The Washington herald., 1912-04-28

laughed a little bitterly. What the
devil else is there any one can do for
me% he demanded.
4 can lend you some money" Deane
said, shortly.
Il shall take it,. Rowan answered ;
but It will be spent pretty soon, and
| doubt whether you'll ever get il back:
! want chance to make fresh star"
Deane shook his head. Il can't help
you" he said-"not in that sort OF
way, at any rate. If you wanted TO
settle down in the country, I'd try and
find you a place there"
No good" Rowan answered.
want to make money, and / want to
make it quick"
The telephone bell rang, and Deane
was busy for several moments answer
ing questions and giving instructions.
Then he turned once more to his vis-
itor.
Rowan" he said, you talk like all
the others who come down into the city
expecting to find it a sort of Eldorado.
can do nothing for you How much
money shall lend you? Stop !" he said,
holding out his hand. II don't want to
seem unkind, but l am busy man. /
don't want to lend you ten pounds to-
day, and have you come and borrow
another ten pounds next week, and
another the week after. You and /
went Though some rough times to-
gether. We've heard the bullets sing.
We've known what licking was like,
and we've shouted ourselves hoarse
with joy when the good time came. l
don't forget these things, man. / don't
want you for a moment to believe that
/ have forgotten them. Ask me for
any reasonable sum, and I'll give it to
you. But afterward we shake hands
and part, at any rate so far as the city
is concerned You understand"
Rowan leaned forward in his chair.
He wetted his dry lips nervously with
his tongue. The look of ill-health In
his features was almost painfully man
ifest. The writing which It is not pos
sible to mistake was on his face.
Look here, Deane," he said hoarsely,
don't think l am ungrateful. You've
put the matter straight to me like
man, and, if needs be, I'll ask you for a
good round sum and go, and I'll take
my oath you'll never see me again. But
listen. am in bad way. l was in
the hospital last week, and they told
me few things"
Il am sorry, said Deane you shall
go away and recuperate. When you're
feeling stronger you can think about
some work"
Rowan shook his head. That isn't
II" he said. I'm a sick man, but I'm
not that kind of invalid. l have some
where about twelve months to live-no
more. want, somehow or other, be-
fore / die, TO mage a little money. /
don't want a fortune-nothing of that
sort-but | want to make just little"
You have a wife!" Deane asked
quietly.
Rowan shook his head. "a sister.
Poor little girl, she's wearing herself
out tipping in an Office, and l can't bear
the thought of leaving her all alone
with nothing to fall back upon"
Deane drummed with his fingers
upon the table His manner was not
unsympathetic, but betrayed the slight
impatience of a man of affairs discuss
ing an impractical subject with an IN
practical person.
MY dear Rowan" he said, don't
you see that your very illness makes it
absurd to imagine that you can take
position and save any amount of
money worth mentioning in If, in
twelve months? The idea is absurd"
Il suppose it sounds So" Rowan ad-
mitted. But listen, Deane. You know
/ have many weak points, but / am not
a coward. l like big risks, and l am
always willing to take them. The doc
tor gives me twelve months-that
means, ! suppose, about seven months
during which shall be able to get
about. and FIVE months of slow torture
in a hospital. / mention this again so
that you can understand exactly how
much l value my life. Isn't there any
work you could put me on to where
the risk was great-the greater the bet
ter-but if ! succeeded | could make a
reasonable sum of money? Think
Deane shook his head. My dear
Rowan" he said, I'VE are not in Africa
now, you know We are in a civilized
city, where life and death have no
other than their own intrinsic worth"
You are sure?" persisted Rowan.
Il don't mind what l do" he added,
in a lower tone. I've lived in wild
countries, and I've lived a wild life.
My conscience is elastic enough. I'd
take on anything in the world which
meant money. You have. great interests
under your control. You must have
enemies. Sometimes there are enter
prises into which a man in your po-
sition would enter willingly enough if
he could find a partner who would be
as silent as the grave, and who would
risk everything-1 mean that-not only
his life, but everything, on the chance
of success"
Deane shook his head slowly; and
then stopped. A sudden change came
into his face He had the air of a
man absorbed with an unexpected