The Washington herald., 1912-10-13
CHAPTER XXIu-Continued.

'Sia 10 gam uHc. ne muSt Mdkc
plan to separate Billy from this impe
runious suitor. Authority was useless
He must use act, fnesse
MY father was minister" returne'
the Watermelon yours was grocer
Billy told me. Families don't count il
America"
Bartlett nodded agreement. "Wh.
did you become tramp"
Through inclination, not the whisls,
bottle. Not that l am above getting
full once in while, cause ! amt. Just
Tn not a drunkard. Sees ] didn'
keep on losing jobs through drink ans
finally had to take to the road because
] was a bum. l took to tramping be
cause / hate to work 1t takes toe
much of your time. An Office is liks
a prison to me. A man loses his SOU
when he stays all day bent over a desk
He isn't man. He's sort of up-to-dats
pianola to a desk, that's all. There's :
lot of things to think about that yor
can't in an Office l wanted to think and
so l took to tramping. Besides, don't
like work"
Lazy"
Yes" snapped the Watermelon
but man. l love your Billy-my
Billy, and / can work for her.
Bartlett nodded indifferently, hardly
hearing what the other said. he
frowned thoughtfully at the floor as he
pondered the situation. If he objected
TO the youth in Billy's presence, she
would stand up for him. all her love
would be aroused to arms and she
would see no wrong in her hero. If
the fellow. snapped his fingers, she
would run away with him. What did
Billy, tender, gently-guarded Billy,
know of tramps. of the rough. unhappy
side of existence? Nothing. But if
she caught a glimpse of it with her
own eyes, saw this lover of hers in his
true light, dirty. drunk, disreputable, the
shock would kill her love utterly and
Bartlett would not have to use that
authority of his which was no author
ity. which Billy would refuse to obey.
She had been free too long for any
one to govern her now The only per-
son who could effectually break the un-
fortunate tangle was the Watermelon
himself Bartlett glanced at the gloomy
face beside him and read it as he had
grown used to reading men and events.
The Watermelon was young. hardly
older than Billy; he was desperately in
love. with love that was pure and
true and generous. He was thinking of
Billy and not of himself His opposi-
ton to Bartlett was merely the anger
aroused by Bartlett's sneers- He was
in reality filled with humility and re-
pentence to a degree that he would do
anything to kill the love Billy here for
him, knowing with his mans knowledge
that he was not worthy of her. and
longing with his youth and love to sac
rifice himself for her best good, seeing
through young. unhappy eyes, only the
past, his own shame and profession
Forgetting the possibilities of the fu-
ture. he had gone to the extreme of
self-loathing. The one thing he saw
was his past. that past that was wholly
unfit for Billy. 1t blocked the entire
view, crushed him with the weight of in
exorable facts To the young there are
but two colors. black and white, and the
Watermelon was very young. Bartlett
looked at him keenly and decided that
his plan would work. that he would not
have to take a last desperate and inef-
fectual stand against Billy.
See here In August we are going
TO our place in Westhaven. It's small
town in this State, up the coast away
north of Portland Come to her there
at the end of August, come as you are,
a tramp, dirty. shabby, drum
Il don't drink, not as the others do"
Come drunk Let her understand
what being tramp means, what your
life has been If she still wants you,
| hatdly see how can stop her. That's
only fair. for what does she know about |
YOU and your life? You know all about |
her. what she has done and been and |
is going TO do. Leave her now, this |
evening Go on being tramp and then
come to her. at the last of August.
Come as tramp, mind. Don't let her
think that it is a test she is being put
70 or she will only laugh at it and us
and go on wanting you just the same,
scorning to be tested. to think that her
love could fail. Give her some other
excuse for your going. You must see
that it is only fair to the little girl to
let her see what she is up against
Yes, | see. l tried to tell her."
agreed the Watermelon gloomily
IF she loves you through it all, she
AN have you, and / suppose / will have
10 consent. / can afford a penniless
and l guess an American
ramp is preferable to European
noble"
Il won't be penniless," said the Wa
ermellon. Il could work like a nigger
'or a month and own forty dollars.
hirty of which l would owe for board"
That's Just it" declared Bartlett
"You can't support Billy in
he way she is used to being supported,
ant give her the things that have be-
ONE necessities to her"
II can support her in my own way"
aid the Watermelon, trying to reason
lown his own benumbing repentance
nd humiliation as we'll as to convince
sartlett of that which he himself knew
0 be all wrong.
But that isn't Billy's way. You
ouldn't give her servant, for in ]
tance. and servants to Billy are like
hairs to some people, absolutely neces-
ary" |:
I'VE love each other" said the Wa I
.rmelon simply.
That's all right. But YOU can't al
;ays be sure your love is like elastic
nd stretchable. Come as a tramp and
will give my consent" Bartlett grew 4.
old. positively convinced that Billy /;
ould no longer care when she had !
nee seen the drunken sot, promised q
5 he had grown used to. doing on the
treet. to do that which he knew he s
ould not have to do. will give my r
,nsent If Billy still can care I know 4