The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-30

lII1ttltiIlilIlilIl1iliillllljIilIlN cester," said Purvis.
 'Indeed!''
 'Yes, after all, you are not willing for her to know the truth.''
 Leicester did not reply.
 Surely you are not going on with this business?'
 ''Else why am I here?"
 ''But you are to let her know your character in full.'
 "No mans character is known in full"
 ''But-but-''
 game. See that you do," and he gave the young man glance which made him slightly uncomfortable.
 "Of course-of course," he said nervously. 1T don't like it. Still there is no danger-that is, there will not be when she knows everything"
 (Which you will see to-"
 ''I shall tell her nothing of our conversations as for the rest-well, there will be no need for me to tell her that"
 Leicester gave the other a look which was almost angry.
 "No,'' he said, "I dare say you are right. A mans so called vices soon become public property. Of course,' 9 r> %oyy T., about me-"
 Why should r"
 ooh, you will You will let her know all the world says and little more"
 '1 say Leicester"
 "Oh, don't grow indignant, my dear fellow. I know the worth of your in- dignation; besides I only wanted to tell you that you are quite at liberty to say what you like"
 You mean that?"
 "Oh, certainly. Of course the wager is secret. As for the rest, I authorize you to give your imagina- ton full scope. I say, MT. Purvis imagine MT. Castlemaine and MT. Lowry wish to talk with me about a private matter. Pm sure you don't mind, do you? and Miss Castlemaine will be lonely. Pm not in the least jealous, my dear fellow"
 MT. Castlemaine was much inn pressed with the way Leicester stated the affair which MT. Lowry wished to bring before him. Everything was so carefully thought out, and SO clearly expressed, that the man who was accustomed to deal with vast business enterprises was simply de- lighted. As he declared afterwards, it was quite an intellectual treat to talk with such a man. Besides, he made sthe conversation so interesting by introducing matters which appeal ed to Inn Castlemaine's tastes.that he felt like insisting on him staying the night. As rule, whenever he talk ed of business matters in his own house, which was very seldom, he got through it as quickly as possible But tonight all was different. . When the business conversation came to an end, he still continued to talk.
 By the way" he remarked when Leicester had said something which more than ordinarily amused him, "my daughter ought to hear that, and we might as we'll go into the drawfng-room. You've finished your cigar, haven't you?"
 Leicester threw his cigar-end into the grate, and having finished his whisky he followed his host. They found Purvis eagerly talking to Miss Castlemaine and Leicester knew the moment he entered that he had been the subject of their con- versation. She gave him a quick searching glance, as if she could scarcely believe what Purvis had been telling her. The look made him angry. He had told Purvis that he was at liberty to make known his character, and yet he keenly resented this communication. There had been times when he had taken pleasure in his peculiar reputation; but today everything seemed different. Still Leicester was not a man who shrunk from a difficult situation; indeed. he presently found himself possessed with a sort of savage joy, as he found | himself uttering sentiments which had become commonplaces to men of his way of thinking. Moreover he seem- | ed desirious of showing Purvis that I he did not desire to hide from Miss Castlemaine the kind of man he real | ly was.
 "I hear you are making a great progress in your constituency down in Devonshire, Leicester" said Pur. wis.
 "Oh, yes we are enjoying ourselves hugely down there," was the reply.
 'For my part, I do not find it fun to nurse constituency" said Purvis That's because you do not iooh on the humorous side of the oues. tion,' replied Leicester. 'When one regards the whole business in the same light as that in which a bo, plays marbles, it is great fun"
 "I cannot think of the government of my country in that light" said |