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TIlE OMAJIA : DAILY B.il.t $ \tCJi11' : _ ' , NOV.lD'lnl : 17 , 180rs. 11
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. ; : . UY HOUCH'I' u.un ,
_ Author of "In the Mldst of _ \Inrm , , "
, ,
, , : . - JJt .iJ JJ.a. . - dJ : Al : . . : . L t : - r1 ! UJJJ.t-- . db'J. ' ) rJ.kA !
( copyrighted 1sl : ; , by Itob rt Barr )
Olrl Mr , Saunders went home with bowed
head and angry brow , Ue had not known
that Dick was In the habit of coming In
late , but he had now no doubt of the fact
Jle hlmlelf went to bed 'enly and flellt
soundly , at ! 1\ man with n. good conscience II
catltled to do. nut the boy's mother mUll
have known the ] lour , . he kept , nt the had
maid nothing ; this made the matter all the
blacker. The father felt that mother and fan
were leaguEd against him. Ue had been too
lenient ; now he would go to the root of
thing , The young man would speE'dlly
change hla w 'aya or take the COnSefluer ces.
There would be no half mEasures.
Poor old Mrs. Saunders taW , the moment
her husband came In , that there was 1Aorm
brewing , and a wild fear arose In her hear' I .
that her boy was the caUBe. The first
words of thr ! old man settled the question
"What time did Richard come In last
night ? " "
1-1 don't know , " she hesitated . "Shuf-
fling , " her husband' always called It. She
had been a buffer between father and son
alnce DIck was a child.
"Why don't you know Who let him in . "
She sighed The secret had long weighed
upon her , and she felt It would come at some
hapless moment.
"He bas a key " she said at lalt.
-
The old man glared In speechless amaze
r-i
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' , ' "IIOW ARE YOU , IIfR. SAUNDERS
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menu In his angriest mood he had never
suspected ( anything so bad as this.
"A key How long has he haIr a key ? "
- , "About six monthB. lIe did not want to
t disturb us. "
. "lit Is very thoughtful ! Where does he
spend Ills nights ? "
"I don't knoss He told me he belongs to a
club , where he takes some kind or exercise , "
"Dlrl he tell you hu exercised with cards ?
Did he say It was a gambling club ? "
"I don't believe It Is : I am sure DIck
doesn't gamble DIck Is a good boy father. " "
"A precIous , lot you know about It , evi-
dently Do you thInk hIs employer Banker ! !
Hammond , has any' Idea his clerk belongs
to a gambling club ? "
"I am sure I don't know. Is there any-
thIng wrong ? Has anyone been speaking to
you about Dick ? "
" and his credit"
"Yes : not to .
! "Oh , dear ! " cried the mother In anguish.
" \\'ns It IIfr. Hammond ? "
\ . "I have never spoken to Hammond In my
lire , " said ! the old man , relenting a little
, whet } ho saw how troubled his wife wa9
t. bow , I propos to stop thIs club bU1lness ! be-
fore It gets ; to the banker'B ears that one Of
I hln clerks IB a nlgbtly attendant there. You
will see Robert when he comes home this
I evening : tell him I wish to have a word or
two with him tonight. lIe is I to walt for
1110 here I will bo In shortly after ho has
his BUPller. "
"You will not be harsh with him , father.
Remember , ho Is a young man , so please ,
please advise and ( do not threaten Angry
words can ,10 no good "
"I wLII do my duty , " said the old man , un-
compromlBlngly.
Gentle Mrs Saunders sIghed-for she well
knew the phrase about duty. It was a sure
prelude to domestic trouble. When the old
gentleman undertook to do his duty he nailed
hIs flag to the mast.
"Seo that he watts for me tonight , " was
the parting shot as the old man closed the
door behind hIm.
lIIra. Saunders had had her share of trouble
In the world , as every woman must who
lives with n. cantankerous man. When she
coulll rove her son n harsh word , or even
J a blow , she was content to take either un-
complainingly. The old man's severity had
put him out of touch with his Eon. Dicit
sullenly resented ( his boyhood of con-
tlnusl fear. During recent years , when
fear had gradually diminished and
I finally disappeared , he was somewhat trou-
t bled ( to find that the natural affection , which
a son should hafor his father , had van-
IBhed with It. lie had , on several occasIons ,
made haIr-hearted attempts : at / \ better under-
standing , but , these attempts had unfortu-
nately fallen on Inopportune moments when
the old man was not particularly gracious to-
ward the ! ' worlll In general , and latterly there
had been silence between the two The
young man avoIded his father as much a9
possible ; ho would not have remained at
home had It not been for his mother. Her
steady , unwavering affection for hIm , her be-
hot In him , and the remembrance of how
she hall stood up for him , especially when he
was In the wrong , had bound her to him with
bondo soft as silk and strong aB l1eel. : lie
often felt It would be a pleasure to go wrong
merely to refute hIs father'B Ideas regarding
the way a. child should be brought UI ) . Yet
Dick had a sort of admiration for the old
I
t man , whose many geed qualities were some-
what over-shl\dowcd by his brutal temper.
When Richard ( c'me ) home that evening ! ! : he
4
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"WE'II WALK HOME TOGETHER. . '
had his topper alone , 18 was ususl with him
Mrl. Sunders lIre\ her chair near the table I
and while the meal went on she talked of
many things , but avoided the subject upper-
most fn bH hind which she postponed until
the lilt moment Perhaps after all i'he would
not need to uk him to stay ' ; he might ref -
I main Of hIs own a cord. She watched him
narrowly aI she talked , and saw whim alarm
that there was anxiety In his race- Some
care wu worrying hIm and ate yearned to
I have hIm confide his trouble to her. And
yet she talked and talked of other thlnp.
Sbs noticed that he made but a poor pretense I
or eating , and that he 'allowed her to talk ,
While ho m"de few replies and those absent - _
mindedly , At last he pushed back his chair
with a laugh that unded forced
"Well , mother , " he said , "what Is It ? Is
hero a row on , or II It merely looming In
the horizon 7 Has the Lord of creatlon-
"lIulh , Dick ; you mUltn't talk In that way
There Is nothing much the matter , I hope
I want to speak with you about your club "
Dick lookEd sharply , nt his mother
for a moment , thEn he rold : "Well ,
"What does father want to know about the
club ? Ddell he wish to Join ? "
"I 1 Ilhln't MY your father- "
"No , ycu dln't ; ! say It ; but , my dear : mother ,
you are as transparent as glass , I can see
right through you and away beyond Now ,
somebody : has been talking to father about
the club and he Is on the warpath. Well ,
what does he want to know ? "
"lie saId It was a gambling club. "
"Il " : ht for once . "
"Oh , DicIt , Is It ? "
"Certainly It Is . Most : climbs are gambling
clubs , and drinking clubs. I don't suppose
the True Blues gamble more than others , but
I'll bet they Ion't gamble any less. "
"Oh , Dlclr , Dick , 1'11sorry to hear that.
And Dick , my darling boy-do you- "
" 1)o I gamble ' , mother ? No , I don't I
know 'ou'll believe me , though the old man
won't But It'lt true , nevertheless I can't
afford It , for It takes money to gamble and
I'm not as rich as old Hammond yet"
"Oh , yes , Dick , dear , and that reminds me.
Another thing your father feared was that
Mr. Hammon.1 . IIIlght come to know you
were a member of the club It might ; hurt
your prospects In the bank , " she added , not I
wishing to frighten the boy with the threat
of dismissal she felt sure would follow the
II'\'elatlon.
Dick threw back his head and roared For )
the first limo that evening the lines or care
left his brow Then seeing his mother's
look ot incomprehension he sobered down , repressing -
pressing his mirth with some difficulty.
" : II other , " he said at last , "thlngEl have
changed ( since father was a boy : I'm afraid
he hardly appreciates how much. The old I
terrifying relations between employer and I
fmploye do not exist now-at least that Is
my experience " I
"Stili If lilt. Hammond came to know that
you SPEnt your evenings at- "
"Mother , listen to me a moment. Julius
Hammond proposed me for memb2rElhlp In
the club-my emplo'er ! I should never have
thought of joining It It hadn't been for him
You remember my last raise In salary ? You
thpllght It was for merit , of course , and
father thought It was luck. Well , It was
nelther-or both , perhaps Now , this Is confidential -
fidential and to yourself enl ) ' . I wouldn't
tell It to anyone elBe. Hammond called me-
Into his prlva office one afternoon when the
bank was closed , and said 'Saunders , I want
you to Join the Athletic club : I'll propose
you ' I was amazed and told him I couldn't
afford It. 'YeB you can ; he answered ! . I'm
going to raise your salary double the amount
of entrance fee and annual. It you don't
Join I'll cut It down So I Joined. I think
I should have been a tool If I hadn't. "
"Dick , I never heard of such a thing !
What In the world did he want you to Join
for ? "
for'e11
"Well mother , " said DIck , looking at his
watch "that's a long story , I'll tell It ! t to
you some other evening I ha\'en't time tonIght -
nIght , I must be oft"
"Oh , DIck , don't go tonight. Please stay
at home for my Bake. "
Dick smoothed his ! mother's gray hair and
kissed hr on the forehead. Then he said :
"Won't tomorrow night do as well , mother ?
I can't stay tonight. I have an appointment
at the club " "
"Telegraph to them and put It off Stay
for my sake tonight , Dick. I never asked
you berore. "
Th look of anxIety came Into hIs face
again.
llother : , It 19 impossible , really It Is.
Please don't ask me agaIn. Anyhow I know
It Is father who wants me to stay , not ) 'ou.
I presume hO'B on the duty tack. I think
what he has to say will keep till tomorrow
night. If he must work off some of hll Ben-
tlmentB on gambling , let him place his efforts
where they are needed-let him tackle Jule
Hammond , but not during business lmours "
"You surely don't mean to my that a respected -
specte(1 business nIBn-a banker like IIfr.
IIammond-gambleB7" I
"Don't I ? Why , lIammond's a plunger
from Plungervllle , If you knew what that
meanB. From 9 to 3 ht' Is the strlctel't and
best business business man In the city. If
you spoke te him then or the True Blue Ath.
letle club be wouldn't know what you were
talking about. But after 3'p'clock he'll take
any odds you like to offer , from matching
pennies to backing an unknown horse. "
Mrs. Saunders sighed It was a wicked
world Into which her boy had to go to earn
his living , evidently
"And now , mother , I must really be off
I'll slay at home tomorrow night and take
my scolding like a man. Good nIght. "
lie kts..ro her and hurrIed way before she
could say anything more , leaving her sitting
there with folded ( hands to await , with bar
customary patience and just n. trine of apprehension -
prehension , the coming of her husband There
was no mistaking the heavy footfall Irs.
Saunders smiled sadly II she heard It , remembering -
membering that Dick had Bald once that ,
even It be were safe within the gales Of
time sounds of hIs '
paradise , father's foot-
steps would make the chills run up his back-
bone. She had reproved the levity of the
remark at the lime , but she often thought of
it especially when she knew there was trou-
ble aheatl-aa there usually wu.
"Where's Richard hn't he home yet ? "
were the old man's first words
"lie bu been home , but hu had to go out
again lIe had ( an appointment'
"Did you tell him I wanted to speak with
him ? "
"Yea and he saId he would stay home tomorrow -
morrow nh ht. . "
"Did he know that I said tonight
"I'm sure that I told him you- "
"Don't shuffle now lIe either knew or
did not Which Is it ? "
"Yes , he knew , but he thought It might
not be urgent and he- "
"That will do. Where Is his appoll1t.
meat ? " '
"At the club I think "
"Ah.h.hl" ! The old man dwelt on the exclamation -
clamatlon as It he had at lilt drawn out the
reluctant worst .
"Did ho lay when he would be home ? "
"No"
"Very 'oil. I wm wall half an hour for
him , and If he la not ! In by that lime I will I
10 to his club and have my talk with him
there , "
Old Mr Saunders lit grimly down with hll' '
i
hat still on And crossed his hands over the 1
knob or his stout walking slick , watching the
clock that ticked ( ' slowly against the wall I
Under these distressing circumstances the
oM woman lost her presence ) of mind and did I
the very thing she should not have done. : ]
She should have agreed with him , but instead .
stud of that she opposed ! the plan , and ( so
made It Inevitable It would be a cruel thinK ,
she said , to shame her Ion before his friends ! ,
to make him a laughing stock among his ac-
qualntances Whatever was to be said could
be said as well tomorrow night As tonight ,
and ( that In their own horne , where , at least ,
no stranger would o\'erhear. As the old man
mad ! no answer , but silently watched the
clock , she became almost indignant with him ,
She felt she was culpable In entertaining
even the slightest suspicion of such a feeling
against her lawful husband , but It did seem
to her that ho was not acting Judiciously
toward Dick , She hoped she mIght
turn his resentment from their son to her-
self and would have welcomed any outburst
that would be directed against her alone. In
this excited state , being brought , as It were ,
to bay , she had the temerIty to say :
1'011 were wrong about one thing , and you
may also be wrong In thinkIng Dlck-In-
In what yod think about Dirk , "
The old man darted one lowering look at
her , and though she trembled she welcomed
the glance as Indicating the success of her
red herring
"What I wrong about ? "
"You were wrong-Mr. Hammond knows
Dick Is a member of the club. lie IB a mem-
ber himself , and he insisted Dick join
That's why he raised his salary . "
"A likely story ! Who told you that ? '
"Dick told me hlmsetr. " "
"And you believed It , of course I" ! Saun-
ders laughed In a sneering , cynical sort or
way anti rCTJmed his scrutiny of the clock.
The old woman gave up the fight and began
to weep silently , hopIng , but In vain , to hear
the light ; step of her son approachlllg the
door The clock struck the hour , the old
man rose without a word , drew his hat
further over hIs brow and left the house.
Up to the last moment llrs. : Saunders
I hardly believed her husband would carry out
his threat Now , when she realized he was
determIned , she had one wild thought of fly-
ing to the club and warning her son. A
moment's consideration put thlll Idea out of
the question. She called the serving maid
who came , as It seemed to the anxious
woman , with exasperating delibratton
"Jane , " she cried , "do you know where the
Athletic club Il' ? Do you know where Cen-
ter street Is ? "
Jane knew neither club nor locality.
"I want :1. : message taken there 10 Dick ,
and It must go lJulckly. Don't you think
you could run there- "
"It would be quicker to telegraph , ma'am , "
said Jane , who was jot anxious 10 run anywhere -
where "Therc's telegraph paper In IIfr.
RIchard' . room , and the office 19 just around
the' corner "
"That's It ! , Jane : I'm gild you thought ot
it Get me a telegraph form. Do make
hate. "
She wrote with a trembling hand , as plainly -
ly as she could , so that her son might have
no difficulty In reading :
"Hlchard Saunders , Athletic Club , Center
Street : Your father Is coming to tee you
lie will be at the club before half an hour. "
"There Is no need to sign It : he will know
his mother's writing , " said Mrs. Saunders
1\9 she handed the message and the money
to Jane : and Jane made no comment , for
y ,
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HE _ _ SAT _ _ DOWN WITH HIS HT ON IIIS HEAD
she knew as little of telegraphing as did her
mistress. Then the old woman , havIng done
her best prayed ! that the telegram might
arrive before her husband : and her prayer
was answered , for electrIcity IB more speed
than an oM man's legs.
Meanwhile : : Mr Saunders strode along from
the suburb to the city Ills stout stick struck
the stone pavement with a sharp click that
BOllrded In the still , frosty night air almost
like a pistol ehot Ho would show both his
wife and his son that he was not too old
to be master In his own house He talked
ar rlly to himself aB he went along , and was
wroth to find his anger lessening as he
neared his destination Anger must be very
just to hold Its own during a brisk walk In
eunlng air that Is cool and sweet
JIIr. Saunders was somewhat abashel to
find the club building a much more Imposing
edifice than he had
expected There was no
low , groggy appearance about the True Blue
athletic edifice. It was brilliantly lit from
basement to attic. A group of men , with
hands In pockets stood on the curb as If
waiting for something. There was an air of
occasion about the place. The old man Inquired -
quired of one or the loafers If that was the
Athletic club
"Yes , tt IB , " was the answer ; "are you
"
going In ?
"I Intend "
to'
"Are you a member
"No. "
"Got an invitation ? "
" "
"No.
"Then I suspect you won't go in 'Ve've
tried every dodge ourselves "
The possibility of not getting In had never
occurred te the old gentleman , and the
thought that his son , Bate withIn the sacred
precincts ot a club , might defy him . flogged
his flagging anger and aroused his dogged
determination
"I'll try , at least , " he said , going up the
stone steps
The men watched him with a smile on
their lips. They uw him push the electric
button , whereupon the door Opened slightly.
There was a brief , unheard parley : then the
door swung wide open , and . when Mr. Saun-
ders entered , It shut again.
"Well , I'm blest ! " said the man on the
curb : "I wonder how the old duffer worked
it . I wish I had asked him' " None at the
rest made any eemment ; they were struck
dumb with amazement at the success of the
old gentleman , who had even to ask If that
were the club
When the ! porter opened the doer be repeated -
pasted one of the Questions asked A moment
before by the man on the curb.
"Uavo you an Invitation , sir ? "
"Ne , " answered the old man , deftly placing
his stick so that the barely openEd door
could not be closed unlll It was withdrawn
"Nol I want to see my son , Richard Sauna
ders. Is he Inside ? "
The porter instantly threw open the door ,
"Yes , sir , " he sa'd "They're expecting
you , sir. Kindly carne this way , sir' "
The old man followed , wondering at the
cordiality of his reception There must be
some mil take. Expecting him T How could
that bel ! He was led Into a most sumptuous
parlor , where a cluster ot electric lamps In
the ceiling threw a lOft radiance around the
reom.
"De seated , sir. I shall tell Mr Hammond
that you are here : '
"Dut-stop a moment-I 110n't want to lee
Mr , IIAmmond. I have nothing to do with
Mr Hammond I want to Gee my son II It
Mr Hammond , the banker ? '
" 1'1.1 , sir lie told me to brine you In
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Going
Out of Business '
. II I "
10. i , ,
' . . Everybody kno\vs it no\v-the have been
: I" . now--the way goods going-
, regardless of value or cost-has convinced the most skeptical
that this is the
.
Only Genuine -
Closing Out Sale < ( . . . .
. ' There are still $40.000vorth s of new choice goods to be closed
. out , and the price cutting becomes deeper and dcePer every day. ,
The finest $10 and $12 Every store in town $ 1
$ 00 5 0
Business ' Suits _ _ _ sells their brag $750
ever sold , go at- . a. - - . Overcoat
fOrI2andSIS , '
our beavers are only-
All those fine $18 E. & . w. Collars 1
Dressy 'S'uits $ I5O ' the world over 25c 12 1 :
= g oin one lot at- _ _ our price-- 2 C
EQWTY CLOTHING CO.
BOU11d to go out of Business. I
"
I
13th and Farnam Steets. , Omaha. / . ,
. . . _ _ . - . . - ' - - , . - , , . . . _ _ / II m 'd
Ai/POI-7--r" / - & .L - - I - - - - - - - - - - - - 4" ' " ; f
here when you came al1d } Ito let } him know at
once " I . '
The old man drew hia hand across his
'
brow , and ere he could reply the porter had
dlBappeared. He rot 110Ii" hI one of the exceedingly -
ceedingly easy leather chairs and gazed In
bewilderment around tile room. The fine
pIctures on mho walls related exclusively to
sporting subjects. A trim yacht , with its
tall , slim maBt and towering cloud of canvas -
vas at an apparently dangerous angle ,
seemed Bailing directly lit the spectator.
Pugilists , naked to the , waists , held their
clinched fists III menacing attitudes. Race
horses , In states of activity and at rest ,
were Interspersed here and tbere. In the
center of the room stood a pedestal of black
marble and upon It rested n. huge sliver
vase encrusted with ornamentation. The old
man did not know that Ibis elaborate speci-
men of the silversmith's art was referred to
mJ the 'Cup' " Some one had hung a placard
on It , bearIng , In crudely scrawled letters ,
time words :
Pare thee well , and If forever ,
Still forever tare thee well.
While the old man was wondering what
all this meant the curtains suddenly parted
and there entered an elderly gentleman - some-
what jauntily attired In evening dress with
a rose at his button-hole. Saunders instantly -
stantly recognized him nJ ! the banker and
he felt n. resentment at what he considered
hIs foppish appearance , realizing almost at
the same moment the rustiness of his own
clothes , an everyday suit , not too ' expensive i
even when new.
"lIow are you , IIfr. Saunders ? " cried the
banker , cordially extending his hand "I am
very pleased indeed to meet you 'Ve got
your telegram , but thought It best not to
give It to Dick. I took the librty of openIng
tt myself. You see we can't be too careful
about these little details. I told the porter
to look after you and let mo know the mo-
ment you came. Of course , you are anxious
about your boy' "
"I am , " saId tao old man firmly. "Tbat's
why I'm here' "
"Certainly , certainly. So are we all , and
I presume I'm the most andouD man or time
lot. Now , what you want to know 19 bow
he IB getting along ? "
"Yes ; I want to know the truth "
"Well , unfortunately , the truth Is about
aB gloomy as It can be. lie's been going
from bad to worse , and no man Is more sorry
than I am' "
"Do you mean to tell me so ? "
"Yell. There Is no use deluding oursel\'es.
Frankly , I have no hope for him. There Is
not one chance 111 10,000 ot biB recovering
hiD lost ground. "
The old man caught him breath , and leaned
on hIs CAne for support lIe realized now the
hollowness of his previous anger lie had I
never for a moment believed the boy was
goIng to the . b3d. Down underneath his
cru tlnes3 was a deep , > avefor , his ron and a
strong faith In hem , lie " had allowed hIs
old habit of domlneeFlng to get the better
of him , and now , In .e rllnR ! : ! after a phan-
tom , he bad suddeolX como upon a ghastly
reality. , 'rl
"Look here , " rold the bal1ker , noticing his
agitation , "have a drlnk."of " our Special
Scotch with me. It Is the best there Is to
bo bad for the money. Wo always take all
our hats when we speak.lof the Special In
this club. Then we'll 'go' and see how things
are moving. " " .
AB he turned to order the liquor he noticed
for the first time the plabard on the cup
"Now , who the dickens put that there ? "
he cried angrily "Th\re he no use In giving
up before you're thrashed. Saying which ,
ho took off the placard / , tore It up , and threw
It Into the waste basktpl ! 'J
Does Richard drlnl : ; ! , . asked the old man
huskily , rememberLng't o8Ulogy on the Spe-
cial.
"Bless you , no. Nor smoke either. No ,
nor gamble , which is more extraordinary
No , It's All right for old fellows like you and
me t9 Indulge In the SpeC1U-'lJle88 It-but a
young man who needs to keep hIs nerves In
order has to live like Q monk. I Imagine It's
a love alralr. Of course , thero'l no use ask-
Ing you ; you would be the last one to know ,
When he came In tonight I saw he was wor-
ried over something. I asked him what It
was , but be declared there was nothIng
wrong Heu's the liquor You'll find that
. ,
It reaches the spot "
The old Inca gulped down some of the
celebrated "Special , " then he said :
"It Is true that you Induced my son to
Join this club "
Certainly I heard what he could do from
a man I had confidence in . and I said to my-
self , we- mush have young Saunders for a
member , "
"Then don't you think you are largely to
blame ? "
"Oh . If you like to put It that way ; 7es.
.
Still I am the chief loser. I lose $10,000 by
hi ho. "
Gooc1 God ! " cried tl,1o , , stricken father
The honker looked 1t the old man a little
nervously , as If he feared hIs head was not
exactly rIght. Then he said : "or course you
will be anxious to see ! mow the thing ends.
Como In with me , but be careful the boy
doesn't catch a Bight or you It might rattle
him. I'll get you n. place at the back , where
you can Fee without being seen' "
They rose and the banker led the way on
tiptoe through between the curtaIns Into a
large room filled with silent men earnestly .
watching a player at a bllllarl table .In the
center or the apartment Temporary seats
had ben built around the walls , tier above
tier , and every place was taken. Saunders
noticed his son standing near time table In
his shirt sleeves , with hIs ! cue butt down-
ward on the ground. Isis face was pale and
his lips compressed as he watched his op-
ponent'B play like a man fascinated. Evidently -
denlly his back was against the wall and he
was fighting a hOlleless fight , but was grit
to the last
Old Saunders only faintly understood the
situation , but his whole sympathy went out
to his boy and he felt an Instinctive hatred
of the confident opponent who was knocking
the balls about with a reckless accuracy
which was evidently bringing dismay to the
hearts of at least half ot the onloolters
All at once there was a burst at applause
amt the player stood up straight with a
laugh
"Dy Jove ! " cried the banker "he's mIssed ,
Didn't put enough stick behind It. That
comes or being too blamed sure Shoulrln't
wonder but there IB going to be a turn or
luelt Perhaps you'll prove n. mascot , Mr.
Saunders. " "
He placed the old man on I\n elevated
scat at the back. There was a buzz of talk
as young Saunders stood there chalking his
eve , apparently loth to begin
Hammond mixed among the crowd , and
spoke eagerly , now to one , now to another
Old Saunders said to the man next to him :
"What IB It all about ? Is this an im-
pcrtant match ? "
"Important ! You bet ! It Is. I suppose
therl"s more money on this game than was
ever lip on a billiard match betore. Why ,
Jule Hammond 'alone haB $10,000 on Saun-
ders. "
.
The old man gave quivering sigh of re-
hot He was beginning to understand The
$10.000 , then , was not the figures on a de-
faleatlon.
"Yes , " continued the other , "It.s the great
match for the cup. There's been a series of
games , and this Is the culminating one.
l'rogner has won one , ant Saunders one :
now this game settles It. I'rognor Is the
man of the High Flyers' club. He's a good
one. Saunders won the cup for this club last
year , so they can't kick much If they lose It
now They'vo never had a man to touch
Saunders In thlB club since It began. I doubt
If thero's another amateur like him In this
country. He's a man to be proud of , although -
though ho seemed to go to pieces tonight
They'll all bet on him tomorrow If they lose
their money , although he doeBn't make any-
thing one way or another. I believe It's ' the
high betting that'B made him so anxious and
spoiled his play' "
"HuBh , hush ! " was whispered around the
room. Young Saunders had begun to play.
I'rognor stood by with a superior smile on
his lips. He was certain to go out when his
turn callie again
Saunders played very carefully , taking no
risks , and his father watched him with absorbed -
sorbed , breathless interest Though he knew
nothing of the game , he soon began to see
how points were madl'Tho ' boy never
looked up from the green cloth and the ballB.
He stepped around the table to his different
positions without hurry , and yet without
undue tardIness. All eyes were fastened on
his play , and there was not a sound In the
large room but the ever recurring cllck-cllclt
Of the balls. The father marveled at the
almost magical command the player had
over the Ivory spheres They came and
went , rebounded and struck , seemingly be-
cause he willed this result or that. There
was a dexterity Of touch , an accurate measurement -
urement of force , a correct estimate of
angles , a truth at the eye and A muscular
control that left the old man amazed that the
combination ot all these delicate niceties
was concentrated In one person , and that
person his own son
At last two of the balll lay close together ,
and the young man , playing very deftly , appeared -
pea red to be able to keep them In that position -
tlon 81 If he might go on scoring indefinitely
He went on In this way for some time , when
suddenly the silence Will broken by I'rognor
crying out :
"I don't call that bllllardl , U' . baby play , "
,
Instantly there was an uproar Saunders
grounded his cue on the floor and stood
calmly amidst UIO storm his eyes fixed on
the green cloth There were shouts of "You
were not Interrupted , " "That'B for the umpires -
pires to decide , " "Play your game , Saun-
ders , " "Don't be blurred " " The old man
stood up with the rest , and hIs natural combativeness -
bativeness urged hIm to take , part In the
fray and call for fair play. The umpire
rene and demanded order. When the tumult
had subsided , he sat down. Some of the
High Flyers , however , cried , "DecIBlon ! De-
cslon ! ! "
"There Is nothing to decide , " said the umpire .
plre , severely " 00 on with your play , IIfr.
Saunders. "
Then young Saunders did a thing that took
away the breath ot his friends. He deliberately -
erately struck the balls with his cue ball
and scattered them far allel wide. A simultaneous -
taneOUB sigh : seemed to rise from the breasts
ot the True Blues
"That Is magnificent , but It Is not war , "
said the man beside old Saunders "Ho has
no right to throwaway a single chance why ,
he Is so far behlud' "
"Oh , he's not EO far behind Look at the
score , " put In a man on the right
Saunders carefully nursed time balls up together -
gether once more , scored 01T them for a
while , and again he struck them far apart.
Thle he dId three times He apparently
seemed bent on showing how completely he
had the table under control SUddenly a
great cheer broke out , amI young ' Satmnders
rested as before without taking his eyes from
the cloth
"What does that mean ? " cried the old
man , excitedly , with dry lips
"Why , don't you see ? He's tied the score
I Imagine that IB an almost unprecedented run.
I believe he's got Prognur on toast , If you
ask "
me.
Hammond came up with flushed face and
grasped the old man by the arm with a
vigor that made him wlncl.
"DId you ever see anything grander than
that " he said , under cover of the momentary -
tary applause. "I'm willing to lose my $10.-
000 now without murmur. You see you are
a mascot after all. . "
The old man was too much exclte(1 ( to
specie , but he hoped the boy would take no
more chances. Again came the click-click
Of the balls The father was pleased to see
that Dick played now with all the care and
caution he had observed at first The silence
became Int'ense. almost palnrul. Every man
leaned forward and scarcely breathed.
All at once I'rognor strode down to the
blllidrd table and stretched ( his hand across
it A char shook the coiling. The cup
would remain on the black marble pellestal.
Saunders had won Ho took the outstretched
hand of his defeated opponent , and the build-
Ing rang again
Banker Hammond pushed his way through
the congratulating crowd and smote the win-
nor cordially on the shoulder ,
"That was s great rim , Dick , my boy. The
old man was your mnascot Your luck changed
the moment he came in . Your father had his
eye on you all the time "
"Whall" ! cried DIck , with a jump.
"I'm very proud of you , my son , " said his
father , when at last he reached him. "It
takes skill and pluck and nerve to win a
contest like that I'm oft now ; I want to tell
your mother about it . "
"Walt a moment , father , and we'll walk
home together , " salll Dick
- . _ _
If your children are sUbject to croup watch
for the first symptom of the dlBeaBo-hoarse-
neu. If Chamberlain's Cough Remedy IB
given aB soon aB the child becomes hearse It
will prevent the attack. liven after the
croupy cough has appeared the attack can
always be prevented by giving this remedy ,
It Is also Invaluable for colds and whooping
cough
e
Salaries 01 hull lighters ,
Spanish bull fighters get salaries as large
as those of exceptionally great actors "Firat
swords " like Mazzantanl or Guerrlta are
among the richEst men In Spain Ouerrlta ,
who Ia not yet 30 , earns an income which II
never less than $10,000 In one year , and owns
near Cadiz a villa soil ( park , where In the
winter he entertains his friends with lavish
hospitality. Mazzanllnl has $400.000 Invested , :
and It Is a bad year when he does not earn
$50,000. Reverie once , alter a triumphant
corrlda In San baatlfn , lighted a cigarette
wIth a spill rolled out of a French bank note
for 1,000 francs , to show his contempt for
money In general , and French money In par-
ticular ,
.
- - - - -
Acts at once , never tails , One Minute
Cculrh Cur ! . A remedy for asthma , and that
feverish condition which accompanies a . . .
vera cold The only harmless remedy thai
produces ImmedIate results
± _ _ 2 - . . . . . . - - < t - . - . . . . . J- _ _ . - - ,
It
1 .
!
'
.
G ' 1
,
, ,
' , '
r "t
, I.
f' " : ,
I."J "J
EMP.RE , ,
The change to secure such an old fash- . ,
toned suit as this may recur to you two or
three times In the future But can you
afford to walt and take the challca 7
Never have wo seen a more attractive bit ref -
of Empire history than this unique hcdstuad. , . ,
The most Important consideration IB the i
wood , which ! Is old , richly veined Honduras : .
mahogany , with a wonderful wealth of scr- t'
pentlno gralnings It takes a very high
finIsh. : ' t I
In additIon to the above suit we arc offering -
Ing this season some exact copies or famous ' "
old pieces of furniture at marvelously low 'f" " ,
prices
CHARLES SnIVERICI { & C0. .
I
Fm'llitllre UIlLI Draperies "
'
TWELFTH AND DOUGLAS STS Z
, , ,
, H
"
NOTE-"The history or 1 " urnt'ure , " illustrated - _ 1
lustrated recently rlllhllshd by us will bill . x
mailed to any person upon appllcatien .
, - , - . : t
A 1I10'l'Ugll'S - nn.'gny , . ,
Showed IIl'r I'Iuelt In It Trial that
" 'UN lleartreading fj I
I saw a saIl little drama enacted the other , .to'
day , and ono that would touch the heart ot j
the most cynical person that ever lived , says ;
a writer In the I'hlladelllhia Times. ' " . ,
A woman with a little flock of four children
and with a tiny baby In her arms , was walk- f
Ing just ahead of me She was poorly but .
neatly dressed , and the children were aR .
cleanly dressed as she. Eaoh carried a little ' :
bundle and asked questions constantly ,
It was evident that they were In mourning , ' " ,
for each cblld had either a black bow on the ° n
hat or a black necktie The mother wore Ii "
black cotton skirt and waist and ( a hat . , . "
around which she had twisted n. piece ot "
rusty crape veiling ' , l
Wo neared a street on which Is a certain
large Industrial Bcheol for children , where .
orphans and children whole parents cannot
care for them are taken In and looked after
In the nicest fnahlon.
_ _ The oldest girl told the other In an awed
tone that "tbere'l where we're all going "
Georgia , the eldest boy , asked scores ot
questions , and the brave little woman , who
was so soon to part with her little Jlnu ,
answered them all cheerily and In most encouraging -
couraging tonee. She told Of the games they
would play , and the heats of children who
were to play with them , until they had
mounted the steps and disappeared behind
the great doors
I'erlmaps tt was curiosity or perhaps it waa
a different feeling that made me watch for
the mother to realJpear At any rAte , I did
so.
so.Tho children and the matron came to the
door with her anti she kissed each one ten-
deny , promising to come soon and see them
Up to the corner , ay far as she could see
their hiPPY faces , she waved her hand to
them As soon n8 she was out ot their lIght
the tears , 10 long restrained , clime , and I
hurried away from a grief that I knew no
one could luago. Women are pretty brave
And plucky , After - all. . _
'rho bicycle tool makers at Toledo WaD
their strike for a. higher minimum rate of
wage . ,
'
- fe . .ti
