Omaha daily bee., 1922-01-14

vAss they rsa~h the l.dSing hons~.
% The sriss -ssrsrkss sui. earrt~s hss 70
. tasteAb ard they start for his home.
~~~ssupsnied ~ the lsndlady's husband.
New 90 90 viii tbs ssory--
No,hard sa, irowning before him.
What the devil was he going Il
do with the girl. and why had h,
yielded TO this impulse TO bring hel
with himp
His housekeeper would be home
by now certainly. but she woulc
probably be horribly seandalized; hs
wondered how on earth he would be
able to explain things 10 her.
The man opposite him spoke.
Mice gentleman. Mr.. Wheeler was
sir. I'm sure we always did our
best for him, me and my nissus; but
We are poor ourselves"
Nothard made no answer; he
wondered il he wuuld ever forge,
that dark. cherries bedroom. with
the Pickering candle light falling on
a dead mans face. He had known
Wheeler for years as vague. quiet
figure, fitting in and out OF the Office,
always willing to do any job that
might be going. never asking for an
increase in pay; getting Older and
shabbier year by year; and he wished
now from the bottom OF his soul that
he had done something for him be-
lore II was too late.
There must be many such cases as
his in the world he knew. but until
today the fact had not seemed to
touch his own life; il was as il a
rude hand had roughly torn from
his eyes 4 soothing curtain that care
fully screened from his vision all the
ugly spots Of the world.
Ninette stirred family beside him
and moved her hand. 1t touched his,
reeoiled. then sought il again timidly.
Josh"
Nothard's hand closed about her
fingers.
'It's ali right" he said as gently
as he could. I'VE shall soon be
home"
She seemed content; she was only
half conscious and he breathed a sigh
of thankfulness when the drive was
ended.
He let himself into the house and
sought his housekeeper; she was one
OF the old-fashioned, very prim, and
thoroughly trustworthy sort.
She listened to his stumbling ex-
olanation calmly enough-nothing
disturbed her serenity greatly-and
when he had finished she said:
"You wish the young lady to stay
here. sir! Very well, / will get a
bedroom ready"
Nothard was utterly relieved; he
went back to the cab, lifted Ninette
in his arms and took her into the
library, from which he had departed
but an hour ago so full Of hope.
He put her down in the big chair,
made up the FIRE and went out into
the hall, where the man with the loud
laugh waited.
He was not laughing now; he
stood nervcusly twiddling his cap
and staring about him.
Nothard gave him three pounds
and promised to call around again in
he morning.
II will bear all expenses" he said.
sYou need not be afraid"
He hustled the man out Of the
rouse, cutting short his profuse graf
!tude; then he went back to Ninette.
She looked at him as he entered
the room and tried to rise to her
feet.
"What are you going to do with
me!" she asked.
There was a queer mixture of fear
and indifference in her voice, but she
was still shaking from head to foot.
Nothard answered gently:
"You are going to stay here; my
housekeeper will look after you. To-
morrow--tomorrow we will see what
can be done"
She looked away from him into the
heart Of the FIRE.
"We were too late" she said slow
Iy, and the depths Of misery in her
voice cut Nothard to the heart. "All
his life Josh has never had anything
anything! l hope now he has gone
TO heaven, that God will treat him
more fairlyl"
There was tragic silence; Nothard
did not know what to say or do;
he had never been in such predica-
ment in his life, and although he
would have given anything for the
power to have comforted her. he felt
tongue-tied and stupid.
He stammered out at last that It
was all for the bese--that death was
always harder for those who were
left behind--useless platitude, which
have been spoken hundreds OF times
to stony ears.
Ninette looked at him again.
HE would never have died, if
only you had helped me this after
moor" she said steadily. @You've got
20 much--you're so rich; it wouldn't
have hurt you to spare little for
us"
She covered her face with her
hands, but no tears came and a long
silence followed.
Chapter rx-"What Are You Going
to Do With Mep
Nothard looked at his reflection in
the glass above the mantelshelf and
was surprised At his pallor. The man
Wheeler had been nothing to him,
but his death nevertheless had come
as . great shock. He knew that Nj
nette's words were true, too.
you've got so much; you're So
rich it wouldn't have hurt you to
spare little for us
He wanted to say something to
her; to tell her that he was sorry,
to tell her that he would look after
her for the future and do everything
IN his power, but her set face
checked him. II was = relief when
ArsL Gay came tapping at the door.
The young lady's bedroom is
quite ready, sir" Ninette looked up
at him.