From the Housetops

s the result of an inspiration. After leaving Thorpe he found himself deeply buried in reflection which amounted almost to abstraction. He was disturbed by the persistency of the thoughts tha

crificed to the greed of an unnatural mother. Admitting, for the sake of argument, that she was no longer in love with Braden Thorpe, there still remained the positive conviction that she could not be in love with any one else, and certainly not with that tr

short of brigandage, a sort of moral outlawry. Old Templeton Thorpe deserved a coat of tar and feathers, and there was no word for the punishment that ought to be meted o

as he ever to know whether a girl was marrying him for himself or for the right to lay hands upon the money his father had left to him when he died? How can any rich man know what he is getting into when he permits a girl to come into his home? To burglarise it with the sanction of State and Church, perhaps, and to

ll the girls he had loved in his college days-But here he stopped. It was too terrible to even contemplate, this unmerited popularity of his! If only one of them had been honest enough to make fun of his ears, or to snicker when he became impassioned, or to smile contemptuously from her superior height when he asked her to dance,-if only one of them had turned her back upon him, then he would have grasped the unwelcome truth about himself. But, now that he thought of it, not one of them had ever turned a deaf ear to his cajoleries, not one had failed to respond to his blandishments, not one

or solace, an inspiration was born. It sent him forthwith to Ann

said Rawson, "but she says she will see y

said Simmy,

should not at least have a try at saving Anne. She might jump at the chance. He was already blaming himself for not having recognised her peril, her dire necessity, long before this. And since he had reached the dismal conclusion that no one could possibly love him, it would be the sensible thing on his part to at least

had Lake Shore stock or West Shore stock, and he did not know what Standard Oil was selling at, nor any of the bank stocks except the Fifth Avenue, which seldom went below forty-five hundred. There might be a very awkward situation, too, if he couldn't justify his proposal with facts instead of conjectures. Suppose that she ca

een a great many women putting on their gloves as they came into rooms where he was waiting. The significance of this extraordinary custom had never struck him with full force be

oking more beautiful. There was real colour in her smooth

with her. "He

k on the mantelpiece with the frankest sort of calculation. "Going to the dressmaker's at

a chair up close to hers. "That's w

aven's sake, Simmy, don't tell me that you

is she put upon the pronou

ution to lower to what had always been a successful tone in days when he was considered quite an excellent purveyor of sweet nothings in dim hallw

stared at him for a moment. A merry

u've been

middle of the day. Almost never, I swear to you. Confound it, why should you say I've been drinking? Can't

I was positively asserting it. But go on, please. You interest

ere to be insult

me?" she inquired, the smil

serious or more sober in my life. You've been proposed to a hundred times, I suppose, and

get at, Simmy Dodge?" she cried. "A

he said, far

. "Is it possible that you have not heard that I am to be married thi

ee you about. To talk the whole thing over. To see if we can't do something. Now, there is

she cried, starin

rs. It's true nevertheless. I'm glad that I've at last had the courage to tell you. Still I suppose it's immaterial. I've come up here this afternoon

her throat that died suddenly in a strange, choking way.

perfect of God's creations. You shall not be sacrificed on this damned altar of-I beg your pardon, I did not mean to be

are willing to sacrifice yourself in o

you for yourself. Isn't there something in that? I can give you everything that old man Thorpe can give, with love thrown in. I understand the situation. You are not marrying that old man because you love him. There's something back of it all that you can't tell me, and I shall not ask you t

r. Thorpe for his money,-is t

arrying him because some one else-ahem! You can't

k you, Simmy. I think I understand. You r

" he said fervently. "It's t

. Every one knows just why I am going into this thing, and every one is putting the blame upon my mother. She is not wholly to blame. I am not being driven into it. It's in the blood of us. We ar

he exclaimed, seizing her hand

am," she s

ne. For heaven's sake, don't go on with the other thing. Chuck it all and-take me. I won't bother you much. You can have all the money you need-and more, if you ask for it. Hang it all, I'll settle a

gently, even tremblingly. Her eye

n now, Simmy,"

time they w

aid. "But, of course, you have. You don't care for him any more. You co

be human," she sa

vague yet sure was forming in his brain, somet

stand. You wouldn't marry a young man for his money. I

simply. "I would not live for years with a man unless I loved him, be

ectly, Anne. Would it interest you if I were to promise to be extremely reckless with my life? You see, I'm always taking chances with my automobiles. Had three or four bad smash-ups already, and one broken arm. I could be a little more reckless and very careless if you think it would help. I've never had typhoid or pneumonia. I could

e cried, laughing through her te

u can call me up any time,-at the club or at my apartment. I'll be ready. Think it over. Good-bye. I wish I could wish you good luck in this other-but, of course, you couldn't expect that

him at the door, nearl

mace, "you might be a very beautifu