The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-02-13

AL d 41tLA0 pIOAAcuduo dIOuuu VIC
"loggia," as she termed it, overlooking
the great court.
She took him aside to tell him her
afternoon experience, and to ask his
opinion of the enigmatical appearance
of Atkins. He was strongly tempted,
in return, to question her frankly
about Miss Smith, to tell her Of seeing
the latter with Atkins only that even
ing. He knew that it was the sensible
thing to debut he simply could not
do it. To frame his supicions past or
present of the woman he loved; to dis
cuss the chances of her affection for
man loathsomely unworthy of her;
worse, to balance the possibilities of
her turning betrayer in her turn and
CHANGING any damage to her benefac-
tress and her kinsman for this fellows
sake-no, it was beyond him. He had
intended to discuss his aunt's part in
the Waylaying of Keatchanl, with calm
ness and with the Difference due her.
but unsparingly; he meant to show
her the legal If not moral obliquity of
her course, to point out to her the pit
A0A1o OCcOCIAu& II, " WALL 1lSl lloW
hideous might be the consequences of
a misstep. Somehow, however, his
miserable new anxiety about Miss
Smith had disturbed all his calcula-
tions and upset his wits; and he could
not rally any Of the poignant phrases
which he had prepared. All he was
able to say was something about the
rashness of the business; it was like
the Filipinos with their bows and ar
rows fighting machine-guns.
Cor David with his ridiculous little
sling going against Goliath added
she. Every we'll put, BERTHE; only the
good advice comes too late; the ques
tion now is, how to get out with a.
whole skin. Surprising as it may be,
expect to-with your help.
"Honored, I'm sure" growled BERTHE
"There is one thing ] meant to ask
you'll haven't, but shall now. In
stead of making it impossible for me
to sleep tonight, as you virtuously in
tended in order to clear your con-
science before you tried to pull me out
Of the trap I've set for myself, suppose
you do me favor, right now"
you. put it SO we'll, you make me
ashamed of my moral sense, Aunt
Becky; what is 1t you want?"
"oh, nothing unbefitting soldier
and gentleman, dear boy; just this:
Cary has to have some money.
meant to give it to Stoves, but you
hustled him off in such rush that I
didn't get at him. You know where he
is, don't you? You haven't sent him
straight back?"
II can find him, I reckon"
Then I'll give you the money, at
once"
How weak a thing is man! Here
was an eminently cool-headed, rea-
sonable man of affairs who knew that
paws which had escaped from the fire
unsinged had no excuse to venture
back for other peoples chestnuts; he
had expressed himself clearly to this
effect to young Tracy; now, behold
him as unable to resist the temptation
of conflict and the chance to battle
Atkins as if he were a hot-headed boy
in plain shoulder-straps!
'1'll do better for you, Aunt Rebec-
ca" said he. "I'll not only take Fire
less the money, I'll go with him to the
house. can make sneak from here;
and Atkins Is safely downstairs at
this moment He may be shadowing
Fireless; if he is, perhaps can throw
him off the track"
Thus it befell that not an hour later
Rupert Winter was guiding the shabby
and noisy runabout a second time to-
ward the haunted house.
Nothing doin'," said the joyous ap.
prentice to crime; II called old Cary
up and got furious stating for doing
it; but he said there wasn't watch
dog in sight; and the old man had sur
rendered. He was going to let him
into the library on parole"
"You need guardian" growled the
colonel; where did you telephone?
Not in the drug store?"
"Oh, dear, no, not in such a public
place; I've a shrinking nature that
never did intrude it's private, personal
affairs on the curious world. I used
the phone Of that nice quiet little res
taurant where they gave me lovely
meal but were SO long preparing it
used up all the literature in sight,
which was the Ladies' Home Journal
and tract on the virtues of Knox's
gelatine. When I couldn't think Of
anything else to do I routed out Cary
. I'D smoked all my cigarettes and all
my cigars but one which 1 was keep
ing for after dinner. And Cary rowed
me good and plenty. There wasn't a
soul in the room"
HAS any one followed you?"
"Not man, woman or child, not even
a yellow dog. I kept looking round,
too
1T was a dreadfully risky thing to
do; you don't deserve to escape; but
perhaps you did. Atkins may have
come to the Palace for some other
purpose and never have noticed you"
my own father wouldn't have got
on to me in that dinky rig"
Winter was not so easy in his mind.
p. y