Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-01
CHAPTER XIII.

| SA04 L GN O<A44A.
The days that followed the return OF
i Mallory and the O'Brien family to Maple
Grove were days Of worry and anxiety
for all. The outlook was not precisely
calculated to induce jubilation. AS the
result of the sudden break with Mallory s
partner hard times were at the very
door and lowered depressingly over the
household. Crawford had lost no time In
| calling for a settlement of his loan and a
dissolution Of partnership. Mallory did
not have and could not raise the where
withal to meet the demand. and the fore
closure of the mortgage was the impend-
ing consequence.
The trainer was well aware that the
summary sale at auction of the horses
and training quarters which Crawford
would insist upon regardless of loss to
| himself was not likely to net more than
one-third of their value and that he
would be left penniless to all intents and
purposes. His association with Craw-
ford. therefore, intead of bringing the
| substantial advantage he had anticipated
| and which it's continuance would have in
sured. for the business was beginning to
prosper, had left him in worse position
than he was in before. He could not even
| conclude the sale of Lady Belle, for
Crawfords first move had been to obtain
an injunction restraining him from dis
posing of any of the stable property.
All the work Of his life had gone for
naught. All his years of waiting for
Patsy in the hope Of being able to win
| for her position of comfort and dignity
had been spent in vain. He had simply
| cheated himself and her Of the happiness
| that might have been theirs during that
time. He ground his teeth with impotent
| rage at the thought of it. Nothing re-
manned for him but to wrest what bliss
he could from the years that remained by
marrying Patsy at once and to begin all
over again the struggle for a living by
hunting for a job. To renew, handicap
ped as he was. the pursuit of fortune
| which had eluded him like will-o'- the
wisp was not to be thought Of, at least
did he regret his treatment of Crawford
With the certainty of even worse befall-
ing him he would have done the same
thing in the same circumstances.
Patsy was for waiting while longer
and returning to the stage in the mean
time. but this proposition he refused alb
SOlutely to consider.
You've sacrificed yourself enough for
me an your family. girl" he said. AN
I'll stand for it no longer. Your father
III get a place somewhere He knows his
business an amt afraid to work, an
we'll help 'em II we can"
Mallory had hopes that through Nc
Govern or some Of the big men with
whom he had come in contact since start
ing in business for himself he would be
able to procure an executive position IN
one of the more important racing estab-
lishments. and he purposed in this event
to take care of O'Brien.
The O'Brens themselves viewed the
prospect anything but hopefully. 1t was
a very serious matter, indeed, for the old
couple to be deprived Of the money which
patsy for so long, and recently both Nora
and Patsy, had supplied. They had been
able to save little, it was true, and the
careful Patsy also had managed to put
some by. but their combined resources
would not last long. The house in which
they lived with Mallory was very COM
Portable one. They had become much at
tached to the place and to the beauties
| of its surroundings. The thought that IT
was to be sold over their heads increased
| the heaviness OF their hearts. already
| filled with grief at the misfortune which
| had overtaken Mallory the real cause OF
| which had been kept from OBrien, who
| had been given to understand that the
dispute with Crawford had arisen over
business matters.
Their worry was added to not little
by Nora. She had strenuOusly rebelled
against returning with them, and to over
come her resistance her mother had had
to threaten to disclose to her father the
girls dealings with Crawford. brought
home against her will. she was sullen, ir-
ritable and quarrelsome and thought only
of how she coulu throw off the restraint
placed upon her and get back to New
York and the theater.
Aside from Mallory, who was sustained
in his trouble by the consciousness OF the
nearness of his marriage and by the en-
enlargement of his bride to be. the only
person who preserved any semblance of
cheerfulness was Patsy She was to be-
come Mrs. Mallory Immediately the work
of winding up the stable business had
been concluded, and the mere fact that
she was with him and her other loved
ones every day made her happy. She
| could not be dOwncaSt and refused 10 be
! lieve that everything would not come out
| right In the end To her love made all
| things easy, and its glamour was upon
| everything.
| She and Mallory had decided that when
the time to leave Maple Grove arrived
! any kind and take up their abode tenn
porarily in the fiat owned jointly by
Patsy and Nora in New York. where he
| would be in personal touch with the men
who could employ him. Mr.. and Mrs.
| O'Brien were to remove their belongings
| to a little house in the village of Maple
! Grove where they were to reside with
| Nora until further notice.
! 1t was about a week after their return
home and while all were under the in
fuence of that feverish restlessness which
accompanies the sudden sense of nom
| prOprietorship of a place that one has re-
! garded as ones own, and of the lmmln-
ence of departure. that the household was
! surprised one afternoon by Visit from
| the Duke
Mrs O Bren was alone in the kitchen
| when transformed as Patsy had seen
| him. he drove up in the village hack and
| alighted.
"Hiv'n help US. who's this? she NUT
| tered, taking stock of him for moment
| through the window and then hastily
| busting the chairs with her apron. Must
| be some wan come to buy the stable.
| The Duke knocked and walked in with
| out waiting for her to open the door.
| "DOn'tcher know me. Mrs. OBrien?
| he questioned. his face beaming.
There was no mistaking his voice and
| his accent.
Bless the choild. it's the Dock Well.
! OF declare" she exclaimed, beamng in
| turn ..Oi thought sure yeZ was the Prisi-
dent or the Prince av Wales. yeZ looks
| so smart.
said Bought 'em in London. 'Ad 'em
myde to measure in a swagger shop In
| Ugh 'Olborn. Twig the gyvry tie PIN!
| "Ye're rale beautiful she declared.
IAN clane enough to eat. OF niver seen
yeZ look clane.'
i've wallered in mariners gryve.
otherwise barth. every d'y since l went
away" he told her. proudly.
"A bath every day! Yere too hoigh
| toned for Maple Grove. But don't stand
tWistin' yir hat in yir hand; sit down an
tell us where you've been an .phwat' S
| happened to yez."
| She sat down herself and prepared TO
listen to his story. but just at that min
ute Patsy and Nora, who had seen the