The Irish standard., 1913-03-08

car, still leaning against the varied
assortment of dress goods. Il Dor.
rowed these Clothes" he concluded,
to keep you away from New York
for u 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
Sunday. You were stung, that's all.
love Billy and she loves me. l hate
work, but for Billy l will work and
am going to work. / love her."
Does she know you are tramp"
Eyes"
"You haven't a cent, suppose.
mo, but can earn some."
1--WE lost thousands through that
dirty trick Of yours"
Yours. You originated 1t, you
know"
Bartlett leaned 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 that
she was going to marry this man and
so she would marry him-unless some
thing more effective than verbal on.
position were used He had never ex.
erted any authority over Billy and
knew that it would be too late to be.
gin now. Billy would only laugh at
him. But after all, he was Billy,s ia.
Their, he loved the girl and had some
right to object to her marriage with
tramp.
who are your people?" asked Bart.
lett to gain time He must make a
plan to separate Billy from the impe-
cunious sutton. Authority was use
less. He must use tact. finesse.
My father was q minister" re-
turned the Watermelon. "Yours was
grocer. Billy told me. Families
don't count In America"
Bartlett nodded agreement. "Why
did you become tramp?'
Through inclination, not the whis.
ky bottle. Not, that am above get
ting full once in a while, cause l
amt, Just, I'm not drunkard. See?
I took to trampirg because l hate
to work. It takes too much Of your
time. An office "is like a prison to
me. A man loses his soul when he
stays all day bent over a desk. Be-
sides, don't like work.
Lazy"
Yes" snapped the Watermelon,
"but man. I love your Billy-my
Billy, and I can work for her."
Bartlett nodded findifferently, hardly
hearing what. the other said. He
frowned thoughtfully at the floor Re
he, pondered the. situation. II he OBJ
jected to the youth in Billy's pres.
ence, 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 fin.
gers che, would'4an away with him.
What did Billy, tender, gently-guard.
ed 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 Low.
er 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 authority, which
Billy would refuse to obey She ha6
been free too long for any one to gov
ern her now. The only. person who
could effectually break the unfortu
nate tangle was the Watermelon him
self. Bartlett glanced at the gloomy
face beside him and read it as he had
grown used to reading men and
events. 49,. -
The Watermelon was young, hardly
older than Billy; he was desperately
in love, with a love that was pure
and true and generous. He was think
ing Of Billy and not Of himself. His
opposition to Bartlett was merely the
anger aroused by Bartlett's sneers
He was in reality filed with humility
and repentance TO a degree that he
would do anything. to kill the love
Billy bore for him., knowing with his
mans knowledge that he was not
worthy Of her, and longing with hia
youth and love to sacrifice himself
for her best good, seeing through
young, unhappy eyes, only the past,
his own shame and profession. Bart.
lett looked at him keenly and decided
that his plan would work, that he
would not have to take a last desper.
ate and Intellectual stand against Billy
"See here. August we are going to
our place in Westahaven. It's a 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. tramp, dirty, shabby, drunk
Il don't drink, not as the others
do"
"Come drunk. Let her understand
what being a tramp means. what your
life has been. II she still wants you
hardly 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
VrN& r.