The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-27

NOu?'
"No. but ! think he'd like to. and
he's so different TO you with his pretty
blonde curling hair and blue eyes.
| What made You bring him?"
Hal strobe to the other end OF the
room, his arms crossed over his chest
sOliloquizing to himself rather than
directly answering the question.
What, indeed! The knowledge that
h" could keep a secret. the belief he
wos honorable. and a fools wish to
see his brilliant blonde handsomeness
and her dark loveliness in the same
room. How fatal. The only man who
has ever seen her or knew Of her eN-
I istence in all the years and"
He paused abruptly in front Of her.
'Nrta, you have told me everything
in that one question. I have opened
the door to my own desolation, per-
haps to your destruction. Tomorrow
you will receive in a registered letter
sixteen notes for $1,000 each. One of
those thousands will serve for immedi-
ate necessities. The rest YOU can take
down to any italian bank of good
standing and the president will tell you
| how To invest It SO that the interest
| VIII always keep you fro.n want. ! am
! goirE aWav now and shall not come
again fof three days. If you feel YOU
must 60. little girl--go; and may you
| find happiness
She bounded into his arms.
"You are angry, you are hurt, caro-
| mio?'
"Nos angry, Mira mia, but in pain
| yes
! lie smiled sadly and went away.
Three days later Hal Tytanne opened
| the door of the roomy flat at one Hun
! dred and Forty-ffth street ana enter
| ing the parlor looked around. Every
| thing ia its place. On the table let
| ter. He did not touch it, but, one by
one. examined the rooms. They seemed
! as usual. only Nirta Xingra and her
! maid were out. Then he took up the
| letter and read:
Hal, dear. | had 20 go. | did try
motto motto. But / had to. I've left
| some OF my things, most Of them
Touch them sometimes and think Of
! me, and had fancy to keep the Key
Of the home where vou were so e. a
! to me. Do you mind? | am sorry, but
/ was So tired. --NWta."
I lie put the letter, open. quietly on
~
slowig murmured:
You were so tired. Well. she was
! Il. I am B."
! He walked to the door. paused and
| looked around. You are tired: so am
| /, little Nirta. You may rest, but l
/ shall be tired nOw--til the end"
! Then he returned to the table. picked
/ up the letter, folded it, pockcted il and
| went out
! 1t was twelve years after. Hal Ty-
| tanng sat alone in his sitting room at
! the Waldorf, handsOmer with his thick
| white hair and dropping iron-gray
mustdche than he had been in his
ViIiie youth. or even in the apogee Of
his manhood. Presently he laughed
aloud and said 10 himself:
How curiously the invisible guiding
/ strings of life pun. A little Vaut-rien
! Italian girl drove me out OF New York
| twelve years ago and now compels me
! back. Why? If it comes to that, why
| have paid the rent of those rooms in
| one Hundred and Forty-iifth street for
! all these years and had them busted
| iWic" week? Six years ago the jan
! iior and five families died Of typhoid
! fever there and the building PROMPTLY
| "mpticd. Still / kept the fiat | sup
! pose .-'e other sets Of rooms are ali
| occupied now. Well. the typhoid has
surely carried away from LAT neigh
| burhood the last memory of Nirta Xin-
gra. Tomorrow I'll go and sec. To.
| night I'll accomplish one Of my pii-
! grimages down to the Bowery-the
first tomorrow one Hundred and
! Forty-tifth street.-The last"
Hc looked at his watch rose. in
spectod the weather, donned q light
! oNercoat suitable to the early sprinp
left the hotel ana walked down Fifth
avenur to Union Square, thence ia
the BoWery. Passing the old Thalia
thoater some little distance he reached
AN old cN-post facto gas lamps re-
mains on which was screwed a mail
| box He paused and leaning one arm
on the hoN gaErd steadily at-the gut
ter An alert. gray-hcaded. obese
! policeman presently observed Hal Get
! ting quietly up behind the ruminator
he analyzed Tytarne with an evidently
benignant accuracy, for the officer
smiled and said, almost in Halls ear:
That was the spot, sir, right there"
Hal Tytannc turned his head.
What Jeffrios! Yes? And stin a
roundsman'"
just that SIR, and nothing more.
Guess ! amt got pun enough. It's a
bit curious you should come down to
look at that spot tonight. Would YOU
mind coming down a side street. I'd
like to tell you something quite pecul-
lar"
Go ahead Jerh)ries. You 1T right
into my moods ana lenses tonight"
Soon officer and gentleman were in
a locality where they could near each
others voices.
II know sir" the officer began. you
amt forgot what happened on that spot
nigh on twenty years ago. The chill
dren lighting; me stopping 'cm: you
noticn' the little Italian girl; me af-
terwards buying her for you on the
quiet and so on Now, sin, | don't
know why, but l amt never had no
fancy to talk about that business. 7
| know what you did for her, and nv
conscience ain't never priCked me over
| it, was satisfied, and-G kept my
mouth shut, DO you know what be-
came Of that girl after she left you?"
81 believed she married"
| she did so. A rich man and one of
our big swells. DO you know who
'twas?"
| 'l-torget," Hal chose to say. "Tve
| been abroad for years"
| Il know that, too. Well. sir, she mar
| ried Mr.. Angus Saul. and for years
| was right among the best Of 'em-is
now, for that matter. one Of the most
| fashionable and popular ladies in soci-
| ETY., and never a breath Of scandal