Evening star., 1898-10-08

ate cIeBrueSs Of enunCIdtiOn has come with
him 20 his present vicarage from his scho-
IaStic Gays an elaborate clsarness of enun-
citation and certain nervous determina-
ticn % he firm and correct upon all issues,
important and unimportart alike He is
sacerdotaHst and a chess player, and sus-
pected by many Of the secret practice of
the higher mathematics-creditable rather
than Interesting things. His conversation
Is copicj.s. and given. much to needless de-
tail. by many, indeed his intercourse is
condemned to put it plainly, as boring"
and such have even done me the compH-
mvut t. wonder why | COuntenance him.
But, on the other hand, there is large fac-
tion who marvel at his cOun;eHancing such
disheye.ed, discreditabIe acquaintance as
myself. Few appear to regard our friend
slip with tqua-imity. But that is because
they do not know OF the link that bin Is US,
Of my aTliable connection via Jamaica with
Mr. LcdHetter's past.
About that past he displays an anxious
modcsty- Il 90 net know what l sho,:id
do if II Besaue known" he says. and re-
Eeats impresSlVeIy. Il do not know wnat L
should do. As a matter Of fact, doubt if
he would do anything except get very REQ
about the ears But thai will appear later,
Hor Will | tell here Of cur encounter since
as a general Tule-thOugh | am prone to
break 1.-THE end of a story should come
after rather than before the beginning.
And The beginning of the story goes long
way back, Indeed, 1t is now nearly twenty
years since fate, by series of cOrpii-
Care.i and startling maneuvers, brought Mr.
Ledbeytsr, so 10 speak, into my hands.
In those days l was living IN jamaica,
and Mr.. Ledbetter vas SchoOlmaster in
England. He was in orders, and already
Iecoguizably the same man that he is to-
day. the same rotuUdity of visage. the
same or similar glasses, and the Same faint
shadow of surprise in his resting express
81, tf 6S-hE IpE " hon
/ saw him, and his collar less of a collar
than wet E1ula"a. and that may have
helped 10 bridge the natural gulf between
uS-bUr of that, as | say. later.
The business began at Hithergate-On-Sea,
and simuliaIeOu with Mr.. Ledbe.ters
summer vacation. Thither he came for
greatly needed rest. with a bright brown
joTtmaHteau. marked +. W. L., a new
white and black straw hat and two pairs
OF white IlauEel trousers. He was nat
urally cNhilIrated at his release from
school, for he was not very fond OF the
boys he taught. After dinner he fell into
discussion with q talkative person eStab-
Iishej IN the boarding house to which. act
iTG On the advice of his aunt, he had re-
sorted This talkative person was the only
other man in the house. Their discussion
concerned the melancholy disappearance
Of wonder and adventure in these latter
days the prevalence of globe trOttins, the
abolition Of distance by steam and electric
ity. the vUlyarity of advertisement, the
d. graduation of uen by civilization, and
many such things. Particularly was the
talkative person eloquent on the decay of
human courage through security a secu-
1ity Nr. LeGbetter rather thoughtiessly
Joined him in dspIuring. Mr. Ledbetter. in
the first delight of emancipation from
duty and being anxious perhaps TO
establish reputation for manly conviv-
iaIity partcok rather more freely than was
advisable of the excellent whisky the talk
alive person produced. But he did not be-
come intoxicated, he insists. He was
7. nd
with the finer edge gone from his tudg-
rnent- After that long talk Of the brave
old dayS that were gone forever. he went
out into no0nlit HitherSate alone, and up
TIE cliff read where the villas cluster to-
Fether.
He had bewailed. and now as he walked
up the silent road he still bewailed. the fate
that had called him to such an uneventful
life as 2 pedagOgue's. What prOSaic eX-
Istence ne led. 50 stagnant. so colorless,
Secure. methodiCal. year in year out. what
call was there for bravery? He thought
euviousiy Of those rowing medieval days. 50
near and so remote. of quests and spies
and condottieri any many a risky blade
drawing business. And suddenly came a
doubt. a strange doubt, springing out of
some chance thought Of tOrtures and de-
structive altogether Of the position he had
assumed that evening. Was he-Mr Led
better-really. after all. so brave as he as
sumed? Would he really be SO pleased 10
have railways policemen and security van
tive man had spoken enviously Of crime
THE burglar he said, is the only true
adventurer left on earth. Think Of his
single handed hght-aga!nst the whole civ
ilized world" And Mr. Ledbetter had
echoed his envy They do have some fun
out Of life Mr. Ledbetter had said And
about the only people who do. just think
how it must feel TO wire lawn" And he
had laughed wickedly. Now. in this frank
er intimacy Of self-COmmunion ne found
himself instituting a comparison between
his own brand Of courage and that Of the
habirual criminal. He tried to meet these
insi3ious questionings with blank assertion.
Il could do all that" said Mr.. Ledbetter
y long 10 do all that only l do not give
way 20 my criminal impulses. My moral
courage restraints me" But he doubted
even while ne told himself these things.
Mr- Ledbrtter passed a large villa stand
ing by itself Conveniently situated above
a quite practicable balcony was a window.
gaping black. wide open. At the time ne
scarcely marked it, but the picture of ii
came with him, wove into his thoughts
He figured himself climbing up that bal
couy. crOuChing. plung!ug. into that dark
mysterious interior. BAH You would not
dare said the spirit Of doubt My duty
TO my fellow men forbids" said Mr. Led
better's self-respect
II was nearly II and the little seaside
town was already very still. The whole
world slumbered under the moonlight
Only one warm oblOng Of window blind far
down the road spoke OF waking life He
toward
villa of the open window. He stood for a
time outside the gate. battlefield of mo-
tIves. Let put things To the test" said
Doubt For the satisfaction Of these in
tolerable doubts. show that you dare 90
into that house. Commit a burglary in
blank That at any rate is no crime
Very softly he opened and shut the gate
and slipped into the shadow of the shrub
berry This IS foolish said Mr. Ledbet-
t"r's caution. Il expected that" said
Doubt. His heart was beating fast. but he
was certainly not afraid. He was not
afraid He remained in that shadow for
some considerable time
The ascent Of the balcony It was evident
would have TO be done in a rush for 1t was
AL IN Cs-ar moonlight, and visible from the
gate into the avenue. A trellis thinIy set
Win young. ambitious climbing roses made
me ascent rid!culously easy. There in that
bla'k shadow by the stone vase of flowers
one TfSht crouch and take a closer view
q! this gaping breach in the domestic de-
lenses the open window. For a while Mr.
I-edbetter was as still as the night and
then tnat insidi0us whisky tipped the hal
ance- He dashed forward He went nm
the tTeifs with quick convulsive rnove
Hlthts swung his legs over the paranet of
the balcony and dropped pantine In +ba
shadow, even as he had designed He uyas
trembling violently. short Of breath ana
hls heart pumped noisily bur bfs NJ - -