The Irish standard., 1911-02-04

really before, and it's certainly taken
me damn long time to find out.
But know now. all right"
Dcspondently he went down 10 the
sidewalk and merged himself with the
crowd, moving with it, though thou
sand miles apart from it. and, presently
diverging, struck across town toward
the Worth street subway station.
And the worst of 1t is he's too
sharp not to find it outfit he hasn't
by this time-and too decent by far
on this way with us. | can't let him. !
Got to break With him somehow-now
today. I won't let him think me
what I've been all along TO him. Bless
his foolish hearth
There was no depreciation Of Kel-
loggs goodness in his mood. simply de-
termination no longer to be a charge
upon it. To contemplate the sum to-
tai of the benefits he had received at
Kellogg's hands since the day when
the latter had found him i'll and half
starved, friendless us a stray pup, on
the bench in Washington square stag
gered his Imagination
He could never repay it, he told
himself. save inaderua,ely, little by
little-mostly by gratitude and such
consideration as he purposed now to
exhibit by removing himself and his
distresses from the others ken. Here
was an end to comfort for him, an end
+o ;,,;,, IL,
his food. busying his servants, spend.
ing his money, not so much borrowed
as pressed upon him.
There crawled in his mind a clammy
memory of the sort Of housing lie had
known in past days, and he shuddered
inwardly, smelling again the etlluvia OF
dank oilcloth and musty carpets, OF
fshballs and fried ham, of old style
plumbing and of 50 week humanity
In the unwashen raw, the odor of mis-.
cry that permeated the lodgings to
which his lack Of means had intro
duccd him. He could see again, and
with a painful vividness of mental vi
sion, the degenerate ''brownstone
fronts that mask those haunts Of
wretchedness. with their flights of
crumbling brownstone steps leading
up to oaken portals haggard with fax
Ing paint, tlanked by squares of soiled
mote paper upon which incXpcrt hands
mad traced the warning, not Abandon
hope all We who enter here" but Cur
nishrd rooms to let with board"
And to this he must return, to that
treadmill round of hightcd days and
joylesS nights must set his face.
Alighting mt the Grand Central sta
ton, he packed the double weight of
his luggage and his cares a few blocks
northward on Madison avenue ere
turning west toward the bachelor
rooms which Kellogg had established |
in the roaring Forties Just the other
side of the avenue-Fiith avenue.
The elevator boy, knowing him of
old. neglected to announce his arrival;
and Duncan had his own key to the
door Of Kelloggs apartment. He let
himself in with futile stealth. AS was
quite right and proper, Kellogg's man
Robbins was in attendance, a stupc
6ed Robbins thundcrstruck by the un
expected return Of his masters friend
and guest. Coed Lord" he cried at
sight Of Duncan. Beg your pardon.
sir, but--but it can't be you"
Your mistake Robbins. Unfortu-
>nately it is Duncan surrendered his
luggage. Mr. Kellogg in?'
mo. sir. But I'm expecting him any
minute. He'll be surprised TO see you
back"
'"rhink so?' said Duncan DULY. "Hc
doesn't know me if he is"
"You see, sir. we thought you was
out west"
$50 you did" Duncan moved to-
ward the door of his own bedroom.
Robbins following.
at was only yesterday I posted n
letter to you for Mr.. Kellogg, sir, and
the address was Omaha"
II didn't get that far Fetch along
that suit case, will you please? want
to put some clean things in it,"
'Then you're not staying in town |
overnight, Mr.. Duncan?
II don't know. I'm not staying here |
anyway" Duncan switched on the |
lights in his room. "Put it on the bed,
Robbins. III pack rs quickly as can
I'm in hurry"
eyes, sir; but hope there's nothing
wrong"
"Then you lose" returned Duncan
grimly. "Everytfing's wrong" He|
Z~, -