Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-08-31

Rich"
Il will not take the money. You de-
ceived me once before"
We'll, If I'd told you 1 won it at
pool you wouldn't have taken it"
NO." said Rich firmly, 81 would
sooner have lived on dry bread. This
money, then, is part of some gambling
trasaction?"
ct isn't"
Then how did you come by it,"
"Well, then, If you will have it,
POINTER lent it to me-"
"Oh, Hendon, Hendon, has it come
10 this?" cried Richmond piteously.
Eyes, it has. What is a fellow TO
do? Homes wretched; one never has
shilling. The guvnor's mad over
his essence, as he calls ii, and / be-
lieve, II he saw us starve. he would
smile and sigh"
NO no. He is so intent upon his
discovery, that he does not realize
our position"
"His discovery! BAH Lunacy!
There isn't a fellow at Guys who
wouldn't laugh at me If told him
what the guvnor does. Rich, old girl.
I'm sick Of it. It was madness for me
TO go through all this training, when
l might have Teen earning money as
a porter or a clerk. Everything has
been swallowed up in the fees. Why,
II Jem Poynter hadn't come forward
like a man, and paid the last"
"What?"
"well, what are you shouting at?"
did Mr.. Poynter pay your last
fees at Guy's?"
cot course he did. Do you suppose
the money was caught at the bottom
of 2 spout after a shower?"
"Hendon. dear Hendoni"
There. it's no use to be so
squeamish. II those last hadn't been
paid. 1t would have been like throwing
away all that had been paid before"
81 did not know of this-I did not
know of this!"
Don't don't dear, / couldn't help
It. used TO feel as bad as you do;
but this cursed poverty harjens a
man. / fought against it; but POynter
was always after me, tempting me.
standing dinners when / was as hun
cry as a hound: giving me wine and
cigars. He has almost forced money
on ne lots of times: and at-at other
Itimes-when I've had a few glasses
Ii haven't refused il. It's all Janet's
fault"
"Hendon,"
well. so it is" cried the young fel-
low passionately. eff she hadn't
thrown me over as she did"
"To save you from additional
poverty"
"No, 1t didn't; il made me jes-
perate, and ready to drink when a
chap like Poynter was jolly, ana
forced champagne on me. l was as
proud as you are once, but my priie's
about all gone,"
Hush! I will not hear you speak
like that Hendon, my own darling
brother! For Janet's sake"
she's nothing to me now. / was
thrown over for some other fellow"
How dare you. sir! You know it is
not true! Dear Janet! Working daily
like a slave, and offering me her hard
earnings when we were so pressed"
Did she-did she?" cried Hendon
excitedly, and with his pale face flush
ing up.
There" cried Richmond half laugh
ingly, half scornfuliy, confess, sir, that
lying spirit was on your lips. Say
you believe that Of Janet and that you
do not still love her, If you dare!"
Hendon Charley let his head fall in
to his hands, and bent down, with his
shoulders heaving with the emotion he
could not conceal. while his sister bent
over him and leid her hand upon his
head.
He started up at her touch, seized
and kissed her hand, and then, going
10 the side of the room, he laid HIS
arm against the panel and his brow
upon il, 10 stand talking there.
Il can't help it, Rich, DEAR" he groan-
ed; I feel like a brute beast some
times. and as if / can never look her
in the face again. I've drunk; I've
some wild in kind of despair; and
POINTER seems to have been always
by me to egg me on. and get me under
his thumb"
My own brother,"
Don't touch me, dear. l can't stop
here. I'll do as Mark Heath did, and
II Janet II wait. perhaps some day
may come back to her a better man,
and she may forgive me-"
There was a pause.
Il don't believe anything of her but
what is good and true; God bless her
Tor a little darling-Why, RICH"
He turned sharply, for a low moan
had escaped his sister, and he found
that she had sunk into a chair, and
was sobbing bitterly, with her face in
her hands.
"Rich. darling, l did not mean it.
What have ] said?"
Nothing. nothing. dear; only you
you must not leave me-"
s.ps,t Aforl- unath-Ahf what a fool