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CHAPTER I, Continued.
"Well, Kir, I should fool much hotter
If 1 could go over thoro Into the swirl
und ftninsh It out for myself. You see
if I could win out alone and pay hack
the Kunl price, and then make a pllo
for myself, if you felt later like giving
me another chance to come into the
linn, then I should not he laying my
self open to the charge of heing a
more pensioner on your friendship.
You know what I menu, rslr, and won't
think I am filled with any low-down
pride, hit if you will let mo have tho
price of a stock oxchungo seat on my
note, and . will glvo mo tho chance,
when 1 got tho hang of tho ropejs, to
handlo some of the (Inn's orders, I
shall he Just as much heholden to you
and Jim, sir, and shall feel a lot hot
ter myself."
1 knew what Hoh meant; so did
father, and we wero glad enough to do
what ho naked, father insisting on
making tho seat price in tho form of
a present, after explaining to us that
a foundation Btock exchange rule pro-
'hlhlted an applicant from borrowing
tho seat price. Four years after Bob
Brownloy 'entered tho stowk exchange
ho had paid hack tho forty thousand,
with interest, and not only had a snug
iifly thousand to his credit on Ran
dolph & Randolph's hooks, but was
sending home six thousand a year
whilo living up to, as lie jokingly put
if. "an honest man's notch." I may
say in passing, that a Wall street
man's notch would makQ twice six
thousand yearly earnings cant an un
certain shallow at Christmas time.
. Bob wau the favorite of the exchange,
as ho had been tho pot at school and
at college, and had his hands full of
business 1100 days in tho year. Be
sldos Randolph & Itandolph's choicest
commissions, ho had tho confidential
orders of two of tho heavy plunging
cliques,
1 had jtiBt passed my thirty-second
birthday when my kind old dad sud
denly died. F6r the previous six years
I had been getting ready for such an
ovont; that Is, I had grown accustomed
to hearing my father say: "Jim, don't
lot any grass grow in getting tho bang
of ovory branch of our business, so
that when anything happens to me
thoro will bo no disturbance in 'tho
Street' In regard to Randolph & Ran
dolph's affairs. I want to Ifct tho world
know as soon as possible that after I
am gone our business will run as it al
ways has. So I will work you into my
directorships in thoso companies where
wo havo intorosts and gradually put
you Into my different trusteeships." .
Thus at father's death there was not
a ripplo in our affairs and nono of tho
stocks known as "Tho Randolph's"
fluttered a point because of that, to tho
financial world, momentous event. I
inherited all of father's fortuno other
than, four millions, which ho divided
up among relatives and charities, and
took command of a husinoss that gave
mo an income oi two minions and a
nau a. year.
Once more' I bogged Bob to come
into- tho Arm.
"Not yet, Jim," ho replied. "1'vo got
my seat and about a hundred thousand
capital, and I want to feel that I'm
freo to lack my heels until I have
raked togothor an even million all of
my own making; then I'll settle down
with you, old man, and hold my handle
of tho plow, and if somo good girl hap
pons along about that time well, then
it will bo 'An ivy-colorod cof for
mine."
Ho laughed, and I laughed, t,oo. Bob
was looked upon by all his friends as
a bad caso of woman-shy. No woran,
young or old, who had In any way
crossed Bob's orbit but had felt that
fascination, delicious to all women, In
tho presence of:
A fioul by honor schooled,
A heart by piumlon ruled
but ho novor Boomed to seo It. As my
wife for I had boon three years mar
rled and had two little Randolphs to
show that both Katherine Blair and I
know what marriage was ror never
tired of saying, "Poor Bob! He's
" woman-blind, and it looks as though
ho. would novor got his sight in that
direction."
'Then again, Jim' ho continued in
a tono of great Borlousness, "thoro's a
littlo BQcrot I havo novor lot oven you
into. Tho truth is I am not safe yet
not safo to speak for tho old houso of
Randolph & Randolph. Yes, .you may
laugh you who aro, and always havo
been, as staunch and steady nu the old
bronzo John Harvard in tho yard, you
who know Monday mornings just what
you aro going to do Saturday nights
and all the days and nights in be
tween, and who always do it., Jim, 1
havo found slnco 1 havo boon ovor.ou
tho floor that tho southern gambling
blood that made by grandfather, on
onq of his trips back from New York,
though he had more land and slaves
than ho could 'use, stako his land and
slaves yos, and grandmother's too
on a card game, and lose, and chango
tho whole face of tho Brownloy des
tiny thoso samo gambling microbes
aro In my blood, and when they1 begin
to claw and gnaw I want to do some
thing; and, Jim" and tho big brown
oyes suddenly shot sparks "If those
microbes over get unleashed, there'll
be mischief to pay on tho lloor sure
thero will!"
Hob's handsome head was thrown
back; his thin nostrils dilated as
though thoro was In them tho breath
of conflict. Tho lips wero drawn
across tho white teeth with just part
enough to show their edges, and in
tho depths of the eyes was a dark-red
blazo that somehow gave tho impres
sion one gets in looking down some
long avenue of bluck at the instant a
"Jim If Thoie Microbes Ever Get Unleashed, There'll be Mischief to Pay
on the Floor."
locomotlvq headlight rounds a curvo at
night. " V
Twice; before, way back it our col
lego days. I had had a" peep at this
gambling temper of Bob's. Once In a
rpolier game iii our rooms, when a
crowd of Now York classmates tried
to run him out of a hand by the sheer
weight of coin. And again at tho
Pequot houso at New London on the
evo of a varsity boat raco, when a
Yale crowd shook a big wad of money
and taunts at Bob until with a yell he
loft his usually well-leaded feet and
frightened me, whose allowanco was
dollars to Bob's cents, at the sum total
of the bet cards ho signed beforo he
cleared tho room of Yalo money and
camo to with a white faco streaming
witli cold perspiration. Thoso events
had passed out of my memory as tho
ordinary student breaks that any hot
blooded youth Is liable to mako In like
circumstances. As I looked at Bob
that day, while ho tried to tell mo that
tho business of Randolph & Randolph
would not bo safe in his keeping, 1 had
to admit to myself that I was puzzled.
I had regarded my old college chum
not only as tho best mentally bar
nessod man I had over mot, but I know
him as tho soul of honor, that honor of
tho old story-books, and I coujd not
credit his being tempted to jeopardize
unfairly tho rights of property of an
other. fBut It was habit with mo to
lot Bob have his way, and I did not
press him to come into our firm as a
full partner.
Flvo years later, during which time
affairs, business and social, had boon
slipping along ns well as eithor Bob
or I could havo asked, I was preparing
for anothor sit-down fo show my chum
that tho time had now conto for him
to help mo in earnest, when a queer
thing happoned onq or thoso unac
countable incidents that God some
times sees fit to drop across tho llfo
paths of His chlldron, paths horotoforo
as straight and far-alioad vislblo as
highways along which ono ha:, never
to look twice to see whore ho is trav
eling; ono of those events that, looked
at retrospectively, aro beyond all hu
man understanding.
It was a beautiful July Saturday
noon and Bob and I had Just "packed
up" for tho duy preparatory to joining
Mrs. Randolph or my yacht for a run
down to our place at Newport. As wo
stepped out of his office ono of the
clerks announced that a lady had come
In and had particularly asked to see
Mr. Brownloy.
"Who the douce can she be, coming
in at this timo on Saturday, Just when
all allvo men are in a rush to shako
the heat and dirt of business for food
and tho good air or all outdoors?"
growled Bob. Then lie said, "Show
her in."
Another minute and ho had his an
swer. A lady entered.
"Mr. Brownloy?" She waited an in
stant to make sure ho was tho Vir
ginian. Bob bowed.
"I am Beulnh Sands, of Sands Land
ing, Virginia. Your peoplo know our
people, Mr. Brownley, probably well
enough for you to place me."
"Of tho Judge Lee Sands'?" asked
Bob, as he held out his hand.
"I am Judge Lee Sands' oldest
daughter," said the sweetest voice I
had ever heard, one of those mellow,
rippling voices that start the imagina
tion on a chase for a mocking bird,
only to bring It up at the pool be
neath the .brook-fall In quest of the
harp of moss and wntercresses that
sends a bubbling
eddies and swirls.
cadence Into Ita
Perhaps it was the
southern accent that nibbled off the
corners and edges of certain words
and languidly let others mist them
selves together, that gave it its
luscious penetration however that
may bo, It was the most no-yesterday-no-to-morrow
voice I had ever heard.
Before I grew fully conscious of tho
exquisite beauty of tho girl, this volco
of hers spelled its way into my brain
like the breath of somo bewitching
oriental essence. Nature, environ
ment, tlie security of a perfect mar
riage have ever combined to consti
tute me loyal to my chosen one, yet
as I stood silent, like one dumb, ab
sorbing the details of the loveliness of
this young stranger who had so sud
denly swept into my office, it came
over mo that here was a 'woman In
tended to enlighten men who could not
understand that shnft which in all
ages has without warning pierced
men's hearts and souls lovo at first
sight. Had thero not been Katherine
Blair, wife and mother Katherine
Blair Randolph, who filled my love
world as the noondny August sun fills
the old-fnshioned well with nestling
warmth and restful shade after this
Interval, looking back at tho past, I
dare ask the question who knows
but that I too might havo drifted from
tho secure anchorage of my slow Yan
kee blood and floated Into the deep
waters?
Beauty, tho cynics scoff, Is in tho
oyo of the beholder, or In an anglo of
vision mere product of lime-light,
point of view, desire but Boulah
Sands' was beauty boyond cavil, su
perior to all analysis, as doflnlto as
tho evening Btar against tho twilight
sky. In height medium, girlish, but
with a figuro maturely modeled,
charmingly full and rounded, yet by
very perfection of proportion escaping
suggestion of "plumpness." Tho head,
surrounded and crowned witli a wealth
of dark golden hair, rested on a neck
that, would have seemed short had its
slender coinmn sprung less graciously
from tho lovely lines of tho breast and
shoulders beneath. It vn3 on tho
fnee, however, nnd flnnlly on the eyes
that one's glances Inevitably lingered
tho faco rose-tinted, with dimples in
either of the full cheeks, entering
laughing protest against the sad droop
that brought slightly down the corners
of a mouth too large perhaps for
beauty, If tho coral curvo of the lips
had been less exquisitely perfect. The
straight, thln-nostrlled nose, the broad
forehead, the square, full jaw almost
as low at the points where they come
beneath tho ears as at the chin, sug
gested dignity and high resolve cou
pled with a power of purpose, rare In
woman. The combination of forehead,
jaw, and nose w.as seldom seen. Had
it been possessed by a man it would
surely have driven him to the tented
field for his profession. But tho great
est glory of Boulah Sands was her
eyes large, full, very gray, very blue,
vivid with all tho glamour of her per
sonality, full of smiles and tears and
spirituality and passion; one Instant,
frankly innocent, they Illuminated the
faco of a blonde Madonna; the noxt,
seen through the extraordinary, long,
Jet-black eyelashes underneath the
finely penciled black brows, they ca
ressed, coquetted, allured. I afterward
found much of this girl's purely physi
cal fascination lay in this strange
blending of English fairness with An
dalusian tints, though the abiding
quality of her charm was surely in an
exaltation of spirit of which she might
make the dullest conscious. As she
stood looking at Bob in my office that
long-ago noon, gracefully at ease in a
suit of gray, with a gray-feathered
turban on her head, and tiny lace
bands at neck and wrist, she was very
exquisite, exceedingly dainty, and,
though southerner of southerners, very
unlike the typical brunette girl who
comes out of Dixie land.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
CHURN FOR A HEAD PIECE.
Piece of Mischief That Might
Had Fatal Results.
Have
Nearly everyone has heard of the
man whoso dog got his head caught
in a pitcher Into which he had thrust
it after a taste of the milk at the
bottom. Tho man cut tho dog's head
off to savo the pitcher and then broke
the pitcher to get the dog's head out.
An incident with almost similar fea
tures occurred in the little village of
Stanton, N. C, the other day. Tho
children of Mr. Uriah Bumgarner
wero playing on the porch of their
homo when a small daughter picked
up a churn, one of the old-fashioned
kind with a large bottom and a small
opening, and in a spirit of mischief
placed It upside down over the head
of her two-year-old brother, who was
sitting on the floor. The little girl ac
cidentally dropped the churn and
down it went over the head of the
child, -who began to yell. The father
and several neighbors ran up and
found that tho boy had turned his chin
upward and the churn could not bo
removed. Tho upturned bottom of
tho churn finally had to be sawed off
before the child could be released, and
the little chap emerged from his
unique head covering almost dead
from fright.
The Fox as a Decoy.
Some 30 years ago a ame fox was
kept at the Berkeley Castle duck de
coy in Gloucestershire, England. This
animal understood the whole art of
decoying wild-fowl, and, showing him
self to tho duck, widgeon, and teal
on the decoy lake, used, by waving
his tail and moving gently to and fro,
to attract the attention of the curious
fowl. Tho birds were fascinated by
tho fox's motions, and, following him
up the decoy pipe, fell easy victims
to the concealed fowler. It Is a well
known fact that the old decoy fowlers
invaribaly secured, if they wero ablo,
a red dog, as near in color to a fox
as possible, lor the difficult part of
decoying duck from the pool to the
netted pipe.
Forrest's Principle.
Hero is a brief summing up of Gen.
N. R. Forrest: "Ho was a man of
humblo birth and littlo education, a
trader in slaves and mules, grave,
silent, unobtrusive, but possessed of
military genius of a high order. As a
leader of cavalry ho was unequaled
and knew no fear. During his service
ho was destined to take part In 120 ac
tions, and to havo 27 horses shot un
der him. In ono torso sentence ho
summed up his art of war: 'To git
thar first with the most men.' " From
tho "Appeal to Arms and the Civil
War."
"Pilgrim's Progress" .n Stage.
A dramatic version of Banyan's
"Pilgrim's Progress" has been pre
sented at tho Imperial theater,. Lon
don. Tho ten scenes, which aro said
to havo been finely staged, wero ac
companied by old English music, and
tho whole production wns a great suc
cess. Foolish Question.
A magavJno writer asks: "Why do
men wear Suspenders?" . Well; in our
case, old chap, they feel a 'whole lot
better than, a rope.
IGNORANT CITY BOY
MIGHT HAVE LEARNED MUCH
FROM COUNTRY COUSIN.
At Least One Trick With Horses That
He Was Not Familiar With
No Problem for Man
Who Knew.
A city boy. He was playing in the
street when the rubber ball ho was
tossing slipped from his - hands nnd
landed just back of the off hind foot
of a big gray horse attached to a
truck and standing patiently by tho
curb awaiting further orders.
Tho boy made several furtive
reaches to recover tho ball, but a"s
actual possession Involved closo prox
imity to that massive leg and iron
shod hoof ho hesitated. A rapid
search of surrounding territory re
sulted in the finding of a pieco of stick
about six inches long.
Its length was disproportionate to
the danger zone, but the boy's senso
df peril decreased as his anxiety grow
at tho possible loss of his plaything.
He made a quick jab with the stick,
but succeeded only in striking tho ani
mal's hock, causing it to prance in
dignantly. A second attempt and the horse's
shoe was struck. The big gray start
ed forward. The youngster barely
had time to Jump out of tho way of
the front wheel. Then tho animal,
with Innate cussedness, backed up
again and In so doing placed his hoof
on the ball and pinned to tho
ground.
Frightened by his close call from In
Jury and grieving for the loss of his
plaything the boy looked around un
certain whether to laugh or cry. Just
at that juncture a tall, broad shoul
dered man with whiskers of the hay
seed variety turned tho corner.
He saw the boy's final attempt to
recover the ball and his narrow es
cape from injury. Two strides and he
was beside his victim.
"Ain't you got no sense?" he de
manded. "Want to get run over or
have your brains kicked out?"
In a few sentences tho boy ex
plained the situation and pointed to
the ball. The big man patted the
horso on the flank, spoke a few sooth
ing words to the animal and ran his
hand deftly and pettingly down tho
leg until he reached the hock.
"H'ist, boy, h'ist," he commanded,
and the animal, accustomed to fre
quent examinations of the hoof, obe
diently lifted its leg.
With his free hand the , big man
extracted the ball from its resting
place and tossed it to the lad, who un
gratefully scampered away, without
waiting to thank his benefactor.
"Beats thunder how these city kids
don't know nothln' about horses!"
said the big man disgustedly as he
dusted off his hands and resumed his
way.
She Caught the Idea.
The teacher of a public school class
of little girls had been endeavoring
to impress upon her pupils the sig
nificance of the comparativo and su
perlative degrees.
"For example," she said, "here is a
coin that is bright. Here is ono that
Is brighter which is comparative.
Then, here is one that is brightest
which is superlative."
After using several other illustra
tions she asked for voluntary contri
butions that would demonstrate com
prehension on the point, and a golden
haired child promptly rose in her
place.
"I know,' said she. "This Is one:
Sick Worse dead."'
"Recess,' said the teacher.
Norway's Wooden Churches,
Some of the wooden churches of
Norway are fully 700 years old and
aro still In an excellent state of. preser
vation. Their timbers have success
fully resisted the frosty and almost
Krctic winters because they have been
repeatedly coated with tar.
Buys a Motor Car as He Buys a Hat.
It's nice to bo ablo to buy an auto
mobile as you would a hat. Somo peo
ple will tell you that it is impossible,
that there are nono ready for imme
diate delivery.- Yet according to first
rate authority an American in Paris
walked into an agonoy and looked
about him with tho following result.
"That's a well-appearing Mercedes,
45-horse power?'
"Yes, sir."
"What's the price?"
"Thirty-five thousand frnncs."
"Good machine? Works well?"
"Yes, sir."
"Accept my check for It."
"Yes, sir."
"Sure It's a real good Mercedes?"
"None better."
"Very well, I'll tnko it. I'll mako
out tho check now."
And ho did.
Tho Alabamn legislature will pros
ently consider a bill providing that
any person who carries a pistol must
take out a license and wear a nont
I metal badge witli .tho word VArniPd"
i thereon.