Evening journal., 1899-09-20
His Vindication
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Il 4 bAAA -AANAAA LUX AAAl
caught the infection. Then the occu-
pants of the smoke room followed suite
in splendid style Neale was generally
considered too lazy even TO yawn, so his
action was on this dun November even-
, ing considered by his fellow clubmen to
be OF sufficient import TO call for com.
mcnt.
"Nou are getting too fat, Neale," ven
tured his neighbor. TRY a motor
cycle. If the exercise won't reduce,
your ponderosity and cure you of
yawns the novelty and efiiuvium mixed
will"
Douglas did not this time follow his
seniors lead, but joined in the conver-
sation with:
Il did my best to save him from syn
cope through laziness by challenging
him at billiards. till l found that the
only. Vacant table was the one next to
Chat on which that fellow Pemberton
was playing. I don't care to play even
in the same room with him. Why isn't
he Mt home with his wife, instead Of
thrusting his company upon us?"
My deai How, am glad you were
spared the double humiliation OF de-
feat, f.pI the witness thereof by the
man. you choose to dislike. ! think,
However, your remarks are at least un-
] guarded. know / surprise you. but
must tell you that you are unjust to
him."
20, but look at this ostentatious dis
play of his filthy lucrel" blurted out
the youngster. If he can afford to sub
scribe $1,000 TO the West Indian relief
frnd, he need not make it so public. He
nas the bearing of a tradesman, and not
that of a gentleman"
softly, my lad, }" rejoined thereputed
cynic.
Then, there is the case of poor Gus
Darrell. 1t is common talk that Penn
berton was responsible in some way OF
another for his DOWNFALL" persisted
his relentless accuser. "Then, those dia-
monds that were lost-there is some
thing very suspicious about that af
fair"
> 'Ah! Diamonds! What would YOU
: say if told you all about that mysteri
Jus lullAtQ ANthAts
Every man within hearing jumped tC
his feet at this bomb thrown amongs
them. Neale knew all about the dia
monds stolen from the neck of Murie
Ross in her mothers house, and In thu
= presence of the donor-IIorace V. Penn
y berton-her afiianced husband. Herr
. was the material to hand for a splendi'
a yarnl
!, Thought that would wake up tn
slumberefs," laughed the cynic. ''
9 won't disappoint you. Any man VIII
: Will pledge his word not to repeat m.
d story may follow Douglas and mysel
a TO the private room upstairs. Bring T.
v whisky and soda and a good cigar, an
= I'll start at once.
"The late lamented Mr.. Algerno
'e Ross left to mourn his loss" said Neal'
70 with a preparatory cough, "a wido'
% with three children. The eldest, Murie
e who has lately married Douglas
Is friend Pemberton, is, as you know,
a beautiful, accomplished woman. TIL
two younger children are schoolboy
named Sid and Bert. Two create
III OUN uUuct ANNNA
r 'This worthy and happy family live
" at an old-fashioned house called 'Th
l. Homestead l have called the hous
q old-fashioned, but internally il is not s
n, now, for after a seasonable and RET
sonable period of mourning Mrs. Ro'
turned the old house inside out, an
o with the aid of art decorations an
electric bells she succeeded in produ
ell ing the most curious of curious anon
alies-a new old house.
$50 much for the house. The chi
n attraction in It oraround it was MErie
- her charms, and the comfortable lit
r income in her own right, attracts
, suitors by the score; but there we
never more than two in the race al
those two were Pemberton and Gl
ID Darrell.
IL Darrell was the same age as Muri'
u u and they had been playmates togeths
~ Ets He was a journalist of distinct abili
ev and great promise; but promise is
or very unsubstantial thing to live on
II. the present, and poor Gus suffered fro
r. a chronic shortness of funds.
IS "But it was not 10 be. Pembert'
RS. came, saw and conquered. The preci
'r- workings of the feminine heart al
mind which made the choice Of a nj
10 ten years her senior. and reput
on hard, unpublished business man 70 boz
on '1 am not able TO determine.
hv 81 have heard that, when he cares
art display it, Pemberton can furnish
b. standard of conversational periecti
er. that many a college man would cn'
He has a grasp, too, Of subjects viii
les you would pardon man of letters
ie- ing ignorant of. These accompli'
m ments may furnish the secret of
= success, or they may not-the fact
M mains that he became n devoted Low
% and poor Gus had TO witness the whit
,se affair with as good a'grase as he cor
a Muster.
Ter . "The. first indication Muriel obserN
of Pemberton's wealth was a magn
ge- cent diamond pendant she recei'
at from him about a month after the
600 trothal ring, on her twenty-first bir
oy day. The ring was simple, but go
'H but the pendant must have cost h