Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-08
CHAPTER XIV.


HE shed his blood for your father, Miss
Lizzie You must never forget that
At Kings Cottage Mr.. Vincent had one
| stanchly fervent admfrer to whom he
was still all hero This was Mrs. Price.
Whenever Mr. Jacks conduct was called
in question, she spoke of the fight. He
! fought for you. sir-for to teach them
not to make guys of their betters.
should remember that if I was YOU
| In regard to the great business enter
prise all seemed going wei at Mr.. Crun-
denis house yard and estate. Another
section of the new road with a branch
to right and left had been laid down; on
the outskirts of the land Mr. Crunden's
| two rows of cottages were nearing COM
| pletion; three more rows were to be
built by builder from Reigate, with his
| own money: four villa plots out of the
| COG mapped by Mr.. Bowling had been
disposed of on lease; pleasant little
patches of red marking these early sue
cesses had been painted on the big show
| maps There was plenty of work to oc-
cupy everybodys thoughts, and no neces-
sity for Lizzie to begin thinking about
| her fathers clerk; but people-frst one,
then another-made her do so.
| Now it was Mrs. Price stopping the
| well-sustaned clack-clack of TIE type
writer to prefer the request that Lizzie
! would take more interest in Mr.. Jack, in
( fuence him to his ultimate advantage
| and generally act the part of good angel
| Mrs. Price considered herself as one
| good angel, but you could not nave TOO
| many good angels-when there We're so
| many bad angels about. She was in fear
lest Mr.. Jack might be falling again I'M
| der sinister influences, if not into evil
Ways With admiration undimmed, watch
! ing him closely. she regretted to OBJ
serve that he was not working so we'll
| not looking so we'll ''in his health not
| going on 80 brave and noble as he done
| at first" The master was annoyed with
| him the other day-found him in the sta
| ton bar, when he ought to have been
| unloading truck of Yank doors, window
frames and wall skirtings. The railway
station was dangerous place for Mr.
| Jack: there lurked such puffy, blown
| out, bad angels as Mr.. Lardner.
And further. Mrs. Gates. Jacks land
| lady. while charing for Mrs. Price, told
of other perilous influences. Mrs. Gates
related how ''that Miss Barter, came up
of an evening to call for the ledger and
| take him out for walk downtown. Mrs
| Gates thought such visits unladylke, if
not improper: and SO did Mrs. Price.
who is Miss Barter" said Lizzie very
coldly. ag
Her as has the dressmaking shop UNI
der Mr.. Dowlings. But she came out of
| tho White Hart-and If ! was the ladles
| I wouldn't go near her or her shop. Don
you ever have nothing to do with her.
miss"
Il certainly shall not" said Lizzie con-
| temptuously.
You know there used to be talk
| about her and Mr. Jack-though Mr. Dow
| ling speaks up for her and says that was
just talk But what I say is this: It's
| cruel thing of her to go disturbing him
after his days work, and forcing him
| down town-taking her to the theater and
| wasting his hard-earned shilllngs-and
| bringing him into worse danger.
| What danger?"
why" said Mrs. Price solemnly, II
mean his being led astray by all that
wicked drinking lot that hangs about the
theater. When a gentleman is so kind
in his heart as Mr.. Jack, he hasn't al
ways the stren'th to say no-and then
it's one glass on top of another until
he has to be punished with the bad head
| ache next day-and not fit for his work.
It seemed to Lizzie that scarcely any
punishment could be too severe for gen.
tlemen who went to the play with impu-
dent and vulgar dressmakers. She ex-
pressed no sympathy.
"He had the headache the other morn
| Ing" Mrs. Price continued sadly land
| he arst me to = 20 him pick-fne-up
while he was 3d.; his work at that table.
But sal" Mr.. Jack. No pick-me..
|
| tea He turned that off with a joke.
ana said the doctors had = scared him
about tea-and tea was jumpy stuff to
take except at tea time. That was his
joke" and Mrs Price smiled. with affec
tionate tolerance. HE called me Pricey-
picey and made face at me and my tea
and then laugh. OF course 1 had to
laugh too
Had you?" said Lizzie, without the
least smile. 1T doesn't strike me as
very funny
| NO, Miss Lizze,' and Mrs. Price be-
came impressively serious again. God
| forbid I should see fun in drinking. But
didn't mean l was afraid of his ever
taking it heavy-lke to destroy him as
we've seen happen, in this house-to our
sorrow. But it's easy for a gentleman
to take more than's properly good for him
when he's drawn int into bad fn,s COMPANY
father will discharge him
Eyes, Miss Lizzie, but your father
can't discharge Mr. Jacks shedding of
his blood for him, And l do say,
don't look after him and keep him steady,
now he's thrown over all them as ought
to look after him. and put himself in our
| hands. That's what l say, Miss
Lizzie" and Pricey said it quite de-
family, and then moved toward the
4 kitchen door.
eve no fear" she added. turning again.
while he's hear along with us. But
It's evenings When he mas no one TO look
after him-except it's that Miss Barter.
| Who's Miss Barter. I'd like to know?'
asked Mrs. Price, in a sudden burst of
Indignation. whats he got to do with
her? Let her mind her pins and needles.
| She was never friend of the family
up at Hill House-or it's news to me if
| she was"
"Of course, she wasn't"
No, and not friend for him. Miss
Lizzie. I've spoken not to brighten you.
| nr1v before tax
interest and use your influence. Why
to pass the time with? Or why not let
and happy-talkipg to the master, or
playing of a game at the cards? You
know how he used to love the cards-and
what a rare hand he was with them.
- You aren't angry for my speak
! ing? But do say, we shouldn't neglect
| him. He's trying to do right, and It's for
| us to stren'then him as best we cam
| Then Lizzie. alone in the big room, sat
thinking of Jack. She had work to do,
| but Mrs. Price had put her off it. She
| was making manifold copies of the draft
building agreement prepared by Mr.. Eaton,
| the solicitor. This contained conditions as
| to construction of houses-sixpence half
penny per cubic foot, etc.-together with
the terms of the ninety-nine years lease
| that Mr.. Crunden would grant. when the
houses were built Copies of the draft
| were sent to all who seemed disposed to
| treat for Mr. Crunden's eligible plots.
| Jack was always greedy for the typewrit-
ten copies-could not have too many of
them, clamored for them, and undoubt-