Evening star., 1900-01-13

| ton Of the iarder. Perhaps a cat had got
into it.
Joe Hendy had burned his last match,
and with a pudding dangling by its cloth
from one hand, was feeling along the shelf
with the other, in pursuit of the cut ham
when the door flew open behind him and
his heart flew up into his mouth. There
was a light and a crash. and two hands on
his collar behind and at that, with a yell
of despair. Hendy twisted about and fought
wildly with both hands. The candle went
over and cut the pudding mold smashed
against a shelf, and the CLOTH stiil gripped
in his fingers. shed cool moist pudding
about the heads of thief and financier alike
But Hendy was the weaker and the
shock had deSpoiled him of wind. Pres
emily he was dragged through the door and
found himself imploring pardon and release
in abject terms. He was starving. and the
window was open to tempt him-he had a
sick wife-no food for her-disgrace would
XIII her. and so forth.
Come" said his captor, hard of breath
himself: you just come along. and well
see about that. And he pushed the can
! tive, now all terror and submission up-
stairs before him in the dark. tripping and
stumhllng. For 1t struck Mr.. Barring Spen-
Ger, for reasons that possibly, if no partic-
uiar harm were done it would be better to
terrify the intruder and send him about
his business, rather than engage in
at the top of short flight Hendy found
hmslf pushed first across a dImly lighted
passage and then through a study door.
From landing high above came trem-
bilhS female VOICE: Mr.. Spencer, sir! Are
you there sir? II thought | heard a
noise, "
Whereto Mr.. Spencer. in the passage
without. replied with terrifying a month
full Of language that the voice was hes rd no
more.
Poor Hendy, pale and trembling. smeared
across the face with pudding and staring
al the decanter on the table without seeing
tor fnR OF hot -S-,S.N
oric Surely, surrey 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 dis
guised in pudding. but Hendy knew his
man at once. Why" he gasped, "Fitz-
FitZ-Howardr'
"Eh?" grunted the other sharply. whats
that? for his own recollection was slower
But the name
Hendy took a long breath. wiped the back
of his hand across his face and sat down
uninvited My names Hendy," he said,
Joseph Hendy, juveniles, Trevor Fitz-
Howard's company, Leeds; also RESPONSE
bles, Trevor FitZHoward's company. Bris-
to-. You've got your pudding back; give
me my boots"
What? What dye mean?"
IAN right, all right Hendy went on,
now clear in mind and dangerous ..Pr'aps
you might bluff it off with one stone broke
busker. But there's Miss Beaumont here,
or two's salary, l think. An there's Nor
ton-Teddy Norton. Remember him? Walk
ing gentleman, Trevor Fitz-Howard's COM
pany, Leeds"
Mr.. Barring Spencer sat down. ''Well?"
he said, after a pause.
We'll" Hendy went on slowly "you
seem to be doing pretty we'll now P'r'aps
You can afford to pay off those arrears
"Oh,'' answered the other laconically and
there was another pause. But suppose /
won't? Suppose just call the police and
put you in Jail? For. of course, 1 know
nothing Of all this nonsense you talk Of,
Very wei, Hendy replied, rising YEARLY.
call em. But I'm afraid you'll get county
courted over those salaries. And when il
beginS-lor when will 1t stop?''
This quite true. For If all the un-
.liqudated debts incurred in Mr.. Trevor
Fitz-Howard's 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
sideration. Mr.. Barring Spencer was at
a critical stage in his present opera
tions but his name just now stood
good for anything. Whereas Mr. Trevor
Fitz-Howard was a notorious swindler So
anything that might reveal the fact that
the two names stood for one financial on
orator would mean a crash indeed So Mr.
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