Evening star., 1913-03-02

thought. He felt as he knew this great
bare must feel each fall when the last laugh died
away down the mountain, and the gloom Of winter de-
scended from drab skies.
Selecting a log of the hermit cutting from the stock
beside the hearth, Magee tossed it the fire.. There
followed shower of sparks and flood of red light in
the room Through this light Kendrck advanced to
Magees side, and the first of the Badpae herits
that the man face lined by care that his We're
tired under the light in them, that his mouth
twisted bitterly.
"Poor devil" thought Magee.
Kendrick drew up chairs for himself and Magee and
they sat down. Behind them the bulky Mrs Norton
dozed dreaming perhaps of her Reuon boarding house;
while Miss Thornhi and the professor talked ntermt-
tently in low tones The ranks at Baldpate thin
ming rapidly. Before long the place must settle back
with sigh in the cold to wait for its first girl.
"Mr. Magee, said Kendrick nervously you have
become involved in unklnd. tragic story. do not
the affair of the brlbe refer to the matter be-
tween Hayden and myself Before Peters comes back
with-the men he went for-I should like to tell you
some of the facts of that story.
"1f you had rather not began Magee.
NO replied Kendnck Il prefer that you should
know. 1t was YOU who took the pistol from his hand
do not believe that tell you all that was in
Hayden mind when he went into that other room and
closed the door. 1t to preposterous that a
of his sort should take his life in the circumstances.
feel somehow that there part of the story do
not know But let that be-. He bowed his head in his
hands
Ever since came into this room" he went on "the
eyes of pompous little have been following me
about They have constantly recalled to the night
of my life You have noticed no doubt, the pic
Il have, replied Magee. He gazed curiously at the
nearest of the portraits How persstenty this almost
mythical starched man in and out of the melo-
drama at Baldpate Inn.
"Well' continued Kendrick "the Admiral's ewes
haunt Perhaps you know that he plays game, a
game of solitaire. have good reason to remember that
game. 1t is silly, lncOnsequentlal game. You would
scarcely believe that 1t once sent man to hell He
stopped.
AM beginning in the middle of nv story" he apollo
p1Ze ,et m 90 WE
the you | at least twenty years
Younger Hayden and worked together in the office
college believed in him and trusted him. although
knew he had certain weaknesses. was happy
had risen rapidly; young; the future was lying
golden before me-and | engaged. The daughter
of Henry Thonhill employer the girl you have met
here at Baldpate had promised to be my wife Hayden
had also been sutor; but when our engagement was
announced he came to me like man, and thought his
words sincere.
"One day Hayden told of a chance might take
that would make rich 1t was not altogether within
the law; but it the sort of thing that other
doing constantly, and Hayden assured me that as
he had arranged matters it absolutely safe. My
great sin is that agreed we should take the chance
a sin for which | have paid, MIR. Magee, over and
over
Again he paused and gazed steadily at the fire. Again
Magee noted the gray his temples the aftermath of
fevers in his checks
1--WE took the chance, he went "FOr time every
thing went well. Then one clustering March night,
HAYDEN came to me and told me we were certain to be
caught. Some of his plans had gone awry. | trusted
him fully at the time, you understands he the man
with whom | had the windowseat of nv room at
college, settling the question of immortality, and all the
other great questions young settle at such times.
have at this moment doubt that he quite truth
full when he said we were in danger OF arrest We ar.
ranged to meet the night the Argots Club and
decide what should do.
I'VE met, in the library of the club. Hayden in
to from the CardroOm adjoining, where had he been
watching the Admiral dodderng his eternal game.
The old man had become fixture the club, like Par
ker down at the door the great chandelier the hall
No one paid any attention to him. When he tried to