Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-14
IT. \Dy .E2nEE
STEERING
"IKHXYVH Aoksor Of
hAPpY
X HAWKINS
CHAPTER XII.
A Sick Uncle and Spite Fence.

"A eSANA SAfNAC anu q SG1LC Z SnCS.
| During the next few days Eanninston
| Park was the storm center o: nianv emo
TONS LICK vas almost overworked if
the attempt To give Mullisan and Roland
suHlcieat exercise, his uncle began to suf-
Ter troll acute t1i9ges OF r!letI,na,isGn
ana fhei' evening discussions were OF the
4 KIM which a;-w.thoat convincing. Ivan
:, cEaleu at what lie considered sinful in
/ action Emil read. ate ard smoked with
! Fillosophlcal content. and I-orrain spent
! most OF his tine away from, TIE touse
| On the eIenir Of the Sti OF Jul. lick
and his uncle had an unusrall,. personal
] discussion. and the next morning Dicl,
left before breakfast saving merely thai
! ne would he hacl; on the 18th or before
/ 1t. Ivan hoped that this Indicated tie
| ope-ias Of their actual Campaign, and re-
| Joced accordingly. but Loryain smiled de-
i1sively. and even f.aiu merely closed his
eyes ard blew huge r.ng of smoke.
Pennington cane home cary that even
ing. grow ling about the rheumatism in
lis foot. and the next morring he started
| TO build the Eigin-board fence. Just Inside
Inc hedge 81, the boundary between mis-
own place and B;:rtons.
The Old man could not resist the i'm
ENJOY E.inils society. The stolid German
| lived in the shadow Of a sere.ity 81 erea.
! tfat Ranningtou's f1ercest ol1.bIrsts failed
| to penetrate ii. Always Emil would reply
candldiN and calmly. and his ferisl:sm
| was, SO solid that at times ii aroused the
respect which Bennington generally re-
served for practical things. Lorian u,ad de
| TWO n.sidious attempts to pacify the old
| gentleman. but receiving ia her curt re-
| sponses. he withdrew to more agreeable
society. To say the least. il was q dis
coraant assembly which had gathered at
the comfortable old house in heautiful
Bennington Park
When Mr.. Burton saw preparations for
building the fence. lie Immediately served
notice that if 1t We're rot stopped a: once
| he would get out an injunction. Richard
Harrington read the notice and s-inned,
bnt gave orders TO have the part of the
fence already erected torn down ard the
! post holes filed up.
This was on tire 11;h OF July. On tire
l2th an army Of men arrived soon after
Mr.. Burton had left for his New York
! two hours: Bennington. foo, had be-
come so painful that he had taken to a
chair. but when tho news was brought ne
chnckled. slapped his thigh. and. 'ak'rg
one thing With another. he quite succcss-
fully displayed a primitive joy in a truly
primitive manner He Immediately gave
st-ict orders to- the two men whom, lie
had retaic~d as keepers. and settled him
self in his easy chair. hoping that Rurten
would act as the counter irritsnt. TO his
swollen foot
AS nothing occurred the next morning
TO take his mind off himself, Bennington
decided to have GLADYS. the maid read
to him, Emil had suggested the project,
ny himself volunteering. but as each para
graph had given rise to q protracted dis
c'ssicn. Bennington had erphaticaIl.- re
fused to have repetition Of the expert
ment. and was now tr,-ing TO adjust
GLADYS. TO his. own ideas OF g. reader.
Gladys had entered on her new task at
10 O'Clock 1t had promised novelty ard
she had welcomed it, but soon discovered
that it was a labor which called for forti-
fude rather than enthusiasm. and her
temper rose as her spirits fell. until at :
q clock she had reached the point where
even womanly patience ceased to be a
virtue
"There-that will do OF that STUFF
shouted Dicks uncle. Il don't want to
which was in the west wing.
The maid looked ct him indignantly.
while her lips worked and her fingers
opened snd closed vindictiSely, but she
managed to control herself and ask:
Shall try something else
No. for heavens sake. no. You've
been trying something else fo- the last
century--seems like. You started With
utter rot and everything you've tried
since has been ten times worse than the
one before it. Now. I'm done II I'm
going TO die in this chair, I'm going to
die in peace-or. at least. in quiet
Well I'm sure I can't help it, re-
torted Gladys. with equal vigor. I've
those pamphlets OF Mr.. Dick, and I'm
sure they're instructive; then I wanted to
read the Bible. and I'm sure that would
have doue YOU good, and next I tried
three new novels. but
Novels cried Mr. Bennington. ANY
account Of an unfortunate fool and an
idiouc but beautiful female is called
novel. Do l look like man who would
pine for novels?'
You made me read to you. You
Goodness gracious. 1 hope you don't in-
agine that any one would fight for the
privilege of reading to You! You have
thrown three books into the scrap basket
and one at me. and have stood all 1 can
stop It," cried Bennington. starting up,
but sinking back and clasping his foot.
"Oh. ooh, ouch-ooh! Hang the luck.''
That's 1t. swear commented the maid,
who had reached the point where def
ance was no longer luxury, but an ac-
tual necessity.
Il did mott said hang"
"Well, you meant the other. and you've
already said it so often that hardly
notice it any more. You're wicked old
but we get nothing in return but threats
and vile names. All you can do Is to dis
charge me. and before I go am going
to have my say.
Bennington attempted to interrupt her.
but Gladys had become almost hysterical
and her voice rose to triumphant
shrek. II tell you I am going to have
my say What do You think YOU area
Chinese mandarin? You swell yourself
up with pride ard think that the entire
world is for you. Just because YOU are
worth millions aud millions of dollars,
but tell yon that you add nothing to the
JOY Of life but only to its sorrow. You
never hiring a smile. but only a tear: and
YOU add your weight to the already sti-
fling load Of suffering humanity. You
think t--
Ranninston could stand no more: he
raised himself on, his left elbow and
grasped a medicine bottle with his right
hand .T'll have your life" he roared.
'.I'll have your ufe!. Confourd you. I
have sat still while YOU have blackened
my dying hours. but il You say another
word about suffering humanity. III get
up and brain You. Amt ! part Of HUI
manly? Haven't my own sufferings any
rights at all? You iniaun1an vampire-.f
YOU don't get cat OF here at once He
assumed still more threatening attitude
and the maid started for the door. "You
keen ont Of here in the future. YOU un-
derstapd-and send that fool butler in at
once
The maid slammed the door and, he
i,ate master sank back In the chair.
where he rested for moment. painting.
II believe that little excitement has done
u7e good. he said. with a grim grin. 1--WE
always maintained that good health de-
III good circIl12 fiOn