The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-01-03

make you some tea. Oh, it is a comfort
to make tea for teas sake sometimes,
and not as an object lesson in the
amenities"
"Humph,' commented the professor, as
though he had come upon symptom.
You are never tired of doing the things
you ought to do, are you, dear?" she
asked.
"I? Humph!"
L suppose If people keep on long enough
they get used to it."
"Humph!" said the professor. turning
away and wandering about the room.
Lucy was busy with the tea things, but
she knew the exact moment when he dis
covered the orchids. She was acutely
conscious of every shade of surprise, in
ductive reasoning and disapprobation ex-
pressed by his shoulders. The professor
was SO unnecessarily intelligent about
orchids. 1t would be quite impossible,
even If 1t were officially defensible. to
persuade him that they grew In every
back yard in the Flats.
1--WE given you the biggest two Jumps
in the bowl" she said, with disarming
sweetness.
He took his cup of tea from her hand
and stirred 1t thoughtfully.
Ibid young Ransom send you those
orchids?" he asked.
IS.
chids are merely queer but these are
really beautiful, even If they are trifle
pronounced"
"Oh yes, he has good taste. so far as
that goes I met him at Mrs. Fessenden's
last night
us your tea just right?'
Yes. l knew his father
"Ohr'
HE has good taste also, and the same
tendency to reckless and irresponsible ex-
/ travagance. His collection of Japanese
| bronzes ought to have been in a public
F, museum. Contemporaneously, he settled
| with his creditors at 16 cents on the dol
3! lar
! Lucy looked startled.
| NOW, you may be dazzled by a mans
brilliance, but that sort of thing is moth
| ing more or less than dishonesty
mo-" said Lucy.
| HE made a fortune in mines, and lost
| it, Made another promoting some South
| Sea Island venture, and lost it. Has been
| up and down in Wall street like cork
He doesn't run a faro bank, but he is a
thoroughgoing gambler for all that"
II see," said Lucy.
"This young man was brought up in
| that atmosphere, and 1t is evident that
| he admires his father"
YES" said Lucy.
| 'Tt is quite evident that he does not
think of him concretely as dishonest"
NO said Lucy.
What more, that same gamblers in
stinct is in his blood. These orchids
prove it. He is brilliant and audacious
and irresponsible"
YES" said Lucy.
"And there are incidents in his career
| young as he is, that show the same wild
law-defying spirit"
| nj wa xxyfb ri r.
| Gus and being arrested for three-card
| monte mann
'Oh, he has told your
/ Eyes. l thought it rather funny-as he
told it."
1T isn't funny" the professor said Sc
riously, after a moments surprised
pause. 1T might be funny In someone
else-some young man of different ante
cedents. But in the son of Ellery Kan
som it is the knelling of Fate"
YES" said Lucy.
He looked relieved at her acquiescence.
II am very glad you see it In the right
light my dear 1 was afraid thought
from something Mrs. Fessenden said In
| letter."
Lucy was stirring her tea absentiy and
did not help him out. Her face was very
thoughtful The professor adjusted his
glasses to see better There must be no
doubt left
THAT young man is morally bound-I
should say immorally bound-to end up
as a bank wrecker or as an embezzler.
He has the hereditary tendency, he is
gambling in stocks now incidentally, and
Fate has laid her mine by putting him
into a bank, where he will have both
temptation and opportunity. Heredity
and environment, my dear-you can't get
away from them. Charlie Ransom was
doomed from his cradle
NO" said Lucy. She lifted her thought
full face, and there was a wonderful light