The Raymer enterprise., 1918-12-05


parison between her handsome. disni.
ned father and his rude, uncultured
brother. The contrast was ever pres,
ent In her thoughts, and she did not
need to be reminded Of II. She made
no reply.
II was thinkin'." continued the cap
tain, conscious Of having made Q mis-
take, "that maybe we might celebrate
somehow, In q quiet way"
mo. am not In the mood foe-eele.
brations."
"Oh, / didn't mean fireworks and the
town band. Just thought
please don't. / remember other
birthdays too we'll"
They had been great occasions, those
birthdays Of hers. ever since she was q
little girl. On the eighteenth she made
her debut In society. and the gown she
wore on that memorable evening was
laid away upstairs, . cherished me.
mento, to be kept a. long a. she lived
Each year Rodgers Warren took ipfin,
lite pains to please and surprise his
idolized daughter. She could not bear
to think Of another birthday. now tha,
be had been taken from her.
Her guardian pulled his beard
"well." be observed ruefully. "then my
weak heads put my foot In It again. a
the feller said. II amt careful r'n b
like poor cracked Phllander Baker,
who lives with bis sister over at Den.
boro Center. The doctor told Philander
be was threatened with softenin' Of
the brain, and the sister thanked him
for the compliment. You zee. Caroline
/ wrote on my own hook and asked
stevie to come home Saturday and
stay ill Monday. I kind Of thought
you'd like to have him here"
"Oh, I should IKE that! But win be
come? Has he written you"
Hey? Yes. l eal'late he'll be on
deck. He's-er-yes. he's written me"
He smiled a. he answered. As q
matter Of fact, the correspondence be.
tween Stephen and himself had been
lengthy and voluminous on the part o,
the former and brief and brssnesslike
on his own. The boy On his return to
college had found conditions await.
ing him. and the amount Of hard work
involved In their clearance was not a,
all to his taste. He wrote his guardian
before the first week was over assert.
ing that the whole business was fool.
ishness and q waste Of time. He
should come home at once. he said and
he notified the captain that such was
his intention. Captain Elisha replied
with promptness and decision. II he
came home he would be sent back, that
was all. II realize you've got a lob
ahead Of you, son." wrote the captain
"but you can do 1t II you will. Fact Is
/ guess you've got to. SO sail In and
show us what you're made Of
Stephens answer was five page
declaration Of independence. He re.
fused to be bullied by any living man
He had made arrangements to come to
New York on the following Monday,
and he was coming. As to being sent
back, he wished his uncle to under.
stand that It was one thing to order
and another to enforce obedience. To
which he received the following note:
can't stop you from coming, Steve. ex.
eept BY going to New Haven and holding
you by main strength. That don't pro.
pose to do for two reasons--first. that II
y too much trouble. and second. that Il
amt necessary. You can come home once
IN awhile to see your sister. but you
mustn't do II TIL say the word. II you
do shall take the car fare out OF your al.
lowance. likewise board while you are here
and stop that allowance for q month as a
sort Of fine for mutiny. SO you bsttef
think II over q spell And II I was you |
wouldn't write Caroline that I was coming
or thinking Of coming till had my mind
made up. Shs believes you are working
hard at your lessons. I shouldn't disap-
point her. especially as II wouldn't be any
use. Your affectionate uncle.
ELISHA WARREN.
The result Of all this was that Ste.
phen. whose finances were already in
precarious condition. did think II
over and decided not to take the risk.
Also, conscious that his sister sided
with their guardian to the extent Of
believing the university the best place
for him at present. he tore up the long
letter Of grievance which he had writ.
ten her and In that which took Its
place mentioned merely that he was
grinding like blazes." and the only
satisfaction he got from It was his re-
moval from. the society Of the sold
tyrant from Cape Cod"
He accepted the tyrant's invitation
to return for the week end and his sis.
ter's birthday with no hesitation what.
ever, and his letter Of acceptance was
70 polite % to b. almost humble.
he arrived on an early train Sstur.
day morning. Caroline met him At the
station, and the Dunns' car conveyed
him to the latter's residence, where
they were to spend the day. The Dunns
and Caroline had been together almost
constantly since one evening when
Malcolm and bis mother interrupted
The reading Of ths novel tn former,