r
The flaunted
By TOM GALLON.
Picture.
K first went down :nto Lincolnshire Voveo
A Tl ; i ikI I 'm b. half nf n certain illustrate!
Jf 1 l,1l"'r; '. ' urlmisly i t (.1114)1, unci f.ir a
T V I reason 111 shall l-:i rn. the article contain
ing Hi' holographs was never published.
'I'll' i' fun'. 1 would Iwg nf you not to search
fur It. Mm tine?, as w rl i 1 . In the most
itiiu.ictit and prosaic f.isliinti. It Is the more
r. tnarkablc 1 1 1 r t iri tragic an advent ur- should have
sprung upon us . It mho, unawares.
Ilnnnirni' M innr 1 s among the !'. ns. Flat. It vl rmli
" r pln-d Kno.-h.
and will point
lb
hi
sh iVing
n'lt t'lr tea
it u-is t h 1 1
sun g. st s t h
li 1 t (I. t. r: 1,.
I
Mm
lead to it; si dank breath from th. 1 i.ir-ln r
atioiit it. It l. I vnly believe, cm f tin- be
In the 11,;.. kin.l'.uiM It 1i1-m h ax-
chronicles iniiv kii"' how m;iii i" --...i..-.
crammed with ti ei.s iri s. M fly In tin shape
nnrl pictures. It was the pictures that took
and mxstlf 'low ti to llineortie.
1:1 ilp a II
I'M Spots
1 :i'v1 tin'
. and li Is
of statuary
Flinch Voye-e
" (I, rli ht. 110
will go with lis
things. I trl.fl to ell
house WHS locked Up
was too big for him
ntnii- In space ami st rvants '
Thi' following morning 1 1 1 old
crabbed In nt old felhuv. W'.o Was r
himself to us iir'oi'd w ith :i In r
(wi n whs waiting to go with u to
would act as warder. We were t
photograph (i 1 lain phtur.s. to h-
himself. 'I'll' r. fore. 1 took tnv malt-rials.
From the first I notie-eel t ri-- cxtra-u'd
with which tin man wat.h.el u. I ild v
monu nt to admire- any particular thiim an. I
together i-otu-t rnlng It Fir xv. n had an car c.
h-ad
;iy v .1
put .
.1 !.-
1 Hi
" fi
ll. V
. 1 s nut s 1 1 " 0 ntly Inti
en tlicf. . I.ao.'i V.i
' 1: l at 11 i t. .1 by tin
'..1 1 1 v (out, h. .1 it. The v
slid In
the
seen.. I
p .'t 'I! .' , ic VV .
lie of S r I w 1
how 1 V. t
nt in ..r
n l.rokc
wl
I'
h to
it. a'l l
iii i. ji-
Ii. .
. l ied striding a si. p
.1 little sulkily, and
tl
. old
hux c
I. . I
1. v Sir 11.1.11
TV S isj.leiol
pause for .1
to xvhlsp. r
ki .l to lis-
n I'lhloek the last nf a long ! In
tnanur was the proprietor of the
11 approached by the editor of that
w ith a vl. w to certain tn-as-
A certain Sir 1
that h id own. d I
place, a:,. I he had
p.irti. "ilar illm tr ite, 1 j .p. r
11:0 of ait In irq rpprodiiced
f..r tl;e In tn tit ..f Hi. put iir.
There I ad, t b'il Ve. I,' . II
..ne !iule dflaj nr. I ..io
rein. !h ri.-p 1 11 l,u pal 1 to
Kl : o t hp wo: Id t v n rept ..
ilnctli'l ? of tremMln b. had
m j. .loiisly RtintJed; lint
t h to r. t ia' leim were
Ic night 'a n diicressfiil
i.--ue, with there milt that 1
weit down, 111. I ha VP !! ate.l,
lllli. I.illCi.ltlftllll'. ill C'olll-
l 1 ti ie-il by Knnoh V'oyce, w ho
I m.I for the time living as
11. y ashismnt.
The place; ra t a chill over
me from the tlrst. Half or
It s. enieil to In shut up; the
Maiden were- a in k I empty,
in il I saw few M-i vantd, con--nl
ring the tlze of the
hoii-e. And . ven the ier
v.ints were elderly and sour
looking, and seemed to re
sent the litem nee of a
strut. bit. In the village,
when I strolled through It
01 ce and got Into conversa
tion w il h fome of the people,
it was freely ftateil the old
hmise w as- haunted. It was
suggested that wild and un
earthly cries had been heard
ut night; that ilailim serv
ants who had ventured Into
the shut up parts of the
building had heard the pat
tering of feet and the rustl
ing of garments, and so hud
wisely left at once. I put
dow n these t a If s to the situ
ation nf the house and the
desolate surroundings.
Kir Owen Flshlock was a
man of some 50 years of age
lean and dark, with a
swarthy skin and sullen,
black eyes. lie was ccui
teems enough, I am hound t .
admit, and had made ai
rangi mi nts for us to be well
looked after during the few
days It would be neressary
for us to oe at work. Kor the rest, we saw but little of
him. Once, I reinemlier, I met him wandering forlornly In
the neglected grounds with his chin sunk upon his breast.
He did not see me, as I stood aside until hi' had passed.
The rooms were so old and so dingy, and the light was
let Into th. m so sparingly, that the work of photograph
ing the various pictures took 11 long time. In one or two
Instances It was necessary that I should give three or four
hours' exposure in order to get a proper effect. How
ever, I was extremely fortunate with the work, and had
every reason to congratulate myself on the results.
Knoch Voyce had been wandering about the house on
his own account and making observations for himself. I
have never been able to understand whether or not my
little old friend had a sixth sense, not ordinarily given to
mortals; but certainly he seemed to discover things that
another would have passed by, and that In the most ex
traordinary fashion. And on this occasion he seemed to
be fascinated by that closed wing of the house. For my
part. I hud enough to do with the various treasures I had
iliscover.-d, and the closed part of Hancorne Manor did
not Interest me. FInoch Voyce, on the either hand, could
not let it alone. He actually informed me he had tried
alre'iidy to fret Into It, but found all doors locked against
him. Ilia manner became so persistent at last that 1
own 1 was almost equally excited. At first It dawned
upon nie that some other treasures mlk'ht be shut away
there In the disused rooms; but Knoch Voyce. nlthotigh
he said nothing beyond expressing his desire to see the
rooms, seemed to have some other object in view. And at
l ist one day he came to nie with a beaming face and In
formed me that he had received perniislon for us both
to visit that closed wing.
' He wanted a deal eif talking over, 1 assure you." said
KniH'h. referring to Sir Owen. " Remarkably suspicious
as to why I wanted to fro; admitted, however, that there
were pictures there some, I understand, wall paintings.
He seems to think they'll lie a bit sHiilt by neglect."
" I'm glael you've managed to talk him over." I said,
laughing. " I iocs he give us free leave to wand, r where
we like?"
ten; did we linger behind for a
(.'.tiling at last to the d.w.r whi
wing old Simon, at a nod from his master, op. n. .1
We went in. The place was musty and damp; .nil f'
seemed to ei ho through Its corridors and .lark. 11. . 1
niom. nt he 1'nu. re-d also,
h led into that p irtieular
it. and
o.
li ps
nils.
" 1 'on t touch that picture:" be
: .'il-' It.
"I sha'n I hurt It." said Vi.vc..
. I I'll' H.I .IV
i 11 I Simon carefully let us out of thai wing and ... k. d
il.. ..ill. r iloi.r. I noticed. howi . r. that the other .loots
! not locked. In all probability liecause we shouM
I., r. turning to that tow. r room witl in 11 short tlin; And
ii tlie all. moon he took us b n k again, only on that oc
casion Sir Owen did hot put in an appearance.
There was something peculiar about the plate. I I'.'iind.
win 11 I came to develop it. For a long time 1 c uiM not
1. lake out what it was. Then, to my astonishment. 1 .1
1 ov. r d that by some extraordinary fn.ik nf the camera
tin- picture was not there at all. In the midst ol my work
I was Joined by Knnoh w ho looked over tny -noaldei
p. y pi
without speaking. When at last I...
was with a note of deep satlsla. ' ion
"So theMe was something b lnu.l
a!l." he said. .
1 was too much occupied with the
For the picture on the wall had in
tirely disappear el. leaving a sou 11c
In that aperture, with a broad band
across it. stood a figure, peering int.
broke
In his
Hi it
the sil.no
11
plate to notice hint.
the photogl.ij.h 1 II-
e-iit iip. rture. And
.f ligi't falling right
1 the loom- a figure
There, eurely enough, crouching in the doorway.
wi something that gibbered at us.
In one or two Instances the shutters were opined by the
old servant In order that we might view the pictures; but
there seemed lo be nothing of any great value them. At
last, as we seemed almost to have exhausted the place,
Knoch Voyce stopped and made a suggestion. .
" 1 understood the'rei was a painting on a wall," ho
said. ' If we might see that "
I saw Simon turn quickly and glance at Ills master.
I saw also an Impatient frown gather on the brows of Sir
Owen.
"It's eiuite valueless," he said, after a pause; "hut
you may se-e it."
It proved to be In a room In tower at the extreme end
of the building. This part was evidently the oldest of the
manor; the deep window s and the tin. v. n stairs and Moor
ings proved that. The curious thing was. too. that other
doors had to be unlocked in order to reach It, although,
ns a matter of fact, that first door through which we had
passed secured the whole wing from Intrusion. We- must
have reached the highest room In that tower before we
face'd the picture at all.
It was not a good picture by tiny means, and the damp
of the wall had crept into it and blotched and stained It.
It was the rather stiff portrait of a woman of about the
sixteenth century, standing upright, nn.l fondling the
head of a dog. It was of full life size. The only light came
from n high, deep window at one side of the room; and
the light, although not good, was fair. The picture, how
ever, seemed to me to possess so little interest that I was
turning; away disappointe-dly when the voice of Fnoih
arrested me.
" We should like to take the portrait," he was saying.
"The picture Is old. and Is more curious because It Is ap
parently painted on the wall Itself."
" You'll want a long exposure," said Sir Owen.
" An extremely long one." I broke in. " Hut I n
fix the camera In position and leave It. I shall be aide to
guess the time wanted."
So It was arranged, and I set about my pre parations
at eince. I determined that I would come lute k early in the
afternoon and take away the camera; In the meant mop
so wild and awful and unearthly that 1 shuddered as I
looked at it.
It was the tlgur.- of a man. with wild, ragged whi:.
hair falling about his face, and . i id in rags 11 .stooping
horrible, decrepit thing, like some lare monkey. 1 look. .,
round at Knoch Wyce, and bis face w is serious. Hi nd ug
over the plate together, we looked at it while Knoch spi.k. .
"This Is the unraveling of a secret that has I111114
about this place like an unholy (loud for years." lie said
nt last. " I have heard a word here and a word there. 1
have put the little bits together, until It only need, d this
to complete the puzle. Listen a moment and 1 11 explain
what that figure means."
1 wate-hed the' eild man 111 sil. nee. I saw by his com
pressed lips and the' hard glttt. r in I, is eye s that there' was
h-re senile- tale of wrong, or trag. dy out of the. common.
"Kighttin or twenty years a-ei this Sir Owen Fish
lock was a young man of some :;o ye ars of auc, and he
was a pretty hail lot. This place saw- but little of htm;
ft was in Loudon that he ha.l his haunts. And among
bis companions in London was a certain y.iung man a
mere boy 1, lent. Arthur 1 organ. He was wild and he
was weak, and he was complete lv unde r ti e sway of the
elder man. Vet tile note ef tragedy was only struck when
the inevitable woman I'ame Intel their lives, ami betth
loved her."
I was still at a loss to undei M a ml what this bail lo elo
with the extraordinary figure in tin- photograph: but I
walteel in patience, tlrimly e nough Knoch Voy. con
tinued: "Her name was Heborah Ilmis, and she chose the
boy. Sir Owen apparently accepted his dismissal e.il.nly
enough; in secret, it seems, he l.ro.i.led ..r il. There
was more' than one ipiarn-l between the men; but thus,
iiuarrels were patched up again. The 11 at last it can..
about that In a brawl in a gaming house, a man was killed,
and the boy, half dazed with drink, was feiutnl alone with
the boely. And that was the last e ver seen eif him."
" What became' of him?" 1 asked.
"No etne- knows. He was smuggled oui eif the u.ty,
e'hie-lly through the instrume ntality eif Sir ow n F.shlock.
There- was a line and cry after him. hat In was mn'T
funnel. It was be lie vd' that he' had siiei-ee e. el in getting
away from Kngianel and was living under anothe r name
at the other siel- of the world. Sir Owe n hael the coast
clear as regarded the girl, only to discover, to his chag
rin, that she was foolishly faithful to her lover, and re
fused steadily to have anything to do with his friend.
Her hlsteiry ends with her death eif a broken heart, peo
ple said some two years after the disappearance of the
hoy."
In Ills excitement Knoch Yoyec was pacing about the
room. He came back to me and lowered his voice when he
began speaking again.
"The dUmscd wing of the house was shut up at the
time young Limit. Dorgan disappeared; It has been kept
shut up ever since. Two people only have' e ve r cut. re el
It-Sir Owen and the old servant Simon. For eightee n
or twenty ye ars no one i lsi has bee n allowed to enter It
but ourselves, ami wild cries mark you, Katteiibury. wild
ci i. s "-tin- old man tapped me on the bre ast to empha
s::'.e. the- words" have' be .11 heard proceeding from it."
" Mv Clod!" 1 cried. " You don't mean to suggest "
" While we were In that room I distinctly beard the
light patter of feet above our heads. Win n 1 stood near
the picture 1 heard, faintly turough the thickness e.f the
wall, a sound like the breathing or the sighing of mane
animal.
" And leiok at that:"
He pointed as he spoke to that dimly nullim-el ragged
figure in the place of where the picture should have be. n.
1 felt my hair rise.
" When I touched the picture today." he went on. In a
low tone. "I found that a Jewel painted on the hand if
the woman was raised above the apparent stone work of
the wall. 1 pressed It and felt the tiling move slightly.
Whe n I was called away by Sir Ow.'n I left it in that con
dition." " And w hoever was la-hind the picture' was able to
open It still further?" 1 whispered.
" Kxaetly." he replied. "The. light In the room was
dim, but when this poor prisoner thrust open tin- door
for the first time of ins own accord in all those years
he' steio.l for a moment in the full sunlight streaming from
some place outside in which he lives; that blinding ligdit
secured the photograph. Then, terrified he must have
closed tin- door again, ami crept away."
The re was a lemg pause, while we leeeikeel nt eae h other.
"What are we to do.'" I asked at last, feebly.
"l'iut .111 evens,, and go back to the remm." was ids
prompt i.ply. "The plate has been spoiled; we must
ta ke allot h- r."
' Hut if Sir Owen su---cts?"
"Th.n we'll tlx rough, r ni' thoelx nn.l force htm to
t us and others In." sud Knoch sternly.
"If. however we are careful, he m y not susp it
anything. I!' he finds, as he thinks, that one visit has
shown us not ling. In may b" more careless rejiat ling
an. 'tin r."
And that was exactly how It turned out Knoch Voyce
was so :iji log.-t ic. l.nt so (htcruitiied to have a proper
I'h-'togr.if h e-f the. pie lure ne.'.v that we had begun, that
he w s 11. .1 '.i I. d. ni .1 Sir Owen laughingly gav
The 1 t i n t net
w a ti lung u.
limpid and junipt el round Its
Knoi h s vole e arr. ste'el it fiir
1.1
picture, .ifii r -
1 EI H : ' - --''
mm, 1 i
1 fern t V 43&-s
il w ttetv -4 H
creature
A wild scream rang through the room and at Flshlock
him and buneJ the weapon
sent. I have- thought since that in all probability be felt
Hun the showing of that photogriph of the picture might
seal forever that door behind which his prisoner lived.
Ih- that as It may, we were actually admitted Into that
wing. nnae ceinianleel by eliher St Owen or the servant.
We- came Into the room and faced the picture, listened
can fully for any sound that nilghi come from below, and
then began to talk In ordinary tones. The moment our
voices ceased 1 Ilea id above me Hint light, quick tread as
of some animal. The next monu nt the room was Hooded
with light, as Knoch Voyce pr.-ss. il hard upon the spring,
and the picture swung open like- a door. And then-, sure
.Hough, crouching In the- doorway, was something
whether human or not I could not see in that Hash of time
- somi tlnng that gihbe r.-d at ns. and beat us oft with claw
like hands and dart. .1 away.
We both sprang through the hole at once; we ran.
stumbling against each other, up a narrow stone staircase
of a dozen steps; we both tumbled out together on to some
hails nt the ton- the-roof of the tower and so lookisl
leiiiinl about us at Hip prison of the poor creature that
crouched in a coin, r and glared at list
The prison first. It was formed of the actual roof or
the tow. r. hi. h had e ncircling il a wall some six or seven
fe. t nigh. From the top of this wall springing upwards
ami me e ting In one .-omnii.n knot in the center, w. re
stout Iron bars, cvideutlv old. and hull! in that way to
form a sort of cupola. This had been the wretched creat
ure's prison. Here-, with the roof and that short staircase
for his soh- apartments, he ha.l crouched in every sort
of w-eath. r-blister, d by the sun and snaked by the rain
of many years, and utterly unable to make bis presence
know n to any one outside. Hoi, hi less, w hen first lie came
there. Iip was glad e nou :li. with that terrible charge hang
ing over him. to find so safe a refuge; but the man who had
got htm in his powe r like that was not the man to let him
go.
I found it hard to believe at first that this tiling -so
horrible, with long matted hair falling about it. and with
ghaming teeth and clawlike hands could once have been
the bright boy loved long since by the girl who now lay
5V
swung round th
In hia breast.
in her m
cage, always
a nintncnt
" Arthur 1'organ ." said Knoch null tly. "we're not h'Te
to hurt yo'i Stand up. man."
Some loioj dot maul memory was stlrrefl In the creiit
nr. He stoppe.l and stand at us. and brushed ashle th
I t aw masses of while hair from his for. head. It struck
1 e th. n as lioirlhl. that he could not be quite so much
hi 4'i wars of nge it he might have lit en more than a
It in. Irnl to look i t him. lie' made semie- Inarticulate
sounds; but when we attempted t.i approach him he
b i.k. d away int.. a e-orm r and showed such savage fight
that we ebsisied
" Now that we know." whlspi red Knoch. "We'd better
no den rind face his k. ep.-r lie Won't defy two ftf lis '
We went down Into tin
room and softly piislud tl.
pi. t lire hue k Into phn
w it hunt closing It, how e x el
I gathered my materials
togetlnr. ami. prrceil.d b
Knoch, wrt.t towar.ls th.
outer door eif thnt w ing As
I r.nchcd It I saw Knoch
funiblltig With the handle
lie looked round at me
liiii tly as I approiic hi d
" I .. k. .1' " he said.
F.Milently Sir Ow en had
i . . v. red w hat we ha l
el. .in we were trapped. I
won leie I a little whether lie
an ii :.l to b axel he place and
to le.tVe lis till fe er W hat
I Iir git nie w t s. We w aii el
ipiietly for at h ast a coupli
of hunts before we were per
mitted to know.
Kvldehtly. however. It
was mi rely his purpose to
shoxx- his power, and to show
u that he knew that we had
discovered the secret of the
lure, for utter our long
wait a key turned In the
lock, and bit Owin rain,
through. He cnrrln1 the
kiys jatiirllrtg in his hand,
and stunly motioned us lo
go before hull. And In that
ol.ler we came hack to that
topmost room l.i the tower.
There he faced us. Inso
le ntly t hough.
" Weil, gentlemen." he
said, "so you have discov
cruel my mntlmau ch - I do
hot like he in g spiel apon- I
resent that sort of thing bit
terly hut let us know what
ls( has bi'cn discovered?"
" We know exactly who
this tinf..i till: .lie ct eat arc is ,
we kii..w him to be the tn.i-s
Ing Lieut. Arthur Oorgntl,"
I said. " e k now hy ou
ke pt him caged hi re like a
wild beast lor all t!i?-a
x.ais; we know that It was
l.t cause he stooei in the wax
with a Woman you loved."
" You have the story
pretty pat." he said tnni.dily.
" 1 did love tiPT. I thought
that Willi nim out of the way -disgraced and dead, for
nil that she km w to i he contrary she would turn to me.
She didn't do that. Hying she breathed his name. Dead
wore a sinlie on In r face for love of blni."
He had st ate el himself on a table Willi his back to the
picture, and It xxas then thnt I saw the' picture begin to
move. I conlil not hae cried out If I hail wished to do
so. I was fascinated. A clawiike hand held the frame of
the picture and was thrusting It slowly open.
"That madman there "-he Jerked l is head upwards
to denote the r.KSt' of tin tower " belle-ves that she lives
still; nubbles In r name w he neve r he sees nie. I've kept
him there-fed him. as they feed beasts; some day he'll
die there, lb doesn't know she's dead."
1 saw that curious door om ii a little wider. I saw the
wild face staring in. 1
As Sir Owen went on speaking again the figure glided
through the ope nlni: and dropped with a little soft thud
to the floor.
Sir Owen did not look round.
" I h ad sxv. . t little poborah Hayes dead these many
years," said the man. with a laugh. " Now, what lire
vein going to do about mv madman?"
It was not for us to do anything. Kven while the man
silting on the table spe.ke I had seen that wild creature)
behind him stoe.p and .-natch sunn-thing from a table that
stei.i.l against the w ill -something that gleamed bright In
the semi-d.ii U. ne .1 i As the man mentioned the name
of the girl I saw tin- lice nf r Dorgan light up;
perhaps In that moment he umlerstooel all that had hap
p. to d. A wihl scream rang tnro.igli the room, and, as
l'ishloik swung round, the creature sprang upon him and
hliri.'ll the Weap.ll twice like lightning 111 his breast.
The y went elow n together, locke d hideously, overturning
the laid, as they ft II.
When at last we for. e el the in apart Sir Owen xvas stone'
dead. We hieikeil to I'd Kan. who la y limp ill our arms;
a little li ii k It- of blood cre pt dow n and mingle d witli tin
ragged white tsiii-.l. lie looked at us with a faraway look
for a moment or two. then turned, and sobbed once, with
i sob that seemed to r.-nd him. and died.
sprang uron
CONCERNING CAVIARE. BY JESSIE POPE.
" Her's a letter from uncle," cried Jack In
surprise,
" The flist fur a year, the old sinner;
He's staying In town for a couple- nf days,
And suys he'll come over lo dinner.
" We'll belter have everything up to the
nines;
He'll leave me uome money some dav;
llcsldes, he's an awfully decent o'.d chap."
(.I'm married lo Jack, by the way.)
" He's awfully decent to people he likes.
Or i-Ue he's distinctly unpleasant,
And In says though he didn't turn up at
the church
Ile a unxious to g.vo ut a present."
We settled the menu clear soup ana a sole,
A chicken and Ilechamel sauce.
An entree ami lees" and K'.ie," said Jack.
" You'll wear our w hi it chili em. of course."
1 pi utilised, as far as il lay in no power,
To niaku myself pleasant and pretty,
'l 'hell lie gave nie a ki.-m though it may have
been two,
Kre.hu wended hia way to the city.
" l.n l.ave a hois d ieuvrc," he eunie back
to say,
" Uel some caviare, will ou, ni) pel?"
em e more We embraced, and hu ran down
the path
t'ryii.g, " (.'uviare, don't you furge t!"
'Twas five by the clock when e-uok opened
i he door
And told int. In accents of hemey.
the d trted to buy caviar every In i e round.
Put couldn't tor love or for money.
Bo like a good huiist wife I hurried to town
And bought h-ilf a pound at the Men. -And
caught the down train by the skiu of
my teeth
STORY OF A YOUNG HOUSEWIFE'S
ADVENTURES RELATED IN VERSE.
As the porter was slumming the d.xjra.
The eve ning was warm and the- paper was
thin.
And 1 he i aviate slowly was oozing.
So Hi i.-i i 1 plae. "u n the seal by my siele.
For ir. tailway . oii-.j..in.ous were snoe.zing.
When. i. ! ,.s the carriage xxas just on the
move
And llie guard eisciliaie.l h.s flag,
A I'Ot'.ij . Id person can.. Ilusttiu.g in
And sat on the caviare bag.
He seemed eiuite delighted at catchn.'g the
train.
And beamed on the people assembled;
1 turned to the w.hdow, evading Lis eye.
For 1 g allied at h a t:oi.e-ls and tt cinV.cd.
e
They weie black and while chee k of a tum-
nu r-y hue.
Their ci eases were strictly preserved.
And the tale they had met was undoubted.)
sad.
And mote thaa their owner deserved.
Hat he beamed all around, unsuspicious of
wrong.
While 1 quaked in extreme t rep. elation.
And leaving compart nn-ut and patcel behind
Slipped out at th eiy next station.
To a miFhboring carriage I guiltily fled.
And drew a l ing breath of relief,
For it sc. med I'd got out of the scrape very
well.
Hut my self-gratulatlon was brief.
As s. oii as I sat in the corner ensconced.
Mi x i. t in came huiryli.g after.
And the g.iatd showed h.m In with his hand
lo his mout ll.
Attempting to sittle his laughter.
Inspe ct i, the s. at we 'd before he sat ileewn.
He be gan ailvei tising his wots
To the opposite man. Ilex e-r noticing nie,
Till hope ill Ili.v hosolll aieise.
Th- man r v mpu ' Liz. el with the injury dont ;
"Who'd abandon, el the- parcel?" he won
d. r d.
" The vii.ain escaped. I ut I'll track him to
eai th!"
Tin- h limizid veteran thundered.
How t Vet . my si at. on came lie xl on the line
Not a second I lost ge tting home,
Ii termini d lint never again w hile I lived
With . avia.-e palce-ls Id leant
Info, tiling i he kae.ui n hoi s d U-uvres were off,
I dres.--d w.tli a hit of a scramble.
And run to tin eli.twa.g loe.m. impatient to
give
A wittv aecoutlt ett tu lallihie.
Th. li I c'ung to the door, or i Is. to ti... t),,.,i
I'd have sunk, an Inanimate wreck.
For the man who stood talking to Jack by
the fire
Was the man in the black and white check
There was no time to faint or du anything
rash,
Though my knees turned b Jelly and
tie mhled,
So I greet t d our gut st w ith a h ft y ha r.d shake
And a confident manner diss, n.h'.ed.
Then m pulses leapt up with a throb of
delight.
It was clear I was not recognized.
Fur he capti.ted my hand between both of
ni.s own
As ihotigli 'twas a thing to be ptire-d.
At table he ptalseel both the hoi.se and the
w Ine,
And. warmed by tin prospect .f d i ner,
He lifted his glass, and he wish. 1 i s good
luck,
Ssylng. " Jack. ou We re lu--ky to w.n her!"
" Toll are right," re plied Jack, as 1 blushed
vi ry rt el ;
" Hut I hardly deserve her, I fear."
Then his countenance dtopped with a run as
he saiel
" I'.ul white Is the -caviare, d- ai ? '
My b.'llsh tad. d i u' . I Was fa .tlx M I pill-' .'
Ml. -to 1 1 1 .i.i s , I. . i!ai h id hi i ii in am
Then with .j-iick inspiration I saelly icplitd
"Cook tiled hut she couldn't get any."
" And. spi aking of caviare," um i. teinaiked,
" I've bee n most unlucky ton.ght."
'Anil t lit tale of that hon ible caviare bag
Foithwitli hi- began to ttcite.
"If the owner had i.ii st.-.id th. n like a
man
The thing u tiid ha vt s. t.n I o n a.lj-.-l t d.
Hut," sahl he. " to sneak off xx as a elastardly
tri.k.
And left me both butt and d sgi.st. d "
" What a w li te- livcied eowai.l he xxas' " . x
elaimcel Jack.
" If it rested with me to decide
I'd lock i.p all such, wouldu t you, little
gill?"
" 1 would d. ur, itideed!" I replied.
Tl.i ri ui n the h-ad of tlie villain we
poured
A torrent of hot male diction.
" I'd have owned un at eme-c, wnuidu'l jou?"
re marked Jack.
"That 1 woulell" I replied with convle tluii.
Our guest see no J e-omplucent to In ai our
abuse.
And Iho more nutated Jack .-ie.iii.el.
And the dee .e r I w. nt as I followed li s lead.
The more i in- old g. nll. m il. I earned
That Id won his afl.iiieeii lie . wasut
doubt.
And Jack was sincerely delighted;
The Joy In his eyi s took nie back to tin- day
When nut- earliest plcdgi s xvei e plighted.
Till, wandering no, nil, a cigar in Ins hand.
in si and. of a match or a spill.
Tin smile on his lace died away as he criid.
" llul-lo. here's a cuxlaic bill!"
O. why did I stop lo In caught n a tiap?
Tlie mat. -Ins why hadn't 1 run for?
Keti ibtit .oil was nigh and tin thumb-! hoit
fell.
1 shivered, and knew 1 was done for.
" Tln-11 yoit bought son.... w In ic Is it V explain
yuutsclf, pleiise!"
Hut my In ail t ht e.bhe d to loud .11 my r ara
.Ink's X.hi Se.UI'.eh.l fallil.a- I lowiieelmy
U-ad
And hut. st uitei a passion ot IcatB.
L.fc was mi i for in. , thoi.gli so lately a
hi id.-.
The tul ui e h. id blank d sol. il ion,
My i oui ag. eolaipM d at tin lot nhle thought
of li oi .a.., or at h ast s. pat .lion.
L'lr hum .. - us of all but 1 h. .1. pi h ejl u, Miami-,
I doll' heel, st If-' olive t d of eliuie,
W In ii a l .t h.-rly voice w hisp. i . d. close to my
ea:',
W hy . 1 knew It, uny dear, ail tin-time!"
" 1 1. n't ct y. little girl, 5 ou sua k w ell to your
guns,
At. 1. J. i. k. I forbid you to s. ..ld her "
li. palled my ch. '4 in a e nintoi ting wny,
Ai d 1 subbed my i rnini sc on h bslioul.h r.
S . in sp te of t in- t a ia i e, u tie h- and I
I I i s.i.ei ht 'ai t h. si a in In st of fi lends -Xiul
hen-, wi'li a limn! that ali may dt S' i y.
Mj till. '.rent mutative . Iiels.
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