Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-02-18

ed fascinated about the headlights
and dropped into the Fitch beneath.
with reVer care for inevitable defle-
ment.
Perhaps to the thousands of eyes
/ which rested upon the lurid headlines
/ they meant nothing than an accustom-
ed mornings dram OF senEationahsm,
! with the exception OF half dozen
pairs. These half-dozen pairs belong
ed respectively TO Ledyard Fielding.
Hedges, the artist, Billy Barker. Ted
dington Hosbrook. Mr.. Wilson Ward
/ Desbrow and--one other person.
Ledyard Fielding read the whole
!, story through with set jaws and con-
tracted brows. Hedges came in swear
ing and spluttering Just as he reached
the final paragraph.
Have you seen i.?"
"I have just finished IT."
The two men looked at each other.
Hedges dropped into chair near
| feelings desk and mopped his fore
| head vigorously. 1t was hot, and he
had walked rapidly from his Office to
| Fielding's.
What do you think of IT." he asked
glazing at the paper Ledyard had just
/ laid down.
Fielding answered with legal eau,
ton: 81 have formed no opinion yetS
'Twell, have"
"Oh, you have? Perhaps you won't
mind expressing it."
| Not In the least. It Is lie."
~ hope he can prove as much-for--
his fathers sake" Fielding answered
slowly.
81 want him to prove It for his own
There is good stuff in the boy. He
] has talent He is not afraid of work.
He Is modest. like him. love him."
little Hedges voice broke here, ''al-
most like a son, and / came round to
say that if money is needed to defend
| him, to clear UP this Internal mess,
call on me. I'll see him through"
| Ledyard looked at him a silent Sec
ond before making any answer. And
yet you are not a man OF means"
81 don't claim to be a Croesus
suppose you wouldn't refuse to take his
case?"
mo, shall look into ii. But
shant need your money, Hedges" The
little painter wrinkled his face comic
ally. And yet you are not man Of
means"
THAT Is true, but loved his father
and / am entirely responsible for your
ever getting mixed up with him. I
shall attend to his case"
"As for my being mixed up with
him. you never did me a kinder turn
than when you gave me that boy FOR
pupil
you are loyal"
"And you will be-apologetic."
Then he got up and went away.
waddling and suffering as he had
come.
Billy Barker read It with eyes that
stretched wider and rounder at each
successive paragraph.
"of course" he said to himself. an
grily, there have been dirtier scandals
and bigger villains, but this Is the first
time have ever been forced 10 take
personal interest in such reading"
Billy Barker's life was essentially
clean one. He liked to think of him
self as an emancipated member OF
somewhat rigorous family, mach given
to creeds and churchgoing. He liked
other fellows to think OF him as living
the life of bohemian, with an artistic
bent, minus any bohemians laxity OF
morals.
He took harmless sort of pride In
the chronic chaos that obtained in his
rooms and bureau drawers. 1t pleased
him to repudlate standing collars and
four-in-hand ties, when no other wear
seemed admissible In decent society.
He thoroughly enjoyed the irregularIty
OF his up-rislngs and his lyings-down.
I1c iduBHSu Win IlFtly toHieupb lof
the "rakings over the Goals" his sister
Betty sometimes felt compelled to give
him. But aside from these mild excur-
sions into realms OF gay young bache-
lordom Billy was as innocent as any
week-old inhabitant OF the city.
That was the special reason why
this Column of rot" sent such shud-
der of disgust through every fiber OF
his healthy nature.
"D-n 1t all, and have called him
friend"
His passionate resentment culminat-