The Washington herald., 1908-05-23
BY GERALD VILLIERS-STUART.

utflylng IOfce IN II when always held a
/ listeners attention steady, even through
! long pauses.
My dear fellow. I did hint at your true
character to Lady Donoyle"
Vandraken sat up. The devil you did,
Lord Ancestor nodded. Il did-atd what
/ do you think she said?7
THAT she didn't believe your"
No. That it was a tiara. not a halo
she wanted for her daughter
Vandraken chuckled
/ And as she has brought her daughter
/ up to look at things in the same light
l m afraid your morals wouldn't outweigh
/ your other attractions AS for the Won
/ Tarsenheim business. she would simply
refuse 10 believe It,
But for the sake Of argument. even If
+ all YOU say is true-suppose I do fail in
/ love, and do propose get regularly tan
/ gled up in this imaginary net which you
I say society spreads for the unwary mil
/ lionaire-it does not follow that It would
| happen Immediately. II might be a long
chase, and long engagement, and I
/ don't want more than few years Of the
seamy side Of life. I must say that I
+ have never met any girl who could make
marriage as tolerable as Lady Kitty. And
she is yOung-she could wait. Lots Of
1 girls do.
+ Il don't think you ever had very much
| conscience, Yandraken. but whatever you
/ had Won TaTsenheim has extracted. that's
certain Good Lord Kitty wait,-as girls
do wait while some working. con-
sctentiOus chap is toiling TO create
home. But in this instance wait while
/ you are s0iling the springs Of life. ex
/ hausting the emotions and enthusissms
/ which you are to unite with hers, Good
+ Lord, Shall you ask her 10 wait while
/ you SOW your wild oats2''
| but you seem to forget. Ancestor, that
/ / have arranged to overcome that diff
Guilty. That is the beauty of Won larsen
helms invention. I shall go through the
underworld as asbestos goes through fire,
! and come out al the other side without
! changing hair. Don't you see? It's the
/ other chap-poor devil.-whO won't be fit
to marry"
You VIII come out a whited sepulcher
that is how you viii come out Like one
+ OF those white puff-balls one finds in the
fields full of scrid brown powder
mol no" answered Vandraken ear
nestly. Il have thought IT ali out When
/ ] shake the dust Of that life from of my.
/ feet Il will be like sin In a dream. I tell
1 youi I have overcome the law Of conse-
quence. You viii see.
Then You won't promise 20 cut society
and abide by the life you have htted your
self for?'
NO. I'm sorry 70 disoblige you. and
I'm afraid II may cost me your friend
ship. which ! value; but propose 10 60
into society as much as I Ike. and If il
spreads a net and catches a variety Of
fish 1t wasn't looking for-weii-" He
shrugged his shoulders. and rose TO go.
"Sit down a minute, Vandraken. and
/ give me a cigar"
Eandraken beamed as he proffered his
cigar case. NO, VIII youo I take that
1 as a sign that YOU aren't going to chuck
me, in spite Of my contumacious beaa-
vior'
Lord Ancestor looked at the young man
curiously. Chuck you! No. I wish
could, But my position is a peculiar one.
1 spoke a few light words. as a boy
/ heaves q pebble into pond. Wei, those
/ few words have started an endless chain
OF. consequences. I have, as II were. Gre
ated a new disease. I must devote my
life 20 Quarantining steriIizing every pos
sible device Of modern sanitation. As a
/ result OF that disease. You are a man
without conscience. As far as possible
/ I supply that lack. I must in every way
limit the consequences OF my own act
am tired of the game you want 10 play
but ] viii have 10 play il. I hate the
underworld but ! viii have to live in it
as long as you choose to remain under.
! Chuck you, No, I WIFI be your shadow
I saw il all in a flash as the pony fell; the
horror of il all the inevitabieress Of
predestined fate. which may be minimized
but cannot be aveTted
oh. 1 say Draw il mild, To hear you
f "a -,4-- =,
hell together, instead of having a jolly
good time"
Ancestor lit his cigar and watched the
smoke thoughtfully for a few moments
You imagine that you have cheated the
gods with your limitless wealth and your
/ Abdul Won Tarsenheinl-but I tel you
/ Vandraken. that they sit around among
the stars as men sit by the bank Of
river. dropping their lines down into this
/ puddle 10 see what they can catch. You.
my dear chap, are a new sort Of bait. and
! I am the instrument which has put you
+ on the hook
/ Somebody mas been doping your drinks,
! Ancestor. You are getting weird NUT
! tered VsndTaken. getting up. The NOR
/ bid thoughts OF a morbid fellow. written
at a rainy funeral-thst is how your line
/ of talk strikes me. I think I VIII go down
I 70 the moTgue ana tfy 70 get cneefed up.
/ But. bar chaff, Ancester-I am of. Can
take you anywhere
you might take me down 70 latter
/ sails. I want to have a look at some
ponies the irish Dragons are sending in.
I say, Ancestor" said the other. nerv-
/ ously. Like a good chap, let me give
YOU a pony. I feel halfway response
bic for the death Of Squirrel"
| Wouldn't dream Of it. Thanks very
much all the same answered his friend
in tone which did not admit Of further
/ discussion.