Show I 1 Y of M rIl bj WYNDHAM rr 1 MARTYN y COPYRIGHT in WU the h. UNITED STATES SERVICE STORY FROM THE START From the comfortable financial situation to which he had been born Peter Milman American gentleman of or the old school and last of his family Is practically reduced to penury through the misfortune of ot a friend Hazen Brewer whom he had unwisely trusted CHAPTER I Continued I-Continued 2 2 It was my Intention to bequeath them to the Metropolitan Milman frowned a little It will seem like breaking faith wI 1 the dead Sneed did not yet know that the theman theman theman man he served was Insolvent and that all these relics which told so much of the MIlman history must come under under un un- un der the hammer You can leave me MIlman said after a pause I want to remain here some time At six sir o'clock Sneed v ventured to dl dis disturb disturb dis- dis Peter During the ho hours m he had passed downstairs Sneed thought he understood what his employer employer em em- plo er meant He had put things to to- gether He believed Peter Milman was cataloguing his treasures Hazen Brewers Brewer's failure had been as complete as the evening papers proclaimed Peter Milman's manner vaguely disturbed dis disturbed disturbed dis- dis his butler There was a smile where usually mild c cynicism reigned Almost Jt it seemed as If It the sword which l held had Imbued him hini with swashbuckling courage of that hard drinking Oliver Milman Mil Mil- man who had hod been a notable figure inthe In Inthe Inthe the Colonial wars I am nm not sure Peter MIlman observed observed ob observed ob- ob served that man made a good exchange exchange ex ex- ex change when he put aside the sword and depended upon law and Its chicaneries eries So Ive I've heard Mr Peter sir Sneed aneed returned understanding noth noth- ing I was not aware the view was so generally accepted said his employ employ- er ere The man who owned this literally literal literal- ly carved his wa way to fortune He had fought In Europe before he came here I His God-fearing God brother my own ancestor ancestor an an- disowned him publicly In church on Christmas Sunday and lost all his cattle and barns by lightning the next summer I have ha always had hada a sneaking fondness for for Captain Oliver OlI Sneed followed his master down the the broad stairs The butler regarded him himself Self elf as a built in feature of the mansion He Ie knew that to seek wor work In the bustling world outside would be repellent t and bewildering He realIzed realized real real- I that Peter Milman and he were two lonely friendless men And they had lost their home because one of ot them had trusted Implicitly In Hazen Brewer What n a price to pay for fol friendship Sneed mused unhappily He did not understand how It was the other seemed In no way depressed Sneed was not to know that Captain Olivers Oliver's shade had hod whispered courage Into the ear of the last of the Mil- Mil mans CHAPTER II At ten o'clock on the following morning Peter Milman entered the offices of a firm of ot law lawyers ers which had transacted the private business of or Hazen Brewer Henry Payne Pane the head heart of ot the firm looked troubled when Mu- Mu mans man's card was brought in The Interview interview In in- would not be pleasant for tor either of or themI them I came Milman began in his urbane urbane ur ur- ur I bane manner to find out If It possible the extent of ot Mr l Brewers Brewer's losses I might have called up Hazen but In a moment like e this he has bas worries worrIeR enough h. h I hope Mr Ir Brewer Is not worrying now Then things arc rot not as bad as ns th they y seemed 1 Milman's l heart pounded asbe us as be bc said It Worse Ive I've bad news for tor you Mr Sir Sidman Poor Hazen Brewer committed com conn- suicide In is the early hours hoUtS o of this morning I suppose sUppo e when he saw there was 1 left eft lt nothing but liabilities his mind gave way Payne wl wished bcd he could discover er from dill dUmans mans man's expression how much or litle little lit lit- le tle this news meant to him But Mil ML- man had bad too much control of himself to allow v any man to see how stricken he be was Poor Hazen he be murmured lie He was one of my oldest and best bes friends y curious curIous' thought the lawyer law law- lawyer yer fer to one whose speculations had ruined him But Dut p perhaps the tile other did not yet et realize to what an extent his private fortune was I involved ol TU Tye mortgage on my ray house Milman Mil Mil- II man begin began I suppose l I U will be ie e fore tore dT dr Im afraid tea In a There will ba ha n 11 I meeting of ol aia creditors r within a n day or so If I can cnn act oct for you in an any anyway anyway way I shall be only too glad to do so You are arc very ery kind said Peter Milman courteously He Hc shook Mr Paynes Payne's hand and leftA leftA leftA left A thoroughbred murmured the lawyer lawer who had seen many distinguished distinguished distin distin- men listen to bad news In Inthis inthis 1 this office Poor devil wiped out absolutely absolutely ab ab- ab 1 t I Before going home Peter Milman took his way to an agency which specialized specIalized specialized in French domestic help of ot the better sortI sortI sortI sort I want he be said sold to the woman at nt atthe atthe the desk a French butler who will wUl do the entire work of ot a house In which only a few of the rooms are occupied i iA A woman comes in by the day to clean the place and the windows and the furnace Is attended to I I 1 think I can suit you OU she said and turned to a card Index IndE Walt Wait said sold the other There are other necessary qualifications He must be a good plain cook and know no English That makes It easier casler she saidI saidI saidI said I have ha a man with very good references references references refer refer- who could fill the bill He Be came camer r t ta a You May Regard H Him as a Temporary Temporary Tempo Tempo- Expedient over o In the last quota If It you could wait walt a few minutes I could arrange to have ha you meet him Achille Lutry was seven forty rather rath rath- er terrified with the size and noise of or New York and anxious to begin to save sn money so that he might return to Amiens and establish a restaurant The wages he was seemed mar mar- elous The restrictions seemed no burden JO to him He had no friends to ask into the house bouse and the little leisure he was allowed made the saving saving savIng sav sav- ing of his wages certain He was to report n at t the house bouse on Lower Fifth avenue tomorrow at nt noon That night at dinner the estimable Sneed noted a n certain unusual nervousness nervousness nervousness nerv nerv- In his masters master's manner Theold The Theold old butler did not dream of ot the Ill III fortune that awaited him Sneed Peter Milman began when D the coffee had been poured out m my future household arrangements will be beon beon beon on a different scale from what the they have been of late lute You have been a faithful servant to me for many years I am not JIl likely el to find your equal In lieu of ot notice I shall give gh-e you six mouths months wages I shall be glad If you OU will leave before luncheon tomorrow Oh Olt Mr Peter Ieter sir Sneed walled wailed what have ha I done to be treated like this 1 Nothing If It I 1 had bad my way I should never let you OU go You cannot understand understand understand under under- stand how sorry I am But the thing X X X X X X X X X X X X X Is Inevitable Inc There are ore matters matters' which you must not ask me to explain This Is one of ot them Let me stay Sneed begged I 1 dont don't want wages I can do the work we pay that woman for tor and tending the furnace Is good exercise This I Imy lr my home too sir Sneed said the other kindly if Jr I tell teU you that by remaining here hereon son on on will m embarrass me and Imperil certain certain cen tain plans I have bave determined on on willou will you ou still want to stay Id do anything for tor you Mr Peter he said sad brokenly I knew you would I will say this If It by any turn of ot the wheel things become better I will have you back The papers say nothing Is left left Sneed ret returned dismally If It the papers were always correct this would be a direful world Sneed looked Into the face of a Peter Milman he did not know and aud he had believed he knew his employer in ever every mood It seemed to the butier butler but but- ler ier he had discovered a new personality personality person person- allty someone more ruthless harder bitterer The man who comes tomorrow will never take your place You may regard him as a temporary expedient When you go Sneed I shall see one I of ot my few friends depart I IThe I The butler knew that there was no argument he could use to change his hla I employers employer's determination But he was cheered by the faint hope that some someday someday someday day he might return Mr Peter ho he reflected had never been like Ilke other men Reserved non communicative I aloof aloot and austere but Inflexibly a man manof manof manof of his word Six months was not so Sf long Sneed thought he would spend the period In foreign travel He had hurl I understood that during the past quarter quarter quare ter century certain Improvements had been made In the world When Peter Milman told Sneed that his presence would Imperil certain plans he was speaking sober truth In the upper rooms of his home there had hod been born the determination to save the things he loved from being disposed of at auction It seemed almost as though the shades of his forbears lingering about the things that had been theirs had concentrated ed their Influence upon their ultimate descendant He had gone to the Mil ml n museum to say farewell He had hod put down his ancestors ancestor's sword with the determination to fight And AndIn In this fight Sneed for all aU his faithful ways and honest heart could have no part Any deviation from the way of life Ufe he had followed for so many years wo would ld alarm the faithful butler He would Inevitably have ha Imagined his employer was ill and buzzed about him like Uke an on anxious fly Milman's way of life changed directly direct direct- ly Achille Lutry entered his service To the Frenchman It was nothing unusual unusual unusual un un- usual went out frequent frequent- ly Iy Lutry knew nothing of ot the former formers s secluded secluded existence A A few few days after atter Sneed's hegira had begun Achille Lutry dropped three letters Into a nearby mall mailbox The Tha letters were addressed to Fleming Bradney Edgewater N. N J J. J Floyd Malet 1 of Philadelphia Neeland Barnes of ot Peekskill the on the on Fleming Bradney returning home homa from a tedious day of work In the laboratory lab oratory of ot an oil refinery found his bis letter on the table where his meal was set He was a big untidy man man of middle age taciturn and unpopular with his fellows because he be Invited no confidences nor answered personal questions At the Edgewater refinery as In that at Bayonne from which he had come two years previously he was known as F. F Bradney None suspected suspected sus sus- him of being the great physicist physicist cist Fleming Bradney once the foremost foremost fore tore most man in his bis line America had produced He silt slit the envelope and looked atthe nt at the address and signature The name Peter Milman meant as little to him himas himas himas as his own name to Edgewater Brady Bradney Brad ney had never read a Social Register In his life Ilfe Between the pages was n a money order for one hundred dollars I beg you ou Peter wrote not to imagine that by Inclosing this money I suppose you OU to be an object for charity I urgently desire you to dIne dine with me mc today week at past half-past even o'clock and It may be that you must engage a substitute or be put by by Ill my request request to to some some expense not otherwise necessary You may ask yourself why yo you should go to this trouble for a man unknown to you ou I would answer that I am thoroughly acquainted with your life history and entertain a great admiration admiration ad ad- for your our genius Think of ot me as one anxious to see you regain your our rank as one of the great scientists scientists of ot the world Perhaps at this dinner you ou may be offered the TO BE CONTINUED r X X X X X X X X X X X |