The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-03-01

I on which rested the end OF a brown
upper canine tooth, showing under a
! Str1ngy muStaChe, gray and yellow and
unkempt, like his hair; the stopped. I'M
| dersized figure which Joined with the
| face TO make a very impersonatiOn of
weak. low Cunning-every repulsive line
and feature fairly branded itself upon
wallace Green's senses.
once more that swift series Of words
/ flashed through his mind: Hollis
Meade-my father-the murderer Of my
mother
Involuntary a cry Of horror burst
/ from his lips, "Oh, my GOdI'
| Whatever had been his reason for
| claiming identity of name with the
person Of the wife murderer the beg
ga was quick To realize that he had
mlScalCulated in doing so.
Undoubtedly his real p uipOse had been
THAI of ingratiating himself with a man
Of some means whose maudlin condi-
ton would render him susceptible TO
special sympathy for relative IN dis
tress.
He saw now that he had made a
mistake
But he was too shrewd TO dodge be-
hind a denial of the statement he had
just made.
L never met up with but one other
man with that name, he began. IS
though ne had not noted the effect his
last words had had upon his hearer-
BY the time he had uttered these
DRY for criminal history came 70 has
rescue with gasp he recalled the
name he had just claimed, and knew
It had aroused such horror in the young
man breast But he Strove not TO be
tray the fright the memory brought 10
him.
HE was runnin' away from Jersey
about twenty-five years ago. he re
stunned, IN his slOUChing, mUmblinS faI-
setto. He wuz to been hung Tor
KILN his wife or sunthin'- I he'd
hotel or the BOwery on them days
Wallace listened with silent, startled
wonder a quick. intense relief came
TO him with the thought that. al worst,
he did not have 10 own this specimen
for his parent
"Bein' a relaShUn OF rnine-OT havin'
the same name-I helped him out Z get
10 Mexico think it was Mexico he
went 20. He said he wasn't guilty.
Course, they all say that seen some
OF the evidence before 1 seen him
But l give him some money just the
samoan IN bulls never got him"
How much did you give him. Wal
lace asked, in a sudden burst Of gTati-
tude that prompted him to REIN purse
the fellow on the spCt-mOre especially
for not being his father.
Il give him a hundred" the beggar
ans Wered eagerly. a cunning light Shin
ing IN his eyes as no half fathomed the
others purpose.
This highly improbable amount had
the effect of restoring some of Green s.
common sense. Not all Of it, however.
for ne drew his Toll from his pocket
and opened it.
We'll. old man." he said haIr jocu-
larly, Il guess there's about one chance
in ten that you've been telling me the
truth. On that basis. I'll give you ID
per cent Of what you say you gave my
Hollis Meade
He slipped q yellow bill from beneath
the flaps Of the leather roll and handed
il 10 the ugly tramp. The former own
er Of "A hotel took IL without a word
Of thanks and hurried away as though
he feared the donor would follow him
and take back the gift.
In spite Of the thTObhing headache
| his unintended spree had left him. Wal
! lace Green walked back toward the
/ hotel and his room with a feeling OF
| cheerfulDess- All that he had heard 81
/ his father had led him TO believe that
| Hollis Meade was about as bad as n
human being could be But. so great
/ was his relief now that he half wished
/ 10 know more Of the outcast parent
| Of whatever crime that parent might
/ have oeen guilty, he was not the hide
/ Gus creature Wallace had just seen
I The young mans feelings reoOunded
| from the horror Of the moment when
the filthy tramp had claimed the name
] Of his father. until he was half ready
. to believe that. perhaps, there had been
mistake in sentencing Hollis Meade
20 be hung"