The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-20

"You know. 1 feel so virtuous, Civ
ing YOU this note now instead of wait
ing until after the opera" she said j.
.It's some tiresome person wants to
see YOU at once-I just peeped at it,
hut the person can wait till after
wards, can't he?"
She was little more than bride,
and nothing more than girl-a mer-
nv. rosy, elusive slip that he found
every day more charming and more
a part of his life. At the first inn
pulse he thought that the person might
very we'll wait till afterwards: but
then he read the note, and cloud and
Pm sorry to disappoint you, Gwen, +"
he said, presently, but l must go"
"Oh, 1 knew you would" she cried,
laughing fondly up at him. They
all know how good you are-such
awful folks, tool call them Wits
people, What lives they must lead!
I often wonder how you can come in
contact with all that riff-raff. II
shows how much better you are than
poor little me--or is that incorrect?
and should 1 have said poor little
~"
And this was how Will Lembert's
pretty young wife laughed him out
on his mission.
In a bare upper room at the back
of a long tenement house, Lembert
found the person. The bed on which
Ia I'D q and II c
typical of him. His beard was I'M
shorn, and his face haggard. but he
lay there examining his well-kept
finger nails and long, aristocratic
hands.
Lembert sat down on the only chair
and looked at him. He had grown
pale.
Well" said the person, smiling with
a smile that lifted the corner of his
mouth in an unpleasant way; you see,
l found you out and / couldn't resit
the temptation. Jupiter, how you build
yourself upl Director in a bank, pres
ident of a street company, leading phi
lanthropist and everything else that's
proper! You can't keep a good man
down, can you, WHIP"
More of the color dropped out OF
Lembert's face.
DO you want money!" he asked in
a voice that had changed.
only a little, unfortunately re-
piled the other, indifferently. The
doctor does me the honor to say that
have burned the candle at both ends
and at the middle, and that nave
but a day or so left of it. You might
save me from the Potter's field, If. 1t
strikes you that way. That and ut
tie change-a fellow rather likes to die
tu- IIndar his inflow
But don't stint yourself" he added
with lazy scorn.
Lembert was controlling himself with
an effort. but his hands trembled.
And this" he said, bitterly, was
nv brother-the one for whom was
set aside-the one my mother loved.
You see, You. were so -unattraetiVe!
laughed the person, easily, clasplng MS
hands behind his head. You can't ex-
pect too much of people. You were SLOW
and stubborn. How could any one no.
tice you particularly when there was a
Prince Charming in the family!
"And / loved you, Ralph! sroaneo
Lembert, with his head in his hands.
Thank you for putting 1t IN the
past tense" said Ralph. ION, yes,
believe you did But these good, good
people love as they do everything else
in such an irritating way"
And it seems to me, looking back,
said Lembert, sadly, that l spent my
life shielding you from trouble, anc
taking things you had done on myself
1t was for mothers sake, too-pool
mother! 1t killed her to think you hao
done wrong-but she expected it from
me-"
"She died, believing in me- sale
the voice from the bed. Il was always
little sorry of that. l meant to fes'
up some day. and tell her that her cid
est son was perfection. and | was
black sheep-but she died rather sud
denly. and / didn't have a chance. l.
she were here now I'd"
"Hushr" cried Lembert, raising hi
hand A flush of crimson had rushed
into his face.
Funny how you got the credit of al
my shady transactions, pursued
Ralph, with a whimsical smile curllns