The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-05-27
BY JAMES WILLIAM JACKSON.
1911, by Associated Lit

lCopyright, 1911, by Associated Lit
y erary Press.
When a man reads suddenly In the
newspaper that his father has falleo
IN business for many thousands oi
dollars and Is fugitive It gives u
man n start Bennett Involuntary
ciutched the arm of his friend Marcy
as they sat at the restaurant table.
Then he released his fierce grip 10
read the article again.
Marcy rubbed the 1abbed arm
soothingly as he looked over on the
paper oh" he drawled Il thought
you had fir.r His glance fell on
some bold headlines having to do
with a fashionable debutante. ION,
A woman of course: who ia she 20
Bennett did not answer and Marcy,
having finished his lunch, was
obliged to hurry away on an er-
rand.
you look absent minded" he said
rs he left. Maybe you tasted some
thing in that hash that | missed
Bennett was not long in following
his wiry friend out or the restaurant,
though with slower steps. He had
pm orrand at his boarding house be-
fore he could return to the offee for
the afternoon.
lie was In no hurry The news
had taken the spirit from him. lie
wished now that he had remained In
the West with his father instead Of
bringing his few thousands OF capital
10 New York III the hope Of building
up a business for himself.
In his room he paced the floor
restlesslv with hands behind his
back Finally, hc stopped before a
hanging pencil sketch of a tall girl
in dress that may have been gray
and a big hat
What would you doc" he queried.
standing In the attitude OF sup
plant before his queen.
Bennett hadn't the rersotest idea
who the girl was. although lie had
made the sketch with considerable
ability and a great deaf Of interest.
A summer vacation in Maine. y tail
girl ia difficulty on the rocks with
the tide rising. Bennett to the res
cue 4 smile OF gratitude. a few
words that fixed themselves and
their tone on his memory. Scpara-
Won. Next day "a round II the hotels
To find the girl futuity; girl gone.
That had been his romance.
Bennett had never been able TO
find any one who could remember the
girl from his description. and Yet
hts personally sketched drawing
showed thar he could describe.
He had hung his drawirg and had
worked hard Some day he would
make himself Il bigger. better and q
richer man
"4V hat would you do ne asked
again. And he seemed to have his
answer. for he bowed low 1t Was
two years now since the seashore in
cident.
Down in the office he found q let
ter waiting. Ii Was from his father
iu Canada Bennett had fought against
the idea that his father could have
dome ans wrong and was really
a fugitive Now he shook his head.
The old gentleman said nothing
about business. The burden Of hts
Letter was that he lay IA III bed in
the fara@ay country.
sfIl be getting along Up there &c
brace the old naa" the old mans
athlete son affectlonateiy unused
with vision IN his heart Of the
broken and depressed fugitive. 'Hs
used To pat his arm around me wher
the world went against me, He usee
10 pay for the window panes | broke
Now ii Is my turn to stand by him
There passed across Bennetts
memory the recollection OF g poem
nc had recently read. In the first
terse a father sailed the boat while
ais little son SAT securely on tht