Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-05

oh: yes. I know" said Pearl Mother
ana daddy told me how you had burned
ehe house down to give him light. Didn't
YOU want 10 see him more after that? l
should. Stephen drew the impulsive
child closer she answered:
indeed did. dear. But had to think
of what was good for him. went to his
room the next day when he was awake.
and the doctor let me come in for only
moment
We'll! What did you see? Didn't you
know him." She forgot that the other
did not know him from her point of view.
But the question went through Stephen
have given to have known him! What
would she not give to know him now!
y. She spoke mechanically:
The room was quite dark. 1t is neces-
in the dark. 1 saw only a big beard.
partly burned away by the fire, and
great bandage which covered all his
eyes" PEARLS hold relaxed. she slipped
like an eel to the floor and ran over to
her mother. Her new friend was all very
well. but no one would do as well as
mother when she was in trouble.
on. mother; mother! MY Robinson son
face Gee. eomfortingly as she answered " ed, .u,o
But. my dear. it is more than two
years since you saw him. Two years and
three months. for it was in June that we
crossed" How the date thrilled Stephen.
1t verified her assumption. Mrs Stone
house did not notice. but went on:
His beard would have grown. Men
wear boards up in the cold place where
he was" Pearl kissed her; there was no
need for words. Throwing herself again
questioning:
but didn't you hear him.
II heard very little, darling He was
very weak. 1t was only the morning
after the wreck. and he spoke in wills
peri" Then, with an instinct of self
preservation. she added: But how could
I learn anything by hearing him when
he was stranger to me? l had never
even heard of Mr.. ROBINSON
As she was speaking she found her own
growing. This was surely another link
in the chain Of proving that all three
men were but one. But in such case
Harold must know; must have tried to
hide his identity!
She feared. with keen eyes upon her.
to pursue the thought But her blood be-
san to grow cold and her brain to swim.
I" With an effort she went on:
Ever since then I have not been al
lowed to go near him. OF course I must
obey orders. I am waiting as patiently
as I can. But we must ask the doctor
If he thinks his patient will see you-wili
let you see him-though he will not let
me-" This she added with a touch OF
what she felt-regret rather than bitter
ness. There was no room for bitterness
in her full heart where Harold was con-
cerned.
did not let grass grow under her feet:
For answer Stephen rang the bell, and
when a servant appeared asked:
us Mr.. Hilton in the house?"
II think not. your ladyship. He said
Shall I inquire If he left word at what
time he would be back?"
"If you please The man returned
in a few minutes with the butler. who
said:
Mr. uilton said. your ladyship that
he expected to l. sack by l O'Clock at
latest"
please ask him on his arrival II h.
will kindly come here at once. Do not let
"Now." said Stephen. "as we have to
wait till our tyrant comes. won't you tell
me all that went on after The Man had
left you?" Pearl frightened up at once.
get away even for a while. Beliefs and
hopes and fears were surging up in her
heart. in her brain, till she felt choking.
But the habit of her life in the last two
waited. trying with all her might to fol-
low the childs thoughts and to swing
with them. Pearl went on at racing
speed. forgetting her impatience and her
anxiety in the rush of her narrative
ooh! we had such lot to do. Daddy
had lot Of papers written. giving money
for all their lives to the men who came
out in the, boat and an .he others. and
I had to sign them. He said it was from
me. And he has built a whole big. big
house for the sailors orphans at Liver
pool. He said that it was from me. too:
so had to sign lots of things. 1t took
me such long time. because l don't
write very easily. you know. And Mollie
har that q Mr. WaffOrd
know. were in New York. and one day
Mollie asked mother to let me come with
her all by our two selves. And We went
away in an automobile ever so far from
Riverside Drive, where our house is.
Mollie said 1t was down town" I don't
know what that means. but daddy says
1t is where some men make their fortunes.
and where most Of them take the for
tunes away from other people. But It
was, oh! so full of people. and great tall
houses that you couldn't see the tops of
unless you leant back so far that you
nearly fell down, and tramcars all ring
ing bells. We went into great big
room where there were lot of young
men in cages like the lions and tigers at
the ZOO and they had piles of money.
Mollie showed card to an lrishman In a
uniform at the door. and he took us TO
one Of the cages. and the young man
when he saw the card took us into a
room where there was big table and
scales and little shovels and piles OF
money And Mollie took the red cap
from her pocket that The Man pulled
from her head when he jumped into the
sea after me. And she said:
"I want you, sir, to see how many gold
eagles will go into that! And then lot
of other men came round. and some or
them were quite old and bald. and the
young man got very red. And he took
OH piles of gold and began to put 1t In
Mollie's red cap with his little shovel.
and when it got nearly full two of the
other men held 1t up. and then he went
on filing it. And Mollie laughed and
said: ''Jee-ru-salem! And the tam
o'-shanter kept stretching for 1t is knit
ted. you know. and there was SO much
gold in 1t that they couldn't raise II from
the table And Mollie kept on saying:
""Let her rip! Put In more" AT last
they had to stop. because the coins were
going to put the tumbled ones back In the
little sack. but Mollie said:
Guess. mister, you must corral them
toov So when they took away the sack
they emptied the cap on the table and
they began weighing the money In the
scales And the young man wrote now
much 1t was on a piece OF paper Ana
Moliie took check from her pocket. and
it was signed, and she got pen ana
wrote on it, and put in some figures. ana
when 1 asked her what 1t was all about
she handed it to me and read on 1t:
"a thankoffering to Snug Harbor in
tleman,' and 1 knew that she meant
was the dear life and the gallant gentle
man was The Man! And. oh! dear! do
40 want to see him. There was such
suspicious culver in her lip that Stephen.
hoping to keep her thoughts away from