The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-10-31

D.
merry crowd, steady and eager TO
welcome home the stout widow, her
unfortunate chaperon and the two
supplements as a village wag call
ed the fat Henry and the slim BERTHE.
As the yacht drew near. the wild
ows corpulent form was seen by the
rail. on one side a tall youth. and on
the other, two. side by side and APP
parently in no very good humor.
Three. by George" cried Blatts.
prosperous brewer from Milwaukee.
She left here with two and returns
with three. Where did she get him,
BARTLETT"
But Bartlett did not answer. did
not hear The gang-plank had been
lowered and he was watching In numb
fascination, the tall youth walking
beside the window, her ridiculous
dog in his arms. IL was Jeroboam
Martin IN an immaculate white suit
OF Bertie's; His hat was OF and his
hair, after the swim, cleaned SOFT
and yellow. For the sake OF the
widow upon whose boat he found
himself, he had shaved as well as he
could with Henry's razor, and while
| his cheeks were smooth enough, ne
still wore small yellow mustache
and goatee. Both were brushed until
they shone like his hair and they
lent a fascinating and distinctly Tor
! eign air to his long, thin, clever face.
! In his arms was the little dog with us
| enormous bow OF sky-blue ribbon.
Bartlett wondered IL he were going
/ mad and sect things that were not
so. AT two. or Whereabouts, he had
seen Martin dirty, shabby, tired, ana
! had given him money on which 10
get drunk. AT seven, yacht, whlca
| had not bean in Westhaven for over
! week. carefully deposits the youth,
clean, fresh, well-dressed at his very
side Was he mad?
| Billy, too, had seen. but did not
wonder. She knew he was a tramp,
| for he had said he was, but she never
thought of him or pictured him other
| than well-dressed, well-cared for,
gently blase and bit languid. She
! looked at him now over the heads OK
the intervening crowd and her heart
did not question how he came there.
only rushed out to him with the glad
ness in her eyes, the joyous smile on
| her parted ftps had said he
would come, and there he was. Fur
Their she did not question. Their
eyes met over the heads OF the peo-
pie. eager questioning in his, joyful
answer in hers.
Hastily he dropped the pup with
the blue bow upon the wharf. among
| the plebeian feet there assembled,
and reaching Billy's side through the
crowd. grabbed both small hands and
| stood laughing down at her
"pfliyH ha WhisDpred "Oh. yOu
! Billy"
! There was, there must be some ex-
PLANTATION, Bartlett told himself des-
/ perately. IL could not be that this
was not Martin? Bartlett had not
slept with the youth for nearly week
without being pretty familiar with
the long lank form. the thin, careless
face. And it was equally impossible
that the forlorn piece OF humanity
who had stood that afternoon In the
drawing-room and inquired for Billy
was not Martin. They were one and
the same and once more he and Billy
had met on equal footing. To ask the
boy again TO get drunk was an alb
surdity.
Il suppose / can give him a job
where he won't have much more TO
do than draw his pay" thought Bart.
lett. hopelessly. dazedly.
The Watermelon dropped Billy's
hands and turned TO her father In
welLbred greeting, but their eyes met
and in the Watermelon's was grim
defiance. He had seen Billy again
and nothing could part them now. All
his humility and repentance had
gone, and in their place was his old
time arrogance and sublime self-ss-
surance. Fate In the form OF little
white dog had brought him and Billy
together again. with the Watermelon,
still clean still well-dressed, and 10
al outward appearances the same as
the other gay youths OF Billy's ac-
quaintance. With head up, jaw shut, !
be scorned TO lower himself for any |
one. lie would prove himself worthy |
not unworthy OF Billy. Out OF his re- /
pentance had grown his manhood. He |
was no nameess hobo OF the great |
army OF the unemployed He was |
| Jerohoam Martin, son OF the late |
! Reverend Mr. Martin. in temporary |
7 financial embarrassment that p. could I
/ be soon remedied. He would work I
! for Billy and they would be happy on
/ his wages. He drew himself up and
| held out his hand. Bartlett could take
II or not as he pleased The Water
melon had sought or desired no mans
favor, and Jeroboam Martin would
not stoop TO do So
Fer one second the two stared az
each other grlmly, square Jaws shut.
lips unsmiliug, then Bartletts hand
shot forth and he clasped the Water
melons
All Martin" said he, how are
you, boy"
And s,ill holding him by the hand.
he patted the Watermelon on his
arm, jovially After ali be liked the
hoy aud right or wrong wise OF fool
ish, fate was against any other action,
fate in the form OF half-drowned
poodle dog.
The Watermelon rested his arm on
Bartlett's shoulder with boyish afYec-
ton. Say. Bartlett" said he in a low
voice, Il got drunk. honest TO rights
But IL was 40 blamed hot, | cooled
on in the ocean before knew what
was about and that sobered ME up
again. Then | saw something fall
from the yacht and | thought II was
Kid from the noise they were max
Inc, not just pup. ! swan out TO
help and OF course they hauled me on
board. and now the widow is plan
ming 70 marry me
Rarttpft roarad Gay hcy - ar