Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-10-05

sulIelly. OOnIOuuQ Ill MY Suldry
isn't large enough to pay my own way
decently."
Malcolm !" cried his mother warn,
ingly.
We'll. mater, what the devils the
use of all this? You know By Jove1
you ought tor
Hold on, young Teller! 1 don't un-
derstand. Your wages amt large
enough, you say? What do you mean7
You was goin' to be married, wasn't
you? Caroline, don't you say a word.
You say-you"-addressing Malcolm
that you can't support a wife on your
wages. You could scrape along, couldn't
you? Hey? Couldn't your"
Malcolm's answer was another scorn-
full shrug. You belong on Cape Cod"
he sneered. Mater, let's get out Of
this"
"Wait: Put it plain now. Do I UNI
derstand that you callate to break the
engagement because my niece has lost
her money? Is that it?"
This is ridiculous" Mrs. Dunn pro-
claimed. Every sane person knows,
though barbarians may not'-with a
yenomous glare at the captain-.that
In engagements of the kind in which
my son has shared a certain amount of
-er-inancial-er-that is, the bride is
supposed to have some money. 1t is
expected. OF course it Isl Love In a
cottage is-well, a bit passe. My son
and 1 pity your niece from the bottom
of our hearts, but-there! Under the
circumstances the whole affair be-
comes impossible. Caroline, my dear,
I'm dreadfully sorry, dreadfully! love
you like my w child. And poor Nal
colin viii be Observation-Disclosures
see.'
Stephen, who had been Tuning and
depressing his rage with difficulty dur
ing the scene, leaped forward with
brandished fist.
by gadg' he shouted. "Mal Dunn,
you cad"-
His uncle pushed him back with a
sweep of his arm.
Steve he ordered, I'm runnin' this
ship" He gave a quick glance at his
niece and then added, speaking rap
idly and addressing the head Of the
Dunn family: II see, ma'am. Yes, yes.
l see. Well, you've forgot n thing, l
guess. If there's nothin' in marriage
but business. then an engagement is
what | just called 1t, a business con-
tract. and it can't be broke without the
consent of both sides. You wanted
Caroline's money; maybe she wants
yours now. If she does, and there's
such a thing as law, why, perhaps she
can get it,"
That's the talkt" cried Stephen ex-
ultingly.
"Stopi' Caroline cried wildly. "Oh,
stop! Do you think-do you suppose 1
would marry him now-now, after
I've seen what he is? Oh" with a
shudder of disgust, when l think what
l might have done L Thank God that
the money has gone! I'm glad I'm
poor! I'm glad! never want to see
him -cr think of him again. Pleese.
please let me goi Oh, take me home!
Captain Warren. please let me go
homer
Her uncle was at her side in a mo-
ment. Yes. yes, dearie," he said, 'Tn
take you home. Don't give way now!
ZIP
He would have taken her arm, but
she shrank from him.
mot you" she begged. ''Stever'
The captains face clouded, but he
answered promptly.
"Of course-Steve," he agreed.
steve, take your sister home. Mr..
Sylvester's got a carriage waitin', and
he'll go with you, l don't doubt. Do as
| tell you. boy-and behave yourself.
Don't wait; go!'
He held the door open until the hys-
terical girl and her brother had de-
parted. Then he turned to the Dunns.
"Well ma'am," he said dryly, 81
don't knows there's anything more to
be said. All the questions seem to be
settled. Our acquaintance want so
awful long, but 1t was interestin'.
Known you has been, as the Teller
said. a liberal education. Don't let me
keep you any longer. Good afternoon
Then Mrs. Dunn bethought herself
of a way to make their exit less awk-
ward and embarrassing.
MY hearth" she said, gasping and
with a clutch at her breast. MY poor
heart! IL fear I'm going to have n
Of my attacks. Malcolm, your arm
quick"
With an expression of intense but
patient suffering and leaning heavily
upon her sons arm she moved past
Captain Elisha and from the room.
That evening the captain stood in the
lower hall Of the apartment house at
Central Park West undecided what to
do next. He wished more than any
thing else in the world to go to his
niece, He would have gone to her be-
fore-had been dying to go to soOthe,
to comfort, to tell her of his love-but
he was afraid. His conscience trou-
bled him. Perhaps he had been too
brutal.