Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-29


picture of a decoy house, Il suppose l
might give you turn. Jack. old chap"
well, there you are" said Jack point
ing with his pen at the picture. IF
marry, and put your nice little wife in
It,"
why don't you marry yourself and
put your wife in the box?''
"Oh. I'm a working man. couldn't
aspire to as fine a house as that"
well, 1 must be off,
Yes, do get on You see I'm UP to my
eyes"
But then Charlie Padfeld, glancing
stupidity at the parlor door, began to
make inquiries for Miss Crunden.
How well she's looking, Jack. Quite
tip top and he paid Miss Crunden some
liberal compliments.
Yes, she is very we'll, thank you." said
Jack, shortly.
Jack. old boy, I used to think what a
quite off that, aren't you? You've got
Jessie Barter-and the field is clear in
this direction, isn't it? No offense now
If 1 follow it up
And then Jack completely lost his tenn
per.
You can't want them both" Charlie
Padfield was proceeding with vacuous
blandness. II never followed up Jessie.
But you might tell me this. I don't
wish to waste any time. Lizzie is all
TiSll, 1911 L Shc.
Get out" roared Jack. His face was
red; he had sprung up from his chair,
and was pointing at the lobby door.
Get out before kick you out"
What say? What do you mean.
Jack?"
hound. And don't come back here unless
you wish me to give you the thrashing
you deserve for speaking like that of-of
lady you're not fit to speak of at ALL"
What is it?" asked Lizzie. coming
into the room presently, II thought there
was somebody here"
Jack was trembling with anger and
excitement as he pretended to search
among the ruffled papers on his table.
YES" he said with gasp, Miss Liz
WAS 1t that troublesome Mr.. Pad
feld?"
Yes, but he won't trouble us any
more. He won't come back. II was
very angry with him-about something
and asked him not to come back
did he promise not top
mo, he didn't promise, but I feel sure
he wont. And now" said Jack,
sitting down, IF you don't mind-if you'll
forgive mel will try to get on with what
was doing. I should like to talk-but
really mustn't.
The next serious interruption was just
after early dinner. Lizzie in the window
was reading, Mr.. Crunden was smoking
a pipe, Jack had returned to his table,
when the ringing Of the bell made every
one jump.
ITS Mr.. Hope" said Mrs. Price, show
ing scared lace, at the parlor door, land
he seems out OF his mind like. Asks to
speak with you, miss, and the master.
Shall I show him IMP
"Oh, don't have him here" begged Jack
piteously.
But before anything more could be
"a Mr. HOno Thorn
He was haggard, distraught. incoherent
all his pomposity and consequence gone
from him-a limp elderly weakling of "a
man. who sank into chair as though
his thin legs refused to bear him, and
who spluttered and raved and moaned in
affection.
"Oh Crunden-a father yourself. Oh,
Miss Crunden-a daughters cherished
daughter! Oh Miss Crunden, you have
heard-you know tie fatal news! Help
never can believe that. Oh, oh"'
1t was long before any one could make
out the cause and nature of Mr.. Hopes
distress. But finally lucid Information
was extracted.
Miss Irene Hope had run away with
Mr.. Banker, the ridingmaster.
They rode forth together" moaned her
father. I'VE did not suspect-we might
have suspected. Irene has been nervous
-hysterical-brooding on this fatal step.
urged her over the precipice-Now she
has fled. Was seen en- amaZone at the
railway station. = oh, my friends!
help me to trace them-aid me to save my
child from infamy and disgrace"
The weaness or Mr.. Hope was pitiable
to observe. He, the controller of a
mighty engine, he who could thunder to
the world about peace and war, national
courage, municipal dignity, etc, had col
lapsed utterly beneath private domestic
mis-
given all his force and energy to man.
kind, and had retained none for his own
use. And obviously, real as was his
trfbulation, there seemed in it something
ludicrously exaggerated disproportionate-
ly tragic, and not without personal ele-
ment of snobbish fear.
Her mother and l will be Knocked at
driven from the TOWN."
"Oh, come bear up, said Crunden. "a
bit of rumpus-but forgive and forget-all
will come right in the end
But Mr.. Hope only beat his breast and
moaned.
"Of course they ought to have told
you" said Jack cheeringly, ''but then,
Perhaps she really wanted to tell you,"
said Lizzie, remembering Irene's extraor-
binary letter and the dark illusions to
life riddles.
II know Banker WELL" said Jack. Hes
a thorough good sort. Really, Mr.. Hope
worse"
'Worse!" cried Mr.. Hope tragically
You say that to me, a father, Of his
daughters shame"
But now, with further explanation, it
appeared possible to relieve Mr.. Hope Of
the larger part of his pain. He was la
boring under a queer mistake He, who
ought to have known everything about
Medford, showed himself ignorant of all
but the outward aspect of one of it's most
conspicuous citizens He had paid Mr.
Banker, had begged Mr.. Banker to take
care of his child; he knew that Mr.
Banker was the fashionable ridingmaster
who rode with all the ladies of Hill Rise
and such scrappy superficial knowledge
was all he possessed. At the livery yard
which he had visited more than once, he
had seen Mr.. Bankers sister, smiling
comfortable woman who sat in the little
Office and put orders on a slate, while
in and out or played hide-and- seek among
the broughams and victorias in the adj
jacent coach houSe-and he had jumped
to the quite erroneous conclusion that
Mr.. Banker was a married man with
large family.
Immense was his relief on learning that
Mr.. Banker was not married-was, In
truth an hoIest, Woodworking bachelor,
who could not possibly forfeit the es-
negligence of his responsibilities toward
the fair and trusting Irene.
You are certain? Oh, my friends,
could weep tears of joy
1t was no longer a tragedy. Irene, one
might say, was only ruined socially.
You'll have a telegram" said Jack,
before you can look round-to say the