The Washington times., 1913-11-18

Nv his brother turned 10 CO.
w won't detain you long"
81 want nothing to do
with you," said Punch, now Or at any
time. You behaved like cur to me,
and you stole from my share Of the es-
tate 10 bribe Bohannan with that 5000.
You'll account to me for that In court.
you'll account to me for every penny OF
the estate. And il you've robbed me
as believe you have
Il am going to give you an account
ing next week." corrected Copley. when
we divide the estate. You'll find you've
lost nothing by my deal with Bohan-
man."
Next weel?'
THE six months are up today"
"But-but," stammered Punch, I got
.T know nothing about that By the
terms OF the viii you were to get your
share of the estate if did not sea you
drunk or drinking during period OF
six months. 1 didn't see you
You mean that you-2'
IT mean" answered Copley, that she
told you to come for her answer when
the six months were up. / want you
TO be able toto go 10 her for your an
swer, to be in financial position to
marry her"
Punch gazed at his brother in Grass
wonder But his carefully nursed re-
sentiment fiared up once more; , =, no
sneered. Like the one when You
locked me UP and sneaked off to get all
the credit of the game. You wanted TO
disgrace me-"
II don't think you mean that. Punch"
said Copley, with no show of resent
ment. Listen to me just a moment
When our mother died-she knew the
drink taint in our blood-she made me
promise not to drink; and she made me
too. Perhaps you think it was easy
for me TO keep away from booze-per-
haps you think It's easy for me now.
It's taught me to understand the gal
the past six months. fve been with
YOU over every step of the uphill crawl.
Dad didn't make that Will to punish
you. He only wanted TO give you a
can't csD Slip back now. I'm backing you:
Mona will keep you straight. So will
your self-respect. I'm
a'Cop! broke in Punch, break in
his voice, "you're-you're white! And
Forget it, LAUGHED CoDley: I'. grip.
only the two of us left, and
Mona Fitzgerald, entering. stopped
two recent foes Copley saw her and
said without a moments hesitation:
I'm just eongratuiaung Puncn,
Miss Fftzgerald. Today he finishes FIN ,ss
water wagon. He. likes it SO well he's
sentenced himself to It for life"
"Oh, Punchw cried Mona. I'm so
glad! So GLAD! Mr.. Reeves. she
INTERRUPTED herself turning & to copIey, ley,
in the nbraFy. There's talk Of having
Mr. Bohannan up before the commits
sion: Can't you say something to help
Don't worry" answered Copley. as
he left the room. 81 can clear him in
three words"
His brother was scarcely out Of ear
shot before Punch began eagerly.
my six months are over, Mona
You told me to come to you when the
Don't say it, Punch? she begged, IN
keen distress, "don'ti 1ts-its all been
a mistake. / can see that now. I've
seen it for days. IL can't give you
the answer you want
ITS the rotten way behaved to Cop
that day at the clubhouse" he cried.
won't you forgive IL, Mona-as he's
forgiven 1t? love you So"
'.It isn't that 1t began before then.
Something changed -,
There's another man that you"
"Noi MOI No one"
For a long time he looked down into
her distressed face, trying to read the
tear filled eyes that We're raised TO his.
At last he said very gently:
1--WE talked with real man today.
And I'm going TO try to be a man, too
"a man he can be proud of. Good-by."
He was gone. Mona had scarcely time
TO fight back her tears and to assume
a passable air OF naturalness when Cop
ley Reeves returned from the library.
Its all right" he reported. I've
fixed II to the Presidents satisfaction
and the commissions. Bohannan is
cleared. Forgive me for butting in. /
knew you'd be anxious to know
why do you ask pardon for coming
back TO tell me2 / was waiting so anx-
iously to hear
'I thought you and Punch would-
Punch has gone"
so soon? Making a streak for the
nearest good jewelers., ! suppose, to"
mo"
"That was pretty fresh thing for
me to say" he apologized. But as he's
the only brother I've got ] was inter-
ested, of course. And / figured out that
that would be the first move I'd make
under the circumstances. Shall hang
around TO congratulate him when he
comes back, or would you rather wait
alone?"
"He-he's not coming back
Not coming back?" cried the man, in
genuine concern. You don't mean to
say he hadn't the courage to Some
men are mysteries. / suppose it's be-
cause IL means so much to HIM Up TO
now he's never shown the white feather
in his courtship TO you. It's / who have
always been the coward where women
are concerned"
Mr.. Reeves" said Mona, irrelevantiy,
"Skeets Marvin told me about that night
and morning before the last game with
the Hornets-the time / thought
thought-the time you pretended TO have
been drunk, In order to shield Punch.
i understand now why you locked your
brother into his room. Forgive me that
j could never have been so criminally
foolish as to believe i'll of you. 1 under
stard now. / understand a thousand
things that i used 10 shut my eyes to.
II was my blind wilfulness that"
DON'T You shouldn't speak so of
yourself You don't mean n say you'ye
rejected Punch just for that? 1t wasn't
his fault. 1t was just a harmless sup