The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-06

The restless faint in his blood spurred him
TO seek fresh adventures. He left his home
and his employment, and took the early
train to London That same evening an
cient habit sent him TO the Strand, where,
on the threshold of a popular bar, he met
Cartrew, whose glossy hat and big cigar
suggested at least transient prosperity.
Cartrew invited him to take refreshment
at his expense, and they talked of old times,
not forgetting the melancholy day when
the company was wrecked at Eastbeacon.
"I paid EN- all off. though" said Cartrew;
'fn fact, / intended TO do so even IL they
hadn't sued me. 1 could hear nothing of
you, however; so, OF course, you never got
yours. It's too late now. The odd thing
was that when I sent Miss Vincent's screw
she returned ii TO me and said that you had
paid her"
Then Frillers confessed.
at was deuced like a felony" said Car
trew. 81 remember my accounts were 80
shillings short. Still, right or wrong, 1 ad-
mire you. Twas a generous thing, And
what a fine scene it would make! By
George. 1 should like to show 'em the lover
robbing the till for the sake of the lady!
How 1 could work it up! How gone you
were on that little girl, too, Frillers!"
II have never forgotten her. said Fril-
lers.
What Not in the six years?'
Frillers shook his head, slipped his whisky
and soda water sadly and asked what had
become of her.
We'll" replied Cartrew. "she's left the
profession, for which, by the way, she was
almost as unsuited as you, and went into
business at a place called Furcombe-some-
rhare in the xyoCf ~ nolan NTfo nn-
lington, leading lady in one of my COM
panies, saw her there a few weeks ago.
1t appears that she married a man named
Pyke, who died. She's now a widow with
two kids"
Then Frillers, whom this information had
much excited, began to press Cartrew with
questions till he became bored, since the
only subject which he cared to discuss per-
manently was himself-his failures, his
successes, and the beastly stupidity of the
public who never could see a good thing
when he offered it.
The conversation. however. made a deep
impression on Frillers. Here was his first
and only love-a widow with two children,
alone ia the world-probably heIpless. Her
helplessness impressed itself on his mind
as he recalled how she had wept on the
evening when he had raided Cartrew's
cashbOx.
To see her again. to renew a romance
which had never died out of his magma
ton. seemed necessary to adjust his life
to the dramatic stream of circumstance
He had been a soldier for her sake. because
soldering. even in hea-ridden South AT
rican barracks, made him "worthier OF
her" He had been unable TO settle down
since, because her fair head and blue eyes
and the other obvious charms OF the in
evitable popular romance glimmered con-
stantly in his fancy.
AS he walked down the Strand and the
theaters were emptying he tried to believe
that her voice was calling for him: when
he fell asleep in a room in Drury lane he
had persuaded himself that she yearned
for his help and his protection. Thus he
built his drama. IL did not occur TO him
that a man whose sole available capital
was about 81 might perhaps appear ride
ulous as a rescuer. When a dream caught
Frillers he let it carry him away. and be-
lieved that he was a man of action. He
was a leaf for the winds OF fancy TO sweep
down the long. white conventional road
made by unoriSinal wanderers.
on the following morning. therefore,
when he went TO Paddington Station. car
rying a small black bag. took a third-cIass
single ticket TO Furcombe. and said TO him
self. My whole life is a romance" he sin.
cerely believed it.
Furcombe is a small west country town.