Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-01-19

For . touch of comedy common, me to my grandfather! Pickering you always were well-meaning fel
 low,-Ill turn over to you all my right interest and title in and to these an gelic Sisters. Marry! like the idea I suppose some one will try to marr.
 me for my money. Marriage, Picker ing, is not embraced in my scheme o life!"
 T should hardly call you . marry
 ing man." he observed.
 Perfectly right. my friend! Sistel
 Theresa was considered a possible
 match for my grandfather in m,
 youth. I'm quite out of 1t with her
 And the other lady with the fascina
 ting algebraic climax to her name.-
 she, too, is impossible: it seems that
 can't get the money by marrying her
 I'd better let her take 1t. She's as
 poor as the devil, dare say"
 T imagine not. The Evanses are a
 wealthy family, in spots, and she ought to have some money of her own if her aunt doesn't coax it out of her for educational schemes"
 And where on the map are these lovely creatures to be found?"
 Sister Theresa's school adjoins your preserve; Miss Deyereux has, think, some of your own weakness for travel Sister Theresa is her nearest rela. tive, and she occasionally visits St. Agatha's-that's the school"
 T suppose they embroider altar cloths together and otherwise labor valiantly to bring confusion upon satan and his cohorts. Just the peo- pie to pull the wool over the eyes of my grandfather"
 Pickering smiled at my resentment.
 You'd better give them wide berth: they might catch you in their net. Sister Theresa is said to have quite winning way. She certainly plucked your grandfather"
 Nuns in spectacles, the gentle edu- cators of youth and that sort of thing. with good-natured old man for their prey. None of them for mel"
 T rather thought so," remarked Pickering.-and he pulled his watch from his pocket and turned the stem with his heavy fingers. He was short, thickset and sleek, with square jaw, hair already thin and a close-clipped mustache. Age, mentally reflected, was not improving him.
 I had no intention of allowing him to see that was irritated. drew out my cigarette case and passed 1t across the table.
 After you! They're made quite specially for me in Madrid"
 You forget that I never use tobacco in any form"
 You always did miss good deal of the joy of living" I observed, throwing my smoking match into his waste paper basket, to his obvious annoy. ance. Well, I'm the bad boy of the but I'm really sorry my has string tied to 1t. I'm about out of money. I suppose you wouldn't advance me a few thousands on my expectation"
 Not a cent" he declared. with quite vigor; and I laughed again, remembering that in my old appraisement of him generosity had not been represented in large figures. Its not in keeping with your grand. fathers wishes that I should do so. You must have spent a good bit of money in your tiger hunting exploits" he added.
 q have spent all I had" I replied Thank God. I'm not a clam! I've seen the world and paid 10: it, and ask nothing of you. You undoubt. sdly share my grardfather's idea of ne, that I'm a wild man who can't ;it still or lead an orderly, decent life: put I'm going to give you a terrible disappointment. Whats the size of he estatc?"
 Pickering eyed me-uneasi.y. I | hought-and began playing with a pencil. never liked Pickering's iands; they were thick and white and | better kept than like to see a mans lands.
 T fear it's going to be disappointing n his trust-company boxes he.e I | lave been able to find only about ten housand dollars worth of securities. possibly-we were all deceived in the amount of his fortune. lister Theresa wheedled large sums | ut of him, and he spent. as you' will ee, a small fortune on the house at | without finishing it. It Vasn't cheap proposition. and in its unfinished condition it is practically alueless. You must know that Mir. 'lenarm gave away a great deal of honey in his lifetime. Moreover. he your father. You know That he left,-it was not a small for une as those things are reckoned." ! I was restless under this recital. My ather's estate had been of respectable ize. and I had dissipated the whole of ]. My conscience pricked me as ecalled an item of s4o.000 that had grandly-on an ex. edition that led. with considerable to myself. at least, trough the Sudan. But Pickerins's 'ords amazed me.
 Let me understand you" I said, ending toward him. "My grandfather as supposed to be rich and vef vou