The Washington times., 1910-01-21
==By
ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE

It means 10 mel
And I-d IsIoyal coward that I was
II honestly believe I would have told
For 1 could nor resist that look and
voice What man COUld2
II WAS my mother who saved the
situation She, kindly. hospitable, de-
lighted 10 see Hllca again, hustled into
Under cover of ner voIIey Of saIuta-
tons / slipped out 1 had been within an
ace OF the objectionable folly and crime
OF betraylng my own brotner-and 10
the woman who presumably loved him.
Under the WitCheTy OF Hllda s plead
ing my drsl resolutions had melted into
nOJEIuCuess. leaving me horribly human
and weak For this 1 make no apology
save shat 7 loved her.
J er resolved TO see her no more.
For another time no mother might zoe
at hand 20 break IN upon US and rescue
me from ny weakness.
turned down the hail. mounted the
stairs with leaden tread and made for
che room where 1 had left Mark. Ny
course was clear. I saw that now. And
the dire news I had SO lately read made,
everything palmer for both Of Us But
there was no time 10 be lost
Full OF my new determination I en-
tered our Ced room
Mark" I began
But MY brother gave me no chance to
say more. He hurried toward me as a
Z
diIated with dread. his shalzy nand grip
ping one Of the two morning papers
had Ie-- on the table
With palsied finger he pointed 70 the
item that had first caught my eye.
Look" ne babbled, Just read- 1 saw
IL as I finished dressing, and as 7 was
sitting down 10 wait for you Read Il,
Hugh I'm a murderer Great heavens,
man. A murderer
He thrust the paper upon me. then
burst into a paEoNysm Of weeping
II Is. at best, SlEnI as gTuSSOUDe as
il Is rare TO see a man weep. but Mark s
bOyish. terrified sobs held little enough
Of maulluess or even Of heart-break-
For the moment, he was as a panic
stricken infant. crazed with horror at
the idea than he had slain the unknown
man" whose body had been found OF
Whippin myers dock
I had hoped TO keep the facts from
him until he could be better prepared
TO face them But my needless folly in
leaving the newspaper lying about had
brought on the very thing / had desired
10 postpone But, perhaps. Il was better
or now the news ] had 10 im0art
would not come with redOubled force
Buck up ordered, harshIy. BE
man. not historical child WHAT is
dOne e done and you We got 10 eer used
20 II II m 10 help you, YOU must
make my task possible by behaving like
a grown man
You're going 70 help me2" he cnok-
ca, raising MS tear-blotched face. "Can
loTIr Hugh
I always have I retorted. unzra-
ctousiyr and I mean to now. Not So
EluCh t1T your OE- sake as for our
mothers, aud-for FfiIda's'
t5Ir can yCu help ule2'' he rluru7reI
. HCoEenll- They j be sure 20 trace Us.
sooner or later The taxicab chauffeur
THEY'LL trace us I agreed. grimly.
bat tEey won't find US
We're going tO-to run away?'' he
aSke1 NhereZ Where can We be
You are going 10 run away by the
ed And tomorrow morning YOU are
gong 70 be at your desk in The Aaron
Butt C1uCe-'
But that's the very place they'll look
Tor me- he walled.
They wont look for YOU at all" I
{ returned 'if YOU 90 about your bust
I5 .sTs,- - u n OF ms had happened"
ne ialtered- II 7 20 back
/ 70 Fnliacelpnla III be arrested for tax
- t-i-Se HoLlSs -uSt as sure as Kari
vaughn Eets back and tells
Kari vaughn. ] said slowly will
not teil-auJ- thing
You've come to an understanding
with him" cried the lad. his rnercurlai
nature flaming into new hope
No I said. Il have not Re fz -r-a
glllt person though who knows abs0-
lutely that you took the bonds with
o-- MS evidence there would be no
/ But he'll tell He'll hold II over r,a
I toT1LrlnE me as a cat tortures a mouse
I - AL-o pa a lev days at most he viii ex-
We VII expose nobody. and he win
: eel nothing I denied
de VIII insisted Mark. s@YoU don't
know him as 7 do. He"
Il cut short his wall by handing him
ne AFTERNOON paper 7 still carried
. Mark glanced at the headlines I ma
& ctted- Inen he read and reread them
he dead He's deadf' he C-faI
{ aloud in hysterical Joy His mouth f<
I stopped I'm saved -
7 looked at the youth fTeUzfed 7r-f-r,
utter establishments
You have killed this man" 7 said
quietly HIS blood IS on your hands
( Yet your one thought is OF Wild de-
/ light because your thefts ara now Gov
3 cred Ip- I wonder If YOU half -ealize
how wholly worthless YOU are
u forgot ne pleaded with q sud
. den Shudder- Il forgot 7 did indeed
DO You think they'll hang me. Hugh