Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-02
Copyright 1905, 1907,
BY Little, Brown & Company.
BOOK II.
CHAPTER I.
"Mr Wingrave, From America "

Lowell. wan and holiow-eyed, his arm in
Sling, his once burly frame gaunt and
6 .tcuuatcd with disease. nodded.
And ! told YOU the story" he remarked.
''of-thr man who had been my friend"
Don't let US talk of Wingrave tonight"
Ayresworth exclaimed with sudden en-
ass.
WHY not?" Lowell knocked the ashes
from LIS pipe and commenced leisurely to
refIl it. Why not. indeed? l mean to go
and see him as soon as l can get about a
little better"
IF your description of him" Aynesworth
said was faithful one, you will find him
changed"
Lowell laughed little bitterly.
THE years leave their mark" he said
''upou us all-upon all of us that is. who
step out into the open. where the winds of
If are blowing Look at me! l weighed
eighteen stone when | left England. L had
thu muscles Of a prize fighter and nerves of
steel Today l turn the scale at ten stone
and am afraid to be alone in the dark
'Nou will he yourself again in no time,
\ yursworth declared checrfully.
Il $ all he better than | am now hope
I.oyr'I answered. but / shall never be the
MI ! was. I have secn-God grant that
] may some day forget what | have seen!
M wonder that my nerves have gone! L
saw Russian correspondent. a strong. bru-
tal-lpuking man, go off into Mysteries: 1
saw another run amuck through the camp,
Shooting right and left, and finally blow his
own brains out Many night ! sobbed my
self to sleep The men who live through
tragedies. Ayncsworth. age fast. | expect
that | shall find Wiugrave changed"
Il would give a good deal" Aynesworth
declared, Ito have known him when you
did,
Lowell nodded.
You should be able to judge of the past"
he said, by the present. Four years Of
intimate companionship with any man
81. Z ~. 4rryltfib
"Perhapsr Aynesworth declared. and
yet | can assure you that know no more
of Wingrave today than when | was first
attracted to him by your story and became
his secretary. 1t is a humiliating confess
sion. but il is the truth
That is why you remain with him. Low
ell remarked.
Il suppose so, I have often meant to
leave, but somehow, when the time comes,
L stay on. His life seems to be made up of
bTutalities. small and large. He ruins a
man with as little conjunction as one could
fancy him, In his younger days, pulling the
legs from fly. | have never seen him do
q kindly action, and yet all the time L find
myself watching for 1t. \ situation arises
and | say to myself: Now, l am going to
see something different 1 never do. and
Yet / always expect it. Am 1 boring you,
IovoU?"
Not in the least Go on Anything con-
corning Wiugrave interests me-"
1t is four years ago. YOU know. since I
went to him. My first glimpse of his char
acter the cold brutality with which he
treated Lady Ruth when she went TO see
him. Then we went down to his country
place in Cornwall There was a small
child there. whose father had been the
organist of the village and who had died
penniiess. There no one to look after
her no one to save her from the charity
schools and domestic service afterward. The
church was on WinErave's estate. 1t should
have been his duty TO augment the ridcu
1ous salary the dead had received.
Would you believe 1t. Wingrave refused to
do a single thing for that child. He went
down there like a vandal to sell the heir
looms and pictures which had belonged
10 mis- family for generations. He had no
time. he told me colby. for sentiment"
1T sounds brutal enough" Lowell admit |
ted What became of the child?'
zone of her fathers relations turned up |
after all and took care Of her. Aynesworth |
said. 'Wingrave knew nothing about that,
though Then on the voyage across the At
lantic there was a silly. pretty little woman
on board who was piqued by WingraveS
Indifference and tried to f1irt with him. In
a few days she was his slave. She was
going home to her husband. and you
would have thought that any decent
fellow would have told her that she
little fool, and let her go. But not VIM
grave. She was landing with him at New
York, but some one among the passengers.
who guessed what was up. sent marconi-
gram to her husband, and he met US at
the landing stage"
Nothing came of that, Them
mo, but 1t wasn't Wingraves fault.
Then he began dealing with some shares
In mine-the mine, you know. They
supposed to be worthless and one
boy. who was little young to the game.
sold him too many Wingrave was bleed
ing these brokers for hundreds Of thou
sands OF dollars, and the boy came and
asked TO be let off by paying his whole
fortune to escape being hammered. Win
grave refused. I believe IL the boy hadn't
Just been married he'd have blown his
brains out!
nyaII laughed
II don't envy you your job" he re-
marked. rs there nothing to set down
on the credit side of the LEDGER
Not much" AyneSworth answered. He
Is a fine sportsman, and he saved my life
in the Rockies, which makes me feel bit
uncomfortable sometimes He has sense
OF justice. for he heard of this mine from
a man IN prison, and he has kept accounts.
showing the fellows share down to the
last halfpenny. But l have never yet
known him to speak kindly word or do a
kindly deed. He seems intent upon carry
ing out to the letter his own principles-to
make many people as possible suffer for
his own broken life. Now he is back mere.
millionaire. with immense power for good
for evil. l am almost afraid of him. l
wouldn't be Lady Ruth or her husband
for something"
''Wtngrave always little odd. he
remarked. but l never thought that he
was d bad chap"
Go and see him now!' Aynesworth
said Tell me II you think he wears
mask or whether he is indeed what he
seems"
The hall porter entered the room and
addressed Aynesworth.
Gentleman called for you, SIR, he an
nounCed.
ut "a Wingrave," Aynesworth declared
Come and speak to him.
They descended the stairs together. out
side Wingrave was leaning back in the
corner OF an electric brougham. reading
the paper. Aynesworth put his head In at
the window.
you remember Lowell Mr.. Wingrave?'
he said I'VE We're just talking when your
message came up. I've brought him down
TO shake hands with you"
Wingrave folded his paper down at the
precise place where he had been reading
and extended a very limp hand. His man
ner betrayed not the slightest interest or
pleasure.
''IIow are you. Lovell?" he asked
Some time since met
A good many years" Lowell answered
Finished your campaIgning?" Wingrave
inquired. Knocked you about a Bit
haven't they?"
They very nearly finished me-" Lowell
admitted II shall pick up all right over
here. though"
There was a moments silence. Lovell's
thoughts had flashed backward through