Cap'n Warren's Wards

down in his inner consciousness, he cherished a belief in his judgment of human nature. This judgment was not of the snap variety; he took his time in forming it. People and th

he problem suddenly upset the whole process of reasoning and apparently p

rt tolerance. He judged the young man to be a product of rearing and environment. He had known spoiled youths at the Cape and, in their surroundings, they behaved much as Malcolm did in his. The same disrespect to their elders, the same cock-sureness, and the same careless indifference concerning the effect which their actions might have upon other people-these were natural and n

trouble. In Malcolm's it was an automobile. Both had listened to reason and had knuckled under rather than face possible lawsuits and certain publicity. Chase, however, had sulkily refused to speak to hi

e less condescension, but not much. He still hailed Captain Elisha as "Admiral," and was as mockingly careless as ever in his remarks concerning the latter's newness in the big city. In fact, he was so little changed that the captain was perplexed. A chap who could take a licking when h

idered it, humiliated herself by asking her guardian for money to help the Moriartys, she had scarcely spoken to him. Stephen, taking his cue

ng one. The late broker's affairs were in a muddled state, the books were anything but clear, some of the investments were foreign, and, at

ecy. She must not tell Miss Caroline of his visits to her parents' home. Doctor Henry, also, though he could not understand why, promised silence. Caroline herself had

e job, ain't it, Doctor?" aske

, I'm a

n't be afraid of it. You do just what y

er. She said it was a private matter, and one wit

lease her. But when it comes to the settlement, call on me. Give her any reason you want to; say a-er-w

end, is there, Captain Warren

ow's he's what you call a bosom friend, and, as for his sleepin' nights-well, I never heard he couldn't do that, after he went to bed. B

as different from that of Central Park West as could well be imagined. The old man, Patrick, his wife, Margaret, the unmarried son, Dennis, who work

hed and kitchen and dinin' room; and that one's the settin' room and parlor; and them two dry-goods boxes with doors to 'em are bedrooms. There's eigh

, the doctor and I at first insisted upon his removal there. He would have been much better off. B

. Every time she goes nigh the bed I expect her to trip over a young one and fall. And if she fell on that poor rack-o'-bon

mney" herself entered the roo

aid, "was asking where you a

l happy to be a bit uncomfortable. Not that we are, neither. You see, sor, me and Nora and Rosy sleep

re. I'd rather guess that the baby bunks in the cookstove oven than know

Mary be kind to you, sor! Sure the angels'll

tling fusillade of blessings after him. Mrs. Moriarty continue

woman! I'll admit I'm a saint and would wear a halo instead of a hat if 'twa'n'

an did not intend to l

ms, they tell me I was laughin' fit to kill; that is, when I wasn't screechin' for fear he'd drop me. And him, poor soul, never seein' the joke, but puffin' and groanin' that his back was in t

doesn't come

y! Hardly a day passes-or a week, anyhow-that she do

that you don't t

tell? Might the tongue of her wither between her teeth before it

good care of your husband, and, and-for Heaven's sake

know what his left was about in such cases, and he detested a Pharisaical philanthropist. But there was another reason why Caroline must not learn of his interest in the Moriartys. If she did learn it, she would believe him to be helping them on his own responsibility; or, if not, that he was using money belonging to the estate. Of course he would, and honestly must, deny the latter ch

ed early, waited upon by Edwards, got lunch at the restaurant nearest to wherever he happened to be at noon, and returned to the apartment for dinner. His niece and nephew dined with him, but when he attempted conversation they answered

earsons" in the directory discouraged him. He speculated much concerning the mystery at which the would-be novelist hinted as preventing his accepting Caroline's invitation. Evidently Pearson had once known Rodgers Warren well, and had been esteemed and respected by the latter. Caroline, too, had known him, and was frankly pleased to m

l again, regarded the new guardian with respect of a kind, but with distinct disapproval. The captain was, in his opinion, altogether too flippant and jolly. There was nothing humorous in the situation,

n he broke the news there was rebellion, brief but lively. Stephen had no desire to continue his studies; he

, when you get to be as old as I am or before, yo

in supreme disgust. "Wha

uch, maybe,

lly. "What colleg

mily your dad had. Maybe that's why he was what he was, so fur as

does it make to Malcolm Dunn-n

went, di

m some particulars concerning his un

art way,"

e part way, so fur. And

ke to k

cause I'm your guar

e had, in most cases, made his will law in the household. To be ordered about

e shouted,

study hard. You'll be behindhand in your work, so Mr. Sylvester tells me, but y

ha was smiling kindly, but there was no

ground h

n't for the disgrace! If thi

h as you do, but they are. I don't blame you for feelin' mad now; but

o, I'll b

l. Now pack your trunk-or get t

Pat's age was against him, and the shock and long illness were too much for his system to fight. Dr. Henry shook his head dubiously when the captain asked q

ough there was no malice in it. And the thought of the fatherless children and the poverty of the stricken family made him shudder

gged to know what she would do now that they were all sure to starve. Luckily, the family priest, a kind-hearted, quiet man who faced similar scenes almost every day of his life, was there, and Captain Elisha had a long talk with him. With Dennis, the oldest son, and Annie, the maid at the

house now, and you've got to steer the ship and keep it afloat. That means work, and hard work, lots of it, too. You can do it, if you've got the grit. If I can find a better p

s "coming down" with some disease or other. He had been riding in that awful subway, where the air-so the papers said-was not fit to breathe, and just as like as not h

l chute, when his niece knocked at the door. He was surprised to see her, for she had not spoken to him, except in brief reply to questions,

st time I came to you-the last time I came here

nfused. Her guardian was embarrassed

vely, "I know what you mean.

aken on the occasion of their former interview. But there was a look in her e

as though determined to head

room you were, so I thought, unreasonable and unkind. I asked you for m

rupted, "I didn't refuse

and why. I was hurt and angry. I knew that father never would have refused me under such circumstances,

to believe once more in his judgment of character; and yet,

ed to wait before saying yes, but I do know that it must have been neither because you were un

t did they tell you?" he ask

he illness and to-day. Oh, I know you made them promise not to tell me; and you made the doctor and nurse promise,

rowning a bit, suddenly glanced up to find his niece'

oming impulsively toward him. "I'm sorry I misjudged you and t

swallowed up in his big on

a mean, stingy old scamp. Yet I didn't mean to be. I only wanted to look into this thing just a littl

erment. "He told me that you were

. What I mean is did he tell you anything

se? What do

althy relation of the Moriarty tribe turnin' up. 'Twas only a

en a hint might lead to embarrassin

ou to say?" a

pay these Moriarty bills. Just get 'em off your mind. Forget 'em. I'll see that everything's attended to. And, later

she said, "that you must be one who li

out as out of place here as a lobster in a balloon, but, as I said to you and Steve once before, if you'll just remember I am green and sort of rough, and maybe make allowan

do that," she said. "He would make a depressing statue. I sha

he believed, did not rightfully belong to him. It was the only thing to do, and yet it seemed almost like disloyalty to Mal

r had, for the first