The suburban citizen., 1902-12-20
A Complete Short
Story.
BY NJ. FRASER.


known tomorrow"
She handed him the pearls as she
spoke and Ralph took them in his
hand. A short string, worth, perhaps,
$500 if the full value were given, and
this childs mother had worn them
He looked at them and wondered what
he should do, and timid hand was
laid on his arm.
isn't it enough?" said Aline. "Oh,
don't know how much it was, but
they will help a little. And will you
keep them and let me go home and
tell Dick that he need not go? And
afterward, when l get work, l can pay
it baci-all of It,"
81 will keep them"
Ralph Denvers stood up and slipped
the chain in his pocket.
81 will keep them" he said again,
"and you can go home and tell Dick
that he must come into my room at the
bank tomorrow
What made him do it, he, Ralph Den
vers, cynical man Of the world, given
to jesting doubt over such vague words
as faith and charity, given to denying
the hope that has led men TO stumble
on so long? What made him do it? Ii
may be that he knew even then. And
when she was gone he stood and called
himself q fool for his pains, and it was
perhaps as well he did not see the girl
he had befriended sink down before
an empty chair in an empty room and
weep her heart out because Dick was
already gone.
Ralph took up the invitations on his
mantel shelf. He had all that evening
before him-Where should he go? He
put them down again and paced the
room. What was this thing he had
just heard? 1t had sounded simple
enough. but it may be that it meant
a big thing. Those men outside sound
cd ominOus, what if they were also
going to England tonight?
Hastily snatching UP list of sailing
steamers he saw that q steamer was
due to leave Boston Mt dawn. His
mind few TO ways and means; TO get
down there tonight a man must 90
by the 10 o'clock from the Grand CeR-
ral. He looked at his watch and
found, to his relief that he had time
and to spare. Why should he not
profit by the information he had re-
ceiyed to be his own detective? And
if only Dick Tempest We're there why
should he not bring him back to the
,fg %. rrr1,n l,n tn 10
break? She must not be allowed to
weep any more-that pretty child who
had come to him in her dark hour.
1t promised a little more excitement
than an evening spent in listening to
singer whose repertoire he knew by
heart. He went upstairs and changed
into a lounge suit, and, with a coat
over his arm, he walked quietly out
Of the house in West Seventy-second
street and had himself driven to the
FOrty-second street station.
He knew who they were now. They
were Richard Tempest's children, and
he remembered that old Senator
Vaudeville had said something to him
about looking after the lad. But when
one is good looking, popular and thirty
three, what time is there for looking
after stray boys? Ralph had seen
young Tempest once, and had asked
him how he liked the bank, and had
not waited to hear his answer, and
stralghtway had gone away and for
gotten that he was in the world. He
wondered if he should know him again
MS his cab pulled up at the main en-
trance Of the railroad station.
1t was early yet, and the platform
was not oyercrowded. Ralph walked
| the length Of the train and saw no one
who was likely TO be Dick Tempest
He went to II ticket office and got
himself a ticket It might be necessary
to go to Boston, it was just possible he
had caught an earlier train. RE walked
up and down scanning the faces of
those who passed him with keen, leis
urely glance. The time Sped the mo-
ment Of farewells came, and Ralph
was wondering If he had thrown his
evening away, when suddenly he saw
him. Dick Tempest came quickly
down the platform, n small handbag
for all his luggage, surely poor outfit
for trip TO Europe The train was on
the point Of starting, and Ralph was
the last person in the world to desire
"a scene" He stepped out to meet the
lad coming toward him.
"Ah, Tempest" he said pleasantly,
II thought you were not coming. l
have stateroom."
Dick Tempest looked into the face of
the man he had robbed, and knew that
his story was told. He Ecsitated but
the others glance was compelling, and
in answer TO 1t he got into the train
and took his place in Ralph Denver's
stateroom.
The journey to New Haven and back
is not long one, but there is time in
it for n pitiful tale Of weakness and
temptation and a too late repentance
TO be told; there is time in it for for.
giveness to be sought and not denied
1t was early morning when these two
strange travelling companions arrived
again in New York. Ralph Denvers