Tombstone epitaph., 1918-06-16

to live. but have . license to drive, If you would care to see it."
 You look like a gentleman" re marked the stranger.
 'I almost believe I am one." replied Christopher. T should be delighted to think that you are right"
 "very well." said the other; 'I will engage you-for the evening. You can take me where I wish to go, and wait. If my chauffeur can bring my car round later. you can go: but in any case you shall have the same money. What are your chargesr
 For the entire evening. five guineas." said Christopher.
 Good; that is settled" The gen. tleman stepped forward. and the own CT of the red car and the chauffeur of the green one both sprang to open the door for him- But he waved them back.
 T shall sit with the driver." he an- nounced. with the air of one accus- toned to quick decisions. and never to have them gainsaid.
 Do you know Desmond House~ he asked, when he was In his place. and Christopher ready to start.
 Christopher replied quietly that he did know Desmond House.
 Then drive me there, if you please. and as quickly as you can." said his employer. T am late in keeping an appointment and yet" he added. T am not sorry that, with the best driv- ing, we shall be at least twenty min- utes in reaching Desmond House. Do you take my meaningT
 "Yes. But you pay me the compli- ment of feeling some slight curiosity as to my reason for touting with my car in the streets for passengers" sug- gested Christopher.
 "You have it. I should be pleased if you would tell me how such . strange thing came about. But, of course. if you do not choose"
 "why not?" laughed the young man. .'You shall know the whole story. if 1t amuses you-end not c penny extra, over the fare. The trouble b that you'll be disappointed. for. except in one particular, its . very ordinary tale"
 Suppose that you begin with the one particular. since you are so oblig- ing?" said Christopher's passenger.
 Tt Is that if had failed to earn at least the sum of i've guineas before twelve tonight, nothing could prevent me from losing another sum. amount ing approximately to one hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds" You are right" agreed the other. 1 'sThat one particular is not ordinary" He invited Christopher to go on with the story.
 'The hundred and seventy-five thou sand pounds-or thereabouts-are my uncle's," said he. -Also a rather nice house in the country. and a few other things which was brought up to be lieve would eventually be mine. But my uncle heard stories about my life which didn't please him, and they were all true. So he sent for me, and all my deceitful meekness and sweetness of manner was of no use. He saw through me, and told me I was an in- corrigible young scoundrel. Also, he told me his plan for my future. It was, to cut down my allowance from eight to one hundred pounds . year. just enough to keep me fed, clothed and housed In decency. which. In his opinion-and in mine. when I came to think of it-was more than de served. As for the bulk of his money. my uncle had not quite made up his mind where to leave 1t. The one thing he thought he had decided upon was not to leave 1t to me.
 T heard him through to the end and then proposed . substitute plan. I admitted the young scoundrel. but denied the incorrigible. I said thought that he might give me [ chance to show that l had . back. bone. As proof of It's existence re fused the allowance, asking my uncle to keep his money and reserve his judgment. Said |: If within . year I'm . reformed character-that is. il I've shown that I'm able not only to make my own way in the world, but to make 1t like .genueman-win you reconsider. and not leave the family house and the money sway from the last representative of your namer
 s:AT right said he. Its . bargain But don't believe you can do It.
 T believed I could So sold th< furniture. books. pictures and orna ments h my chambers and got . tidy enough sum. also sold my motol ear for what I could eet, and boughl another-for what hoped to get Al ready I was . fair driver; but I dls appeared for months from publie MSl and learned. in eeod schosl fer ehaxf feurs. how to bs . nrst-fats ooe. an< sn aII-foand psaetieal nseAanie q weu.
 ~The end oe tAs z1al year and tAl end oz mJ uossJ were 6fAwing ts [ c5oss. whea. to pa1s Psllsa sa 0u1. had . letter fFu0 1v Oaa. HI wished to knew how @1tA I hal earnea duElng ny psssallsa. Tothln( yet.' sail [ ia ny answ9. 1As1 enDl la wire. IT T esssd nse sssnt snd psUvV ts hin that ! Id ensss4 V - Swz