The Detroit times., 1912-10-19
= cHAPTER XVI.
A Thtef In the Nloht.

t'" CHAPTER XVI.
A Thief IN the Night.
Billy laughed low, throaty gurgle,
pAnd laid her hand an instant on his
Sleeve. Don't you see, she believed
IN God and she believed in you. You
! didn't go back on her Would God -
The Watermelon did not answer.
iHe was busy with a scene OF the long
ago. He and the youngest Miss Mar
tin had been engaged In q set-tc
which hardly savored Of brotherly
love, and parental authority had sep
afated them and passed Judgment.
-"Sister should not have struck
!, you. the mother said as she stood
hfm grimly IN the corner. But, Jero
beam, you should not have deceived
sister. II you meA-weald- d-enly-keeF
! faith with yeuEs-roman.--this -world
would be too good TO LEAVE, even for
Heaven .-.sha- had added with her
usual tired sigh. =. ,S :
How had he. kept faith with Billy!
The question stared him in the face
and ne felt Ike the child again. stand
irig In the corner, unable to answer
For the SAKE OF an amusing week OF
hkr society, be had practically be
tfayed her father, had branded' him
self a thief by keeping thc--cfothes
the watch, the Money, which he had
taken wrongly, for a few hours fun
bat (which he had intended to return
In the love he felt for the girl. his
ln8stified conscience slONly- stirred
again.
sBtly was talking, grooming hel
cpmfort with the maternity latent In
al women for the men they love
Don't you see, Jerry. there is God
Think OF what you did for yoiif moth
ef, think OF how proud she was of you
wheh' you did 80 well: BY sheer grit
you have made yourself what you are.
You. are tired and blue tonight, poor
old boy
4 The, Watermelon. was not. listening.
He took roll OF bills from his pocket
apd counted them. Billy watched him
IN perplexity. Was he worrying over
money, she wondered. One hundred
and seventy four dollars left He had
not had an opportunity to spend more
OF that roll OF bills which he betrayed
a woman and lowered his manhood
"a steal. He crushed the bills back
into his pocket and rose.
VIC DClVNT BO pdIht odfu uC
shortly. Its late"
They found Henrietta and Bartlett
on the front porch talking in low
voices. oblivious 10 all else. The gen.
eral had long since sought the doubt
full comfort OF the country bed for
CITY boarders.
Billy held out her hand to the
Watermelon. little ceremony she
had heretofore neglected. wishing in
her rrnter tttrtv t1eart that she un.
derstood his strange mood better and
could comfort him - -,
Good -llight" said she gently. .
Good night" said the Watermelon
Henrietta rose. IL didn't know It
was so late. Wait, Billy, ] am com.
ing with you. Good night, all"
Bartlett followed the girls. but at
the door he stopped and glanced back
af the Watermelon, Standing on the
grass by the steps.
..'Better come- tor bed" satd he.
THE Watermelon nodded abstfacted
ly and BafileS went IN, ~leaving him
ont there alone
without thinking of Billy other than
as pretty girl- with whom to firt,
moved by the mischief. OF the mo,
ment. he had placed her. father fnanci-
ally at the mercy OF his enemy. And
now TO right the wrong TO Billy, the
only thing he could do would be to
tell them who he was, a tramp. mas.
q0erading with recent people In his
stolen flnery. Petty thieving, the
sharp tricks of~the road. had passed
quickly from his conscience, but this
was different A. woman had been
thrown into 1.-The bargain, the woman
he loved, and Henrietta and the gen.
eEal trusted him. Bartlett deserved
AL he got, and. Bachelor he. dismiss.
ed with the comforting conviction
that he was doing him a good turn.
But Billy, Henrietta and the general,
A. wry smile twisted the Water.
melonT mouth as he thought OF the
horror on the generals face when he
learned thar -he had spent tire-wee
iTr the" company Of a nameless hobo.
Z Fer a while he contemplated hurting
away the-watoh along with the res.
ok the ':hardvare.tahd stealing away
In. the dark, hitting the trail. again
aud catching up with Nike and James
on their annual pilgrimage north. He
drew the bills from his pocket and
thought OF all Bartlett would l0se II
he cfept away without explaining.
and Bartlett was Billy's father.
lie heard a step on the porch and
f,ffned to see Billy hesitating in the
d0orway. Jerry she whispered soft
D. and glanced behind her as though
FEARFUL OF seeing her father OF Hen
ristta peering At her lover the
b1nisters-
1ie vent. toward her. tha, hills stlll
IN hlk hand .Rilly." said he. thrust
|nF the money into his pocket. what
|f1 you doing az his time OF nIght?.
AID ht looked down at Der tenderlJ
. ne dark where the hall lamp could