Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-11-12
Downright, 1881

III oulSll' llt (hci'O . '''
taking my ease in a long chair close to
the sea-wall. In front of me. in the glow
OF tho electric light, people were seated
at little tables having refreshments. At
one of these was a gentleman whose name
knew, talking TO one who was to me a
complete stranger.
The first gentleman's name was Arm
itage-Cecil Armitage. lie was an amaz-
ingly handsome young man. perhaps In
the late twenties. He was staying in my
hotel, and was the cause of no little
amusement to some of the other visitors.
He, a young man of seven or eight and
twenty, evidently OF birth and breeding.
was paying the most marked attention to
a woman who was one of the greatest
Jokes in Dieppe-Miss Drawbridge
Miss Drawbrldge. commonly known as
Gertrude" to people who had never
spoken to her IN their lives. was q sort
of standing dish at Dieppe. She was sup
posed TO have been there longer than the
Oldest inhabitant; she had certainly been
Il frequenter for quite q number of years
Imagine the sensation which stirred the
air when 1t became known that this per-
feet Adonis was engaged to Gertrude"
Had not Miss Drawbridge announced the
fact herself, fancy few people would
have believed it.
There was ! on the terrace, In my long
chair. and there was Mr.. Armitage,
drinking what looked to me very like
absinthe-fancy drinking absinthe at that
time of night. or, so far as that goes, at
any time!-and talking to a perfect
stranger. OF course, the man was quite
entitled to be a stranger: but I have sell
dom seen a man whose looks ! liked less.
lie was a sallow, hatchet-faced man, with
an upturned mustache-which ] hate
end something the matter with one OF his
eyes which made him seem to he looking
In two directions at once. Nor did like
his manner toward Mr.. Armitaee; he
seemed to me to be positively bullying
him. That was one reason why 1 watched
what they said, and some very surprising
ohservations-I cannot say I heard-I saw.
And. as always is the case on such occa-
sions. I, lip reader that l am. could not
lave gained a more intimate acquaintance
with them had they bawled them in my
car.
The first thing 1 saw was the strangers
thin lips comforting themselves as, IN
what 1 imagined to be an angry under
tone, they formed these words. which l
1ave no doubt. judging from the express
lion of his face, he snapped out at Mr..
Armitage as If he Were an angry terrier:
Don't you make any mistake about It,
nv boy. I've not come over to Dieppe 10
he fooled with. I'm going to have you
n the money in four-and-twenty hours.
f have to nave you. it will be penal SER
.itude, and then the smile will come off
hat pretty face of yours
MIR. Armitage was not smiling at that
PARTICULAR moment, as any on c could see'
N the contrary, he looked very much dis
.urbed. The way in which he leaned
cross the table helped me to realize the
arnestness which l felt sure was in his
,oice as he replied TO the others threat,
IN words. which as I saw each fresh one
haped on his lips. surprised mo more
nd more.
Don't be absurd, Clarke. ! can't per
form the impossible. I can't get 1t in
Commandments hours; but you shall
ave your money, with a humping inter
est. If you will only give me reasonable
time"
And pray, what do You call reason
able time, my beautiful-forger?"
1T won't take very much to make mo
break this glass against your face,
Clarke. You may have the whip-hand
of me, but I'll break your neck before
you get a chance of laying the lash
across my back"
There was a pause. Mr.. Armitage
eaned so far forward that / quite ex-
)ected that he would take the other BY
he throat and strike him with his glass
was just on the point of jumping up and
loing something which would divert his
attention. when he seemed all at once to
change his purpose, and, leaning right
back, positively laughed.
What nonsense It IS, Clarke. our talk
ns like this. I tell you again. you shall
have your money, with humping inter-
!st, If you'll wait"
Il know a good deal about you. my lad
about all there is to learn-but l don't
know where you're going to get anything
like that amount of money from. unless
you've found some one else to rob-"
I thought Mr.. Armitage would resent
this remark as he had done the others,
and / believe that for a moment It was
his intention to do so, but again he
changed his purpose. and | saw these
remarkable words come from his lips in
tead:
II have-Ive found a woman.
1t was not strange that Mr.. Clark
ooked at him a. if he wondered II he
vas in earnest; then he asked, with a
mile which made him an even more un,
lleasant-looking person than before:
"Who is the woman you purpose TO rob
1t the eleventh hour"
It's tho woman | intend to make my
wife"
oh. SO there is a woman you're going
10 make your wheat last. VIVA
lbout---"
stop that, Clarke; don't you mentioI
my names. You keep your tongue be
ween your teeth. I'm going 10 marry
he woman I'm going to marry because
IN a thief, and because I'm such a Gu
mat / shrink from paying the penalty
She's a wretched old fool. but she's go
money, and she's willing to give mo mon
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