From the Housetops

this narrative presents but few new aspects, and yet there is now to be disclosed an une

was demanding the tolls of victory. There was no curbing its wrath: neither the soft nor the harsh answer of science had served to turn it away. The hand with the gleaming, keen-edged knife had been offered against it again and again, but the stroke had never fallen, for always there stood between it and the surgeon who would slay the ravager, the resolute fear of Templeton Thorpe. Time ther

rch, he said to his enemy: "Be quick, that's all I ask of you," and

lting truth, and when she came to know that he was doomed her pity was so vast that she sickened under its weight. She had come prepared to see him die, as all men do w

it, be it said, she would have become his nurse and consoler if he had let down the bars,-not willingly, of course, but because there was in Anne Thorpe, after all, the heart of a woman, and of such it must be said there is rarely an instance where its warmth has failed to respo

ch. His grandfather would not consent to his being sent for, although

hrank within herself and said no more. She knew, however, that he longed for the sustaining hand of his only blood relation, that he looked upon himself as utterly alone in these last few weeks

at, iron

at the young man would thank him on his death-bed for turning the hand of fate in the right direction, so that it pointed to contentment and safety. Therefore, he felt himself justified in forbidding any one to acquaint Braden of the desperate condition into which he had fallen. He insisted that no word be sent to him, and, as in all things, the singular power of old Templeton Thorp

emarkable and revolutionary articles that had been appearing of late in one of the medical journals over the signature of Braden Thorpe. There were

asm ensued. The great surgeons of the land ignored the article, amiably attributing it to a "young fool who would come to his senses one day." Young and striving men in the profession rushed into print,-or at least tried to do so,-with the result that Braden was excoriated by a thousand pens. Only one of these efforts was worthy of notice, and it insp

age family doctor one hears so much about. Mr. Thorpe was in greater pain than usual that day. Opiates were of little use in these cruel

killed forthwith, and put out of his misery," said the doctor, discussing his pa

that, Dr. Bates?" she inquired, after a momen

n, really distressed. "I did it quite thoughtlessly, my dear Mr

y. "But it never-it never occurred to me that-" She did not com

pstairs?" supplied the doctor. "Of course it would be

Mr. Thorpe's case as one that might be included in

ng Braden's pet theory were in practice now, your h

s no c

tely no

is to just go on suffering

iate the suffering,-everything that is known t

asked, and instantly shrank from the fea

horpe. He may live a week, he may live s

to the operation that you

ct, I would be opposed to it. There are men in my profession who would take the

uld die on the o

That isn't the point. It wo

theory sound and humane

ant you that there is not one of us who would not rejoice in the death of a man in

she said. "The savages in the heart of th

reasoning, is it wise for us to rec

ecause she could not choose her words. At last she spoke. "I have known Braden Thorpe all my l

ent of every honest man in my profession, but he overlooks the fact that sentiment has a very small place among the peopl

sometimes mercifully put an end to the lives

same field of battle," he was quick to return. "There is a wide distinction between a weapon and an instrument, Mrs. Thorpe,

Thorpe would welco

hat were true he could obtain relief fro

with a swift shudder, as one

be sure of that. By reaching out his hand he can grasp death, and he knows it. A month ago I said this to him: 'Mr. Thorpe, I must ask you to be very careful. If you do not sleep well to-night, take one of these tablets. If one does not give you relief, you may take ano

im as if fascinated; "they ar

as depository for these securities, all of which were carefully enumerated and classified, with instructions to collect and pay to her during his lifetime the interest on said bonds. At his death the securities were to be delivered to her without recourse to the courts, and were to be free of the death tax, which was to be paid from the residue of the estate. There was a provision, however, that she was to pay the state, city and county taxes on the full assessed value of these bonds during his lifetime, and doubtless by

ferred a safe four or four and a half per cent, bond to an "attractive six." With the coming of each month in the year, Anne was notified by the Trust Company that anywhere from seven to eight thousand dollars had been cr

enterprise. At first she could not believe her ears. But Anne was obdurate, She maintained that her contract called for two million dollars and no more, and she refused to consider

erent, but as you happen to know I am nothing more than a figure of speech in his household. I am not even his nurse, nor his housekeeper, nor his friend. He despises me. I despise myse

Tresslyn. "Infamy? Wha

inal bargain. It is bad enough. I shan't make it a

Mrs. Tresslyn. "You are certain

Mr. Thorpe is dead, if you please. I am to have my pay a

ather expensive pearls if I remember c

into his eyes when I flatly refused to take this interest. That was nearly a year ago. He began to treat me with a little respect after that. There is scarcely a month goes by that he does not bring up the subject. I think he has never abandoned the hope that I may give in, after all. Lately he has taken to chuckling when I make my monthly protest against accep

is yours. You can't afford to throw away ninety thousand dollars. The bank has orders to pay it over to you, and it i

ithed with exasperation. "I haven't quite decided who is to have it in the end. You

will give it away-give it to

tain

ld only stare in utter astonishment

," went on Anne, complacently. "You must assist me

is some justice in the much abused axiom that cha

said Anne. "That's where i

ess that I am sorely pressed for money," said Mrs. Tresslyn deliberately, and from that mo

Tresslyn was forced at last to recognise the futility of her appeals to Anne's sense of duty, and contented herself with occasional bitter references to her own financial distress. She couldn't understand the girl, and she gave up trying

developed a pugnacious capacity for resenting advice. It was easy to see what was behind the big boy's behaviour: simple despair. He counted himself among the failures. In due time he lost his position in Wall Street and became a complaining depe

ting her attention to the upward

e appeared in the society columns of the newspapers, where, much to Mrs. Tresslyn's annoyance, she was always spoken of as "Mrs. George Dexter Tresslyn." Moreover, in several instances, George's mother had found her own name printed next to Lutie's in the alphabetical list of guests at rather large entertainments

lf as to declare that Lutie was worth the whole Tresslyn lot put together, and she ought

ave to leave it forever. If she's worth anything at all it is because s

g given it to her. I don't care what you say or do, mother, she deserves a

. She made it out of the proceeds of a sale, the sale of a hus

"seeing that she got me at my ow

eeded very well in keeping it to herself. Men would have made love to her, but she denied t

the others, but they were not important. Discussing

about, the more I realise that class is a matter of acquaintance. If you know the right sort of people, and have known them long enough, you unconsciously form habits that the other sort of people

ave to imitate any one," said Simm

common school education, outside of the tricks they've learned after they put on long frocks? Not many, let me tell you, Simmy. Four-fifths of them can't spell Connecticut, and they don't know how many e's there are in 'separate.' I graduated from a high school in Philadelphia, and my mother did the same thing before me. I also played o

secretively?" demanded Mrs. Rumse

st for an extremity. Simmy delights in talking about me, and I love to talk about him. It's the simplest kind of

Braden Thorpe is ex

Is there any tinkering to be done for your family th

positively refuses to imagine he's got a pain anywh

I hear," put in Rumsey Fenn. "There'll be a choic

perate?" inqu

nant widows,"

uld let Braden operate. Just think what a fine boost

e of the men, sententiously. "He

man in the world to tackle the job," he

rge among the diligently unemployed, Lutie on the crest of popularity, Braden in contempt of cou

o stands just as he did at the beginning of the year. He