Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-02-25

dSuSCo ASASAJ. SASA ~ S~A@eSS ivy
I'm going to make him move there and
live with me. I'm going to help him
live down that awful setback. need
him. He win need me-"
"If he comes out"
Fielding was thinking Of this when
he sat down to his office desk the next
morning and began turning over his
mail. Most of the letters bad certain
features which rendered them recog-
nizable at a glance
There was one among them. hcwev-
-er, which attracted his immediate at
tention by its general air Of inele-
gance. He took it up with gingerly
air. 1t suggested dramshop stationery
and the desirability OF fumigation. He
would dispose of it at once.
The hand that held the fimsy sheet
was trembling slightly before the sig
nature was reached. He looked up
from the letter to note the hour OF
day. Hedges, as often as not, dropped
in on him before going to see Hol-
brook, to ask If anything had turned
up. Fielding laid the letter on one
side apart from the rest OF his mail
and tried to go on with his routine
work. Hedges opened the Office door
without the formality of knock some
moments later, and entered with a
flushed face.
Internally hot, and that poor fell
low! I could not sleep for thinking
of the atmosphere about him. Has
anything"
Something in Fielding's eyes made
him alter the familiar sentence.
Something has happened"
Eyes. Read that letter"
The little artist leaned over the
desk, with his hand upon feelings
shoulder. He could not repress the
tremor that shook him.
Il can't. Something got into one Of
my eyes this morning You read it."
Fielding complied, amicably accept
ing that little fiction about Hedges
eyes.
The letter began abruptly: Law
yer Field. / see you're acting for the
young man, Holbrook, who is accused
of trying to kill Jane Grey. guess
you may as well tell 'em to let up on
that boy. I amt got any particular
grudge against him. / wouldn't be
SO clipper about sending this if
wasn't going to sail In one hours
time, and will be out Of sight of this
cussed town before you get this. It's
nobody's burned business what ship
I'm listed for-nor what port she's
hound for. Below you'll find a true
statement of that business.
My names Sloan. I'm sailor by
rerfession, and I'm Jane Grey's step
father. 1t was me that played it
rather low down on the girl that
morning in her fat.
II don't know as Holbrook had any
thing to do with persuading the late
Mrs. Sloan to give me the slip, but
that amt neither here nor there.
When I got back from a three
years voyage found that I didn't
have any wife, home or stepdaughter.
I can't say that took it very hard, for
I've found matrimony something of a
trap, specially since Mrs. Sloan was
inclined to be close-fsted with her
money.
"Twasn't long before I was before
the mast again, bound for another long
so. The last time l put into port it
was here Std Of the coast Of Maine.
Il suppose 1 amt no worse than
nine out of every ten tars, but are
generally get jag on as soon as we
are paid off. Jane Grey warn't in my
thoughts at all when l was prowling
about on the east side one night and I
see figger in front of me wrapped up
in long black cloak, stumpin' along
on a crutch.
1T was the crutch that brought Jane
into my mind. 1t warn't hard to
catch up with the slow moving little
creeter, which / done, and passed her
by and turned just when she came OPP
posite a street lamp.
Il seen right off it was Jane. Her
sharp chin and big black eyes give
her away. and then l dropped behind
to SET where she would bring up at. /
followed her plumb to the door Of her
fat and was about to go in and intro
duce myself when l heard Holbrook' s
voice inside. That made me conclude
I'd better pay my stepdaughter a
morning call, which I done. s'pose
the tenement house was about empty
at that hour of the day, as they're
mostly work people.
Jane warn't particularly glad to
see me. She give me to understand
that very promptly. She roughed me
up the wrong way from the word go.
She sassed me for all that was out.
There warn't a glimmer Of fear left
IN her. She used to be afraid as death
nj