The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1921-02-11
lcontlnued from last weeI.l

DOllte DNt llHltTsOnul Sillle,
Tin not much on kissing strange
women" lie said lightly. ut would
take me years to learn to kiss you
again"
He left the room and the house.
With his top-hat pushed back on his
head, The ends of his muller flying
loose, his opercoat half unbuttuned,
he swung mp the deserted lower
reaches Of the Avenue, punctuatiBg
his thoughts with the solid rap Of his
stick on the pavement II might be
supposed that he wus thinking and
mourning oVer the sudden demise of
the Miss Van Teller he had thought
he had known for many years. but
such was not the case.
Mr. Randolph was not built on
mourning lines: ut the moment under
review, he was thinking abont himself
and the strange fate that had made
him foster-chlld OF fortune lie pro.
ceeded 10 look back ten years lust a
decade ago he had had HIS one meet.
ing with the young lady whose dls8p-
pearance had brought him On unstable
nfiiuence. II had taken place on this
very avenue and less than forty short
blocks away. He had reason 10 rc-
member the encounter FOR Il had
brought into sudden conjunction a
lovely Persian cat, lovely wirc-halred
terrier a lovely child. and himself.
The cat had dashed from n proud
front door TO cross Foriy.somcthiBg
street under the nose o. n tuxi-cah:
the dog had flown "a yappng pursuit
and, IN the net, yanked his young mis-.
tress of her pins. He, MIR. Randolph,
had seized one OF her flying feet,
hauled her and the terrier hack to
safety, and no sooner placed her up
right md smoothed down her ubsurdiy
short skirts than be, she. and especial
~ II, the dog. became the center and
circumference Of an animated pin
wheel
Her unshaken determination to hold
to the leash. whatever happened.
brought disaster The said leash
woand three tlmes round her ankles
ana those OF Mf. iiuudolh bringing
them both down kefpUnk and fuciug
each other. "Aiy what bump" she
had cried. IN startled tones and then
thrown back her curly head aud
laughed.
II was so that he remembered her
child ~ ten or eleven summers and
no winters, merry as sunny day,
dark.llalred, dark-eyed checked
pnmpered but unspullcd Size Lad
risen and taken his hand, told him
her name, thanked him ordered a
Hurried nurse 90 thank him. sltuscn
her finger at the terrier, and said.
"Good-by" and "Corne on. Maggie" an
while he WINS still rubbing the seat ~
his first long trousers
ON that day she had becn Miss Imo-
gene Pamea Thornton. petted dnrllng
OF the gods and Mr. Brewster Thorn
ton. banker and widower; two months
later had come Thornton's financial
smash and, Immediately aftcrward. his
spiritual. moral and bodily collapse.
Everything that had made for life IN
him having been swept away, he died
ns matter Of COURSE. aud was buried.
For sole Inheritance, little Genie
Thornton found herself poSSesyOr and
possessed Of one Maggie ORourke. a
nurse OF long standing. of earnest and
faithful face and monster heart I'm
prsoned IN nufully Thin chest
il had taken Genies great uncle.
Asa Thornton. six more months 20 for
get a quarrel Of sixteen years stand.
tu,r .,tftb b4s p.t.hf.,t. s,.1 a., ,t.t 49,
child and nurse had been seeped into
that lower world which can't afford
morning and afternoon editions aud IL
too busy praying for daily bread 10
look FOR rain Of mamma In the daily
press
In short, Maggie and her charge,
traced down the ladder Of reputable,
dlsreputable and impossible lodgings.
had slipped ultimately erom sight and
the ken Of people with addresses. and,
MS a result, Mr.. Robert Hertey RAN
dolph. whose relationship to Mr.. Asa
Thornton Is Of no import whatever 10
this tale Of cause aud effect came into
ten thousand year ana a string tn
string being the possible temperance
Of Miss Imogene Pamela.
Bob" had said old ASA. on the
verge Of tardy demise, I'm not In
Producing you 70 a war between con
science and sefinterest. There's no
silly story-book test about my money;
you are under no obligation to look
for Imogene or TO shout IL You step on
her by any twist Of chance. Ny law
yers, have MI the instructions neces-
snry along those lines; they are TO
make every reasonable effort and n
they succeed. why, you're man enough
to look out for yourself It--it isn't
going to make devil Of lot Of Differ
ence to me where the cash goes so
long as die with--die with the
credit"
With that last sentence, his mind
had stumbled aud wandered off TO
memories Of his nephew Brewster.
Looking back from the vantage q