Cap'n Warren's Wards

ontemptuously glancing about the library of the apartment. "A box, by Ge

ept width of Central Park West, over the knolls and valleys of the Park itself, now bare of foliage and sprinkled wit

ng out at the December landscape. She, too, was disco

d Stephen, after a moment of silence.

pose it is. But you must remember that we must make the best of it. I always wond

fixed as everyone thought. With management and care, we could have stayed in the old house,

you know Mr.

es said, Caro, as if he was the whole book of P

"from Missouri." Probably King Solomon, at sixty, had doubts concerning the scope and depth of

it where it doesn't show and nobody knows. Take the Blaisdells, for instance. When the Sodality Bank went up, and old Blaisdell died, everybody said the family was down and out. They must have lost millions. But did they move into 'apartments' and put up a placard, 'Home

nows they are-bluffi

and he shook my hand, after I had held it in front of his eyes where he couldn't help seei

aisdells," declared C

tors at the bank, now that it's reorganized, and an office down town, and he's hand and glove with Von Blarcom and all the rest. They think he's a

And the newspapers have been printing all sorts of things, and hinting that young Mr. Blaisdell's appointment as director, afte

t Stock Exchange seat of father's. If I were only of age, so that I could go down there on the floor, I tell you it wouldn't be lon

ite of the fact that it was one of a suite in an apartment hotel, and furnished richly. A. Rodgers Warren spent his money with taste, an

e well enough to call to-day. He expected to. Except for

Stephen, with sarcasm. "Uncle

ame. And father's was wors

vernor; that's why he dropped it, I suppose. Jus

ctor forbade his leaving the house for a day or two, but he would call on Tuesday-to-day-if he was sufficiently recovered. And Mr. Kuhn said that everyth

r was insane when he made that will as I am that I'm

omised me you wouldn

vable! It's ridiculous! Think of it. Suppose this uncle of ours had accepted. Suppose he had come to town here and any of our friends had met him. 'This is our guardian, Capt

, Steve. You k

ly get himself appointed, and he's respectable if he is an old fogy. We'll worry

his ability to handle this or any business, no mat

need me, do you, Caro? I believe I'll go out

plying. When she spoke, there

Graves came. He will wish to speak of important matters, and

the door, stopped and kicked imp

come, if he is coming. Maybe he's under the weather yet," he added, hopefully. "Perhaps

the telephone when

I suppose I'll have to stay. We'll hear a

e entered the library, did n

Malcolm," he said. "Will y

lady's f

Oh, Mrs. Dunn, I'm so glad to see you! It w

's efforts to conceal the fact. She was elaborately gowned and furred, and something about her creaked when she walked. She r

and Stephen so often this morning. We know how lonely you must be, and Mal

r son, was a blond young man,

, calmly. "How d'ye do

chair and gazed about the room. Malcolm strolled to the wi

ine, "how are you getting on? How are your

ly, thank

help you in superintending and arranging and so on, but I was

me, so she was accustomed to explain, from an impaired valve, and "some day"-she usua

rned from

your vital organs in the plural. Anyone would imagine you were a sort of

mired young Dunn immen

You sound so unfeeling. One not acquai

heart interest. This isn't a clinic. I say, Steve, h

r colored and bit her lip. Mr

insufferable. Flat! Caroline, dear, you mustn't m

sharp, and her

r down at the office who is forever talking of his 'nice flat in the Bronx.' It's a standing guy, you know. So far

ightly mollifie

t you would have known exactly the right spot

unn had ot

suggest that you and she and Stephen go for a short ride. Yes, really you must, my dear," she added, turning to the

ould like to. Indeed, I should. But we have been expecti

this jail. Let old Graves wait, if he comes. We won't be long; a

. Graves may come, and-and it seem

rs. Dunn. "Malcolm will be delighted. It w

or more, but Peter says he thinks it's all right again. We'll give it a try-out on the Drive. Hope we have better luck than my last," with a laugh. "They nabb

Graves, I'll explain if he comes. Oh, no! I'm not going! I shall remain here in this comfortable chair and rest until y

Mrs. Corcoran Dunn would not go, but the others must. So, at last, they did. When Car

about the size of their estate and who the guardian is to be. There are all sorts of stories, you kn

s the careless an

ng-room, returning a moment later and sauntering casually toward the open desk by the fireplace. There were papers and letters scattered about this desk, and these she turned over, glancing toward

library and replenished the fire.

, "you are-er-growing fam

replied Edwa

r-small compare

r; yes,

snug and c

, ma

and her brother have the aid of su

you,

ine managing h

ly so. Ye

h an estate such as the late Mr. Warren must have left,

anged the logs to his liking, b

either Miss Caroline nor Mr. Stephen have sp

unn straightene

trifle sharply. "If it should be Mr. Graves, the

d Edwards once mo

but could hear nothing understandable. Evidently the butler

peared, look

ne," he said. "He won't give his name,

cting

was intending to stay a while anyway, and would wa

tly interested. "A tradesman, per

n't think he's eit

a person is

tant with a troubled smile. Then it r

's an oddish man. He-I th

him came a q

aid a man's voice; "I'm from

his respectable wits. Mrs. Dunn

take so long to make the Admiral here understand that I was goin' to wait until Caroline came back that I thought I'd save time and breath by provin

nd, with it in one hand and a big soft felt hat in the other, stepped back into the hall out of sight. The astonished Mrs. Du

irst to recover th

never heard of such brazen impertinence in my life. H

head. "I-I don't know

ith it her courage. Her florid cheeks flamed a more vivid red, and h

was seated in the hall, calmly reading a newspape

the lady. "Who are you? If you have

rose and stood looking down at her. His expre

weren't any use troublin' you with my affairs. But, just a minute-" he hesitated-"I haven't made any mistake, have I? I understood your s

The family of the late Mr. Rodgers Warren lives here. I presume the sl

the A stood for Abijah; that was his Christian name. And he left two children, Caroline and Stephen? Good! I thought for a jiffy I'd blundere

ds, peering over her sh

r uncle?" rep

f about me, either. I'll set right down out here and read my paper and wait till Caroline

t Edwards. After an instant's indecision, she stepped back into the library and walke

spered, "did you h

ied Edwards, wide-

it t

t know,

arren have

now that he

ikely that he would have

t know,

aroline exp

know, ma'

anything! You're i

not look as one would have expected a brother of Rodgers Warren's to look. Oddest of all, if he was such a brother, why had neither Caroline or Stephen mentioned his existence? According to his story, Graves, the Warren lawyer, had warned the children of his coming. Caroline had been very reticent concerning her father's will, the amount of his estate, and the like. A

guilty in keeping you out there.

rouble about me. Go right on with your readin' or

. Dunn, with a slight shudder. "

put it in his pocket. Entering the

d his impromptu hostess, t

. He sank into an armchair an

's brother?" asked the lady, ma

other. 'Bije was ten year

n old friend

sickness or trouble or sorrer, friendship counts for consider'ble

y are intelligen

ean are they

sidering the shock of t

ets than pull 'em up, 'specially if they was insured. 'Tain't half so much strain on your religion. I remember the last time we took up our carpets at home, Abb

r nose and looked out of the windo

er brother expect you," she said.

him to say I'd be up pretty soon to look the ground over. This is a pretty fine place th

descendingly. "For an apartme

ss for the moment. "Um! Yes, I should say a body might manage to worry

tain

o wonder they talked

u about to sa

cousin; I guess I told you about her-says it's a sure sign that a person's ric

to see you at y

did have a rough passage. Ho! ho! Probably you h

uld have mentioned it,

ear that. I was afra

Graves's errand

sort of

onnection with your brother's

fore, she did not notice the glance which he gave her. When he answ

went on, "how nice it is that Caroline and Steve have such a good fr

friendship was on my

ow! Your husban

Dunn, contractor and Tammany politician-was buried in Calvary Cemetery.

ly. "It-it looks as if it

er. Have you any

The widow's t

u. I s'pose likely he's a frien

tain

to have young friends. You liv

n the Park. Captain Elisha rubbed a smile from his lips wit

de. The hall door opened. A moment later, Caroline, fol

hair, beneath the fur auto cap, had blown in brown,

glad I accepted your-Malcolm's-inv

had risen from his chair and was

his"-pausing on the word-"gentleman

n his. "Well, well!" he exclaimed admiringly. "'Bije's girl, that I ain't s

groaned Ste