Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-06-17

IN
to silNc.e his detractors. then she
could better bear the tyranny in her
home.
The morning papers pictured graph
ically the scene in his ofice-the outer
rooms crowded with a mass of excited
men and women clamoring for their
money, while alone in his private Of
fee sat James Douglass Manning, his
head bowed, his whole attitude one of
miserable detection.
Then Muriel could hold out 40 long.
er. She would go to him at once, and
perhaps her feeble sympathy might
help him to regain the courage he
seemed in danger of losing. She dress
ed herself in her most becoming
clothes and slipped out of the house
quietly, thus avoiding the questions
which otherwise would have tormented
her conscience.
James Douglass Manning did not
look like a man on the verge Of de-
spair as he sat in his office debating
letter after letter and smoking one
black cigar after another. He was
bo~thered-yes, he would confess to
that-and the shareholders had pes
tered him with their unreasonable de-
mands for an accounting. but be did
not doubt his ability to weather this
storm as he had weathered Others in
his checkered career. He was busy, and
he looked up impatiently as his conf
Dental clerk entered with a card.
Il can't see anybody, JONES'" he said
irritably. He was a big man. massive
of frame, massive of feature, with
power irradiating from every pore.
Its a lady. sir. She begs you will
see her. She's not an investor. She's
quite young"
Manning held out his hand for the
bit of ~pasteboard. Miss Muriel Dim
ock," he read, then wrinkled his brow
thoughtfully. But he had a good mem
DRY, and he could look back ten years
without effort. THE Dimock KID" he
murmured. He remembered how the
Dimocks had scoffed at him when he
needed help and how he had paid them
back when he was on top of the heap.
But the kid had known nothing
of all this, and be had been fond of
the little mouse-like child. with her
timid ways and her big. frightened
eyes. lie paused a moment reflective
ly. "All right, Jones. Show her in"
Then he dismissed his secretary.
Muriel appeared in the doorway. her
hands clasped tight beneath her muff.
her heart humping audibly to her
ears, her eyes suffused and her pretty
mouth trembling.
Jim" she faltered. then stopped.
shocked into silence by the reality.
Here was no covering. broken mar
needful of a woman's tender ministra-
lions. Manning's whole personality
radiated confidence in himself.
He came forward wonderingly.
Could this pretty, dainty girl be the
kid whose scrawny appearance had
always called forth pity on his parti
'Muriel, child, how you have grown
was all he could manage to get out,
She smiled family. ITS ten years
since you've seen me. Mr.. Manning"
She could not call him Jim now.
He pulled forward a chair, and she
SdI uOWu AL Ut cdSG. III OuOulu Silt
say to him, how explain her errand of
mercy?
There had been no frantic crowd in
the outer rooms, and she had taken
that as a sign that even those whom
he was accused of ~defrauding had de-
serted him, but when she was ushered
into his presence and found him a
hinUar 0aiObfiap lin avian than cba no.
membered her little p~retensions melted
into thin air.
Manning, however, had tact. He
saw that she was embarrassed, and.
though he had no conception of the
cause, he did his best to put her at her
ease. So well did be succeed that in a
few minutes she was chatting frankly
with him as she had never done with
any one else in her life.
81 can't explain why | came. You
wouldn't understand. but | wanted you
to know that we remembered you
She used the plural, but be understood,
and skillfully be drew from her the
whole story. He did not smile when
he heard how she had pictured him
ruined and Respondent, but something
stirred in his mans breast. and a wave
of tenderness swept over him as he
realized the sympathy she would have
given had he needed 1t.
BLESSED little kid" he murmured,
gazing into her shining eyes. $50 you
thought they'd done for me and you
came to weep over he ruin. the only
one too. l never knew what a wo-
mans sympathy meant. I've had few
dealings with your sex My mother
died when l was born. and | had no
sisters. Folks call me a hard man.
Perhaps | am, but you've done more
for me today than you know. You've
shown me what I've been missing all
these years, and l can't thank you.
child; l can't thank you" His voice
broke abruptly, and he closed his eyes