The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-04-16


4 i which he found himself.
III ever / needed the help Of slick
lawyer, I guess it's now," mused Mr..
Devine- "I'll go to town and look up
Bob Driscoll."
Mr.. Hewington was content that
Count Vecchi was no longer a menac-
Ing figure to him and to his daughter.
Mr.. Devine was seeing to that Be
sides, there were more cheerful things
to occupy Mr.. Hewington's mind. He
had learned Only half hour before Of
some very good news. Hewington
Acres was 10 longer owned. even tenn
porarily. by another. In some way or
other the estate had been restored In
tact to his daughter. He had not
grasped the details Of this fortunate
transaction, but he understood vague
~ that young Mr.. Walloway had been
largely instrumental in clearing up
the difficulty. Adele had mentioned
him. He was an excellent young man,
Nicholas Walloway. True, his family
was not Of precolonial origin, but it
was well enough established as fam
flies went nowadays. And he was so
as thfss Cherub Devine, who had his
good traits doubtless, but who was so
lacking In the finer instincts. 1t might
be well to talk the subject over with
Adele.
He could have found no topic better
suited to the mood in which he found
the countess that evening Her brown
eyes seemed to glow with a rapt ra-
dance at the first mention Of the Cher
ub's name.
What absurd notions we did have
OF him few days ago." she observed.
Her father waved his glasses In
mild protest.
I'VE took only reasonable precaution,
my dear"
Against what, daddy? He didn't
become intoxicated; he didn't carouse;
he didn't fill the house with sporting
characters. You remember how you
stormed when you heard about bis
party"
81 admit being somewhat concerned
upon your account, Adele. l feared
that his guests might be-
Eyes; / know. l was looking for
crowd of prizefghters and gamblers,
and the Walloways came with Bishop
Horton! How silly / feltr' she ex-
claimed.
"But he Is crude-very crude-in man.
ners, bearing, speech, especially in
his speech. Now, compare him with
Nicholas Walloway. Nicholas is a
well born, polished, refined"-
ARIOcEbooI broLo in no oc,1utocc
Hes wooden all over"
my dear, my dear! Nicholas, you
must remember, is a gentleman!'
$50 have always belieRed." replied
the countess. But l don't care.
prefer a live man to a wooden gentle
man.
Mr.. Hewington had hoped, now
there was no longer necessity for
Adele to propitiate this person, that
she would politely but effectually put
an end to their brief friendship. In
his own tactful way Mr.. Hewington
stated as much.
"Then you should be thoroughly sat
isfed," responded the countess, '.for
soon after he had given us back our
home sent him away forever
What! Forever! No, no, Adele;
that will not do at all. You must not
be so abrupt. The fact is that Ter
there is a little matter in which Mr..
Devine has undertaken to give me as
sistance''
Daddy! You haven't borrowed any
money from him, hope?'
az? Borrow money Of him! Ger
tainly not. 1t Is quite a different af
fair"
Mr.. Hewington clearly saw that the
time had come for him to employ that
superior mind Of his in the skillful
management of a daughter who was
at times presumptuous enough to form
opinions Of her own. And what
shrewd old gentleman he was, to be
sure! How well he understood the
limitations Of feminine mentality!
For example," he went on, you
have never seen how this paragon Of
yours can deal with rival"
"Oh, a competitor in business
laughed the countess Il shouldn't
expect him to be generous in busi-
ness"
I'm the instance l had in mind"
suavely continued Mr.. Hewington.
twirling his glasses slowly. he was
not dealing with business competitor.
! believe / said rival"
"You don't mean a-a"-
Exactly. A man who stood in his
way in what l presume Mr.. Devine
chooses to regard as an affair Of the
heart
"Why-why. don't understand. dad
dy! What man can you possibly
means?
NOW, now, my dear! There you go.
wanting to be told things which you
probably could not understand and
which,
"But I can. / do. Tell me at once
Was it Nicholas Walloway?"
Mr.. Hewington waved his glasses
most impatiently.
"Most assuredly not. What strange
conception that Nicholas and Mr.. De-
vine should be rivals in love! No,
quite a different person. And what
does Mr.. Devine do when he meets
him and learns his identity? Seizes
him forcibly, drags him into the near
est building and locks him up without
law or license"