The Washington herald., 1907-11-24
CHAPTER XXIV.-Continued.

Onh1 len AA4F .-OOlll4AuCus
The three men, silent and watchful,
presently heard light steps on the floor
above, on the landing, coming down the
stair. The door opened. and Vida ap-
peared. in a simple dressing gown Of old
fashioned oatmeal cloth. witL lining OF
palest blue showing at throat and Guns.
She had made the gown herself, and
was no little proud Of her work The
three men were now standing.
You wished me to come DOWN she
said. simply. resting one hand on the
back OF a chair.
Yes" stammered Dick That Is 70
say, Mr.. Kahn wished 1.-THE has some
thing 10 ask you
Take your time, little girl" inter
rupted Billy. Don't let anybody Huster
you. not If he was boss Of the Trinity
House itself"
Mr.. Kahn makes US a wonderful Of
fer" sad Dick. quaveringly. He has
been wonderfully kind 10 me. Without
Mr. Kahn I should have been working
for a days wage
But at this point James Kahn. seeing
the frmness growing into obsJinacy about
the girls mouth. broke I'm
our old friend mistakes the point.
IL said. L am not here TO ask for the
repayment Of any boon. There IS no rea-
son why should; Mr. Finnan was the
best man for the position he occupies
appointed him for that reason. For
the same reason he has this cottage at
! Glebe End Gate He and you. Miss
/ Bryan. viii continue as you are without
any interference from me. whether you
feel yourself able 10 agree with my
proposition or notH'
During this speech old Dick Finnan
looked at James Kahn with an express
/ sion Of dumb loyalty. as II IN the world
there never could have been a man so
1 generous and so unselhsh. Then his
eyes rested on his adopted daughter
You see" the look said quite plainly,
what a man he isr'
NO" James Kahn continued. in the
I quiet tone Of one who has nothing in
/ the world TO boast himself about, 7 come
/ tonight as a suppliant I have loved
/ Miss Vida ever since I set eyes on her,
gathering flowers in the springtime on
the bosky sides Of a dell which shall
/ ever be sacred to me. I have. Il is true,
allowed Miss Bryan to understand my
] preferences and my intentions with re-
gard TO her. But I leave II to herself
70 say whether or not this has not been
done at all times with the utmost cour-
tesy. and after the manner OF an honest
man.
The words and the manner impressed
Dick Finnan. They were exceedingly vel
ldelivered-perhaps trifie too well. james
Kahn had mastered all thing British save
the art Of leaving well alone
So he could not be prevented from add
ing. of course. recognize that the diff
ference between our positions must b'
taken into consideration. will there
fore abundantly provide for the old ag,
Of both her benefactors, Mr.. Finnan and
Mr. Bryan
stop there" cried Billy Bryan, "stoI
Just In this exact place. and look ms
in the eye. young man. II you can, fo
wan consecutive minutel
Now, Dick, Mere. can do os he likes
being given over to lords and MASTER
land them in authority over him-such be
ing his nature But wild Billy Bryan
it's some little different. I put no streS
on the young lady. that is the daughte
av one and the other OF US. But beinl
responsible for wan full half OF her soul
mind. body. and estate till she reache
the age Of twenty-wan years. no NOR
will I allow any other person or per
sons to put pressure upon her. She shal
choose accordin' TO her free will. If sd
; l sal 70 ho1 sNaCf
And as for that talk of putin Bill.
Bryan IN a comfortable position for hi
ould age-that day has not Yet arrived
And Billy Will do that for himself by an
by, and If need be he will provide 70
both halves of his firm the strent OF hi
arrums and the brains in his head-yuss
daughter, just as he did for that wa
| whole and undivided BroadwOod pi-an-n
; standing there in the corner
Billy said all this to the vivid punctua
ton OF his clenched first on the table
so that the candles on the sheet Of tn
Border Advertiser were Well-nigh jOlte
out OF their places
James Kahn. however. was as gent
A and suave as ever. He was far too niue
+ man OF the world to allow himself {
be Ice into side issues He had mad
up his mind what he would say, and wa
b determined that he would not leave III
room without saying it.
:: Certainly, Mr. Bryan he said. N
: one dreamed Of anything else. All tha
! / meant 10 imply was that I should /
+; ready TO consider every interest. if Mis-
: Vida did me the honor OF becoming m
wife. l need not again repeat what
| Fhave previously told Miss Vida Tn
!; is an affair betwixt men, and If Miss Vid
: will give me a favorable answer. or eve
a hope Of such an answer. / will easil
> arrange the details with those who hay
% every claim to be considered her natur'
/ protectors"
l. He stopped moment as If to allo
+ Vida time to speak. but finding that 81
= remained sient-with the light strlkin
: upward on her face from the candl,
. on the table. and her hair falling in
! dark mass on the shoulders Of her cream
= colo-ed dressing-gown-he went on agai
5 exactly as If making a speech at a bus
ness meeting.
!. In fact as have already had Il
; honor of informing these gentlemen.
charge myself with everything. All tn;
r. I ask in return is that the fact of n
marriage be kept a secret till I ha'