The Right of Way, Volume 1.

d been drinking, his face was flushed, and his whole manner was indolently careless and irresponsible. In spite of this, however, his grey eyes

soda beside him, and, as he drew some papers towards him, an

ted in his chair an

out your own business. Pshaw, wh

tations, his outer idiosyncrasy! This boy, whose iniquity was under his finger on that table, despised him for his follies, and believed in him less than his wife-two people who had l

s finances, and the statement that you haven't isn

bit his finger-nails no

ould say, and the judge

ty-five thousand dol

r, and the loud cackling laugh of some loafer at the corner. Charley's look imprisoned his brother-in-law, and B

t's all there is about it." Charley had been staring at the youth-staring and not seeing him really, but seeing his wife and watching her lips say again: "You are ruining Billy!"

nd it's not all there is abo

ed it, put the key in his pocket, and, com

had enjoyed himself so much for years and years? Never to go forth free among his fellows! Never to play the gallant with all the pretty girls he knew! Nev

s crime, but the fears of the materialist and sentimentalist, who rev

d Charley, after a minute's silence,

it into

t mi

Lake S

ort of

sen

and rattled against the gold

t the monocle to his eye

Brow

way his John Brown had come home to roost. He lifted the empty whiskey-glass to his lips and drained air. He was terribly thirsty; he needed something to pull himself togeth

he asked, his tongue th

uld have bee

you bought heavily to se

es

tone that Billy misinterpreted it. It seemed hopeful

et in New York was catching hold. It looked splendid. I thought I could use the money for a week or so, then put it back, and have a nice little scoop, at

e in his life had that face been so sensitive, never even as

f, suggestive of little use, as though he were learning to speak, using strange words stumblingly through a m

arsenic?" he said, after a pause. There was no feel

rly

freely. Tell the truth, or-or I

's the truth. I had de

bet on th

es

d l

harley; it was th

children and widows, an

and his own reply. A quick contempt and a sort of meditative sarcasm were in the tone. It

ne, I suppos

out a hundr

d your game; now y

and he was melodramatic

d, banging the table with his fist

ly would not do, shooting himself was that one thing. His own life was very sweet to Billy Wantage. Charley hated him the more at that moment because he was Kathleen's brother. For if there was one thing he knew of Kathleen, it was that she could not do a mean thi

hich I am responsible, and then you rate me so low that you think you'll bamboozle me by threats of suicide. You haven't the courage to shoot yourself-drunk o

e. Billy quivered, yet his adroit senses caught at a straw in the words, "as rob me!" Charley was counting it a robbery of himself, not of the widows and orphans! That gave him a ray of hope. In a paroxysm of fear, joined to emotional excitement, he fell upon his knees,

soul and honour! You shan't lose a penny, if you'll only see me through. I'll work my fingers off

e. If he could only decently take a drink! But how could he wi

-to-morrow. Go away home. Don't go out again to-ni

the best fellow in the world, Charley." He went towards the door, dusting his face of emotion as he had dusted his knees. The old s

ley, looking sharply in his face, said hoarsely: "By Heaven, I beli

eur, he filled a glass and drank it off. Three times he did this, then se