The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1899-08-05
Selett Sturp.
ROBIN THE OUTCAST.

sometimes. The world Is not all sunshine,
and in the woof of life threads Of gold are
interviewer - closely with threads OF gray
that il is impossible to separate the one
from the other
When first knew Robin Charters he
wa, still at Eton, handsome healthy,
high spirited box. with the brightest smile
ana the kinde>t heart in the world al
ways liked him. and was not singular in
thaj respect. for everybody liked him
Ever,hody did say Wen, everybody,
wish Que exception, and that exception,
strange to say. his own father. Sir John
Charters hated the boy with Il cold and
systematic hatred that was ~ answering
a> ID was uu.enerouS, hatred founded upon
the fac, that Robins birth had been the
price %. hi- mother life He was stern,
hard. muru>e man. whose one weakness,
was the passion with which he had loved
his wifc and the tenderness with which he
cherished her memory and people dlslIked
hiu as much as they liked Robin.
About two wears after fir.t got to know
the family. Robin left E,on and went mp
% Trinity College. Cambridge lie had
na, done much in the way Of learning At
E,ou. but he had made himself name in
the grisAs, field. and on the river. and
thar name be kept up worthlly a, Cam
bridge lie also began TO make name
for himself iu somewhat different lines
hal ,oak no notice Of that \ man i
bound a. .sw his Wild oats sooner or later
auI the >,auer the better. | think lest
,hc harvest be too late and 100 bitter
Robin chief chum, llaruld Marsden,
lcil E,au when he iii. and the two went
ny ta Trinity together In the Long,
Robin brought his friend home, aud saw
him for the hrs, time that Summer when
ran down 20 Charters Park for week ;
cricket. / had heard great deal Of him
from Robin, and somehow | had 20, an
idea tha, be lei and Robin followed. but
when | saw thrn together | found that
was mistaken II was ROBIN who led,
aud Harold followed with an absolute De.
yglIoa and fidelity that can only describe
l- do- like. Left to himself, Harold
would have been steady, persevering,
ploiiins boy. ba, Robin was a wild a
,hcy made EN-, and Harold ju,ifully fol
lowed ia his footsteps
Well a, the cud or the Long the two
seut back % Cambridge. aud Tor two years
after that saw them from time 70 time.
Then The crash came. shall never for
.es the day when Robin rushed uncere-
uouiously into my bachelor quarters in
St james and blartcd out the story Of q
life tragedy ia five bald words
~ IN done, he said Il III going un-
der
| va, 50 petriied that | only started at
him in blank amaEemeut,
III IA done, he said again. i III
doac, colonel and m goin. under
lie sat down heavily in the nearest
chair. and in the bright morning light
law that ms face was lined and worn and
gray, Ike the face Of an old man. His
sunny, brown eyes were dulled with de
spair
Robin 'F | said. why, Robin, my
dear boy, what does it all mean What
are YOU talking about
He stared at lne ~touily.
I'm done he said, for the third
time Il m going under
-.Goiug under? repeated, helplessly.
But why, Robin? What has happeded.
What what have YOU done ]?
Ills right hand clenched itself ON the
arm Of his chair.
Cards, he said briefly. They
spotted me cheating, yon know. Th,
governor kicked me out, and-and-
and-well. as | said before, IN going
under
Robin looked at me, and looked back
at him. have been confronted with Sev
er.l tragic situations in my life, but thinS
this one was the most tragic of all Sor
row. parting, loss, death, all these thing,
are terrible and hard enough to bear, good
ness knows but when it comes to dishonor-
well. that Is another matter altogether.
Robin was such boy though, such ;
! boy And his drawn, haggard face looked
SO wisttul and 50 piteous could no
help feeling sorry for him, even while
condemned him And have always beer
clad of that weakness-if, indeed. it wa.
weakness
self 50 sorry that even interviewed
Sir John, an action which was utterly op
posed to my principles, for have made
it a rule through life to mind my own buSi
ness, and 10 leave other people to mind
theirs Needless to say, gained nothing.
Robin is bad, Sir John said, coldly,
land bound to 20 to the devil. so let hin
90 in his own way wash my hands OF
him. I'll never see him or speak to / in
again as long as live, and if could leave
the old place away from him, | would,
Unfortunately, | can't, as it goes with the
title Don say any more, Maitland,
tell you the boy is bad He belongs tc
the devil, and the devil may have his own
for me
] was convinced that Robin was not
bad, only wild and thoughtess, and reck-
less to the last degree; but | said no more.
1t is only waste of time to argue with an
angry man-particularly if he happens tc
be father with certain amount of right
on his side-and | never waste time.
That is against my principles, too.
So Robin went under. That is to say,
he sailed to the other end of the world,