The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-01-03
ONE TOUCH OF NATURE ]
 By Martha
 McCuiloeh-WilliAms C-uiri1hi, foi, hu ll.rhd McCld'och- W liiGHa
: Se%eHNNN&HNNNAANN$HNNNNN<t

Ing Hkc an owl Ridgcley was forty hyc. bIbulous. bulbous. with a fortune swollen Co match his bulk and fond. ness for spending hls money in strictly hls own ways.
 The room was deadly stilL Trenwiek started a little at the click of a coal cracking In the grate. He got up. stood with hls tacl, Co the lire. SO its telltale lieht could not reach bis face as he said with Che least little shrug;
 'That must bc as you please. won der. though. if you quite realize what your refusal must mean to meT'
 For moment Rldgeley sat silent; then his hand went to the bell and he said haIf qucrulously: Say what. my boy? You must have a bracer-two braccrs before you go down to the strcct. Byastly place anyway! It's it's a shame you ever went Into It.
 .It will br a blacEer shame my get ting out of lt." Trenwlck sald grimly. Then. his voice shaking with passion: aRdgelcy. surely you you don't un- dcrStand it. It-t Is an true, every word told you. To save myself from begsary | usod another mans money without his knowledge. Unless-unless I rcplacc it before hc does know shall ro behind tue bars that Is, n let my self llyc. You know ! would never do that"
 "Cut the whole wrctchcd mess! I'll lend you five huudrcd,' Ridgeley be gan.
 Trenwlck's face got gray. Something seemed Co clutch bis throat lnvolun- tarily bc stood a thought straighter "A Trcnwick never yet ran away from nnythng" hc began. then dropped his facc in h.s hands. saying huskily. "nor stole until | JIsgraced the blood
 "Chccr up. Nou-you make me nervous" Rijgclcy said. nodding again and settling the biz diamond upon his shirt front where it would catch a brighter gleam of arelight Rldgeley was given to purple and hne linen. Upou the least occasion his rai- ment was positively riotous. A ruby almost priceless. glimmered upon his hand. He turned the stone glanced compaccutly at it and called to hls me. sa. ceae nolselessly through thc da.a Two u-zy o1cs. Jenkins. ani makc lm gool and long" Then as the door e. sci behind Jenkins: 'Poo m, soul. dear boy. I'd Ike Co see you through. Lut twenty thousand! It would be downright Immoral to risk SO much money. Why, that would keep d yacht In commission almost a sea son through~
 Trenwlck turned Co the window. Out side Che tide of lie in the avenue was at Hood. It was turning l2 o'clock. He had until 8 to make good his bal anccs It only De could make good, be was sure the very next day would find hin ln Che Hood tide of fortune. Thers was a ncEIr. spmig~u.csy market. He stood Co win che stake of his life if only lr c...l tlep o'0rC water until thc fr'e .e.aef Nothing short of that imminent hazard would have brought him Co EiGgcley.
 Ridctley had seemed to him these twentg years past. ever since he came suddenly Into great riches, as not much more than a human cl0t, wholly unlike the slow wittyd yet gallant Ind who had been his cluu ut college Because of that semlcoutcmptuous regard be had never sought Co profit by old time intimacy with the bachelor millionaire. Trenwics wondered dully as be looked at him how it came about that be was a bachelor. It could not bc that old boy and girl aGa.r with bis sister May.
 May had been dead thls twenty years and marp She bad died Indeed befarc brr dlus gown was out of f9shicn Judge Barton. her rich old husband. had mourued her deeply. but not enough Jo keep him from eXuctiug usur.rys Wssr>l for every loan hv made TryuU'ck uor from turning him outdoors wbtu tbc debts and the Inter est ate Up Che family estate The iudec's willow lived there now. with her hra't.y young son Co come after her. Mays child had uot lived Some how Trcrw,ck fylt that as a sort of special punishment Co himself. He had virtually made tuc match for his sis ter. IIe was worldly. even ease hard encd. Jut stiil hc d.l uot Ike Co recell her eyes when Joe had said Co her;
 cor course you'u marry the judge You arp thc ,ucG.cst girl know to have thc chance of him. Think what lt would bc to put up with an ordinary dull fellow uy with poor old Ridge ley" And then be had stopped short for May had run away. with her head high. but her cheeks like ashes
 It an came back to him as he stood beside Che window watching the vivid human stream without Stealthily be turned ard looked Ridscl'y over try Ing Co recall in hls unwieldy bulk the open features. Che manly, fair propor. tons of his old college mate A vague. keen anguish shot through him. Why was al ,ifc SO crisScross3 Why every thing one tild holi ou tutIlel lf for. tune uycJs must come Co Ridgeley. why not have come in timel He was