sympathy
/ which she might have poured into
| tho wounds of a father Or, brother.
/ Now that the wheels of the retrospect:
+, i've machinery were set in: motion,
| Philip told himself that Elsie,s ardor
had been steadily waning since that
; day, three months before; when she
had armed and sent: him forth to the
! battle. 1t was Impossible that he
j should understand that the change in
their relations was. inevitable; that
| the candle which may suffice to light
the fires Of enthusiasm is still candle
after enthusiasm has become a devol1r-
ing conflagration. Still less could he
grasp the fact that the change was
chiefly in himself; that with new am
billions and returning health he had
outgrown the need for such ministra-
tons as may save the life of sick man.
On the contrary, he bla1ned Elsie for
not being what she had never been. save
in his own imagina tion; he condemned
Helen for Withholding the affection
which his letters to her had steadily
discouraged; and he ended by throw
ing himself with a lseener desperation
than ever before into the quest which
lad become the imperative motive Of
his existence.
Dsnnun ting ut the steps of the hotek
lie met Protheroe. "A
"Have you seen Sharpless?" the en-
gineer asked. s::!>.
j "No." -. 80 ar
"IIe is ieolsjng for you; believe he
left note inside." -
What does he want7" 49,, z:7.-s,
II don't know. He had his judicial
! scoaHl on, which is polite way of say
ing that he looked ugly"
Philip intimated that Lawyer Sharp
less moods and lenses were Of the least
possible consequence.
Il know" Protheroe said. "He's one
of my employers, but that's no reason
why shouldn't tell you to look out for
him. I've known him ever siuee the in
cubation Of this tinsel city. and he's a
bad lot I don't pretend to guess at
what you've been working on all sum-
n1er, but il your scheme includes
Sllarpless. either as pnrtner or COM
petitor, he'll bear: 5watehing-and not
less in one case than in the other.
THANK you" said Philip, going in to
| pet the note. 1t was brief and per-
! emptory:
Dear Sir,"-it ran-"You will consult
your own interests by comforting with me at
| once, Come to my office, or let me know
when and where can meet you.
III. G. sHARPLESS."
Thorndyke put the note into his
pocket and went out to think about it.
lie had been reasonably certain for
some time that Tench and Sharpless