Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-25

at last put an end to the embarrassing
silence by sheepish Well. Dick.
the icy answer. What do you want?'
Help" said the other, CURLY. LOOK
| at me and see"
Help" queried Mr.. Pinster. "And you
come to me for help. Man, ia see you
drowning and I wouldn't reach finger
to help you! Starving, and 1 wouldn't
give you bread. Get out, il that's all
you want Have you forgotten Man
CHESTER"
Nor answered Trehearne. Il knew
Reckoned on it."
"Well?" said the other. raising his
eyebrows in amazement. then why come
to me?"
Don't you see that I must be at my
last inch of humiliation before I could
come? Doesn't it satisfy even you to
see me like this?
TT certainly is a pleasant sight" as
scented the other sneeringly, You're
drop scene"
Then IL it pleases you don't you think
you ought to pay me for the entertain
ment?"
Mr.. Pinster sat back and looked him
up and down; then at last he said:
'If paid for my satisfaction accord
ing to what I'm feeling you'd have a
heavy cheque. I'd like to see you
hanged. So you are the chap that made
me drunk. as youngster. and then told
US. Your And he almost spat out the
word in his scorn. Here" he said at
last, jeeringly. take this sovereign.
and go and soak yourself in drink, as
you once soaked me-
Jack Trehearne picked up. the SOW
ereign that was flung upon the desk.
saying DULY:
Thank you. Dick" and turned to
paused. for Mr.. Pinster exclaimed,
why did YOU do it?"
II wanted the girl myself" said the
other, coolly.
"You?' returned Mr. Pinster your
Yes, I. I didn't always look like this.
And If I hadn't been fool enough to
come to London and get on a paper that
smashed and so let me drop into the
unemployed I'd have got on as we'll as
you. Luck's been against me, and it
seems it's been with you. There. the
entertainments over. and it's cheap at
the price. So long!"
"Then," said the other, hesitating-
and it was easy to see the eagerness
Why. said Trehearne. amazedly,
don't you know all about her, then,
and her people?"
Know said Mr.. Pinster, IT know
nothing. I'm too beastly proud to write
to people who kicked me out like that.
And I left Manchester in disgust for
my own town of Sheffield. And I've
never been back. For aught 1 knew
she'd married you. Do you know any
thing? Don't you ever hear even from
your own folk?"
Jack Trehearne's good and evil
angels strove for the mastery before
he answered slowly:
"Dick! If you'd turned me out I'd
have been tortured before I told you.
But RI do you a good turn now for
still unmarried. I asked her to uarry
me soon after you left, and she re-
fused and told me straight she could
never care for any one but you She's
my mother. And her fathers dead"
There was silence for a moment or
two, and Jack Trehearne turned to
leave. saying huskily:
"Good-bye. Dick! But don't tell them
Don't, viii you? send the mater
home few shillings now and then
when I'm in luck. and they think I'm
getting on" and he laughed sardonic-
ally.
squared matters telling me this But
you've taken six years happiness out
Of my life. I'll start to Manchester
tonight. and II I can get Elsie to
come back with me. I'll stand by you.
Here's couple more sinners to help
If you call here on Monday, perhaps
perhaps, I'll find you work But look
here, 1t all depends on Elsie's COM
ing
Til bet you she does" exclaimed
Trehearne If she does-bygones are
to be bygones. and you find me work
If she doesn't you're to stay my
enemy for life"
'Done," said Pinster, and almost be-
fore Trehearne was out of the room
the other was whistling down the tube
for an A. B. c.
That night Jack Trehearne took his
drink from Jenkins and spent a good
deal of one sovereign. then walked
out of the place and never returned:
for he won the second bet also Elsie
came. and Pinster kept his word. and
Manchester fowk" never knew the
depths Jack Nehearne had touched
for out of those depths he came, and
out OF those depths he stayed.
(THE END