Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-07-26
CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V.
 "Y AM asking a great deal of you.
 George! I know it. But you
 see how helpless I am. And
 read the letter-read it for yourself"
 He passed Phyllis letter across the small round dining table. His guest took it and read it carefully through.
 How old is the young lady?' he asked.
 ''Twenty-three."
 And the boy?'
 "Twenty-one."
 Orphans, think you saidT' . Orphans and relationless."
 Well off?'
 Moderately"
 Duncombe leaned back in his chair and slipped his port thoughtfully.
 Tt is an extraordinary situation" he remarked.
 Extraordinary indeed" his friend assented But so far as I am con- cerned you can see how I am fixed. I am older than either of them, but I have always been their nearest neigh Dor and their most intimate friend If ever they have needed advice they have come to me for it. If ever 1 have needed a days shooting for myself or a friend l have gone to them. This continental tour of theirs we discuss ed and planned out months before hand. If my misfortune had not come on just when it did should have gone with them, and even up to the last we hoped that I might have been able to have gone to Paris with Phyllis"
 Duncombe nodded.
 "Tell me about the boy" he said.
 His host shrugged his shoulders.
 "You know what they're like at that age" he remarked. 'He was at Har- row, but he shied at college, and there was no one to insist upon his going. The pair of them had only a firm of lawyers for guardians. He's just good looking, clean minded, high spir- ited young fellow, full of beans and needing the bit every now and then. But, of course, he's no different from the run of young fellows of his age, and if an adventure came his way I suppose he'd see it through"
 And the girli'
 Andrew Pelham rose from his seat.
 T will show you her photograph" he said.
 He passed into an inner room divid- ed from the dining room by curtains. In a moment or two he reappeared.
 Here 1t is," he said and laid a pie ture upon the table.
 Now, Duncombe was a young man who prided himself a little on being unimpressionable. He took up the picture with certain tolerant interest and examined it at first without any special feeling, yet in a moment or two he felt himself grateful for those great disfguring glasses from behind which his host was temporarily at least blind to all that passed. A curious disturb ance seemed to have passed into his blood. He felt his eyes brighten and his breath come little quicker as he unconsciously created in his imaglna- tion the living presentment of the girl whose picture he was still holding. Tall she was and slim, with soft, white throat and long, graceful neck, eyes rather darker than her complex ion warranted, a little narrow, but bright as stars, a mouth with the di- vine lines of humor and understand iHg. It was only picture. but real ization of the living image seemed to be creeping in upon him. He made the excuse of seeking better light and moved across to a distant lamp. He bent over the picture. but it was not the picture which he saw. He saw the girl herself, and even with the half formed thought he saw her expression change. He saw her eyes lit with sor- row and appeal. He saw her arms outstretched toward him. He seemed even to hear her soft cry.
 He knew then what his answer would be to his friends prayer. He thought no more of the excuses which he had been building in his mind, of all the practical suggestions which he had been prepared to make. Common sense died away within him. The matter of fact man of thirty was ready to tread in the footsteps of his great predeees- sor and play the modern knight errant with all the whole heartedness of Don Quixote himself. He fancied himself by her side, and his heart leaped with joy of it. He thought no more of abandoned cricket matches and neg lected house parties. A finger of fire had been laid upon his somewhat tor pid flesh and blood
 "WellY' Andrew asked.
 Duncombe returned to the table and laid the picture down with a reluctance which he could scarcely conceal.
 ''very nice photograph" he remark ed. Taken locallyT'
 T took it myself" Andrew answered. "I used 10 be rather great at that sort of thing before-before my eyes went dicky."
 Duncombe resumed his seat. He helped himself to another glass of wine.
 T presume" he said. from the fact that you call yourself their nearest friend that the young lady is not en- gaged?'
 No" Andrew answered slowly. "she Is not engaged"
 Something a little different in his voice caught his friends attention. DuncOmbe eyed him keenly. He was conscious of q sense of anprehension.