The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-15

pie, forced his way into the house and lurched into the room, where he roared for drink
 Some of the guests recognized the iu- truder as a Colonel Altamount, who called himself the Ambassador of the Nawaub of Lucknow. Sir Francis intro duced him with a piteously frightened face. Altamoul-l was too drunk to pay much attention to the company but sud denly his eyes fell on the face of Major Pendennis. He leaped up, reeled toward the door, and the company heard him mutter: Captain Beak! Captain Beak. By jngol" as he fled.
 The Majors mind went back rapidly, searching for a clue. The fellows face was familiar, despite the wig and the dyed whskers. Suddenly great dis covery flashed on him. He saw before him convict gang in New South Wales, and he knew that Colonel Altamount was none other than MT. Amory.
 It did not take the shrewd old soldier long to discover that Amory had been bleeding Sir Francis copiously under threat of disclosing himself to Lady ClaV- ering. The baronet was willing to do any thing to retain the income that came 10 him through Lady Clavering, and he and Altamount were almost chums, the har- mony of these two foul birds of a feather being broken only by rows over money.
 The major told Clavering he knew all. When the frightened lord began to weep the major offered him a compromise. l want my nephew to enter public nte' said he. "I want you to resign your seat in parliament in his favor. Nopooy need know anything out it.
 Tt will be easy enough to get rid of Amory," thought the old campaigner' Il can put my hand on witnesses who can swear to him and who will prove that he killed one of the guards in New Soutn Wales Let my boy marry the helfess and the rest will be easily done"
 Within few days the major, beamlng with joy, told Pen of hls good luck, ana that young gentleman did not wonder, but accepted 1t quite simply as merely prize won by his great abilities. He laughed when the major pressed him to court Miss Amory, but he went there, never theless, and soon was immersed again, as in the old days, in poetry and moon- shine with that romantic young person.
 Lady Clavering looked on, pleased enough. She liked the handsome, gay, frank, clever young fellow. As for Pen, if he had any doubts as to whether or not he was in love with Blanche he was pre- vented from dwelling on them by the dis covery that there was rival in the held Poor Harry Poker, perfumed, eurled, garbed in Oriental magniticence, was dis playing his passion for all the world to |
 - In his simplicity he told Pen all about It. and Pen felt sorry for him in his lordly way and pressed his suit with Blanche just a little more eagerly for the knowl- edge.
 Not that Harry Poker had much chance. His father had declared that unless he married Lady Ann, his cousin, he would be cut off with f200 year, and It was we'll known that when the brewer EN.,tip meant It..
 So it was not long before Miss Blanche Amory and Mr Arthur Pendennis were engaged, and MT. Pendennis began his canvass, purely a matter of form for the seat in parliament. for which he was 5ure to be returned, there being no contest,
 The major rubbed his hands and glowed with pride and triumph. If his aims for his nephew were very worldly and very mercenary, yet they were the most unseif- ish that he had had. In all his years; and according to his lights he had sacrificed much of his beloved peace of mind for this boy who was the one being that the sophisticated old man loved.
 Great was the shock then, when Pen burst into his rooms one day and an nounced that he had learned from the majors valet, who had indulged in caves dropping, what was the real reason Tor Clavering' s surrender of his seat. Can you see. sir cried he. that rather than profit by, this secret I would go and join my prospective father-in-law at the hulks? I have felt for months that my conduct in this affair was wicked and sordid. I am rightly punished. But l will do wrong no more. will resign all pretensions to the seat. l will marry Blanche. But I will not take any money with her except the small sum that was settled on her long ago
 ..Arthur-n Gods name shrleked the major, and the old buck actually sank to his knees, and seizing one of Arthur's hands, looked up piteously at him.
 Pen fled to Laura and sought from her calm. clear, unfaltering soul the firm ness that he needed. He knew now that he did not love Blanche. When he had wanted to marry her from self-interest and pride, he had shut his eyes To hcr faults Now he saw but too clearly that she was vain, heartless,' that her senti- ment was counterfeit and her romance was only a cloak for calculation.
 Laura insisted with all her might that Pen keep his word. and she urged him 10 Iosa no fine Why was she in such fever of impatience? Was 1t because In inc tangled maze of life in which all our feet stray so helplessly Laura's footsteps had come back to the beginning, when to her childish mind there was no creat- ura in all the world so splendid as Pen? Was if because she realized now that for all her knowledge that Warrington was the better man, she could never care for any one except Arthur? Who knows? Our women are never so eager as when they are making sacrific.
 But Laura did not have to make sacri- fee The honest proprietor of Foker's Entire died very suddenly. As soon as his presence was removed from the scene Lady Ann ran of with a curate. and Harry Poker, heir to a15,00o year, be- came most welcome visitor at the Claw erinR residence. So when Pendennis pressed Blanche to set the date for the weddng. in a speech in which he could not help mentioning his sere and wound- ed heart and his disillusonments, the sylph deftly took advantage of Arthur's phrases to give him his dismissal; and soon afterward she was engaged to Harry, who swam in the seventh heaven.
 The date of the marriage was fixed. All Clavering was decorating for the event. The society papers were full of news about the guests and the rousseau. Just then Pendennis discovered that Alta mount had been seen in the neighbor- hood. and he also discovered that Blanche had learned about him some time before.
 Arthur hastened to beg her to tell Hss- ry Poker all The sylph, however had no intention of riskng the loss of flo,- GOO A year. She calculated that the we'd ding would be past and done before there could be any danger of discovery.
 Unfortunately she calculated without ooo.tdarr~ ter raspected na rent's weak