Courier Democrat., 1904-06-09

spread. A dozen youths and maidenS
lounged on its soft surface. Thorpe,
as he approached the light from tall
lamp just inside the hall, hesitated,
vainly trying to make out the figures
before him.
So it was that Helen Thorpe saw
him first and came f1uttering to meet
him.
"Oh, Harry! What surprisev' she
cried, and flung her arms about his
neck to kiss him.
sedately.
This was the meeting he had an
ucipated so long. The presence of
others brought out in him irresistibly
the repression of public display which
was so strong an element of his ca
reer.
A little chilled, Helen turned to in
hoduce him to her friends. He took
a place on the steps and sat without
saying word all the evening. There
was nothing for him to say. These
young people talked thoughtlessly, as
young people do, of the affairs belong
ing to their own little circle. He had
thought pine and forest and the trail
so long that he found these square ell
bowed subjects refusing to be jostled
aside by any trivialities.
He took Helen back to Mrs. Rem
wick's about 10 o'clock. They walked
slowly beneath the broad leaved ma
pies, whose shadows danced under the
tall electric lights, and talked.
"How have you done, Harry?" she
inquired anxiously. "Your letters have
been SO vague"
"Pretty WE'LL" he replied. "1f things
go right hope some day to have a
better place for you than this"
Her heart contracted suddenly. 1t
was all she could do to keep from
bursting into tears. The indefiniteness
Of his answer exasperated her and fill
ed her with sullen despair. She said
nothing for twenty steps. Then:
Harry" she said quietly, "can you
take me away from Mrs. Renwick's?"
Il don't know, Helen. l can't tell
yet Not just now, at any rate.''
Harry" she cried, you don't know
what you're doing. 1 tell you l can't
stand Mrs. Renwick any longer. l
know you've worked hard and that
you'd give me more If you could. But
SO have worked hard. Now we ought
to change this in some way. can get Il
position as teacher or some other work
somewhere. Won't you let me do thatT'
Thorpe was thinking that it would be
easy enough to obtain Wallace Carpen-
ters consent to his taking $1,000 from
the profits of the year. But he knew
also that the struggle in the courts
might need every cent the new COM
pany could spare. 1t would look much
better were he to wait until after the
verdict. If favorable, there would be no
difficulty about sparing the money. II
adverse, there would be no money to
spare. And SO until the thing was alb
solutely certain he hesitated to explain
the situation to Helen for fear of dis
appointing her.
II think you'd better wait, Helen %
said he. There III be time enough for
all that later when it becomes neces-
sary."
"And in the meantime stay with Mrs.
Renwick?" flashed Helen.
Eyes. I hope it will not have to be for
very long,"
"How long do you think, Hary?"
pleaded the girl.
THAT depends on circumstances" re-
piled Thorpe. I
"Oh!" she cried Indignantly.
Harry" she ventured after a time.
why not write to Uncle Amos? His
wanting us to come to him seems to me
very generous"
"You will do nothing Of the kind"
commanded Thorpe sternly. "Amos
Thorpe 10 an unscrupulous man who
became unscrupulously rich. He delib.
sfately used our father a. a tool and
then destroyed him. I consider that
any one Of our family who would have