august 21, toot
TITE ILLUSTRATED REE.
IS
JRTiat la money to Peg-fry or myself in mch
an event In our lives?"
Constitutional smiled. Ostensibly It was
a smile of relief. Beally It was a smile
Bemoniacal In expression. Ho was finessing
a bit. He was having bis fun, was Con
stitutional Smith.
"I am glad of that ma'am," he an
swered, "not because it would bavo made
any difference with me, because I cannot
blame the girls of today who marry for
money. But I didn't wont her disappointed.
If she was marrying me for my money,
then I didn't want her to bo disappointed
When she heard the news, you know and"
"The news" gasped Mrs. Robeson,
"what news?"
Constitutional rose to his feet and struck
an indescribable nttltudo. Barely had he
enjoyed a situation like the present.
"That's just the point, Mrs. Bobeson,"
lie answered, "I am a very much over
rated man and have been always. I have
been known as the Klondike king, because
I mado a small strike In the gold fields.
And I did make money. But my invest
ments have failed. I am In a bad way.
Today," he added, quietly and with a
strong hold upon his feelings, "today I am
almost without a dollar In the world."
Mrs. Bobeson turned white. "Not a
dollar in the world," she echoed, feebly.
He smiled again with relief. "I'm glad
I told you," he went on, hastily, "and I'm
glad, ma'am, to see that it makes no dif
ference to you. I know that it makes
none to Miss Peggy."
"You you ere Joking, sir," exclaimed
Mrs. Bobeson, "you you can't mean It,
sir."
Smith laughed a hearty laogh. "Mean
It," he answered, "of course I mean It.
Toull find it out soon enough. But what
of it? We can be happy together, you
and I and Peggy. We can get along. I
am a mason by trade, and I can work at
my trade, and"
"Work at your trade?" said Mrs. Bobe
son, suddenly turning faint. Work at a
trade? Her daughter's husband work at
a trade. It was awful for her to con
template. She, who would sooner have
been carried to her grave rather than have
her daughter enter the most genteel kind
of employment And for her daughter to
have a husband that worked at a trade!
Constitutional Smith did not seem to no
tice the consternation visible In the ap
pearance of the good woman.
He tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
"So It's all right. Mother Robeson," he
continued, "it's all right I'm glad that
you really don't care about It and that
Peggy really likes me for myself, as you
hava said and and. It's all right"
Now Mrs. Bobeson looked at this man
who appeared to be so genial. At first
she was too shocked to think. Now she
revolved the matter in her thoughts. There
was something Incompatible, she thought
to herself, between the man's words and
his air of gaiety at least. It seemed so
to ner. Perhaps he was trying her. Per
haps it- was true. She was between two
horns of a dilemma. But she was pru
dent "Mr. 0Keefe," she enld at length, "it
Is hard to believo that you have met with
such misfortune. If it bo so, then my
sympathies are with you. But I see no
reason why It should make a difference to
us. Peggy's path In life may be less
smooth, but what of that"
She moralized upon the subject for some
fifteen minutes. But all that she said
was tentative. She did not commit her
self. "My, but she's foxy," thought Constitu
tional Smith. And yet she was nothing
more than a certain type of good Christian,
prudent, far-seeing, match-making mother
of the present age. But she was a match
for him. Constitutional Smith, strong-arm
man and Bwindler. She left him finally,
and when she left him he really did not
know Just where he stood. But ho knew
what would happen ultimately, and it was
his purpose to bring things to a focus, and
at once.
"Don't exhibit too much fondness for
him, Peggy," said Peggy's mother, before
she sent her in again.
"No, mother, I shall not," said Feggy,
dutifully, "but why do you ask me not to?"
Her mother did not attempt to explain
the mystery.
"Miss reggy," said Constitutional Smith,
a minute later, "I've talked this thins over
with your mother, and I don't think," he
added with a shake of the head, "that the
old that Is, I don't think that your mother
looks with favor on my suit She didn't
say Just that, but that is what I gather.
She's made up her mind to wait a few
days and think about It"
Peggy looked puscled. "Did did she say
all that?" she asked.
"She didn't," returned Constitutional,
"that Is, not In words. But that Is what
she meant I can tell that, all right And
MIbs Peggy a word In your ear. I wasn't
born yesterday. And I'm generally able to
see through a plate glass window, If It's
fairly cleaa."
He paused and tnnched tier arm with
his hand. "The upshot of It all la. Mlse
Peggy, that I hate to sea you lose a good
thing like young Lorimer, and I hate to
se Lorimer fcae a good thing llks you;
and I'm not going to sirs yiu a cbaaoe
to aoropt me or refuse me. I'm going to
withdraw my offer. I'm going to get out
of the raco. And you needn't bother about
mo any more. It's all over. Understand?
Only don't tell your good mother not Just
yet. that's all."
"All over," repeated re-spry Bobeson,
"what what do you mean?" She could
hardly credit her cars.
"Tour mother'll tell yoa in due timn
Jut what I mean. It'll come fast enough.
She'll let you know. But It's ail over and
it's satisfactory all around, except, per
haps, to your mother. It's all over. So,
good by."
Constitutional was outdoing himself.
The strain was becoming too great So
he held out his hand and attempted to
tear himself away. Peggy's heart was
beating hard and fast. She seemed to
be treading on air. She experienced such
a sudden revulsion of feeling that it quite
carried her away. The Bobeson In her
nature came to the front.
"Wait a minute," she said as she caught
him by the sleeve. "I I I'm going to kiss
you."
"Kiss me," echoed Constitutional Smith,
amazed. "Why why what will whafs-hls-nome
what'll lorimer say about that?"
Peggy shook her head. "I don't car
what ho says," she answered. "I'm going
to kiss you there." Constitutional blushed,
mado a break for the door and rushed from
the house. What he had Just undergone
constituted one of the events of his Ufo
time. And It was not so bad, after all.
Miss Peggy Bobeson what of her? She
did not, could not understand it, save that
she had d.sie all she honestly could her
conscience was clear, and she sought no
further explanation save that ho had
gone, and gone for good and nil. Then
she ait down and wrote a not to John
Lorimer, consulting chemist
The rict morning Constitutional's tele-,
phone ltoH rang vigorously.
Constitutional felt In a good humor.
Slowly he was narrowing these people
with whom It was necessary for him to
come Into dally contact down to Just one
or two persons. He was simplifying mat
ters. He was lessening the strain.
"Who is this?" he Inquired with the re
ceiver at his ear.
"This," said the man at the other end,
"la Cowen, Covington & Barrett."
Cowen, Covington & Barrett were the
leading law firm in Monroe.
"Well?" went on Smith.
"Well," went on the man, "John T.
Johnson, the owner of that comer prop
erty Is here. He's been here an hour,
waiting for you to come and close that
title."
"By George," Bald Smith, "I forgot all
about It" He had, for he had never
heard about It. "Say," he inquired, "can't
you adjourn It for a couple of weeks?
I'm busy."
There was a pause. Finally the voice
once more made Itself heard.
"Johnson starts for New York the end
of this week. He can't put it off, he says.
We've got io cloee. Walt a minute. He
says It can go over till tomorrow at the
latest How is that?"
"Well," reluctantly answered Smith,
"that'll do If you can't do anything else.
Can't you put it over until he comes
back?"
"Why," answered the voice, ho isn't
coming back. You knew that We'll make
it tomorrow at noon. That's the best we
can do."
"AH right," answered Smith. "Say, by
the way, what Is the exact amount of the
check you want from me?"
"I'll tell you In two minutes," answered
the other. There was a long silence, and
then the answer came In clear, unmis
takable tones, "twenty-three thousand
seven hundred and sixty-nine dollars and
fifteen cents got that down all right?"
"I've got it down, all right," acquiesced
Smith. "I'll be on hand." He rang off.
"Twenty-three thousand dollars," he ex
claimed to himself. "I haven't got 23,090
cents hardly that, at nny rate."
But he was not easily reazed. Next day
at noon he appeared at the office of Cowen,
Covington & Barrett and refused point
blank to take the property. He said ha
didn't want it, and that was all.
The next day at noon the firm of Cowen,
Covington & Barrett, having first duly
tendered the Johnson deed for the property,
began a specific performance action the
suit of Johnson against O'Keefe.
A week later another suit was ro:nmnoel
against htm by the venders of a mining
claim, for failure to pay off an Installment
of $2,600, some weeks overdue.
Later, the mortgagee started tho fore
closure of the mortgage on his house
O'Keefe had bought It with a mortgage
already on it This was commenced for
failure to keep up the Interest. Smith,
who was a good liver, had been using up
what money he had, and began to live on
credit. It did not last long. In a few
weeks the whole town knew the truth.
Bllllngton O'Keefe was bankrupt No
body quite knew why he should be, but
he whs. All sorts of stories were told
about him. By some It was said that he
had lived on bluff and wind ever since his
return from ths Klondike; by some that he
had spent a substantial fortune on wine,
women and song. Everything was said
about him that was bud nothing that wus
good. Bo far there were &o Judgments
against him, but many suits, ond Ms notes
had gone to protest
Smith himself hold his peace. He made
no representations. Ho simply said that
everything would come out all right If the
people would be patient just what every
bankrupt say.,
Smith would have left town his creditors
made life miserable for him but he was
afraid to. He knew that tho plain clothes
men were still on the lookout for Mm.
Mrs. Patricia Jclliffo Robeaou went into
a paroxysm of rage.
"The Impostor," exclaimed sho to her
daughter, "to come her, a wolf In sheep's
clothing. To pretend to us that he was
wealthy the common, ordinary follow"
"But," protested Peggy, enjoying the sit
uation in spite of herself, "he never told
us that he was rich. And I'm sure that
ho was very honorable ruid straightfor
ward about it when he found out that ho
was poor."
"Of course," snapped Mrs. Kobeson, her
heart eaten out with disappointment,
"when he couldn't help it when it would
be known to everybody In a few days.
There's no merit in that. And after prom
ising us so many things, too. A Victoria
for me with two bays"
"Why," exclaimed Peggy, "what do you
mean? He never promised What is
this?"
"Well, of course," said Mrs. Bobeson,
"ho never actually promised us anything.
But when we supposed ho was wealthy, It
Is just as good as promising us thess things.
The Idea. Tho big. clumsy, vulgar boor."
"What what can we do about It?" re
turned Peggy, who had obeyed Gmlth's In
junction not to divulgo the purport of his
last words, "I told him I would marry him.
I am In honor bound to marry him. You
told me that you told him that wealth did
not make any difference to me and you
were right. What shall I do?"
"Do nothing," unswered Mrs. Robeson,
"nothing. I shall do everything. I shall
write him, and end the relation once and
for all."
This was Just what Peggy wanted her
mother to say. Sho sighed with relief.
The responsibility was upon her mother's
shoulders. Her mother was deciding for
her. It was all right
Mr. Constitutional Smith, a day later, sat
In his den with a broad grin on his face,
and the letter of Mrs. Patricia Jelllffo
Robeson in his hand.
"That woman," he said to himself, "la
one of tho very few women In this world
whom I can admire a whole lot Sho
knows what's what."
Ho had barely finished the letter when
a caller was announced and he dedcendod
to tho floor below.
By a strange coincidence, it was Miss
Peggy Robeson. "I I ought not to have
come," she said breathlessly, "but I
wanted to tell you that I did not know
I could not have known of your misfortune.
I want to tell you that it the money
could never have made any difference to
me. I don't think you have been treated
quite fairly by by people. I wanted you
to know that I have tried to treat you
fairly. I want to thank you for your con
sideration for your kindness to me. 1 I
want you to understand."
Smith nodded He pulled from his pocket
a small photograph.
"I understand," he answered; "I under
stand. It's all right Here's a photograph
that belongs to you. I'd like to to keep
It if you don't mind." He blushed. "Now,
Miss Peggy," he went on, "don't you mini
me, and I won't mind you. You just stick
to John Loilmer and tell John Lorimer to
stick to you. That's all.
"But I'm mighty glad you came, at
that," he said as she went
John Lorimer what of him? It was one
thing for Iggy Itobcson, beloved of John
Lorimer; it was one thing for her to send
him forth into tho night, a victim of her
faithfulness to duty. It was quite another
thing to call John Lorimer back. Lorimer
was like a'l young men of strong feelings.
He had believed in her that night wh?n fin
hud sent him forth believed that prrhaps
she was right, perhsps he was wrong.
But not for long did he acquiesce in that
belief. The more he thought about it the
more he raged within himself. In his
manly selfishness ho forgot her suffering;
forgot all suffering but his own. His
whole being was filled with a great pily
for himself, a consuming indtirnutlon for
the trick which had ben practiced upen
him.
"She had no right," ho kept repeating
to himself, "she hud no right."
He became morose snd stubborn. He
could see now tliut sho would not suffer;
she mould live surrounded by all that
wealth could buy; she would live In luxury;
lu the material things of life she would
revel. But he I She had no right! It
was all wrong. He told himself that it
was not a mistake; and If it were not. It
was nothing but a deliberate rejection of
himself for a rich man. That was all.
She had called H by another name. It
may havo been a d-.ity If so, it were a
plensant duty. Thus he reasoned.
When he received her note telling him
what Smith had said a simple note, which
wns his due, which It was exceedingly
proper for her to write when he received
this note telling him evcryluiag thr was
to tell, he simply smiled. It did Mm good
so he assured himself. When m;ly rumors
of the lluutKlal condition of Hllllngton
O'Kecfo were circulated, ho smiled still
more.
"Sho was through with tne," ho said to
himself, "through with mo for ltilllngton
O'Keofo. Now that everybody Is through
with Llllingtim O'Keefe, she hus turned
htm off. Now, I am through with her."
Where Is the man who has not had thesa
thoughts? John Lorimer was no exception
to tho rulo. 11a hud been disappointed.
Ho know why and how and by whom he
had leen disappointed. He understood It
all. And to some extent it apx:al-d to his
roa son.
But In tho blindness of his disappoint
inent he turned In his thoughts upon this
girl whom in his deepest being he knew ho
still loved, lie was through with her
sho was a trillor. Ho was through with
her forever.
Little Peggy Robeson waited and waited
for John l.orinie.r to come. Hhe did not
write again. Her mother spent her time
In bemoaning the scarcity of rich men
In Monroe. Between whiles sho relieved
her feelings upon tho subject of Bllllng
ton O'Keefe.
Ono rainy night, when tho storm drovo
wltn unusual fury against the window
punes, there was a hurried ring at the
door of tle Robeson house. At tho same
time there came a peal of thunder, with
the result that Peggy's mother, who was
on the floor above, did not hear tho bell,
whilo Peggy did. Peggy answered it.
A young man hastily stepped in. lis
looked at Peggy, saw that she was alone,
threw his long rain coat upon a chair,
hesitated for a moment, and then. Then,
he stepped quickly to her side and throw
his arms about her.
"Peggy Peggy girl," he whispered, "I
I had to come. I t couldn't stand It any
longer. I had to come sweet Peggy."
Peggy placed one hand upon his shoul
der. She might have been disagreeable
and stood upon her dignity. But she did
not Sho knew thnt she loved this young
man and that he loved her.
"I knew I knew you'd come," she an
swered. There wns an increased rush of
rain without. He shuddered. "This," hs
exclaimed, "is almost like the night you
sent me away. I am glad to be baalc,1
he added. "I couldn't stay away."
(To be continued.)
Sure Signs
"Boy or girl?" they asked him as he
hung his hat and coat on the rack in s
downtown bunk.
"How did you know It?" flashed the
man.
"You e id n't come in yesterday."
"Well?"
"And you were not sick."
"Well ?"
"You didn't slink In thii morning wltA
the air of a man who is afraid his excuse
Is too lame for tho old man."
"It's a girl," said the young father,
sheoplshly. New York Sun.
Aha, Jokcsmith, Sic Him
"I have just returned from my vaca
tion." "How do you feel?"
"I feel refreshed. Invigorated and ready
to tackle my business with new sest I
spent my vacation at the seaside. There
was uo sea serpent The hotel rates wers
reasonable and the food was good. There
were about as many men there as women.
The bathing Bulls worn by the women
were modest and In good taste. No
women feigned drowning In order to be
rescued and married. I had a very pleas
ant time. Indeed, and I hops to go again
next year." Cleveland Leader.
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