Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-06
Stone Asks Mrs. Blake to Get Him an
Invitation to the Van Lnds' Ball.


flags Of many nations, and mumbled
| commonplaces to the tune of modern
dance music.
A partner claimed Irwin and laugh
lngly carried him off. Clay true to
his arrangement with his senior part
ner was more than usually cordial
to Stone. was in fact almost feverish-
ly eloquent in his anxiety to make a
good impression.
| Lets see II we can find a drink"
he ventured more from force of habit
than because he cared to join the oily
, attorney in the cup that cheers.
A momentary CLEAN of satisfaction
showed in Stones eyes as he laugh
lngly assented. They found den and
sent a servant for wine.
| And now perhaps 1t would be best
to draw the curtains over the scene
that followed; would be best II It
were possible to hide from the reader
the undoing OF young Clay-spend-
thrift, bankrupt and disciple of folly
Wine acted to his inherited weakness,
much as blood to the nostril of the
hungry tiger. And in Stone he had a
companion who played upon that
weakness; who forced the insidious
liquor upon him, who took full ad-
vantage of his habby nature, and
of the bottled sunshine found in the
juice OF the grape.
TOO bad about old West" ven-
tured Stone.
"Yesh. hesh dead, poor fellow" hio-
coughed Clay.
Had some peculiar notions" con-
tinued Stone. He always thought
was robbing some one"
well and weren't you?'' Clay re-
k.,.- 1T -,ik -
man we'll in his cups.
"I never robbed a man in my life"
This latter from Stone, quick and
sharp, like the crack of a whip"
"Shorry old man, shorty to doubt
what you shay, but we got you've
got you right-confession you know"
Stone started as II struck. And as
he gazed at the swaying, pittful figure
before him, he realized that his worst
fears had been we'll founded.
He made another effort to question
the drunken man but was only an
swered by a foolish laugh. He had
done his work too we'll. In an effort
to loosen Clay's tongue he had urged
too much wine upon him and the ef-
feet was as unsatisfactory as If he had
not had enough. Unable to get any
thing further from him he searched
his pockets thinking he might find
the confession. Clay's feeble resis-
tance was as nothing. Finally he
ceased struggling altogether, and
laughing a drunken giggle he blurted
out
April Fool. Fessions Home. I hid Il
In title wifie's jewel safe. Clay's no
fool-Clay's no foo" The sentence
died away into a deep long snore.
Clay was asleep, standing up.
Stone stared searchingly at the va
cant features of the man before
him for moment and then started to
replace the papers in his pocket.
you thief"
He heard the words and felt the
firm grip on his collar before he
partner and searching for him, had
come upon them in the lonely den.
You thief" Irwin repeated. First
you fill a man with drink and then
you rob him"
You know better than anybody
that Clay requires no help when it
comes to drinking" sneered the at
torney.
Irwin answered with an oath and
there was a struggle as the younger
man broke away from him. Leaping
back with an agility remarkable in
a man who had so little outdoor train
Ing, Stone seized one of the empty
bottles and raising 1t, rushed at Irwin
as II to brain him. Quick as his op-
ponent had been, Irwin was quicker
and his silver plated revolver spoke
before Stone had covered half the dis
tance between them. With crash the
upraised bottle thundered to the floor
and Stone, mothering an oath.
grasped his wounded right hand with
his left. Clay slowly sank, an inert
mass across the table And then II
was that the curtain was violently
pulled aside, and then, 1t was that
the Mortified and startled dancers AZ
Mrs. Van And's ball gazed in spell.
bound wonder at the unfinished traE-
edy that was to mean ruin to so many
lives. 1t was the beginning of the
end.
CHAPTER v.
Twas the day after the Van IAnds
ball
Stone had left the dance Immediate
ly after the startling scene in the den.
and had spent the time until daylight
with a party of his gay companions,
And now, looking f1t and debonnaire.
despite his revels of the night before.
he was calling on Mrs. Blake.
She could not hide the infatuation
she felt for him, and solicitously she
examined his bandaged hand.
TITS a mere scratch" he lightly as
sured her, and adroitly he turned the
conversation to Mrs. Clay and her
losses.
CONTINUED ToMoRRow.l