The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-30


young fellow. who, being In the privacy
Of h.s own room, was IN his shirt sleeves.
You can so to thunder" retorted the
other young man. who vas in gray tweed
and he slapped his hand snartly on the
table as he spoke. I'm Just simply not
going TO DO g."
a pretty friend yos areg'
"Oh, I'm all right. there's nothing the
matter with me, said the tweed. Its
You that Is the pretty friend. Here am /.
come a little matter OF nine hundred
miles 20 see you, and scarcely have /
pat ny head In at the door before you fiy
at me and ask ne to steal mans daugh-
Ter for you. Talk about nerve"
But it's the only chance, Kingdon-the
only ;hing that can be done" cried he Of
the shirt sleeves You won't listen 10
reason. What makes you fy of at q
tangent like that? The old man--he's had
lot OF trouble with his son. young Tom
DcrWcnt-and turned him out OF the
house, and they've had the devil TO pay
ihere-and he went into fury with me
and regularly turned me out Of the house.
too"
And a mighty fine thing II was" said
Mr. Kingdom. who had cigar going by
this time 1T shows the old mans head
Is level. I must make his acquaintance.
These sturdy characters are the real back
bone OF the country. Ten 10 one he won't
turn me out OF the house"
The other went on without noticing his
interruption:
And TO save Nellie from a scene /
promised the old man that ] would never
set foot on his place again. So you've
simply got 10 go. Kingdom. at 10 o'clock
tonight. and set her out and we'll meet
al the side gate, and drive like mad 10
GleLville----'
Like mad? That's a good word" said
Mr. Kingdom removing his cigar and look
ing at IL critically. We'll. you're left II
YOU think I've come all this distance 10
break up happy homes and help worthless
young sCapegTaces TO rob trusting fathers
Of Innocent daughters That sounds like
a quotation from 'Tilly slowboy.'" he ad-
ded, thoughtfully, but IL has the merit
% Being true at the same time. Why not
give the old man time. Lawrence, my
boy? You are one of the coming men,
sou know. and II you'll wait little while
until you arrive, so to speak"
Lawrence had dropped into a chair at
the table, and had his elbows on the table
and his hands in his hair.
II u tSrt ne Sdiu utleCteOtY. he IS
going TO start for Europe tomorrow with
the two girls, and swears he'll never come
back 10 this country IL don't get her
away tonight I'll never see her again"
He won't wait until he arrives" said
Kingdom, apostrophizing the books ani
the lamp and the general disorder. He
wants TO take a rich girl INTO a cottage
and teach her how to live sumptuousIy on
dollar a week. Worse than that, he
wants to steal her for that laucable pur-
pose. Wen, you might follow her In a
special train-but that takes money.
recollect. Or you might disguise yourself
as a guide and join the party in Europe
al so much per week"
But all at once he saw that the despair
IN the face opposite him was too real COZ
testing, and he leaned over and laid a
kindly hand on Lawrences shoulder.
Who would have dreamed that you
could have been so hard hit?" he exclaim-
cd, cheerfully. Come, old man, brace I'D
and tell re about H."
The bracing up took time After that
the telling all about 1t was soon accom-
Ilished.
capt, Tom Derwent was the rich old
gentleman who lived IN the last house
the large house on the hill, with the fine
grounds around it, as you left town nv
way or South street. He had two daugh-
ters-Gertie, aged twenty, and Nellie.
t!ghteen-and that cub of young Tom.
Hertle's twin. And Frank Lawrence, be-
ing young lawyer and poor, must needs
IAN IN love with Nellie, whom he couldn' I
get, instead OF turning TO any one of the
dozen or so who had looked on him very
kindly.
But ! love her. Jack" he groaned. with
bis fingers in his hair, land the old mans
money may go hang. l told him so when
ne animated that was fortune hunter
ana d marry her after that If | had 10
take her out OF the house at the muzzle
oi pistol, l was going TO get Bob Arl-
ihs'oh' friend Of mine, to help me get
H'r away, but he lives right here. and
uoht IKE 10 get him into trouble. And
'heh you came, and | thought-we are
Old friends. you know"
mere was silence in the room. Kingdom
Iaia his cigar on the tray and looked out
q The window into the long vista az
college days. After a while-half an honr
or more, lie thOught-then ne looked at
MS friend. What do you want me to
do?' he said.
~ certainly was one of the darkest
h'6hts In which a man was ever turned
L.ose IN strange country, with instruc-
''ohS 10 go straight up that slope and
h'ep on the grass. wherever he did. and
ZAP a the glass door four windows 10
Ye rlsht OF where the light was. and
"h"a she came out bring her down 10
'he Side gate in the iyied wall. quick
without aay delay, now, Kingdom. for ev-
cry 'hing depends on getting a start. The
"'Iltse would be down at the foot of
The nil IN the shadow.
mere Was no moon, and heavy mist
1empelely shut out every glimpse OF star
"ENI heavens, how dark il was! King
10" ieit MS way along the grass with his
90 INA Kept his hands before him, that
ne might not run his face against the
trunk Of tree, as he came near doing.
lie was nearly brought 10 grief BY a
lawn seat over which he stumbled hut
recovered himself. The slight noise thai
ne made awakened a new train of pleas
nag Ianeies. What If there were a dog!
ne had quite forgotten 10 ask about il.
ne felt very decided chill creeping down
ms sFine as he mentally depicted the
c!"mor OF a mastiff, and alarm, the dis
e"Very and the difficulty OF explaining
no" ne legal light and rising politician
IN very distant State. came 10 be upon
the premises OF gentleman 10 whom he
h'd never had the honor of an introduc-
uon. And, then, there was the old man.
\" one had thought 10 inquire where he
Was. Suppose he was at this very mo-
Heht taking the evening air somewhere
or thlS lawn? Suppose he were under
that very tree whose dark shadow loomed
VI few feet ahead
soothed and cheered by these pleasing
i-ncles, Kingdom slowly drew near TO the
gloomy pile OF the house. where one room
90 the front was lighted. while all the rest
lay deep in shadow
The lighted window" hc muttered 10
himself pausing near its bright rectangle
ana mechanically counting as ne stepped
OF 10 the right close under the walls
one two, three. four windows-n0w rhe
glass door should be about here some
where. Really, never would have dream
"a that / could have felt this much like
a thief"