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Show - m ' S1VT:i. JLLl: "- CHAPTER Tiie. Man with the The first time that Cel. "-" f brlfd Mol. Rujife'rt Winwas under cirto fix the inci- ter saw Cary Mercer I deadly anger when hesaw it; it was ihfJiLWMi&MM-- . oa I I : I 1 1 . In-- : j I , , - I J ulty and became a marvel. Part of this ; .unean n power was reajly-du- e, not to hearing alone, but to an alliance w;Ith. amheF' sense, because Winter had learned the tip language in his youth; he heard with his eyes as well as his ears. . This combination had and embarmade an unintentional rassed eavesdropper out of an honest gentleman a number of times. To , set nfL'guch evil tricks it had saved his life once on the plains and had res' cued bis whole command another time While he studied in the Philippines. the two faces a sentence from the. younger man gripped his attention. It was: "I don't mind thF-rtkrwoman's I hate taking such an old money." r"She has aheap," answered th other man carelessly ; "l)esides", He. added something with averted head and In too low a voice to reach the 11s- tMer unassisteC;:; Hut; it was convinc- i ig, evidently, .since the young man's - He fjcre'K jbottCaVlrfd stern.1 undernodded, rautteriJgT' Zi'Oh, stand; I wasn't backing water;- I know tcr be sq ttea wOTve"sIeltght: Huttsajpldphapi how long since . Mrs. Winter has seen you? Would she recognize you?" The (olonel, who had been about to abandon his espionage as unbecoming a soldier and a gentleman, stowed away all his scruples at' the mention of the name. -- He; pricked up his ears sharpened hiseye,J)Ut was careful (and they shouldeatch his glance. The next, sentence, owing to the speaker's position, was Inaudible and Invisible; but he clea4y caught the young man's fl he had blundered in on a naked soim. Noiselessly he slipped oufof the range of is!oii Tie s Kike roirfi; halt ing 4o the rooms; ask" some qnesi this rnade' aNinomeiit's pause. It waa sutflcieni; In the study .they found a quiet, calni.aJthough rather haggard looking man, who greeted Winter's companion courteously; with cumstances calculated dent firmly In his memory, -i- n the the Philippines year 1903, home-froon f urloughTand preparing to return to a task big enough to attract him in spite of its exile and hardships, he . had visited the son or a friend at wi Har-rard- They were walking through the corridors of one of the private dorm- a eouiherrLl eeeiha.ndisfjruod itories where the boy roomed. Rat her manner, lie was presented fiTthe tot g onel as .MrMerWK He wwriA hay "trimly the -and tilul floorsV excused himself i)rofVa"ing "that he rnrartlewalnBtoUti! was afademie-environmgoing, but the colonel took just and contrasting this Flalph, with his own- - at West,P,olnt. the words put of his niotHh: me that is all I lmr, hf . a cigar-fo-r "A caustic comment, rose toc.llte-.ltB- K at tnt-tt wag-not uttered., for he heard cameTorTerrW for. luncheon, then." the sharp bark of a pistol; followed by Ralph, tttUd. and a crackle as of breaking He did nat gee the nian Again; neither d Id he see ftalph, although he made Class. so far as in him lay, his fiction "Doyou, . fellow s amuse yourselves good, of an"'"engagement"' at the ""Terrraine ; shooting .up the doi mltory ?" said he. Hut Ralph" could not come; snd Winter -- Thft JJOXJiaUedhe JigiLgon e white. -- hud liinotinrt, 1ntenil with qn old Mercer's room!." he friend at his club, and bad watched, "It fame, from oss "the t:orrldor to through a8thteyI-CeGfgia- n "erledTahd Tan-acrwindow a door with the usual labeling foTlwa; itie iknmmW of greenery " theyhtfttngjwtnVi visiting" cards, -- The door was pot in an . ','" " t j locked. Entering, they passed into a thesol-dierJ- s AH luncheon the through - vestibule, thence through another .mind kept swerving from the door which stood open-- . For many a in hand to Cary Mercer's face. talk see could' Just Yet he never day after the colonel expected to see it again. how the slender young figure looked, Three years later he did see it; and - the shoulders' in a huddle on the study this secondencounter, of which, by the ".table; one arm swinging nervelessr be way, Mercer was unconscious; iWasthe on a aide himi the floor, revdlverahd ' of an absorbing chapter la beginnfng broken glass bottle. The tatter A short space of time that must have made the crackling sound. bia life. yet into it crowded occupied; 'hapter Some dark red liquid, soaking . Ihe wonderful ahdPawfut a: mysteryvperiU open sheets of a newspaper, (filled the keenest happiness and room with the pungent odor of alco- Bectacle, the Let his days be cruelest the anxiety. hol. Only the top of the lad's head so many, the series of events ever showed a curly, lfky7 1faft,f brown which-tellowe- d Mercer's Feajeayance bead; but even before the colonel, lift ed It he had seen a few thick drops - matting the brown curls. He laid the perlences;- their vivid and haunting burn through comrhoner-will bead back gently and his handalipped pictures as an electric and later, happenings boy's-wrlsfto -- soldier's-eyesrwerenotin- but ent r, -f- w - m ib a if m. - response: ,,,,. - . sure they'll "You're train?" this on be . "" "". ".The "' :'b:oy'B wW jthem?" inaudiblej'eply. huf "ahothernbd; "And you're sure of JJiss Smith?!' . .L.,-.- . the This time the other's profile was totoreh""ltarWThTtmih;hjTrs--m- i he sald.ln the sub-- ; ward the listeuer who heard the reply: !Na :Nothing,ho wve!, could promisa "Plumbsnre:LI;-wish- I were as: sure duedJtonestha jthe Jrolcetakes un- - adventure Jesalfi8nthedjULRadc.hiJl - consciously in the presence of death..; some we settled of other Have things. ate March evening when the chapter ... "And Endy- was. going to help him," everything It is better not. to be seen began.Nor-oulanyone be less--ea almost sobbed Ralph. "He told me the lookout for adventure, or even intogether, A At First He Did IMot Recogn ize the .Face. he would. Oh, why couldn't he have terest, than was Rupert Winter. In you've put me wise on little the main trusted' his, friendsl". By the way, what the a was points. he for nice deed and had added the Philippines; guardian he truth, he was listless and depressed. '""" .' 7 By a natural enough transition, ..his the penalty: for kidnaping?" The colonel was looking at the When he alighted from his cab in house ln the suburbs of Chicago. there though tsswerved to his own brief, and - Again .atfiaverted rhead. "and- - hiatus. newspaper "Was It money?" said he; the great court of the Rock Island sta- - If Haley wouldn't for a glance at the dabbled sheet had tion he found Haley, his old orderly, never was a . better soldier since he not altogether happy married life. He foltowed by the younger man's, spark "Wow Jn irjMnal ling smile and exclamation brought him the headings of: the stock "with a hand on the Haley's had downed a foolish young hankering Riskier than. he where wife had his and his left he and wild Break could for. "Another Sharp times whisky if. quotations: military . stoicism of demeanor" fun!" " Soinethlng' further he added, certam agitt4oB J wWn 'i- g - a in Stocks." "NewIkhdonRec6rd"-r- ti BomultecoBceai bad been money. - Later, after what at least not from the colonel's shrewd he belonged let h(m settle down, take heavy. To escape musings which but his arms ,hld his mouth as he needed to bedone was ovei after doo-- eye,7ised to catch thenmodsof his up the honest carpenter's trade that grew drearier every second, he. cast; thrust them into his greatcoat, prepar- .... tora and" offlcara'of the law were jjofle. soldiers He strangled . a kind of he had abandoned, be a' good cltisen his eyes about the motley crowd shuf ing to move away. He .went alone; Col. Winter heard the wretched story. sigh. "Doesn't like it much more than and marryittre" TJbra to '"'sonie'class fling over the tiled floors or restini; and the- - ether- - af ter,...a - moments A- .gathered up coat laJheasslveriLonk young, reckless,- fatally- attractive I," tholight Rupert Winter- "This la make "a fortune and build her a it was then that he saw Cary Mercer, and bag and- followed. During that Southerner, rich friends, college so- might?, kind of you, Haley," .he said. "TecngnlTjB-fhhWrilrf decM faee. "first nnt cictlea. Joyous d theolonial flt answered Haley, salut He only at two his features had dropped Into sinister wicked or vicious, only a surrender to ing. The5 colonel feebly. still obtain in the twentieth century. grinned -men who sat some paces lines which the colonel remembered. youth and friendship and pleasure, - Haley, busy repelling a yoifthful por- The colonel .had spread 'a grand "Dangerous customer, or I miss my and then the day of reckoning Suns, ter, did not notice the grin; he strode "prospect before Haley, who listened away from him in the shadow of a greaTHled column srmllar Jo his own. guess," mused the soldier, who knew college warnings, the menace of j&lackl ahead with the colonel's unresponslvely, a dumb pain in ' found an The colonel There wag this difference, It happened:. the jtessrons of men. "I wonder they disgrace. The young fellow, was an blue Irish eyes. empty settee the mission lantern '.with Its electric couldn't" mean my Aunt Rebecca ? orphan, with no near kindred save one Reside one of the uareQIed column brother-mucolder than i he. The of the waiting room and disposed his worse the limp look of Haley's back bulbs above the two men was flashing She's old ; she has millions of money- brother was reputed to he Tlch. ; ac4 burden pnithe tronrailed seat next the as ha watched It, brightly, and bv some accident that but she's not on this train. And there's . to above theolonejwas d;ark. He could no Miss Smith In our deck. I'm7sb and southern cording .corner Che, which he. reserved for the Igan avenue. standards,! used to plotting I. go off on fake hikes! see the men, hi msel f in the shadow. ivOiing Mercer, wftp had- - piatconia Into colonel. However, Mrs. Haley had been more a modest patrimony of his own, Invest . The rather striking in ap- Probably I'm getting old and dotty. "The train ain't-Iyet, colonel," Bald J satisfactory, if none the less bewilpoor fellow, may have, his " ed in his brother' ventures. As to he. "I'll be telling were evidently gentle Mercer,t'urned She seemed very grateful pearance; they dering. you" brain and be the character of these ventures, oia men; the taller one was young., well "No, Haley," mterrnpted the. col- oyer the ; house and the or a dirty kidnaper-fo- r whether flimsy or substantial, the .col- - onel, whose t 'iea'p'cleaii-ehav'eiSwitched a little.;1 and furnishing. A birthday present, he ana..Tqaly-tlip revenge- but thaboy's . oneJ'a chap; Informants were absolutely he looked aside; "best n His, had termed Jt, with a flicker of hu- - most correctly dressed. paf good-byI've licked too many second .lieuten- ignorant. All they knew of the elder howr dou'tTwalCThe-faet"- l a showed In its anta irrtn hair slight .curl canW:Tha7warls7iew-- f pnmothlnP ahqpo yipf fft Mercer was that he was often in New you and I birthday. His fiftieth birthday It hap- - closely clipped locks; his grayue of youngsters.1 oftooTnany things thinking :X0I "d had "a lot to do with Wall hayft gone through together." He pened to be, and it occurred to him eyes had long lashes of brown darker Hetnished the idea away; or, rather. "street," He wasn't a broker; no, he that m anou ghtJtodo something a thaa":hl8 hair; hla tenth wrw very his own problems, nushed It out of his was trying to raise money to hang on .heldjout.hIsJiand r wite7imaitherff-warTdimple Jniiis mlnd.which -- went back, testis rard gazed past it and saluted, little notable on such ah anniversary. to some big properties that he had; expression, while he repeated: ?"Yes, Bor; I'll be This rounding of the had cheek; plain when he smiled. Had his and his single living brother. Meland the stocks seemed to be oing at back to take the bags whin the train's attributes It was no mere an- nose been straight he would, have been ville had no children apart; only..bis wife's botremarkable rates just now, the made .Whereupon he wheeled and nual hirthday; It marked the last van-- aOandsome as. a Greek god, but the daughters,' who- - were both marrie- dtorn propping out of the market. If a made up." off with speed. tshln'g flutter of the gilded draperies nose was only an ordinary American Melville, having married a widow with certain stock of the Mercers they ; same damned - obstinate of outh-th- e L withering, of the ; gari hqse7 jather too broad jat the base the "Just a family, an estate and a mind olJaer " didn't know the name could be kept was a" his little Jaw too moreover, ' the tinkle lands the he's chuckled light fading way had," always own. Melville was' a professor in- a 27" above he would pull through. Col. to himself,.- - Nevertneless, music of hope. It shonld' mark a man's square for classic lines. Nevertheless, state university, a mild, learned man ' "Winter made no comment,1)nt1iBt colonel ached in his throat as he Build achleyements, Once, hot 80 long he was good to look upon, as well as whom nature intended for science; but remembered that .when: Jie had stndled something and clean and wholesome," and 'winked and "frowned agOilnter -- adbeBeYeOhat Jils strong UCUJI U1IUCU "UUIU UIO,, WHO H ; . imt:,!.-t fn J li.l Tl1m.j: lhiJnprli!rjgfB' s Jot -Ohrrt brac on 'euT.you, placed himself, he had noted "bad "slump Jn room thg reiuItaTTn" thetttmpre-beneficent and 1" .. ... verslty. , the southern steels," and: "Tidewater out old sport . he muttered. "The the where he ruled, That and his white teeth gleamed in a kind . ."EvenlmonejL:v which ..will ; win," on tho nd province yoa game's on the toboggan slide; off three to pleasant to see. chuckled Rupert Winter to - himself. dream was shattered. He iwas gen- of merry four points, declining from 27 and S haven't established, your suit; , you'll . It was But the manwho held other could he have and erous .nature of have to sit back and watch the other I'MllllcenLhasn'irouchtactXIbuthe fraction to 23." fello Wf play I " But his 4rary thtghjs heenliEonteht tfti;boWanotherfap thelonWsTye.T This 2 man waa has ihe perseverance of the saints. ."Another, victim of the Wall street perBlsteiLiu pe tha. fields which he. had sowed and double the "young man's age, or near She married Mel; he doesn't know, plnies ? was the eolonel'e silent judg the regular army of the iJhited States.-- tilled the harvest; whether bl3 that; he was slxrter, although sUll of PuL8he.8vrre'y did. And she 'bosses tnunt on the tragedy,- ''Lucky for her He had been awhich he worked r hut falrt stature," and sllni Of bulld. IIls him now. Well, i for brevetted' brigadier or another's, suppose Mel likes his mother's dead." , to have face was oval in contour and hlsMiadbeenr theihluetpfflce generaTaftef the?Spanistrwar;anJ to be bossed; he never had any strenuAlthough he wore o ous The next morning' he lad returned had commanded. not""only a brigade, to stand aside, ,wlth no right to proopinions, except" about the canals and had gone to his young friend's hutJLdi vision at one critical' time la test and see his work go to wasto be glasses, his brow" had the man. There was a ' rooms.-., the Philippines; but for reasons jrop-abl- cause his successor had a feeble4raln of a With nrn and a .pusillanimous caution in place mole on his cheek bone and another his feeL. There before him," ln"the The boy was still full of the horror knownto the little knot .who "hung it in .of Mb own dogged Willi JFpr all these J just below his ear. Both' were small, flesh, was his of the day before. -- Mercer's brother Her state ma-in Cambridge, he said arriving comprehensible to most "Americans, reasons,, as well as ptherSj th colonel rather "than large," and J lh" no sense jy figure, ber Roman profller her grao noted t i,,.''nnjS'fronl:New Yorkf'Endy congress bad failed the bill found no test ltf his fiftieth bir.thdayf disflgurln;;-- r bnt? fully; gesUculatInghahd,w In Hbe Mbit of to fetch him round to get him giving the wearers of brevet titles the and his reverie drifted dismally ffom them absently;- being Is cated the colonels position : to her ' another-unti- L phoJ;ographln6.a. man in a gljince, .Jhe heavily laden out of i be reporjers' Way sometime right to keep their attendant; n lad f Mm evening; nmy he there's something empty honors; wherefore Uen,. Winter it brought up at the latest wound to ace hadLbeaiit y, distinction even yet knew byhekrt Just .as he these.he . his heart-h- ls n no" this in explanation of had declined to CoL Winter, . favorite brother s death about i7 hung some: assoclatlonrBinls-te- r knew that her toilet for - the Journey i aa a oison bihtd. cliiiin-to' dine with" tBecoTon6X' t'ia. "TTieTe"hM hcW"i1rrro'tntr- - broth''' eaiTTigoTiFbgte ' -- An , Jl . - d -- "Yes.-Ilthln- . k i- : ihousilibsaxes. - door-hasp.- -; : f6pthall"-fiayetf''"mbri- . - - - -' lly HmeSr-tiothing-ira- "YeSr-soE- r" -- niomgn.L-atarxe.s.te- lft enietHal-TOansifHyhW- gazed-Indiffere- . ntly Well-dresse- d - his-wid- e world-scarre- d hand-luggag- h dwindle-owa-Mlclu- ; . '' ;' men-wer- - e hist bomb-thrpwe- f i' Ught-brow- e frnA-a- -- . a-- half-centur- y 1 . -- T ot-4h- e, - .. Ml 1 II -- d last-four-ca-rds good-natur- e . " - - . far-ptfek- er -- near-sighte- y ot'porl--tician- 5T d ; the-olq- nel s -- p'-i- ; andfone-sotnber-reflectlo- hard-worn ! - ; "Tharrbaar'nan'unnured the colonel with sym pat hefic"s61icItudeT Twhat'a a the trouble?. Couldn't youget " ' "I have my reservations, but, I don't " know whether I shall go to night sec-lion- I "Maybe I'm stupid, Mlllicent, but mean," what I know you confess don't "Really, there's no reason why you should, Hertie. That's why I was so anxious to see ypiMft tinie, so that I might; explain to you might put you r-on your guard." u.b nu i ted ; he; iii r.okmt;l ybs never hurried a woman. "I'm going to "visit dear Amy you leuiember she was married lwo years a ;iko and' lives in Pasadena; she has dear little baby and ; the loveliest home! It's charniitig. And she was soelight'ed 'with your wedding gift. Smy never, did, it was so original. care" for costly thtngsfMhese Simple, unique gifts always pleased her. Of course, my main object is to see. the r unJess-An- nt train. If for any reason she waits 1 shall wait over until . also." "Ah," sighed the colonel very softly; not stirring a muscle of his politely attentive face- "and does Aunt Rebecca expect to go on the train?" office 'J'TeioIdmeat that she had the the" drawing-room,- " stateroom and two sections. Of course, she has her maid with her and " Archi " , too?" the colonel "Does he-g- o,asked, Ms eyes 'narrowing a little. "Yes," she's taking him to he doesn't. seem well enough,, she thinks, to go to school, so he Is to have a tutor out there. I'm a little fralduhtebeEca mollycoddles the boy." --"Aunt Rebecca never struck me as a niolly coddlef fa y a, considered her a tolerably cynical old Spartan. But do y()U mpan. there ,s any anht of their going? Awfully good of you 4oj'ait lsase JfLtbeyjIon'.t go, but I'm sure'Aunt Rebecca wouldn't want yot -.tojacriftce your section " a. Mrs. Melville lifted shtopely hand a Deteartian gesture of arrest; her smiling words were the last the expected. "Hush, dear Bertie: Aunt Rebecca doesn't know I am her to know ungoing-; l 4ouvt-waottil we are on the train." "Oh, I see, a surprise?" But he did ntyt see. and with a quiet intent ness, he watched the color raddle jilleiamooth cheeks. Hardly," returped thevladyf-TheMelville and I are- worried about Aunt Rebecca. She, we fear, has fallen under the influence of a most --plausible adventuress; I sup pose you have heardof her com. panion, Miss Smith?"' "Can't say I' have exactly." said the colonel placidly, but his eyes nar- towd-agai- n. "Who is the lady T--r am sure Melville must "I thoughtrJ7 have, written you. But Oh, yes-- he wrote yesterday to Boston. Well, Bertie, "Miss Smith, Is a southerner; she sayB she is a" South Carolinian, but; Aunt Rebecca picked her up in Washington, where she was with a kink of cousin of ours who was half crazy; Miss Smith took care of her and she died" she fixed a darkling eye on thft Hn1diPr-r:"B- he died arid h.' irft Miss Smith money." ' "Much?" "A few thousands. That is how" AmjtJlebeccaiet her, and she pulled the wool oyer auntie's eyes, and they came back together. She's awfully - clever." ' ; rlal -- Jn-bl- -- 'rillupMiifTTlgri through life and During, the past year both Thomas possibly retire hlni from "service" at 50. Winter-anhis wife had dieL. leaving it had given him six months sick one child, a boy of 14," named Archileave (which he had 'not "Wanted!, bald after his father's uncle. Rupert aiiaafter spehdlns month Winter- and the jhe Atlantic coast, he was going for the widow of the. great uncle, - were ap ot first p'.imi'Fe pf a man Bitting in a hla head sunk mission rum-chaien liift breast, - So- - absorbedwas tlijs on-tr :rt in .hla own distempered musings s V approach - did "sat with kiiUtfed "Spring" tcr-tfc- e iiirn. t aruii-s: rm' rind clenched handa, ; ?taring own term of office had expiredhad not buiThad followed him, Mrs. fcis rigid and , pallid va:-nc- y; of Haley and the baby uncomplainingly rti set in ft gliastJy.-lntensltwas not fair There-wa- s sufrering in the britiging up the colonel, t to Haley nor to Mrs. Haler. the;colpnel t tirpn wss ij i i liviiijj among tne scr ten. ite naa toia aiey so; ne naa m of the orient, knew found a t?ood situation for the man. tV,e r, he ' tt!' ''new-comer- PMlflc-irateyTTsrhos- g a - , ior; -- - therearlt potmedJotst-gTiaTdtani- boy'a-great'iun- fy theryprngi Archie. In his jaded mood, he was assailed by reproaches because he - had not seen more of his ward. '1 " WEy: heti Jiada't; so much" as looked the little chap up when- - he passed through Fairport merely had sent him a letter and some truck from To-nigh- t, - , have.' I seen -- that m,an?. Almost . Instantly the clew came to him. "By Jove, It's the brother!": he exclaimed. : Three years ago, and he bad almost forgotten;, but here was Cary Mercer the" name came to a Httleroplng hefe ;he was again ;r hut who was the pleasant youngsterwltbThim? And what were they-- discussing with so little apparent and so touch real earnestness? One "of the colonel's physical "gifts was an extraordinary acuteness of hearing. It passed the mark of a fao Eimself,' "where T -- hlrn-afrer- KilT wuuld Kit and TiaVe mlen-Mlllt- tho nont Ik Mrs.-MeU- , ; 'Young? Pretty?" J "Oh, dear, no. And she's nearer 10 than 30.. Just the designing age "for a XgmanheiOhS'sietllL wanting to .marrj-jffiroen-- e afraid that she can't. Then such ereaturea always, try io get money. If they can't marry lt,:and there's po' man to set their caps for, they try to wheedle It out of some poor fool : womanKMlllicent "wag Jn earnest,: there wag no douVt of that; the sure sign "was. herjtinconsclou8" return to : the direct expressions of her early life Jn the middleest -- ". " , "And yu thinR Miss -- Vi?!iia!J "Of course she Is; and Aunt ' Re " becca is 80, Rupert,- - And often while people age Mow ho other sign of weakening Intellect, thev.' Sra not well regulated in their affections? She waved her luggage into place an excellent place In the same breath dismissing the porter and Instructing Tie'musrfetufnTbeh,3ut notruntU then, did she tumraclotjsly to her brother-in-laT hoped that I should "flndyoiu Bertie," she said in a Jvoice of such creamy richness that" lt jwas hard to credit the speaker with oniy- three short .trips to .England. "Melville said you were to take this train; and I was r;.--.: . Of clingingr She Is getting uepena on - miss Smith. "u things.' him,:when eTotlng and i!ir tH amrttmf f -- - As thtj tfi'O t:meretl liie-t- u, Wia. ter wBS a liltla In advance and caught ably make him limp i butfljUialtJloLo,to.night RebPcca"rnter is on the dear-child,- . a sister-in-la- to-pai- ' Hente." California; i.nd he saw "the interlocutor's head nod. 1tr6001urrebuc -- . so delighted, so. relieved! 1 am in a. mdsXiharaasiug pjedjeament, mydear Really, to- - that '!! together. She L?JM a wora against her. "ear 118 .i WThy! TSJ Med knew about to suggest how little we Miss Smith "and that it" would be better not to trust her too entirely, she positively; .resented 1L Of course I used tact, too, I was so hurt, bo" surprised!" Mrs. Millicent was -- plainly aggrieved. f The colonel, who had his own opinion of.4he tact of his brother's -wife, wa.jiot er aurprlsed Wade' an Inarticulate Bound-- " which might pass for sympathy. (TO BE CONTINUED.) T . jo - ;- b-- 1 : |