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Show i 'myself, whom he tolerated as a sort rised other things that were In comof lleenaed and necessary evil; Bruce mon between ua She understood perHalil day, my second cousin, whose fectly that there waa no animus back exploits he would of my words, and I would not have sometimes chuckle over, and Clare cared particularly If she had told him Win ton, another distant cousin at all 1 said. As a general proposition mine from a different branch of the she would .agree with me, but not alfamily. But It was practically lmpoe-slhl- e ways- I remember onee when she to know Clara and not lore her crushed the rose which she had been a little at least; and 'It was hla af-- d caressing into a shapeless pulp with the. Axfhor action for her, combined with hla one convulsive squeese at some careIIMmioM pf Mftgnu O. Kattnar fondness for nature, that made me less remark "of mine concerning his y Wt realise that he waa a human bring Improvidence. DU you ever happen to notioe after alL Bruoe used to say to me no uae a perfect specimen there CHAPTER I. privately that If Uncle Abner was the where Bruce's clothes show the first of experimenting further. crab apple of the family tree, 'Clare algnatef wear?" she asked defiantly. 1 have That was a rather peculiar crime, called Uncle Abner mean was certainly the peach, but I always I admitted that I had not. the robbing of my Uncle Abners safe. find peculiar, but that description Is preferred to regard her as the Jewel. "Then 1 will' tell you. It Is at the It was cleverly planned, opportunely insipid. It Is about as adequate as I would not liken her to a diamond flap of hla right-hantrousers pocket timed and successfully executed. It describing Satan as not beings pleas- as I would Mrs. Pace, who scintillates where he carries the loose money that was a good haul, too Forty thousand ant person. Of all the Bo you and dassles, but rather to a perfect he loans and gives away. dollars In crisp coin of the realm Is men I ever met, Abner Halllday had exher emasee action nothing and whose signified . soft Is, beauty pearly pretty high pay for almost any crim- the moat frog-1- 1 kq temperature. I once nates from deep within. cept another Instinctive desire on her inal for a few hours' work and risk, had a dream which will Illustrate my While It was easy enough to ac- part to fly to his defense and cover and that la what the perpetrator got Impression of him. It hap- count for his fondness for Clare, 1 his sins of extravagance by the manout of It pened when I waa spending a year at never could quite understand what a tle of his charities. And, of course, You will notice that I said "crim- a technical school learning practical man of his Instincts saw about a prodi- against sentiment like that logic la inal.' I did that to distinguish It from mechanics prior to entering college, gal like Bruce to pat on the back, useless. the operation of a gang of thieves; and It was brought about by a partic- good looking and agreeable though he . Then, too, when It comes to his litfor as It turned out It was the work ularly heartless and thoroughly un- la And It pussled me almost as much tle Jove affairs Bruce Is certainly a of a single Individual and not the called for letter which he had written to notice that Clare, who Is d pachyderm. You could shoot him as combination of effort of a coterie. me. I dreamed that I had seen him and as sweet and wholesome full of Cupids arrows as you could That made It still more difficult to dissected at a clinic and that his as fresh milk, would so readily over- thrust a human pin cushion full of solve. As a chain Is no stronger than veins were filled with liquid air In- look things In my cousin of which I needles, and the result would be the Its weakest link, so la the punning stead of warm red corpuscles. And knew she Instinctively disapproved. samqln each case. An unfortunate of a combination of men.no keener when It came to the region of hie One day I spoke to her about It I affair of the heart affects some peo'than the wits of Its dullest member. heart they found Its place occupied good natu redly charged her with be- ple not unlike a mosquito. It annoys .That Is why conspiracies generally by a toadstool. He was long, lean, ing very fond of him, and she ad- them for a few moments, and then ancome to grief somebody turns out to miserly and rich. As to the amount mitted It with audacious sang frold. other mosquito comes and the first be weak. In the matter of which I am of his wealth, I had little knowledge one Is forgotten. With others It gets Of course I am. Everybody Is fesspeaking there were as many baffling except from a boast he once made to everything la Children climb all over under the akin like a "chlgger bepoints as there are tp a hedgehog, and me and which I was Inclined to him and stray dogs follow hlia.home. ters and torments and will not be for a time It seemed Impregnable. As lieve at the time. Why shouldn't they if he pits them? scratched out And there Is where I happened Incidentally to remark for the sleuth hounds of the police, I expostulated. But he Is so obvi- Bruce and I differ again. He Is of the ous first dais, while I am of the chlgger-blttethey came up to It with caution, that he must be a pretty wealthy man, I might even say notorious smelled about It discreetly and then and he turned to me with that cun- about hla well, I will call them, fivariety. drew away, looking wise, to ponder ning leer of his a leer that had the nancial Clare nearly always came to see us He doesn't a relentless-nesover it, and for all I know are look- cunning of a fox and the care who about them. She an- upon Sunday afternoons.- We would I auppose you know swered meknows, of a wolf. ing wise and pondering yet But with as pertly as a sparrow. usually hear her whistling as she owed en the Buttons Missing From Hla Garments or Trimmed the Edges William LeDuc the case was differ- how far it la from here to the heart I like about him. came up the walk when she waa still "That's what Just of His Ever Frayed Collars. of the city, he grinned. I told him Bruce ent. can a a slhg doesnt know there. Is such quite, ways distant Clare LeDuc had been something of a that It was eight miles as the crow thing as underhandedness. like an angel, but she much prefers Bruce he would sit down and begin to mate friend of mine ever since we were files. She seem to care for any men but like the devJL Bo thats the some Immaculate to whistle I cant believe that lore to her. Nor would he do this In and and "And about 80 rods.. Now, you listen women have iff way myself, flats trebles schoolboys together, and be did realand with and sticking up for tar- squeaks are In earnest In your the way that any other civilised man ly brilliant work on the case. Every- to me, young gadabout. If I should nished men. it seems to be one of her lips In a pucker and her chin you and he dolIn the first place, would go about such a thing, but flirtations. brasen American turn Into all my money thing conjured up by the human mind the mysteries of the female mental aslant and the discord she creates Is filibusIs capable of human solufiod If we lars and put them side by side, edges equipment which Is Incomprehensible shocking. But she never gets dis- he has no more seriousness about him openly and notoriously In the secIn did everyfashion he which In the jumplng-Jack- , and a than tering from reach found LeDuc remember, touching, and theyd go about It right, to the male mind. But while I al- couraged, and would rather shrill a Bhe seemed with of a cannot ond conceive I helpless always thing. girl to hall. here the city the way. Just because a dog Is helpways liked Bruce, we are of somewhat few false notes through her puckered "Which Is a long ways," I assented different your Ideals loving a man of his pe- before hla extravagant compliments, less before a bristling porcupine It Is temperaments I am not a lips than open her round throat and culiar financial practices and alley-ca- t while, as for myself, I would watch no sign that all animals are. The wild meekly. He grinned again. purist in any sense of the word, but let notes pour forth that would drive, habits. Outside of hla more or less him In silence unable to make up my else where "And tell Ill they I believe In discretion. Personally I a prima donna to glaring envy. Into you cat Isnt. He Is too quick for the no more mind whether I was amused or dishriatler. He feints him out of his de- would reach. Theyd reach to the prefer a person who does the Indiscreet the house she would come by means respectable dub he has has a bal- gusted. After he got tired of that he fensive posture by lightning play chambers of the Judges; they'd reach thing discreetly to one who does the of her private key with a fife of her fixed place of abode than would would Insist that she go with him he believe don't and I' loon, of office the assessor, unto the private and eventually gets him by the of her feet on discreet thing Indiscreetly. And that Ups and a be any more content to settle down over to the boulevard where they of to heart reach the and any Is nose which they'd the beginfinal In a until Is one differ. which he and I protected the uncarpeted stairs, way could sit on a bench and pick out an than one. ning of the end of the problem. Just public official I wanted, then to Neither do I admit that It Is hypoc- hollow thump would announce her arIs automobile from those going by, such toss "That head. would 8he her them. I reason desire la the which what LeDuc did has never been made the portals of my uncle's Inrisy on my part merely discretion. rival fellow has no home as he was going to purchase for her because the public up to this time for the reason Understand, now, young Jackanapes? It has always seemed to me that when ner sanctuary. Thereupon I would to allure him.poorJust you wait until be especial benefit. At first she would 1 toi I returned or is none "Yes, but he wearily, disgusted two people's characters are equal, arise to s military "attention and my that competent married. If he wins the right demur, but would finally say, All give the Inner particulars of the run- by his contempt for all human hon- that whateter advantage the one uncle to a creaking resemblance of up- gets wife he will settle down so hard that right, If Tom will go, too. Whereat ning down of the thief, and up to this esty. Then I wen away and left him, may have over The other rests with rightness as she threw open the door he would laugh and say to me with an can hear the echo." you ever that to tell. more resentful than cared has floor us of neither time feeling the., one who has the better reputa- to reveal herself, sinking. to the In protest. audacious wink: hands wave I would my as out the In now. and I must toll day But I feel that I must do so with skirts spread In an exaggerated tion. Oh, Tom doesn't care to go. He But he speculates upon the board for Also Bruce was usually up to his curtsey of the olden days. . Up to unThat I happened to know more than cashier iff a soulless corporation and all that, .nd while I do not would rather loaf up In hla den and bets, of It out then 12,000 and a pay ridiculous year, a of with one two kinds ears In trouble of de she would go anybody else about certain Incidents first-clas-s hotel financial or feminine. But no matter kiss upon the bald spot of his head, consider such things as particularly read a book than go over there and connected with the affair and was my uncle pretty near I know that you are utterly sit In the dust, wouldn't you, Tom? At in depraved, able to supply LeDuc with the proofs rates for my hoard and lodgings. fair- which It was, he always managed to anjben settle light as a puff-ba- ll them.,- - Besides, ha Is a finan- In reply I would bow low and say against Insults and times his 1 window browbeating commence oil. eel an and It seat like to the the fact that through of guilt was due slip through (to cial humorist How could he support "certainly, with a sarcasm that lived with Uncle Abner at the time ly sickened me of life; yet I swallowed would have shriveled In pewife the any other living a moneyless dreary, schoola of the crime took place. I, also, was the them with the reelgnatlon human being, but at which he would riods?" condition as a who takes boy quinine and bound one who found him lying "I'm sure I don't know that would only laugh again and straightway unconscious. Also It was myself who to his being allowed to go fishing. Oh, his end of the bargain. But I do march her off. and that, of course, be will How we dance men's shoes! reported matters to the police and In- dead know that if he had a wife who would would be the last of them for that day weartroduced LeDuc to my uncle. As for until we fall fin: the prospect of he throws away when he Is so far as I was concerned. save what As I said before, I waa not in love the time when the burglary took ing them. they would never come to prosperous house the about Now a few words with her; I did not think that he after place, I happened to be away from we am not I all, sure, And want home, having stayed at a hotel in the . lived In. but that It Is better to have a lot of was more than half In earnest and It waa a rookery. Large and ramalbusiness district quite a few miles money part of the time and none the therefore was not Jealous. But It handa from bling, It had degenerated from where I lived. left me feeling sort of disgusted. the all a little ways to have than rest only suburban home to I dont believe It ! In the male n Sr And now at the outset 1 am going some, time. outcast hulking, tatterdemalion to emphasise one fact While It Is an aamidst a for time, tllte for any man to witness a woman That would quiet me respectability. It was bruised I had to depend entirely upon my sal- whom he likes tacitly accepting the unpleasant' thing for me to do so, 1 and battered. The spine of its roof am going to tell everything I know ary, for being under heavy bonds I advances of a man other than himself already had a curvature; the paint could not have speculated had 1 without wishing that he had horns. regarding this crime.- - I am going to hung from It In ahreda, and ragweeds cared to and still retained my posi He may not particularly want the spare nobodys feelings, faults or repu- surrounded It Internally It was tations. That 1 have not done so betlon If the fact became known. Still, woman himself, hut the sight of It hollow. Year by year Uncle fore was because of a reason which nearly by certain economies I hdd managed breeds a sneaking desire In him to go sat his by dollars, clutching will be apparent when all the other Abner, to hide away a few hundreds for out and hook something. and watched It run down as steadily .ifl facts are known. .But now that a as a dock that Is never rewound; emergencies, and In addition to that i II. CHAPTER has happened I feel , certain event i bank I 15,000 had In the savings of himself and of all beprideless known. fafree to make everything come to me from had my which longing to him save his money. And In uncles large front room there In writing this account I have whenever he did spend a few dollars thers estate. That, however, 1 re- was my a safe that he had picked up fund as a trust deal garded a good thought best to do so chronologically upon repairs his cheerfulness was somewhere In the dark ages of his which was to be left unused except In when possible. Therefore, I must go that of one who gives a surgeon his some forecase of last resort. Bo I would take youth, doubtless upon somewhat Into matters which pre- fee for extracting his vermiform apwas one of the simand It closure; her and and another taqk Impress ceded and were more or less directly pendix. Necessity, so grinding and try of his complex mind that he with the greater virtue of ultimate plicities connected with the crime In order Imperative that further neglect would should cling to It with the faith which and and shown achievement be motive Industry through that the may prove fatal, was the only condition a child reposes In the toy savings economy rather than by mowing your bank In which he had that there may be the proper per- that could loosen the Gordian knot deposited bis way through the ranks of your fellow treasure. It waa a spective. To do this I must tell more which bound his money bags dogged enough would I men. From her quietness or less about people not absolutely I never opened the heavy door that contraption, and around It rethink she was becoming converted un- looking the connected with the burglarly, but who led from the group of magnificent cenvolve principal characters and til of a sudden she would give a fidget. events of this are necessary to the narrative by tury old oaks, the branch ends of history as a moth cir"There he comes now, down the cles a flame. Behind reason of their propinquity. How- which stroked the gray house like cathe portly doors assert would of she back walk us," ever, they are simply the shading ressing hands, .wlthqut, a feeling iff of his fortune; were the Integrals kept without even a glance around. And and side lights that, go to make uft the dlagusfand'hot shams. The 'lower and notes deeds the leases, mortgages, sure enough It would be Bruce, a picture. And while LeDuc may diaap- floors were unfurnished save for the were the material evidences of that as bundle In a In and hla mouth the kitchen, the dining room and the cigar pear for considerable periods his possessions. While It waa nearly v big as a peck measure wrapped up always practically- - empty of cash, at telling, the mistake should not be room for the housekeeper. Bmirlng in paper under his arm. I always remote wisde of thinking he Is nowhere thoee portions It was as barren as a Intervals, and for a few days at around. That Is what he did In the ships empty hold. . Tor years Mrs. thought my physical senses were par- a time only, it contained considerable ticularly alert, but she would Invar- sums In specie. This last happened actual ferreting out of the case, and Tebbst had been the housekeeper of iably announce his coming before I when he would collect the money on a that Is what misled the criminal. But the place, doing all tbs household knew he was within gunshot. Hearwhen his fine Italian hand did appear work and never to our knowledge remortgage or other security, and being, Intuition, Instinct or sixth sense, cause of not feeling well would reat the finish. It wore a glove iff malL ceiving company, and almost never I know not what It was, but at times ceive Right at this point I find myself leaving the premises. The upstairs payment at the house instead of it struck me as almost uncanny. Up the bank. Once In a long while this somewhat at a loss to decide Just portion of the house was also bare a to us he would come strolling with Dollars, where to begin the recital. This Is of furniture save for my undos and If I Should Turn All My Money Into American would chan do to occur after banking They'd smile and audacious "Hello, little His quarters conor on a 8unday or holiday, and Reach From Hare to the City Hall. ; for the reason that I am not a writer my apartments. and a - nod and an hours, sweetheart, In that event, after the payee had detrained In the art of building up a sisted of a large, sparsely furnished to d me; c "Howdy, old man, rive minutes of that would parted, ho would give himself over to mystery with such skill that It stands room running the length of the front He la a broker by trade. Also, he hatter, out of breath, after which and standing before us with his feet a revel with the currency with all the Intact until the time comes to demol- of the house, with an alcove In con- speculates on his owa account, and put her would grin at her like a ish It; when with one deft blow the nection, my own sleeping room and part iff the time Is floating like a bub- she would be content to settle down wided apart delight of a child fondling a new toy. as to conversation she puppy. Then I would He did not seem to care for gold ae and sewed wave at the ordinary on whole ble thereto. and den That the Is top removed prosperity being adjacent keystone begin to light up. the stereotyped miser always does fabric comes down with a crash. Uncle Abner continued .to live amidst the rest iff the time swimming for on the buttons missing from his gar- see Clare'sIs eyes It this time, Bruce? ehe but would "What nose around among the Therefore all I can hope to do Is to this shameful waste of handsomely dear life in the succcieding trough. It ment!, or trimmed the edges of his a With collars. For while Mrs. would half gasp excitedly. once -bundles of greenback! with the seemiinpiy and plainly outline the char- designed rooms and broad- natural was a good deal as' he himself deliberation that would (keep fascination iff a feline for catnip. acters which seem to me to be per- grounds, was about' the only piece ef put it, when he ad planned to feed Tebbeta . was employed to .do. .all this, studied In squirming suspense he would ing her for those reserved tasks Clare In Inconadvance: week us always a of to him ever was I knew of few a It extravagance full during one of these scenes a understanding to tinent "You had better put a sandwich In herself and Jealously Insisted upon gradually open the bundle and raise that, our quarrel occurred. ditions, and then go on and relate1 dulge himself In. .However, I could would It on high. Then suddenly he (TO BS CONTINUED.) partially account for it In two ways. your pocket, boys, for life Is uncer- retaining her prerogatives. Perhaps events as they happened. Perhaps an hour later, If the weather was- - fit pour a pailful ef rosea, carnations or with Is It come know. had Into As he In the first brief tain. you a turkey with descripplace tifd better begin them send and over head her Cause for Joy? violets I to catch her eye tion of Uncle Abner, his peculiarities possession of the premises through me one day and feathers the next, and ting. would manage down on and Ever since I refused Tom Mis Into her Pert would lap a tumbling and with as significant chance glance to take your some sort of ajtocunpocus swap; had you have got and meannesses. . dine then go down to a rustic seat beneath the grass In a waterfall ef fragrance. two weeks ago he hasn't been sober when will which sen-- 1 secured them for a song, won the reto you you get last at that look When you same. the big oaks. Presently', she would And at that she would utter a little a day. fence again you will begin lb under- sulting lawsuit, and - then left the with me.- But come on Just the Miss Caustlque Not tired celebratcry and go- down upon her knees as be the It will biggest join me. stand that I meant it who J said I former owner to whistle for the song; If It la turkey eh? Exchange. the handful them she up by ing, In with waa I not gathered While leva really was going to spare nobody. Neither and In. the second he had a real and one In the market, and If ltrs the exfor his a like him magpie nelthec.'waa I. with anybody else. scolding do 1 believe any one will think as 1 abiding fondness for trees and grass. otljer It wiU.be feathers la our caps her, Nothing Else. I liked her. exceedingly, realised that travagance, and stopping after every .not Trees and dq. however, to anyhow.? grass, ' I , spare am attempting that Wish yoti would select more of I proceed He smell a for words few rapturous Ideal well would make a , she nigh In spite of yourself you can't cherWhat an Idiot 1 quire repairs.- my- own feelings. treasure. Ahd that appropriate times to go to your dressThere ish anything against a man like that wife, and1 sometlmea used to speak to' each captured Now .as to his associates. waal ;Lthlnkwhen the. fates .were be- would be my reward for my lecture on maker's. about love would, matters. I her one Mm never to criticised I any She My dear man, all times to go t) making the worlds supply of fools, were only three people in .the worlde save the sin of extravagance. Clare, and only to her Incident- half In fun and half In earnest. after they had constructed me they whom he did not seem to have a dressmaker's are fitting occasions. at presence, my don't regardless would! Then, Clare. I crltisay,, you broke the' mold. Having turned out natural aversion for. These wero ally and openly the same as we cf IdRCCMSIANCE LASH Harry Irving qfXosande of happy-go-luck- y Greene Wifclcmcss" amer.g iu i ! i d $ cold-blood- life-lon- g high-minde- i n I - . -- well-groom- : . . - off-han- r good-nature- . - ever-fraye- . ' -- . ij . ,1 |