The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-27

stopped me from II. To-morrow-the
next day. or the next. whenever it
can be. it shall be. 1 will not live"
Ramsdell watched the white young
face speculatively. There was a
frenzed in his despair that was pitiful.
The boy was certainly in deeper
trouble than himself.
lie tapis vert?" he asked.
ITO the very end of all. And IL
could have staked my life, it would
have gone also. But that is not all.
m'sieur." He spoke more quietly. with
a kind of homeless awe at the ruin
he had accomplished. Il am more
than ruined. 1 am dishonored. 1t
was not my money. I have made her
penniless, too. / wish to die before
tomorrow, when she will know
Does she love you?"
II am all that she loves in the
world"
Then you are twice fool" said
Ramsdell calmly. Il am only one.
self before you have fulfilled your
time. It's bad thing to give up when
tomorrow holds the cards. Every
morning brings a fresh deal. and the
games never done until death rakes
life that was dearest on earth to
another"
There was nothing left to cover
the diShonor except death.
''My dear boy. do you smoke? No?
Then you should. 1t is Quieting to
the nerves. Death does not cover
dishonor. Pardon me, but you take
the continental view. 1t is simply a
measure of escape for the offender be-
yond the laugh of the world, and pos
sible punishment"
Ramsdell was standing near the
door, one hand in his pocket, the other
holding the cigarette lightly. He felt
a sudden earnestness enthuse him. He
was convincing himself as well as the
other poor devil of the folly of their
ways.
"And you say that she loves you.
You are very young. AS long as you
are sure of woman's love, there is
hope. She will forgive you anything. 3"
There was a rap on the door.
Ramsdell asked who was there. One
of the hotel attendants answered.
Was Monsieur lie Marquis within? He
had been seen to enter with Monsieur
Ramsdell. Visitors wished to see
him.
Ramsdell opened the door and stood
speeches.. Before him in the corridor
were the Marchesa Beata D'Istria and
John R. Crittenden of Chicago.
Crittenden spoke first.
"Kirke Ramsdell by George!"
-
hand mechanically. He was staring
at the girl in amazement. She was
in evening dress, an exquisite costume
of amethyst colored chiffon and satin,
whose material beauty was as elusive
as the charm of her lovely face. For
the first time in his life Ramsdell re-
allied the spiritual significance OF
womans dress. a dress than could be
so utterly an expression of her own
individuality as to be beyond descrip-
ton. In the curls of her fair hair was
an orchid, its petals amethyst colored,
its heart a deep Jacqueminot red. Her
eyes met his in startled appeal and
recognition.
Where is Andrea?" she asked in
stantly.
Ramsdell turned to his guest. The
latter had risen from the table at the
opening of the door. and as the Mar
chesa spoke, he held out his arms to
her.
"Beata, do you know?"
Ramsdell looked away. 1t was not
a pleasurable moment for him. Crit
tenden had laid aside his hat and
cane, and was cycling him with con-
siderable satisfaction.
I'm mighty glad to see that you're
o. K. 1 missed the Saturday boat
to Marseilles, and had to come by
way of Cherbourg. 1t has made me
late"
Il am also late" Ramsdell spoke
with an effort. TT is after midnight,
and I'm not dead yet
Thank God, that you're not, my
boy" said Crittenden, cheerfully. He
looked at his watch. You're off on
your time. 1t is three minutes to
twelve. Don't be in hurry. Rams
dell, I've had an inside track on your
affairs for two years. 1t was a bust
ness deal, of course, but happen to
have such a thing as a conscience,
and 1t has troubled me to be a party
to a scheme where a mans life was
balanced against a mere matter of
dollars and cents. When you sank
that last twenty thousand in winter
wheat, I was the winner. 1 didn't
think that you would settle up, under
the circumstances, but you did, and
it was a pretty decent thing to do
/ was all to the good along there
and I took the liberty of placing that
twenty thousand In with my own OPP
erations for the spring. My boy, we
squeezed them to the wall until they
yelled. I've got my twenty thousand
back, and If you want to cancel that
old debt inside of a minute and a
half, don't believe you'll miss it so
very much out of a cash balance of
over six hundred thousand"
And you came over here to tell
me this?"
Partly. Partly on account of the
youngsters over there. suppose
Andys been committing suicide
again, yes? He tries it every time he
gets into hot water Last time Beata
and l found him in Paris hunting a
decent, exclusive corner in which to
blow out his brains. Oh, he's a. cheer
full cub. 1 shall take him back with
me this time, and marry him off to
some clever, level-headed American
girl who will talk sense into him. We
were told he was up here, but 1 had
no idea you two had fallen in to-
gether."
THE company of misery" laughed
Ramsdell. Il never saw him before
In my life"
WELL by George. that is funny"
exclaimed Crittenden. Didn't know
there was a strain of the warranted
ot-to-fade-in-the-w wash European blue
blood in our old Chicago line
Ell? My sister, Polly Crittenden
married the Marchese D'Istria
There's the result Andrea and Beata.
Their parents are dead, and they near
ly break their necks trying to live
up TO the traditions OF their fore
fathers over here. But when they get
hard uD for cold cash and good adj
vice, they remember their foremoth-
ers back in Chicago, and cable Uncle
Jack to come over and fix matters I'D
Andrea manages to run wild over
here, but keep the bulk Of Polly's
money stored home where the frost