The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-01-08

pass through her, ana she leaped to
her feet.
who are you?" she demanded. "In
heavens nap,e. who are your
He stepped swiftly back, and con.
trolling himself by supreme effort
answered in a dull and measured mon
otone:
Dandy Dick. burglar. Francis Car
shaltOn, millionaire"
There was a short silence, then he
began to speak.
81 was born too late. / ought to
have come into the world 200 years ago,
the world of Drake and Froblisher and
Raleigh, the world when men lived and
dared, not the world of to-day, when
they stagnate and exist. The curse of
some bygone ancestor was in my blood,
of restlessness, of lawlessness, of I'M
tanned ambition. From my babyhood
| was a rebel, and rebellion grew on
me. l could never be as others were,
could never bear the shackles ard
trammels, and the emptiness of CIV
ilized life. For long, long hours would
sit and ponder on way out. There
were things-the exploration of wild
and savage lands, for instance, but
they were for the rich, and l was
poor. So the years dragged by, and
tried many things, and my lawless-
ness grew and grew, and then"
"Yes?" She leaned forward, for
getful of the hour, the circumstances,
of everything but the quiet, monot-
OnOus voice, with its ring of absolute
truth, the voice that seemed to be
giving her kaleidoscope glimpses of
a soul that had somehow lost its way
in time and space and strayed into Il
wrong century.
And them met a woman, and
loved her, loved her as such man
would. And she-well, she was IA
typical English girl, and she loved
me in a typical English fashion,
quietly, Systematically, serenely. So
l woke from my dream, the dream of
love that was impossible to her,
and faced the reality. We both were
poor, and that frightened me. Not
the poverty itself, but all it implied:
The monotonous treadmill, the
straight, narrow groove one must
walk in always; the gradually tight
ening and Strengthening bonds of
civilization | loathed. Until one
night, out in the midst of the waves
and the wind, with the wild exhilara-
ton of the storm in my veins, | saw
clearly that it was impossible-tha
the curse bequeathed to me by that
bygone ancestor was stronger than
my love. And-I left her. l was al
elemental person; she the product of
an overripe civilization
He paused, but she sat silent, SPELL
bound.
Finally, l took to burglary, because
for me it was the one way out. 1t re-
sponded to the two strongest chords in
my nature, lawlessness and love of
danger. Oh! l don't say it was the
best, but it was the second best, and
one mostly has to be content with that.
L soon became a power, and for 20
years now | have planned and helped
to carry out all the most daring rob-
berries that have startled the social
worlds of Europe. For the wealth it
brings | care nothing-for the danger
and excitement everything. When [
am Carshalton, l am bored to death.
That gives me the stimulus for devils
ing new schemes. And the end? Well,
have plan for that, too"
And the woman" asked the lis
tener, quietly.
There was just perceptible pause.
Then he said slowly, hesitatingly:
Il don't know. You will say it was
cowardly to leave her. Yet to stay
meant inevitably to break her heart.
And she was young. l hope, l have al
ways hoped, that she learned to for
get. You are a woman-do you think
she has forgotten?"
Il pray she may have" said Janet
Kimbolton, softly. "Yet-women do
not forget easily. l could tell you a
tale of a woman who tried hard to for
get-for 20 years. But she didn't sue
ceed."
Tell me-" he whispered.
His voice, with his imprisoned
eagerness, must have struck her had
she not been once more absorbed in
that bygone dream.
He had that double curse-ambi-
ton and poverty. So he left her. And
week later she came into fortune.
But it was too late. He had gone,
why or where she never knew"
And the end?" queried the burglar
huskily.
'There'is no end. She is just going
on loving him. That is ALL
The man turned and moved unstead-
lily to the door.
"Good-by,' he said, your jewels are
there
lmpelled by some obscure impulse
she CROPPED her way after him in the
| darkness.
As he stepped outside the street door
he turned and, taking her hand rever-
emily in his, kissed it. At the same
moment a ray of moonlight fell across
his face.
"Dick!"
He dropped her hand and fled down
the broad, shallow steps.
TOO late!" he groaned. "Good-by.
little Jean poOd-by"