From the Housetops

year and two months. Mrs. Tresslyn had set great store by him. Being a male child he did not present the grave difficulties that attend the successful launching and disposal of the femal

l a freshman in college, picked a girl without consulting his paren

ozen private detectives, and no end of sleepless nights to untie the loathsome knot, and even then George's wife had a shade the better of the

She couldn't see why there should be anything wrong in getting married, and therefore was very much surprised, and not a little chagrined, to find out almost immediately a

o reinforce her position, she took her stand against the unhappy George and his mother, and so successful were her efforts to make divorce dif

ity. He was a never-present help in time of trouble. The worst thing about him was his obstinate regard for the young woman who still bore his name but was no longer his wife. At twenty-four he looked upon himself as a man who had nothing to live for. He s

n of insufficient lineage provided the said young w

tions of a world that had been strange to her up to the time she was cast into it by a disgusted mother-in-law, and it is still more interesti

bitter opinions on the iniquity of marriage as it is practised among the elect. He fairly bawled his disapproval of the sale of Anne to the decrepit Mr. Thorpe, and there

is salt as a salesman. It is only necessary to report that the young man made frequent and determined efforts to sell his wares, but with so little success that he would have been discouraged had it not been for the fact that he was intimately acquainted with himself. He knew himself too well to expect people to take much stock in the public endeavours of one whose private affairs

he world. Then you would hear about his matrimonial delinquency and instantly you would take a second glance. The second and more searching look would have revealed him as a herculean light-weight,-a ma

t been for the interfering "mustard girl." He could throw a hammer farther and run the hundred faster than any youth in the freshman class, and he could handle an oar with the best of them, but as he had spent nearly eight years in acquiring this proficiency to the exclusion of anything

rs without flunking a single thing in athletics. It was during the hockey season, just after the Christmas holidays, t

was proud and resentful; but he lacked perspective, no matter which way he looked for it. Behind him was a foggy recollection of the things he should have learned, and ahead was the dark realisation that the world is made

oom on the top floor. He always went upstairs three steps at a time, as if in a hurry to have it over with. He had a room at the top of the house because he couldn't afford o

wed the requisite amount-and a little over-from friends down-town, and thereby enjoyed the distinc

a month or more he had been in the humiliating position of being obliged to dodge the fellow, and he was getting tired of it. The whole amount was well under six hundred dollars, and as he had made it perfectly plain to the beggar that he was drawing te

her for the money. He knew that the undertaking would prove a trying one, so he dashed

boudoir and rapped on the door,-not timidly or imploringly but with considerable authority. Receiving no response, he moved on to Anne's sittin

ou are," said

is mother and a little gasp of dismay from Anne

to knock before entering, Georg

, mother. You can't say that I've ever forgotten to do it." He looked a

. What do

n the couch and preparing to stretch out, "I

ne, "and don't put your f

w lovely the bride is looking to-day! I

eeable, George, you may get ou

stay awhile. By the way, Anne, speaking of disagreeable things, I am sure I saw Brady Thorp

s mother acidly. "Is it necessar

ve? I hope you don't see anything vulgar

o see me. He has gone away. There is nothing more to be

o have heard what he

u might have been under the painful necessity of calling h

he, mother? I thought he would. And I'll bet you gave him as good as he sent, so he's got h

id not

. How stupid of me. W

uppose," said Mrs. Tressly

I suppose. Pumping oxygen into him, and all that sort of thing. And that reminds me of something e

ed his moth

a business matter, so don't worry. I shan't say a word about th

have with Mr. Thorpe?

. You see, I want to see if I can't negotiate the sale of a thousand dollar

. Whose note are y

said Georg

t with a letter u inserted before

know how to spell it. The two words sound

u are not to go to Mr. Thorpe with your pecunia

ote, that's his affair. It's business, not friendship, I assure you. Old Tempy knows a good thing when he sees it. I shall also promise to pay twenty per cent. interest for two y

that I have a son who is entirely devoid of

y devoid of the one ending in pal, and I don't see what pride has to do with it anywa

said Anne

have five or six hundred dollars. I'll be honest with you, too. I owe nearly that

Have you been borro

take twenty-five for a week or two, will you?' and Percy says, 'All right, old boy,' and that's all there is to it. Percy's been all right up to a few weeks ago. In fact, I don't believe he would

I refused him," said Anne,

using him. Be that as it may, however, Percy is as sore as a crab. I can't go around owing money to a chap who has

d sunk in order to preserve a look of steadiness. A fine moisture had come out upon

s good as anybod

n't worth

iscount it for full value, if he wanted to. That's precisely what makes it

l to talk about, and you are a dreadful nuisance when you discover a reas

idiculous,"

y from Percy Wintermill?

r word. You might as well say, 'Why did you swipe money from Percy Wintermill?' He lent

e, George, don't

e take fifty, Percy.' I can't help it if he suspects, can I? And say, Anne, he was so terribly in love with you that he would h

into it," sai

ort of thing. Everything desirable except Percy. And then, just when I thought something might come of it, you up and get engaged to Brady Thorpe, keeping it secret from the public into the ba

the room, George?" sa

him up. Some day I'm going to refrain from dodging and he is going to run right square into this." He held up a brawny fist. "I'm going to hold it just so, and it won't be too high for his nose, either. Then I'm going to pick him up and turn him around, with his face toward the Battery, and kick just as hard as I know how. I'll bet my head he'll not bother me

chair, and even Anne turned to regard he

asked the former, controlli

rs, including interest. A pitiful

to get the money from M

would be the better way to put it. I

ared Anne, confronting him with blazing eyes. "You have

will mail a check to Percy this minute, I will draw one for you. A Tresslyn cannot owe money to a Wintermill. We will say no m

nd lowered his chin. A huskine

advance me the money. Then the idea came into my head to work the bluff about old Mr. Thorpe. That grew int

as just remembered. I shan't in the least mind adding one for Percy. He isn't a dressmaker but if I were asked to

You never miss fire. I'd give a thousand dollars, if I had it, to se

s lips. After all, there was honest tr

d her mother's waist. "But I don't like what you said about me and the dressmakers

e and scrambling among the papers for a pen. "You won't have to worry long.

do not promise to refrain from saying disagreeable things to A

am to put my O.K. upon this wedding of An

his mother. "You have said quite enough. There is nothing more

trap closed from now on. But I don't want you to think that I'm taking this thing pleasantl

e will let it

,-my pretty sister Anne,-married to that old rummy. Why, she's fit to be the wife of a god. She's the prettiest girl in New York and she'd be one of the best if she had half a

That will

d such words as these from the lips of her big and hitherto far from considerate brother, the brother who had always begrudged her the slig

d turned away, muttering an oath of mortification. Ann

ing, George? Are

ting his lip. "Go away, Anne. I'm

ffectionate arm about him and laid her cheek against his sleek, black hair. "Buck up, little boy; don't take it like this. I'

n mean and nasty and all that sort of thing and I'm always saying rotten things to her, but, darn it, I-I do love my pretty sister. I ought to hate you, Anne, for this infernal thing you are determined to do-I ought to, do you understand, but I can't, I just can't. It's the rottenest thing a girl can do, and you're doing it, I-oh, say, what's the matter with

eyes. She had not moved while he was expressing himself so feelingly about Anne. Was it possible that aft

ou must be made to realise that I cannot afford such luxuries as these. You have made it impossible for me to re

We arrange for it occasionally, but God forbid that we should ever become so common as to borrow it. There you are, filled in and ready for your autograph-payable to Percy Reginald Van Alstone Wintermill. I put his whole name in so that he'd have

ost it to him at once," she said. "There goes one of

She had linked an arm through one of George's, much t

ss the bride next month, and wish her the best of luck.

ll you've got to do is to keep a sharp lookout and you'll find it some day-sooner tha

"I've lost the

rowed as she looked into his. "You ought to get down on y

to ask you to let her alone, now that you're rid of her, just a

voice. She looked intently into her son's set face and fear was revived in her s

again if I can help it. I must say, though, that our skeletons are uncommonly attractive, aren't they, Anne? No dry

u, George, and th

understand each other. At any rate, we've got one thing to be thankful for. There are no Winte

one time as a most desirable helpmate for the rapidly developing George, an