The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1915-05-27

Footsteps Decame auGIDIe on Tie STAIRS
below.
We'll, so long. See you at dinner"
George added in haste. With determi-
nation, and a heavy tread. he went Oh
10 his room.
When he had shaved with particular
carel and changed his linen trimming
collar and cuffs to il degree Of uncOm
mon nicetyl and resumed his cOGt
brushing and hating it simultaneously
and with equal ferocity for its very
ShabbineSSI. y. Sybarite sought out "a
pipe old and disreputable enough 70
be Il comfort to any man and sat down
by the one window Of his room dop
/ floor hail. back to smoke and consider
the state of she universe while await
ing the dinner gong.
The window commanded an eleyat
ed. if Notwithstanding. view of back
yards. one and all dank. dismal and
Uttered with the debris Of Il long. hard
winter.
Familiarity. however, had rendered
Q 1 . ~ bdl llC lllIlullG ~ li4c illldSllltt VI
melancholy they exhaled. The trOub,a
in his patient blue eyes. the wrinkles
that lined his forehead owned another
cause.
! In fact. George had wrought more
diSastrOuSly upon his temper than T.
Sybarte had let him see. Perhaps it
was true Perhaps George had guess
ed shrewdly. Perhaps Molly leasing
of the glove counter really was one
and the same with Marian Blessington
of the fabulous fortune.
! Old Brian Shaynon was known
! devil of infinite astuteness. 1t would
be quite consistent with his character
and past performances if. despairing
of gaining control of his wards mon
| ey by urging her into unwelcome mat
! rimony with his son. he had contrived
to overreaCh her in some manner and
so driven her to become self support
ing
| Perhaps hardly likely, the hypoth-
esis was none the less quite plausible
A thing had happened within P. Syba-
rites knowledge of Brian Shaynon.
/ Even if Georges romalce were only
! true in part, these were wretched cir
cumstances for Il girl of gentle birth
/ and rearing to adopt
/ 1t was really a shocking boarding
house. p Sybarite had known It in,
| timately for ten years. Use had made
/ him ..bn
| He could remember most wildly how
! he had loathed it for weeks. months.
| and years after the tide of evil for
| tunes had cast him up on its crur.
/ bling brownstone Stoop (even in that
/ distant day. crumblingl
/ For an entire decade he had occupied
/ the same chair at the same table in
/ the basement dining room fcasting on
/ beef, mutton. fowl, Irish stew ham
| and beans. veal. pork or Just hash
according to the designated day of the
! week.
/ The very room in which he sat was
/ somehow dear to him. Upon ii he
/ wasted Il sentiment in way akin to
/ that with which one regards the grave
/ of a beloved friend. 1t was. in fact.
/ the tomb of his own youth.
| In this narrow room his very self had
| been eXtinguished. \ man had degen
| Grated into machine. Everything
that caught his eye bore mute wit
| ness to this truth
/ He was no lonely victim In his
term he had seen many another come
in hope. linger in disappointment leave
only to go to Il meaner cell in the same
/ stratum of misfortune.
/ Was this radiant spirit of youth and
gentle lOveliness twho might. for all
/ one knew to the contrary. be Marian
| Blessi4GtOn. after alb to be suffered
to become one Of that disconsoIate
/ crew?
What could be done to prevent it?
! Nothing that the wits of p. Sybarite
! could compass. He was as inefficient
as any gnat in any web.
/ ITO he Continued Next Week..