Show AKEN BY SIEGE 1 The Story of a Young Journalists Experiences Experi-ences in New York > 1 Copyright by J B Iiippincott Company Philadelphia Pat and Published bj Special Arrangement through the Americas Press Association y < I 1 ChAPTER VII VI-I ESSIE ARCHER I 1 AR-CHER was tho only child of wealthy parents pa-rents and her one troublo in iCe was that she 4 had no serious occupation oc-cupation She had a much better bet-ter mind than the average girl and she was intelligent enough to bo conscious con-scious of her own shortcomings She wanted to be great and sho was only clever Her father had taken unusual pains with her education and tho advantages ad-vantages that ho would have given to a son were as far as possible given to her She could translate Heine and De Slusset very gracefully and had put Horace into respectable English verse Some of her Heine and Do Musset translations trans-lations she had set to music and she sang them with a great deal of taste ja But she tired of translating and writing j songs began to bore her Sho wanted to do something of more consequence in 4 the world Having been born and brought up in luxury she thought she would like to be a labor reformer and so she attended some noisy meetings at the Cooper Union accompanied by her cousin Archie Tillinghast Instead of being disillusionized thereby she got up quito a sentimental feeling about the horny handed sons of toil So regularly regu-larly did she attend these meetings that she became known by sight to some I of the professional agitators and 1 one of them made bold to call at her house and ask her for funds to carry on the good work Ho was p smooth tongued fellow and ho urged her to write a labor reform pamphlet which he engaged to print and send broadcast over the landIf she would pay the expenses I Bat the labor reformers palled upon her after a while and she began to think 4 deeply upon the subject of negro equality J equal-ity Sho talked about it to every ono I who would argue or agree with her She attended some meetings held to discuss the subject and once invited the African orator home to dinner She said that she had no vulgar race prejudices but her father had and tho dinner party I did not come off Encouraged by her patronage the orator told her one day that ho had no vulgar race prejudices either and that he would as lief marry white woman as a colored one Ho advanced ad-vanced this belief with so much meaning mean-ing that Miss Archer rang the bell and ordered the servant to put him out of the house Afte that day she arefully avoided the subject of negro equality and turned her attention to the amelioration ameliora-tion of the condition of the Indian This fancy pleased her longer than usual but after she had made quite a collection of Indian trophies and read a good deal more particularly poems of Indian literature lit-erature she went out to tho plains to visit a friend who had married an army officer There she saw the Indian divested di-vested of romance She thought him avery G a-very uninteresting personage and preferred 1 pre-ferred tho legends of the poets to tho i facts that there stared her in the faceT face-T At the time when Rush Hurlstone became be-came acquainted with her she was deeply interested in esoteric Buddhism and had attended some questionable meetings at the apartment of the high priestess of Buddha certain Mme Parapoff who drew around her a wholly Bohemian I and partially vicious lot of people mostly most-ly men among whom sho sat smoking cigarettes and discoursing of the strange things she had seen in India She wore a brooch which she said had been plucked out of the forehead of a departed Hindoo and placed at her throat Did any ono doubt her There was tho brooch Mme Parapoff was a very clever woman t 1 wo-man and had written a book entitled J The Rending of the Veil which no ono read but which every ono said was a wonderful production It was in two large folio volumes filled with illustrations illustra-tions showing the veil before and after the rending and giving the mystic signs known only to those who had sought faithfully for esoteric information on this subject lime Parapoff as I have said was clever but she had a face that would frighten off any ono who was not particularly par-ticularly anxious to learn that which she alone professed to teach Bessie Archer I I was never more alarmed in her life than h < m her first visit to Mme ParapofFs 1J bungalow as the latter called it SIlO had never seen such a looking woman before her face repelled her but her manner was reassuring The Russian I was a thorough woman of tho world i and she saw that in this visitor she had a fish of a new sort to deal with who could not be caught with tho common i ibait thrown to the men around her Only the choicest morsel would attract her Sho must be careful not to offend Ler by speaking too plainly before her at I first and she must not givo her her famous pamphlet Naked and not Ashamed to read until sho was quite uro of her Bessie had induced her useful cousin Archie Tillinghast to accompany ac-company her to Mme ParapofFs Archie Qidnt want to go at all but ho was convinced con-vinced that Bessie would go alone if he didnt go with her I Rum girl Cousin Bess ho said to Rush bright as a dollar but slippery as 3n eel you never can tell where she is going to bob up Beastly place that ParapofTs A lot of hairy men smelling d VI of whisky and tobacco smoke lolling r 4 around the floosj on skins puffing their I Ji J j kai vilo ptpes in l the face of me priestess who sat on a tort of raised place in a big chair and smoked cigarettes partly in self defense and partly to show her very white and well kept hands and handsome hand-some rings Hers were the only clean hands in the room Such a lot of tramps I I dont believe they had a change of shirts among them And did Miss Archer find pleasure in their society asked Rush She tried to think she did At any rate she was doing something out of the common and there is great satisfaction in that to some people old boy answered an-swered Archie Im very fond of Bessie Bes-sie otherwise you wouldnt find me trotting trot-ting around to these tiresome places with her labor reform meetings negro equality equal-ity meetings and Indian meetings If you wont go with mo Ill go alone she says and whats a fellow to do Duty calls and I obey This conversation took place in the Powwow club where Archie and Rush were dining according to tho promise given in a previous chapter They had a good dinner anda powwow that did honor to the name of the club As they sat over the walnuts and tho wine Archie took 15 from his pocket and said Hero is the rest of your money old boy I have deducted the 3 I struck old Penny packer for 20 Lets see what youve written Rush a little embarrassed tried to put off the evil moment Nonsense man said Archie Out with them You know this is not supposed sup-posed to be poetry Im not a critic anything with a rhyme will do so long as you get in the magic word Damascene So Rush pulled the papers out of his pocket and puffed vigorously at his cigar with an assumed air of indifference Archie spread the sheets out before him cracked the soft shelled almonds with lone hand while he held the manuscript with the other and read the following linesLike Like tho blushes that paint the sunrise Are the blushes on her cheek And tho thrushs note in the woodland I hear when she doth speak Like a feather thats tightly blowing Is her white and tiny hand Ah shos the fairest maiden In all the broad green land But the sweetest charms she owneth Are her hands so pearly white For sho washes them with Damascene Each morning and each night I Bravo bravo exclaimed You eould not have done better if youd benin ben-in training for a month This is just the And the thing hastily glancing over others A I see youve dropped a little humor into these Thats good but its the sentiment that fetches old Penny packer Youvo more than earned your money so I hope your conscience is at ease creRush Rush reassured him on th point by pocketing the money and at tho same time he told him that his prospects at The Dawn office were improving but ho didnt say where his assignment had taken him for fear of betraying himself if he spoke upon a subject s near his heart heartNow Now Rush my boy said Archie looking at his watch I dont like to appear ap-pear rude but you know I told you I had three receptions this evening One is that of the Daughters of Sappho who hold their annual reunion at Delinoni but that Ill cos wont keep me long Il get a programme and flee The other is at the house of the California millionaire million-aire McMulligan who owns a palaco in Fifth avenue and that will not delay mo either for the genial McMulligan I himself has promised mo a printed list of his guests Then we will fly t mj undo Archers where we are sure to have a pleasant evening S donning their overcoats the two set out out They walked down to Delmonicos then in Fourteenth street where the Daughters of Sappho were having a grand time The meeting had been called to order when they arrived and Mr Lavinia HopperWalker was beginning begin-ning her essay on The Weaker Sex which she proved to their entire satisfaction satis-faction to b tho male mae I Who behaves the most calmly in times of asked Mrs emergency M Hop I perWalker the woman or the m I need hardly say it is tho woman The I woman will endure suffering without flinching while a man in the dentists chair has been known to kick great holes in the wall while his teeth wero being I filled Applause Who are seized i II with panic at a flrethe men or tho women Statistics will prove to you that half the trouble during a fire in a theatre or other public hall is invariably caused by the pushing and crowding of tho men who will stamp out the life of anyone any-one who gets in their way I this i not proof that man is the weaker vessel what is To me it is sufficient Great applausa But Mr HopperWalker thought that tIle others needed further proof for sho continued to present them with stastisti I cal evidence for half an hour longer at least In the mean timo Archie found the president of tho club r Menlo May who gave him a programme of tho evenings exercises and a printed synopsis synop-sis of tho different speeches While Archie was attending to his duties Rush was looking about the room at the strange people ranged along the wa A entle i man with a very high forehead and a blonde beard that grew in irregular spots I about his face wherever it could pierce the surface tapped him upon the shoulder after a while and sdI sd-I saw you at the office of The Dawn tho other day so I presume you are a reporter and would like some points for an article for your paper the names of 1 e tho distinguished peopiollere this oven ing etc And before Rush could say that he was not there as a representative representa-tive of his paper the man ran his fingers fin-gers through his straggling locks and drawing himself up to his l full 5 feet 4 + inches said The lady reading the address ad-dress is Mrs Lavinia HopperWalker adding in a mot impressive whisper my wife 1 I am Tobias T Hopper Walker T stands for Tartar My mother was a Tartar Rush thought that his wife was a Tartar Tar-tar also but ho didnt say so Ir Lavinia HopperWalker is amos a-mos remarkable woman sir She can take the floor against any man and shut him up before he loiows hero he i Rush looked at Mrs Mr HopperWalker who at this moment was making one of her most cutting remarks at the expense of m Her eyes were fixed upon her husband and tho expression of superiority superior-ity that passed over her face was a study for a tragedian The expression on his face would better have served the comedian come-dian it was so self deprecatory and showed such satisfaction in being the weakervesscL This is a most representative gathering gather-ing he whispered There is Mrs Ann Amelia do Johnstone president of the Women Who Dare society It meets every week at her house in Williams burg where it enjoys a most intellectual evening Rush looked in the dhection indicated by Mr Hopper Walkers long forefinger and saw a woman with a high forehead decorated with thin tight curls Her eyes wero large and their prominence was exaggerated by the powerful glasses she wore on her very retrousse nose Indeed In-deed her nose turned up with so much determination that it carried her upper lip with it exposing her two large front teeth to the public gaze Ir8 De Johnstono i very clever continued HopperWalker She writes for the magazines and pamphlets by the score I suppose you have read her book on the form of marriage proposals among the ancient Egyptians She holds that women proposed in those days and advocates ad-vocates the olden custom Mrs Hopper Walker has written an answer to this in which sho proves that the custom is even older than Mrs Do Johnstone claims and that that ladys theories have even been in practice in this country for years I is a good custom for somo women I know a number who would not have been married if it had not prevailed pre-vailed He cst a furtive glance in the direction of lr HopperWalker who was insttakins her seat amidst the most I enthusiastic applause rAt r-At this moment Archie put his arm through Rushs and said it va time for them be off Rush thanked Mr to of lfr Hop perWalker and the two young men went down stairs to tho cjafoand seated themselves at a small table r While they drank a jug of German seltzer Arcln wrote out his repott of the Sappho and tent it down to The Trumpet office Theres nothing pleases them like getting get-ting copy in early dear boy Now let us hie to my uncle Archers where I will leave while I do the c you llhie MeMulligans As I told before that wont you delay me long Cousin Bess will take care of you while I am interviewing McMulligan onto on-to cost of his entertainment From Delmonicos they strolled uptown up-town as far as Twentieth street were they turned off to the home of tho Archers on Gramercy park The moon was shining brightly upon this exclusive little park and upon tho ladies in their handsome wraps who were running gay ly up tho Archers front steps and disappearing disap-pearing in a blaze of gas light through the door This was to be Rushs introduction intro-duction New York society a thing he had heard a good deal about and regarded regard-ed with more or less awe He was just at an age when society inmost attractive Ho was very susceptible to beauty and he considered Helen Knowlton the most beautiful woman he had over seen And so she certainly was for she was the only beauty he had seen who was not of a more or less rustic type and notwithstanding notwith-standing his country bringing up he had little taste for rusticity in women This first in the social world frst appearance sil word was excitement to him and he a great ecteent hi was very much afraid that he would do something some-thing in violation of the proprieties Soho So-ho determined to do as his friend Tilling hast did and he could not have had a better guide in such matters To Archie ho said nothing about embarrassment and there was nothing in his manner to lead his friend to suspect it The two young men as the ladies had done before them ran lightly up tho steps and entered the hall where Rush almost had his breath taken away by the dazzling light and the perfume of flowers He followed Archie upstairs where they left their topcoats and taking a parting glance at himself in tho mirror to see that his tie had not ridden up over his collar and that his hair w not to much rumpled ho descended with Archie t tho drawing room Hero a gorgeous scenco presented itself The long rooms were brilliantly lighted with wax candles and decorated with more flowers than Rush had ever seen together in his leThe le-The ladies were dressed in their finest Paris gowns but it was not so much the dressing as the want of it that astonished astonish-ed our young countryman tho older tho ladies were tho less they seemed to fear the cold Archie presented him at once to his uncle and aunt and to his cousin Bessie for whom Rush immediately conceived tho friendliest feelings Bessio Archer certainly was an attractive girL She was handsome and well made and she looked like a girl who enjoyed good health Her complexion was brilliant her teeth and her clear dazzling clea gray bluo eyes looked as strong as an eagles Although she was an exceptionally clever girl she was not a bit of a prig and her manner was remarkable for its cordiality When sho took Rush by tho hand sho gave him such a firm pleasant grip that he said to himself Here is a girl worth knowing she shakes hands like a man none of your flimsy lackadaisical touching touch-ing of tho fingers such as some girls give And Bessie liked Rush at once She had head such pleasant tilings about him from Archie that she was naturally prejudiced prej-udiced in his favor and it was impossible impossi-ble tOLtook bja honest manlyfaco and N notliEe him Now HurJstone old fellow fel-low said Archie after introducing his friend to his cousin I will leave you to Cousin B tender care and go where duty calls Im sure you could not leave me where I would rather bo said Rush as glibly though he had been in society all his life Perhaps you will have a different tale to tell when Archie come back said Cousin B I shall only speak moro positively then replied Rush with a bow that Count dOrsay might have envied At that moment the band stationed in another room struck up the music of a waltz and there was a general movement move-ment of pleasant anticipation among the young people Their elders drew up along the wall and the dancers took their places on the floor Do dance Sir Hurlstone you 1 r rlstone asked Miss Archer I you do I will give you this waltz I was saving it for Archie but the poor fellow has not finished fin-ished his days work yet No Miss Archer replied Rush I do not dance I have heretofore looked upon a dancing man with a feeling of but I him with superiority now regard hi wih envy and for tho first time regret that the steps of the waltz are a sealed book tome I am very sorry too for I am afraid you are going to have a dull time as this is a dancing company tonight However How-ever I will try and find a young lady whose conversation will in a measure alleviate al-leviate your disappointment Will you take something intellectual or something frivolous As Miss Archer asked this question her eyes turned towards two ladies standing on the opposite side of the room Rushs eyes followed hers and he answered an-swered Something frivolous please So they threaded their way among the dancers and ho was introduced t Miss Gertie Gaston How i it you are not dancing this evening Miss Gaston Rush inquired fox he felt quite sue that she was one of the dancing girls Do know you want to I a consumed with curiosity Because I hate a plain waits and none of these men know the dip she answered with show of a annoyance What ignorance I fancied New York men knew everything To think of ill grown men and not know the dipr You know m said Miss Gaston half haf risingAlas nol replied Rush but then I am not a New York society man Where are ypu from Boston or Philadelphia Phil-adelphia Neither Icame direct from tho country coun-try from the abode of the milk pail and tho sausage Really and you work on a farm get up at 5 in the morning milk the cows and all that sort of thing I never have but I dare say I could if the cows would let me try I should not think you would care to try said Miss Gaston with a movement of disapproval I I snould think a man might find something more manly to do than milking cows No doubt he might dancing for instance in-stance Yes indeed He could learn the dip in much less time than it would take him to learn to milk a cow Rush looked at the young lady to see if she was guying him but the expression expres-sion of her face showed that she was thoroughly in earnest He began to wish that he had chosen the intellectual lady but the snatches of her conversation that reached him were not tempting I maintain she was saying to a bald gentleman gen-tleman who was doing h best to suppress sup-press a yawn I maintain that Greek should b taught in the public schools and you Mr Garside should look to it as a member of tho board of education and see that our young girls and boys are taught that classic language instead of these vile modern that thes re tongues are only useful for mercantile pursuits Greek is a purely intellectual language Herodotus would But hero Bessie Archer whirled past Rush in the arms of West Hastings and gave him one of her sweetest smiles a sho passed so he never knew what Herodotus would have done Rush wished from tho bottom of his heart that thQ dancing would stop and that ho might have a chance to talk a little with Miss Archer who was quito as bright he saw as her cousin had represented rep-resented her to be The thought had hardly passed through h mind when the music ceased and the dancers strolled off in pair A young m dressed the extreme of the fashion relieved him of Miss Gaston and he stood for a moment mo-ment leaning against the wall wonder ing where Miss Archer was when suddenly sud-denly his heart gave such an upward lunge that he thought for a few seconds he should suffocate But it soon fell back to its natural place and left him at liberty to feast his eyes upon the radiant face of Helen Knowlton as she entered the room accompanied by her aunt and an old gentleman whom he had no diffi Myers culty in recognizing as Uncle Lightfoot A subdued murmur of admiration ran through the room as the prima donna I stood for a moment on the threshold looking about her for the host and hostess host-ess In a moment West Hastings was by her side and conducting her on h arm to Mr and Mrs Archer while Aunt Rebecca followed on the arm of Uncle Lightfoot Rush ground his teeth atthe I assured manner in which Hastings took his place at Miss Knowltons side Then he tried t laugh at himself for being such a fool Of course they are engaged en-gaged or the next thing to it and I am making myself miserable as foolishly asa as-a man ever did He got some comfort however from two men who stood chatting chat-ting near by him I Helen Knowlton engaged to West Hastings asked one of tho other No was the reply and she never will b engaged to Hastings or any other man while Aunt Rebecca lives She may come near it fifty times but Ill wager you anything you like that Aunt Rebecca Sandford is not going t let that child put Her head into the noose And shes about right Come lets go up and have a B and S And they sauntered out leaving Rush in a pleas aiiter state of raind han lie waa in five 1 e b minutes before I Helen Knowlton was not engaged to West Hastings or to any other man then he didnt see that his chances were utterly worthless at any rate ho was not going to retire from the field until after he had done some I prospecting Rush Hurlstone though as modest a young man a you would 1 meet in a days walk was firm in the belief be-lief that a man could accomplish anything any-thing ho made up his mind to do provided vided it was ut n within the possibilities possibili-ties If he had his I seriously set mind upon being president of tho United States he would have gone quietly along working towards that end tt thoroughly conviuce that he would accomplish h object But he had no political aspirations aspira-tions His ambition ran in another channel Helen Knowlton was now chatting with Bessie Archer and three or four men at the opposite end of thQ room Rushs eyes were fastened upon her He was thinking of her with all his mind and she probably felt the magnetism of his glance for she looked up and recognizing recog-nizing the face without being able to tell whero she had seen it she bowed to him in her most cordial manner Aunt Rebecca Re-becca who never forgot the face TeI newspaper man bowed too and motioned mo-tioned for Rush to come over to their side of the room an invitation he was not slow in accepting How are you she said giving him her hd Helen here is Mr Hail storm the young reporter who wrote that nice article about you in The Dawn Rush was rather embarrassed by this public announcement of his vocation and annoyed by tho miscalling of his name but the hearty manner i which Miss Rnowlton received him made amends for her aunts want of tact I recognized Mr Hurlstone and bowed to him across the room said she giving him her hand whose touch stan st-an electric thrill through his entire frame Some other time I will thank him for his kindness if he will allow me So you know T Hurlstone said Bessie He is an old college friend of Archies who brought h to us this evening that wo might see for ourselves that all tho nice things he had said about him were true And do you think they are Asked Helen smiling upon Rush We hope for tho best leplie Bessie but I shall be able to speak with moro authority after Mr Hurlstone has made this house h headquarters for awhile Rush thanked Miss Archer for the implied plied invitation but said ho felt more like hiding his head in a hole after Archies compliments than tmnc Achies complents th tlinc to prove their truth and thus they chatted1 t and laughed after the manner of young people at a party until something was said about the banjo Rushs reply led I Helen to believe that he played that ini strument and she asked him if he did He confessed that ho picked out a tune occasionally and she invited him to come around some evening when there was no opera and try son duets with her for she delighted in the banjo and t found it a great recreation after grand opera H Again the musicians struck up a waltz West Hastings leaned down and whispered whis-pered something i Helens ear She looked as though what ho said had pleased her and at once arose to dance with him Again Rush ground his l teeth For a moment he wondered if he was too old to learn the mysteries of the waltz but ho could not help smiling as he thought of himself whirling about over a polished floor with a young woman in his arms Then he inwardly railed at a custom that allowed such liberties B cause the band was playing and their feet were moving in time to tho music was that any reason why Hastings should have h arm around M Knowltons waist and hold her hand in hi He could not see that it was Dancing was a vulgar and vicious pastime and he would never allow a sister of his to take part in any such wickedness He did not stop to think that no sister of his would b likely to ask h permission His eyes were bent upon the ground as these thoughts flew through his brain A faint odor of mignonette reached him He looked up just as Hastings and M Knowlton were gliding past Here I am at last old man said Archie at his shoulder just ready for an evenings fun My days work i done and Im in prime condition for dancing Seen the Knowlton Ah there she goes Lucky beggar that Hastings Theyre engaged you may bet your life Come lets have a glass of fizz Uncle Archer i famous for his wines I can promise you something good No thank you Archie 1 think Ill go home Im pretty ted You know the social whirlpool i new t me You dont mind do you Ill make my adieux to Mr and Mrs Archer and your charming cousin and slip off t my virtuous vir-tuous couch As you please dear boy I never like to forcea felow against his inclination Archie answered but he was evidently annoyed and disappointed I shall never forget this evening Archie Good night old fellow Ill hunt you up some time tomorrow So this foolish boy said good night to his entertainers and went out under the stars Ho had hardly reached the sidewalk side-walk before he repented his act What an idiot to leave tho place where Helen was But he could not stand the torture of seeing her dancing with West Hastings Hast-ings He would rather be out in the cool night a but he could not tear himself away from the place Lighting a cigar ho paced tho length of the park always with the house in view and by the time he had finished it he saw the door open and Helen and her aunt and Uncle Light foot and West Hastings coming out The gentlemen put the ladies in their carriage and closing the door upon them bowed them off Thank heaven he was not going home with her The carriage started down Twentieth street but it had not reached Fourth avenue when Rush started after it The horses trotted briskly and so did Ru It was not far to Helens house so that fco arrived there just as the carriage drew up at the curb Before he had tame to think what he was doing the handle of the carriage door w in his hand and he y making Iu3bc jt bow to L i = J I I tile ladies They were startled abut In a-but were reassured when they recognized Rush RushHow How very odd that you should have happened by just at this moment said Helen Chance has been kind to me answered an-swered Rush trying to speak without showing how blown lIe was Im on my way home I dont live fa from here He didnt say it was a very roundabout way of getting to his lodgings nor did Helen suspect it Ho handed the ladies to the door and bade them good night Dont forget that you are t come and play the banjo with me said Helen Forget Rush laughed so heartily at tho thought as he turned the corner of Twentieth street into Sixth avenue that a sleepless invalid tossing on his couch listened with envy to a man who was well and happy enough to laugh so long and loud CHAPTER VH i N the meantime mean-time everything ci every-thing at the C old home at Farmsted was not as Rush would Iii have wished it to i l be John Hurl i stone as I have intimated was a young man fond of his pleasures p so fond indeed 1 that the pain they caused to others and those too whom ho held most dear did not prevent lila 1 enjoying them to tho full Apparently he was the kindest of sons and most affectionate of brothers He was never known to give his mother across a-cross or impatient word i his life and his attentions to his sisters were all that they could ask and more than they could expect judging from the relations of other young men in their circle to their sisters ster He was very popular in the village for he was not only the most amiable but the gayest and handsomest young fellow in a those parts and there was a dash of the hero about him too for ho had served with distinction in the army having gone in a a private and won h captains straps by sheer bravery and devotion to duty Fonder of luxury lux-ury than any man I ever met he fairly reveled in hardship when it had to b endured Easy going as ho was by n ture and slow to act under ordinary circumstances he was as quick as a thin th-in an emergency At home he was never on time no matter what the urgency gency of tho case in the army he was punctuality itself The most dandified about his toilet and toiet arrangements taking as much tie to array himself as the vainest belle ho would take bath et woud tao a sow bth it ho could get no other dry himself in the sun and be ready for marching in five minutes His mattress at home had to b of a particularly choice quality of curled hair and the springs of the very best steel or he could not sleep In the army he would roll himself up in a blanket blan-ket lie in the mud during a pelting storm and sleep as peacefully as a child John Hurlstono w made up of contradictions contradic-tions He loved his mother s tenderly that he was completely unnerved if she was ilL and waited upon her with the gentle devotion of a daughter yet he did not hesitate to do things that he know would break her heart simply to gratify his own pleasure He would have given his last crust to his mother and sisters yet he would do honest work I not an days to save them from want He did not say that ho would not he simply did not and that was the end of the matter His mothers and sisters were devoted to h They knew he w thoroughly selfish but ho was 6 sweet and kind at homo that they forgave him everything Women Wo-men always liked him menthat i the tho serious minded regarded him less leniently Among tho class popularly known tho be favorite kow boys was a prime vorite They admired his cleverness and he was pleased by their homage Ho would sit for an hour at a time talking with tho black big big Sandy village bl smith miserable drunken fellow because a mirble dken telow bE cause ho said Sandy isso fond of mo Every barkeeper in the town and every hanger on of the saloons shook him by the hand and swore that Capn Jack was a perfec gemman The attentions atten-tions of tho Prince of Wales are no Eweeter to the professional beauty than were these words of compliment to Capt John Hurlstone John received the attentions of the young ladies more modestly Ho never boasted of his conquests indeed he did not seem to think that ho had made any He never tired of telling how fond he was of the girls individually and collectively col-lectively butthat they were fond of him h modestly denied They know I love them all and they feel sorry for me ho used t say laughingly John Hurlstcne was the most dangerous sort of a flirt for ho was really in love for the time being with each of the girls heft he-ft with When he transferred his very special attention from one to another an-other he did so in the kindliest manner and seemed always to have a warm place in h heart for tho old love At the time of which I am now writing he was tme wa paying marked attention even for him t Amy Bayliss the pretty little simpleminded simple-minded daughter of the Rev Dr Bayliss rector of St Anns church in the village It was more than whispered than John Hurlstone was engaged to Amy Bayliss but nothing authoritative was known I upon the subject But the dashing beauty Emily Barford denied the rumor flatly and said that John Hurlstono was not the man to be caught by a baby face that he was amusing himself with Amy Bayliss because he saw as every one could see that sho was dead in love with him Emily Barford like many a clever girl before her did not understand mea me-a well a she thought she did and in the case of John Hurlstone was entirely mistaken Ho was just the man to be caught by a baby face and when Amy Bayliss rolled her big blue eyes up towards his and stretched her liljtlo mouth aia 2 t with n smile that showed two rows o the whitest teeth the big heart of Cajt John swelled to bursting and b swore t himself that ho was at last madly and seriously in love John Hurlstone had been a hard drink er at different times in h life but the folks at homo had never seen him under the influence of liquor Ho either went without drink altogether or ho gave him self up to it They used to say in tho army that he could drink tho entire mess under the table He didnt care much for champagne though when ho was thirsty he would fill a celery glass and drain it to the bottom But this was don rather t amuse or astonish his comp ions than to slake his l thirst H sae r liquors were his choice and when h onco began on them ho kept it up in away a-way that would havo killed most mO He was a convivial drinker and seldom unless to wi out the of wipe ue po memory something some-thing unpleasant took a drink one When he had money he treated the crowd when ho had none tho crowd treated him trete l When ho had money There was a mys about Johns money Sometimes Some-times he was absolutely penniless again he would b quite flush and lib pocketbook pocket-book would be stuffed out with greenbacks green-backs of large as well as small denominations denomina-tions His mother the ton motllr was most unsuspicious unsus-picious of women and when she said to him one day John dear where do you get so much money he answered her in his most ingenuous manner sealing tho statement with a kiss The government owes me a lot of back pay mother and every once in a while it pays up Someday Some-day it will bo all paid then Ill have t go to work like Rush and the rest of tho boys She was perfectly satisfied poor woman wo-man How little she knewit is just as well that she didnt that there were a hard and daring gamblers in that little town of Farted as the metropolis itself could boast not only among the low fellows fel-lows in the barrooms who played for small stakes and lost as little a they won but among an outwardly respectable respect-able class There was a little club of six ca s of whom John Hurlstone was the youngest young-est and the sharpest who met on certain cer-tain nights in a private room in tho Union house and played high till the gray light of dawn crept in through the chinks in the window shutters and warned them that housewife the some busy houwife up betimes would see them slinking homo in the small hours unless they stole away at once What consternation there would have been in Farmsted if knowledge of this little card party had come to the ears of the gossips of that quiet town for thc men were the solid men of the plac the wealthy merchants lawyers and bankers and ono of the number I regret to betray it was a vestryman of St Anns and took up the collection every Sunday that This worthy man was indignant John Hurlstone should b pavinz court to the rectors daughter The young scapegrace I he muttered behind h sanctimonious smooth shaven lip I should like to tell Dr Bayliss of his wickedness But much as ho would have liked to expose the young man ho hesitated for fear the young man might in turn expose him The more John Hurlstone thought of marrying Amy Bayliss the more his l conscience con-science pricked him l not only on account of the error of his present way but also on account of the past To blunt the points that pricked he had recourse to his favorite liquor but kept the knowledge knowl-edge of his dissipation from his family for they never asked when he came home His bedroom was on the ground floor and he could admit himself through the French window i there was any reason to suppose his entrance by the door would bo heard One night the card party held a very late session and the vest who had had a unusual run of luck insisted upon whooping it up and letting the devil take the consequences This sentiment timent thoroughly harmonized with Johns mood and he brewed a bowl of punch that was a seductive o it was treacherous The vestryman smacked his lip and slapped John on the back with brotherly affection Never tasted anything sho good in mlife W dyer call it Jack old fellow ho said himself to fifth ladlefuL helping hilf t a ft laen I dont know what the ow right name is answered Jack but in the army they called it hell broth The devil they did exclaimed the vestryman theyre a wicked lot in th army Finally it was proposed that the party should break up and as the night was breaking up too and the punch was a drunk the motion was adopted and the vestryman and the lawyer the banker and the merchants linked arms and took the middle of tho road until their paths diverged Then they parted after oft repeated vows of undying friendship John had the farthest to go and th punch was well down in his legs before he got half way home His head swam and he put up his listless hands to wipe away the cobwebs away from his fac How sleepy he fet He wanted to lie down along the road but something impelled him to keep on and on he went his uncertain certain footsteps taking him within an inch of ditches heaps of stone and th rows of trees that flanked the paths A last he reached the homestead gate What was the matter with tho lath Itseemed possessed of a devil John never for a moment suspected that ho was the ones one-s possessed But finally it yielded t his fumbling and swung back with a bang against the fence His mother always a light sleeper heard the unusual noise and came to the window to see what was the matter Some stray horse or cow must hare pushed the gate open she thought hI must see that a better latch is put on n Thus musing she looked down upon tho path and saw the figure o a m sfcmrerine un the walk Iihis story was commenced In THE SUNDAY HERALD July 7th Back numbers can be obtained ob-tained at this office 1 TO BE CONTINUED EXT STJXDAT |