The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-10-06
He COMES Up SMILING b CHARLES SHERMAN

as the youths gloom became apparently
impenetrable
Bartlett's jaw was set squareiy, stern
~, his eyes cleaned angrily and 2 small
pulse beat in his cheek He handed the
Watermelon the telegram and watched
him as he read it
hoarsely, when the Watermelon had I'm
ished reading the message and returned
| it.
4Jeroboam Martin" said the Water
melon slowly, grim amusement in his
half-shut eyes.
"Jero-what !"
"Jeroboam Martin"
But Bachelor" stammered Bartlett,
confused. The power of suggestion had
been so strong that, though he occa-
sioBally thought the youth a bit eccen-
trio for a stock broker, it had never
entered his head to question his identity.
Bachelor is in New York" return
ed the Watermelon. Il just telegraph
ed him, c. o. D., where he could find
his blooming car. Don't suppose the
police had sense enough to look for it
at the hotel"
"a low dirty trick" suffered Bart
lett
The Watermelon agreed. Typical of
the Street" he sneered. Yah, it fairly
reeks with filth of money, your plan
and mine"
my plan?" Bartlett flushed and look
ed away. "Stung," said he humbly, and
crumpled the telegram in his hand as
he gazed modify through the open
door to the village street, .impotent to
refute the words of the Watermelon.
The Watermelon nodded without any
undue elatIon, in fact, not thinking at
all about Bartlett, he was too entirely
absorbed in his own troubles.
suppose you are his partner
friend?' questioned Bartlett, after a
moments painful readjusting of ideas.
No, ! am a stranger We met BY
tramp"
"A tramp" Bartlett's business cha
grin vanished before the rush of his pa
ternal alarm and surprise "But, by
heavens, man, l told Billy she could
marry you"
The horror in his tones angered the
Watermelon The hot blood leaped into
his face and his hands clenched.
We'll, why not?" he demanded. Il
am a man if / am tramp"
Bah" sneered Bartlett "a man?
A cow, rather, an animal too lazy to
work. | suppose you stole your clothes"
Both talked in low voices that the
clerk, who only restrained himself from
approaching by the exertion of tremen-
dous will power, might not hear them.
The Watermelon's face was very white,
and he spoke slowly, carefully, as he re-
told the episode of the swimming hole
and the stolen car. still leaning against
the varied assortment of dress goods.
Il borrowed these Clothes" he conclud-
ed, TO keep you away from New York
for week. That object may not sound
original to you, and it wasn't. You
were the one who suggested it to me
through the telegraph clerk last Sun
day
That boy would take candy from
the baby swope Bartlett gently.
You were stung, that's all. / love
Billy and she loves me. / hate work,
but for Billy l will work and am going
to work. | love her"
Does she know you are tramp"
You haven't a cent. l suppose
No. but | can earn some"
How" :
Working" - i:
AT WHAT"
Something"
WHAT"
Anything. Damn it. I amt incap-
able of anything but Sleep"
I've lost thousands through that
dirty trick of your"
Yours. You originated it. you
know"
Bartlett leahed against the counter
beside the Watermelon and glared at
the floor. Neither thought to leave the
store, and even forgot the clerk, who
gazed at them obviously from a discreet
distance and wondered how many more
kilograms they wanted.
Bartlett knew Billy Billy said she
was going to marry this man and so
she would marry him-unless some
thing more effective than verbal opposi-
ton were used. He had never exerted
any authority over Billy and knew that
il would be too late to begin now Billy
would only laugh at him. But after
all. he was Billy's father, he loved the
girl and had some right to object to her
with tramp.
He glanced at the thin clever face be-
side him and admitted that the man had
brains and apparently was not besotted
or brutalized, merely Indifferent, lazy
and wholly unambitious; besides, very
Young, impatient of restraint and the
dull grind of poor mans life
CTo BE CONTINUED NEXT sJNDAYJ