The Argosy, March 1907 — page 146: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

proceedings. I’ve been here all this time, an’ that scamp won’t tire me out—l’ll beat him yet!” Something of this made an impres- sion on Wib’s mind. He knew that Lo- mark did not desire the money he owed him—which debt he had never denied— half as much as he wanted the satisfac- tion of knowing that his debtor had “begged’’—that he had “cried enough! ”’ Taking the oath was a matter of rec- ord. It was likely to come up against him years hence. There are always mean-spirited people ready to dig up a man’s past. As for ever settling with Lomark, that seemed impossible now. Each week the bill would be increased to the amount of three dollars. How long would Lo- mark continue to pay this sum out of pure spite? His week ended on this Monday. If his second week’s board was not paid that night by closing time, Wib would be released in the morning. He dared not hope for~such release. He could not bring himself to ask Offi- cer Marren, who kept the accounts, if - his board had been paid. He lay awake longer than usual that night, hoping and praying that, for some reason, his cred- itor’s heart had melted. Nothing was said to him in the morn- ing. Breakfast passed and the trusty did not come for Wib. Finally, tortured by anxiety and by his desire to know the worst, he went in to see Mr. Mar- ren. He fears that Crosscup & Fysher had sent their check to the warden the day before, covering Wib’s board for the following four weeks! Under this blow the young man staggered; but he had learned to stifle his feelings. He went back to the debtors’ court without a word. CHAPTER XVII. DISAPPOINTMENT AND TEMPTATION. Wis-had given Bella some money for his laundry, and for condensed milk and a few little luxuries with which to eke out the food served the debtors, and had made her promise to spend none of her own in his affairs. But when Thursday THE ARGOSY. and Bella came together he had to con- fess that he had never heard of two dol- lars buying so many things before! He had determined to keep himself neat while he was under confinement, despite the temptation to grow careless and frowsy. He had discovered ere this that the debtors were allowed bathing privileges, although he had to take his bath under the same conditions as those afforded the “vagrants” brought in from day to day—with an officer stand- ing by during the process. Bella carried away his soiled linen again, while his underclothing went into the general laundry of the prison. She likewise agreed to do something for Wib which had become necessary for him to delegate to a representative, since he was confined. His disappointment moonioy the let- ters sent in trace of Adrian Lowther, and Mr. Peter Ware’s enigmatic note, forced Wib to believe that there was really a mystery about Adrian’s pro- claimed absence from the city. He sus- pected that Mr. Ware knew Adrian to — be at home all the time, and had so inti- mated in his letter. He asked Bella, therefore, to go to his old boarding-house on Gallup Street and see if any letter or message from Adrian were waiting there for him. If not, the girl agreed to try to see the young man’s mother and get Adrian’s present ad--. dress, if possible. “Old Lowther won’t suspect you,” Wib added, after he had _ explained enough for her to comprehend what* was required of her. “And if you can get little Mrs. Lowther to talk, I may be able to reach Adrian from here. “T am running out of money. I can only get more through him—on _ the-~ chance of his being willing to back up my statement regarding that order to McCann & Lowther.” Bella, pleased to be of service to her friend, promised faithfully to carry out his instructions. And Wib knew that in this girl who had no real reason to help him, and on whom he had no claim, he possessed a friend the like of whom he had never known before! To know that he was confined here for at least four weeks longer was worse than the former uncertainty. GEomichbooks.co im