The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-18


spell OK the widow s.charms, and 10 might
be that Claude would go through the same
experience. In the meantime, | intended
to have an eyo ON the lady i'm a different
sense from that In which L had hitherto
indulged in the practice. -
She has "a cousin down here now con-
found himv" Claude went on II dare
say lac is nice fellow enough, but one
can't see her without him hanging
around
II thought she said she had no one be-
longing 10 hon"
II suppose she would not count cousins
rs anybody. Anyway the fellow is there
and seems pretty intimate The mother
does not quite approve of her having male
cousins TO stay"
1t seemed IA little queer TO me after VOW
ing that she was alone in the world You
cannot be exactly that when you have "A
cousin privileged TO stay i'm the house.
However, nobody ties woman down 10
absolute accuracy Of speech.
Claude was missing during the even
fng-down at the Rise, my mother sup
posed, with sigh. He was there too
often. Perhaps my influence might do
something TO stop It, / turned over
page or two of my book IL Claude was
doing anything likely 20 get him into any
sort Of trouble, / was most distinctly not
going TO stop it.
When my mother retired, strolled out
into the wintry darkness. / might as
well see what was going on at the Rise
for my own f1tisfaction.
Within five minutes walk Of the wild
ow's house passed Claude or rather step
ped back into the shadow TO let him pass
10 a hon. af,,l, I
went on ard looked for chink in the en-
chantrcss shutters
AS luck would have it, the cousin had
drawn back the curtains 70 look out at the
night saw into the room. The table
was covered with evidences Of card play
ing and of whisky drinking II struck
me that the lady had been sharing in both
pursuits The cousins appearance did
not appeal to my taste.
"Well, Addic" he said, dropping tho
curtain so that / could only gain chance
glimpse of either of them, your pupil
comes on promisingly. He'd marry you
in minute If il weren't for the little OBJ
stacle that he dOesn't know Of, but as that
can't be we must make what we can of
him otherwise. We have more than emp
tied his pockets tonight, only unluckily
the contents of boys pocket won't Q go far
with US. What pity you didn't catch on
with the other onc!'
"It was no use, +" answered Adcla. with
an air of apology. HE is too shrcwd and
cold blooded. There's no turning him
round your little finger like Claude. |
like the boy, John. You must not go too
far with him. d"
The man laughed brutally.
IN go no farther thnn his money goes.
Come, I'm ready for bed. l have done
good days work"
stepped back quietly out OF the gar
den. knew enough Claude was likely
To pay dear for the widows favor, but
was not called upon 10 intervene.
After that heard little or nothing Of
Mrs. Sinclair. My mother rarely men
toned her and Claude never l worked
steadily at my profession and had little
room in the multitude of my thoughts for
women or love
ono evening at the beginning of June
Claude came in upon me abruptly. His
dress was unusually careless, his eyes were
red, and his whole appearance showed signs
of distraction.
"I'm i'm awful trouble. George, he
said sinking into chair in front of me.
~ don't know how TO save myself, and
IN come 10 you Tor nclp.
The boy looked wrctched enough, but
concealed my qualification at the sight OF
his misery.
"It's through Brcreton, Mrs Sinclalr's
cousin" he explained she did give me
n hint to be careful, but IL was too late
then. He turned up at Oxford and made
me introduce him 10 lot of the men,
and he's nccccd them as well as me, and -
Il "A. h.. of
the story got from him piccCmCal
Brcrcton had got him so deeply in debt
that his father, after paying one demand
for extra money, had refused 10 allow him
morr. He tried, "a Eames,Crs will, to
mend his fortune by continuing TO gam
bic, hopeless SPECULATION I'm most eases
aud certainly fatal with such mn opponent
~ this Then came night when Brerc
ton. after his usual SUCCESS, tauntcd his
miserable dCbtCr. and, having muddlgd
him with drink and threatened him with
exposure 90 tho squire and the college au-
thCritics, trrrur.gcd him into forging his
fathers signature 70 IA check for consid-
cradle pmoJrt
He should not usc the check at present,
he said, but .plt il in reserve, In case he
found 10 nc""asary TO enforce obedience to
his commaLGs
Claude Ec,l by this time formed an at
tachmont g." he daughter OF n certain pro-
fc sor Ere. rion demanded IN introduc-
tun TO the members of tho family, which
Claude Latly refused, and, being told that
II in three days he had not yielded the
check would bc presented for payment, he
led 90 me ~ his last hope.
listened 90 the story with inward tri-
umph Ny hatred wna IN "A fair way to
be CratifCd now. His sole CEan"c, If |
LETT him alone was To confess everything
to hia father br.orc Brcrcton had time to
net, and le, The squire communicate with
thc bank Knowing thC squirps horror
Of any ind of gambling, Yas aware that
Ciau.o woGii have lad time OF II II he
Cid that. Mothers lct and fortunes dar-
ling a., he wap, Eu had come 10 such pass
now that his bit,Crcst enemy might feel
graf IlCd
could free him n chose. for it charccd
that had recently rCco"c IO,sIt sCd OF In.
formation concerning Mr. Brcrc;un, hy
use of which J could comiCl him 60 almost
any course of action, but Why should stir
mygclf for the bog | hated: iocic! at