Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1921-04-08
TIE "PAUPER"
By LULU LANGDOM

E~r"tlr lambert. only daughter or
Ecar Admiral Charles LaE:hvrt Gre
lirr'D and Mr. John i!"v i";! tic we'll
known senior partner Of Hewlett "
Mason. ~ Wall stree.
John Hewlett WAS forty-thrcc. He
had made millions. had been BATTERED
ana c"artcd: then. Il, fOrty-thrcc he
had fallen i'm love. for the first time
! in his life. He had met EStclle'S faith
! cr az his country club. and the ad-
mir::l captvaIcd by the blur SINGER
ity OF the man, had invited him to Wis
il him ut his home on Eifty-fifth street
| There he had met EStelle. just back
from school in France. to take her
! dead mothers place in the household !;
and by sheer force of personality he
had swept her off her feet with his
impassiOned pleading.
He had almost resolved to see Es-
telle privately, to speak with her to
put the circumstances before her.
graveiy. dlspasSionately, and self for
Setfully, as problem to be met, as
he would have propounded n business
matter to an acquaintance.
liz hhust TcleaSe ner from the en-
| ga2cmcnt.
Three-QuarterS OF an hour later he
was being uShcrcd into the drawing
| room of the Lamberts' house
| John Hewlett paced the room quiet
| ~, thinking out the speech that he
! had prepared. He passed into the
hall. Adjacent TO the drawing room
l1T.r a
den by IL japanese screen. Behind this
he heard the murmur of voices One
of them was EStelIe'S. The other
WAS the softly modulatcd one Of The
odore flaming.
Eyes. Estclle. he's a bcggar," he
heard flaming say. With IL sclf-sntisfied
laugh. Every penny wiped out in
| the hardware slump. It's all over the
street. Poor beggar,'
| tclIc.
! 'Bccause he's losing you. EStelle,"
! flaming answered. ''and that makes him
| h"ubly poor
! Take it from me, YOU won't SOC
| him again, fStcie. He's probably
miles away by now with all the money
that his dupes trusted him with"
Next mOment Hewlett was standing
! in front of l:stelle and his ;raducer.
Il heard you" he beloved. Il heard
YOU: II wont hurt You in Miss
Lanhcrt's presence. But I'm going to
speak to hcv alone. Get our -
mir. HEWLETT" cried Estclle, SPRING
Ing t" her feet. pale with anger
| "riease remember that you are both
my guests
AT thar mninent Admiral Lambert
entered the room quietly. stepped up.
, and zoos his place between Tic men.
Come, Hewlett. my dear fellow"
he began. "Wh:rs the matter be-
tween YOU anL Mr.. Fanin%:"
MAY l be allowed 10 sprak:" in.
! CURED flaming ironically. He stood
up. cool enough, although his hands
were shaking. at amounts to this !:
That man is Il pauper. His house has
Walled And think" he continued
with little bow, that he has come
here 10 tell you So
! "Nes, you're right" cried Hewlett,
and all his rage came back Eyes.
I've lost all my money" he shouted.
"And / came to fell Miss Lambert so
not you, admiral, but Miss Lambert,
because it's her right to know"
"And I think Mr.. Hewlett is angry
that Mr. flaming should have told me
first" put in Estclle Indignantly.
Hewlett looked round ut the calm.
collected witnesses Of his helpless
rage.
Lets come to the point" he said.
Il have asked Mr.. flaming to with.
draw. Now L can proceed. l have
lost every penny l have. but I've paid
my debts and I'm going to start life
over again-and win. I've always won.
But I've lost one thing. came to saw
that. I wish 10 release Miss Lambert
from our engagement. 1t wouldn't be
fair"
flaming shifted uncasily.
with your permission, I will he
going, sir" lie said to the admiral.
and. bowling TO EStclle he went out OF
the room. He chuckled all the way
home.
Inside there was dead silence.
Then the admiral spoke
"Why wouldn't il be fair?" he asked.
"Why" stammered Hewlett. "Why
| why"
Admiral Lambert calnc forward and
claspcd the other by the hand.
81 can't speak for Estcllc, JOHN
he said, "but l think YOU are doing
us both n wrong. l hope you are I
believe, John, that this misfortune has
swept away barrier-a barrier which
was once almost invisible, but has
been growing higher and stronger
the barrier that you yourself have on.