The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-02-24

trifie peremptory at times, as though
my obligations to him left me no choice
but to take him to such people as he
desired to meet. We've had trouble
recently"
"What sortT
Personal. 1 felt-began to feel-ths
pressure on me. There was at mo-
ments something almost of menace in
his requests and suggestions, an impor
tunity I did not exactly understand
And then he said something to me-"
"Go on. WhatT
He'd been limiting at it before, and
even when l found him jolliest and
most amusing and companionable l
never thought Of him as IA social
possibility mean among those who
really count-like my own people,"
Eyes, my boy, see. Go on. When
did he ask to be presented to your sis
teri"
"W-who told you that2" asked the
boy, with an angry flush.
"You did-almost. You we've going
to anyway. So that was 1t, was It?
That was when you realized q few
things-understood one or two things,
was it not? And how did you replyH
Arrogantly, suppose"
"Yes."
"With-a--some little show OFF,
contemptf''
"Yes, I suppose so.'
exactly. And Neergard was put
out slightly"
Yes" said the boy, losing some of
his color. ia moment afterward I
was sorry had spoken 10 plainly,
but need not have been. He was
very ugly about It,"
Threats Of calling !oansf' asked
Selwyn, smiling.
Hints; not exactly threats. was
In a bad way too" The boy WINGED
and swallowed hard; then, with sud-
den white desperation stamped on his
drawn face, he added: "Oh, Philip, it
1t Is disgraceful enough, but how am
going to tell you the rest? How can
I speak Of this matter to your
"What matter"
"A-about-about Mrs. Ruthven."N
- "What matter?" repeated Selwyn.
His voice rang little, but the color
/ had fed from his face.
"She was-Jack Ruthven charged her
with-and me-charged me With
"You"
Eyes"
"Well, 1t was lie, wasn't IT." Sell
wyn's ashy lips scarcely moved, but his
eyes were narrowing to glimmer. at
was lie, wasn't it?' he repeated.
"Yes, lie. I'd say it, anyway, you
understand, but it really was lie."
Selwyn quietly leaned back in his
chair. A little color returned to his
cheeks.
"All right, old fellow"-his voice
scarcely quivered-"ali right. Go on.
knew, of course, that Ruthven lied, but
1t was part of the story to hear you say
so. Go on. What did Ruthven doT
/ "There has been separation" said
the boy. in low voice. HE behaved
like dirty cad She had no resources,
no means of support" He hesitated,
moistenlng his dry lips with his
tongue. Mrs. Ruthven has been very,
very kind to me. was-I am fond of
her Oh, know we'll enough l never
had any business to meet her. be-
haved abominably toward you and the
family. But it was done. knew her
and liked her tremendously. She was
the only one who was decent to me,
who tried to keep me from acting like
a fool about cards"
"Did she try?'
"Yes-indeed, yes! And, Phil, she-I
don't know how to say it-but She
when she spoke of-of you-begged me
to try to be like you. And it is lie
what people say about her-what gos-
sip says. l know. I have known her
so well-and-I was like other men
charmed and fascinated by her, but the
women Of that set are pack of cats,
and the men-well, none of them ever
ventured to say anything to me! And
that is all, Philip. was horribly in
debt to Neergard Then Ruthven turn
ed on me-and ON her, and borrowed
more from Neergard and went to her
bank and deposited 1t to the credit Of
her account, but she doesn't know 1t
was from me. She supposes Jack Ruth
ven did it out of ordinary decency, for
she said so to me. And that is how
matters stand. Neergard is ugly and
grows more threatening about those
loans, and haven't any money, and
Mrs. Ruthven will require more very
soon."
ISIS that all? demanded Selwyn
sharply.
"Yes, all. know have behaved
shamefully"-
"I've seen," observed Selwyn in a
dry, hard voice, "worse behavior than
yours. Have you pencil, Gerald7
Get sheet of paper from that desk.
Now, write out a list of the loans
made you by Neergard-every cent, II
you please-and the exact amount you
placed to Mrs. Ruthven's credit. Have
you written that? Let me see it."
The boy handed him the paper. He
studied 1t without the slightest change
OF expression, knowing all the while
what 1t meant to him, knowing that
this burden must be assumed by him