The Washington weekly post., 1899-10-31

ether men have gone there for the same
game. and Il all the orange trees were
equally divided Up there might be one per
man As II Is. the Young'un hasn't got
hiz. and he resides In q palmetto shack
near Naples and subsists on mullet and
sweet potatoes"
Mac IL he aloner'
I laughed and stopped down and kissed
her on the hair.
"All right. Kiddie: he's living en- garcon.
and "a you're fool enough TO want him
you shall have the beass III go and
clothe him. tell him about the Peniient
Thief, and bring him ove-
V
Now, I'd made Sup my E;in6 that this
was going To be ons Of those ideal Things
one reads about-a match that vas love
match on both sides; but after six months
had gone by, ! began to have strong
doubts as to whether it would turn out
into a match at all. Young Fairhairn
swallowed the Penitent Thief yarn,
lock, stock, and barrel, and brought
frock coat and fine linen. He was prob
ably the happieSt man in London, ana
assumed an air Of easy patronage with
the Kid. for which 1 lusted 10 kick him
Re hadn't aged one bit in his years OF
yagabondage, because, among his few
virtues he did not drink, and was not
addicted 70 headwork. He looked very
smart and debonair. but when | saw him
taking the Kid about, and playing the
role of benevolent uncle, felt more than
riled. She, poor girl, looked wretched;
yet what could a man do? third per-
son who interferes in these matters is
usually, in the future, cut lead by both
parties.
Blu; at last | could stand II no longer.
Young FaIrbairn, with his absurdly pa
tronizing airs, made me burst rabi0ly into
speech.
'D' you know, Mae" he said one day
at the club, that when / first came back
here / very nearly got mashed on that
Kid of ours? Thought of marrying her,
mean. Fact; l really did. By the way,
haven't you ever thought it's queer she
never did pick up a husband2 She's jolly
gOod-lOOking; she's rich; and l swear no
one would ever spot she isn't a lady.
But" he concluded retlectively, Il be-
lieve she's one Of those curious women
who don't care twO-penCe for any man"
1t was then that / rose in my wrath,
and shamefully abused part Of a wo-
mans confidence, and rent young Fair
bairn into startled fragments. I spoke
of the Penitent Thief. He had puzzled
over that individual a little, but not
much; didn't see that his identity mat
tered so long as the money was there.
But when / drew his more special atten-
tion TO the story, he saw that that de-
ceased robber was an utterly impossible
and apocryphal parsonage, and another
light began to dawn upon him.
My word, McG.. is this really true?
Didn't this fellow ever exist? And is it
the Kid who has really pensioned meT'
Use the small wit the fates have given
you," / snarled back.
II deserve to be kicked
IF ever a man did you're he. But
thought you were in love with the girl all
along, or you should have stayed in your
palmetto shack. What did you bring her
up TO-? Why did you do hard labor in the
Cape 10 pay those school fees?"
because that was the only one dogged
thing / had in my nature. / swOTe to
myself I'd rear up that Kid decently, and
at other times / snOre other things; but
that was the only one l ever at all stuck
To. But l didn't do it because L loved her
not then, that is-I-er-I suppose l do
love her now. Since I've come back, that
is, and she's grown up. Yes, old man, of
| course, am honestly and really in love
with her now"
L considered he was lying, but didn't say
so; preserved instead the silence of the
condemned.
You needn't glare at me In that way,
Mac. In fact, confOund me, / should like
to know what the devil you mean by it.
You seem in an Internal sully temper this
morning. I'll leave you. I'm going to
loOk up the Kid
IF you've anything of the gentleman
left liz YOU. you'll propose 10 her"
snapped out.
You mind your own Internal business" !"
retorted young Fairbairn, and slammed
the door behind him.
paced up and down the room, and re-
lieved my feelings by addressing profan-
ity to the chandelier. This employment
sCothes enc under such circumstances.
Young Fairtairn did not turn up to a
dinner appointment that night, much to
the annoyance of a certain hostess with
daughters, but l saw him next day at a
private view, and the Kid was hanging
close on his elbow. She was beaming.
She was looking so absurdly happy that
people stared little and then smiled.
The rooms were crammed, and it was
some time before we came together. But
she caught my eye early on, and tele-
graphed to me a long bulletin in two
| oeillades and a lift Of the eyebrows. You
see, / have come TO understand the Ki6's
methods rather well 1t is that way with
a woman you are fond of. But at last
the crowd surged and got across.
Mac" she said, when 1 shook hands
with her, what have you been doing TO
the YOung'un? He says he won't have you
for his best man, and 1 can't get out of
him why. Now sit down here with me
and tell the reason at ORce."
THE FN-pA