Evening star., 1909-06-09
CHAPTER VIII-Continued.

That's all right" laughed Caleb. '1'm
goin' to help you out So don't get any
grayer in the face than YOU are already.
I'm goin' to help you out for two rea-
sons. First. because IL I don't, you're
ruined. Flat broke an
t"Oh, no. Mr.. Conover" exclaimed
Standish, tremblingly. Not in the very
least. 1t is temporary crisis which
(which is goin' to become perm nent
unless l sling out a life rope. What's
the use of lynn bout it?'
Standish laughed. The pitiful. mirthless
laugh of the man who is insulted and
dare not resent the affront: who COM
promises with trampled self-respect by
grinning where he should curse
Good joke, amt it?' agreed Caleb,
reading the broken aristocrat Like an
open page. $50 much for my first rea-
son. My second reason for helpin' you
out is because l want to do you neigh
borly turn. We are neighbors, amt We,
Standish?"
other, wholly puzzled as to the trend of
Caleb's words; yet unfeignedly happy
and therefore eager to be genial-over the
solution of his financial tangle. He
coughed pleasant acquescence.
But went on Caleb, 1T just occurs to
me l amt been as neighborly with you
as I'd oughter.'
Absent-m -mindedly. as he talked, Conover
drew 1O1tl MS CHeCk DOCK from d uEdWeI
and laid it open before him, lingering its
long. pink slips.
No" he continued. forestalling Stand
ish's perplexed reply. Il amt been so
neighborly as l should. You've been
around here to see me several times, now
an I've never once returned any of your
visits It's about up to me to come to see
you. When'll l Gomez"
"Why-by all means! BY all means!"
declared Standish with effusion Come
and lunch with some day-ShalI we
say, at the Pompton Club? Why not to-
day? 1 shall be delighted. II
II don't 60 out to s,a lunch n,,+ objected e ed
glad to eat dinner with you"
Certainly. Why, of course. Any even
ing you say. The chef We have now at
the Pompton Club
II don't want to dine at the Pompton
Club" said Caleb sulkly.
AT the Arareek, then. We're both
members there. What evenings
Nor the Arareek. neither" answered
Caleb. ''Eatin' food with man at his
I'll just drop around on you for a home
dinner some evenin'. I'll like that better
"Why, ye-es." coincided Standish. with
all the cordiality he could muster against
the shock THAT will be delightful. Ger
tainly Some evening when
How'd Friday evenin' of this week
suit you?" asked Caleb breaking in on
the loosely strung speech of his guest.
"Why, why my family are to be at home
that evening""
White spots leaped into view at either
side of Calebs close shut lips, and some
thing lurid famed far back in his eyes.
Had Blacarda-in his hospital room at the
capitol-seen that look, he might have
suffered relapse. But Standish was near
sighted-except in the eyes-and the ex-
preston passed unnoticed.
Il know your fam'ly's to be home that
night" said Conover in a curiously r1uf-
fed voice. ALSO there's a dinner party
you're givin'. An a MUSCLE afterward.
| Twelve guests to the dinner. Bout two
hundred to the MUSCLE. I'm comm to
| BOTH
but my dear Mr.. Conover.' cried
| Standish with forced gayety. You don't
quite see the point-much as land all OF
us would be delighted to have you our
guest at dinner that night. yet the laws
of a dinner party are unpleasantly per-
| haps ridiculously-rigid. For instance,
| this is to be a dinner for twelve. An ex-
| ira man would spoil the balance-and-"
with sudden inspiration-'it would make
| thirteen. So many people are foolishly
superstitious, I confess, / am, for one
Now the next evening would
1.-The next evenin'," said Conover, You
an your family are booked for the Ha
wardens theater party. l read about 1t
| in the Star. You'd excuse yourself an
stay at home an dine alone with me
| An that'd be about as merry as
morgue for both of us. No. I'm comm
| Friday-if you'll be so good as to ask
me-"
| But I've just told you-''
you've just told me there was to be
| twelve guests That's all right There'll
| be only twelve. I'll be one of the twelve.
| Blacarda was invited. He's laid up in
| the hospital from a car accident an
| can't come. I'm helpin' you out by takin
| his place. No inconvenience to any one
| Unless maybe you think your daughter
an your sister-in-law won't care to meet
me?''
| ish. in fearful straits. They'd be very
glad indeed. But"
Then that's settled decided Conover.
| Thanks"
| He bent over the check book. pen in
| hand. Standish, at his wits end. made
one more attempt to- drag himself free
| Of the dilemma.
Il know you won't be offended" he fall
| tered. with another dry cough. if l say
| frankly-frankness is always best, I think
| that l.
Caleb closed the check book with a
snap and whirled HIS desk chair about
to face his visitor so suddenly that the
latter involuntariy started back. Not
even Standish could now misread that
| dull. hot CLINT in Conover's pale eyes.
Look here. Mr.. Standish,' said the
| Fighter. Don't ever make the blunder of
| thinkin' a man can't understand you Just
| because you can't understand him. If
| you'd said to one of your own crowd: 4
can't invite you to my house because my
| fam'ly's gon' to be there: because you
| amt fit to meet my women.-f you'd
| said that to one Of them he'd a been
| your enemy for life. You wouldn't
| a'dared insult him so. But you said it
| to me because you thought l wouldn't
| understand. Well. I do. Shut up! 1 know
| what you want to say. an I don't want
| to hear it. I'm not comm to your house
for love Of you: but I'm comm Just the
same-I guess I've bought my right to.
| If mans good enough to beg from. he's
| good enough to treat civil. An you're
| goin to treat civil. This afternoon
| I'm goin' to get an invite to your dinner
! an the MUSCLE. You ought to be CRATE
| full that l don't insist on singin' there.
| I'm goin' or Friday, an you're goin' to
| pass the word around that I'm to be
treated right. while I'm there. Just to
make sure of it, I'll date this check ahead
| to next Saturday"
A last remnant OF manhood f1ared UP
| within the consumptve old bank presi-
dents withered soul.
I'm not to be bulldozed. Mr.. Conover!'
he said with a certain dignity. Because
YOU extend business favors to me, l am
not obliged to admit a man of your char
acter to my home. And / shall not AS
| for the loan-
| LAS for the loan,' replied Conover.
| struggling his shoulders, and tossing the
| check book back in the drawer, I'm not
Obliged to stave off ruin from a man that
| thinks I'm not fit to enter his home.
That's all. Good day
| He slammed shut the desk drawer and
began to look over some of the opened
letters before him.
The old man had risen to his feet. his
L