New-York tribune., 1903-07-09

nebular hy-hypothesis is bag atelle to the
problem of Woman. Did you ever hear the lit
tie story OF the cat and the fox? Th-the fox
said he knew a hundred ways out OF tr-trouble:
the cat said he knew only one, and that to
climb tree. Pr-presently trouble came: the cat
climbed a tree. and the f-foX, while he tn
thinking which way to take g-got it in the
neck When Woman gets into the game, Fr-
frankie dear. profit by this little fa-fable. and
climb a tree
"Shedsy believes that because seven devils
were once cast out of one woman. the same
number are still in all the others"
II d-don't; don't at all. I respect the sex
highly, and 1 admire them. too. in way. But
1 see them c-coming and c-catching all my
friends, and d-doing something to them that
they're not friends Of m-mine any more; and
I'm frightened, that's all. What b-bosh you are
talking! frankie. you haven't told us about your
singing"
Nothing to tell. Music was requested. and
too lazy to work so I sang instead
'Y-yesr'
THAT was all there was to it. honestly"
Did they like it?'
Seemed to-"
IF you were so la-lazy. why did you run
back half mile and kin-kindIe the beacon. my
son?''
Bradford hesitated: then he smiled. IF
and told you to take your choice of going back
or staying where you were-permanently-wh
would you choose?
He didn't
I'D rather you didn't mention 1t. because it
might be misnterpreted; but he did
But w-why shouldn't you go back?'
II had a theory. until I saw him. that could
do more good by pulling some out, per
haps."
Shedsy's face cleared. "Of courser' he medi-
tated, softly st might have known" Still.
there little awkward pause. till Bradford
broke it by laughing.
you were thinking had been afraid OF the
dark perhaps?'
"No, no. no"' protested Shedsy.
They sat a long while over their coffee and
cigarettes, finding each other out afresh after
Bradford's long absence Later. when they had
grown reacquainted, Kate went off to study, and
Slim slipped away to bed. and finally the
indefatigable Shedsy, cursing the early hours
he had to keep. retired; but Bradford sat UP.
He had letter to write. he said.
Yet he waited hour before he wrote it He
began to speculate once more concerning the
girl in gray; his thoughts wandered far afeId
and before he was aware he had made her ac-
quaintance, found her all his instant fancy
guessed, and began telling her his dreams. Then
he stopped and laughed. Nothing gauzy a
dream. he told himself, would hold the attention
OF picklemaker's niece. She would want ma
terial things: Position, in particular. Possibly
she even read 'Debrett'' and aspired to a title
by marriage That would depend on the con-
| tinued success Of the Shakespeare Brand. and
the financial measure Of her uncles affection for
her A man who could dover unknown young
men with golden chances would not be likely to
haggle, however, over any bargain connected
viii DiaC bad in
cepting N1urdoch's favor. He did not analyze
| his own motives, or perhaps he might have dis
| covered that he scarcely regarded it as favor
at ALL There are men born to give. and men
born to receive, just as in the economy Of nature
there are lakes we'll rivers; their functions
are different but equally creditable.
At length he came to the letter he had received
from his mother. He thought it over, at this
removal from the heat of perusal, with some re-
| luctance. He felt no desire to read 1t again.
| Long as the time seemed since he had opened
| it Bradford had not forgotten a bit Of it. 1t
had disappointed him, though this he did not
admit to himself. The news Of his fathers sui
| eide and it's cause came to him with a detached
and impersonal effect. Bradford could barely
| remember his father. He was interested a
man might be in reading story which was en-
crossing in itself. and whose author was known
to him; that was all. There remained, then,
only the part Of the letter made personal-his
mothers hopes and fears for him. Bradford
was man who followed, thought he followed,
the advice of the old Greek-"Know thyself"
The letter only gave FLIP to his self-analysis
When he had pondered a long time he took pen
and paper and began to write. ITO my mother
in heaven" was the address he set at the head
of the page. He wrote for some time, and very
steadily. Then he stopped, and read over what
he had written added a few more lines.
signed it; seized a match and set fire to
the corner. But before the paper had more than
dickered into a blaze Bradford, second
thoughts, extingushed It, folded it, sealed it in
an envelope and put it carefully away.
ITO be continuedl