The Portland daily press., 1899-07-21

tAA1t tlit AtEnt NJ tIlc tON oA tflo tloJN tuWtt
showed that parliament was still sitting.
Out Of side street at hand Issued a tall,
bent figure, tho moonlight falling on sill
yer hair and beard, and the CLEAN Of a
white tie showing at tho throat. Brent
started and stopped At the sight Of the
other man Whitehall and the government
Offices vanished, and memory spun back
10 years.
Bradley Brent, the brilliant courtcd
man OF letters. was one OF a merry party
In u houscboat up the river. Ho was the
guest Of his old school friond, who had
just wrested seat from tho opposition in
a byclection, had made n couple of ster-
ling speeches In the house and was safe for
a baronetcy when the ministers went out
Arthur Trevarthan.
Laughter and song were at their height
ono glorious July night when the mad
merriment was cleft by piercing shrek
and splash. The flash of white frock
and ain uplifted arm no less white showed
against the black water It was Mabel
Trevarthan, tho hosts only and idolized
daughter, who was drowning there 1t
was Bradley Brent who left tho house
bont's side light as shadow ana INSIDE
his way with swift, steady strokes TO the
perishing girl 1890
Unhappily terror had made her mad,
and sho nearly drowned her would be reg
cuer and herself ere a boat could reach
them. Arthur Trevarthan said nothing
but grip Of the hand that nearly crushed
the bones spoke for him. Now he was Sir
Arthur Trevarthan, undersecretary Of
state for foreign affairs right honorable
and had even risen to the dignity of a carl.
cnturc in Punch, while Bradley Brent.
what was he?
All these things passed through the
mind of the wretchec Brent as he timidly
approached his one time friend.
"Brenti Great HEAVEN man, is that
you? Come, let us talk going along. !
am bound for Queen Anne's mansions"
Together the two men walked down
Birdcage walk, while Brent poured Out
the story OF his Weakness and his fall. Hv
extenuated nothing, CLOSED over nothir g.
and his cry-tho cry of every unhappy lie.
Ing in the same case-was for "a fresh
START ys.s.s..1
"A fresh start only a fresh start 70
The most piteous petition that the lips OF
man over uttered VIXEN one thinks Of all Is
means.
The gray bulk of Queen Annc,s mnn-
sions, with lights twinkling hero and
there, doomed up &C last. Family he heard
the sleepy quacking of the water fowl in
st. James park. In few brief words the
undeEsecrctary set forth the terms Of a
"fresh start" no proposed to give his
daughters preserver. The terms were so
strarg ely, Unexpectedly generous that
Brett turned his head and gazcd across
the dim park to hide the gathering tears.
As he did SO he mechanically noticed u
solitary light twintling in window OF
the foreign office, plainly visible across tho
tree tops from where tho two men stood
This gave him an idea that sent the blood
to his forehead What had the two boy
reporters said at The Dawn office as he
stood waiting for Fraser's grudging boun-
ty? His mind was made up In an instant.
II cannot accept your Offer" he said
"You cannot accept it2'' Trevarthan q
face was ludicrous In It's blank amaze-
ment.
Instead" continued Brent. "you will
tell me what passed. at the premier's inter-
view with Count Goustovitch this after.
noon."
"Ip Impossiblef''
you will do tbs impossible thing, IRE
yarthan, for the sake Of certain nights
work at Henley, some Is years ago. do
not ask much. ] do not demand the half
OF your kingdom--just six words whis-
pered to me here, of which will forget the
source as soon as uttered. No one can
know save my edisor, and he, of course, is
silent"
Brent, my dear fellow, anything but
that. am a rich man now; CAM
"Not penny Of your money, Treyar-
THANH interrupted Brent coldly. ''I will
not sell your daughters life for gofdr' y
You're mad, Brentf' Trevarthan was
getting angry II. minister Of the
crown, betray state secretsi The things
absurdr'
The policeman pacing up Birdcage
walk saw two men, one quite the gentle
man" in evening dress and tho other q
shady looking party, apparently disput-
ing and deemed it wise to draw in to q
convenient distance However, the quar-
rel was soon made up, as the gentleman
was seen to bend forward and speak con-
fidentially into the seedy mans ear, the
latter punctuating the intelligence with
mods of understanding. Then they parted.
Two or three veteran war correspond
ents, who had spent the previous evening
in eagerly listening to recoliections begin
ming when / was with tho Turks IN
1877" or when was with the Prussians
IN lofV, ana tne aspiring youngsters who
had drunk in the glorious stories OF the
veterans were extremely upset when they
unfolded their Dawn at breakfast to read
the staring headlines: "Transylwania
Backs Downf Great Britafn's Demands
Conceded. Ibombi VIII he Evacuated
None of the other morning papers con-
tanned the startling news and indeed wero
still engaged in gravely weighing the re-
spective fighting forces of the two nations,
so after the first ordinations of disgust
the next ejaculation of both veterans and
youngsters was. 'What big scoop for
The DAWN Meanwhile Fraser, news
editor of that organ, tore into minute
pieces note signed "a. Trevarthan"
vouching for Brent's news and chuckled
exceedingly.
The Dawn gave Bradley Brent ee5o for
the exclusive" news he brought that
journal, and with tho money he made a
fresh start. He is now editor in chief of
The Moon, an important Australian paper,
and the idol of aspiring youngsters who
have no inkling of the bad past, now
buried forever and day.--London An
swers.