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The Man
From Home
A Novell/ation of the Play
of the Same Name
By BOOTH TARKINGTON and
HARRY LEON WILSON
Copyright. 1909. by American frcaa
Allocation
CHATTER XVIII.
’ "* MIBUSIiJuIiSTOOD.
IADY CREECH was out early tlie
next morning. Perliapa she hod
§ pyjnotLiu-
* from the wreck and rec
ollected the ancient adage about the
early bird. She was seated on the ter
race having breakfast and keeping a
keen eye on the main entrance when
the hopeful Almerlc appeared, yawn
ing and Inexpressibly bored.
•‘Mornln’, aunt,” he said.
• Where's your father, Almerlc?" she
demanded.
"Flew the bally coop for Naples lasi
night Seemed to be Jolly well upset,
you know. Feared this beastly convict
chap would take a shot at him or
something like that.”
Lady Creech snorted.
"He always was a fool. Tab! He
should have stayed. Where’s the
Countess?"
“Naples; to look after the governor,
I'd say. Went off this morning. Beast
ly about this convict chap, you know.
What’s to become of him?”
“I can at least give you some infor
mation,” the old lady replied. “This
grand duke person's obtained for the
fellow a pardon by telegraph from St.
Petersburg.”
“How’s the dear Ethel this morn
ing?” asked Almerlc when he bad di
gested Ids astonishment.
“Behaving very peculiarly—outra
geously, I might say.”
“How?” demanded Almerlc, stifling a
yawn.
“Shedding tears over this I runoff's
6tory. Wlmt's more, she lias sent that
dreadful Pike person to him with as
sistance."
"Money! By Jove! Good girl! Buy
ing the beggar off to keep him from
making a scandal for us! How’s that?”
Lady Croech looked at him with
something akin to admiration.
"Almerlc! How clever of you! Of
course she Is! Your fattier will be
pleased. What a pity he didn’t wait!”
Daniel appeared at the top of the
steps and. seeing the pair, ensne slowly
toward them. As he reached the table
where they sat he addressed Almeric.
“Your pa seemed in a hurry last
,n!ght.” he said.
Almerlc started violently, but Lady
Creech arise and. with ft hpughty
glance, swept into the hotel. Pike
looked after her and then back to Al
merlc.
“Oh, yes,” the latter answered. "Had
to catch a train—the pater had—lie’s
easily worried by trifles, you knew.”
"Well, you don't worry—not too
easy, do you, sou?”
“Oh. one finds nothing particular
this morning to bother one,” the
young man replied, yawning. "Noth
tug at all. Of course Miss Ethel is
standing to her promise V”
“Vos, she is,” replied Pike grimly,
and Almerlc went on:
"Ye-os, tlie governor only thought it
best to clear out a hit until we wore
certain that she manages to draw off
this convict chap—what you Ameri
cans call ‘affixing him.’ isn't It?"
I’ike lifted a warning hand.
‘‘Don't try to talk United States, son.
Just tell me in your own way.”
“Why,” replied Almerlc. “she's been
giving him money, hasn't she? You
took It to him yourself, didn't you? Nat
urally we understood what it was for
bhe's trying to keep the beggar quiet,”
“So that's what she sent the poor
cuss the money for, was it? That’s
the way you look at it, eh?" the Amer
ican asked.
“Why, of course! What other rea
son could there be?" asked the other.
“Well, you know I'd sort of gath
ered It was because she was sorry for
him—thought he’d been wronged, but.
of course. I’m stupid!”
“Well, ray-ther! I don’t know that
it was so necessary for her to hush
him up, but it showed a very worthy
Intention in her, didn't It, eh. now?”
Pike looked at him carefully.
“Would you mind my being present
when you thank her for it?" he asked,
and Almerlc laughed riotously.
“Shouldn’t in the least if I intended
to tbank her. it simply shows that
she considers herself already one of
us. It’s perfectly plain—as plain as
you are, eb?”
He walked off whistling.
Pike gazed after him with an admi
rable chuckle. As be turned about he
saw Ethel standing at the head of the
steps, and there was a sad look upon
her face.
“I bear fbut Lord Hawcnstle ha?
left,” she saul quietly.
"Yes. I saw him go last night,” he
answered, looking up at her.
"He left very quickly," she said ab*
■ently.
“He did seem to be forgetting tne
scenery,” the American replied. “Did
you see I runoff?”
“Yes. 1 am almost sorry. He made
bo jgucb of- what I could do.”
“There are Borne good people over
here, ain't there?" be ventured, and
she looked at him quickly.
“When you are at borne again I hope
you will rememlier them." she said.
“I will," he replied.
“And I hope you will forget every
thing I ever said,” she went on.
“Somehow it doesn't seem likely as
If 1 ever would,” he returned.
“Oh, yes, you will.” she said. “AH
those unkind things 1 said to you”—
“Oh, I’ll forget those easy," he In
terrupted quickly, and *Ur went on,
ai most
* _ tr.e otuer things, tod, when
you’re once more among your kind,
good home folks-and probabjy tbejojs
one—you'll be so glad to get "back to
you’ll hardly know you've been a way—
an unworldly girl, one that doesn t
need to be cured of—ob. all sorts of
follies—a kind girl, one who’s beeu
sweet to you, 1 can see her; she
wears white muslin and waits by the
irate for you at twilight. Isn’t she like
that?”
He shook his head.
“No, not like that.”
“But there Is someone there?” she
asked.
He smiled sadly.
“Well, she’s ouiy been there in a
way. I’ve had her picture on iny desk
for a good while. Sometimes when I
go home in the evening she kind of
seems to be there. 1 bought a homey
old house up on Main street, you know;
it’s the house you were born In. It’s
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MTU A CRY OF RAGE A.YD 4 >ESTAIR ETHEL TIIiSED 0 A UI.M
kind of lonesome sometimes, and then !
1 get to thinking she's there, sitting at
an old piauo that used to be my moth
er's and singing to me”—
"Singing ‘Sweet Genevieve?’ ” she
asked quietly.
"Yes, that’s* -my favorite. Rut. then.
I come to and I find it ain’t so. No
Schedule Seaboard Air Line
EASTWARD.
No. 52—For loca’ stations, Mon
roe and Columbus... 9.‘go a m
No. 32- For Norfolk, Washing
ton and New York... 1:52 p m
No. 58 — For local stations to
Athens 7:32 p m
No. 36—For local stations north
of Athens, Richmond
and East 12:11 a m
WESTWARD.
No. 37 —For Atlanta, Birming
ham and west 5:23 a m
No. 57—For local stations ar.d
Atlanta 7:45 a m
No. 33 —For Atlanta, Birming
ham, Memphis and
West 3:12 p m
No. 53—For Atlanta and west 6:P: p m
These arrivals and departures are
given as information and are not guar
anteed.
voice corues to me. and 1 find there
ain’t nobody but me”—
“You’ll find her some day.” she put
In quickly. “I shall think of you often
with her listening to her voice in the
5
/ fk
h\\ m
X&%
* fl *"*
' “FotiTl And her some day *
twilight. And I shall be far away,
keeping the promise that l have made
and living out—my destiny.”
“What destiny?” he asked gravely.
“I am bound to Almerlc by his mis
fortune. lie has to bear a name that Is
disgraced, and it is my duty to help
him bear it—to help him make it hon
orable again, to inspire him in the
struggle that lies before him to rise
above it by his own efforts, in the
product of hla work”—
"Work?" asked Tike in astonishment
“tes," sne went on. "No matter how
humbly he begins and no matter what
it costs me. I must be with him, help
ing him. Isn't that true?”
“That’s what any good, brave wo
man would do,” he said.
“It must be done. I haven’t seen A1
meric since last night. I must see him
now. I’ve shirked facing him today.
He has always beeu so light and gay
that I dread seeing him bending under
this blow. It is my duty to help him
bear it.”
“Y’es; it’s your duty all right.”
“Then you think I am right. You
agree”—
“Yes; I agree.” he answered gravely.
“I give my consent to your marriage.”
“l’ou do!” cried Ethel. And there
was a distinct horror in her tone. It
was as If the idea shocked her.
“I’ll place it in your hands,” he an
swered and then was rudely twirled
about by Horace, who had approached.
“I protest against this!” cried the
young man. “She does not know
what she’s doing! I for one won't
have it!”
"Too late!” cried Ethel, with a chok
ing sob. “He's consented!”
And with a bowed head she ran from
them into the hoteL
CHATTER XIX.
IN SUSPENSE.
HORACE turned on Tike. His
voice trembled with suppress
ed rage.
“A fine guardian, you are!”
he said witberingly. “You came here
to protect her from something you
thought wiis rotten. Now we all know
it’s rotten you band her over!”
The lad paused, and then he laughed
bitterly.
“By Jove,” he exclaimed of a sud
den. “I shouldn’t be surprised if you
consent to the settlement too”’
The lawyer looked at him gravely.
"My son, I shouldn’t be surprised if
I did.”
“By the Lord, but you play a queer
game, Mr. Pike.”
“Oh, I’m just crossing the Rubicon.
Your father used to say: ’if you’re
going to cross the Rubicon, cross it.
Don’t wade out to the middle and
stand there. You only get h—ll from
both banks!’”
"I beg your pardon,” said a voice
behind them, and they turned to fiud
Lady Creech. She went on, addressing
Horace:
“Mr. Granger-Slmpson, have you
seen my nephew?”
"No. I’ve avoided that, if
you don’t mind my saying so,” Horace
replied. *--
“Pm""sorry, Lady Creech," he went
on, “but I’ve had a most awful shak
ing up, and I’m thinking of going back
home with Mr. Tike. I think he’s
about right in his ideas. You know
we abused him, not only for himself,
but for his vulgar friend, yet his vul
gar friend turned out to be a grand
duke, and look at what our friends
turned out to be!”
He stepped quickly to the entrance
and disappeared Into the hotel. Al
meric’s voice was heard as Lady
Creech turned to go. and Tike smiled.
“Here he comes now, bending under
the blow,” he said.
Almeric appeared with a white bull
pup, which he handed over to Mariano
with the remark;
“Wash him a bit, old chap; tepid
water, you know, and a drop of milk
afterivard nothing but milk, yon
know. Be deuced careful, I say!”
As Mariano disappeared with the
dog at arm’s length Lady Creech said
solemnly:
“Almeric, really there are more im
portant things, you know.”
“Rot!” replied the young man. “1
almost missed him. But I think I’m
to be congratulated, you know. Eh?"
“I think you are. my son,” said Tike
quietly. “I have given my consent.”
“Rippln’i” declared Almeric. And
Lady Creech started forward.
“And the settlement?” she asked.
Pike nodded. *
“The settlement also—everything!"
Ethel came from the side of the ter
race, followed by Horace, who seemed
to be arguing with her.
“Of course 1 never worried, you
know,’’ said A1 meric. "Put I fancy it
will be a weight off the poor govern
or’s mind. I'll wire him at Naples, for
ho"! be glad to know about that bally
convict chap—the arrangement you
made with him, you know.”
“A1 meric, I think it’s noble to be
brave in trouble, but”— Ethel began,
and Pike smiled behind Ids hand Al
merlc looked at her in astouishment.
"I say, you know, you’ve really got
me!”
“I mean that 1 admire you for your
pluck, for your seeming unconcern
under disgrace, but"—
“Disgraced! Why, who’s disgraced?
Not even the governor, as 1 see it!
You got that chap called off, didn’t
you?”
“Whom do you mean?” she asked
wonderment in her voice.
“Why. that convict chap. Didn’t
you sei.J kin: away? Yen bought him
off so lie wouldn't talk, didn't you—
gave him money not to bother us?"
She whirled on him like a storm
“Why, heaven pity you! Do jou
think that?" she cried.
Almeric was taken aback.
“Oh—what! He wouldn’t agree?
Oil. I say. that will be a piil for the
governor he'd be worried, you know!”
Ethel went close to him.
“Don’t you see that you've got to
worry a little about yours If: that
you've got to begin to do something
worthy that will obliterate this
shame? To work—to work!”
“What possible need will there he
for that? Why, there’s the settle
ment”—
“Settlement!" cried Ethel, aghast.
“You talk of settlement now?”
“Don't yon see? The only objection
was the settlement, and Mr. Pike's
given his consent to that.”
“He's consented to that?” she asked.
“With his own lips. Didn't you?” A1
meric asked Pike.
"I did,” said the lawyer quietly.
She recoiled from the group.
“Yesterday, when I wanted some
thing i thought of value, he refused to
let me buy it. Today, when I know
that name is less than nothing, he bids
me give my fortune for it. What man
ner of man is this?”
Almeric slapped his leg.
“I don’t see that the situation Is
changed. I don’t stick out for the pre
cise amount the governor said. If it
ought to be less because of last night
why, we won’t haggle over a few
thousands."
_ .With a cry of rage and despair
Ethel turned on him.
“This is the final word of my bumll
iatlon! I felt that you were in shame,
and because of that I was ready to
keep my word—to stand by yon and
. / 'tC |/
i rp
Tft k _
w
She was playing 11 Sweet Genevieve!*
help you make yourself into a man.
Now you ask me to pay you for the
privilege. I am released! I am free! I
am not that man's property to give
away!”
Lady Creech turned to Almeric.
“This is beyond everything! Give me
your arm, Almeric. We will go.”
“Most extraordinary girl. Beyond
everything, isn’t she?”
Together they went into the hotel,
and Pike watched them with somber
eyes. Horace quietly slipped off
through the arbor. Ethel turned to
Tike violently.
“What have you to say to me?” she
demanded. “What explanations have
you to make?"
“None,” he answered.
“Because you don’t care what I think
of you. You were willing to give me
up to these people, to let me romanti
cize about honor and duty, about my
efforts to make that creature a man,
and you knew ail the time it was only
the money they were after!”
“I shouldn't wonder,” he replied.
“Didn't you know that would hor
rify me? Didn’t you see that your
consenting, leaving me free to give it
to them, would release me?”
“I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“You mean you've been saving me
again from myself? You let me make
a fool of myself and then sho\y it to
me, and after that you'll deny it! It’s
like you. Do you think any girl c-oukl
love a mati iike that? Go back to
your dream girl, ymir lady of the pic
ture!”
“She wrn’t be there,"'said Daniel
disconsolately.
“She might be.” Ethel answered In
a different tone.
“There ain't any chance of that. The
house will be empty still,” he said.
“You might be wrong—for once,”
she replied, and there were tears in
her voice—“just for once!”
With a quick look at him she ran
from the terrace and into the hotel. A
moment later, while he was staring
moodily at the pavement, a piano be
gan to tinkle, and a moment later
Ethel’s voice came to him His face
lit up, and he stepped closer to the
window. Then his arms went out.
She was playing “Sweet Genevieve!”
THE END.
Capital Punishment In Germany.
Although little is heard outside Prus
sia of capital punishment within the
kingdom, the law is by no means a.
lead letter. In seven years there have
been ninety-eight executions, ten of
the condemned being women. Silesia
heads the list, with twenty-one exe
cutions, followed by Brandenburg, Pa
ten and Rhineland.
No executions take place in Berlin,
the condemned being taken to the pris
on at Ploetzeasee, in Brandenburg,
where they have a standing guillo
tine.—London Globe.
Schedu'e Gainesville Midland Railway
SOUTH BOUND
Xo. ll —Lv. S:4O a. m.
Xo. 13 —Lv. 2:00 p in.
Xo. 15 —Lv. 1 1 :15 am ; Sun. only,
NORTH BOUND
No. 12 —At. 5:10 am.
Xo. 14 —A i. 12:10 pm.
Xo. It)—A-. 4 :00 pm; Sun. onlv
“Colonel,” paid the reporter, I
!am told that you once made a for
; tune in hay. Would you mind
telling me the story?”
“The only foundation for the
story, suh,” responded Col. Hink
! thunder, “is that I married a rich
grass widow some years ago, and [
jean lick the man that sent you to
ask that guestion, begad, suh!” —
! Ex.