Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12

Gaunt"
IT'S entirely different" Gaunt replied
We have to protect girls of our own
class Neither you nor I would attempt
to harm Them
No: they are too we'll guarded"
Bah! It Is not that. Crawshay. You
know well enough what 1 mean. The
others are fair sport
Yes. perhaps that Is so. Though
often wonder II virtue Is not as valuable
to shop girl as to a duchess. One
might even assume that 1t Is more valu-
able to poor girl, as 1t is often the only
thing of value she has in the world
Rats said Gaunt. with q laugh. 1T, s
entirely different, and you know that well
enough
Crawshay picked up his liqueur glass
and drained 1t to the last drop. Then he
reseated himself in his chair and lit an
other cigarette. His thin. white face was
tightly together.
'T'll tell you something about It," he
said. after a long pause, las much about
1t as 1 wish you to know at present. In
the first place, you will be interested TO
learn that my sister was one of that class
which you-not without reason-regard as
fair sport She was. in short, shop
girl"
Gaunt.
Precisely. She was shop girl I am
not q gentleman by birth. Doubtless
you have noticed it in my manners.
They are. If anything. too correct.
You are too courteous. too gentle, too
well bred. If may say So
II understand" Crawshay replied. with
a grim smile. We'll, Gaunt. was
counter-jumper little more than fifteen
years ago. 1t was probably In the shop
that learned my manners We were al
ways very polite, and acquired bow
that would not have disRraced an Ori-
entail"
well. I'm blowedT'' said Gaunt.
II got sick of the shop" continued
Crawshay. land went out to Australia
I left behind me a sister who was ten
years younger than myself. and my
mother. who was widow. They were
both earning money. My mother did a
little dressmaking. and my sister was, as
I said. a shop girl. I had ambitions. !
wanted to see them both rich. ! wen'
abroad to make money. to find gold
''And you found it," queried Gaunt.
Eyes. I found it-after five years. And
a week afterward I received letter
from my mother saying that my sister
for lot of money and returned to Eng.
land to find her. When I arrived learnt
that my mother had died two days previ.
ously." He paused and the lines seemed
to deepen on his thin face.
Poor old chap!' muttered Gaunt.
"She died OF a broken heart" continued
Crawshay-"of shame. They found
letter in her stiff fingers-a letter from
my sister, saying that she was neither
wife nor maid, that she was to be for
gotten, that she was to be looked upon
as dead. I have the letter in my pocket
now. 1t has been there for ten years. II
never leaves me-"
THE brute! The Backyard" ex'
claimed Gaunt.
Just such another as you or I. Gaunt
Only we do not see this side Of the bust
ness. We are In the sunshine and the
laughter. and the voice Of passion browns
all the cries OF pain. But swore to find
this man and kill him. and now-well,
have. perhaps. two months to live"
"And you wish me to continue the
search" said Gaunt, land to kill him?'
mo-" replied Crawshay. that would
be absurd. OF course. could not expect
you to commit murder. But I should
require you to hunt him down and wreck
his happiness by every means in your
power. Doubtless he Is married and the
respected father Of family. 1t will be
your duty to expose his past life and
show the man as he really Is. You must
try to ruin him morally and financially
You must never leave him till he has
taken his own life in order to escape from
your persecution"
"And in return for this I get thirty
thousand pounds?'
Yes. and nve'thousand pounds for ex
penseS"