Middletown transcript., 1914-06-20

the old donkey's shoes, though. He
hates me like poison. grieve to say
that my father has a mind purely COM
mercial and utterly incapable of ap-
preciating any Of the refnements OF
life"
It isn't often that l wish we're a
man, but that's what I did just then,
SO that might have had the pleasure
Of kicking him. But l smothered my
rage and struggled with my surprise.
It seemed like the opening Of some
wonderful melodrama, my chance en-
counter, with this man while on my
way to Europe, to take my securities
out of his fathers safety deposit box.
murmured something and fed up to
the deck. Later, Mr.. Magnih appeared
and engaged me in conversation for
about an hour, until / found some ex-
cuse to dismiss him and go to bed.
During the next few days he made
himself my constant companion. He
seemed to time his appearances at the
table so that we should sit down to-
gether. When 1 paced the deck / was
sure to encounter him, whereupon, al
tering the direction Of his walk, he
would keep step with me. At evening,
no sooner had drawn up my chair In
a comfortable and secluded place than
he would discover me and immediate
ly seat himself at my side. l made
few acquaintances on the boat, so that
my name was never mentioned in his
presence, and 1t was characteristic OF
his complacency that he did not dis
cover it.
When, by chance, I obtained few
minutes respite from his odious pres
ence, as sure as fate 1 would see him
upon the lower deck in lengthy and
stealthy conference with the villainous
Greek-for such 1 had discovered his
nationality to be. There was cross
eyed woman, apparently the servants
wife, whom l had observed with him,
and after the first day, when Mr.. Mag
niff would bring his servant up on our
deck and keep him near while he en-
gagged me in conversation, began to
notice that the woman would post her
self below and watch my face with
somber, never-winking eyes.
Ny curiosity became so great that l
questioned Mr.. Magniff about this
strange pair of dependents. He burst
into loud laughter.
Poor Zeuxis is unhappily married, -
he chuckled when he could speak. Il
took the fellow over to America with
me, and his wife, who is insanely
jealous of the scamp, followed on the
next boat. Ever since that she has
stuck to him closer than a leech. l
fancy she imagines that he's trying to
leave her"
But why does she stare at me2"
demanded.
He hemmed and hawed little.
You're a good sport, Miss Howard" !"
he confided at length. "Tn let you
Fin. She's jealous of you. She thinks
he's planning to elope with you. Ho,
no, ho!"
The cur collapsed into my chair and
laughed. I started away Indignantly,
but he sprang to his feet and grasped
me by the sleeve.
Don't CO." he begged. 'I'll stop
the fellows insolence if you say the
word. But Zeuxis has been useful to
me in many ways, and just now we
are planning to pull of little coup in
England which is going to net us a
few thousands. Our last one failed,
unfortunately"
what was it?" asked, my curiosity
stimulated.
He looked at me leeringly. believe
that, for some occult reason, the rascal
considered that he had made a con-
quest of me. At any rate, he began
bIabbing his story quite proudly into
my eager ears.
TITS a long tale" he said. 'To tell
it I've got to go back to my father,
and he amt a pleasant subject"
20, please go on" l said, as entic-
ingly as could. Somehow the idea
had entered my head that this rogue
in some way was bound up with the
success or failure of my enterprise.
Try as 1 might, 1 could not rid myself
of the thought.
'Well," he began, drawing up a
chair close to me, you wouldn't think,
to look at me, that my father started
life as humble horse-meat vendor in
the Rue Strasbourg, would your"
II could believe it by a wild stretch
of the imagination" answered.
quite So" he answered, fattered.
"Well, to do him justice, the old dom
key has one Of the shreWdest brains
in France. Somehow he got in on the
ground floor of the De Lesseps Pana-
ma concession and made millions out
Of it before it went to pieces. Then
nothing would content him but that he
become a country gentleman. With
this end in view he bought a magni-
ficent estate near Clichy, in Nor
mandy, remodeled the castle in a
CHASTITY manner, and laid out a deer
park But it didn't get him anywhere.
Clichy is still a feudal province, and
the old bounder's manners are such
that the mobiles Of the locality had no
use for him. Our presence there was
completely ignored. For several years
father and mother struggled to obtain
social recognition, until at last they
gave up the attempt, sold the estate
and went back to Paris to live. But
you can't stand up against the old man
with impunity. He resolved to be re-
Venged, and the man he most blamed
for his troubles was the Comte DIVES,
a poverty-stricken old noble Of Clichy
Just a baggardly proud rat, Miss
LInun-d ruhn thnnnht hirnrnIh tnn