The sun., 1910-01-09


curslnE. while the eAvel thumped like
the heavy beay OF the common heart,
-Order. orderl The House will come to
ordevl The gentleman Ia out OF order.
Let the gentleman proceed in order. Or
der. orderi Order must be Observed
And yet. and yet. even as some SEM
blsnce OF order settled. 90 did stern, set
faces show the conviction that a higher
order than rule and practice must now
have precedence. The honor OF the
House was at stake. that honor so quickly
tarnished by the breath OF suspicion.
-The gentleman must make good his
wordsl- some one shouted. From every
side came the words. prove it. prove it;
at once, nowl'
As Garthe had advanced. so Wales had
retreated. his hand resting on the desk
behind. So they remained poised and
motionless, statues OF settled hate and
sudden fear
Il will prove it," at length said Mr..
Garthe. 81 have had this man closely
watched. Yesterday he deposited in a
certain bank $500 in fifteen new gold
certificates, each for 500.
Il learned that two days before those
same bills had been paid over to a certain
lady. the wife OF an army officer. When
she learned how she had been beguiled
and cheated she told me everything.
She even agreed to have her name used,
however, which I regret to say she has
not as yet made known to me, but which
doubtless viii be one with which can
honorably comply. Meanwhile"
mutter Of dissatisfaction, of dis
trust, from the House, intensified by the
latent appeal OF Wales's strained look
and poise.
THAT won't do 1t growled. "Put
up or shrt. up. Prove i'll Prove it at
A page plucked Mr.. Garthes sleeve.
Mr.. Garthe took the note the lad pre-
sented He read IT, He tore il into bits.
1T is from the lady in question, he
said. Her condition is impossible. l
have nothing more to say. The incident
is closed so far as ! am concerned"
Down he sat with the stif repellent
implacability of a just man, Az the
same instant Mr.. Wales swayed into his
chair. his elbows on his desk, his face
in his hands.
That's good play too" whispered
my friend the doorkeeper. Didn't
tell you that Walesd win in a canter3"
1t might well have been. There was
a snarl from the House of dsappoint-
ment. OF disgust, Mr.. Garthe had not
made good. He had brought shame
upon all without due cause. That bowed
and quivering figure across the aisle
was worth a dozen OF such a self
righteous prig. ~Votel- -Votel" Put
the question. Mr.. Speaker" was the in
creasing cry when with a supreme effort
Mr.. Wales tottered to his feet.
| think he knew as he looked around
that he could il he would still win in a
canter. There was a gleam OF pride
across his haggard face which left 1t the
grayer when it passed
Its all true. boys, he said brokenly.
Il don't mean the fraud; of course that
and more was true. But the money.
took it from her, the poor. excitable little
creature. even as a starving beggar might
have snatched her purse. because l wanted
it. needed it.
God. | think have always wanted
always needed. money; IL has never
stayed by me. il has never done me any
good. Something gave way within me;
there's a weak point exposed in all OF us
orators when we get work ed up; some
thing gave way within me when he showed
how contemplate was. hadn't thought
OF that before. l couldn't endure IL.
cannot endure'it. The pariah. the leper.
will betake himself from the sight Of
honorable men,
Amid the silence and immobility Of
OoAL0 hTs wares Wdlhcu OUT Oh Vic udil
forever.
-He sent her the money this afternoon.
the full sum OF 81 500. by a special mes
senger." said Laura that evening when
we were talking over the at1air.
What, were you with Mrs. Braylandi"
| cried ~Tell me. what have you been
doing? 1t seems to me you mix up in
everything
Il called on her yesterday said Laura
wistfully. Il felt 80 sorry for her, fighting
her battle alone against all You men
While / was there Mr.. Garthe came with
his story OF how Wales had cheated her
advised her regarding the condition she
should impose. l hope il did no harm;
hope 1 wasn't wrong"
what was this precious condition."
| ask ed.
why, that Mr.. Garthe when he got
his seat through her evidence should
give her son Guy that West Point appoint
ment."
Another attempt at bribery" roared
well. Laura, don't worry. Ais well
that ends well. Virtue has been rewarded
and vice punished. Mrs Brayland has
got her money back and may now have
sense enough to put her son to work. As
Mr. Garthe said. the incident is closed:
but alas for the political morality OF even
the best OF wOmen!"