Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-07-27

SHh "crc uetached from the others for
q moment
She was young.-quite the youngest
In the group about Pickering's table
certain girlishness OF height and
outline may have been emphasized by
her juxtsposition TO Pickeriug's heavy
figure She was In black with white
showing at throat and wrists IA SOM
Der contrast to the other women OF
the party. who we're arrayed with de-
gree or splendor. She had dropped
her fan and Pickering stopped TO pick
II up In the second that she waited
i she turned carelessly toward me. and
our eyes met for an Instant. Very
hkelT she was chickering's sister. and
1 tried TO reconstruct his family.
! which had known In my youth: but
l could not place her. AS she walked
out before him my eyes followed her.
tho erect figure. free aud graceful.
but with charming dignity and poise.
and the gold of her fair hair glintsng
under her back toque.
Her eyes. as she turned them fun
! upon me. were the saddest. sweetest
eyes had ever seen, and even IN that
brilliant, crowded room felt their
spell. They were fixed in my memory
indelibly.-Tnournful. dreamy aud visit
full. In my absorption I forgot Larry.
You're taking unfair advantage"
he observed quietly. Friends Of
yours"
The big chap In the lead is my
friend Pickering" I answered. and
Larry turned his head slightly.
Yes. I supposed you weren't look
ing at the women" he observed dryly.
I'm sorry couldn't sea the object of
your interest. Bah! these menl"
I laughed carelessly enough. but Z
was already sunmoning from nv
memory the grave face OF the girl in
| black.-hsr mournful eyes, the CLINT OF
! gold a her hair. Pickering was Ger
talnly finding the pleasant places In
this vale OF tears. and 7 felt my heart
hot against him. II hurts. this seeing
man you have never liked succeed
ing where YOU have failed,
why didn't you present me7 Ia
like to make the acquaintance OF few
! representative Americans. II may
need them TO so bail for me-"
Pickering didn't see me, for one
thing; and for another he wouldn't go.
bail for you or me II he did. He isn't
built that way"
Larry smiled quizzically.
You needn't explain further The
( sight OF the lady has shaken you She
reminds me OF Tennyson:
The star-uks sorrows OF immortal
eyes
and the rest OF II ought 10 be a solemn
warning to you.-msny drew swords
and died and calamity followed in
her train. BAH these womeni I
thought You were past all that"
Il don't know why a man should be
past Il at I'll Besides, PirkurinK's
friends are strangers to me. But what
became OF that Irish colleen YOU used
20 moon over2 Her distinguishing fea-
ture, az ! remember her photograph.
was short upper lip. You used to
force her upon me frequently when
wO were In Africa"
-Humphl When I got back 20 Dub
lin found that she had married a
brewers son.-think OF IT,"
Pat not your faith In a short upper
lip Her face never inspired any con-
ndence IA me"
That viii DO, think you. I'll have
bit more OF that mayonnaise II the
waiter isn't dead. I think you said
your grandfather died ia June. A let
ter advising you OF the fact reached
you NJ Naples in October. Has Il oc-
! CURED 90 you that there was quite an
interim there? What. may I ask, was
the executor doing all that time? You
may be sure he was taking advantage
Of the opportunity TO look for the red,
red gold. 1 suppose you didn't give
him a sound drubbing for not keeping
the cables hot with inquiries for your
He eyed me in that disdain for my
= stupidity which I have never suffered
from any other man.
We'll. no; to tell the truth. I was
, thinking OF other things during the In
terview"
Your grandfather should have pro
vided a guardian for you. lad. You
oughtn't 70 be trusted with money. Is
. our bottle empty? Well. If that per.
son with the fat neck was your friend
Pickering. I'd have a care Of what's
coming TO me- I'd be quite sure that
Mr.. Pickering hadn't made away with
the old gentleman's Doodle, or that IL
didn't get lost on the way from him to
you"
The times running now, and I'm
( IN for the year. My grandfather was a
P fine old gentleman, and treated him
like a dog. I'm going to do what he
directs in that win, no matter what
the size OF the reward may be"
Certainly; that's the eminently
proper thing for you TO do. But,-bui
keep your wits about you. II a fellow
! with that neck can't find money where
money has been known to exist, II
| must be buried pretty deep. Your
. grandfather was a tribe eccentric, ]
judge, but not fool by any manner
? of means. The situation appeals &c
3 my imagination, Jack. like the ides
7. OF 1.-THE lost treasure and the whole
3 business. Lord. what a salad that Isl
Cheer up. comradel You're as grin
Z as an OWL"
Whereupon we fell to talking Of PEG
e pie and places we had known In othei
: lands
We spent the next day together. and