The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-14

T say, I'll wager the beggar5 think we're eiopingl"
 She didn't reply, for she was already hastening to the curb, where heavy roadster was rolling up. My friend, the chauffeur, stepped out briskly and saluteA
 Rollins, you may come fir your check in the morning. How dared Sou?"
 T have already resigned. miss. I'm mighty sorry: but I gave my word to your brother"
 And probably have helped to ruin him" She sprang into the wheel seat. and I slumped into the passen- ger. Whizz. We were off And as Kipling says, trusted to luck of the British army.
 Captain" she began. "all this mystery will be explained to you on the way out. I am perfectly capable of handling the car, but I need a witness to my protests
 Command me-"
 q likesthe way you say that" She took a corner. Tell me how you happened to come with Rollins"
 Isto1d her briefly. between bumps; for we were riding on the springs. After that there was silence until we made Broadway.
 I'm afraid I shall be too late. I am trying to save my brother from the eliminating folly of his life"
 The wrong grill I see."
 observed by the way she was holding her head that she was pretty well fed up on the affair. Y'know how they hold their chins when they are tanning back the tears
 Ever since we were children, I've tried to guard him. I am only two years older. He's the dearest boy in the world but he's wild-not dissi- pated. but wild like an unbroken colt. Up to her death my mother had full control of the estate. Donny and I had allowances, but I was eternaliy adding to his out of mine. I nearly broke, from lending to Tom. Dick and Harry. and never getting it back. 'Wiflful but lovable. God forgive, but l struck him. struck himl''
 caught the wheel just Tn time to scrape by a pile of paving blocks. Narrow squeak. Apparently she hadn't noticed my intervention. She made futile dab at her eyes.
 My brother and I, we both have violent tempers, though the sun never goes down on our anger We never doder over likes and dislikes. He and Rollins trapped me. had to get to the safe. before Donny. I came in HUH tiC Roiiub dt the wheel. When he opened the door For me, he swept me up in his arms and carried me into the house. where my. brother lay in waiting. I fought him, but only to save him. He is temporarily insane. don't know how he found out the combination to the wall safe. Don't mfsjudge him. He suffered for what he did. I know it. He loves me, but I cannot make him understand. He believes all women are like me-honest."
 Man alive, I wanted to cuddle her then and there, Rot, Of course, I didn't touch her. I'm no beunder. I just hugged my knees and thought a lot. Any brother who'd truss up a loving sister the way found her was an out-and-out rotter.
 say. y'know. what demned baily fool ideas some persons get in their heads, Wills and -codicils. legal twistings and camouflage, and gen erally overreaching.
 wish you could have heard the girl. To her it was direct tragedy. while could see nothing but Drury Lane drama sawmills and all that.
 Short cut: the mother, who had had absolute control of the estate up to her death left 8 pair of wills. one to De prODated ana the Otner-udIeu later-to te left in the hands of the family solicitor. The girl knew noth ing about the second will until that afternoon. when she had applied to the solicitor for help. for some way to prevent her brother making a bally idiot of himself.
 The mater. knowing her son toler ably well. had tried honestly to guard him by writing lot of rigma his million was left to the administra tion of the sister. Upon the boys marriage her interest would cease and determine. as we say in England.
 Now. then, in order to inherit leg ally, he had to be married either in the town house or in the country home. On the other hand. a protest by the sister before a witness would be sufficient to stop the marriage.
 I suppose that accounts for the young rotter's actions toward his sis ter. Stop the marriage, or bring about the boys disinheritance-lf sister making the second will. must have suddenly remembered how the sister was always taking brothers part and lending him her allowance.
 Now. the boy had to have an old emerald ring to slip on his brides finger. That was a condition.
 But where the old lady tripped up y'know. was in the fact that she hadn't made it imperative that the daughter give it to the bride. In the