The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-29
Copyright 1907 by Max Penn berton, all rights reserved
.ta.C.E

1 happened to old Paul that he should be
 received cooly. Had he known what
 was in the Poles mind he would have us
 soon have jumped off London bridge as | have brave1 the anger of one who judged him so merciessly in that hour. For Boriskoff had heard the stories which
 Hampstead had to tell, and he had said
 He will ruin Lois life and l have put
 the power to do so in his hands"
 ''The poor do not choose their houfs
 Alban Kennedy. Sit down. if you please
 and talk to me. l have much to say to you.'
 He did not rise from his chair, but ln- dicated a rude seat in the corner by the
 chimney and waited until his unwilling guest had taken it. Alban judged that
 his own altered appearance and his ab-
 sence from Union street must be the
 cause of his displeasure. lie could guess no other reason.
 Do you love my daughter, Alban Ken nedy2"
 You know that l do, Paul. Have we not always been good friends? I came to
 tell you about piece of great good fog tune which has happened to me and to
 find out why Lois had not written to me.
 You see for yourself that there Is a great change in me. One of the richest men
 In London considers that l have claim
 to some of his money through some dis
 tant relative, 1t appears-and I am living
 at his house almost as his own son.
 "Is that why you forget your old friends SO quickly?"
 T have never forgotten them. I wrote
 to Lois twice."
 Did you speak of marriage in your let
 ters?
 The lads face flushed crimson. He knew that he could net tell Paul Borisk- off the truth
 "I did not speak of marriage-why ShOHl1 hp ir11pJ your wish that we should speak of it un- til Lois was twenty-one. She will not be
 that for more than three years-why .1o
 you ask me the question tonight?"
 Because you have learned to love an other woman"
 dead silence fell in the room. The old man continued to tap gently on the
 coil of tube, rapidly assuming fantastic shape under the .mastelly touch of a l trained hand. candle nickered by him upon crazy table where stood a crust of bread and lump of coarse cheese. Not boastfully had he told Richard Gessner
 that he would accept nothing for himself. He was even poorer than he had been
 six weeks ago when he discovered that his old enemy was alive. You love another woman, Alban Ken nedy, and you have wished to forget my daughter. Do not say that it is not the truth, for l read it upon your face. You should be ashamed to come here unless you can deny it. Fortune has been kind
 to you, but how have you rewarded those | for whom she has nothing? l say that you nave forgotten them-been ashamed of them as they have now the right to be ashamed of you"
 He put his hammer down and looked the lad straight in the face Upon Al bans part there was an intense desire to confess everything and to tell his old fbnSa 1iStraSSinp perplexties which had so harassed him since he went to Hampstead. If he could
 have done much would have been spared him in the time to come. But he found it impossible to open his heart to
 an alien-nor did he believe Paul Borisll-
 off capable of appreciating the emotions | which now tortured him. 1 T have never been ashamed of any of | my friends" he exclaimed hotly; you 1 know that it is not true Paul Boriskoff. ! Where are the letters which I wrote to ] Lois? Why has she not answered them?
 If l had been ashamed would they have l been written? Cannot you understand
 that all which has happened to me has been very distraeting. have seen a new life-a new world, and it is not as our world Perhaps there is no more happi- ness in it than in these courts and alleys where we have suffered so much 1 can-
 not tell you truly. It is all too new to
 
 judging it. When I came to you tonight 1t was to speak of our old friendship. Should l have done so If 1 had forgot ten?'
 Old Paul heard him with patience, but his anger none the less remained. The shaggy eyebrows were at rest now but the eyes were never turned from Albans 1 face.
 You are in love with Anna Gessner,"
 he said quietly; why do you not tell Lois so?"
 T cannot tell her so-it would not be true. She will always be the same little
 Lois to me-. and when she is twenty-one I will marry her.
 "Ha-when she is twenty-one. That seems a long time off to one who is your age. You will marry her, you say-a
 promise to keep her quiet while you make love to this fine lady who befools you. No, Alban Kennedy, I shall not let Lols
 imagine any such thing l shall tell her 1 the truth. She will choose another hus- band-that Is my wish and she will obey it."
 You are doing me a great injustice, Paul Borlskoff l do not love Anna-per- haps for a moment l thought that did, but I know now that I was deceving my self. She is not one who is worthy of being loved. l believed her very different when first I went to Hampstead" "Tel me no such thing. I am an old
 man and I know mems hearts. What shall my daughter and her rags be to you now that you have fine clothes upon your back? You are as the others-you have knelt down at the shrine of money
 and there you worship. This woman in her fine clothes-she Is your idol. All your past is forgotten immediately you
 see her. great gulf is set between you
 and us. Think not that 1 do not know, , for there are those who bring me the story every day. You worship Anna Cess
 ness. but you live in fools paradise, for the father will forbi6 you to marry her. I say it and l know. Be honest and speak to my daughter as I have spoken to you tonight"
 He raised his hammer as though he gan to perceive how hopeless an argu-
 ment would be with him while in such
 a mood. Not deficient in courage, the lad could not well defend himself from
 so direct an attack and he had the hon esty to admit as much.
 .I shall tell Lois the truth" he said; "she will then judge me and say whether 1 you are right or wrong l came here to- | night to see if I could help you both. You l know, Paul Boriskoff, how much 1 wish l to do so While have money. it Is yours
 also. Have not Lois and l always been | as your children? You cannot forbid me | to act as a son should, just because 1 l have come into my inheritance. Let me | find you a better home and take you away | from this dismal place. Then shall be | in,