A Ward of the Golden Gate

elations to it flashed upon Paul with a ter

ed he also knew why he had been content to take his proxy! The questionable character of the whole transaction, his own carelessness, which sprang from that very confidence and trust that Pendleton had lately extolled-what WOULD, what

at had accompanied his speech. At last his face changed slightly, a faint look of di

t here-do you? Look at me. I don't look like a man enriched with other people's money-do I? Well, let that content you. Every dollar of that Trust fund, Hathaway, with all the interests and profits that have accrued to i

eviously suspected his co-trustee, that the man had probably ruined himself to save the Trust. He

int I want to discuss with you,-it begins to look as if the SECRET was safe no longer!" He had raised himself with some pain and difficulty to draw nearer to Paul, and had again fixed his eyes eagerly upon him. But Paul's

arnestness of the speaker, his dominant tone, and a certain respect which had lately sprung up in his

kes you

old them the whole story, and how the Trust was sacred. I made a mistake, sir," continued Pendleton sardonically, "a grave mistake. I did not take into account that even in three years civilization and religion had gained ground here. There was a hound there-a blank Judas in the Trust. Well; he didn't see it. I think he talked Scripture and morality. He said something about the wages of sin being infamous, and only worthy of confiscat

," he added, with a grim glance around the faded walls and threadbare furniture, "it don't mind; but mine isn't the mouth to be stopped." He paused, and then abruptly, yet with a sudden and pathetic dropping of his dominant note, said: "Hathaway, you're young, and Hammersley liked you-what's to be done? I thought of passing over my tools to you. You can shoot, and I hear you HAVE. Bu

e? The girl is an heiress, excellently brought up. Who will bother about the antecedents

elieve there are a lot of men and women about who have no other way of showing their own virtue than by showing up another's vice. We're in a reaction of reform. It's the old dr

ill be of

wo mo

ure to

leton, with grim irony

one of individual taste; but it does not affect my general b

BEFORE the secret is

tain

ould imply

the promise of the Trust-the pledges exchanged with that woman?" contin

ircumstances may prevent your carrying out substantially. You forget, also, that you have just told me that you have already broken your pledge-under circumstances, it is true, that do you ho

tion. After a pause, he said, in a restrained voice, "I differ from you, Mr. Hathaway; but enough of this for the present

d Paul, quickly. "D

gave her the name.

eturned Paul, hopelessly

e you to see her before we make the joint disposition of her affairs with the Mayor, two months hence. I have some papers you can sho

l. "But of cou

r three

ival of a rather lawless and improper past. At least, I have thought it better not socially to compromise her by my presence. The Mayor g

ow night," said Paul, glancing curiously at the

. It will

Paul rose. Somehow, it appeared to him that the room looked more faded and forgotten than when he entered it, and t

re you sure you can help yourself withou

quietly. "It happens once or twice a year, and

m when he entered. His voice, too, had quite recovered its old dominance, as he said, with half-patronizing convent

plan of testing his own power and popularity in a certain line of relief that at once satisfied his sympathies and ambitions. Nevertheless, after reaching the street, he lingered a moment, when an odd idea of temporizing with his inclinations struck him. At the farther end of the hotel-one of the parasites living on its decayed fortunes-was a small barber's shop. By having his hair trimmed and his clothes brushed he could linger a little longer beneath the same roof

n' dis mo'nin'?" Paul raised his eyes quickly to the mirror bef

than caring to comprehend the reason, Hathaway said pleasantl

Paul's smiling face in the glass. But almost as quickly he recovered himself, and, with a polite but deprecating bow, said,-"For God sake, sah! I

t gives me a chance of having my hair cut by Co

ad at first trembled in drawing a pair of shears from a ragged pocket, appeared to satisfy Paul's curiosity for the present. But after a few moments' s

your leisure moments in this trade? You'd mak

dat's jess what I bin gone done! It makes a little ready money for de ole woman and de chilleren. But de Kernel don' no'. Ah, sah! de Kernel kill me or hisself if he so much as 'spicioned me. De Kernel is high-toned, sah!-bein' a

ents, don't you?"

s,

uc

s, like hisself, sah; and some is Spanish, sah, and dey is sof' too, and ain't no more gumption dan chilleren, and tink it's ole time come ag'in, and dey's in de ole places like afo' de Mexican wah! and dey don' bin payin' noffin'. But we gets

onel many fr

gone done. Skuse me, sah!-but you don' happen to know when dat is? It would be a pow'ful heap off de Kernel's mind if it was done. Be

said Paul, with an

dis morne

but JUST NOW I think the colonel wants all your service. He's not at all well. Take this," he said, putting a twenty-dollar gold piece in the astonished servant's hand, "and for the next three or four days drop the shop, an

On'y strangers dat don't

should drop in? It's quit

h an apologetic mixture of respect and dignity, "but fo' twenty years no man hez touched de Kernel's

een beaming in the old negro's eye and evidently trying to find polysyllabic and elevated expression on his lips, he s

om Paul), was informed by George that he should pretermit his attendance for a few days. "Udder private and personal affairs," explained the old negro, who made no social distinction in his

room the colonel detected

st of mine to send away wine. If he don'

yo'self, Marse Harry, and de wine was

used, and gazed searchin

lie to me, or"-in a still kinder voice-"I'll flog the blac

the negro earnestly. "I'll j

Bill Soames, the rent last week don't amount to much, while there's the month's bill for the restaurant and that blank druggist's account for lotions and medicines to come

paid up dis afernoon. I'll bring de books and money to

and opening a desk-drawer took from it a striped cotton handkerchief, such as negro women wear on their heads, containin

fe, otherwise known as "Aunt Dinah," washerwoman; and "Scipio Thomson," their son, aged fourteen, bootblack. It d