The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-14

/ release in AFFECT terms. He was starving,
and the window was open 10 tempt him
he had a sick wife-no food for her-dis-
| grace would kill her and so forth
Come" said his caplor hard of breath
/ himself; you just come along, and We'll
see about that" And he pushed the cap
tive, now all terror and submission, up
| stairs before him in the dark, tripping and
| stumbling For il struck Mr.. Barring
| Spencer, for reasons, that possibly, if no
particular harm were done, il would be
| better to terrify the intruder and serd
| him about his business, rather than en-
/ gage in troublesome business at a Police
| Court So at the top of a short flight
| Hendy found himself pushed first across
! a dimly lighted passage, and then through
| a study door.
From landing high above came a trem-
|. bling female voice: Mr.. Spencer, sir!
Are you there. sir? IL thought I heard
| a noisew
Whereto Mr. Spencer, in the passage
without, replied with so terrifying a
mouthful of language that the voice was
heard no more.
Poor Hendy, pale and trembling smeared
1 across the face with pudding, and staring
| at the decanter the table without see
| ing il, started at that amazing string of
rhetoric Surely-surely the idiom was
! somehow familiar.
Mr. Barring Spencer came in at the door,
and for the first time their eyes met in
| fun light Both were to some extent
disguised in pudding. but Hendy knew his
man at once. Way" he gasped, "Fitz-
| Fitz-Howardr'
"Eh?" grunted the other sharply.
whats that" for his own recollection
was slower But the name
Hendy took long breath, wiped the
back of his hand across his face and sat
down unlimited. MY names Hendy," he
! said. Joseph Hendy, juveniles, Trevor
| Fitz-Howard's company, Leeds; also re-
| sponsibles, Trevor Fitz-Howard's com
pany, Bristol. You've got your pudding
back; give me my boots.
What? What do you mean?"
IAN right, al right" Hendy went on.
now clear in mind and dangerous. "P'raps
| you might bluff 1t off with one stone broke
busker. But there's Miss Beaumont here,
too, same company. You owe her a week
or two's salary, I think An there's
Norton-Teddy Norton. Remember him?
| Walking gentleman, Trevor Fttz-Howards
company, Leeds
Mr. Barring Spencer sat down. "Wen?"'
he said, after a pause.
We'll" Hendy went on slowly, ''you
seem 10 be doing pretty well now. P'raps
you can afford to pay off those arrears"
Co." answered the other laconicaliy, and
there was another pause. But suppose
won't? Suppose I just call the police
and put you in jail? For, of course,
know nothing of all this nonsense you
talk Of"
Very we'll" Hendy replied, rising
YEARLY, "call 'em. But I'm afraid you'fl
get county-courted over those salaries.
And when it begins-lor, when will it
stop"
This was quite true. For If all the IN
liouidated debts incurred in Mr. Trevor
Fitz- Towards theatrical career were to
be called up at once by creditors all over
the country, Mr.. Barring Spencer would
be squeezed very tight indeed. And once
the Two names were identified the rush
would begin. But there was another con-
sheraton Mr.. Barring Spencer was at
critical stage in his present operations,
but his name just now stood good for any
thing Whereas, Mr.. Trevor Fitz- How
ard was a notorious swndler. So any
thing that might reveal the fact that the
two names stood for one financial opera
tor would mean crash indeed. So Mr..
Barring Spencer like a man of business
went to the root of the matter straight
way.
Look here" he said, "we'll fool about
no longer. How much do you want?"
Hendy sat down again. For me- he
said "say four weeks at 80 bob. and say
nothing about the boots. Miss Beaumont
four weeks at 80 bob, too. and Teddy Nor
ton a fortnight at the same. That's Is
quid."
The sum seemed enormous in these lean
days, but he was dealing with a capital
list, the estimate was honest enough. And
rhen," he went on you might give poor
| Leatherby a lift on the road"
Never mind all that" the other said,
unlocking a drawer you don't expect
| to make me believe you're interested in
| all those people, do you? Or that you'd
give 'em a cent? l amt a baby no more
are you See here" He took small par
eel of notes and counted, zone. two, three,
four five-a pony, f25 Take it and clear
out. and keep your mouth shut. AS for
getting the show on the road, do it any
how you please, and as soon as you like
| Only mindr' And he raised his finger.
| IF any of those others got on the scent
and some here l shall tell EN- you've got
their money Now you can go as soon as
you like"
But indeed Mr.. Barring Spencer was just
trihe too clever. He was much 900
clever in fact, to suppose that Hendy-
a man just caught stealing pudding
would part any of that money unless he
were obliged. He assumed, of course. that
Hendy would keep the money to himself,
say nothing Of the encounter, and, more
over, use every exertion TO get the show
out of the neighborhood because of the
threat to set the others after a share of
the notes if he, Spencer, were troubled by
them. Indeed, he judged it very cum
ming shift TO shut Hendy's mouth and
clear away the players from the town at
one stroke. He was never safe from rec
ogniuon among players.
But he miscalculated. For Leatherbys
company signalized Christmas by two din
ners at the Crown, one at midday and one
at 7. And Leatherby gave the health of
Barring Spencer, founder of the feast. with
great fervQr, and proclaimed him an orna-
ment to the theatrical profession, which
he had so lately left. For Hendy had made
no secret Of whence he had the money,
nor of the debts 1t was to liquidate, and
some of it he represented as subscription
toward Leatherby benefit, designed to
set the show on its legs again in the next
town. And the company called Mr. Barring
Spencer a noble fellow and. moreover,
insisted on tearing the butcher from the
bosom of his family (the drover was not
to be found) and making him drink Mr..
Spencers health too, a great many times.
| So that thew ALI MIGHTY rtna