Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-02

had put him down for n wcakling-
unbnllasted, misdemeanant. Now he
knew him for what he really was-a
moral mOllusk, n scamp In embryo,
decndent. realizing an ugly propensity
to deplorable finale. A consistent
career of loose living had carried
Hugh far since those college days
when he had been dubbed "Satan's
shadow" While to Harry Sanderson
the eccentric and agnOstical had then
been. as 1t were. the mask through
which his temperament looked at life,
to Hugh 1t had spelled shlpwreck.
Harry sanderson had done broadly as
he pleased. He had entertained whom
he listed. had gone Summing" had
once boxed to a fuish for wager
local pugilist whose acquaintance he
affected, known as "Gentlcman lin"
He had been both the hardest hitter
and the hardest drinlcr In his class.
vet witl,al It's most brilliant student.
Native character had enabled him to
persist, as the exasperatlng function
Of success which dissipation declined
to eliminate. But the same natural
gruvitation which In spite Of al aber-
ration had given Harry Sanderson
classical honors had brought Hugh
s;tlres to the imminent brink Of exp1l-
vion. And since that time. without
the character which belonged to Har-
~ as possession. Hugh bad contin-
ned to drift ainIlcssly on down the
broad lax way of proficiency.
! The conditions lrc found upon his re-
turn, however, had opened fiugh's
eyes 70 the Ierilous strait in which be
stood He was a materiaiiTt and the
taste ne had had of deprivation had
sickcned him. In the first revulsion,
when the contrast bet ween re~ent
famine and present plenty was strong
upon him, he had been ut anxious
pains 20 make himself secure with his
father-and with .JCrsica IIolrue. Uar-
rvs mental sigtit-keen rs the hunters
sight on the rife barrel-was sharpen
ed by his knowledge Of the old Hugh.
IN intuttive knowledge gained In 6
significant formative period He saw
/
IN general way had known Hugh
Stires all their lives. Week by wei;
Harry had seen him regain lost
ground In his fathers esteem. Day
by day lie had seen him making studi
Gus appeal TO nll that was romantic In
Jessica, climbing to the favor OF ench
Oh the ladder Of the others regard
Hugh was naturally poscur. With Z
keen sense Of effect He could be
brilliant at will, could play little or
piano banjo and violin. could sing q
little and had himself we'll in hand
And. feeling the unconscious chord o.
romance vibrate to bis touch, he had
played upon it with 10 unskilful fin
gers.
Jessica was comparatively free from
that coQuetry By means Of which wo
mans instinct experiments In emotion
Although she had been artist enough
before the clustered years of her blind
ness to know TINT she was comely. ste
had never employed that beauty in tn;
ordinary Establishments Of girlish fas
cination. But steadily and unconscious
~ she had TUNED In her dark ness
more and more to the bright and ten
der afr with which Hugh clothed al
their intercourse. Her blindness hac
been Of too short duration to have de
veloped that fine sense-perception witt
which nature seeks to supplement the
darkened vision The ineradica bic
marks which I'll governed living hat
set in HuGhs face. the self indulgenc,
and esotisln she could not see Sh,
rnistook impulse for instinct She rea(
him by the untrustworthy light OF ;
eolorful Imagination. She deemed hin