Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-29
BY
W. B. MAXWELL,
Authof of
1.-THE GUARDED FLAME"
quiries after the blue dress with white

| spots.
when will you wear itr'
Never, and Lizzie looked straight be-
| fore her and walked a little faster. II
| hate blue dresses-and / think you have
| very bad taste"
"Oh, / say
IT think If you want to talk about
peoples dress-you had better go and
talk to your friend. Miss Barter"
Don't you approve of my talking to
Miss Barter about dresser anything
else?''
Approve! What has it to 40 with me
oh, but l like you to take an interest
in me-"
Suddenly his eyes sparkled. and he
snapped his fingers. He hau been watch
| ing her face; she had flushed very slight
| ly. then had closed her lips resolutely
and was walking on faster and faster
| She would talk no more.
Il am anxious about my father" she
said and then remained silent TIL tney
reached the white ratings of Kings Cot
tage. But Jack, walking by her side.
seemed pleased and content, though she
would not look at him or speak to hlm
| 1t was as If the kind sunlight made MIN
so happy that nothing else mattereo.
Mr. Crunden was completely In the
dumps and sadly needed cheering. ME-
Bowling, who sat by the invalid's chalrS
| looked even more gloomy than ms cnent.
| He could only say Tut. tut, Wnen
Crunden showed iittlSIui NiAo
pudent letter that had come from the
London and Suburban Trust
Jack after much argument had prevail
ed on Mr.. Crunden to let him sound the
company and now this was their reply
Your Mr. Vincent has approached US.
and we are prepared to deal at times
price. Subject to contract, we oner loo
pounds per acre for the upper portions
of your unoccupied ground"
"Oh, they don't really mean that, SAID
i,,cf
make out we think they are offering $50
pounds rent per acre on building lease
and reply that subject to contract we &C
cept their offer. They'll look foolish
then and they'll have to explain"
He was gay and jovial-smiling at the
somber faces of Crunden and Bowling;
so light-hearted and hopeful today that
no set-backs could shake his self-conh-
dence.
II feel sure. sir our best chance Is With
them. They have the money. And If we
could tighten the ship we should get alons
again. VIII you let me tackle them Sc
riously?'
Then there was solemn debate-Mr.
Crunden gradually becoming less dolefuI.
while Mr.. Bowling continued in deep
gloom. Any treating with the COM
pany must, Of course, be conducted mos.
cautiously and secretly.
den, I'm uone. If it's known that Nv.
been urlven INTO the arms of the company
there's an end to my credit"
"A dangerous move said Downing. "A
very dangerous move
"Our best chance" said Jack. l feel
sure it's what we must come to, sooner
or later"
Alone with Bowling in the road outside
the cottage, Jack gave his views even
more firmly.
IT told you what 1 thought last autumn.
Your scheme went to pot the moment
these Founders started. Then was the
time to take stock and remodel the
scheme on other lines-give up half of 1t.
and get out as fast as one could That's
all there is left to do now. Get out as
fast as one can-save' all one can"
81 hope you don't blame me personally"
said Mr.. Bowling.
"Oh, no." said Jack, but I don't want
you to stand in the way now-if we can
cut short our losses"
Certainly not said Mr.. Bowling. II
assure you it gives me pain to see our
friend troubled and harassed. l only
wish was a rich man anu could bolster
him up-but / am not. / have
myself been much harassed Of late, Mr..
Vincent-not money matters. Are you
going to the yard? May 1 stroll with
you so far?"
And Mr.. Bowling unburdened himself
of his private and domestic trouble. He
spoke of the consciousness of the world,
the false positions into which mistaken
kindness often pushes one, and of the
unpleasantness which the drawing OF
hasty conclusions now and then causes
in the home circle.
Great unpleasantness," said lnr. Dowl
ing, after cough and pause. 1T is
about my little neighbor-er-Miss Bar
ter. She has written me silly note
addressed to Mr.. Bowling! Mr.. Bowling!
One would suppose she might know w.
bowling, esq.,, was the proper mode of
address However her customers peing
all ladies, she would not often be writing
to our sex-and Is, therefore, ignorant of
the usual superscription for gentlemen.
to deliver the note-to Mrs. Bowling.
"Ahl How awkward!'
lone thing leads to another" said Mr..
Bowling dolefully. "And there has been
further unpleasantneSS about Miss Barter
land a sum of 50 pounds"
Has there? Oh, hang it-how did that
come out?"
IAN insdventence 1t is, as I said, not
matter of the money. The sum is SO
tritiing. But, Mr.. Vincent-I scarcely
like to ask it-but IL you were a married
man you would understand. Would you
mind my pretending that you gave her
so pounds?'
You did? To set her up in business?
I gave her fifty.
DO you, mean you gave her fifty. too?
Oh, l say-wnat an underhand little puss
"She is very troublesome" said Mr..
Downing But I had no idea she bled
you also. 1t only occurred to me to put
you forward-to-er-shield myself-in
the home circle. You know how ridicu-
lousy people connect ones name with
any one. Your name, Mr.. Vincent, was
connected with hers in the stupid talk
of the town. That's why it occurred to
me-"
Eyes. but I don't want people to con-
meet my name. I don't want my fifty
talked about any more than you do your
fifty"
Not generally" said Mr. Bowling. with
eagerness only at home-your fifty
would shield my fifty. If 1t were to come
to the point of saving real unpleasantness
would you mind my putting your fifty for
ward in the place of mine? Only at
home. Would you mind-Brother Vim
cent?"
"Oh, WELL" said Jack reluctantly, II
don't much ike it-er-Brother Bowling,
but-yes-work it how you please"
The Medford District United Bank had
a little printed notice advising clients to
keep their check books carefully under
lock and key. and for the comfort of
clients as we'll as for the protection of
the bank this was good advice. Counter
foils sometimes disclose mysterious little
ceivers greedy relations and affectionate
wives. Mr.. Bowling usually locked up his
check book while there were any checks
still in it, but when the book was empty
he became careless. And so 1t befell that
Mrs. Bowling, tidying "a drawer which
contained several exhausted check books.
came upon the old counterfoil: 81. b.,