New-York tribune., 1908-07-05

as seemed to be his customary method OF I'M
| pertinenCe:
| Last night, when YOU were roasting me.
| you said something about my receiving salary
| for deceiving people" He paused instant,
while the old look of irnpishness crePt back
| into his ewes. Now | wonder If YOU think m
a customs house official"
| No" said Valda. with lofty air, Il don't
| think it. l know If =!
THIS time she did leave hin.-left him for
| good and au-and moved away with
| dignity and grace; while the man, thus crushed
| went back to his work-thOugh, strangely. his
| big. broad shoulders shook as ne bent to his
degrading 1abors.
| Valda left the deck and ordered breakfast.
| 1t was early, so she had It alone; and, IN her
| opinion. it was about the very worst breakfast
| ever served by the ministerial Miggs- 1t was
| Morson-Brown's fault. of course. He ruined
| everything. His baleful influence even per
meated the shells OF eggs 1t mudd1ed the
| coffee. 1t made the toast a sort OF irritating
| brown-just like his hOrrid, disgusting name!
| She saw clearly that this fox had tried TO
| deceive her a second time, and she was justly
| angry. He had meeklv admitted the justice
| OF her treatment OF hIrn,-that his story was
| impossible and false,-then Cunningly dropped
| a hint that the tale might not sound plausible
| to her. merely because 1t had not happened 10
| her personally. In other words, he had pre-
sented an honest apple OF contesslon-and put
| a worm in it. OH but that was sly,-Satanlc-
ally Slyl-and anyone but wise and tar seeing
| person might easily have been taken IN. And
| then his master stroke of vulpine knavery IN
asking her If she thought he was a customs
house official! To tell the truth.-the glaring.
naked truth.-then hold it up TO artful rldiCulel
| No wonder the British Government was willing
to pay this fend an enormous salary His re-
sources of deception were ilImitable. She
could understand that wound on his scalp now
perfectly. He had bumped his head on pur-
pOse-juSt for local color!
THE unhappy Young woman went on deck
again and sat down but in a locality far
removed from the irritating ran pOl1Sher, and
there she waited with all her remaining pa
tience for the coming of Polly and Aunt Mary.
Both these carefree women rose at leisure,
dressed at leisure, and enjoyed their breakfast
at still more leisure; then they came out JOv-
ously and hunted UP the mistress of the Spit
fire, finding her in a mental condition only to
be described by the word grim.
Valda had disagreeable duty to perform;
so she went about it at once and without pre-
lude. Aunt Mary" she began, and YOU too,
Polly, very sad and distressing thing has oc-
CURED on board our yacht
Good gracious met exclaimed Aunt Mary.
Has he taken coid;'
No" said Nalda, with vindiCtive snap OF
her sharp, white teeth, unfortunately, he has
not! 1t is something worse than colds, Aunt
Mary. That man IS a shameless Swindlerl'
Her two listeners stared at her IN speeches.
inCreduItE, Dut ' aida d1d not give them tlIie
for disconcerting questions. Such things are
always dangerous.
Lest evening" she continued. Sc I purposely
nadeSio mention of It, FOR fear of upsetting YOU;
and even this morning l can give YOU little
detail as the matter Is connected with fathers
private business. But this | can say: Mr.
er-Alr- MOrson was not thrown from that tug
boat; but arranged the whole thing himself IN
order to get aboard this yacht, with the sole
intention of iniuring my father His state
nents to We're false. by his own admission,
and while he may not have done anything
actually to place him behind the bars. still. he
has principle. and IS utterly unscrupulous.
He IS not fit person for any OF US to associate
with and have placed him where he belongs,
to work his passage, giving positive m
structions that none of this yachts company
shall hold any communication with him what
ever. Now, please, the matter Is cloSedE'
But the matter was not closed. Both women
held set and individual views on the subject,
nor did they hesitate to state them. With
Polly it was thus: Given a Young man of uu-
common personal promise, on the high road
10 perdition, it clearly became the duty of
society to check his downward plunge. II So
ciety failed to appreciate its opportunity, then