The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-06-05

when he had shaved with par.
ucular care, ard changed HIS linen
trimming collar and cuffs 70 a de.
gree Of uncommon nicety) and re-
sumed HIS coat brushing and hating
IL simultaneously and with equal
ferocity. for les very shabpsnessl r.
Sybarise sought out a pipe old and
dlsrcputabie enough to be a comfort
to any man. and sat down by the
one window Of bis room top floor.
hail. back to smoke and consider
the state OF the universe while await.
Ing the dinner gong.
The window comma nded an slevaf
ed II non-exhiiarating view o. back
yards. ono and all dank. dismal, and
filtered with the debris OF long.
hard winter. Familiarity. however.
had rendered r. Sybarite immune 10
the miasmn OF melancholy they ex.
haied; the trouble 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
r. Sybarife had let him see. His
hints. innucndoes and downright as.
sertions had In reality distilled
subtle poison into the little mans
humor. For in spite Of his embat
tied incrcdulify and the clear rea.
soning with which he had over.
borne Georges futile insistance.
there still fingered in his mind hnd
, always would. until he knew the
truth HIMSELF carking doubt.
Perhaps IL wass true. Perhaps
George had guessed shrewdly. Per.
haps Molly Leasing OF the glove
counter really was one and the same
with Marian Blessington OF the fab.
ulous fortune.
Old Brian Shaynon was a known
devil OF infinite sstuteness: II would
be quite consistent with his charac.
ter and past performances II. de.
spairing OF gaining control OF his
wards money by urging her into
unweicone natrimony with his son.
he had contriyed TO over.reach her
In some manner. and so driven her
to become self-supporting.
Perhaps hardly likely. the hypothc.
sis was none the less quite plausible.
thing had happened. within y.
Sybarfte's knowledge OF Brian Shay.
non.
Even II Georges romance were
true only I'm part, these were wretch.
ed circumstances for girl OF gentle
birth and rearing to adopt. IL was
really shocking boarding house. T..
Sybarite had known II Intimately for
ten years; use had made him caIlous
to It's shortcomings; but he was not
yet SO far gone that he could forget
how unwholesome and depressing u
must seem 10 one accustomed to bet.
ter things. He could remember most
vividly how he had ioathed II for
weeks. months, and years after the
tide OF evil fortunes had cast him
upon It's crumbling brownstone stoop
teven In that distant day, crumbling).
Now, however r. Sybaritc
realized suddenly that habit had In.
stilIed into his bosom a sort Of mean
affection for the grim and sofdld
place. Time had made him sib to It's
spirit. close to its niggard heart
Scarcely a nook or corner OF IL with
which he was not on terms OF the
most intimate acquaintance. In the
adjoining room a deserted woman
had died by her own hand; her
means, filtered through the dividing
wall. had summoned r. Sybarite-
too late. The double front room on
the same floor harbored an amiable
couple whose sempiternal dissen.
sions only his tact and persistence
ever served to still. The other hall.
bedroom had housed for many years