Charlevoix county herald., 1911-04-29

| iAahC ndu Ntlldliit IuOotu a. BoOu sAlnC
to come and ask him for money. How.
ard mistook the cynical Gayety for
good humor.
II said I'd cheer you up" he went
on. Il don't want to remind you OF
that little matter of two hundred and
fifty bucks which you borrowed from
me two years ssc / suppose you've
forgotten 1t, but"
A look of annoyance came over Un-
derwoods face.
"Well what of it?" he snapped.
Howard took another drink before
he continued.
Il wouldn't remind you OF the loan,
old chap; but I'm up against 1t. When
the family kicked me out for marry
ing the finest girl that ever lived, my
father cut me off with piking allow.
church plate. Il told him l preferred
independence. Well" ha went on
with serio-comic gravity, 81 got my i'll
dependence, but Pm-Im dead broke.
You might as we'll understand the situ-
alton plainly. can't find any busi-
ness that I'm fitted for, and Annie
threatens to go back to work. Now,
you know l can't stand anything like
that. I'm too much of man to be
supported by any woman"
He looked toward Underwood in a
, stupid kind of way, as if looking for
some sign of approval, but he was DIS
appointed. UnderwJod's face was a
study of supreme indifference. He cid
not even appear to be listening. Some
what Disconnected, Howard again
raised the glass to his lips, and thus
refreshed. went on:
Then / thought Of you, old chap.
You've made a rousing success of it
J got big name as art collector-made
; lost of money and all that"
Underwood impatiently interrupted
him.
ITS impossible. Jeffries Things are
little hard with me, too, just now.
You'll have to wait for that $3.50"
Howard grinned.
"'Taint the $3.50, old man, I didn't
want that. | want couple of thou.
sand"
Underwood could not help laughing
"a couple of thousand? Why not
make it a million?"
Howard's demand struck him as be.
ing so humorous that he sat down con-
vulsed with laughter.
Looking at him stupidity, Howard
helped himself to another drink
1T seems I'm hit" he said with
grin.
Underwood by this time had recov-
cred his composure.
80 you've done nothing since you
left college?" he said
NO." answered Howard. 81 don't
seem to get down to anything. My
ideas won't stay in one pace. l got
job as time-keeper, but | didn't keep
it down a week. 81 kept the time AL
right, but it wasn't the right time"
Again raising the glass to his lips, he
added: They're so beastly particG-
lar"
You keep pretty good time with
that" laughed Underwood, pointing to
the whisky.
Howard grinned in drunken fashion
IT'S the one thing do punctually,"
he hiccoughed. Il can row, swim,
play tennis, football. golf and polo as
well as anybody, but I'll be damned If
can do anything quite as well as
can do this"
What do you want $4,000 for?" de-
manded Underwood.
I've got an opportunity to go into
business. | want $4,000 and l want
it deuced quick
Underwood shrugged his shoulders
'Why don't you go home and ask
your father?" he demanded.
His visitor seemed offended at the
suggestion.
What" he exclaimed, with comic
surprise. after being turned out like
dog with a young wife on my hands!
Not much-no. I've injured their
pride. You know father married a
second time. loaded me down with G
stepmother. She's all right, but she's
so confoundedly aristocratic. You
know her. Say didn't you and She
wasn't there some sort of an engage
ment once? Seems to me L"
Underwood rose to his feet and alb
ruptly turned his back.
I'D rather you wouldn't get person
all he said curtly. Sitting down at
desk, he began to rummage with some
papers and, turning impatiently to
Howard, he said:
Say, old man, I'm very busy now.
You'll have to excuse me-"
If Howard had been sober, he would |
have understood TINT this was a pret- |
ty strong hint for him to be gone, but |
in his besotted condition, he did not |
propose to be disposed of so easily. |
Turning to Underwood. he burst out |
with an air of offended dignity:
Underwood, you wouldn't go back |
on me now. I'm an outcast, pariah,
derelict on the ocean of life, as one
of my highly respectable uncles wrote
me. His grandfather was an iron pud-
dler." With drunken laugh he went |