ALBATROSS 
 
 A 
 
 BLACKADONIS 
 
 ALBERT ROSS
 
 i 
 
 
 g&RTRANl 
 BOOK
 
 THE 
 
 ALBATROSS NOVELS 
 
 By ALBERT ROSS 
 23 Volumes 
 
 May be had wherever books are sold at the price you 
 paid for this volume 
 
 Black Adonis, A 
 Garston Bigamy, The 
 Her Husband's Friend 
 His Foster Sister 
 His Private Character 
 In Stella's Shadow 
 Love at Seventy 
 Love Gone Astray 
 Moulding a Maiden 
 Naked Truth, The 
 New Sensation, A 
 Original Sinner, An 
 Out of Wedlock 
 Speaking of Ellen 
 Stranger Than Fiction 
 Sugar Princess, A 
 That Gay Deceiver 
 Their Marriage Bond 
 Thou Shalt Not 
 Thy Neighbor's Wife 
 Why I'm Single 
 Young Fawcett's Mabel 
 Young Miss Giddy 
 
 G. W. DILLINGHAM CO. 
 Publishers :: :: New York
 
 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 BY ALBERT Ross. 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 OUT o? WEDLOCK," "SPEAKING OF ELLIM,' 
 
 "THOU SHALT NOT," "WHY I'M SINGLE," 
 
 " IjOVE AT SEVENTY," ETC., ETC. 
 
 " You set /" he answered, bitterly. "Be- 
 cause I am black I cannot touch the hand of 
 a woman that is white. And yet you say 
 the Almighty made of one blood all nations 
 tfthe earth '"Page 212. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 owrnraHT, mi, tr a. w. BIU.MMMUL 
 
 G. W. Dillingham Co., Publishes. 
 
 \All rights rserotd.\
 
 CONTENTS, 
 
 Chapter Pag 
 
 I. A Rejected Manuscript . . . i 
 II. " Was my story too bold ?" . .23 
 
 III. " Her feet were pink " . . . 35 
 
 IV. With Titian Tresses . ... 49 
 V. Studying Miss Millicent . . -65 
 
 VI. " How the women stare !" . . 79 
 VII. A Dinner at Midlands . -93 
 
 VIII. Holding Her Hand . ... 99 
 
 IX. "Daisy, my darling!" . . .no 
 
 X. " Oh, so many, many maids I" . . 121 
 
 XI. Archie Pays Attention . . . 136 
 XII. Dining at Isaac's .... 143 
 
 XIII. A Question of Color . . . .155 
 
 XIV. " Let us have a betrayal " . . .166 
 
 XV. The Green-Eyed Monster . . .177 
 
 XVI. " I've had such luck !" ... 190 
 XVII. A Burglar in the House . . .198 
 
 XVIII. Black and White . . . .204 
 
 XIX. " Play out your farce " . . .215 
 XX. Like a Stuck Pig .... 226 
 XXI. " We want Millie to understand " . 238 
 
 2061962
 
 Chapter 
 
 XXII. Where Was Daisy ? . . . .246 
 
 XXIII. An Awful Night 354 
 
 XXIV. " This ends it, then ?" . . . 263 
 XXV. An Undiscove'.able Secret . . . 275 
 
 XXVI. " I played, and I lost " . . . .28* 
 
 XXVII. Absolutely Blameless . . . .29* 
 
 XXVIII. Trapping a W?! . . . .301 
 
 XXIX. " The Greatest Novel " . . 39
 
 TO MY READERS. 
 
 I do not know how better to use the space that 
 the printer always leaves me in this part of the book 
 than to redeem the promise I made at the end of my 
 last novel, and tell you in a few words what became 
 of Blanche Brixton Fantelli and her husband. 
 
 But, do you really need to be told ? 
 
 Could they have done anything else than live in 
 connubial felicity, after the man had proved himself 
 so noble and the woman had learned to appreciate 
 him at his true worth ? 
 
 Well, whether they could or not, they didn't. 
 Blanche is the happiest of wedded wives. She still 
 holds to her theory that marriage is based on wrong 
 principles, and that the contract as ordinarily made 
 is frightfully immoral ; but she says if all men were 
 like " her Jules " there would be no trouble. 
 
 In this she proves herself essentially feminine. She 
 is learning, albeit a little late, that man was not 
 made to live alone, and that the love a mother feels 
 for her child is not the only one that brings joy to a 
 woman's breast. 
 
 Fantelli does not claim that Blanche is his prop- 
 erty. He is her lover still, even though he has
 
 Vil TO MT READEB8. 
 
 gained the law's permission to be her master. He 
 recognizes that she has rights in herself that are in- 
 violable. This is why they live together so content- 
 edly. She would not be his mate on any other 
 terms. 
 
 If it is not the ideal existence, it is very near it. 
 As near as a man and woman who care for the 
 world's opinion can live it in these days. 
 
 And now, with heartfelt thanks for the continued 
 favor of the reading public, which I am conscious is. 
 far beyond my desert, I bid a temporary farewell to 
 American shores. By the time this book is on the 
 shelves of the dealers I shall be on European soil, 
 there to remain, I trust, for the better part of a year. 
 Wherever I am, my thoughts will always turn to you 
 who have made these journeys possible, and there as 
 here my pen will continue devoted to your service. 
 
 ALBERT ROSS. 
 Cambridge, Mass., 
 June i, 1895,
 
 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 A REJECTED MANUSCRIPT. 
 
 **A letter for Mr. Roseleaf," he heard his landlady 
 say to the chambermaid. And he was quite pre- 
 pared to hear the girl reply, in a tone of surprise : 
 
 " For Mr. Roseleaf ! This is the first letter he 
 has had since he came." 
 
 The young man referred to stood just within his 
 chamber door, waiting with some anxiety for the 
 letter to be brought to him. He was about twenty 
 years of age, of medium height, with rather dark 
 complexion, curling hair and expressive eyes, and 
 with a natural delicacy of manner that made him 
 seem almost feminine at first view. 
 
 He had the greatest possible interest in the letter 
 that the postman had just brought, but he was far 
 too polite to disturb the landlady or her servant, 
 who were not yet through with it. 
 
 "You can see that it is from a publishing house." 
 
 [9 1
 
 10 A BLtOK ADOITIf . 
 
 commented Mrs. Ranning, inspecting the envelope 
 with care. " It is from Cutt & Slashem, who bring 
 out more novels than any other firm in the city. I 
 told you he was some kind of a writer. Perhaps 
 they are going to publish a book for him ! If they 
 do he will leave us for finer quarters. Novelists 
 make a mint of money, I have heard. We must do 
 our best to keep him as long as we can. Be very 
 polite to him, Nellie. He appears to be an excellent 
 young man." 
 
 Shirley Roseleaf s anxiety to get possession of his 
 letter was not lessened by this conversation. It 
 seemed as if his entire future hung on the contents 
 of that envelope tarrying so long in Nellie's hands. 
 The great publishers, Cutt & Slashem, had had a 
 manuscript of his in their hands for nearly a fort- 
 night. When they had definitely accepted it, his 
 path would be perfectly clear. If they rejected it 
 but he had not got so far as that. 
 
 The manuscript was a romance a romance of 
 love ! Its author had spent a great deal of time 
 upon it. He had rewritten it with care, and finally 
 made a neat copy, of which he was very proud. 
 Then he had thought a long time over the question 
 of a publishing firm. Cutt & Slashem stood at the 
 top of their profession, and they finally received the 
 preference. With the MSS. Roseleaf sent a pretty 
 note, in which lie included a delicate compliment on 
 their success. The MSS. and the note were arranged 
 tastefully in a neat white package and tied with pink 
 twine. 
 
 After all of these precautions it is no wonder that
 
 A WEOTBD 1CAOT80RXFT. 11 
 
 the novelist felt surprise when days passed and no 
 reply was sent to him. But never at any time was 
 he discouraged. Had they intended to reject the 
 novel, he reasoned, they could as easily have done 
 so in three days as ten. 
 
 He pictured the members of the firm hugging 
 themselves over their good fortune, passing the 
 manuscript from one to the other, all eager for a 
 taste of such a marvelous work. He did not think 
 it egotism to believe they did not get stories like 
 that every day. 
 
 His thoughts flew rapidly as Nellie slowly climbed 
 the stairs. Now he would be famous, he would be 
 courted, he would be envied ! He would also be 
 very, very rich, though that was not of so much 
 account. 
 
 As Nellie handed him the letter he responded to 
 her pleasant smile with one of his own, and even 
 pressed a twenty-five cent piece into her hand. Then 
 he closed his door behind him, bolting it in his 
 eagerness to be alone. The morning was foggy, and 
 he sank into a chair by the window, the only part of 
 the room where he could see to read distinctly. 
 
 There was an attraction about the envelope. It 
 was light buff in color, bearing the address of Cutt 
 & Slashem in large letter on one side of the front 
 face, besides the names of several of the most famous 
 authors whose publishers the firm had the happiness 
 to be. 
 
 " Shirley Roseleaf !" It would not look so badly 
 in print. 
 
 So lost was he in the pleasant pictures which
 
 13 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 these thoughts conjured up that it was some 
 minutes before he tore open the envelope. Then his 
 astounded eyes rested upon these lines : 
 
 " Messrs. Cutt & Slashem regret to be obliged to decline 
 with thanks the MSS.of M. Shirley Roseleaf, and request to 
 be informed what disposition he desires made of the same.** 
 
 Roseleaf read this dizzily. For some moments he 
 could not understand what that sentence meant. 
 "Obliged to decline" was plain enough; but his 
 confused mind found some grains of comfort in the 
 request of the firm to know what he wished done 
 with his manuscript. They must, he reasoned, con- 
 sider it of value, or they would not respond in that 
 courteous manner. Still, he could not comprehend 
 how they had had the asininity to "decline" it 
 at all. 
 
 Were they unwilling to add another star to their 
 galaxy ? 
 
 Could they actually have read the tale ? 
 
 A firm of their reputation, too ! 
 
 When Roseleaf emerged from his temporary stupor 
 it was into a state of great indignation. Why, the 
 men were fools ! He wished heartily he had never 
 gone to them. They would yet see the day when, 
 with tears in their eyes, they would regret their lack 
 of judgment. His first act should be to go to their 
 office and express his opinion of their stupidity, and 
 then he would take his MSS. to some rival house. 
 And never, never in the world after he had become 
 famous, and when every publisher on both sides of
 
 A. BBJEOTED MANUSCRIPT. 13 
 
 th Atlantic were besieging him never, he said, 
 should these ignorant fellows get a scrap of his writ- 
 ing, not even if they offered its weight in gold ! 
 
 He was too excited for delay, and donning his hat, 
 he took his way with all speed to Cutt & Slashem's 
 office. At that instant he had more faith in his 
 novel than ever. As he walked rapidly along he 
 compared it with some of the stories issued by the 
 firm that had rejected it, to the great disadvantage 
 of the latter. 
 
 " I wish to see Mr. Cutt or Mr. Slashem," he said, 
 imperiously, as he entered the counting room. 
 
 " Both are in," said the office boy, imperturbably, 
 ** Which will you have ?'* 
 
 " I will see them together.** 
 
 Had they been tigers, fresh from an Indian jungle, 
 it would have made no difference to him. 
 
 The boy asked for his card, vanished with it, 
 returned and bade him follow. Up a flight of stairs 
 they went, then to the left, then to the right, then 
 across a little hall. A door with the name of the 
 house and the additional word *' Private " loomed 
 before them. 
 
 " Come in !'* was heard in response to the knock 
 of the office boy. 
 
 Roseleaf entered, something slower than a cannon 
 ball, and yet considerably faster than a snail. The 
 two principal members of the firm were sitting 
 together, with lighted cigars in their mouths, exam- 
 ining a lot of paper samples that lay upon a table. 
 They did no more at first than glance up and nod,
 
 14 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 not having finished the business upon which they 
 were engaged. 
 
 " Is it any better than the last ?" asked Mr. Slashem, 
 referring to the sample his partner was examining. 
 
 " It's just as good, at least," was the answer. " And 
 an eighth of a cent a pound less. I think we had bet- 
 ter order five hundred reams." 
 
 " Five hundred reams," repeated the other, slowly, 
 making a memorandum in a little book that he car- 
 ried. " And the other lot we'll wait about, eh ? 
 Paper is not very steady. It's gone off a sixteenth 
 since Thursday." 
 
 This conversation only served to infuriate still more 
 the visitor who stood waiting to pour out his wrath. 
 Were these men wasting time over fractions of a cent 
 in the price of stock, just after they had rejected one 
 of the greatest romances of modern times ! 
 
 With the precision of a duplex machine both part- 
 ners finally looked up from the table at the young 
 man. 
 
 ' Mr. Shirley Roseleaf ?" said Mr. Slashem, inter- 
 rogatively, glancing at the card that the office boy 
 had brought. 
 
 " Yes, sir !" was the sharp and disdainful reply. 
 
 " We need nothing in your line," interrupted Mr. 
 Cutt. " I suppose Mr. Trimm has our other order 
 well under way ?" 
 
 The look of indignant protest that appeared in 
 Roseleaf's face caused Mr. Slashem to speak. 
 
 "This is not Mr. Roseberg," he explained. " My 
 partner took you for an agent of our bookbinder," he 
 added.
 
 A REJECTED xAvrrtoBirr. 15 
 
 The novelist thought his skin would burst. 
 
 "I am quite complimented," he said, in an icy 
 tone. "Let me introduce myself. I am the author 
 of ' Evelyn's Faith/ " 
 
 The partners consulted each other. 
 
 " The similarity of names confused me," said Mr. 
 Cutt. "Is your book one that we have published ?' 
 
 Saints and angels ! 
 
 "It is one that was sent to you for publication," 
 replied Roseleaf, with much heat, "and has been 
 returned this morning rejected!^ 
 
 "Ah!" said Mr. Cutt. 
 
 ** We have nothing to do with that department,* 
 said Mr. Slashem, coming to the rescue. "You 
 should see Mr. Gouger, on the second floor above ; 
 though if he has rejected your story a visit would bo 
 quite useless. He never decides a matter without 
 sufficient reason." 
 
 " Oh, dear, no !" added Mr. Cutt, feeling again of 
 the paper samples. 
 
 Shirley Roseleaf listened with wild incredulity. 
 
 " Do you mean to tell me," he said, " that you, the 
 members of the firm of Cutt & Slashem, have rejected 
 my story without even reading it ?" 
 
 The partners glanced at each other again. 
 
 " We never read books," said Mr. Cutt. 
 
 Never," said Mr. Slashem, kindly. " We have 
 things much more important to attend to. We pay 
 Mr. Gouger a large salary. Why, my young friend, 
 there are probably a dozen manuscripts received at 
 our office every week. If we were to try to rtad
 
 16 J. BLACK AD02H8. 
 
 them, who do yon think would attend to the usential 
 points of our business ?'* 
 
 Roseleafs contempt for the concern was increasing 
 at lightning speed. He did not care to mince his 
 words, for it could make no difference now. 
 
 " I should imagine that the selection of the books 
 you are to print would be at least as important as 
 the paper you are to use," he retorted. 
 
 Mr. Cutt looked at him in great astonishment. 
 
 " You are much mistaken," said he. 
 
 " Entirely mistaken," confirmed Mr. Slashem. 
 
 The author had no desire to remain longer, as it 
 was evident he was losing his temper to no purpose. 
 If it was Mr. Gouger who had rejected his work, it 
 was Mr. Gouger that he must see. 
 
 Bowing with ironical grace to the examiners of 
 printing paper, he took leave of them, and mounted 
 to the sanctum of the man who he had been told was 
 the arbiter of his fate. A girl with soiled hands 
 pointed out the room, for there was nothing to indi- 
 cate it upon the dingy panel of the door ; and 
 presently Roseleaf stood in the presence of the indi- 
 vidual he believed at that moment his worst enemy. 
 
 There were two men in the room. One of them 
 indicated with a motion of his hand that the other 
 was the one wanted, and with a second motion that 
 the caller might be seated. Mr. Gouger was partly 
 hidden behind a desk, engaged in turning over a 
 heap of manuscript, and it appeared from the man- 
 ner of his companion that he did not wish to be 
 disturbed. 
 
 Somewhat cooled down by this state of affairs,
 
 A REJECTED 1CAVU8GRXPT. 17 
 
 the young novelist took the chair indicated and 
 waited several minutes. 
 
 " What d d nonsense they are sending me these 
 days !" exclaimed Mr. Gouger at last, thrusting the 
 sheets he had been scanning back into the wrapper 
 in which they had come, without, however, raising 
 his eyes from his desk. " Out of a hundred stories 
 I read, not three are fit to build a fire with ! This 
 thing is written by a girl who ought to take a term 
 in a grammar school. She has no more idea of 
 syntax than a lapdog. Her father writes that he is 
 willing to pay a reasonable sum to have it brought 
 out. Why, Cutt & Slashem couldn't afford to put 
 their imprint on that rot for fifty thousand doL 
 lars !" 
 
 He had finished saying this before he learned that 
 a third person was in the room. Upon making this 
 discovery he lowered his voice, as if regretting hav- 
 ing exhibited too great warmth before a stranger. 
 The novelist rose and handed him a card, and as 
 Mr. Gouger glanced at the name a gleam of recogni- 
 tion lit up his face. 
 
 " I am glad to see you, Mr. Roseleaf," he said. 
 " I had half a notion to ask you to call, when I felt 
 obliged to send you that note yesterday. There are 
 several things I would like to say to you. Archie, 
 perhaps you would let us have the room for a fevf 
 minutes." 
 
 Tfie last remark was addressed familiarly to the 
 man who occupied the third chair, and who looked 
 so disheartened at the prospect of having to rise
 
 18 A BLACK 
 
 therefrom that Roseleaf hastened to express a hope 
 that he would not do so on his account. 
 
 "Very well," said Mr. Gouger, abruptly. "You 
 heard what I said about this copy I have just read, 
 though it was not my intention that you should. I 
 supposed I was talkingonly to Mr. Weil, who is not 
 in the profession and does not expect to be. Now, 
 let me say at once, Mr. Roseleaf, that your contribu- 
 tion is not open to any of the objections I have 
 cited. You have evidently been well educated. Your 
 English is pure and forcible. It is a real delight 
 to read your pages. Every line shows the greatest 
 care in construction. I did with your story what 
 I have not done with another for a long time I read 
 it through. Why then did I reject it ?" 
 
 The question was too great for the one most inter- 
 ested to answer, but in the glow of pleasure that the 
 compliment brought he forgot for the moment his 
 bitter feelings. 
 
 " Possibly," he suggested, " Cutt & Slashem have 
 more novels on hand than they feel like producing at 
 present." 
 
 " No," responded Mr. Gouger, disposing of that 
 theory in one breath. " A house like ours would 
 never reject a really desirable manuscript. If you 
 will reflect that only one or two of this description 
 are produced each year you will the more readily 
 understand me. Your story has a cardinal fault for 
 which no excellence of style or finish can compen* 
 sate. Shall I tell you what it is, and before this gen- 
 tleman ?"
 
 A KUEOTED MANUSCRIPT. 19 
 
 He indicated Mr. Wefl as he spoke. Roseleaf's 
 heart sank. For the first time he felt a deadly fear. 
 
 " Tell me, by all means," he responded, faintly. 
 
 Mr. Gouger's face bore its gentlest expression at 
 that moment. He was taking valuable time, time 
 that belonged to his employers, to say something 
 that must temporarily disappoint, though in the end 
 it might benefit his hearer. 
 
 " Let me repeat," he said, " that your work is well 
 written, and that I have read it with the greatest 
 interest. Its fault an insuperable one is that it 
 lacks fidelity to nature. Mr. Roseleaf, I think I could 
 gauge your past life with tolerable accuracy merely 
 from what that manuscript reveals." 
 
 The novelist shook his head. There was not a line 
 of autobiography in those pages, and he told his 
 critic so. 
 
 " Oh, I understand," replied Mr. Gouger. " But 
 this I have learned : Your life has been marvelously 
 colorless. Yet, in spite of that, you have undertaken 
 to write of things of which you know nothing, and 
 about which, I may add, you have made very poor 
 guesses." 
 
 Mr. Weil, leaning back in his chair, began to show 
 a decided interest. Mr. Roseleaf, sitting upright, in 
 an attitude of strained attention, inquired what Mr. 
 Gouger meant. 
 
 " Well, for instance, this,'* responded the critic : 
 "You attempt to depict the sensations of love, 
 though you have never had a passion. Can you 
 expect to know how it feels to hold a beautiful girl in 
 your arms, when you never had one there ? You put
 
 20 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 words of temptation into the mouth of your villain 
 which no real scamp would think of using, for their 
 only effect would be to alarm your heroine. You 
 talk of a planned seduction as if it were part of an 
 oratorio. And you make your hero so superlatively 
 pure and sweet that no woman formed of flesh and 
 blood could endure him for an hour." 
 
 The color mounted to Roseleaf's face. He felt 
 that this criticism was not without foundation. But 
 presently he rallied, and asked if it were necessary 
 for a man to experience every sensation before he 
 dared write about them. 
 
 " Do you suppose," he asked, desperately, ** that 
 Jules Verne ever traveled sixty thousand leagues 
 under the sea or made a journey to the moon ?" 
 
 Mr. Weil could not help uttering a little laugh. 
 Mr. Gouger struck his hands together and clinched 
 them. 
 
 " No," said he. " But he could have written 
 neither of those wonderful tales without a knowl- 
 edge of the sciences of which they treat." 
 
 " He has read, and I have read," responded Rose- 
 leaf. " What is the difference ?" 
 
 " He has studied, and you have not," retorted the 
 critic. " That makes all the difference in the world. 
 He has a correct idea of the structure of the moon 
 and what should be found in the unexplored caverns 
 of the ocean ; while you, in total ignorance, have 
 attempted to deal in a science to which these are the 
 merest bagatelles ! You know as little of the tides 
 that control the heart of a girl as you do of the per- 
 sonal history of the inhabitants of Jupiter ! Your
 
 A REJECTED MAiNUSCKU>T. 21 
 
 powers of description are good ; those of invention 
 feeble. Either throw yourself into a love affair, till 
 you have learned it root and branch, or never again 
 try to depict one." 
 
 Mr. Archie Weil smiled and nodded, as if he en- 
 tirely agreed with the speaker. 
 
 " What a novel / could make, my dear fellow !" 
 he exclaimed, " if I only had the talent. I have had 
 experiences enough, but I could no more write them 
 out than I could fly." 
 
 "It is quite as well," was the response, "your 
 women would all be Messalinas and fiction has too 
 many now." 
 
 " Not all of them, Lawrence," was the quick and 
 meaning reply. 
 
 " In that case," said Gouger, " I wish heartily you 
 could write. The world is famishing for a real 
 love story, based on modern lines, brought up to 
 date. I tell you, there has been nothing satisfactory 
 in that line since Goethe's day." 
 
 Mr. Weil suggested Balzac and Sand. 
 
 " Why don't you include George William Rey- 
 nolds ?" inquired Gouger, with a sneer. " Neither 
 of them wrote until they were depraved by contract 
 with humanity. If we could get a young man of 
 true literary talent to see life and write of it as he 
 went along, what might we not secure ? But I have 
 no more time to spare, Mr. Roseleaf. I was sorry 
 to be obliged to reject your story. Some day, when 
 you have seen just a little of the world, begin again 
 on the lines I have outlined, and come here with the 
 result."
 
 S3 A BLACK APOKIt. 
 
 Quite dispirited, now that the last plank had 
 slipped from under him, the novelist walked slowly 
 down the stairs. He did not even ask for his manu- 
 script. After what he had heard, it did not seem 
 worth carrying to his lodgings. His plans were 
 shipwrecked. Instead of the fame and fortune he 
 had hoped for, he felt the most bitter disappoint- 
 ment. All his bright dreams had vanished. 
 
 A step behind him quicker than his own, made 
 him aware that some one was following him, and 
 presently a voice called his name. It was Mr. 
 Archie Weil, who had put himself to unusual exer- 
 tion, and required some seconds to recover his 
 breath before he could speak further. 
 
 " I want you to come over to my hotel and have a 
 little talk with me," he said. " Gouger has inter- 
 ested me in you immensely. I believe, as he says, 
 that you have the making of a distinguished author, 
 and I want to arrange a plan by which you can carry 
 out his scheme." 
 
 Mr. Roseleaf stared doubtfully at his companion. 
 
 " What scheme ?" he said, briefly. 
 
 " Why, of imparting to you that knowledge of the 
 world which will enable you to draw truthful por- 
 traits. You have the art, he says, the talent, the 
 capacity whatever you choose to call it. All you 
 lack is experience. Given that, you would make 
 a reputation second to none. What can be plainer 
 than that you should acquire the thing you need 
 without delay ?" 
 
 " The ' thing I need* ?" repeated Roseleaf, dole- 
 fully.
 
 "WAS MY BTOBT TOO BOLD?" 23 
 
 Mr. Weil laughed, delightfully. 
 
 " Yes !" he explained. " What you need is a friend 
 able to interest you, to begin with. Pardon me if i 
 say I may be described by that phrase. Come to 
 my hotel a little while and let us talk it over." 
 
 It was not an opportunity to be refused, in Rose- 
 leaf's depressed condition, and the two men walked 
 together to the Hoffman House, where Mr. Weil at 
 that time made his home. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 * WAS MY 6TORY TOO BOLD Y* 
 
 " Well, Millie, your letter has come," said Mr. Wil- 
 ton Fern, as he entered the parlor of his pleasant 
 residence, situated about twenty miles from the 
 limits of New York City. " Open it as quick as you 
 can, and learn your fate." 
 
 His daughter started nerrously from her seat near 
 the window, where she had been spending the pre- 
 vious hour in speculations regarding the very missive 
 that was now placed in her hands. She was a hand- 
 some girl, neither blonde nor brunette, with eyes of 
 hazel gray and hair of that color that moderns call 
 Titian red. She took the envelope that her father 
 gave her, and though she wanted intensely to know 
 the contents she hesitated to open it. 
 
 " Read it, Millie," smiled Mr. Fern. " Let us tear*
 
 34 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 whether we have an authoress in our house who is 
 destined to become famous." 
 
 But this remark made Miss Millicent less willing 
 than before to open the letter in her father's pres- 
 ence. She slowly left the room without answering 
 and did not break the seal of her communication till 
 she was in the seclusion of her chamber. 
 
 And it was quite a while, even then, before she 
 summoned the necessary courage. Some days pre- 
 vious she had sent a MSS. to the great publishing 
 house of Cutt & Slashem. The writing had taken 
 up the best of her time for a year. She had high 
 hopes that it was destined to lay the foundation 
 of an artistic success. Her plot was novel, not 
 to say startling. It was entirely out of the con- 
 ventional order. It would be certain to arouse 
 talk and provoke comment, if it got into print ; 
 and to make sure that it would get into print she 
 had persuaded her father to write a little note, 
 which she enclosed with the MSS., saying that 
 he would pay a cash bonus, if the firm demanded it, 
 to guarantee them against possible loss. 
 
 With this note in her mind, Miss Millicent had 
 felt little doubt that her story would be accepted 
 and printed. She only wondered how warmly they 
 would praise her work. It was not enough to have 
 them print it ; she wanted something to justify her 
 in saying to her father, " There, you see I was not 
 wrong after all in thinking I could have a literary 
 career r* 
 
 At last the enrelope was removed, and the girl's 
 astonished eyes lit upon this cold, dry statement :
 
 "WAS MY STORY TOO BOL ?* 25 
 
 "Mews. Cutt & Slashem regret to be obliged to decline 
 With thanks the MSS. of Miss M. Fern, and request to be 
 informed what disposition she desires made of the 
 same.** 
 
 Millicent felt a ringing in her ears. Her hands 
 grew clammy. A dull pain pressed on her forehead. 
 She felt a faintness, a sinking at the heart. Was it 
 possible she had read aright ? Rejected, in this 
 cruel way, without even a reference to her father's 
 offer ! It was atrocious, and, girl-like, she burst into 
 a spasm of weeping. 
 
 How could she ever face her father? The sacri- 
 fices she had made came back to her, sacrifices of 
 which she had thought little at the time, but which 
 now seemed gigantic. There had been nights when 
 she had not gone to bed till three, other nights when 
 she had been too full of her subject to sleep and had 
 risen in the small hours to finish some particularly 
 interesting chapter. Twelve hundred pages there 
 were in all, note size, in her large, round, almost 
 masculine hand. And this time was all lost ! She 
 had mistaken her vocation. The greatest publishing 
 house in the country had decided against her. 
 
 Gradually she dried her eyes. It would do no 
 good to weep. She read the curt answer that had 
 come in the mail, a dozen times. Why could not 
 the firm have sent her a reason, an excuse that 
 meant something ? She wanted to know wherein 
 her fault lay. It might be possible to correct it. 
 Perhaps the state of business was to blame. The 
 more she thought, the more determined she grew to
 
 t6 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 investigate this strange affair, and within an hour 
 she had donned her street clothes and started, with- 
 out saying anything to the rest of the household of 
 her intention, for the office of Cutt & Slashem in the 
 city. 
 
 She knew that each large concern had one or more 
 "readers," on whose judgment they relied in such 
 matters. She, therefore, paused only long enough 
 at the counting-room to get directed to Mr. Gouger. 
 Her knock on the critic's door brought forth a loud 
 " Come in," and as she entered she saw two men 
 standing with hats in their hand, as if about to take 
 their departure. 
 
 " I beg your pardon," she said, "but I wish to see 
 Mr. Gouger." 
 
 " That is my name," responded one of the men, 
 stepping forward. 
 
 "I arn Miss Fern." 
 
 Mr. Gouger did not seem very glad to hear it. 
 The hour of one had just struck, and he was about 
 to go to his lunch. He recognized the girl's name, 
 as that of the author of the MSS. he had criticized 
 so severely to his friend, Weil, who was, by-the-way, 
 the third person in the room at this moment. Had 
 she sent up her card, as is usual with women, he 
 would have avoided seeing her at any hazard. 
 
 Mr. Weil took a long survey of the young lady, 
 and then retired to the vicinity of the front windows. 
 He pretended to interest himself in the rush of 
 traffic that was going on in the street below, but he 
 missed nothing of what was said, and stole from
 
 " WjLS MT TOBT TOO 
 
 time to time a glance at his two companions, par* 
 ticularly the younger one. 
 
 '* A mighty pretty girl," was his mental comment. 
 * I hope Lawrence isn't going to be nasty with her." 
 
 Mr. Gouger motioned Miss Fern rather stiffly to a 
 seat. 
 
 "I do not wish to detain you," she said, with 
 feminine inconsistency, as she accepted it. " I only 
 want to know, if you will be so kind as to tell me, 
 what is the trouble with my story." 
 
 The critic was pleased at one thing. Miss Fern's 
 voice was reasonably clear. She had finished her 
 weeping at home. There was to be no scene, some- 
 thing he dreaded, and in the course of his connection 
 with this house he had experienced scores of them. 
 He inspected his caller critically in the few seconds 
 that elapsed while she was asking this question, and 
 when she paused he decided to answer her with as 
 much of the truth as he dared use. 
 
 " The fact is," he began, " a firm like ours is unable 
 to use more than one novel out of fifty that is 
 submitted to it. Of our friends who send us manu- 
 scripts, the vast majority must, therefore, be dis- 
 appointed. Now, your story shall I be frank ?" 
 
 "By all means," answered Miss Fern. 
 
 " Your story, though written with spirit and 
 power, needs a great deal of revision from a from 
 a rhetorical standpoint. It is, in fact, carelessly put 
 together. That is a cardinal fault in a literary pro- 
 duction, and one for which no amount of talent, or 
 even of genius, can compensate." 
 
 The girl listened with deep interest. She tried to
 
 98 A BLACK ABMH1. 
 
 think where the blemishes alluded to could be, for 
 she had read the story twenty times. To say noth- 
 ing of several girl friends, who had listened with 
 evident wonder and delight, to various parts of the 
 tale, as it progressed. 
 
 ** If that is true," answered Miss Fern, slowly , 
 "could not the trouble be remedied by sending the 
 MSS. to some very competent person and having the 
 errors made right ?** 
 
 Mr. Gouger smiled. 
 
 11 Hardly," he said. "A novel Is like a painting. 
 The ensemble do you understand ? is the thing. 
 Can you conceive a painting being 'done over'? 
 Your book would lose its quality if subjected to 
 that process." 
 
 A look of discouragement crossed the features of 
 the young woman. 
 
 "Of course, you know best," she stammered. 
 " What would you advise me try again ?" 
 
 Mr. Gouger raised both his hands. 
 
 " It is difficult to say, in such a case," he replied. 
 " But if you want my best opinion " 
 
 "That is just what I want," said the girl, with ill- 
 concealed impatience. 
 
 "You are not dependent upon your exertions, I 
 suppose, for a living ?" 
 
 Millicent shook her head, almost sorry at the 
 moment that she could not reply in the affirmative. 
 
 " Then I should give up the idea of being an 
 authoress." 
 
 Thb was very unpalatable medicine, and the critic
 
 MY STORY TOO BOLD Y* 29 
 
 realized it as he looked at the sombre face before 
 him. 
 
 " Is your rejection of my story based at all," asked 
 Miss Fern, after a pause, "on the boldness of its 
 subject ?" 
 
 Mr. Gouger smiled again. 
 
 "We publish the works of Hall Caine and George 
 Moore," he said. " I should not consider your story 
 overbold, if there was nothing else against it. It is 
 a wonder to me, and always will be, why such young 
 girls as you choose risqut themes, but if the work is 
 well done the public will pay for it." 
 
 There was a slight blush on Miss Fern's face, partly 
 at the insinuation and partly at the adverse criticism 
 that had crept thoughtlessly into the sentence. 
 
 " For my part," she explained, " I wanted to write 
 something that would attract attention that would 
 put my name prominently before the public and 
 keep it there. The girls I read it to thought the 
 scenes just lovely, though some said perhaps their 
 mothers would not feel that way. And I told 
 them that the mothers of to-day were very old- 
 fashioned, and that the public taste was changing 
 rapidly. If the story is too bold, there are things I 
 could cut out of it, but if you say that would make 
 no difference, I would rather let them stand. I 
 intend to try some other concern before I give 
 up." 
 
 Mr. Archie Weil had abandoned all pretence of 
 looking out the window. He stood with his eyes 
 fastened on the pretty girl, as she made these state- 
 ments in such a matter-of-fact way. He wondered
 
 30 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 what the dickens the story was about, and made up 
 his mind that he would try to get possession of it. 
 
 "All the same," responded Mr. Gouger, who had 
 apparently forgotten his lunch in his growing 
 interest in the conversation, "I don't see where girls 
 like you obtain such an intimate knowledge of things. 
 You are not over twenty excuse me, I am old 
 enough to tell you this without offence. It is not you 
 alone, but a hundred others who have made me 
 ask myself this question. As soon as the modern 
 girl gets a bottle of ink and a pen and begins 
 to let her thoughts flow over paper, it transpires 
 that she knows everything more than everything, 
 almost. Why, I was twenty-five before I was as 
 wise as the heroine of sixteen, in this story of 
 yours !" 
 
 Miss Fern reddened again, all the more because 
 she had glanced up and encountered the bright eyes 
 of Mr. Weil fixed upon her. 
 
 *' Why, Archie," pursued the literary man he 
 turned toward Mr. Weil '* you remember Lelia 
 Dani6, you have seen her here. Five or six years 
 ago I got a letter from that young girl's mother 
 asking me to come to their residence and hear a 
 story she had written. It was her first one, and the 
 child was not a day over seventeen. I couldn't 
 believe it when she came into the room, with her 
 hair tumbled about her shoulders, and began to read 
 to me the first chapter of'Zaros.' 'Did she write 
 that?' I asked her mother, incredulously. 'Cer- 
 tainly,' she replied. * Without aid from any one ?' 
 Absolutely alone.' My hair stood on end. I could
 
 " WA.8 MT STORY TOO BOLD * 31 
 
 not keep it down for the next week with a brush. 
 You know the story. We printed it, and i> sold 
 well, and that is all that C. & S. cared about it ; but 
 I never understood how that infant could conceive 
 it. No more than I can understand your ability to 
 write this story of yours, Miss Fern," he added, 
 pointedly. 
 
 The young woman bridled a little. 
 
 " It does not matter much, if you are not going to 
 print it," she said, raising her eyes to his. 
 
 He bowed low to express whatever apology might 
 be necessary. 
 
 " I would have accepted it if I could," he said. 
 " My entire life is spent in reading manuscripts in 
 the hope of discovering one that will make a hit with 
 the public to whom we cater. When successful I 
 am as pleased as a South African who fishes a dia- 
 mond of the first water out of the mine. Your story, 
 Miss Fern, shows decided talent. You have a 
 greater knowledge of some of the important things 
 of life, I will wager, than your grandmother had 
 at eighty, if she lived so long. As I am obliged to 
 go now, let me add, without mincing matters, that 
 you are very deficient in English grammar, and that 
 nothing you can write will be acceptable to any 
 first-class house until that fault is remedied. Are 
 you ready, Archie ?" 
 
 Mr. Weil felt indignant. He could not have 
 spoken to any girl as pretty as this one in such 
 language, and he thought it quite inexcusable on 
 the part of his friend to do so. Mr. Gouger, though 
 feeling that itwas best to use little circumlocution,
 
 52 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 had not meant to wound his caller. But her coun- 
 tenance showed that he had wounded her, and the 
 natural gallantry of his younger companion came to 
 the rescue. 
 
 " I am not ready yet/' said Mr. Weil, telegraphing 
 at the same time a series of signals with his eyes. " I 
 want a few minutes' talk with Miss Fern, if you will 
 introduce me. I think I can say something she witt 
 like to hear." 
 
 Mr. Gouger, who now stood in such a position 
 that Miss Fern could not see him, shook his head to 
 imply that he did not fancy this arrangement ; but 
 he ended by saying, " Very well." He then abruptly 
 made the presentation, put on his hat, said good-by, 
 and vanished. 
 
 Miss Millicent, who had risen, turned with an air 
 of puzzled inquiry toward Mr. Weil. 
 
 " Be seated again, for a moment," he said, politely. 
 " I want your permission to read your story." 
 
 "Why, I don't know," she answered. "Are you 
 one of the employes of Cutt & Slashem ?" 
 
 He smilingly denied the imputation. 
 
 " I have not that felicity," he added, " but I am 
 much interested in things literary, and have a rather 
 wide acquaintance in this line of business. If I 
 could be allowed to read your MSS. perhaps I should 
 form a milder opinion of its faults than my unbend- 
 ing friend. And in that case a word from me, to 
 another house, would certainly do you no harm." 
 
 A brighter light came into Miss Millicent's eyes. 
 
 "I shall be only too glad to have you read it," she 
 answered. " It is hard to believe that I have wasted
 
 " WAS MT 8TOBY TOO BOLD ?" 33 
 
 almost a year in something entirely worthless. You 
 may take it with pleasure." 
 
 Mr. Weil went to Mr. Gouger's desk, from which 
 he soon came with the parcel in question. He un- 
 tied the string and for a moment his gaze rested on 
 the handwriting. 
 
 " Do you live far from here ?" he began ; and then 
 added, as he noticed the address on an enclosed 
 card, " Ah, I see ! At Midlands." 
 
 She explained herself rather more to him, giving 
 the full address of her father, and some particulars 
 about the manner in which she had been drawn into 
 attempting literary work. He listened intently, all 
 the time engaged in rapid thought. 
 
 " The best way for me to get a thoroughly correct 
 impression of this novel," he said, when she came to 
 a pause, " is to hear you read it aloud. In that man- 
 ner," he added, as he saw that she was about to in- 
 terrupt, " a hundred meanings would come to the 
 surface that a mere inspection of the pages might fail 
 to show. Beside, there would be an opportunity 
 for discussion. If convenient to you I would gladly 
 come to your residence for this purpose." 
 
 The eyes of the young girl brightened. She was 
 greatly pleased at the idea and said so without delay. 
 
 "Very well," said Mr. Weil, more than delighted 
 with the success of his experiment. " To-day is 
 Tuesday ; shall I come for the first time, say, Thurs- 
 day evening?" 
 
 " That would suit me perfectly ; or to-morrow, if 
 you wish. I shall put aside everything and have my 
 time free for you."
 
 34 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 Mr. Weil nodded. 
 
 " Let it be Thursday then. And the hour shall 
 we call it eight ?" 
 
 The time was promptly agreed to. 
 
 " In the meantime, I will take the MSS. and look 
 it over, to form a general idea of the plot. Here is 
 my card. By-the-way, you will of course arrange it 
 so that we shall not be interrupted during our con- 
 ference. It disturbs anything of that kind to have 
 people coming in and out. We want to be entirely 
 alone so as to give our full attention to the work in 
 hand." 
 
 Miss Fern smilingly acquiesced, saying that it was 
 exactly what she would wish. 
 
 " And do you think there may be hope for it yet 
 that poor little manuscript?" she asked, as she stood 
 by the door ready to take her departure. 
 
 " That is a question I can hardly answer," he re- 
 plied. " I shall be better able to tell you in a week 
 or two, I trust." 
 
 She lingered, with her hand on the door knob. 
 
 " My father is willing to take all the financial 
 risks," she said. " That ought to make a difference, 
 don't you think so ?" 
 
 "It would, with many houses," he admitted. "I 
 am glad to know these things. Thursday, then, 
 Miss Miss Fern." 
 
 He wanted to call her " Millicent," for he had 
 read the name on the package he still held in his 
 hand ; but on the whole he concluded that this would 
 be a little premature.
 
 * HUB FIET WEBE PINX." 35 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 " HER FEET WERE PINK." 
 
 When Miss Millicent Fern entered the office of 
 Lawrence Gouger, as detailed in the preceding 
 chapter, it will be remembered that she found that 
 gentleman and his friend, Archie Weil, with their 
 hats in their hands. The fact was that Mr. Weil had 
 but just entered the room, and that Mr. Gouger 
 had accepted an invitation to take lunch with him, 
 an arrangement that was by no means an infrequent 
 one between them. The entrance of Miss Fern, and 
 t.he subsequent proceedings, compelled the literary 
 critic to go out alone, as has been seen. When he 
 returned he found Mr. Weil still there. 
 
 " Haven't you been to lunch yet !" exclaimed Mr. 
 Gouger. 
 
 "I have not been out of this office," was the reply, 
 " and all appetite for anything to eat has left me. 
 Lawrence, that is one of the most interesting girls I 
 ever met." 
 
 Mr. Gouger pursed up his lips, and uttered an 
 impatient, " Pah !" He then remarked that Mr. 
 Weil had a habit of finding such a quality in the 
 latest women of his acquaintance. 
 
 "What does she amount to?" he asked. "An 
 overgrown schoolgirl, who did not half learn her 
 lessons. Read that MSS. she left here, and get 
 disillusionized in short order. Why, she doesn't
 
 36 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 even know how to spell, and her periods and commas 
 are in a hopeless tangle." 
 
 His companion eyed him quizzically. 
 
 "Are periods and commas, even a correct spelling 
 of the English language, the only things you can see 
 in a bright, handsome girl?" he demanded. "For 
 shame, Lawrence ! You are adried-up old mummy. 
 Your senses are numb. A lively wind will come in 
 at the keyhole some day and blow you out of that 
 chimney." 
 
 Mr. Gouger heaved a sigh, as if to say that dis- 
 cussion with such a nonsensical fellow was useless, 
 and took his seat at his desk, where an unfinished 
 pile of MSS. awaited his reading. 
 
 " She's given me leave to take her story home," 
 said Mr. Weil, with a mischievous expression. 
 
 The critic stared at his friend. 
 
 "Given it to you ?" he repeated. *' How did that 
 happen ?" 
 
 " I asked her for it, naturally. You were so 
 severe on the poor child, that I couldn't help putting 
 in a cheering word. We talked of the whole business, 
 and she was willing I should see if my opinion 
 agreed with yours." 
 
 " Your opinion !" echoed Gouger, testily. " What 
 is that worth ? But take the stuff, if you want it, 
 and when you are done, send it to her ; it will make 
 less rubbish in this confounded hole. One thing I'll 
 tell you, though, in advance. You'll never be able 
 to make sense of it, unless you get some one to 
 straighten it out." 
 
 "That's all right," replied the other. "After I
 
 "HEK FEET WEKE PINK." 37 
 
 \ 
 
 have read it through, I am going to Miss Fern's 
 house, where she will read it to me." 
 
 Mr. Gouger started from his chair. 
 
 " You don't mean that !" he exclaimed. 
 
 "But I do. She asked me, and I'm going. I 
 understand that it's a rather bold tale, and I can 
 conceive nothing more entertaining than to hear 
 that kind of thing from the red lips of such a pretty 
 piece of flesh and blood as has just left here." 
 
 There was an uneasy expression on the face of the 
 critic as he heard these words. He liked Weil, 
 although they were as different in their natures as 
 two men could well be. He wanted to please him, 
 but the aspect of this affair was not agreeable. 
 
 " Look here, Archie," he said, earnestly, " there 
 are some things that I can't permit, you know. My 
 office must not be made a starting-place for one of 
 your lawless adventures. You met Miss Fern here. 
 Now, I protest against your going to her house, 
 pretending that you are interested in that novel, 
 when your real purpose is of a much more question- 
 able kind." 
 
 Mr. Weil put on the air of one whose feelings are 
 lacerated by an unjust suspicion. 
 
 " My dear Lawrence " he began. 
 
 " That's all right," growled the critic. " I may or 
 may not be your 'dear Lawrence,' but I know you 
 like like a book," he added, hitting by accident on 
 a very excusable simile. " You are an old dog that 
 is not likely to learn new tricks. I shall send this 
 MSS. back to Miss Fern, myself, enclosing a letter 
 warning her to have nothing to do with you."
 
 38 A BUCK 
 
 A laugh escaped the lips of Archie Weil at this 
 proposition. 
 
 " If you knew the feminine mind half as well as 
 you do modern literature," he answered, " you would 
 see how little that would avail. I have met Miss 
 Fern and made a distinctly favorable impression. 
 Her address is in my pocket, and I have received a 
 pressing invitation to call. If you choose to send 
 the MSS. by another messenger you will relieve me 
 of the task of carrying a bundle, but you will accom- 
 plish nothing more." 
 
 Mr. Gouger's mouth opened in astonishment at 
 the evident advantage which his friend had gained 
 in so short a time. 
 
 " You must have convinced her that your literary 
 opinions are of value," he said, presently. " If I 
 write that you are a charletan and entirely unworthy 
 of attention, what will happen then ?"' 
 
 The smiling gentleman opposite crossed his hands 
 over his left knee, and did not delay his answer. 
 
 " I will tell you," he said. " In the same mail she 
 will receive a letter from me, warning her that a cer- 
 tain party, who has given an adverse judgment on her 
 writings, may attempt to influence her against others 
 more likely to decide in her favor. She will be told 
 that, having rejected a book, this certain party does 
 not wish any one else to print it. Send the severest 
 note you can construct, Lawrence. I have few 
 talents, but I know how to write letters." 
 
 The critic could hardly believe that fate had 
 thrown so many cords around his neck in the brief 
 space of one hour, but the more he thought the more
 
 ** HElt FIST W1CKB P1NJL** 39 
 
 he became convinced that his best course was to shut 
 his eyes. 
 
 " Well, gang your gait," he said, after a long 
 pause, during which the look of triumph deepened 
 on his companion's face. " You will have to Answer 
 for your own sins. But I'll tell you one thing, that 
 may save your time. Women who write racy novels 
 are almost without exception remarkably correct in 
 their own lives." 
 
 Mr. Weil inquired if his friend was certain of this, 
 and there was a suspicion of disappointment in his 
 tone. 
 
 "Absolutely," said Mr. Gouger, refreshing his 
 memory. " I can think of a dozen instances to prove 
 the point. There is Lelia Dante, for instance, who 
 writes like a like a well, you know how she writes. 
 She sticks to her mother's apron strings like a four- 
 year-old child. They never are seen apart, I am 
 told. Then there is Mrs. Helen Walker Wilbur, the 
 poetesSe We have a volume of her verse that is posi- 
 tively combustible from its own heat. The sheets 
 had to be run off the press soaked in water to keep 
 them from igniting. The room was full of steam all 
 the time the work was going on. Warm ! I should 
 say so ! Now, that woman is vain, and she dresses 
 foolishly, and she does odd things for the sake of 
 being talked about but nobody questions her loy- 
 alty to her husband. You would think by some of 
 her poems that an East Indian regiment would not 
 suffice for her, and yet she is the straightest wife on 
 Manhattan Island. Oh, I know so many cases. You 
 remember that girl who wrote, ' Love's Extremities/
 
 40 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 a work as passionate as Sappho. She Is a little 
 Quaker-like maiden,* who dresses and talks like a 
 sister of one of the Episcopal guilds. These women 
 are on fire at the brain only. They would repel a 
 physical advance with more indignation than these 
 endowed with less esthetic perceptions. So, see Miss 
 Fern as much as you like. Should you attempt any- 
 thing improper you will prove the truth of my asser- 
 tions." 
 
 Mr. Weil changed the knee he had been nursing, 
 but the quiet smile did not leave his countenance. 
 
 " What an inconsistent fellow you are, Lawrence," 
 he said. " I could convict you of a hundred errors 
 of logic. Do you remember telling Mr. Roseleaf 
 that a man should have a passion before he at- 
 tempts to depict one." 
 
 " And I say so still," retorted Gouger. " You 
 don't call the ravings of these poetesses and female 
 novelists real life, do you ? You know the actual 
 lover isn't content with kissing the hair and the feet 
 of his divinity ! There is more about women's feet 
 in these poems and novels than all the rest of their 
 anatomy put together. And what is a woman's foot ? 
 Did you ever see one that was pretty that you 
 wanted to put to your lips ?" 
 
 " Yes," interrupted Archie, dreamily, " once. At 
 Capri. She was fifteen. Her feet were pink, like a 
 shell. She was walking along the shore in the early 
 evening." 
 
 " With the dirt of the soil on them !" exclaimed Mr. 
 Gouger, in disgust. 
 
 * Now dead, alas I A. R.
 
 "HEB FKBT WEBB PINK." 41 
 
 M No, she had just emerged from her bath. The 
 sand there was clean as a carpet, cleaner, in fact. 
 Gods ! They were exquisite !" 
 
 The critic uttered an exclamation. 
 
 " I waste time talking to you," he said, sharply^ 
 " You are like the rest of the imaginative crowd. It 
 is a pity you were not gifted with the divine afflatus, 
 that you could have added your volumes to the non- 
 sense they print." 
 
 "And which you are always glad to get," inter- 
 polated Mr. Weil. 
 
 " Because it will sell. Cutt & Slashem are in this 
 business to make money, and my thoughts must be 
 directed to the saleable quality of the manuscripts 
 submitted. If / was running the concern, though, I 
 would touch the mooney, maundering mess. It makes 
 my flesh creep, sometimes, to read it.** 
 
 Archie Weil uttered another of his winsome laughs. 
 
 " How would you like to be a serpent," he asked, 
 " and have your flesh creep all the time ? But be- 
 fore we dismiss this matter of Miss Fern, I want you 
 to clear your mind, if you can, of the haunting sus. 
 picions you always have when a woman is concerned. 
 You know there are concerns in the city who 
 would print her book, with a proper amount paid 
 down, if it had neither sense, syntax nor orthography. 
 If she wants it fixed up, I can find tailors to help her 
 out ; and if her papa wants it on the market, why 
 shouldn't he be able to get it there ? Now, let us 
 talk a little about Roseleaf." 
 
 Mr. Gouger brightened at the change of subject. 
 His interest in Mr. Roseleaf was genuine, and he had
 
 42 A BLACK ADOKIfi. 
 
 already learned that Archie had formed a sort ef 
 copartnership with the novelist, in the hope of mak- 
 ing his future work a success. While the critic could 
 not be said to have any real faith in the arrange- 
 ment, it certainly interested him. 
 
 " What strange freak will you take to next ?" he 
 asked. "And do you really expect to make a novel- 
 ist out of that young man ?" 
 
 Mr. Weil's eyes had a twinkle in them. 
 
 "Didn't you say, yourself, that it could be done ?" 
 he inquired. " If I have made any mistake in my 
 investment, I shall charge the loss to you." 
 
 The critic reflected a minute. 
 
 "I'm not so certain it can't be done,"* he said. 
 " But that's quite different from investing money in 
 it, as you are doing. A man wants pretty near a cer- 
 tainty before he puts up the tuff." 
 
 " You greedy fellow !" exclaimed Weil. " Will you 
 never think of anything but gain ? I have to spend 
 about so much money every year, in a continual 
 attempt to amuse myself, and it might as well be 
 this way as another. I have a document, signed and 
 solemnly sealed, by which I am to back him against 
 the field in the interest of romantic and realistic 
 literature, and in return he is to give me a third of 
 the net profits of his writings. I don't know that I 
 have done so badly. Perhaps you may live to see 
 Cutt & Slashem pay us a handsome sum in royal- 
 ties." 
 
 Mr. Gouger looked oddly at his friend, whose face 
 was perfectly serious. 
 
 H What arc you going to begin with T he asked.
 
 14 H F.-K F-TF. BIT WESJE FIHI." 43 
 
 " Love, of course. It is the A B G, as well as the 
 X Y Z of the whole business." 
 
 " What kind of love ?" 
 
 " The best that can be got," replied Weil, now 
 laughing in spite of himself. " The very finest qual- 
 ity in the market. Oh, we shall do this up brown, I 
 tell you." 
 
 " What have you done so far ?" asked Gouger. 
 
 "You want to know it all, eh ?" responded Mr. 
 Weil. " I don't think I am justified in letting you 
 too deeply into our secrets. However, you are too 
 honorable to betray us, and so here goes : I hare 
 instructed my protege that he must fall violently 
 under the tender passion before next Saturday 
 night." 
 
 "With a lady whom you have selected, of course ?" 
 
 " By no means. He must catch his own sweet- 
 hearts." 
 
 Mr. Gouger played with his watchchain. 
 
 " And this is Tuesday," he commented. " Do you 
 think he will succeed ?" 
 
 " He must," laughed Weil. " It's like the case of 
 the boy who was digging out the woodchuck. 'The 
 minister's coming to dinner.'" 
 
 "You might at least have got an introduction for 
 him," said Gouger, reflectively. 
 
 "Not I. There's nothing in our agreement that 
 puts such a task on me. Besides, there's no romance 
 in an introduction. He would write a story as prosy 
 as one of Henry James' if he started off like that." 
 
 Mr. Gouger nodded his head slowly.
 
 4A A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 " That would be something to avoid at all hazards," 
 he assented. 
 
 And at this juncture, to the surprise of both the 
 parties to this conversation, the young man of whom 
 they were speaking entered the room. 
 
 " I was telling Mr. Gouger of our agreement," said 
 Mr. Weil, as soon as the greetings were over. " How 
 do you get along ? Have you discovered your 
 heroine yet ?" 
 
 Mr. Roseleaf answered, with an air of timidity, in 
 the negative. 
 
 " I don't quite know where to find one," he said. 
 
 Mr. Weil spread out his arms to their fullest 
 capacity. 
 
 " There are thirty millions of them in the United 
 States alone," he exclaimed. " Out of that number 
 you ought to find a few whom you can study. What 
 a pity that 7 cannot write ! I would go out of that 
 door and in ten minutes I would have a subject ready 
 for vivisection." 
 
 The younger man raised his eyebrows slightly. 
 
 " But, that kind of a woman would be what you 
 would want the kind that would let you talk to her 
 on a mere street acquaintance !" 
 
 Mr. Weil leaned back in his chair and stretched 
 his legs. 
 
 ' Oh, yes," he said. " She would do for a begin- 
 ning. Don't imagine that none of these easy going 
 girls are worth the attention of a novelist. Some- 
 times they are vastly more interesting than the 
 bread and butter product of the drawing rooms. It
 
 45 
 
 won't do, in your profession, to ignore any sort of 
 human being." 
 
 Roseleaf breathed a sigh as soft as his name. 
 
 " You were right, Mr. Gouger," he said, turning 
 to that gentleman. " I do not know anything. I 
 have judged by appearances, and I now see that 
 truth cannot be learned in that way." 
 
 " All the better !" broke in Archie. "The surest 
 progress is made by the man who has learned his 
 deficiencies. You remember the hare and the tor- 
 toise. I have read somewhere that the race is not 
 always to the swift. You must treat your fellow 
 men and women as if you had just arrived on this 
 earth from the planet Mars. You must dig through 
 the strata of conventionality to the virgin soil 
 beneath. The great human passions are lust and 
 avarice, though they take a thousand forms, in many 
 of which they have more polite names. For instance, 
 the former, when kept within polite boundaries, is 
 usually known as Love. As Avarice makes but a sorry 
 theme for the romantic writer, Love is the subject 
 that must principally claim your attention. All the 
 world loves a lover, while the miser is despised even 
 by those who cringe beneath the power of his gold. 
 Study the women, my lad, and when you know them 
 thoroughly begin your great novel in earnest." 
 
 Roseleaf listened with rapt attention. 
 
 11 And the men ?" he asked. 
 
 "The men," was the quick reply, "are too trans- 
 parent to require study. It is the women, with their 
 ten million tricks to cajole and wheedle us, that 
 afford the best field for your efforts."
 
 46 A BLACK ADOHIS. 
 
 Mr. Gouger, who had never been known to take 
 so much time from his work during business hours, 
 tried to begin his reading, but without success. 
 When at his usual occupation he would not have 
 been disturbed by the conversation of a room full of 
 people, so preoccupied was he with what he had to 
 do ; but on this occasion he was too much enter- 
 tained with his companions to do anything but hear 
 them through. 
 
 " Is there no such thing as unselfish love in a 
 woman love that sacrifices itself for its object ?" 
 asked Roseleaf, with a trace of anxiety in his tone. 
 
 u M m, possibly," drawled Mr. Weil. " A female 
 
 animal with young sometimes evinces the possession 
 of that sort of thing, and women may have touches 
 of it on occasions. That will be a good point for 
 you to remember when you are deeper in your inves- 
 tigations. However, I ought not to fill your head 
 with ideas of my own. I think what we most desire 
 in our friend," he added, turning to the critic, " is 
 complete originality." 
 
 The young man shifted his feet nervously. 
 
 "Pardon me," he said, "would it not be well to 
 talk with people and learn their impressions ? Then 
 I can compare these with my own experiences, when 
 they come. You would not send a blind man out on 
 the street unled." 
 
 Archie Weil laughed deliciously. 
 
 " You are ingenious, when you should only be 
 ingenuous," he replied. " You do not act at all like 
 the young man from Mars that I have in mind. Per- 
 haps, nevertheless, you are not wholly wrong, for even
 
 '' HER FEET WEBB WML." 47 
 
 my traveler from that planet might have to ask his 
 way to the nearest town. Supposing you had just 
 reached the earth, and had met me with a thousand 
 questions. What could I answer that would be of 
 any use ?" 
 
 Mr. Roseleaf reflected a moment. 
 
 " You could tell me your idea of a perfect woman," 
 he suggested. 
 
 " Well, I will," said Weil, glancing meaningly at 
 Mr. Gouger. " The perfect woman is about nineteen 
 years of age. She is neither very light nor very 
 dark. Her eyes are hazel, with a touch of gray in 
 them. She measures, say, five feet, four inches in 
 height, and about twenty-two inches around the 
 waist. She has a plump arm, not too fleshy, a well- 
 made leg, a head set on her shoulders with enough 
 neck to give it freedom and grace of movement, 
 but not sufficient to warrant comparison with a 
 swan, or even a goose. Her hands match her feet, 
 being not too slender nor too dainty. Her hips are 
 medium, but not bulging. She weighs in the vicin- 
 ity of a hundred and twenty-five pounds. And her 
 hair there is but one color for a woman's hair is 
 Titian red." 
 
 The young man had taken out his note-book and 
 rapidly sketched this list of attractions. 
 
 " Every woman cannot have Titian hair," re- 
 marked Mr. Gouger. "Would you condemn one 
 with all the other attributes on account of missing 
 that ?" 
 
 " I would, decidedly," was the reply, " when it is 
 obtained so easily, I think it only costs two dollars
 
 48 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 a bottle, for the finest shade. Have you written it 
 all down, Mr. Roseleaf ?" 
 
 The young man ran over his notes. 
 
 " I have it all but the hair," he said. " Of course 
 I could not forget that." 
 
 "Very well. And this hair must be long enough, 
 but not too long, remember, for everything unduly 
 accentuated spoils a woman. It should hang about 
 five inches below the waist, when unfastened, and be 
 thick enough to make a noticeable coil. There 
 should be sufficient to hide her face and her lover's 
 when he takes her in his arms." 
 
 Mr. Roseleaf started slightly. 
 
 "Then she should have a lover ?" he remarked, 
 curiously. 
 
 " Undoubtedly. Else why the hair and the arms, 
 and the five feet four ! It is a woman's business to 
 be loved and to make herself lovable. When you 
 have found this woman, if she has no lover, you will 
 be expected to officiate in that capacity. If she has 
 one, you must supplant him as soon as possible. 
 And when you have fallen desperately, ravingly in 
 love with such a creature, you will not have to come 
 to me for further advice." 
 
 The young man surveyed the speaker with the 
 utmost gravity. 
 
 "Have^tf* ever been in love ?" he inquired. 
 
 * Never/* 
 
 Why r 
 
 "It was not necessary; /did not intend to write 
 novels," said Archie, with a laugh. " But, come, we 
 have bothered Lawrence enough. Let us go."
 
 WITH TITIAN TRESSES. 
 
 He took the package containing Miss Fern's story, 
 and sauntered out, paying no attention to the pecu- 
 liar glances that his friend, the critic, threw at him 
 as he was leaving. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 WITH TITIAN TRESSES. 
 
 Mr. Weil deciphered the MSS. of Miss Fern with 
 some difficulty. Not that the handwriting was par- 
 ticularly illegible, though it did not in the least 
 resemble copperplate engraving ; but, as Mr. Gouger 
 had intimated, the sentences were so badly con- 
 structed, and the punctuation so different from that 
 prescribed by the usual authorities, that he was con- 
 tinually obliged to go back over his tracks and hunt 
 for meanings. Nevertheless, within an hour from 
 the time when he sat down in his room at the Hoff- 
 man House and opened the package he had 
 brought, he had to confess himself deeply in- 
 terested. 
 
 Miss Fern had conceived some entertaining char- 
 acters, and some very unconventional situations. 
 Her people were virile ; her hero was strong if not 
 always grammatical ; her heroine did and said things 
 not common in real life, and yet that were quite 
 reasonable when her peculiar nature and environ- 
 ment were considered.
 
 50 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 Archie paused once in awhile to wonder how 
 much of all this record was within the direct knowl- 
 edge of the young authoress ; which expressions con- 
 veyed her own ideas and which sentiments she 
 would personally endorse. Gouger might be right 
 as to the exceeding purity of most of the ladies who 
 dealt in eroticism, but in this especial case Mr. Weil 
 meant to make an investigation on his own account 
 before he accepted as a universal rule the one his 
 friend had laid down. 
 
 He did not go to sleep that night until he had 
 finished his story. Had it been arranged by a 
 competent hand he could have read it in four hours, 
 but as it was he consumed eight in the work. With 
 all its faults, he liked it. There was something 
 breezy about it, and it had a theme that he did 
 not remember had been treated exactly in the same 
 way before. Though, as he himself had said, with- 
 out much talent for composition, Archie had read a 
 great many books. It is no proof because a person 
 cannot write that he would make a poor critic. Mr. 
 Weil might almost have filled Lawrence Gouger's 
 place at Cutt & Slashem's. He had written fugitive 
 pieces in his time for the papers, in reference to his 
 travels, which had been extensive, and had even con- 
 tributed occasional book reviews to the magazines. 
 His connection with Gouger enabled him to keep in 
 touch with what was going on in the literary world, 
 and the dozens of new volumes which passed 
 through that office were always at his disposal. 
 
 " She's not a fool, by any means," he remarked to 
 himself, when he put down the last sheet of Miss
 
 WITH TITIAJT TBEB6E8. 51 
 
 Fern's work. "A fellow who understood his busi- 
 ness might put that into such shape that it would be 
 worth using. I mean to find some one who can do 
 it, and suggest the idea to her, when I get to that 
 stage in this affair. Let me see, who do I know that 
 could undertake it ?" 
 
 He had begun to undress, and was in the act of 
 taking off his collar as he spoke. His mind ran 
 over a list of struggling literary men. Something 
 seemed the matter with most of them. There was 
 Hamlin, but he would be too exacting, and would 
 want to suggest alterations in the story itself, which 
 would never do. There was Insley, whose last three 
 books had been flat failures, and for whom Cutt 
 Slashem had positively refused to print anything 
 more ; but Insley had gone into the country for the 
 summer and nobody knew his address. Then there 
 was 
 
 " Roseleaf T 
 
 Archie received this thought like an inspiration. 
 He threw his cravat on the bureau and began tug- 
 ging at his shoestrings to the imminent danger of 
 getting them into hard knots that no one could 
 unravel. Roseleaf ! Why not ? The boy would do 
 almost anything he suggested, so great was his con- 
 fidence that a road to literary preferment could be 
 staked out over that path. Roseleaf would not 
 undertake the work for the sake of pecuniary com- 
 pensation, but the thing could be presented to him 
 in quite another light. In Miss Fern's story there 
 were living, breathing men and women. In his 
 own there were beautifully drawn marionettes. He
 
 52 A BLACK ADOHI8. 
 
 could be made to see that the study of the young 
 lady's method was worth his while. And then ! 
 
 Mr. Weil's shoes lay on the floor, in the disorder of 
 a bachelor who had never in his life taken pains to 
 put anything in the place where it really belonged. 
 He took out the studs of his shirt, pulled that gar- 
 ment over his head, and then sat for some minutes 
 wrapped in active thought. 
 
 "They must be introduced to each other!" he 
 exclaimed, at last. " Between them they have every 
 qualification for success ; apart they are like the 
 separated wheels of a watch. There is Shirley, with 
 a style so sweetly subtle, a grace so perfect, every 
 line a gem ; and with it all not a sign of human 
 emotion. There is Millicent, full of plot and daring 
 and breathing characters, and bold conceptions, and 
 no more able to write good English than an Esqui- 
 maux squaw. I have both these interesting persons 
 on my hands, and I must combine them, for their 
 mutual good. 
 
 " I wonder what Gouger will say when I unfold my 
 plan. Perhaps I had best not tell him. He actually 
 came near threatening, to-day, to send a line to Miss 
 Fern, warning her against me. He wouldn't have 
 done it, though. Lawrence has a bark that is worse 
 than his bite by a great deal. Yes, I'll bring these 
 young folks together. I'll take them as Hermann does 
 the rabbits, and press them gently but firmly into 
 one. And then sha'n't we get a combination ! And 
 won't Mr. Lawrence Gouger hug himself when the 
 product of their joint endeavor comes to him for a 
 reading .'"
 
 WITH TITIAN TRESSES. 53 
 
 The muser finished disrobing and donned his night 
 robes, but it was a long time before he felt like 
 slumber. He could think of nothing but his scheme. 
 As he revolved it over in his mind, it took many new 
 forms. At first Roseleaf was to be asked to rewrite 
 the story that Miss Fern had offered Cutt & Slashem. 
 And afterwards there must be an entirely new novel, 
 conceived together and worked out slowly, using the 
 best of what was brightest in both of them. 
 
 The last ides Mr. Weil had before he relapsed into 
 unconsciousness contained two novels, worked out 
 at the same time. Roseleaf was all right, if he could 
 only get a glimpse of realism into his work. Miss 
 Fern would have no trouble if her ideas could find a 
 garb that suited them. 
 
 There would be a way to make them of service to 
 each other, and the time to cross a bridge is always 
 when you come to it. So thought Archie Weil, as he 
 fell asleep. 
 
 In the morning he laughed to think of the descrip- 
 tion he had given to Shirley, in his offhand way, 
 of " the perfect woman." It was a faithful list of 
 Miss Millicent's charms, so far as they were apparent 
 to him. Shirley had noted them down with great 
 carefulness, and would be sura to notice how fully 
 the authoress met the ideal he now had in mind. It 
 only remained for the schemer to say something to 
 Miss Fern that would suggest Roseleaf to her, when- 
 ever they were made acquainted. 
 
 It must be plain to the reader that Mr. Weil's prin- 
 cipal intention in this whole matter was to dispose 
 of the ennui which idleness brings evea to its most
 
 54 A BLACK ADONI8. 
 
 adoring devotees. He had a fair fortune, accumu- 
 lated by a father who had denied himself every lux- 
 ury to amass it. Drifting to New York, he had 
 found the vicinity of the Hoffman House very agree- 
 able, arid his companions, with the exception of Mr. 
 Gouger, were of about as light views of life as him- 
 self. The critic was one of those strange exceptions 
 with which most of us come in contact, where per- 
 sons of entirely opposite tastes and inclinations 
 become attached friends. 
 
 Breakfast was served so late to Mr. Weil that he 
 had not finished that repast when the young novelist 
 made his appearance. Seating himself on the side 
 of the table that faced his friend, Mr. Roseleaf 
 responded to the latter's inquiries in regard to his 
 health by saying that he was quite well. Indeed, he 
 looked it. His eye was bright, his cheek rosy. His 
 attire showed just enough of a negligent quality to 
 be attractive. There was an air about him such as 
 is often associated with an artist of the pencil and 
 brush. 
 
 " Never better in health," he said, " but very anx- 
 ious to begin something definite in the way of 
 work." 
 
 Mr. Weil smiled his most affable smile. 
 
 " What did I tell you to do, first ?" he asked, play- 
 fully. 
 
 " To fall in love." 
 
 " Which you have not yet done !" 
 
 The young man shook his head. 
 
 " Good Heavens 1 And you have lost more than a 
 week I"
 
 WITH TITIAN TRESSES. 55 
 
 koseleaf colored more than ever. 
 
 " Isn't there something else that I could begin 
 on ?" he asked, humbly. 
 
 " I don't know of anything. Love is the alphabet 
 of the novelist. You'd best go straight. Aren't 
 there any eligible young women at your lodging 
 house ?" 
 
 The younger man thought a moment. 
 
 " No ; only the chambermaid." 
 
 Mr. Weil sipped his coffee with a wise expression. 
 
 " It may come to that," he said, putting down the 
 cup, " but we'll hope not. We will hope not. What's 
 the matter with Central Park ? There are five hun- 
 dred nice girls there every afternoon." 
 
 " But I don't know them," said Roseleaf, des- 
 perately. " And I have been there. Yesterday 
 one of them looked at me and smiled. I walked 
 toward her, and she slackened her speed. When I 
 came within a few feet she almost stopped. Then 
 I could think of nothing to say to her, and I walked 
 on, looking in ths other direction." 
 
 Several breakfasters in the vicinity turned their 
 heads to note the couple at the table, from which a 
 laugh that could be heard all over the room came 
 musically. 
 
 " Why didn't you say ' Good-morning?' " 
 
 " Yes ! And she might have said * Good-morning.' 
 And then it would be my turn, and what could I 
 have done ?" 
 
 Mr Weil folded up his napkin and laid it by his 
 plate. 
 
 * You coward/' he replied, affably, "you could
 
 56 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 have done a thousand things. You could have 
 remarked that the day was fair, or that you won- 
 dered if it would rain. And you could have asked 
 her to stroll over to a restaurant and take a little 
 refreshment. Once opposite to her, the rest would 
 have come fast enough." 
 
 The novelist took out a handkerchief and wiped 
 the perspiration from his forehead. It all seemed 
 very easy the way Archie described it, but he was 
 sure it would be very different in practice. How 
 could he know, he demanded, that the young lady 
 would go to the restaurant with him ? She might 
 have declined, and then he would have been in a 
 worse position than ever. 
 
 " Declined !" echoed Archie. " Declined a lunch ? 
 Declined ice cream ? Declined champagne frapp6 ! 
 Well, you are ignorant of the sex. My dear boy, it 
 is evident that 1 shall have to introduce you to the 
 leading lady of your company, and if you will be 
 patient for a very few days, I hope to be able to 
 do so." 
 
 Rousing himself with a show of genuine interest, 
 Roseleaf inquired for further particulars. 
 
 " Listen," replied the other. " I expect, to-mor- 
 row evening, to spend a few hours in the company of 
 one of the most charming members of her sex. She, 
 like you, has an ambition to become a successful 
 writer. Like you, also, she lacks some of the prime 
 qualities that are needed for that end. It happens, 
 however, that the things wanting are entirely differ- 
 ent in each of your cases that you will, if you 
 choose, be able to supplement and perfect each other.
 
 WITH TITIAN TRES8E8. 57 
 
 I shall tell her that I know a young man of literary 
 taste who will give her advice on the points in which 
 she is deficient. With such an opening you will be 
 at once on Easy street, and if you cannot fall in love 
 within forty-eight hours, I shall regard you as a case 
 too hopeless to merit further attention at my hands." 
 
 The young man's cheek glowed with pleasure. 
 
 " That is more like it," he said. " When do you 
 think I shall be able to meet this young lady ?" 
 
 " Within a week or two, at the latest. I must 
 sound her before I trust you with her, for she is 
 nearly as much a stranger to me, so far, as to you. 
 Of course there is no objection quite the contrary 
 to your falling in love elsewhere in the meantime, if 
 opportunity serves." 
 
 At this moment Mr. Weil called his companion's 
 attention to a rather corpulent gentleman who had 
 just entered the breakfast room and was stopping 
 near the door to hold a brief conversation with some 
 one he had met there. 
 
 "You see that fellow?" he remarked. " Wait a 
 minute, and I will get him over here. If you ever 
 want to put a real character into one of your stories 
 you will only need to take his photograph. In 
 actual life he is as dull as a rusty meat axe, but for 
 literary purposes he would be a godsend." 
 
 Catching the eye of the person of whom he was 
 speaking^ Mr. Weil motioned to him to come to his 
 part of the room, and as he approached arranged a 
 chair for him invitingly. 
 
 M Mr. Boggs, I want to present a young friend of
 
 5$ A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 mine to you," said Archie, rising. "Mr. Walker 
 Boggs Mr. Shirley Roseleaf." 
 
 Mr. Boggs went through the usual ceremony, 
 announcing that he was most happy, etc., in the 
 perfunctory style that a million other men follow 
 every day. Then he took the chair that was offered 
 him, and gave an order for his breakfast to a waiter. 
 
 "Are you a New Yorker, Mr. Roseleaf ?" he asked, 
 when this important matter was disposed of. 
 
 "Mr. Roseleaf is staying here for the present," 
 explained Mr. Weil. " He is a novelist by profes- 
 sion, and I tell him there is no better place to study 
 the sensational than this vicinity." 
 
 The young man's color deepened. He doubted if 
 it was right to introduce the subject in exactly these 
 terms. Mr. Boggs' next question did not detract 
 from his uneasiness. 
 
 " Excuse me I am not altogether up in current 
 literature, and I must ask what Mr. Roseleaf has 
 written." 
 
 Mr. Weil helped his young friend out of this 
 dilemma as well as he could. 
 
 " He has written nothing, as yet ; at least nothing 
 that has been printed," he said. " He is wise, I 
 think, in laying a deep foundation for his romances, 
 instead of rushing into print with the first thoughts 
 that enter his head, as so many do, to their own sub- 
 sequent regret and the distress of their readers. I 
 want him to meet men and women who have known 
 what life is by their own experiences. You ought 
 to be worth something to a bright writer, Walker. 
 You have had many an adventure in your day."
 
 TITIAN TH-EflftSt. 59 
 
 Mr. Walker Boggs shrugged his fhoulders. 
 
 "In my ' day,' yes, he assented. "Enough to fill 
 the Astor and Lenox libraries and leave enough for 
 Charlie Dillingham and The American News Com- 
 pany. But that is nothing but history now. My 
 ' day ' is over and it will never return." 
 
 He paused and ran his right hand dejectedly 
 across his vest in the vicinity of the waist band. 
 Though he knew perfectly what Mr. Boggs referred 
 to, Archie Weil wanted him to express it in his own 
 words to Shirley. 
 
 "You wouldn't think," continued Mr. Boggs, after 
 a pause which seemed filled with strange emotions, 
 "that my figure was once the admiration of every 
 lady who saw it, that they used to stop and gaze at 
 me with eyes of positive envy. And now look 
 at this ! " 
 
 He indicated his embonpoint again, and shook his 
 head wrathfully. 
 
 "It is simply damnable," he continued, as neither 
 of the others thought best to interrupt him. " When 
 I was twenty-four I had a reputation that was as 
 wide as the continent. When I walked down Broad- 
 way you would have supposed a procession was 
 passing, the crowds gathered in such numbers. If it 
 was mentioned that I would spend a week at Sara- 
 toga or Newport, the hotels had not a room to spare 
 while I remained. The next year I married, and as 
 one of the fashion journals put it, two thousand 
 women went into mourning. For a decade I de- 
 voced myself entirely to my wife and to business. I 
 made some money, and kept out of the public eye.
 
 Then my wife died, and I retired from the firm with 
 which I had been connected. The next twelve 
 months dragged terribly. I did not know what to 
 do. Finally I decided that there was but one course 
 open to me. I must resume again the position I had 
 vacated as a leader of fashion." 
 
 Mr. Weil bowed, as if to say that this was a very 
 natural and praiseworthy conclusion ; precisely as if 
 he had not heard the story told in substantially the 
 same way a dozen times before. He was watching 
 Roseleaf's interested expression and had difficulty 
 in repressing an inclination to laugh aloud. 
 
 " I sought out the best tailor in the city," contin- 
 ued Mr. Boggs. "I went to the most fashionable 
 hair dresser. I spent considerable time in selecting 
 hats, cravats and gloves. When all was ready I 
 took a stroll, as I had done in the old days, from 
 Fiftieth street, down Fifth Avenue and Broadway to 
 Union Square. I met a few acquaintances who 
 stared at me slightly, but did not act in the least 
 impressed. The women merely glanced up and 
 glanced away again. What was the matter ? I 
 went home and took a long survey of myself in the 
 mirror, a cheval glass that showed me from crown 
 to toe. My costume was perfect. There was not a 
 wrinkle in my face this was several years ago, re- 
 member. There was not a gray hair in my head 
 then there are a few now, [ admit. * What is it Y 
 I asked myself a hundred times as I stood there, 
 ttudying out the cursed problem. Mr tie was all 
 right, my shirt front of the latest cut, my watch chain
 
 WITH TITIAIf TBHSSEg. 51 
 
 straight from Tiffany's, my ah ! I saw it all in a 
 moment!" 
 
 Roseleaf, who did not see it even yet, wore such an 
 astonished expression that Mr. Weil had to stuff his 
 napkin into his mouth to prevent an explosion. 
 
 " It was this devilish abdomen !" said Mr. Boggs, 
 slapping that portion of his frame as if he had a spe- 
 cial grudge against it and would be glad if he could 
 hit it hard enough to bring it to a realizing sense of 
 its turpitude. " My figure had gone to the devil ! It 
 was not as large as it is now, but it was large enough 
 to cook my gruel. My waist had increased so grad- 
 ually that I had never noticed it. I got a tape and 
 took its measure. Forty-two inches, sir ! The jig 
 was up. With a heart as young as ever, with a face 
 as good and a purse able to supply all reasonable 
 demands, I was knocked out of the race on the first 
 round by this adipose tissue that no ingenuity could 
 hope to conceal !" 
 
 Mr. Weil could wait no longer. His musical laugh 
 rang out over the room. 
 
 "Let this be a warning to you, Shirley," he said, 
 " to wear corsets." 
 
 " It is no joke," was the ind'gnant comment of Mr. 
 Walker Boggs, as he proceeded to add to his rotun- 
 dity by devouring the hearty breakfast that the waiter 
 had just brought him. " I am left like a marooned 
 sailor on the sea of life. The only occupation that 
 could have entertained me is gone. It is no time to 
 enter business again, I couldn't have selected a wiser 
 one to leave it. I don't want to marry, once was 
 enough of that. The only women I can attract are
 
 0V A BLACK ADONT8. 
 
 those commercially inclined females that any other 
 man could have as well as I. What is the result? 
 My life is ruined. I take no pleasure in anything. 
 I eat, walk about, go to a play, sleep. A pig could 
 do as much ; and a pig would not have these mem- 
 ories to haunt him, these recollections of a time so 
 different that I am almost driven wild." 
 
 Roseleaf felt a sincere pity for the unfortunate 
 gentleman, and did not see the slightest element of 
 humor in his melancholy recital. But Archie Weil 
 could not be restrained. 
 
 " You're right about that pig business," he re- 
 marked. " You recall the incident in Mother Goose, 
 where 
 
 A little pig found a fifty dollar note. 
 And purchased a hat and a very fine coat.' 
 
 " There are strange parallels in history." 
 
 Mr. Boggs would have replied to this remark in the 
 terms it deserved had he not been too much engaged 
 at the moment in masticating a particularly fine 
 chop. As it was he growled over the meat like a 
 mastiff in bad humor. 
 
 " Are there no remedies for excessive accumula- 
 tion of fat in the abdominal region ?" asked Weil, 
 taking his advantage. " It seems to me I have read 
 advertisements of them in the newspapers." 
 
 " Remedies !" retorted the other, having swallowed 
 the food and supplemented it with a glass of ale. 
 " There are a thousand, and I have tried them all. I 
 have taken things by the gross. I have paid money 
 to every quack I could find. For awhile I starved 
 myself so nearly to death that I went to making my
 
 WITH TITIAN TBK88BS. 63 
 
 will. And every day I grew stouter. I don't know 
 what I measure now, and I don't care. A few 
 fathoms more or less, doesn't count, when one falls 
 from a steamer in midocean." 
 
 Mr. Weil took occasion to say that there was no 
 need for this extreme discouragement. A little coin 
 in the hand, or a new diamond ring, would still bring 
 youth and beauty to his disconsolate friend. 
 
 " That's just it," retorted Boggs. " It's the con- 
 trast that's killing me. The only women who would 
 *ook at me to-day are mercenary ones that wouldn't 
 care if I was black as Othello or big as George IV. 
 Why, I could show you a trunkful of letters, written 
 me by the finest women in this country, when I was 
 at my best. They breathe but one thing love, love, 
 love ! I lived on it ! It was the air that kept my 
 lungs in motion. And I thought to go back to it so 
 easily ! Ah /" 
 
 Mr. Boggs commenced upon his fourth chop and 
 emptied the last of the quart bottle into his glass. 
 
 "Well, I'm sorry for you," said Weil. "I think 
 the times must have changed, as well as yourself, 
 though. Now, here's a young fellow, with all the 
 qualifications of face, figure and address that you 
 once had, and he claims to be unable to make the 
 acquaintance of a single interesting woman between 
 Brooklyn Bridge and Spuyten Duyvil." 
 
 The heavy eyes of Mr. Walker Boggs rested upon 
 the youthful face opposite to him. Under the scru- 
 tiny to which he was subjected Roseleaf reddened, in 
 the way he bad. He had never looked more hand- 
 some.
 
 4 4 PLACE! ADONIS. 
 
 " This is evidently a jest of yours," said Boggs, 
 turning to Mr. Weil. 
 
 ** Not in the least, I assure you." 
 
 "Then I say he can do what he likes, and I know 
 it," replied the stout man. "If I had his form I'd 
 have to ask the police to clear the way for me. I 
 have seen circulation impeded in front of this very 
 hotel b cause I was coming out to take my carriage. 
 If he won't look at them, why, of course, the women 
 can't do it all, but it lies with him." 
 
 Roseleaf's eyes glistened with a strange mixture 
 of hope and fear. He did not think he would care 
 to be in such great demand as that, but he dearly 
 wished to break through the iron bars that enclosed 
 him. He glanced in a glass that paneled the wall 
 near by. He was good-looking enough, it was no 
 vanity to say so. What he lacked was confidence. 
 
 " He is afraid of them, that's his trouble," smiled 
 Weil. "We vill cure him of that, and when he gets 
 to know women as they are he will give us a novel 
 that will set all creation by the ears. Gouger you 
 know Gouger says he writes the purest English. 
 All he needs is a taste of life." 
 
 To this Mr. Boggs gave his unqualified assent. 
 And he added that it he could be of any service in 
 the matter he would only be too glad. 
 
 " We thank you for the offer, and may be able 
 later to make use of it," said Mr. Weil. "And now 
 good-morning, for we have important business to 
 attend to." 
 
 Roseleaf looked long and earnestly at the person 
 they were leaving. He seemed to him a very
 
 , STUDYING MISS MILUOEHT. 65 
 
 ordinary individual. If such a man had won the 
 love of scores of beautiful women, surely he him- 
 self could gain the affections of one. When he stood 
 with Weil in front of the hotel, by which an un- 
 rivaled procession of ladies and gentleman was 
 already beginning to pass, though it was only eleven 
 o'clock, he felt much encouraged. 
 
 " They are looking at you," whispered Archie, 
 " plenty of them. Did you see those two girls in 
 pink in that landau ? Why, they nearly broke their 
 necks to get the last glimpse of you. There is- 
 another lady who would stop if you asked her, pretty 
 as any of them, though she must be nearly thirty. 
 Your eyes are not open. Ah, here is something 
 better ! In that carriage, with the Titian tresses !" 
 
 It was Miss Millicent Fern, and she bowed to Mr. 
 Weil. Then her bright eyes lit up with a new lustre 
 as they fell upon his companion. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 STUDYING MISS MILLICENT. 
 
 When Mr. Weil made his appearance at the resi- 
 dence of Mr.Wilton Fern, the door was opened for him 
 by a young negro of such superb proportions that the 
 caller could not help observing him with admiration. 
 He thought he had never seen a man more perfectly 
 formed. The face, though too dark to suggest
 
 66 4. BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 the least admixture of Caucasian blood, was well 
 featured. The lips were not thick nor was the nose 
 flat, as is the case with so many of the African race. 
 The voice, as the visitor heard it, was by no means 
 unpleasant. Mr. Weil could not imagine a better 
 model for an ebony statue than this butler, or foot- 
 man, or whatever position, perhaps both, he might 
 be engaged to fill. 
 
 "Yes, sir, Miss Millicent is in, and she is expect- 
 ing you," said the negro, in his pleasant and strong 
 tones. " Let me take your hat and stick. Now, sir, 
 this way." 
 
 T^JP Miss Fern came^Tn a few momentsVo the parlor, 
 ' where Archie was left, and greeted him most cordi- 
 ally. 
 
 " There is a sitting-room on the next floor," she 
 said, " where we shall not be disturbed. I have 
 given Hannibal orders to admit no one, saying that 
 we shall want the evening entirely to ourselves." 
 
 " Hannibal ?" repeated the visitor. " Is that the 
 name of the remarkable individual who received me 
 just now ?" 
 
 "Yes," said Miss Fern, rather coldly. " Though I 
 do not know why you call him ' remarkable."' 
 
 " He is so tall, so grand, so entirely overpower- 
 ing," explained Mr. Weil. " One would think he 
 might be the son of an African king. I never 
 saw a black man that gave me such an impression of 
 force and power." 
 
 Millicent elevated her eyebrows a little, as it 
 annoyed at these expressions. She answered, still 
 (rigidly, that she had noticed nothing unusual about
 
 KISS MILLICEWT. 67 
 
 Hannibal. She did not believe she had looked 
 closely enough at his face to be able to identify him 
 in a court." 
 
 " He would make a fine character for a novel," 
 said Mr. Weil, as they walked together up the broad 
 staircase. " I could almost write one myself, around 
 such a personality." 
 
 The young lady looked disgusted. 
 
 " A negro servant !" she exclaimed. " What kind 
 of a novel could you write with such a central 
 figure ?" 
 
 " Perhaps I should not put him in the centre," 
 laughed Archie, determined to win her good nature. 
 " Every story needs lights and shades. You can't 
 deny that he would cast a magnificent shadow." 
 
 The humor of this observation struck Miss Fern 
 and she joined mildly in her companion's mirth. 
 Then she remarked that the central figure of a novel 
 the main tiling in it to her mind, should be a 
 being who could be given the attributes of beauty 
 and grace. The minor characters were of less 
 account, and would come into existence almost of 
 their own accord. 
 
 " And now, before we do anything more," she 
 said, " I want you to tell me about that excessively 
 handsome young man that I saw with you yesterday 
 in Madison Square." 
 
 Weil was delighted at this introduction of his 
 young friend. He began a most flattering account 
 of Shirley Roseleaf, describing him as a genuine 
 paragon among men, both in talent and goodness. 
 He drew heavily on his imagination as he proceeded,
 
 '6 A BLACK ADOHIS. 
 
 j 
 
 feeling that he was " in for it," and might as well do 
 his best at once. And he could see the cheek of the 
 young listener taking on a new and more enticing 
 color as he went farther and farther into his sub- 
 Ject. 
 
 " If I have to rearrange my novel the one Mr. 
 Gouger rejected I shall draw my hero after that 
 model," she cried, when he paused for breath. " I 
 never saw a man who came so near my ideal." 
 
 " But you would have to alter your hero's char- 
 acter, in that case ?" he said. " I have read your 
 MSS., and your description does not tally with my 
 young friend at all." 
 
 Miss Fern reddened. 
 
 " You don't mean to claim, do you," she replied, 
 " that physical beauty and moral goodness always 
 go hand in hand ?" 
 
 " They should," he answered, in a tone that was 
 meant to be impressive. 
 
 " Ah, that is another question ! Do they ? that is 
 all the novelist needs to know. Did you ever read 
 Ouida's ' Sigma ?' There are the two sisters, one as 
 pure as can be, the other quite the opposite, and the 
 beauty belongs to the depraved one. I know Oscar 
 Wilde takes a different view in ' Dorian Grey,' but 
 he is wrong. I am sure that the worst man or wom- 
 an in the world reckoning by what are called the 
 ' amiable vices ' might be the most lovely to look 
 upon, the most delightful to associate with. Eve 
 found the serpent attractive, remember." 
 
 Where did she learn all these things ? Weil looked
 
 STUDYING MISS MILLICENT. 69 
 
 at her with increasing astonishment. "Amiable 
 vices." He liked the appellation. 
 
 " Perhaps you are right," he assented, as if slowly 
 convinced. " If you wish to be acquainted with 
 Mr. Roseleaf, I will bring him here with pleasure. 
 My only fear is that he will not interest -you. He 
 seems almost too perfect for earth. Think of a 
 young man who knows nothing of women, who says 
 he has no idea what it is to be in love, who does not 
 understand why the ladies who pass down Fifth 
 Avenue turn their heads to look at him ! He, like 
 yourself, is a novelist, but his characters are beauti- 
 ful images that lack life. He carves marble figures 
 and attempts to palm them off as flesh and blood. 
 He really thinks they are, because he has never 
 known the difference. If you could take him, Miss 
 Fern, and teach him what love really is " 
 
 The young lady blushed more than before. 
 
 "/ " she stammered. 
 
 " In a strictly literary way," he explained. " But," 
 he added, thinking he was getting upon the edge of 
 a quicksand, " we must not forget the object of my 
 visit." 
 
 He took the parcel containing her MSS. that he 
 had obtained from Mr. Gouger, and began to untie 
 the string. Manlike he soon had it in a hard knot, 
 and Miss Millicent, coining to his rescue, her young 
 hands touched his and made his heart beat faster. 
 
 " There," she said, when the knot had given way 
 to their joint endeavors. " It is all right, now. But, 
 before we begin on this, tell me a little more about 
 Mr. Roseleaf. What has he written ? Where was it
 
 70 A BLAGS AJD01TIS. 
 
 published ? I will send to-morrow morning and buy 
 a copy." 
 
 Her enthusiasm was agreeable under the circum- 
 stances, but the truth had to be explained to her. 
 
 " What he has written I will let you see, one of 
 these days," he replied. " As for publishing, he ran 
 upon the same rock that you did that of Mr. 
 Lawrence Gouger." 
 
 The beautiful eyes opened wider. 
 
 " So he rejected his work, too ! And yet you say 
 that it was well done?" 
 
 " Exquisitely. Shirley's lines are as symmetrical as 
 his face and figure. His people are dead, that is all 
 the trouble. Gouger scented the difficulty under 
 which he labors, in a moment. ' Go and fall in love !' 
 he said to him, ' and you will write a story at which 
 the world will marvel !' " 
 
 Miss Fern arranged one of her locks of Titian red 
 that had fallen down. 
 
 " And hasn't he taken the advice ?" she inquired, 
 in a low voice. 
 
 " Not yet," smiled the other. " He says, like a 
 very child, that 'he cannot find any one to love.' I 
 walked up the avenue with him to-day, and after- 
 wards rode in the Park. There were hundreds of 
 the prettiest creatures, all looking their eyes out at 
 him. And he hadn't the courage to return one 
 glance, not one. Ah, Miss Fern, it will be genuine 
 love with Shirley Roseleaf, if any. The imitations 
 one finds in the fashionable world will never answer 
 for him." 
 
 The young lady breathed a gentle sigh, as her
 
 STUDYING MI88 MILLIOENT. 71 
 
 thoughts dwelt on the handsome figure she had seen 
 in front of the Hoffman House. 
 
 " You may bring him here yes, I should be glad 
 to have you," she said, slowly. " But I must ask 
 one favor ; do not tell him what I said so thought- 
 lessly about his being my ideal. Let me talk with 
 him on fair terms. It may be, as you suggest, that 
 we shall be of advantage to each other. When can 
 you arrange it ?" 
 
 "Almost any day," smiled Weil. "I will let you 
 know, by mail or otherwise. And now, this story 
 of yours," he added, thinking it a shrewd plan to 
 divert her attention from the other matter while it 
 was still warm in her mind. " Though I have read 
 it through, and think I understand it fairly well, I 
 am all the more anxious to hear it from your lips. 
 You will put into the text new meanings, I have no 
 doubt, that have escaped my observation." 
 
 Miss Fern flushed pleasantly and inquired with a 
 show of anxiety whether Mr. Weil had found its 
 construction as bad as his friend, Mr. Gouger, had 
 intimated. 
 
 " To be perfectly honest, it might be improved," 
 he replied. " But the germ is there, Miss Fern 
 that necessary thing for a good novel an interest 
 that will hold the reader in spite of himself. I 
 disagree with Lawrence in his essential point. I am 
 sure that a good writer of English with a taste for 
 fiction could make all the necessary alterations with- 
 out in the least detracting from the value of the 
 story. For instance, I believe if Mr. Roseleaf would
 
 7fc JL BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 take hold of it I could guarantee to get you a pub, 
 lisher this winter." 
 
 "And do you think he would?" she cried. 
 
 " I think so." 
 
 The authoress was so delighted with this announce- 
 ment that she conquered the slight wound to hev 
 pride. It would be herself still who had drawn the 
 picture, who had put the coloring into it ; all that 
 the other would have to do might be described as 
 varnishing. She took up the first sheet of her writ- 
 ing, and turned up an oil lamp that stood upon the 
 table at her elbow, the better to see the lines. 
 
 "Are you ready ?" she asked. 
 
 "Quite ready," smiled Mr. Weil. 
 
 In a voice that trembled a little, and yet not un- 
 pleasantly to the listener, Miss Fern began to read 
 her manuscript. The opening chapter introduced 
 the heroine and two gentlemen, either one of whom 
 might be the hero. As the book is now so well known 
 it is needless to transfer its features to these pages. 
 
 Presently the authoress paused and seemed to 
 wait for her guest's criticism. 
 
 " That is one chapter," she said. 
 
 " Yes. I remember. And the second one is where 
 Algernon begins to disclose a very little of his true 
 nature. Shall we not have that now ?" 
 
 "As you like. I thought perhaps you would give 
 me advice as we proceeded, some fault-finding here 
 and there, a suggestion of alterations." 
 
 He shook his head affably. 
 
 " Not yet," he answered. " Up to this point I see 
 nothing that requires condemnation."
 
 8TODYING MISS M1LLIOENT. 73 
 
 * Nor praise, perhaps ?" she said, in a low tone. 
 
 "That might be true, also," he replied. "The 
 first chapter of a novel is only the laying of the cloth 
 and the placing of a few dishes. The viands that 
 form the meal are still in the kitchen." 
 
 She smiled at the simile. 
 
 " But even the laying of the cloth is important," 
 she said. 
 
 " Your cloth is laid most admirably," he answered. 
 "And now we will have the castor, which in this 
 case, I believe, contains a certain quantity of mus- 
 tard and red pepper." 
 
 At this she laughed the more, and glanced through 
 a few of the sheets in her hands before she spoke 
 again. 
 
 " Did you form any opinion about about me 
 from this story ?" she asked, constrainedly. " Did 
 you, in brief, think it had taken a bold girl to write 
 it?" 
 
 He hesitated a moment. 
 
 " Yes," he said, at last. "A bold girl, a daring 
 girl, a brave girl. Not one, however, whose own con- 
 duct would necessarily be like that of the woman 
 she has delineated." 
 
 She was so pleased that she put down the MSS. 
 and leaned toward him with both hands clasped to- 
 gether. 
 
 " You are very, very kind," she said, impres- 
 sively. 
 
 "No, merely truthful," he replied. " With your 
 permission I want to retain that last quality in all 
 my conversations with you. When you ask me a
 
 74 A BLACK ADONTf . 
 
 question I wish to be perfectly free to answer ac 
 cording to my honest convictions." 
 
 "It is what I especially desire," she said, bright- 
 ening. " No one able to judge has heard anything 
 of this story except your friend, Mr. Gouger. I 
 know it is bold, sometimes I think it is brazen. I 
 can cot.ceive that there are excellent people who 
 would say it never should have been written. To my 
 mind, the moral I have drawn more than justifies 
 the plainness of my speech. You can tell better 
 than I where I have overstepped the proper bounds, 
 if there be such places. You are, of course, a man 
 of the world " 
 
 The protesting expression on the face of her com- 
 panion arrested her at this point. 
 
 " That depends on what you mean by ' a man of 
 the world ?' " 
 
 " It is a common expression." 
 
 " And has many definitions. Before I plead guilty 
 to it, I want to know just how much you intend by 
 it." 
 
 Miss Fern put down the page she had taken up 
 and a puzzled look crossed her pretty face. 
 
 " You make it hard for me to explain myself," she 
 said. '* I suppose I meant " 
 
 " Now, be as honest as you asked me to be," he 
 interrupted. 
 
 " Well, then, I suppose you are a roan like like 
 other men." 
 
 " But there are many kinds of other men." 
 
 The young lady tried several times to make her- 
 elf clearer, and then asked, with a very pathetic
 
 KIM SOLUGEST, 76 
 
 pout, that she might be permitted to proceed with 
 her reading, as the hour was growing later. It was 
 not a very important point, any way, she said. 
 
 " I cannot entirely agree with you," replied Archie. 
 " If you are to be a writer of fiction, you should not 
 consider any time wasted which informs you in ref- 
 erence to your fellow creatures. It is from them 
 that you must draw your inspiration ; it is their 
 figures you must put, correctly or incorrectly, on 
 your canvas. Don't understand me as dictating to 
 you, my dear Miss Fern. I only wish, as long as you 
 have referred to me, to know of what 1 am accused." 
 
 To this Miss Fern answered, with many pauses, 
 that she had not intended to accuse her visitor of 
 anything. And once more with evident distress 
 she begged to be permitted to drop the matter and 
 return to her reading. 
 
 " Very well," he assented, thinking he had annoyed 
 her as much as was advisable for the present. "As 
 they say in parliamentary bodies, we will lay the 
 question on the table, from which it can be taken at 
 some more fitting time. I am as anxious as you can 
 be to get into Chapter II." 
 
 She read this chapter to the end, and paused a 
 few seconds to see if he had any comments to make, 
 but he shook his head without breaking silence, and 
 she went on with the story. He pursued the same 
 plan till the end of the fifth chapter. 
 
 " It is interesting, exciting and true," he remarked, 
 referring to the closing scene. "And I cannot help 
 feeling arise in my brain the question that Mr. 
 Souger put when he read it : How could a young,
 
 76 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 innocent girl like you depict that situation with such 
 
 absolute fidelity." 
 
 He had come to the point with a vengeance. But 
 to Miss Fern his manner was far more agreeable 
 than if he had approached it by stealth, or in an 
 insinuating way. She had anticipated something of 
 the sort and had tried to prepare herself to meet it. 
 
 "Does not nature teach us some things?" she 
 asked, speaking straightforwardly, though her color 
 heightened in spite of her efforts. " Given a certain 
 condition, an intelligent mind can prophesy results." 
 
 He shook his head in mild disagreement with 
 her. 
 
 "Gouger is an expert, and he denies this, as a reg- 
 ular rule, at least. You should have heard him 
 argue it with Roseleaf. ' Either throw yourself into 
 a love affair,' he said, ' or never try to depict one. 1 
 Excuse me, Miss Fern, you bade me be frank " 
 
 She assented, with a grave nod of her shapely 
 head. 
 
 "You may have been in love I do not ask you 
 whether you have or not but you cannot have 
 known personally of the sort of love that you have 
 depicted in these pages. I call it little less than 
 miraculous that you should draw the scene so ac- 
 curately." 
 
 She colored again, this time partly with pleasure, 
 for she was very susceptible to compliments. 
 
 " Perhaps your statement may explain to you," 
 she said, pointedly, " what I meant a few minutes 
 ago by calling you 'a man of the world/ You
 
 STUDYING MISS MILLICENT. 77 
 
 recognize at a glance what I had to construct from 
 my imagination. 
 
 Archie Weil's face changed as he realized how 
 deftly he had been caught. He had meant to pre- 
 tend to this girl that he was more than usually igno- 
 rant of the nether side of life. 
 
 " Don't think too badly of me because I happen to 
 know what is clear to every man," he said, impres- 
 sively. 
 
 " To every one ?" she answered. " To your friend, 
 Mr. Roseleaf ?" 
 
 "Ah ! He is an exception to all rules. And yet, 
 Gouger says he can never write a successful book 
 till he is more conversant with life than he is at 
 present." 
 
 She looked troubled. 
 
 "With life?" she echoed. "With sin, do you 
 mean ?" 
 
 " With the ordinary things that men know, and 
 ihat most of them at some time experience." 
 
 Her bright eyes were temporarily clouded. 
 
 " What a pity !" she exclaimed. 
 
 "Yes," he said, for it was his humor to agree with 
 fier. " It is a pity." 
 
 There was a pause of a minute, and then she asked 
 if she had read enough for one evening. He an- 
 swered that as it was now past ten o'clock it would 
 not be easy to get much farther, and that he would 
 come again whenever she chose to set the time. 
 
 "You do not say much about my work," she said, 
 anxiously, as he prepared to go. 
 
 " Silence is approval," he responded. ** I can talk
 
 T8 A. BLACK ADOK1S. 
 
 it over with you better when you have reached the 
 end. I have things to say, and I shall not hesitate to 
 say them then." 
 
 " When is it most convenient to you to come ?" 
 she inquired. 
 
 " Any time," he answered. " I don't do much that 
 is really useful. But wait till you see Shirley. He 
 will atone for the shortcomings you find in me." 
 
 She repeated the word " Shirley," as if to test its 
 sound. 
 
 " You are your father's only child, are you not?" 
 he asked, thoughtfully. 
 
 " No. I have a sister, Daisy, a little younger than 
 I." 
 
 "And has she a literary turn, also?" 
 
 " Not in the least." 
 
 Archie arose, and Miss Millicent accompanied him 
 to the front door. The tall negro came to open the 
 portal, but Miss Fern told him, with the same quality 
 of dislike n her tone which Weil had noticed before, 
 that he ne;d not wait. 
 
 " He is really a magnificent piece of humanity," 
 said Archie, when the man had disappeared. "I 
 never saw anything quite like him." 
 
 " You admire negroes, then ?" said the young lady, 
 almost impolitely. 
 
 " I like representatives of every race," he answered, 
 as if not noticing her. " There are interesting speci- 
 mens in all. I number among my acquaintances 
 several Chinamen, a Moor, a Mexican, Jews, Portu- 
 guese and Russians innumerable. If that fellow
 
 " HOW TBS WOMEN STARS I" 79 
 
 was not in your employ I would engage him to-mor- 
 row, merely as a study." 
 
 Miss Fern took the hand he held out to her and 
 set the next meeting for Saturday evening. Then 
 she said : 
 
 "If you want Hannibal, perhaps papa would 
 oblige you. I certainly would do all I could to per- 
 suade him/' 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 " HOW THE WOMEN STARK !" 
 
 The next day Archie Weil lunched with Lawrence 
 Gouger. He wanted to talk with his friend about 
 the young author and authoress. Gouger listened 
 with interest to the story he had to relate, and nod- 
 ded approval when it appeared that Archie had be- 
 haved admirably thus far in relation to Miss Milli- 
 cent. 
 
 " Do you know anything about Mr. Fern ?" he 
 asked, when the other had reached a period. 
 
 " Nothing." 
 
 " Well, neither did I, a week ago, but I have taken 
 pains to inform myself. He is a highly respectable 
 elderly party, who deals in wool. He married a very 
 beautiful lady, who has now been dead eight or ten 
 years and he lives altogether in the society of his 
 two daughters. If you succeed in getting Millicent's 
 book on the counters you will earn his everlasting
 
 80 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 gratitude. They say he is not literary enough him- 
 self to be a judge of its merits, and if she has fifty 
 copies to present to the family friends it will prob- 
 ably be all he will ask." 
 
 Mr. Weil uttered a low whistle. 
 
 " I don't know what the family friends will say of 
 it," he replied, " but I call it pretty warm stuff. If 
 the list includes many prudes they will hardly thank 
 the girl for sending such a firebrand into their 
 houses." 
 
 " Pshaw !" said Gouger. " The world is getting 
 used to that sort of thing, and they won't mind it a 
 bit. Besides, they will be so lost in admiration of 
 their cousin's name on the cover that they will think 
 of nothing else. What did you make out of her ? 
 Is she as innocent as I predicted ?" 
 
 Archie poured out a glass of Bass' ale and sipped 
 it slowly. 
 
 " Quite," he said, as he put it down on the table. 
 " And she's no dunce, either." He went on to tell of 
 the trap he had fallen into. " I'm dying with impa- 
 tience to get her and Roseleaf together. They'd 
 make an idealic couple." 
 
 Mr. Gouger inquired what he was waiting for. 
 
 " Oh, I want to do the thing right," said Weil. " I 
 want to learn her as thoroughly as I can, before I 
 bring him upon the stage. It will take three or four 
 evenings more to hear the rest of her novel, and 
 another to discuss it. I shall get around to him in 
 about a fortnight, at the rate things are going. He 
 will keep. What do you suppose he is doing now ?
 
 "HOW THE WOMEN STAKE !" 81 
 
 Writing poetry ! He sent a piece a few days ago to 
 the Century > and they accepted it." 
 
 " He will be gray when it appears," said the critic. 
 " It takes a long time for anything to see the light 
 in that publication." 
 
 "But in this case an exception will be made," said 
 Weil. "They have assured him that it will come 
 out in their very next issue. He will be so proud to 
 see his name in print that I expect to find difficulty 
 in holding him back. A poet who appears in the 
 Century has certainly stepped a little higher on the 
 ladder." 
 
 The critic agreed to this, and remarked that such 
 a man as Roseleaf should give his whole attention 
 to poetry. 
 
 " Wait !" cried Archie. " Give him time. See 
 him after he has fallen head over ears in love with 
 charming Millicent Fern. There is something in 
 him, I feel sure, and between that dear girl and 
 myself we will bring it out. By-the-way, there is a 
 character I want you to meet," he added, as Mr. 
 Walker Boggs came into the room. "You have 
 never had the pleasure, I think, though you have 
 heard me speak of him." 
 
 Mr. Boggs had his attention attracted by a waiter 
 who was sent for the purpose and came with great 
 willingness to occupy a seat with Mr. Weil and his 
 friend. 
 
 " We were talking of a New York merchant just 
 now," said Archie, when the introductions were 
 over, "and it occurs to me that you, who know 
 almost everybody, may have some knowledge of
 
 him. He is in the wool business, I hear, and I think 
 you once told me you had done something in that 
 way. His name is Wilton Fern, and he lives at 
 Midlands." 
 
 "Do I know anything about him?" echoed Mr. 
 Boggs. " I should say so. He was my partner for 
 seven years, and I still have a little stake left in the 
 concern, on which I am drawing interest." 
 
 Mr. Weil showed his astonishment at this state- 
 ment. What a very small world it was, after all ! 
 Then, after pledging his friend not to mention that 
 he had ever discussed the matter with him, he went 
 guardedly into the particulars of Miss Millicent's 
 book, and of his having called at the house for the 
 purpose of passing judgment upon it. 
 
 " I didn't know that was in your line," replied 
 Boggs. 
 
 " Well, it was this way," answered Archie. "Mr. 
 Gouger's decision didn't exactly suit the young lady, 
 as it was not very favorable. Mine will be quite to 
 her taste, as I view her abilities in a more favorable 
 light. Now tell us all about the family, as the only 
 one of them I have met is Miss Millicent. Why, this 
 is a regular find, old man ! You should have told 
 me a week ago that you possessed all this information 
 that I have been aching to get hold of." 
 
 Thus adjured, Mr. Boggs entered upon his story. 
 From which it appeared that he knew the Ferns, 
 root and branch, and had dined with them dozens 
 of times. 
 
 " What sort of a chap is the pater ?" asked Weil. 
 
 " A very well-kept man of narly savtnty, with a
 
 BOW iPHE WOMEir 8TABB !" 83 
 
 great deal of what is called 'breeding* in his man- 
 ner, and a face like the portrait of a French marquis 
 cut out of a seventeenth century frame. He doesn't 
 look like a business man at all, and between our- 
 selves he's not much of a one. All the money he 
 ever made saving my apparent egotism was when 
 I was in the concern. I've heard he's got a big 
 mortgage on his residence and is going down hill 
 generally. Too bad ; nice fellow ; sorry for him ; 
 such is life." 
 
 Archie asked if Boggs would do him a persona! 
 and particular favor, if it would not cause him much 
 trouble ; and on being answered in the affirmative, 
 said he would esteem it a great honor if he could be 
 introduced to Mr. Fern by that gentleman's former 
 business associate. 
 
 "I suppose I shall run across him at Midlands, 
 some evening," he said, "and get one of those pre- 
 sentations that are the most aggravating things in 
 the world. I don't want that to happen, and the 
 best way, to use an elegant phrase, is to take the 
 bull by the horns, or in this case, the sheep by the 
 tail. Will you make an accidental call on him 
 to-morrow afternoon and let me be of the party ?" 
 
 Mr. Boggs responded that he would be delighted. 
 And this matter being settled, all parties could give 
 more direct attention to their lunch than they had 
 been doing for the preceding ten minutes. 
 
 41 You must have heard of my friend Boggs, in the 
 days when he was a figure on the streets of this 
 town," said Weil, presently, returning to what he 
 knew was the favorite subject of that personage.
 
 84 A BLAflK ADONIS. 
 
 " You've lived here for twenty years, and of course 
 the name of Walker Boggs is familiar to you." 
 
 Mr. Gouger looked a good counterfeit of com- 
 plete mystification for some seconds, and then a 
 gleam as of sudden recollection shot across his face. 
 
 " Certainly, certainly !" he said. " Mr. Boggs was 
 what is popularly known as a lady killer, if I am not 
 mistaken. You got married, did you not, Mr. Boggs, 
 some ten or eleven years ago ?" 
 
 The party addressed acknowledged the practical 
 correctness of the date. 
 
 " Why, it comes back as plain as day," said the 
 critic. a The Iicrald had a page about you, includ- 
 ing your portrait and some verses by a well known 
 poet. It said your marriage had cast a gloom over 
 Manhattan Island and some of the up-river coun- 
 ties." 
 
 Mr. Boggs gloomily nodded, to show that the 
 statement was true. Then he touched his most 
 rotund portion with a significant look. 
 
 " I'm a widower now," he said, " and nothing but 
 this this stands in my way. As Shakespeare says, 
 *'Tis not as deep as a well, nor as wide as a church 
 door, but ' The ladies never look at me now, and 
 all on account of this d d flesh, which hangs like 
 a millstone around my neck." 
 
 Cutt & Slashem's critic, ignoring the peculiar 
 character of the metaphor used, remarked politely 
 that he thought no lady of sense would put great 
 Stress on such an insignificant matter. 
 
 " Insignificant !" echoed Boggs. " I'll bet it's
 
 "BOAT THB WOMEW STAKE I* 86 
 
 fifty inches around, come ! And it's not the * ladies 
 of sense* I'm after. Quite the contrary." 
 
 One of Archie Weil's explosive laughs followed 
 this statement, which caused an expression of mild 
 injury to settle over the countenance of Mr. Boggs. 
 
 " You're getting on toward forty, and you ought 
 to quit," said Weil. " Confound the women I Let 
 them go." 
 
 " That's well enough to talk about," replied Boggs, 
 gruffly. " How would you like to follow your own 
 advice T 
 
 Weil uttered an exclamation. 
 
 "I? I have precious little to do with them, I 
 assure you. For a man of my correct habits I have 
 the worst name of any one I know. Everybody in- 
 sinuates things about me, and they can prove noth- 
 ing." 
 
 " We'll ask Isaac Leveson about that," sneered 
 Boggs. " By-the-way, that wouldn't be a bad place 
 to take young Roseleaf to, when you get to instruct- 
 ing him in earnest. I met the young fellow on the 
 avenue last night and walked around with him for a 
 couple of hours. He's a darling !" 
 
 " Roseleaf ?" cried both the other gentlemen, in 
 one breath. 
 
 " To be sure. How the women stared at him ! 
 I couldn't blame them ; his waist isn't over thirty, 
 and he's as handsome as as I was at his age. I 
 told him he could have all the loveliness in New 
 York at his feet, if he liked." 
 
 Weil smiled significantly at Gouger. 
 
 " What did he reply to that ?" he asked.
 
 8/5 A BLACK JJXUK0. 
 
 44 Oh, he had an ideal in his head, and none of 
 those we saw quite came up to it ; for I did get him 
 to raise his eyes and look at the prettiest ones. I 
 drew out of him slowly that he would have nothing 
 to do with a girl unless she had red hair ; that " 
 
 Mr. Weil uttered a laugh so hearty that it at- 
 tracted the attention of everybody in the room. Mr. 
 Boggs paused to inquire the cause of this outbreak, 
 but Archie assured him that something entirely out 
 of the present discussion had just occurred to him, 
 which was to blame for his impoliteness. 
 
 " A girl must have Titian hair," repeated Mr. 
 Boggs, accepting the explanation, " or he would not 
 consider her. He ruled out all the striking blondes 
 and brunettes, saying that he liked only those of a 
 medium shade. We came across one that answered 
 these descriptions, an exquisite little creature who 
 looked as if she would swallow him could she get 
 the chance. And then there came out another idea. 
 He would not think of this fairy because she was so 
 short. ' I want a woman five feet, four inches tall, 
 he said, as if the article could be made to order, in 
 case the size did not happen to be in stock. Then, 
 would you believe it, he found a girl embracing 
 every attribute he had mentioned. Her hair was 
 just the right shade, her height must have hit the 
 mark exactly, her complexion was medium. But no. 
 She was too heavy. She would weigh a hundred 
 and forty-five, he said, quite twenty pounds too 
 much. If we had found a girl that filled all his 
 description he would have invented something new 
 to bar her out of the race."
 
 BOW IB* tttflOBir STABS !" 87 
 
 Mr. Weil remarked that he was not so sure of 
 Roseleaf s insincerity. He believed the right worn- 
 an would yet be discovered, and that a case of the 
 most intense affection would then spontaneously 
 develop. 
 
 " In fact," he added, " I have the identical crea- 
 ture in mind. It is clear to us to myself and Mr. 
 Gouger here that Shirley will never write a thrilling 
 romance till he has fallen wildly, passionately in 
 love." 
 
 Mr. Boggs smiled slightly, and then sobered again. 
 
 14 Shall you have him marry, also ?" he inquired, 
 pointedly. 
 
 " Why not r 
 
 " Because it will finish him ; that's why. The 
 romance in a modern marriage lasts six weeks. At 
 the end of that time he will be useless for literary 
 purposes, or anything else." 
 
 Mr. Weil shook his head in opposition to this rash 
 statement. 
 
 " My theory is," said he, " that a novelist should 
 know everything. To write of love he should have 
 been in love ; to tell of marriage he should have had 
 a wife a real one, no mere imitation ; to talk of 
 fatherhood intelligently he should become a father. 
 How can he know his subjects otherwise?" 
 
 The stout man smiled significantly. 
 
 " And if he wishes to write of murder, he must kill 
 some one. And if he wants to depict the sensations 
 of a robber he must take a pistol and ask people to 
 stand, on the highway." 
 
 " Now you are becoming absurd," said Archie.
 
 SS A BLACK ADOWIS. 
 
 " No more than you," said Boggs. ** You go too 
 far, and you will find it out. Let your novelist fall 
 in love. That will do him good. But don't let him 
 marry, or you will lose him, mark my word. Let 
 him contemplate matrimony at a distance. Let him 
 reflect on the glory of seeing his children about his 
 knees. So far, so good. But when you have shelved 
 him with a wife of the present era, when you have 
 kept him up nights for a month with a baby that 
 screams his literary capacity will be gone. Make 
 no mistake !" 
 
 Mr. Weil, half convinced, and much surprised to 
 hear such wisdom from this unexpected source, made 
 an effort to maintain his ground. 
 
 " Nearly all the modern novelists are married," he 
 remarked. 
 
 " Yes, and nice stuff they write, don't they ? 
 Namby-pamby, silly-billy stories, misleading in 
 every line ! They are the most unsafe pilots on the 
 shores of human life. They start, without excep- 
 tion, from false premises. Their chart is wrong, 
 their compass unreliable, their reckoning ridiculous 
 from beginning to end. Where did you ever see a 
 bit of real life that resembled these abortions? Do 
 lovers usually fall on their knees when they propose ? 
 Is the modern girl an idiot, knowing less of the facts 
 of nature than an oyster ? Is the conversation be- 
 tween men and women filled exclusively with twad- 
 dle ? You would think so, from reading these books ; 
 and why ? They are written by married people, 
 most of them, people who don't dare step over the 
 line of the commonplace any more than a woman
 
 "HOW THE WOMEN STAKE F* 89 
 
 would dare order her dressmaker to put pockets in 
 her gown !" 
 
 Archie looked at Mr, Gouger, who nodded a par- 
 tial approval of these statements. Mr. Boggs be- 
 took himself with more interest to his chops. And 
 the other two gentlemen, remarking that time pressed, 
 bade him good-by for the day. 
 
 " I see you agree with him that I shouldn't marry 
 Roseleaf ?" said Archie, with a rising inflection. 
 
 " There is certainly point in what he says," replied 
 Mr. Gouger. 
 
 "But confound it! With the boy's disposition, 
 it will be a delicate business," retorted Weil. " I 
 don't know as I can carry him to the point of pas- 
 sionate love for pretty Miss Fern, and then shut off 
 the steam when it suits me." 
 
 This matter was discussed for the next ten min- 
 utes, as the friends walked along toward the office 
 of Cutt & Slashem. 
 
 "I think you are foolish to delay so long intro- 
 ducing him to her," said Gouger, finally. " I don't 
 see that you are making any progress whatever." 
 
 "Ah, but I am," replied Weil. "I am making 
 both of them more and more anxious for the meet- 
 ing. Shirley walks the street feverishly impatient, 
 and I have no doubt mutters her name in his dreams, 
 Millicent talks about her ideal of manly beauty. 
 When they get together failure will be impossible." 
 
 Mr. Gouger laughed at the idea that Roseleaf was 
 " feverishly impatient " to meet any girl, and ven- 
 tured to predict that the young man would have to 
 be put in irons to get him to the residence of the
 
 Ferns when the time came ; or at least to keep him 
 there. 
 
 "Just the point I am working on," replied Weil. 
 "Under ordinary circumstances I would have to 
 handcuff his wrists to mine, but I am making such a 
 strong impression on his imagination that he is 
 crazy to go. And once she gets him under hef 
 influence I tell you, Lawrence, she is no ordinary 
 girl." 
 
 "She certainly does not write like one," smiled 
 the critic, " either in her subject or her English. 
 You may make something of him I rather think 
 you will but not of her. Her ideas are wild, and 
 her realism a little too pronounced even for the 
 present age." 
 
 " She has truth on her side, you admit," said 
 Archie. 
 
 " Yes, to a remarkable degree." 
 
 " Well, that ought to be something, if Boggs* 
 estimate of the modern liar is correct. Shirley will 
 help her to style, give her his own, if necessary. I 
 am going to land both of these fish, if only to spite 
 you, Lawrence. You tossed them away with that 
 fine contempt of yours, and you will weep hot tears 
 for it before you die." 
 
 At the door of Cutt & Slashem's they met the two 
 members of that firm, who paused to say a word to 
 Mr. Gouger. They were anxious for a new book to 
 bring out as soon as possible, and were regretting 
 with him that nothing worth publishing seemed to 
 present iuelf. 
 
 * You maj strain matters, if necessary/' said Mr.
 
 TJEE WQHBir M&BBi" 9i 
 
 Cutt. "We can't keep up on reprints forrer. I 
 hope you made no mistake in rejecting that book of 
 Mrs. Hotbox. I hear it is selling well." 
 
 Mr. Gouger's face was, as ever, immovable before 
 his employers. 
 
 " What ' Fire and Brimstone ?' he inquired. ' The 
 authorities seized the entire edition this morning." 
 
 Mr. Cutt looked at Mr. Slashem, with a startled 
 expression. 
 
 " In that case, I am glad we escaped it," he said. 
 " We shouldn't like that sort of an affair, of course." 
 
 Mr. Weil, who knew both the gentlemen well, in- 
 quired what they thought of Mrs. Hotbox's produc- 
 tion. 
 
 " I have never sen it," said Mr. Slashem. 
 
 " Nor I," said Mr. Cutt. 
 
 The partners disappeared into the counting-room, 
 where they had an interview with a binder who had 
 offered to do their work at one-tenth of a cent a hun- 
 dred copies less than the concern with which they 
 were then dealing. Archie said good-by to Gouger, 
 and went off to find Roseleaf, with whom he had 
 engaged to take, later in the day, a ride through the 
 Park. 
 
 " How soon am I to see your paragon ?" sighed 
 the young man, as they were making the grand round 
 of that famous drive. 
 
 " Within a week, I hope. Are you getting un- 
 easy ?" 
 
 " I am getting lonesome," was the gloomy reply. 
 "And I want to begin work." 
 
 44 Well, it will soon pass now. To-morrow evening
 
 99 A BLAOK ADONIS. 
 
 I am to hear another installment of her novel. Two 
 more sittings after that will finish it, I should say. 
 And the next thing will be you. But have you seen 
 no one else in all this time that you care for?" 
 
 The young man looked aimlessly at the fleecy 
 clouds that hung low on the horizon. 
 
 " No," he answered. 
 
 " And you think you are ready for a passionate 
 affection, if the right person is found ?" 
 
 " I will try," he said, simply. 
 
 Mr. Weil roused himself and touched his horse with 
 the whip. 
 
 " Try 1" he echoed. " You will not have to try. 
 She will carry you off your feet, at the first go. 
 Shirley, I have found you a superb woman, that you 
 must love. All I want to feel sure of is, that you can 
 control yourself enough to behave in a reasonable 
 manner." 
 
 Roseleaf looked up inquiringly. 
 
 "She belongs to an eminently respectable family," 
 explained Archie. " Her father is a gentleman of 
 the most honorable type. She has a young sister, 
 who " 
 
 Roseleaf, slow at all times, had at last begun to 
 comprehend. 
 
 " You surely don't think " he began. 
 
 "Ah, that is the question ! A novelist must learn 
 so very much a novelist who is to depict the truth- 
 as you are to do. Where should he stop ? What 
 experience should he refuse, provided it may be 
 utilized in his work ? A responsibility that is no 
 light one will rest on me, my dear boy, when I have
 
 A DINNER AT MIDLANDS. 93 
 
 introduced you to this family, and left you to your 
 own devices." 
 
 Roseleaf's eyes opened wider at these mysterious 
 suggestions, but he did not like to make any more 
 inquiries. Weil changed the conversation, calling 
 attention to the women they met, who turned their 
 handsome heads to look at the young man, as their 
 equipages almost touched his. 
 
 " What an awfully wide swath you are cutting !" 
 was Archie's exclamation, as the throng increased. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A DINNER AT MIDLANDS. 
 
 True to his appointment Walker Boggs met Mr. 
 Weil on the following afternoon, and set out with 
 him for Wilton Fern's office. Though engaged, as 
 has been already stated, in the wool trade, Mr. Fern 
 did not have on the premises to which these worth- 
 ies repaired a very large assortment of that product. 
 His warehouses were in another part of the city, and 
 all the wool that was visible to his customers was 
 arranged in sample lots that would easily have gone 
 into a barrel. Mr. Weil, notwithstanding the de- 
 scription that Boggs had given of his ex-partner, 
 was not prepared to see such an exceedingly fine 
 specimen of humanity as the one introduced to him.
 
 4 1 BLACK AlXDXif . 
 
 The word " gentleman " was written in large char- 
 acters on his broad forehead and in every word he 
 spoke. It certainly was not often, said Archie to him- 
 self, that one encountered that sort of man in business. 
 
 "I have already heard something of you, sir," said 
 Mr. Fern, affably, but with the dignity that was a 
 part of his nature, no more to be discarded than his 
 eyes. " That is, if you are the same gentleman that 
 has kindly offered to assist my daughter in arrang- 
 ing a story she has written." 
 
 Mr. Weil admitted the correctness of the supposi- 
 tion, but disclaimed any special credit for what he 
 had done. He explained briefly how he was drawn 
 into the case. The visit lasted upwards of an hour, 
 during which the conversation wandered from liter- 
 ature to business and politics, and all sorts of things. 
 
 Mr. Weil could not tell from Mr. Fern's manner 
 of alluding to his daughter's work whether he had a 
 very high idea of its value or not. Indeed, there 
 was very little to be learned from this grave gentle- 
 man that was not expressed in the language he used. 
 He was inclined, Archie thought, to reticence, for 
 when there was a lull in the conversation it was 
 always one of the others who had to start it going. 
 The thing that might be counted a substantial gain, 
 out of the whole affair, was an invitation to dinner 
 for the following Wednesday, in which Mr. Roseleaf 
 was included, and Mr. Boggs also. 
 
 Before the Wednesday set for the formal dinner at 
 the Ferns', Mr. Weil had heard the whole of Miss 
 Millicent's novel read by the lips of that charming 
 fouog woman. There was certainly something very
 
 At KTOLAITM. fft 
 
 strong in it, in spite of its grammatical faults. It 
 would be a very good story when " Dr." Roseleaf 
 had put it into a little better English. 
 
 The meeting between Roseleaf and Millicent was 
 most interesting to the one who had been the means 
 of bringing them together. The girl put out her 
 hand with a straightforward motion of welcome, and 
 it was accepted with something resembling timidity 
 by the young man, who did not even raise his eyes 
 to hers. The talk that followed was nearly all her 
 own, Shirley's part in it being largely monosyllabic 
 replies to her statements and suggestions. 
 
 When Miss Daisy was presented to both the gen- 
 tlemen, for the first time Mr. Boggs she -emem- 
 bered very well she drew their attention for a few 
 moments from her sister, but soon relapsed into the 
 more insignificant place which she seemed to prefer. 
 She was not as large in any way, as Millicent, and 
 did not seem likely to become so. Her hair was of 
 a soft shade of light brown, and her eyes a decided 
 blue. In the presence of her sister she did not ex- 
 pect to shine, and was evidently relieved when she 
 could go into a corner and talk over times long 
 past with Walker Boggs. 
 
 Mr. Fsrn came in rather late, but still before the 
 hour announced for dinner. He had his habitual 
 look of quiet elegance, but withal an expression of 
 care about his face, that Weil attributed to the busi- 
 ness troubles of which Boggs had spoken. The 
 manner of the daughters toward him was marked by 
 the watchful eyes of the chief conspirator. Millicent 
 mrly looked up and said, " Papa, this it Mr. ROM-
 
 96 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 leaf, of whom we have spoken," and then when the 
 greetings that followed were exchanged, went on 
 talking with those about her as if there had been no 
 interruption. Daisy, on the other hand, crept softly 
 to her father's side, and putting an arm around his 
 neck, kissed him when she thought no one observed 
 her. 
 
 *' You arc tired, papa," she whispered. 
 
 "No, no!" he said, brightening. "I am very 
 well." 
 
 It was at the table that Mr. Fern had his first con- 
 versation with Roseleaf, and the two men got along 
 nicely together. Shirley acquitted himself creditably. 
 Weil, who saw everything, noticed that the negro, 
 Hannibal, in superintending the service in the 
 dining-room, lingered more about Miss Daisy's chair 
 than any other, and took extra pains to see that her 
 wants were anticipated. In spite of this, however, 
 Mr. Fern frequently asked his younger daughter to 
 have more of certain dishes, as if his mind was con- 
 stantly turned in that direction. 
 
 " How long do you think it will require to do the 
 work you have so generously undertaken ?" asked 
 Mr. Fern of Roseleaf, when the dessert was reached. 
 
 " It is impossible to say," stammered the young 
 man. " Some weeks, at least." 
 
 "So I supposed," said Mr. Fern. "That being 
 the case I wish to tender you the hospitality of my 
 home. It would be a great deal of trouble for you 
 to come every day from the city, and I know we 
 could make you comfortable here."
 
 A DINNER AT MIDLANDS. 97 
 
 Roseleaf was about to decline the offer with 
 thanks, when Mr. Weil spoke to him in a low tone. 
 
 " Take it, by all means," he said. " It's a chance 
 in a lifetime. You know nothing of family life. 
 Don't dream of refusing." 
 
 The delay allowed Miss Millicent to add her 
 request to that of her father, and fearing to let his 
 protege answer, Mr. Weil boldly spoke for him. 
 
 " It is a good idea," he said. " He will have his 
 baggage brought up to-morrow. There's nothing 
 like being on the ground, when there's work to be 
 done. And, with the general permission, I am going 
 to run out pretty often myself, to see how things 
 progress." 
 
 The bright, off-hand way of the last speaker seemed 
 to please Mr. Fern, for he heartily seconded this 
 suggestion. When the table was vacated, Mr. Fern 
 asked if he might be excused for a few minutes, 
 while he wrote a couple of important letters, and 
 requested Walker Boggs to show the guests through 
 the grounds, where they could smoke their cigars till 
 he returned. 
 
 Accordingly Weil and Roseleaf accompanied their 
 new guide out of doors and across an extensive lawn 
 to an arbor at the further end, where a handsome 
 prospect of the Hudson unfolded itself. As Archie 
 was wishing for some feasible way of getting rid of 
 Boggs, temporarily, that gentleman espied an 
 acquaintance in the adjacent road and went off to 
 speak to him. 
 
 " Are you in love yet, you dog ?" asked Archie, as 
 soon as he and his young friend were alone. " What !
 
 98 A BLACK AOOffM. 
 
 You're not ! Don't let an hour pass, then, befora 
 you are. The best of all proverbs is, * Never put off 
 till to-morrow what you can do to-day.' M 
 
 44 How can I do this to-day ?" was the doleful 
 response. 
 
 " How cam you help it, you mean ? There she 
 was at the table Titian hair, hazel-grey eyes, lovely 
 waist everything. Love ! /could fall in love with 
 that girl, marry her, get a divorce and commit 
 suicide, within forty-eight hours.** 
 
 Even Roseleaf had to smile at this extravagant 
 statement. 
 
 " Do you want me to do all of those things ?" he 
 asked. 
 
 " Only the first one, at present. If you can't do 
 that, give up all ideas of being a novelist and secure 
 a place in some factory or counting-room. Every- 
 thing is ready for you. You are persona grata here. 
 Nothing can come in your way. Oh, don't exasper- 
 ate me !" 
 
 Roseleaf haltingly said he would do his best ; and 
 the next day he came to Midlands, prepared to 
 spend a month or longer.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 HOLDING HER HAND. 
 
 For the first three days Roseleaf gave most of his 
 time to reading the MSS. that Miss Fern had written. 
 He could not say that he liked it, exactly, but that 
 was not necessary. To fill in the time, he consented 
 to let the girl read his own story that Gouger had 
 rejected, though he did this with trepidation, having 
 a dread that she would think it insipid. When she 
 had finished it, however, her delight was un- 
 bounded. 
 
 " It is lovely!" she exclaimed, in response to his 
 inquiring eyes. " I cannot see why they refused it. 
 I haven't been so interested in a story in years." 
 
 When he had read her story through he began to 
 rewrite it, departing as little as possible from the 
 original. As soon as he had a chapter finished he 
 would give it to her, for comparison, and criticism, if 
 she chose to make any. She proved, however, a 
 most charming critic, her shafts falling mainly upon 
 herself, for she declared that her novel seemed un- 
 worthy of its elegant new dress. She conceived a 
 shyness toward this quiet youth, and blushed when 
 the striking situations and bold language of her talc 
 came into the conversation. It was so different from 
 his own work ! 
 
 ' It is too bold. I am surt it it," tha laid, repeat- 
 edly. "I ought to begin again. Mr plot has too
 
 TOO A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 much freedom, too little conventionality. People 
 will say a very strange girl must have written it." 
 
 And he would tell her that he did not think so ; that 
 the strength of her ideas was very great, and that the 
 public would find excuses enough for anything that 
 interested and entertained it. He even added that 
 he wished he possessed her knowledge, her insight 
 into life, her fearlessness to tread on any ground that 
 her subject made desirable. 
 
 Between them they were doing very good work, 
 without doubt. Mr. Weil took some of the completed 
 chapters to Lawrence Gouger, who returned them 
 with a smile that spoke volumes. Cutt & Slashem 
 would take the story when it was ready, if the subse- 
 quent pages kept up to the mark of the first ones. 
 
 " Don't forget your own book," said Gouger, in a 
 note he enclosed for Roseleaf. 
 
 Mr. Weil was not backward in accepting the cordial 
 invitation he had had to join the Ferns at dinner 
 whenever he could make it convenient. Besides this 
 he called frequently at the wool office, and ingratiated 
 himself into Mr. Fern's good graces in many ways. 
 Within a fortnight he knew all there was to be known 
 about wool, in which he seemed to have conceived a 
 great interest. In his talks with Roseleaf he spoke 
 learnedly on this subject, referring to the foreign and 
 domestic staples, like one who had made the matter 
 a life study. 
 
 " What a queer thing trade is !" he exclaimed, on 
 one of these occasions. " Here we find a man who 
 ought to adorn an atelier, or a seat in Congress, and 
 yet is obliged to guide his entire existence by the
 
 HOLDING HBK HAND. 101 
 
 price of such a confoundedly dull thing as the hair 
 on a sheep's back. He votes a certain political ticket 
 on account of the attitude of the party on Wool ; he 
 dines off mutton and lambs' tongues ; he casts his 
 lot with the Sheep at church. I don't know but 
 he would feel a genuine pleasure in having Wool 
 pulled over his eyes. And still I am convinced that 
 he never ought to iiave been in the Wool business at 
 all, and that Boggs what a drop is right in his 
 impression that it will eventually swamp him." 
 
 Roseleaf asked how Mr. Fern got into the trade in 
 the first place. 
 
 " Well, as I understand it, Boggs was looking for a 
 partner. Mrs. Fern had some cash and her husband 
 wanted to put it into a good thing, from a financial 
 standpoint. They did well while they were together. 
 When Boggs pulled out they had a clear $200,000 
 apiece. Boggs confound him ! has his yet ; Fern 
 hasn't. He's proud as the devil, and didn't tell me 
 this, by any means. It would break him up com- 
 pletely to have to go into bankruptcy. Really, I 
 wish I could do something for him." 
 
 Roseleaf looked up inquiringly. 
 
 " Why, I've got a fair amount of money," explained 
 Archie, " and perhaps a lift over these hard times 
 might be the making of him. I'm not particularly a 
 philanthropist, but I like this fellow wonderfully 
 well for such a new acquaintance. I shall give him 
 a delicate hint in a day or two, and if I can fix things 
 without too much risk we have to protect ourselves, 
 you know I am willing to do so." 
 
 This struck Shirley Roseleaf as rather odd. He
 
 102 
 
 had ntver thought about Mr. Weil in that way. 
 Whether he was rich or poor had never entered his 
 head. He began to wonder if he was very wealthy. 
 He certainly lived well, and had no visible occupa- 
 tion of the sort the census takers call " gainful." 
 
 "It is an interesting family, though," pursued 
 Archie, in his rambling way. " I wish I could get 
 into it as you did, you rascal, and observe it at 
 shorter range. Even the servants are worth study- 
 ing. Look at that Hannibal ; who can say that the 
 African race is inferior when it produces such 
 marvels ! I can hardly take my eyes off the black 
 paragon when he is present. How he passes the 
 soup as if it were some heavenly decoction, made 
 by the gods themselves and sent to earth by 
 their favorite messenger ! With what grace he 
 opens the carriage door ! with what majesty he 
 mounts to his seat by the driver ! I wonder if he 
 has a sister. She would be worth a journey to see. 
 I have met such women on their native soil, statu- 
 esque, slender, full-breasted, square-shouldered, with 
 jars of water on their heads and clinking silver 
 anklets. What a cursed thing is our American pre- 
 judice against color ! No other people carries it to 
 such an extent. In the Latin Quarter the West 
 India blacks are prime favorites with the pretty 
 grisettes. M 
 
 The young man could not help a slight shiver at 
 this information. He did not in the least agree 
 with the sentiments his friend was advancing, but 
 neither did be think it wise to contradict him.
 
 KOUOT* mt JAN. IOC 
 
 " Then there is the little one Miss Daisy" con- 
 tinued Weil, branching suddenly into that topic. 
 " So quiet, so self-abased, as if she would not for the 
 world attract one glance that might be claimed by 
 her elder sister, who is perfectly willing to be a 
 monopolist of attention. A nice girl, sweet as a 
 fresh-plucked lily. There must be treasures hidden 
 under all that reticence. Still waters run deep, the 
 silent swine devour the milk. I think I ought to in- 
 vestigate the child. If you are to have that aggre- 
 gation of beauty known as Millicent, what prevents 
 me from securing a slight hold in the affections of 
 the junior ?" 
 
 Roseleaf shook his head in a way that might have 
 meant almost anything. He never could tell how 
 much in earnest his friend was when he took up a 
 vein like this. Neither could he imagine little Daisy 
 in the role of an entertainer for such a very wise man 
 as Archie, not only much her senior but a thousand 
 times her superior in knowledge and acquaintance 
 with things that people talk about. 
 
 " Keep your eye on her she will be worth watch- 
 ing," said Weil, with one of his laughs at the sober 
 face before him. " She is worth almost as much to 
 a rising author as the negro not quite, but nearly. 
 Then there is the pater-familias ; is there anything in 
 him ? No, he will be of no service to you. And 
 that brings us back to our superb Millicent, with 
 whom you must now be wildly infatuated.'* 
 
 Roseleaf shook his head again. 
 
 " No not yet," he said. 
 
 But, what do you do all the time ? How can you
 
 10f A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 sit by the side of a pretty girl, and kiss her cheeks, 
 and put your arm around her, and yet keep from 
 falling in love ?" 
 
 The younger man gasped at each of these sugges- 
 tions, like one who has stepped into icy water and 
 feels it gradually creeping upward. 
 
 " I have done none of those things," he faltered. 
 
 " None of them ! Then I shall not let you stay 
 here !" cried Archie. " What does the girl expect? 
 That we are going to make her reputation in the 
 literary world and get nothing for ourselves ? I 
 never heard such effrontery ! She refuses to give 
 you the least opportunity, does she the jade !'* 
 
 More and more confused grew the other at these 
 expressions. 
 
 "You don't understand you are quite in error," 
 he articulated. " She she has refused me nothing, 
 because because I have asked nothing." 
 
 Mr. Weil uttered a disheartened groan. 
 
 " But this will not do, my dear fellow !" he said. 
 " How can you accomplish anything unless you make 
 a beginning ? Rewriting the story that she has 
 written will not advance you one step on the path 
 you profess such anxiety to tread That is only an 
 excuse a make-believe a pretence under which 
 you have been given quarters in this house and 
 allowed every chance in creation to learn your les- 
 son. Are you afraid of her, or what is the matter ? 
 Does she overpower you with her beauty ? Tell me 
 where your difficulty lies." 
 
 But Shirley could hardly answer these apparently 
 simple questions. He said he feared the trouble
 
 HOLDING HER HAND. 105 
 
 might be in the formality of the situation. How 
 could Mr. Weil expect, he asked, that a spontaneous 
 case of love-making would develop from such a con- 
 dition of things. 
 
 "Stuff!" cried Archie, with a grimace. "If you 
 and she were members of a theatrical company, and 
 were cast as a pair of lovers, you wouldn't find so 
 many pitfalls. You would go ahead and repeat the 
 lines of your part, wouldn't you ? All you want is 
 to do the same now." 
 
 " But what are the ' lines of my part ?' " inquired 
 the other, dolefully. 
 
 " Take her hand once in yours and they will come 
 to you," retorted Weil. 
 
 Roseleaf reddened so much that Archie regretted 
 the severity of his tone, and hastened to turn the 
 conversation to something more agreeable. He 
 made up his mind, however, to have a talk with Miss 
 Fern, and at the first opportunity he did so. It was 
 on an afternoon when he knew Roseleaf was in the 
 city, and he came to the point at once, after his own 
 fashion. 
 
 " How are you and my young friend getting 
 along ?" he asked her. 
 
 "Oh, as well as possible," she responded. " I am 
 learning to like him more and more. I really shall 
 be sorry when his task is done." 
 
 Mr. Weil shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 " There's a bit of selfishness in your words, Miss 
 Fern," he said. " Have you forgotten that he is not 
 here to be useful to you alone ; that you agreed to 
 do what you could for him t as well?"
 
 106 i. BLACK. ADOM5. 
 
 The girl cast down her pretty eyes in confusion. 
 
 " I am sure I have tried to be agreeable," she 
 replied, gently. 
 
 " That is not enough,** replied Archie, gravely. 
 ** What he needs is something some one to stir 
 his blood, to awaken his fancy. I told you in the 
 first place that you ought to make him fall in love 
 with you for literary reasons. He must feel a sen- 
 sation stronger than mere friendship for a woman 
 before he can write such a story as will bring him 
 fame." 
 
 Miss Millicent did not grow more comfortable 
 under this suggestion. She remarked, after a long 
 wait, that she did not see how the end sought was 
 to be accomplished. Love, she said, was not a mere 
 expression, it was a deep, actual entity. Two people, 
 playing at love with each other, might afterwards 
 find that that they were experimenting with fire. 
 
 "I have heard," she continued, her fair cheeks 
 growing crimson, " that there are women " 
 
 Then she paused and could go no further. But 
 he understood. 
 
 "There are women thousands of them," he 
 admitted, "who would willingly do what I ask. If 
 it is necessary, he must go to them." 
 
 She wanted to say that she hoped it would not 
 come to that she wanted to convey to her com- 
 panion the horror she felt for what she supposed his 
 words implied but she could not. It was so much 
 easier to write of things than to talk of them to a 
 man like him. 
 
 " Do you call it quite fair," he asked, " to claim
 
 All and give nothing? He does not require much. 
 Could you not let him take your hand, and" 
 
 " And" 
 
 44 Possibly, touch your lips with his ?' 
 
 Miss Fern rose to her feet with a fierce gesture. 
 
 41 Sir !" she exclaimed. 
 
 44 Very well," replied Mr. Weil, shortly, turning 
 away. 
 
 The girl resumed her seat, with rapidly rising and 
 falling bosom. She was in a quandary. The sug- 
 gestion she had heard would have sounded from any 
 other lips like a premeditated insult. Coming from 
 this man the venom seemed to have vanished. 
 
 Roseleaf felt somewhat discouraged after his latest 
 talk with Weil. He wanted to make a start, to do 
 something, no matter how little, toward the object 
 he fully believed was to be attained. That evening 
 while walking with Miss Fern (for it was their fre- 
 quent habit to go out of doors unchaperoned) he 
 found himself unconsciously taking her hand that 
 hand for which he had until now felt a genuine 
 fright. And she, after all her resolutions never to 
 permit anything of the sort, gave it to him, as they 
 strolled together along an unfrequented byway. 
 
 44 1 want so much to make a Name," he was saying 
 fervently. " I have tried and tried to begin such a 
 book as Mr. Gouger wants, but I cannot. Won't 
 you help me, dear Miss Fern ? Won't you show me 
 what I lack ? I know you can, if you will. They 
 tell me I have had no experiences, and that I must 
 have not a real affair, you know, but an inkling of 
 what it is like. I have tried to say things to you and
 
 108 A. BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 have been in fear that you would not like them, and 
 have held my peace. But now, I can wait no 
 longer." 
 
 In his exuberance Roseleaf spoke at last with 
 ardor, and even went so far as to attempt to put one 
 of his arms around the waist of the fair creature by 
 his side. On her part Miss Fern was nearly over- 
 come by surprise. 
 
 In one instant the timid young gentleman had 
 changed into the similitude of a most ardent swain ; 
 but in the next he became again his natural self, with 
 the added confusion resulting from his excited and 
 mortified state. 
 
 " Let me take you home," he said, when he saw 
 that she could find no words even to chide him. 
 " Let me take you home ; and to-morrow I will go 
 away." 
 
 Go away ! She did not like that idea ! Her book 
 was not yet finished, for one thing ; and besides he 
 was a nice young fellow, and had meant no offense. 
 
 " There is no reason why you should go," she 
 stammered. " I forgive you, I am sure." 
 
 "Do you!" cried Roseleaf, grasping her hand 
 again in his joy. " You are kindness itself to say so. 
 I must appear very stupid " (here he half put his 
 arm around her again, checking himself with dif- 
 ficulty from completeing the movement) " and dull, 
 and wanting in manners, but you are the only young 
 lady I have ever known on terms of the least in- 
 timacy." 
 
 Miss Fern replied that she did not mind what had 
 occurred, and hoped he would forget it. She added
 
 HOLDING HER HAND. 109 
 
 that she would do anything she could for him, and 
 had the most earnest wish that they should be 
 friends. 
 
 At the gate they paused, and in some way their 
 eyes were looking into each other. The girl laughed, 
 a relief to feelings that had been for the past ten min- 
 utes somewhat overcharged. 
 
 "Well, you have made a beginning," she said, mis- 
 chievously, for she wanted to drive the sober expres- 
 sion from his clouded face. 
 
 " A beginning?" he echoed. 
 
 "Yes," she said. "You have held my hand.* 
 
 He crimsoned. 
 
 "You said you would forgive me," he murmured. 
 
 " With all my heart," she responded, putting the 
 hand in his again. 
 
 He felt a thrill go through him, but it was a pleas- 
 ant sensation. 
 
 "I came very near putting my arm around you," 
 said he, looking away from her. " Do you forgive 
 that, too ?" 
 
 She took the hand away and struck him playfully 
 on the cheek with the palm of it. 
 
 Then, before he surmised what she intended, she 
 ran brightly up the steps of the house and vanished.
 
 110 A BLACK ADOKM. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 " DAISY, MY DARLING !" 
 
 It was Roseleaf s full intention to say something 
 about this adventure to his instructor in the art of 
 love, Mr. Archie Weil, but somehow he was not able 
 to summon the requisite courage. He had a delicate 
 sense that such a thing ought not to be repeated, 
 where it might by any possibility bring a laugh. 
 And about this time the novelist's attention began to 
 be attracted toward the younger sister, who had till 
 then almost entirely escaped his observation. 
 
 He noticed particularly the ceaseless devotion that 
 the black servant of the family exhibited toward her. 
 She might have been a goddess and he a devotee ; a 
 queen and he her slave. Hannibal moved about the 
 girl like her very shadow, ready to anticipate her 
 slightest wants, while Daisy seemed to take this 
 excess of attention as a matter of course. 
 
 Millicent constantly showed her dislike for the 
 servant. 
 
 " I don't see how you can endure to have him 
 touch you," she said to Daisy. " He knows better 
 than to lay his hands on me. I have told papa often 
 that I want him discharged, and he ought to con- 
 sider my wishes a little." 
 
 To this Daisy answered that the boy, as she per- 
 sisted in calling the giant, meant well and was cer- 
 tainly intelligent. Her father did not like to change
 
 , MT DABIJSOP 11| 
 
 servants, for it took him a long time to get used t 
 new ones. So Millicent tossed her head, returned to 
 her collaboration with Mr. Roseleaf, and things went 
 on as usual. 
 
 Imperceptibly Shirley began to take an interest in 
 Daisy. She did not run away from him, and he dis- 
 covered, much to his surprise, that she was worth 
 talking to. She was not exactly the child he had 
 supposed, and she had the full value of her eighteen 
 years in her pretty head. He got into the habit of 
 taking short strolls with her, on evenings when 
 Millicent was occupied with Archie, and when, as 
 often happened, Mr. Fern was away with Hannibal 
 in the city. There was a sequestered nook at the 
 far end of the lawn, in which the pair found retreat. 
 Before he realized it, Roseleaf had developed a 
 genuine liking for these rambles, and was pleased 
 when the evenings came that brought Mr. Weil to 
 dinner. 
 
 Daisy was ingenuous, to a degree, if surface indica- 
 tions counted for anything. The words that flowed 
 from her red lips were as unstudied as the pretty 
 attitudes she assumed, or the exceedingly plain but 
 very becoming dresses that she wore. After she 
 once got " used " to Roseleaf she treated him quite 
 as if she had been five years his senior. 
 
 " Are you a rich man ?" she asked him, on one of 
 those early autumn evenings that they passed 
 together. 
 
 Her manner was as simple as if she had said that 
 it looked lik* rain, and his answer was hardly let*
 
 112 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 "No, Daisy. I have not much property, but I 
 intend to earn more, by-and-by. Did you think, 
 because I seem so idle, that I was a millionaire ?" 
 
 " No," she answered, a shade of disappointment in 
 her face. "I only wanted, in case you had plenty of 
 money, to get you to lend me some." 
 
 He stared at her through the half-light. Her 
 features were turned in a direction that did not 
 reveal them very well. What did she want of 
 money ! 
 
 "How much do you need ?" he inquired, wonder- 
 ing if it was within his power to oblige her. 
 
 " Oh, too much, I am afraid. And I cannot 
 answer any questions, because the object I have is 
 a secret. I don't think my plan very feasible, for 
 it might be years and years before I could pay it 
 back. You won't mind my speaking of it, will you ?" 
 
 Curiosity grew stronger, and as politely as possible 
 he renewed his question as to how much the girl 
 needed to carry out her plan. 
 
 " I don't know, exactly," she said, thoughtfully. 
 " Perhaps a thousand dollars a year for five or six 
 years ; it might take less." 
 
 "It is a great deal," he admitted. "Does your 
 father know what you contemplate?" 
 
 The girl changed color at once. 
 
 "Oh, no. I should not like to have him, either. 
 He would say it was very foolish. And yet I am sure 
 it would not be. The money would do much good- 
 yes, ever so much." 
 
 The young man thought hard for a few moments. 
 A desire to see a brighter light flash into those
 
 "DAISY, MY DARLING!" 113 
 
 young eyes possessed him. He debated seriously 
 the idea of handing her his patrimony, as he would 
 have given her a pound of candy if she had wanted 
 it. 
 
 " I might give you part," he said, after a pa*"3e. 
 " Perhaps your thousand for the first year or two." 
 
 She looked him full in the face, and put both her 
 hands in his impulsively. 
 
 " You are too good . ' she exclaimed, with fervor. 
 " But you cannot afford so large a gift. No, I would 
 only take it if you had a very large sum, and could 
 not possibly miss it. I asked carelessly. I should 
 not have done so I was selfish to think of such a 
 thing." 
 
 " I want to speak to you about something, also," 
 said Roseleaf, after a strained pause. " I have 
 noticed of late that your father has some trouble on 
 his mind." 
 
 She started suddenly. 
 
 " Ah " was all she said. 
 
 " And I have wondered if there was anything I 
 could do to to aid him to relieve him. Because, 
 I would like it very much if I could, on account of- 
 of" 
 
 She looked up inquiringly. 
 
 " I have been so much a member of your family, in 
 a certain way, that a grief like this appeals strongly 
 to me," he said, haltingly. 
 
 She paled slightly as she repeated his words. 
 
 * A grief?" 
 
 " Well, distress, annoyance, whatever it may be
 
 114 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 called. If there is anything I can do, I shall be more 
 than happy." 
 
 The girl sat for some moments with her eyes on 
 the ground. 
 
 " He fs troubled," she said, finally. " I am glad to 
 talk with you, for I cannot get him to tell me any- 
 thing. He is greatly troubled, and I am worried 
 beyond expression. I can't understand it. He has 
 always confided in me so thoroughly, but now he 
 shakes his head and says it is nothing, trying to look 
 brighter even when the tears are almost ready to 
 fall. What can it be, Mr. Roseleaf? He has no 
 companions outside of his office and this house ? 
 He sits by himself, and isn't a bit like he used to be 
 and every day I think he grows worse." 
 
 Roseleaf asked if Daisy had talked much with her 
 sister about it. 
 
 " No/' she said, with a headshake. " I don't 
 believe Millie has noticed anything. She is so 
 occupied with her literary matters " there was a 
 sarcastic touch upon the word, that did not escape 
 the listener "she has no time for such things. I 
 hope you won't think I mean to criticise her," added 
 the young girl, with a blush. " I know you care a 
 great deal for my sister, and " 
 
 She stopped in the midst of the sentence, leaving 
 it unfinished. And Roseleaf thought how interest- 
 ing this girl had become. 
 
 u Let me confide in you, Daisy," he said, in his 
 softest tone. " I do not care 'a great deal,' nor even 
 a very little for your sister. You see," he went on, 
 in response to the startled look that greeted him, " I
 
 "DAISY, MY DARLINO V 115 
 
 am to be a novelist. To be successful in writing 
 fiction, I have been told that I ought to be in love 
 just once myself. And I came here and tried very 
 hard to fall in love with Miss Millicent ; and I simply 
 cannot." 
 
 Daisy's fresh young laugh rang out on the air of 
 the evening. 
 
 " Poor man !" she cried, with mock pity. " And 
 hasn't she tried to help you ?" 
 
 " No. She hasn't. And as soon as I get the 
 work done I have commenced for her, I am going 
 away." 
 
 The child she was scarcely more than that grew 
 whiter, but the shadows of the evening hid the fact 
 from her companion. 
 
 " You ought not to go," she said, slowly, and 
 rather faintly, " until you have made another trial." 
 
 "Oh ! It is useless !" he replied. 
 
 " Is it that you cannot love Millie or that you 
 cannot love any one ?" 
 
 He hesitated, puzzled, himself, at the question. 
 
 "I never did love any one any woman," he con- 
 fessed, " and perhaps I never shall. But your sister 
 seems peculiarly hard to love. Yet she is a very 
 handsome girl and equipped with a mind of unusual 
 calibre." 
 
 Daisy acknowledged this description of her sister's 
 charms. She remarked that it was strange that 
 such a combination did not suffice to accomplish the 
 desired result. 
 
 " There are people who do find her entertaining," 
 she added, " Mr. Weil is one of them."
 
 116 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 "Oh, Archie!" said Roseleaf. "He finds every- 
 thing entertaining. It is nothing worth remarking. 
 She is the exact description of his ideal in feminine 
 face and form. He once gave me the list of the 
 excellencies of a ' perfect woman,' and your sister has 
 them all." 
 
 The younger Miss Fern had her own opinions 
 about this matter. She shought the innocent man at 
 her side had not quite guaged the interest that Mr. 
 Weil took in her family. 
 
 " I will make a proposition," she said, with a light 
 laugh, when they had talked longer upon the sub- 
 ject. "I am afraid it won't seem worth much to 
 you, and perhaps you can do better ; but why can't 
 you stay here, and if Millie won't do make love 
 tow*/" 
 
 Darkness is responsible for many things. In the 
 light, Daisy could not have uttered those words, 
 even in jest. There, when the sun had set and the 
 stars were not yet on duty, she found the courage to 
 make that suggestion. 
 
 " You are very kind," he stammered, when he 
 grasped her meaning. " But I do not think it will 
 answer. I am afraid love cannot be pushed to any 
 point without its own initiative," 
 
 a That is probably the case with real love," re- 
 plied the girl, " but an imitation that would serve 
 your purpose might be evolved in the way I have 
 indicated. For instance, you could take my hand in 
 yours like this and I could lean toward you in 
 this way. And then, if you had sufficient cour- 
 age-"
 
 11 DA18T, MY DARLING P 117 
 
 Before he dreamed of doing it, it was done ! He 
 had kissed her on her tempting lips, placed within 
 an inch of his own. 
 
 " You are too good a scholar," she pouted, rising 
 to her feet in some confusion. "I did not give you 
 leave to do that." 
 
 " I beg your pardon most humbly," he answered, 
 with intense contrition. " May I assure you that 
 the act was wholly involuntary and that I am very 
 sorry for it ?" 
 
 She turned and surveyed him in the shadow. 
 
 " Are you wry sorry ?" she repeated. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Why?" 
 
 " Because I have made you angry." 
 
 "Do I seem angry?" 
 
 " At least, I have injured your feelings.** 
 
 Her face was close to his again. 
 
 " Well, I forgive you. There, let us make up." 
 
 She raised herself on the tips of her toes and 
 kissed him twice. 
 
 All the blood in this young man's body seemed to 
 rush to his head and then back with violence to his 
 heart. 
 
 " Daisy 1" he stammered. "Daisy!" 
 
 But she sprang away as he tried to embrace her, 
 and standing two yards off, tauntingly cried that he 
 did not know what love was, and that no one could 
 ever teach him. Taking up the challenge he started 
 toward her. She ran away, he in pursuit. She had 
 gone but a few steps when she tripped over an
 
 118 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 object in the path and went down. In trying to 
 stop himself Roseleaf fell by her side. 
 
 " Daisy !" he cried. " Are you injured ?" 
 
 She did not answer. In the darkness he saw 
 her lying there so still that he was frightened. He 
 caught her passionately in his arms, and knew no 
 better way to bring her to consiousness than to rain 
 kisses on her cheeks. As might be expected this 
 only served to prolong her swoon, which was not a 
 very genuine one, if the truth must be told, and it 
 was some seconds before she opened her eyes and 
 caught him, as one might say, in the act. 
 
 " How dare you !" she demanded, shrinking away 
 from him. 
 
 " Daisy, my darling !" he answered, his voice 
 tremulous. " I thought you were dead, and I knew 
 for the first time how dearly, how truly I loved 
 you !" 
 
 She laughed, not very heartily. She had hurt her- 
 self truly in her fall, and her feminine nerves were 
 jarred. 
 
 "You are doing nicely," she said. "For a 
 beginner, one could ask nothing better. And now, 
 if you will help to rise, I think it would be more 
 proper." 
 
 " No." He spoke with force and passion. " You 
 must not think I am trifling. I love you ! Yes, I 
 love you ! / 'worship you /" 
 
 " I do not see," she remarked, insisting in spite of 
 him that she must assume a standing position, 
 " how you differ in your expressions from the lovers 
 I have read of in novels. It is quite time that we re-
 
 ''DAISY, MY DARLING r 110 
 
 turned to the house. To-morrow, if you like, I will 
 give you another lesson." 
 
 Shirley was a picture of utter despair. His new 
 sensations almost overwhelmed him. In one second 
 the dead arteries in his body had leaped into the 
 fullest life. The touch of that young maiden's lips 
 had galvanized him. He could not bear to leave 
 her with those mocking words. But at that moment 
 a voice was heard in the direction of the residence. 
 
 "Miss Dai-sy ! Miss Dai-sy!" 
 
 It was Hannibal, who had returned from a drive 
 with Mr. Fern. They could see him dimly coming 
 across the lawn with the girl's cloak in his hand. 
 Daisy, with one quick grasp of the fingers that hung 
 close to hers, said good-night to her companion, and 
 started in the direction of the servant. If she in- 
 tended as seemed probable to pretend she was 
 out alone, Roseleaf did not mean to share in that 
 deception, and he followed close behind her. 
 
 " Here I am, Hannibal," called Daisy. "Ah, you 
 have my coat. It was very kind of you. Has papa 
 come home ? I am coming in. I did not think how 
 late it was." 
 
 The negro stopped as he saw the strollers, and 
 knew that they had undoubtedly been together. 
 What more he suspected no one can say with cer- 
 tainty. But he threw the cloak upon the grass that 
 Bordered the pathway and turned on his heel with- 
 out a word. 
 
 " Confound his impudence ! " exclaimed Roseleaf, 
 when he had recovered sufficiently from his surprise
 
 130 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 to speak. " I have a good notion to follow him and 
 box his ears." 
 
 The soft hand of the girl was on his sleeve in a 
 moment. 
 
 " Say nothing to himpleascf* she answered. " He 
 he is very thoughtful for me of my health and I 
 was careless. Papa must have sent him." 
 
 The touch on his arm mollified the young man at 
 once. He tried to make out the lines of the pretty 
 face that was so near him and yet so far away. 
 
 " We are to study again to-morrow, then," he said, 
 taking up her statement with an assumed air of gay- 
 ety. "At what hour ?" 
 
 But she broke away from him abruptly, and ran 
 into the house without a word. Hannibal stood in 
 the doorway and Roseleaf thought he distinguished 
 harsh souuds from the negro's lips ; but this seemed 
 so incredible that he conceived his senses at fault. 
 
 Looking at his watch the novelist saw that it was 
 still early enough to take a stroll by himself and pon- 
 der over his new happiness or misery, which was 
 it ? under the open sky. It was two hours later 
 that his latchkey turned in the door, and in that time 
 he had resolved either to make Daisy Fern his wife 
 or commit suicide in the most expeditious fashion.
 
 W OH, SO MANY, MANY MAIDS P* 121 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 "OH, SO MANY, MANY MAIDS !" 
 
 The only disagreeable thing about falling in love 
 with Daisy was that Roseleaf felt compelled to re- 
 veal the truth to Archie Weil. He believed he was 
 bound to do this by a solemn contract which he had 
 no moral right to ignore. Perhaps Weil might claim 
 that he had no business to fall in love with one sister 
 when his "manager" had picked out the other for 
 this operation. Be that as it may, there was no use 
 in evading the question. It must be talked over, be 
 the result what it might. 
 
 "Well, I know what love is now," was the abrupt 
 way in which the young man opened the subject on 
 the following afternoon. 
 
 He had ridden to the city, as Weil was not expected 
 at the residence of Mr. Fern that day. The hope he 
 had formed the previous evening of getting another 
 interview with Daisy had not materialized, she hav- 
 ing gone on some short journey before he could in- 
 tercept her. 
 
 " You do !" was the equally abrupt reply, uttered 
 in a tone that betrayed undoubted astonishment. 
 " What do you mean ?" 
 
 Roseleaf reddened. 
 
 " It came to me all at once, last evening," he said, 
 Avoiding the gaze of his companion. "We were 
 down at the end of the lawn, you know'*
 
 122 A BLACK ADOBTIS. 
 
 Archie interrupted him with a sudden shout. 
 
 Not Daisy!" 
 
 *Yes." 
 
 " You are in love with Daisy ! " 
 
 Roseleaf bowed. 
 
 " Upon my word !" 
 
 There was nothing in any of these expressions that 
 conveyed the information which the younger man 
 craved, namely, whether his friend approved what 
 he had announced, but he stole a look at him and 
 saw that he appeared more astounded than angry. 
 
 " You dear boy," he said, " I don't know what to 
 say to you. You blush like a maiden over the 
 acknowledgment. I am half inclined to believe 
 you are the girl in the case, and your partner in love 
 some great, strapping fellow on whose bosom you 
 intend to pillow your coy head. So it is Daisy, eh ? 
 And last night it came to you ? Tell me how it 
 happened." 
 
 Comforted in a measure by the good nature of his 
 friend, Roseleaf proceeded to give the outlines of 
 what had occurred, suppressing the more intimate 
 facts with which the luckier reader is acquainted. 
 He admitted the touch of hands, but did not men- 
 tion the pressure of lips to lips. He told of the 
 girl's swoon, but said nothing of the extraordinary 
 measures adopted to bring her to her senses. But, 
 while he made no insinuations, nor pretended to see 
 through the meshes in this net, the experience of 
 Mr Weil served him in good stead. He could fill in 
 the vacant places in the story with substantial cor- 
 rectness.
 
 "OH, SO MANY, MAHT MAIDfli" 12S 
 
 " I don't know what Miss Millicent will say to all 
 this," he remarked, when the recital came to a pause. 
 
 " I think she was just beginning to like you a 
 little herself. Most of our talk last evening was 
 about you, and when I mentioned, as I took my 
 leave, that you were probably out walking with 
 Daisy, I could see distinct traces of jealousy. I 
 want to be fair with my client. I told her that you 
 came there to learn love from her, not from her 
 little sister. If all this should result in breaking her 
 heart, I don't see how I could excuse myself. And 
 the other one, she seems such a child, I never 
 thought of her in that connection. Why, how old is 
 she not over eighteen, I think." 
 
 Roseleaf answered that Daisy would be nineteen 
 on her next birthday, an ingenious way of stating 
 age that was not original with him. 
 
 " All right," said Archie, digesting this statement 
 slowly. " And now, what is your programme ?" 
 
 Roseleaf looked surprised at the business-like 
 nature of the question. 
 
 "I mean to secure her consent to marry me, as 
 soon as possible," he said. 
 
 "And then?" 
 
 " Why, see her father, I suppose. Isn't that the 
 most important thing to do ?" 
 
 Mr. Weil shook his head decidedly. 
 
 " Not by any means. You must not act with 
 undue haste. Mr. Fern would say she was too young 
 to think of matrimony, a proposition you could not 
 successfully dispute. Besides, should he happen to 
 give his consent and appoint a week from Wednes*
 
 day for the happy occasion, see what a mess it would 
 put you in." 
 
 The suggestion caused the brightest of smiles to 
 illumine the countenance of the listener. 
 
 " It would make me the happiest of mortals 1" he 
 cried. "There is nothing that could prevent my 
 summoning the clergyman and securing the prize I 
 desire." 
 
 Mr. Weil grunted. 
 
 " H m ! And in the meanwhile what would 
 become of your great novel ?" 
 
 This question brought a sober pause to the young 
 novelist. 
 
 " I could write it after my wedding," he answered, 
 finally. 
 
 " Could you ? You could write nothing at all then 
 nothing that any one would pay a cent to read. I 
 have told you from the start that what you want is a 
 grand* passion, something to stir your soul to its 
 depths. You are on the verge of that experience. 
 Already you have had a glimpse of what it will be 
 like. For the first time the touch of a woman's 
 fingers has driven sleep from your eyelids. No, you 
 didn't tell me you laid awake all night, but I saw it 
 by looking at you. You can shut yourself up in 
 your room now, and rhapsodize over the dear face, 
 the lovely mouth, the soft voice of your beloved. In 
 another week, if this keeps on, you can write like a 
 combination of George Eliot (after she met Lewes) 
 and Amelia Rives (before her marriage). A month 
 later, Gouger might rave over your productions, for 
 you will be on the Matterhorn of bliss unsatisfied."
 
 "OH, SO MANY, MANY MAIDS !" 125 
 
 A slight laugh, at his own excess of description, 
 issued from the lips of Mr. Weil, but the counte- 
 nance of his companion was as firm as a rock. 
 
 " You are right," said Roseleaf, gravely. " Already 
 I see the vast difference between this sensation of 
 love and the thing I imagined it to be when I wrote 
 those silly pages that Cutt & Slashem did so well to 
 reject. But I am torn between two desires. I want 
 to write my novel until yesterday I thought no 
 wish could be so great. And I also want my wife." 
 He breathed the word with a simple reverence that 
 affected even the flinty heart of his hearer. " I shall 
 never rest easy until I find her wholly mine, to love, 
 honor and cherish while God gives me breath 1" 
 
 The hand of the elder man dropped heavily on 
 the table by his side. 
 
 " Good!" he exclaimed. " Very good ! You could 
 not have said it better. There is an opportunity be- 
 fore you to accomplish both of these things. I only 
 wish to impress upon you the fact that they must 
 come in the order I have indicated, or one of them 
 will never come at all. Write your story while the 
 fever of passion is on you. The dead calm of mar- 
 ried life would only bring the sort of novel that the 
 shelves are already piled with, nauseating to the 
 public and a drug in the hands of the publishers." 
 
 Roseleaf doubted the full correctness of these con- 
 clusions. He thought, with that dear girl by his 
 side, he could write with all the fervor of a sweet- 
 heart, for his affection was to have no boundary, no 
 limit, no end. But he had a high opinion of the
 
 126 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 abilities of Mr. Weil, and he had no idea of dispu* 
 ing the conclusions of that wise guide. 
 
 "Do you think she will accept me?" he asked, 
 wistfully, returning to the main question. " It came 
 so sudden, and there was very little said, and it was 
 late ; and then Hannibal came after her, and she 
 went into the house. Everything was left in a state 
 of uncertainty,.'* 
 
 " Did nothing show whether you were indifferent 
 to her ?" was the wily interrogation that followed. 
 " Usually I believe something conveys the sweet 
 word ' hope ' to the waiting one. And what do you 
 say about Hannibal ? That he came to call your 
 charmer and took her away from you ?" 
 
 Without reserve the young man repeated what had 
 happened. Archie seemed deeply interested, but 
 whatever his thoughts he did not express them at 
 the time. 
 
 " And that reminds me of another thing," said 
 Roseleaf. " Have you noticed anything strange 
 about Mr. Fern ?" 
 
 " Yes," said Mr. Weil, " I have noticed. I won- 
 dered if you had done the same. Have you dis- 
 covered what the trouble is ?" 
 
 " No, and Daisy doesn't know, either. Indeed, 
 she is much distressed about it. Remember, this is 
 a secret between us, for perhaps I had no right to 
 talk of their affairs. He is in a state of great depres- 
 sion, and as he it so regular in his habits I can't 
 imagine what to lay it to. You are so shrewd, 
 couldn't you find out ?"
 
 " OH, 80 MANT, MANY MAID8 1" 127 
 
 Mr. Weil rose and took a few paces up and down 
 the room. 
 
 " You are the fellow to do that, not I," he said, pres- 
 ently. " Yes, hear me out. You are in a sense a 
 member of his family, and would have a natural 
 right to allude to the state of his health. Then, if 
 you were to put in a word about Miss Daisy- why, 
 you might kill several birds with one stone." 
 
 Roseleaf looked much puzzled. 
 
 " I thought," he said, " that you wanted me to post- 
 pone the matter of my marriage as long as pos- 
 sible." 
 
 " Your marriage, yes. But not the preliminaries. 
 They may require a dozen bouts with the ld gentle- 
 man. The first time he will probably laugh you out 
 of the room as a silly young noodle ; the second he 
 will say that he has nothing against you personally, 
 but that his ' baby ' is too infantile to think of such 
 things for ten years yet ; the third he will begin to 
 see the situation in its right light, and after that it 
 will be only a matter of detail. All these things 
 will be of the greatest value to you in the novel you 
 are going to write, and you must not on your life 
 miss a single one of them. 
 
 " Drop into the wool shop, catch his royal high- 
 ness there, and for the first thing express solicitude 
 for his health. Unless he is on his guard more than 
 is likely you ought to catch some slight straw to show 
 what ails him. Then follow it up with a word or two 
 about Miss Daisy, and you will have spent a good 
 afternoon, even if he doesn't smile on your suit at
 
 128 A. BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 first hand, and take you to his manly breast as his 
 long-lost son-in-law." 
 
 The reasonings set forth in these propositions 
 were so evidently correct that Roseleaf resolved to 
 adopt them just as soon as he could bring himself 
 into the proper mood. In the meantime, however, 
 he wanted to have a little further talk with Daisy, 
 for he could hardly ask her father for her hand 
 without the semblance of permission on her part. 
 He tried to remember all she had said to him at 
 the foot of the lawn, and was compelled to admit 
 that it was very little indeed. The only things he 
 was certain of were the kisses, but his experiences 
 were so slight that he could not tell how much 
 weight to give even these. 
 
 That evening he tried his best to get a word with 
 her alone, but she eluded him, and he was obliged to 
 go to the boudoir of her sister and read over that 
 young lady's MSS. as it stood revised by his careful 
 hands. 
 
 "Well, another chapter will finish it," said Miss 
 Fern, when he put down the pages. " And then Mr. 
 Gouger will decide whether Cutt & Slashem con- 
 sider it worth printing." 
 
 " Yes," he answered, gravely. " They will print 
 your story now, without doubt. But /am as far as 
 ever from satisfying their requirements." 
 
 Millicent thought how supremely selfish she must 
 seem, talking always of her own hopes and doing 
 nothing to help the one who had made her success 
 possible. She saw that he wore a dejected look, and 
 she began to sincerely pity him. When our own
 
 W OH, SO MAXY, MANY MAIDS 1" 129 
 
 ships are safely in sight of the harbor we have 
 more time to dwell on the derelicts in which the 
 property of our friends is embarked. 
 
 " Perhaps, when we get this disposed of, I can 
 help you," she suggested. 
 
 It was nearly a week before Roseleaf could get 
 another talk with Daisy, a week that tried him to 
 the utmost, for he could think of nothing but her, 
 and could not understand her reasons for treating 
 him so strangely. At last he wrote her a letter, 
 giving it to Hannibal to deliver, in which he said 
 that he was about to return to his city lodging and 
 wanted to know if she meant him to leave without a 
 kind word at parting. He thought the negro looked 
 peculiar as he took the note, half as if he did not 
 intend to accept the commission to deliver it ; but 
 he concluded that this must be imagination. He 
 wondered why Archie Weil took such a fancy to 
 Hannibal. If Roseleaf was lucky enough to claim 
 Daisy as his wife, he would never have that figure 
 darken his door. 
 
 The letter must have been taken to its destina- 
 tion without delay, for an answer was brought in the 
 course of an hour, stating in the briefest language 
 that Miss Daisy would await him in the parlor, after 
 lunch. 
 
 At the table Miss Fern was present, as usual, but 
 not her father, his business in the city keeping him 
 away at that hour. At meals it was Daisy's habit to 
 say little, leaving the conversation to her sister and 
 whoever else happened to be there. At the end of 
 this particular lunch Millicent went up stairs to her
 
 130 A BUCK ADONIS. 
 
 chamber and Daisy betook herself to the parlor, fol- 
 lowed a few minutes later by the young man. 
 
 "Why have you treated me so coldly ?" were his 
 first words, when he found himself alone with her. 
 
 " Oh, dear, that is a very bad beginning !" she 
 said, smiling. " I shall have to instruct you in some 
 of the simplest things, I see already. When you 
 wish to make friends with a woman, don't begin by 
 scolding her. I am here because you wrote that you 
 wished a kind word. Don't give me too many cross 
 ones, please." 
 
 He sighed impatiently. 
 
 " Daisy," he exclaimed. * I hope you are not go- 
 ing to make fun of me ! I have passed a most mis- 
 erable week. After the glimpse of heaven you gave 
 me, that evening " 
 
 She put on an air of mock surprise. 
 
 " Did I do that ! It was much more than I in- 
 tended, then. I fear you are inclined to use extrav- 
 agant metaphors, Mr. Roseleaf. But, never mind. 
 You are going away, and I am very, very sorry. 
 However, as you came here on Millie's account, and 
 not on mine, 1 suppose I have no right to say so." 
 
 The fair brow of the young man was a mass of 
 wrinkles. 
 
 " I can't understand why you speak so lightly," 
 he answered. " You know I told you that I love 
 you that there is nothing in all the world so dear 
 to me that I want your promise to be my wife. I 
 can't go from here without that consolation. Daisy, 
 I ask you, in all sincerity, to say that as soon as your
 
 MAW? MAXXr 1 31 
 
 father's consent is obtained, you will name a day 
 when you will marry me," 
 
 The smile faded from the giro's lips. Something 
 brought to her mind a very sad reflection. 
 
 " You ask a great deal," she said. " Much more, 
 I think, than you realize. Until a week ago I was 
 nothing to you. We lived under the same roof, we 
 took our evening strolls together, we talked like the 
 commonest acquaintances, and that was all. Then, 
 in a moment, you discovered that your heart was on 
 fire. I have not ascertained what made the marvel- 
 lous change. I am sure you cannot tell yet if it be 
 a genuine and lasting one. Were I inclined to be- 
 lieve I ever should be willing to go to the lengths 
 of which you speak, I should assuredly want time 
 for the maturest reflection. In the first place, I 
 know almost nothing about you. One would not 
 engage a a coachman without more inquiry. 
 How can a girl promise to trust her entire future to 
 a man with whom she has but a casual acquaint- 
 ance ? Such things need consideration. I know my 
 father would say so. And if he heard only the 
 nicest things about you, I doubt if he would like to 
 have you take me from him especially now, when 
 his heart is heavy and he leans so much on my love 
 and care. No, you are in too great haste." 
 
 His impatience grew to boiling heat as he listened. 
 How could she find so many reasons, and (he was 
 obliged to confess) such sensible ones, to bring 
 against him ? 
 
 "There is one thing you can do," he said, with an
 
 139 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 attitude of deep dejection. "You can tell me if you 
 love me." 
 
 She tossed her head with a feminine movement 
 that was wholly charming. 
 
 "Yes, I could tell you that, but it would be a very 
 improper thing, under the circumstances, provided I 
 was able to give you the answer you seem to wish. 
 If I did care for you, would I like to say so in defin- 
 ite words when anything further might turn out to 
 be impossible ? A girl would not wish to have a 
 man that she was never to marry going about with 
 the recollection that she said, ' I love you.' " 
 
 " Then you can say nothing at all ?" he asked 
 sadly. " Shall I be uncertain whether at the end of 
 my term in purgatory I am to be raised to a state of 
 bliss or dashed into the Inferno ?" 
 
 She lauglied ; a delicious little laugh. 
 
 "You are getting hyperbolical," she answered. 
 * There are ten thousand better women than I." 
 
 " But I don't want them," pleaded the young man. 
 " Did you ever read the lines of Jean Ingelow : 
 
 " ' Oh so many, many, many 
 Maids and yet my heart undone. 
 What to me are all or any ? 
 I have lost my one.' " 
 
 Daisy replied that the sentiment was very sweet, 
 and added that when a lover could quote sucii 
 admirable poetry with accuracy, there was hope 
 for him. Do what he would, Roseleaf could not 
 make her see that everything in his future life de- 
 pended on " one little word " from her. She per- 
 sisted that he was misled by the violence of his first
 
 "OH, SO MANY, MANY MAIDS " 133 
 
 affection, and that if he would only let a month or two 
 pass he would discover that his pulse would fall off 
 a number of beats to the minute. 
 
 "And is that what you want ?" he asked, reproach* 
 fully. "Would you like to have me come back two 
 months later, and tell you my love had ceased ?" 
 
 " Yes, if it was the truth. How much better than 
 to learn it after my vows had been pledged and I 
 was bound to you for the rest of my days !" 
 
 He rose and went with quick steps to her side, 
 catching up her hand and covering it with kisses. 
 She did her best to stop him, whispering, with a 
 glance toward the door, that they might be inter- 
 rupted at any minute. 
 
 " By whom !" he retorted, stung at her coldness. 
 "Your sister has gone up stairs, and there is no one 
 else in the house." 
 
 " Hannibal might come in," she said, in a low 
 tone. " He has no way of knowing that I do not 
 wish to be interrupted." 
 
 He grew angry at the mention of that name. But 
 the warning had its effect and he sat down, nearer to 
 her than before, his heart beating rapidly. 
 
 " I hate the fellow!" he exclaimed bitterly. "It 
 is a good thing I am going away, or I should strike 
 him some day for his insolence !" 
 
 Daisy paled at the vehemence of her companion. 
 
 " Has he been insolent to you ?" she murmured. 
 
 " To me ? He would not dare ? What angers 
 me is the way he speaks to the rest of you. He 
 came with your cloak that night, acting as if he was 
 your master, instead of your servant. I have heard
 
 134 A BLACK ADOXIS. 
 
 him speak to Mr. Fern in a way that made me want 
 to kick him ! Why does your father bear it ? Why 
 do you ? Has Hannibal some mysterious hold on 
 his situation ?" 
 
 The girl heard him patiently, though the roses did 
 not come at once to her white cheek. 
 
 " I am afraid," she said, when he had finished his 
 tirade, " that you despise him for his color. It is a 
 prejudice that seems to me and to my father 
 unchristian and uncharitable. Perhaps, in the 
 anxiety to make Hannibal forget that God gave him 
 a darker skin than ours, we may have gone to the 
 other extreme, and treated him with too great con- 
 sideration. But I think you overstate the case." 
 
 Her gentle words smote upon the ears that heard 
 them, and in a moment Roseleaf was affected by the 
 most lively contrition. Without attempting to 
 excuse himself he begged her pardon, which she 
 readily granted. 
 
 " When do you leave us ?" she asked. 
 
 "To-morrow morning." 
 
 " But you will call occasionally ?" 
 
 "If I may." 
 
 His tone was so sad that Daisy assured him he 
 ought to have no doubt of that. 
 
 " I understand," she added, " that you have prob- 
 ably helped Millie to a reputation that she craves 
 above everything, and she ought not to prove entirely 
 ungrateful. We have enjoyed your stay here, and 
 shall be most sorry to have you go. I should be glad 
 to think you would honor us with your company to 
 dinner not less often than once each week."
 
 "OH, BO MAKY, MAKT MAIDS !** 135 
 
 For the first time a ray of light came into his 
 face. 
 
 " Oh, may I ?" he cried. " Then I shall not be 
 shut off entirely from seeing you ?" 
 
 " No, indeed," she answered. " Father likes you 
 and Mr. Weil too well you will bring him, of course. 
 Once a week, at least if it were twice it wouldn't do 
 any harm ; and if it were three times " 
 
 His face was now one bright beam of light. 
 
 " Daisy," he cried. " I believe you do not hate me 
 after all !" 
 
 "I hope you never thought I did," she responded. 
 " Why is it that a man can see no middle ground be- 
 tween positive dislike and marriage ? I expect to 
 like a good many men in the course of my life, but 
 I can only marry a very few of them. 
 
 He was obliged to laugh at this, and to say that 
 she would only marry one, if he had his way. Before 
 they had finished with this subject Roseieaf was in a 
 state of high good nature, though he had little 
 apparently upon which to base the rise in his spirits. 
 
 " Can't I say something just a hint, if no more, 
 to your father ?" he asked, getting down again to 
 business. 
 
 " Pretty risky !" she answered, sententiously. " He 
 wouldn't give you much encouragement I fear. ' 
 
 The young man caught eagerly at the word. 
 
 "You fear! 1 ' he echoed. "God bless you, 
 Daisy !" 
 
 Bearing in mind what she had previously said 
 about the unlocked doors, he did not attempt to suit
 
 136 A BLACK ADOKL3. 
 
 the action to the phrase. But his happy face spoke 
 volumes. 
 
 "You had best say very little to father at pres- 
 ent," said Daisy, soberly. " He is most unhappy." 
 
 "I wish I knew what troubled him !" he ex- 
 claimed. 
 
 " I wish so, too, if you could aid him," she 
 answered, earnestly. 
 
 "Who knows but I may?" he asked, with a smile 
 that she hoped would prove prophetic. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 ARCHIE PAYS ATTENTION. 
 
 Roseleaf took rooms at his old lodgings in the 
 city, and set in earnest about the work of beginning 
 his great novel. He had interviews with Mr. Gou- 
 ger, at which he detailed the slight thread of plot 
 which he already had in mind, profiting by the 
 critic's shrewd suggestions. It was decided that he 
 should portray, at the beginning, a youth much like 
 himself, who was to fall in love with an angelically 
 pure maiden. The outline of their respective char- 
 acters were to be sketched with care, and sundry 
 obstacles to their union were to be developed as the 
 story progressed. Gouger warned his young friend 
 not to write too fast, and to content himself for the 
 present with delineating the phase of love with 
 which he had become familiar.
 
 AKOHIE PATS ATTENTION. 137 
 
 ** Later on," he said, " when your hero finds that 
 this girl is not all his bright fancy painted her 
 when it is proved beyond a doubt that she has played 
 him false, that she has another lover '* 
 
 Roseleaf turned pale. 
 
 " But that will never be !" he interrupted. 
 
 " It will, of course in the story," corrected 
 Gouger. " She will lead him a race that will make 
 him an enemy to the entire sex, if she is used for all 
 the dramatic effect possible. People expect to find 
 immaculate purity in the earlier chapters of a story, 
 as they do in small children. With the progress of 
 the action they look for something more exciting. 
 To sketch a seraph who remains one would only be 
 to repeat the failure you made in your other effort 
 the one you brought to me the day I met you first. 
 It is not the glory of heaven that attracts audiences 
 to our churches, but the dramatic quality of hell. A 
 sermon without a large spice of the devil in i't would 
 be much worse than a rendition of Hamlet minus 
 the Prince. Put your heroine in the clouds, if you 
 will, at the beginning. The higher she goes, the 
 greater will be her fall, and the greater, consequently, 
 your triumph." 
 
 The young novelist shivered as he listened to these 
 expressions. How could he build a heroine on the 
 Tiodel of Daisy Fern, and conceive the possibility 
 that she would ever allow her white robes to touch 
 the earth ? He might have constructed such a plot 
 with Millicent as the central figure, though that 
 would be by no means easy ; but Daisy ! Impossi- 
 ble I He asked the critic if it would not do to send
 
 133 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 the hero of the tale to perdition, while leaving his 
 sweetheart immaculate to the close. 
 
 " No," said Gouger, decidedly. " A man's fall is 
 not much of a fall, any way you put it. The public 
 is not interested in such matters. It demands a 
 female sacrifice, like some of the ancient gods, and it 
 will not be appeased with less. I expect you to be 
 new and original in your treatment of the theme, 
 but the subject itself is as old as fiction. You have 
 too little imagination, as I have told you before. 
 You must cultivate that talent. Having conceived 
 your paragon, imagine her placed under temptations 
 she cannot resist ; surround her with an environment 
 from which she cannot break ; place her in situations 
 that leave her no escape." 
 
 Roseleaf shook his head. 
 
 " I am afraid I never shall be able to do it," he 
 said. 
 
 " Pshaw ! Don't talk of failure at this stage of the 
 game. All you have to do is to introduce upon the 
 scene a thoroughly unprincipled man of good ad- 
 dress, who is fertile in expedients. You will find 
 your model for that among a dozen of your acquaint- 
 ances. Why, take Archie Weil, and hold him in 
 your mind till you are saturated with him." 
 
 What did Mr. Gouger mean? That Mr. Weil 
 would actually do these dreadful things, would in 
 his own person perpetrate the outrage of winning a 
 pure girl to shame. It seemed childish to ask such 
 a question, and yet such a meaning could easily be 
 taken from what the critic had said. No, no ! All 
 fee could have meant was that Mr. Weil might serve
 
 AROBIB PAYS ATTfiVTIOX. 139 
 
 as a figure on which to lay these sins that he could 
 be carried in the writer's mind, as a costumer uses a 
 stuffed frame to hang garments on while in the pro* 
 cess of manufacture. 
 
 " Then here is Boggs," added Gouger, with a 
 laugh. " You ought to find some place for a fellow 
 like him, if tnily for the comic parts of your novel, and 
 there must be a little humor in a book that is to suit 
 the mass. A vrriter for a magazine said recently with 
 much truth, ' Hk who would hit thrf popular taste 
 must aim low.' < think Boggs could furnish the 
 cheap fun for an ordinary novel, without too great a 
 wear on the writer. Go ahead, my boy. Write a 
 half dozen chapters "*n your own idyllic way, and 
 then get Archie to take you to a few places where 
 your mind will be turned to opposite scenes. It 
 takes all sorts of edibles to suit the modern palate." 
 
 So Roseleaf wrote, slowly, patiently, with devotion 
 to his art, until he had completed five chapters of his 
 story. And Gouger read it and went into ecstacies, 
 declaring it the best foundation he had ever seen for 
 a most entrancing romance. 
 
 " He has wrought his people up to such a super- 
 lative height," said the critic to Mr. Weil, " that the 
 chute will be simply tremendous ! How simply, how 
 elegantly his sentences flow! If he can handle the 
 necessary wickedness that must follow, the sale of 
 * Uncle Tom's Cabin,' or ' Thou Shalt Not,' will be 
 eclipsed without the least doubt. But, the question 
 still is, can he ?" 
 
 "There's no such question," was the response. 
 " He must, that's the way to put it. Confound it, he
 
 140 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 shall ! And the next thing for him to do is to take 
 
 a few visits with me to the underground regions, 
 where he can get such slight shocks to his literary 
 system as will enable him to take up the vein he 
 must work." 
 
 During this time Roseleaf did not forget the invit- 
 ation he had received to dine with the Ferns. It 
 did him good to see Daisy, although he could not 
 now get her for a moment to himself. He sighed to 
 her over the table, and across the parlor, after the 
 party had retired to that part of the house, and she 
 answered Mm with little bright smiles that acted like 
 an emollient on his hurt spirit. He had never found 
 the courage to beard her father in his den of wool 
 and was not even sure that the affair had reached 
 a stage where anything could be gained by taking 
 such a step. What he wanted was a word of assur- 
 ance from Daisy that she would wait for him till he 
 had made a Name in literature, or proved his ability 
 in some definite manner. There was no indication 
 that any one else was in the way ; everything pointed 
 to a contrary probability. But there is nothing so 
 desolate as the heart of a lover whose fair one is just 
 beyond his reach. 
 
 Mr. Weil accompanied Shirley on most of these 
 visits, and knew very well what was going on. 
 None of the glances exchanged between the young 
 people were so much their exclusive property as they 
 believed. Had Archie possessed eyes in the back 
 and sides of his head, he could have seen little more 
 than he did. While appearing to devote his entire 
 attention to Mr. Fern and Millicent principally the
 
 ARCHIE PATS ATTENT10H, 141 
 
 former, he found time to watch Roseleaf and Daisy, 
 and even the negro Hannibal. 
 
 He noticed that the servant was no less devoted 
 than formerly to the youngest member of the house- 
 hold. He saw him hover around her at the table 
 like a protecting spirit, letting her want for nothing 
 that thoughtfulness could procure. And he noticed 
 that Daisy seemed as oblivious of this as she had 
 always been. She accepted these extraordinary 
 attentions quite as if Hannibal were some automaton, 
 acting with a set of concealed springs a mechanism 
 in which there was nothing of human life or intelli- 
 gence. 
 
 Mr. Fern was the same gentlemanly host as of 
 yore, with the same dark cloud hanging over him, 
 whatever might be its cause. Courteous by nature 
 to an exceptional degree he could not assume a 
 gayety he did not feel. There was some terrible 
 weight bearing him down, some awful incubus of 
 which he was unable to rid himself. The only 
 person who did not notice it was Millicent, and the 
 one it troubled most was Daisy, on whose sweet 
 young face the share she had in her parent's griefs 
 had already begun to leave its impressions. 
 
 Millicent's novel was soon placed in Mr. Gouger's 
 hands, completed. The original theme was unal- 
 tered, but in its new garb of perfect English no one 
 would have recognized the rejected work. The com- 
 bination of the girl's strength of mind and the man's 
 elegance of diction was successful. The critic rec 
 ommended its acceptance without a word of dis- 
 seot, and Cutt & Slashem even consented, on his
 
 142 A BLACK 
 
 suggestion, to forego the guarantee against loss 
 which they had of late demanded from all authors 
 whose names were unknown to the reading public. 
 
 " I have fixed it for you, Archie," he said, when 
 that gentleman next made his appearance at the 
 sanctum. "No deposit or guarantee, and ten per 
 cent, of the retail price for royalty. So take a train 
 to your inamorata's house and tell her the news." 
 
 Mr. Weil did not seem to wholly relish the an- 
 nouncement. 
 
 " In the first place," he remarked, " you have no 
 business to speak of Miss Fern as my inamorata ; 
 and in the second you will pay her more than ten per 
 cent, or you won't get the book to print." 
 
 At this, Mr. Gouger, after the manner of all pub- 
 lishers and their agents, proceeded to show to Mr. 
 Weil that it was perfectly impossible to pay another 
 cent more than the figure he had named ; and be- 
 fore he had finished he agreed to see the firm and 
 get the amount raised considerably, provided the 
 sales should exceed five thousand copies. In short, 
 Mr. Weil secured a very respectable contract for a 
 new author, and one that was sure to please Miss 
 Fern, if she was in the least degree reasonable. 
 
 " I wish you would hurry up Roseleaf," remarked 
 Gouger, when this matter was disposed of. "When 
 will you take him down into the depths and let him 
 see that side of life ?" 
 
 "I have arranged a journey for to-morrow night," 
 said Weil. " We shall go to Isaac Leveson's and 
 make an evening of it. Unless things are dif- 
 ferent there from usual, he will lay the foundation
 
 DIKING AT ISAAC'S, 143 
 
 for all the wickedness he needs to put into hia 
 story." 
 
 The critic nodded approval. 
 
 " He will probably have a Jew in it, then a mod- 
 ernized Fagan." 
 
 " Yes," said Weil. " And a negro. A tall, well- 
 built negro, who has a white man for his slave !" 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 DINING AT ISAAC'S. 
 
 On the following day, when Shirley Roseleaf pre- 
 sented himself at the Hoffman House, he found Mr. 
 Weil awaiting him in a state of great good nature. 
 
 " Go home and make yourself ready for a dive 
 into the infernal regions," he said, merrily. " I am 
 going to take you to a place where the devil spends 
 his vacation, and show you a set of women as 
 different from those you have lately met as chalk is 
 from indigo. Be here at nine o'clock this evening, 
 prepared for the descent." 
 
 A vision of subterranean passages crossed the 
 mind of the listener, and he thought of tall boots 
 and a tarpaulin. 
 
 " How shall I dress roughly, I suppose ?" he 
 inquired. 
 
 " Certainly not. Put on your swallow tail, and 
 white tie. Vice in thesa days wears its best
 
 14* A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 garments. You cannot tell a gambler from a clergy- 
 man by his attire. Dress exactly as if you were 
 going to the swellest party on Fifth Avenue. The 
 only addition to your toilet will be a revolver, if you 
 happen to have one handy. If you do not, I have 
 several and will lend you one." 
 
 If he expected to startle the young man he was in 
 error. Roseleaf merely nodded and said he would 
 take one of the weapons owned by Mr. Weil. 
 
 " We shall not use them there are a thousand 
 chances to one," said Archie. " New York is like 
 Montana. You remember what the resident said to 
 the tenderfoot, ' You may be a long time without 
 wantin' a we'p'n in these parts, but when you do 
 you'll want it d d sudden." 
 
 When Roseleaf returned, the hands of his watch 
 indicated the time at which he had been asked to 
 make his appearance, but Mr. Weil did not take him 
 immediately to the point of destination. Instead he 
 walked over to a variety theatre that was then in 
 operation on Twenty-third street, and after spending 
 a short time in the auditorium guided the young 
 man into the " wineroom." Here the ladies of the 
 ballet were in the habit of going when off the stage, 
 for the sake of entertaining the patrons with their 
 light and frivolous conversation, and inducing them if 
 possible, to invest in champagne at five dollars the 
 bottle. 
 
 Archie was, it appeared, not unknown to the throng 
 that filled this place, for his name was spoken by 
 several of both sexes as soon as he entered. He 
 nodded coolly to those who addressed him, and took
 
 Drama AT ISAAC'S. 145 
 
 a seat at a table with his companion. With a shake 
 of his head he dejclined the offers of two or three 
 fairies of the ballet to share the table, and ordered a 
 bottle of Mumm with the evident intention of drink- 
 ing it alone with his friend. 
 
 Roseleaf slowly sipped the sparkling beverage. 
 He was cautioned in a whisper to drink but one glass, 
 as it was necessary that he should keep a perfectly 
 clear head. Weil remarked in an undertone that he 
 had only ordered the wine as an excuse for remain- 
 ing a few minutes. 
 
 " I call this * the slaughter house,' " he added, in 
 a voice still lower. " Girls are brought here to be 
 murdered. Not to have their throats cut,'* he ex- 
 plained, " but to be killed just as surely, if more 
 slowly. I have seen them come here for the first 
 time, with good health shining out of their rosy 
 cheeks, delighted at the unwonted excitement and 
 the amount of attention the frequenters of the place 
 bestowed. I have watched them growing steadily 
 paler, having recourse to rouge, the eyes getting 
 dimmer, the voice growing harsher, the temper be- 
 coming more variable. And then other fresh faces 
 came in their stead. There are killed, on an aver- 
 age, twenty girls a year here, I should say ; killed to 
 satisfy the appetites of men, as beeves are killed in 
 Chicago, but not so mercifully." 
 
 The novelist looked into the faces that were near- 
 est to him and thought he could discern the various 
 grades of which his friend spoke the new, the 
 older, the ones whose turn to give way to others 
 would soon come. All of them were drinking.
 
 146 i. BLAO& ADQJTI& 
 
 Most had on the stage dresses they had just worn or 
 were about to wear in the performance. Some had 
 finished their parts and were enveloped in street 
 clothes, ready to take their departure with the first 
 male who asked them. And they were drinking, 
 drinking, either in little sips or in feverish gulps, as 
 they would at a later day, when the five-dollar wine 
 would be replaced by five cent beer or perhaps the 
 drainings of a keg on the sidewalk. 
 
 Mr. Walker Boggs soon came into the wine-room 
 and joined the pair at Mr. Weil's table. He called 
 for a whiskey straight, pushing the champagne aside 
 with an impatient movement. 
 
 " I won't punish my stomach with such stuff, even 
 if it has gone back on me," he exclaimed. " That 
 will knock out any man who drinks it between 
 meals." 
 
 Mr. Weil assented to this proposition, and to show 
 kis full belief in it filled his own glass again and 
 tossed its contents down his throat. 
 
 " What brings you here ?" he asked, quizzically. 
 
 "Those creatures," replied Boggs, with a motion 
 of his hand toward the members of the ballet. 
 "They're all that's left me now. They don't mind 
 the size of my waist. My hold on them is as strong 
 as ever. "But you ought not to be here," he broke in, 
 turning to Roseleaf. " It will be years before you 
 get to this stage, I hope." 
 
 Mr. Weil hastened to explain. 
 
 " Shirley is merely observing," said he. " He 
 came at my request. We are going next to Isaac 
 Leveson's."
 
 AT ISAAC'S 147 
 
 Mr. Boggs grew interested. 
 
 " So, so ! You intend to show him Isaac's to- 
 night ?" 
 
 " Yes. Isn't it a good idea ?" 
 
 The stout man shrugged his shoulders as if he had 
 nothing to say on that point. The movement was 
 essentially a Frenchy one and might have meant 
 anything. 
 
 " Perhaps you would like to go with us," said 
 Archie. 
 
 " What do you intend to do there ?" 
 
 " Tell Mr. Roseleaf all the secrets." 
 
 Mr. Boggs stared at the speaker. 
 
 " Isaac won't let you," he answered, grimly. 
 
 "Won't he ? He'll have to. Why, what's the odds ? 
 The boy won't give him away. And if he should " 
 His voice sank to a whisper. 
 
 Mr. Weil then proceeded to explain to his young 
 friend that " Isaac's " was a peculiar affair, even for 
 Gotham. It had entrances on two streets. Into one 
 door went the most respectable of people, intent on 
 getting an exceptionably good dinner, which was 
 always to be had there, cooked in the French style 
 and elegantly served. At that end of the house 
 there were several dining-rooms that would hold forty 
 or fifty guests, and several others made to accommo- 
 date family parties of six to twelve. If a couple 
 happened to stray in and inquire for a room to them- 
 selves the head waiter informed them that it was 
 against the rule of the house to serve a private din- 
 ner to lest than four people, 
 
 It was evident that the establishment was co-
 
 43 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 duci<t on the most moral principles, and in a way 
 to prevent the possibility of scandal, For though a 
 great many couples undoubtedly take dinners in 
 private rooms with the utmost propriety, it must be 
 admitted that Such a course is open to suspicion and 
 might be used as a basis for unpleasant rumors. 
 Mr. Leveson, who kept this hotel, took great pride in 
 saying that nothing in all New York bore a better 
 name, and no amount of bribery would have induced 
 one of his employes on that side of the house to 
 vary the rules laid down. 
 
 But on the other side of the building at the 
 entrance on the other street ah, that WHS different ! 
 
 If only the most respectable customers entered the 
 first door it was almost equally true that none but 
 those who lacked that quality used the second. Mr. 
 Leveson sometimes remarked with glee, at twelve 
 o'clock at night, that he would give a hundred dol- 
 lar bill for an honest man or woman in any of the 
 rooms up-stairs. The waiters had instructions to 
 " size up " all comers with care, and to admit no 
 accidental parties who might apply for entrance 
 under a misapprehension as to the character of the 
 place. 
 
 " We are all full, sorry to say, "was the established 
 formula. "There is a very good restaurant just 
 around the corner, on --th street." And in this 
 manner the shrewd restaurateur got all the custom 
 he wanted, while preserving the natural atmosphere 
 in each part of his dominions. 
 
 The meals served in these two places were pre- 
 pared by one chef, and served from one kitchen.
 
 DINING AT ISAAC'S. 149 
 
 Thus the virtuous and vicious patrons were supplied 
 with exactly the same dishes. But on what may be 
 called the Good side nothing stronger that wines 
 were found on the bill of fare. On the Wicked side 
 every decoction know to the modern drinker was to 
 be had for the asking. Then, again, the doors ol 
 the Good side were closed at eleven o'clock, while it 
 was often daylight before the last patron of the Sin- 
 ful side reeled into his carriage. 
 
 After a little more talk Mr. Boggs seemed satisfied 
 and consented to join the party. 
 
 Mr. Leveson was notified of the presence of the 
 newcomers and met them at the door. Isaac was of 
 a decidedly Jewish cast of countenance, slightly gray, 
 not very tall, and quite round shouldered. He. put 
 out a lank hand toward Roseleaf, when that young 
 gentleman was named as a matter of introduction, 
 but put it down again when Mr. Weil curtly said 
 handshaking was out of date. Archie had seen dis- 
 inclination in the eye of his friend to touch the fin- 
 gers of the Hebrew, and with his usual quickness had 
 solved the difficulty. The party entered a private 
 office at the left of the entrance, where Mr. Leveson 
 inquired what he should order for them to drink. 
 
 "You will order nothing, at present," said Weil, in 
 a contemptuous way that excited the astonishment 
 of Mr. Roseleaf. " When I wish for anything I will 
 ring. Who is there in the house ?" 
 
 The manager of the establishment bowed humbly, 
 and proceeded to run over the list of his customers. 
 
 " There is Major Waters and his wife" 
 
 " Together I" exclaimed the questioner.
 
 Ifid A BLACK ADQHtfl. 
 
 " Oh, no ! The Major has the little blonde that he 
 has brought for the last month ; his wife has Mr. 
 Nikles of the Planet. Then " 
 
 But Mr. Weil interrupted him again. 
 
 " You'll let them run into each other some day and 
 there'll be a nice time." 
 
 " Never fear that. The boys understand thorough- 
 ly. He comes earlier and stays later than she. 
 Besides, we never let anybody meet on the stairs. 
 The waiters cry out, * You must go back ; it is bad 
 luck !' if any of them seem in danger of running into 
 each other. They are as safe from discovery here as 
 if they were in places a mile apart." 
 
 Some one descended the stairs at this moment and 
 Leveson tiptoed to the door and opened it half an 
 inch to peer at them. 
 
 " You know I have no object in saying these 
 things," said Weil, "except to save your precious 
 ielf from trouble. Who is that going out ?" 
 
 " Some new people ; it is the third time they have 
 been here." 
 
 "Well," asked Weil, impatiently, " who are they ?" 
 
 Leveson held up both his hands as if to beg a 
 moment to answer. 
 
 " They come from Brooklyn. I don't know their 
 names. I think neither is married." 
 
 " I have a curiosity about things," explained Weil 
 to his friends, "that I cannot account for. "You 
 remember how Silas Wegg used to talk about 'Aunt 
 Jane ' and ' Uncle Parker.' Well, I have the same 
 way of studying the men that wander in here of an 
 evening, with other people's wives and daughters,
 
 AT ISAAC'S. 151 
 
 There is so little really entertaining in this con- 
 founded world that I seize upon anything promising 
 a change with avidity. Isaac tells me all the secrets 
 of his queer ranch, and they prove wonderfully inter- 
 esting, sometimes. You see," he added, addressing 
 himself particularly to Roseleaf, " not a couple comes 
 info this place that would like to have it known." 
 
 Roseleaf bowed constrainedly. 
 
 " And how does Mr. Leveson know them ?" he in- 
 quired. " They surely do not register, or if they do 
 their names must be fictitious." 
 
 Mr. Weil laughed. 
 
 " He has ways of finding out," said he. " There 
 are little birds that fly in at the window and tell 
 him." 
 
 " I should not think he would wish to know," com- 
 mented Roseleaf. " Especially when it is evident 
 they would not like to have him." 
 
 Archie laughed again. 
 
 " Let me explain, then," he said. " I need not 
 mind Boggs here, who is discretion itself. Leveson's 
 reason of course, I can rely on your silence ?" 
 
 The young face reddened at the insinuation that 
 he might betray a secret. 
 
 " I was sure of it," said Archie, so quickly that 
 Roseleaf felt at ease again. " Well, the reason why 
 Isaac wants to know what is going on is, he is con- 
 nected with the police." 
 
 Roseleaf said "Ah !" and opened his eyes wider. 
 
 " People who go to places like this," continued 
 Mr. Weil, " are of great interest to the guardians of 
 the peace. And by the police I do not mean the
 
 152 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 members of the regular force so much as the special 
 service. It is to the latter that we go when a confi- 
 dential clerk has robbed us or we become suspicious 
 that our wives are unfaithful. Nine times out of ten 
 the chief of the private detective office knows in ad- 
 vance all we wish him to ferret out. When he has 
 told us that we will set investigations on foot, and 
 that he hopes to learn something of the matter 
 within a few days, he bows us out of his bureau with 
 an air that implies that we have not come to the 
 wrong party. And as soon as we are gone he turns 
 to a ledger, and in a few minutes has found an ab- 
 stract that tells him everything. 
 
 " Let us suppose," said Mr. Weil, " that a jeweler 
 misses twenty valuable pieces of bijouterie from his 
 stock. The circumstances prove that they were 
 taken by some one in his employ. He thinks of his 
 clerks, and cannot find the heart to accuse any of 
 them of such a grave crime. He goes to the detec- 
 tive office and states his case. When he is gone the 
 chief turns to the book and finds this : 
 
 "*L. M. Jenkins, clerk at Abram Cohen's, Sixth 
 Avenue; about twenty-three, medium height, dark, 
 dresses well. Rooms at No. Twenty-Ninth street. 
 Has been giving expensive suppers as well as valua- 
 ble jewelry to Mamie Sanders, No. so-and-so, Such-a- 
 street. They dined together at Isaac Leveson's on 
 such-and-such dates.' Etc., etc., etc. 
 
 " Now, he can recover the jewelry and get that 
 clerk into quod in three hours, if he likes. Naturally 
 he won't expedite things in that way, because he 
 wants some excuse for running up a large bill, unless
 
 DINING AT ISAAC'S. 153 
 
 it be a bank case, where he prefers to make a great 
 impression and get himself solid with the directors. 
 But he will collar the fellow and recover the stuff, 
 and all because he knew about it long before any one 
 in the store had a suspicion." 
 
 Mr. Leveson returned. Mr. Weil asked that one of 
 the private rooms on the second floor be put in 
 order at once, for himself and friends. He then in- 
 quired what ladies were in the house unoccupied by 
 escorts. 
 
 " Miss Pelham has been waiting an hour for the 
 Judge," replied Isaac, " but I don't think he'll come. 
 He disappoints her half the time now. And Mrs. 
 Delavan, who has just come in, found a note from 
 Col. Lamorest, asking her to excuse him to-night." 
 
 Archie looked pleased. 
 
 " They'll do," he said. " Tell them to come and 
 dine with us. But," he paused, and looked at Rose- 
 leaf, " we need still another." 
 
 The color mounted to the cheeks of the young 
 novelist, as he understood the thought that prompted 
 this statement. 
 
 " Not on my account I would much rather not/' 
 he stammered. 
 
 "You will kindly leave that to my judgment," re- 
 plied Archie, impressively. " Remember, you are 
 not the instructor here, but the pupil. There must 
 be some one else, Isaac." 
 
 Mr. Leveson hesitated. He was mentally going 
 over the rooms upstairs and taking stock of what 
 was in them. 
 
 " There are two girls," he said, at last, " who used
 
 Ifct A. BLACK A.DOtfN. 
 
 to work in one of the dry goods stores, but you 
 wouldn't want them. They are very strict, and they 
 dress plainly, and I am afraid the other ladies 
 wouldn't like to associate with them." 
 
 Mr. Weil grew vastly irritated by this statement. 
 He brought his hand down on the table with a bang. 
 
 " The other ladies !" he echoed, angrily. " When 
 you tell Mrs. Delavan and Jenny Pelham that you 
 want them to dine with us, you know that ends it ! 
 As to these shop girls, what do you mean by calling 
 them strict? What would a strict girl be doing in 
 this house ?" 
 
 Mr. Leveson cringed before his interrogator and 
 made the old, imploring movement with his hands. 
 
 "Let me explain," he said. "These girls came 
 here a few weeks ago with some traveling men. 
 They took dinner, but Adolf says neither drank a 
 drop of wine. A few days later they came again, 
 with other escorts, and the same thing occurred." 
 
 "Why did you let them in ?" demanded Weil. 
 
 " Because I knew the gentlemen." 
 
 Archie started to say something, but checked him- 
 self. 
 
 " And after that they came alone and asked to see 
 me," pursued Isaac, humbly. "They said they had 
 been thrown out of work, and thought there might 
 be an opportunity to do something here, like waiting 
 on the guests. And while we were talking, two old 
 customers of the house called to dine, alone, and 
 asked me if they could get some one to share the 
 meal with them. And, it teemed quito providen- 
 tial"
 
 A QUSTXG# OS OOLOJk IS 
 
 Archie stopped the voluble speech by striking his 
 hands sharply together. 
 
 " Enough !" he said. " When the dinner is ready 
 send one of them in. That will make the three we 
 need." 
 
 In half an hour the dinner was ready to be served. 
 Then Isaac came with the information that the girls 
 refused to be separated. 
 
 " What a nuisance !" exclaimed Weil. " Well, send 
 both of them, then. We'll take care of them, some- 
 how." 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A QUESTION OF COLOR. 
 
 The next morning, when Roseleaf awoke, he was 
 for some time in a sort of stupor. Through the bright 
 sunlight that filled his room he seemed to scent the 
 fumes of tobacco and of liquor. The place was 
 filled, he imagined, with that indefinable aroma that 
 proceeds from a convivial company made up of both 
 sexes. He half believed that Jennie Pelham and 
 Mrs. Delevan were sitting by his bed, more brazen 
 than the bell which, from a neighboring steeple, told 
 him the hour was ten. And surely, by those curtains 
 there, hiding the flame that filled their cheeks, were 
 the two " shop-girls," their pinched faces denoting 
 slow starvation. Boggs, and Isaac Leveson, and 
 Archie Weil were there, all of them ; and the young
 
 ADOHI3. 
 
 man tossed uneasily on his pillow, struggling with 
 the remnant of nightmare that remained to cloud his 
 brain. 
 
 When he was able to think and see clearly he sat 
 up and rang for a pitcher of ice water. He was con- 
 sumed by thirst, and his forehead ached blindly. 
 When he had bathed his head and throat he turned, 
 by a sudden impulse, to his table, and took out the 
 MSS. of the story he had begun. Slowly he read 
 over the pages, to the last one. Then, seizing his 
 pen, he devoted himself to the next chapter, without 
 dressing, without breakfasting. 
 
 It was four o'clock when he ceased work. He 
 realized all at once that he was feeling ill. The fact 
 dawned upon him that he needed food, and donning 
 his garments, he took his way listlessly to a restaur- 
 ant and ordered something to eat. As he swallowed 
 the morsels, he fell to wondering how much tempta- 
 tion he would be able to bear, with hunger as a back- 
 ground. 
 
 He passed a good part of the evening in walking 
 the streets, selecting, instinctively, sections where lie 
 was least likely to meet any one he knew. When he 
 returned to his room he read over the MSS. he had 
 written that day, and into his troubled brain there 
 came a sense of pleasure, Gouger was right. To 
 tell of such matters in a novel, one should know 
 them himself. Roseleaf could never have written 
 of vice before he saw Leveson's. Now, it was as 
 plain to him as print, almost as easy to use in fiction 
 as virtue. What was to follow ? He pondered over 
 the plot he had mapped out, and it grew clearer.
 
 A QUESTION OF COLOR. 157 
 
 Daisy had given him no further encouragement 
 at least in words since that day she had said it was 
 ** risky "to ask her father, but he felt certain that 
 she regarded him with favor, and that if Mr. Fern 
 put no obstacles in the Way she would not refuse 
 to wed him when the right time came. He thought 
 it would be wise to obtain one more brief interview 
 with her, before proceeding to extremities, and de- 
 termined to do his best to draw her aside, when he 
 made his next visit to her house. This settled, he 
 went to bed again and slept soundly. 
 
 When the day to go to Midlands arrived Shirley's 
 courage began to ooze a little. So much depended 
 upon the attitude of his dear one's mind, which, for 
 all he knew, had changed since he talked with her, 
 that he fairly trembled with apprehension. He 
 avoided Mr. Weil, with whom he usually took the 
 train, and went out early. Alighting at a station a 
 mile or two away from the right one, he walked 
 through the woods, trying to think how to act in 
 case matters did not turn out as he hoped. Under 
 the branches he strolled along, until he came within 
 sight of the roofs of Midlands ; and then he threw 
 himself at the foot of a tree close to Mr. Fern's 
 grounds, and gave himself up to reverie. 
 
 When he laid down here it was only five o'clock, 
 and he was not expected at the house for a full hour. 
 It pleased him to be so near the one he loved, and to 
 lie where he could dream of her sweet face and see 
 the outlines of the house that sheltered her, while 
 she had no knowledge of his presence. Just over 
 there was the arbor, where he had first had the
 
 1SS A BL1CK A.BOSTS. 
 
 supreme bliss of touching her lips with his own. If 
 he could get her to come there with him again to- 
 night when the others were occupied with their talk 
 of earthly things, and if she would only tell him 
 frankly that he might go to her father, and that her 
 prayers would go with him ! A soft languor came 
 over his body at the deliciousness of these reflections, 
 but it was dissipated by the sound of voices which 
 presently came to him from the other side of the 
 hedge. 
 
 " I can't exactly understand, Miss Daisy," said one 
 of the voices, which he had no difficulty in recogniz- 
 ing as that of Hannibal, " why you wish me to go 
 away ?" 
 
 There was an assurance in the tone that Roseleaf 
 did not like. He had noticed it before in the inter- 
 course of this negro with his employers. There was 
 something which intimated that he was on the most 
 complete level with them. 
 
 " I want you to go," said Daisy, in her quiet way, 
 "because education is the only thing that will make 
 you what you ought to be. There are a hundred 
 chances open to you, in the professions, if you can 
 take a college course. Unless you do, you can hope 
 for nothing better than such employment as you 
 have now." 
 
 It made the listener's blood boil to think that these 
 people should be consulting in that way, like friends. 
 Daisy ought to have a better sense of her position. 
 
 "I will not refuse your offer, at least not yet," 
 replied Hannibal, after a slight pause. " It may bt 
 at you say if I graduate as a doctor or a lawyer.
 
 A qrastzoir OF OOLOB. 169 
 
 But I know that I live in a country where my color 
 is despised and all that could possibly come to me 
 here as a professional man is work among my own 
 race. I should be a black lawyer with black clients ; 
 or a black physician, with black patients. To really 
 succeed I should go across the ocean to some land 
 where the shade of my skin would not be counted a 
 crime." 
 
 Daisy's face could not be seen by the listener, but 
 he was sure it was a kindly one, and this made him 
 fume. The situation was atrocious. 
 
 44 It should not be considered so anywhere," said 
 the girl, gently. 
 
 " It is an outrage !" responded the black. " Hav- 
 ing stolen our ancestors and brought them here from 
 their native country, the Americans hate us for the 
 injury they have done. In France, they tell me, it is 
 not so. Oh, if I could gain an education, and 
 become what God meant to make me a man !" He 
 paused as if the thought was too great to be con- 
 ceived in its fullness, and then said, abruptly : 
 " Where can you get this money ?" 
 
 Roseleaf's suspicions were now keenly aroused and 
 he dreaded lest she should bring his name into the 
 conversation. 
 
 " Your father would not give it to you without an 
 explanation," pursued the negro. "And you have 
 no fortune of your own." 
 
 "I will get it let that suffice," interrupted the 
 girl. " I can give you $1000 a year for two years, at 
 least, and I hope for two or three more, if you will go 
 to Paris and put yourself under instruction. Can
 
 160 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 you hesitate to accept a proposal of that kind ? I 
 thought you would seize it with avidity." 
 
 As Daisy said this she arose, and started slowly 
 toward the house. Hannibal walked by her side 
 talking in a tone so low that nothing more was intel- 
 ligible to the eavesdropper she little suspected was 
 so near. But suddenly the girl stopped, and Rose- 
 leaf heard her cry with startling distinctness : 
 
 "How dare you .'" 
 
 The voice that uttered these words was filled with 
 rage, and the girl's attitude, as Roseleaf could see 
 for he had risen hastily to his feet was one of 
 intense excitement. Then- she added : 
 
 " If you ever speak of that again, they will be tl*e 
 last words I will e- 3r exchange with you. My offer 
 is still open yoa ran have the money if you wish it 
 but never another syllable like this ! Understand 
 me, Hannibal, never !" 
 
 Miss Daisy passed on toward the house, alone. 
 The negro stood where she had left him, his head 
 bowed on his breast, as if completely cowed by the 
 rebuke. Roseleaf's heart beat rapidly. What gave 
 this fellow such power over these people ? How 
 could he say things to call out such an exclamation 
 as that of Daisy's, and yet hold her promise to pay 
 him a large sum of money, instead of getting the 
 prompt discharge he merited ? 
 
 And this was what the girl wanted to do with the 
 $1,000, she had asked him to lend her ! Should he 
 still give it to her? Yes, if it would rid the country 
 of that insolent knave who, from whatever cause,
 
 A QUESTION OF COLOR. 161 
 
 occupied a position that must be growing unendur- 
 able to those who had to bear with him. 
 
 What had Hannibal said, that made her turn as if 
 grossly insulted, and speak with a vehemence so 
 foreign to her nature ? Roseleaf would have enjoyed 
 following the negro and giving him a severe trounc- 
 ing. Though Hannibal was twenty pounds heavier 
 and considerably taller than he, the novelist had not 
 the least doubt of his ability to master him. He 
 believed the courage of an African would give way 
 when confronted by one of the superior race ; and 
 at any rate, righteous indignation would count for 
 something in so just a contest. 
 
 There were no traces of excitement on Daisy's 
 pretty face as she welcomed the guests of the family. 
 Weil arrived at about the same time as Roseleaf, 
 coming directly from the station, and Mr. Fern ar- 
 rived a little later. Millicent looked her best, which 
 is saying no less than that she was a beauty, and 
 Archie told her politely that she ought to sit for a 
 painting. When the dinner was served, Hannibal 
 took charge as usual. Shirley watched him with an 
 interest he had never felt before, and nodded assent 
 when Weil whispered behind his napkin, " Good 
 material for a novel in that fellow, eh ?" 
 
 The opportunity for a word alone with Daisy came 
 earlier than Roseleaf expected. In fact she herself 
 proposed it, while passing out of the dining room. 
 She said she had something particular to tell him. 
 
 " It is about that money you were so kind as to 
 say I could have," she explained, when they were far 
 down the lawn, and out of hearing of the others.
 
 182 A. BLACK ADOPTS. 
 
 " I want it very much and very soon. It- it will be 
 all right, I hope, and and not cause you any incon- 
 venience." 
 
 "I will bring it, or send it to-morrow," he replied, 
 instantly. " But I still wonder what you intend to 
 do with it." 
 
 She smiled archly. 
 
 " A good act, I assure you," she replied. " Some- 
 thing of which you would certainly approve, if you 
 knew all the circumstances. You are very kind, and 
 if it was darker here I should be almost tempted 
 to kiss you." 
 
 He replied that it was growing darker rapidly, and 
 that the requisite shadow could be obtained if they 
 stayed out long enough ; but she said she could re- 
 main but a few moments, and turned in the direc- 
 tion of the house. 
 
 " But, Daisy !" he cried, and then paused. "You 
 you know there is something of very great import- 
 ance that I want to talk about. I get so little chance, 
 and I want so much to tell you things. I have been 
 trying to go to your father's office, and I can't find 
 courage." 
 
 " I didn't know you were thinking of buying 
 wool," she said, mischievously. 
 
 " I want one little lamb, to be my own," he 
 answered, " to love and cherish all my life long,, 
 Am I never to have it ?" 
 
 She sobered before the earnestness of his sad face. 
 
 " You are a dear boy," she said, " and I love you. 
 There t Don't say anything more to me to-night 
 I have made a foolish confession, for which 1 may
 
 A QUESTION OF OOLOB. 163 
 
 yet repent. We must go ia They will be looking 
 for us." 
 
 She looked at his countenance and saw that it was 
 radiant. 
 
 "I can endure anything now," he said. " You 
 love me, Daisy can it be true ? I will go in with 
 you and I will wait. But not too long, my sweet- 
 heart ; do not make me wait too long. Repent your 
 confession, indeed ! If you do, it will be from no 
 fault of mine. Daisy f" 
 
 As he said these things they were gradually nearing 
 the piazza, where the negro was taking in the chairs. 
 
 " I have something pleasant to tell you," whispered 
 Daisy. " You don't like Hannibal. Well, he is 
 going away soon." 
 
 Roseleaf assumed surprise. 
 
 " Has your father discharged him ?" he asked. 
 
 " No, he intends to leave of his own accord. He 
 believes himself fitted for better work. Hush ! He 
 may hear you." 
 
 As they passed the servant, Daisy said, " Good- 
 evening, Hannibal." It was her invariable custom, 
 and she spoke with the greatest courtesy. But in 
 this case the negro did not raise his eyes, nor turn 
 his head toward her, nor make the slightest sign to 
 show that he heard. 
 
 It was too much for Roseleaf, and he stopped. 
 
 " Did you hear Miss Daisy address you ?" he de- 
 manded, sharply. 
 
 Hannibal looked up, with a curious mixture of 
 amusement, contempt and hate in his dark fact. 
 
 * I did," ht answered.
 
 164: A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 " Why did you not answer ?" 
 
 "Because I did not choose." 
 
 Daisy threw herself in front of Roseleaf, just in 
 time to prevent Hannibal's receiving a blow. 
 
 " Oh, stop !" she exclaimed, " I beg you I" 
 
 The noise and the sound of raised voices brought 
 Mr. Fern and his other daughter, with Archie Weil, 
 to the door. Mr. Fern took in the situation at a 
 glance, and his troubled face grew more distressed. 
 
 "Mr. Roseleaf," he said, speaking as if the words 
 choked him, " I am surprised that you should 
 hold an altercation like this in my daughter's 
 presence." 
 
 Roseleaf did not know what to do or say. Daisy's 
 pleading eyes decided him, much against his judg- 
 ment, to drop the matter where it was, galling to his 
 pride though it might be. He escorted his sweet- 
 heart into the parlor, where the entire party followed, 
 in a most uncomfortable state of mind. 
 
 " How can you permit that negro to insult your 
 guests ?" demanded Millicent, as soon as the door 
 was closed. " It is beyond belief. If he is master of 
 this house it is time the rest of us left it. I am cer- 
 tain Mr. Roseleaf did not act without great provoca- 
 tion." 
 
 Before Mr. Fern could answer, Daisy had spoken. 
 
 "It is over now, and there is nothing to be said. 
 Hannibal is going away in a few days, and that will 
 end your trouble." 
 
 The father turned such an incredulous look toward 
 his daughter that it was evident he had heard nothing 
 of this.
 
 A QUESTION OF OOLOK. 165 
 
 " Going ?" he echoed, faintly. " Going ?" 
 
 " Yes," said Daisy. " He told me to-day. He is 
 going to some country where his color will not be 
 counted a misdemeanor." 
 
 Roseleaf had difficulty in maintaining the silence 
 with which he had determined to encase himself. 
 But Daisy did not wish him to speak, and her will 
 was law. 
 
 *' Well, 1 am glad of that !" exclaimed Millicent. 
 " In a country where they consider such people their 
 equals, he will not meet the pity and consideration 
 he has so abused here. Still, I do think, father, 
 that you ought to apologize to Mr. Roseleaf for the 
 way in which you have addressed him." 
 
 This freed the young man's tongue. 
 
 " By no means," he said. " Very likely I was 
 wrong to say anything." 
 
 " You were not wrong !" retorted Millicent. ' You 
 were entirely right. You would have been justified 
 in punishing the fellow as he deserved. It is others 
 who are wrong. If he were not going, I would 
 never stay to see repealed what I have witnessed in 
 the last six months." 
 
 Mr. Fern seemed to have lost all ambition for con- 
 troversy. His elder daughter's cutting words evi- 
 dently hurt, but he would not reply. 
 
 Mr. Weil came to the rescue by introducing A new 
 topic of conversation, that of a European tenor that 
 was soon expected to startle New York. Daisy went 
 to the piano, and played softly, talking in whispers 
 to Roseleaf, who leaned feverishly over her shoulder.
 
 166 A BLAOK ADoans. 
 
 But she made no allusion to Hannibal, and he did 
 his best to forget him. 
 
 " What do you make of that ?" asked Mr. Weil, 
 when he was in a railway car, on the way back to the 
 city with his young friend. "A glorious chance for 
 a novelist to find the reason that black Adonis is 
 allowed such latitude." 
 
 But Roseleaf was not listening. He was thinking 
 of a sweet voice that had said : " You are a dear 
 boy and I love you !" 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 "LET us HAVE A BETRAYAL." 
 
 Mr. Archie Weil had become quite intimate with 
 Mr. Wilton Fern ; so much so that he called at his 
 office every few days, took walks with him on busi- 
 ness errands, went with him to lunch (to the annoy- 
 ance of Lawrence Gouger, who did not like to eat 
 alone) and sometimes took the train home with him 
 at night, on evenings when Shirley Roseleaf was not 
 of the party. Everybody in the Fern family liked 
 Archie. Even Hannibal, who had conceived a veri- 
 table hatred for Roseleaf, brightened at the en- 
 trance of Mr. Weil either at the house or office, the 
 negro seeming to alternate between the two places 
 very much as he pleased. Millicent liked him because 
 he was so " facile/' as she expressed it ; a man with
 
 whom one could talk without feeling it necessary 
 to pick each step. Daisy liked him because her 
 father did, and because Roseleaf did, and because 
 he treated her witli marked politeness that had 
 apparently no double meaning. 
 
 And they all got confidential with him, which was 
 exactly what lie wanted them to do ; only the one he 
 most wanted to give him confidence gave aim the 
 least. This was Mr. Fern, himself. 
 
 Try as he might, Archie could not discover what 
 clouded the brow of the wool merchant, what made 
 him act like a person who fears each knock at the 
 door, each sound of a human voice in the hallway of 
 his office. He could find no reason for Mr. Fern's 
 attitude toward Hannibal, whose manners were as fai 
 removed as possible from those supposed to belong 
 to a personal servant. There must be a cause of no 
 ordinary character when this polished gentleman 
 permitted a negro to insult him and his daughter, in 
 a way to excite comment. What it was Mr. Weil 
 was bent on discovering, but as yet he had made 
 little progress. 
 
 It was on account of this plan that Mr. Weil 
 affected to like Hannibal so well. He used to spend 
 hours in devising ways for securing the truth from 
 that source. Hannibal, however, gave no signs of 
 intending to reveal his secret, and if he was going 
 abroad to study, it seemed unlikely that the investi- 
 gator would get at many facts in that quarter. 
 
 One day, Mr. Weil happened to call at the office of 
 th merchant at an hour when the latter was out, 
 and found Hannibal in possession. As this was an
 
 168 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 opportunity seldom available, Archie entered into 
 a lively conversation with the fellow. 
 
 "They tell me you are soon going to leave us, he 
 said, as a beginning. " I hear that you are going to 
 Europe." 
 
 " Yes," said Hannibal, with a certain wariness. 
 
 " If I can tell you anything about the country I 
 shall be glad," said Weil, affably. "I have spent 
 considerable time there. You don't understand the 
 language, I believe ?" 
 
 The negro simply shook his head. 
 
 " It's easy enough to acquire. Get right into a 
 hotel with a lot of students, and pitch in. Though 
 they do say," added the speaker, archly, " that the 
 best method is to engage a pretty grisette. The 
 poet was right : 
 
 " 'Tis pleasing to be schooled in a strange tongue 
 By female eyes and lips ; that is, I mean, 
 When both the teacher and the taught are young 
 
 " You know the rest." 
 
 The answering smile that he expected, did not 
 come into the negro's face. If possible, it grew still 
 more reserved and earnest. 
 
 " There's one good thing, if you'll excuse my 
 mentioning it," pursued Archie, " and that is, 
 the French have no prejudice whatever against color. 
 Indeed, a colored student gets a little better atten- 
 tion in Paris than a white one." 
 
 Then the silent lips were unlocked. 
 
 "Could a black man marry a white woman, of
 
 W UJT U8 HAVE A BETRAYAL.'' 169 
 
 the upper or middle classes ?" asked Hannibal, 
 
 slowly. 
 
 " To be sure. There was the elder Dumas, and a 
 dozen others. I tell you there's absolutely no color 
 line there. They judge a man by what he is, not by 
 the accident of race or skin. You'll see such a dif- 
 ference you'll be sorry you didn't go years before." 
 
 Hannibal sat as if lost in thought. 
 
 " Mr. Fern will miss you, though," continued 
 Archie. "Yes, and the family. You seem almost 
 indispensable." 
 
 A suspicious glance was shot at the speaker, but 
 his face bore such an ingenuous look that the sug- 
 gestion was dismissed. What could he know ? 
 
 "They will get some one else," said the negro, 
 quietly. 
 
 "Yes, but in these days it is not easy to get peo- 
 ple one can trust. Mr. Fern will not find any one to 
 take your place in a moment. And just now, when 
 he evidently has a great deal of trouble on his mind, 
 it will be unpleasant to make a change." 
 
 Hannibal was completely deceived by the appar- 
 ently honest character of these observations. He 
 could not resist the temptation to boast a little, that 
 peculiar trait of a menial. 
 
 " I know all about Mr. Fern's affairs," he agreed. 
 " Both here and at the house. He would not trust 
 the next man as he has me." 
 
 Mr. Weil nodded wisely. 
 
 "I see, I see," he answered. "You know then 
 what has annoyed him of late that which has 
 puzzled all the rest of us so much. You know, but
 
 170 A BLACK ADONli. 
 
 having the knowledge in a sort of confidential ca- 
 pacity, you would, of course, have no right to reveal 
 it." 
 
 Hannibal straightened himself up in an exasperat- 
 ing way. 
 
 "You will not find what troubles Mr. Fern," he 
 said, loftily. "And now, may I ask you something. 
 Do you expect to marry his eldest daughter ?" 
 
 An inclination to kick the fellow for his impudence 
 came so strong upon Mr. Weil that it required all of 
 his powers to suppress the sentiment. But through 
 his indignation there struggled his old admiration 
 for this elegant physical specimen. He wished he 
 could get a statue modeled from him, before the 
 original left the country. 
 
 " That is a delicate question," he managed to say. 
 
 " I know it," replied Hannibal. " But I have ob- 
 served some things which may have escaped you. 
 Shall I tell you what I mean ?" 
 
 Not at all easy under this strain, the curiosity of 
 Mr. Weil was so great that he could only reply in 
 the affirmative. 
 
 "Miss Millicent," explained Hannibal, slowly, " is 
 in love very much in love with another person." 
 
 A stare that could not be concealed answered 
 him. 
 
 " You have not seen anything to indicate it ?" 
 asked the negro. " I thought as much. She has 
 done her best to cover it, and yet I can swear it is 
 true. She likes you, as a friend. But she loves him, 
 pattionately."
 
 " LET US HATE A BJKTKATAJL." 111 
 
 He was in for it now and might as well follow thi^ 
 strange matter to the end. 
 
 "Do I know this individual ?" asked Archie. 
 
 " Yes. You brought him to the house and intro- 
 duced him to her." 
 
 The man gave a slight cry, in spite of him- 
 self. 
 
 " Not Roseleaf !" 
 
 Hannibal bowed impressively ; and at the mo- 
 ment Mr. Fern's footsteps were heard in the entry. 
 
 Mr. Weil did not know, when he tried to think 
 about it afterwards, whether the wool merchant 
 noticed particularly that he and Hannibal had been 
 talking together, or suspected that they might have 
 confidences. His head was too full of the startling 
 statement he had heard, and when he was again 
 upon the street he wandered aimlessly for an hour 
 trying to reconcile this view with the facts as they 
 had presented themselves to his mind previously. 
 
 Millicent in love with Roseleaf I She had said 
 very little to the young man, so far as he had ob- 
 served. Her younger sister sweet little Daisy- 
 had monopolized his attention. If it were true, 
 what an instance it was of the odd qualities in the 
 feminine mind, that leave men to wonder more and 
 more of what material it is constructed. But was it 
 true ? Was Hannibal a better judge, a closer stu- 
 dent, than the rest of them ? He did not like Milli- 
 cent, any better than she Hked him. Was he trying 
 a game of mischief, with some ulterior purpose that 
 was not apparent on the surface ? 
 
 Out of it all, Archie Weil emerged, sure of but on
 
 172 JL BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 thing. He must use his eyes. If Millicent loved 
 Roseleaf, she could not hide it successfully from 
 him, now that he had this clue. 
 
 The girl's novel was selling fairly well. Weil had 
 made a bargain with Cutt & Slashem that was very 
 favorable. It gave him an excuse to talk with the 
 authoress as much as he pleased, and he used his 
 advantage. He brought her the comments of the 
 press not that they amounted to anything, for it 
 was evident that most of the critics had merely 
 skimmed through the pages. He came to tell her 
 the latest things that Gouger had said, what propor- 
 tion of cloth and paper covers were being ordered, 
 and the other gossip of the printing house. And 
 now he talked about the work that Shirley was en- 
 gaged on, and grew enthusiastic, declaring that the 
 young man would yet make a place for himself be- 
 side the Stevensons and Weymans. 
 
 Millicent struck him as caring much more for 
 news of her own production than that of the young 
 man who had been represented as the object of her 
 adoration. If she was half as fond of Roseleaf as 
 Hannibal intimated, she was certainly successful in 
 concealing her sentiments from the shrewd observer. 
 The result of a fortnight's investigation convinced 
 Weil that the negro had made a complete mistake, 
 and all the hypotheses that had arisen were al- 
 lowed to dissipate into thin air and fly away. 
 
 Another two weeks passed and Hannibal still re- 
 mained with the Ferns. An inquiry of Daisy pro- 
 duced the answer that he thought of remaining in 
 America till spring. The girl tried to act as if it
 
 173 
 
 made not the slightest consequence to her whether 
 he went or stayed, but she did not succeed. Mr. 
 Weil knew that she wished most heartily for the 
 time when the negro would take his departure. She 
 was bound up in her father, and Hannibal was worry- 
 ing him to death from whatever cause. She 
 wanted the tie between him and this black man 
 broken, and hated every day that stood between 
 them and his hour of sailing. 
 
 Roseleaf was almost as uneasy as Daisy over the 
 delay. He had given her the money she asked for, 
 though no allusion to its purpose had been made. 
 
 She still had it, somewhere, unless she had given 
 it to the one for whom it was intended. When she 
 took the package from his hand she rose on her tip- 
 toes and kissed him with the most affectionate of 
 gestures. It was the second occasion on which he 
 had been permitted to touch her lips, and he 
 appreciated it fully. He realized from her action 
 how deeply she felt his kindness in providing her 
 with the funds that were to relieve her father of an 
 incubus that was sapping his very life. 
 
 " You don't find much use for our black Adonis 
 yet, I see," said Weil, as he laid down the latest 
 page of the slowly building novel. " I had hoped 
 you would penetrate the secret of his power over 
 your heroine's father, by this time." 
 
 " No, I cannot understand it at all," replied 
 Roseleaf. " And if you, with your superior quick- 
 ness of perception, have found nothing, I don't see 
 how you could expect me to." 
 
 " You have greater opportunities," said Weil, with
 
 174 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 a smile that was not quite natural. " You have the 
 ear of the fair Miss Daisy, remember," he explained, 
 in reply to the inquiring look that was raised to 
 him. 
 
 "Ah, but she knows nothing, either," exclaimed 
 Roseleaf. " I am sure of that." 
 
 Mr. Weil was silent for some moments. 
 
 " Well, if you cannot find the true cause," he said, 
 " you will have to invent a hypothetical one. Your 
 novel cannot stand still forever. Imagine some- 
 thing a crime, for instance, of which this black 
 fellow is cognizant. A murder that he peeped in 
 at a keyhole and saw. How would that do ?" 
 
 Roseleaf turned pale. 
 
 ** You know," he said, " that you are talking of 
 impossibilities." 
 
 "On the contrary, nothing is impossible," re- 
 sponded the other, impatiently. " College profes- 
 sors, delicate ladies, children not yet in their teens, 
 have committed homicide, why not this handsome 
 gentleman in the wool business ? Or if you won't 
 have murder and I agree that blood is rather tire- 
 some, it has been overdone so much bring a woman 
 into the case. Let us have a betrayal, a wronged 
 virgin, and that sort of thing." 
 
 The color did not return to the young man's 
 cheek. 
 
 "Which is still more incredible in the present 
 case," he said. " Do you think Wilton Fern could 
 do evil to a woman ? Look in his face once and 
 dismiss tnat libel within tne secoadk"*
 
 LET us HATE A BETRAYAL." ITS 
 
 A desperate expression crossed the countenance of 
 the elder man. 
 
 "You must agree that he has done something V* 
 he cried. " He wouldn't allow a darkey to annoy 
 him like this for fun, would he ? He wouldn't wear 
 that deathly look, and let his child grow thin with 
 worriment, just as a matter of amusement !" 
 
 To this Roseleaf could not formulate a suitable 
 answer. He felt the force of the suggestions, but 
 he would not associate crime with the sedate gentle- 
 man who was the object of these suspicions. He 
 simply could not think of anything disreputable in 
 connection with Daisy's father, and it seemed almost 
 as bad to invent an offense for the character in his 
 novel whose photograph he had thus far taken from 
 Mr. Fern. 
 
 Daisy was surprised, a month after this, to have 
 Mr. Weil stop her in the hallway, and speak with a 
 new abruptness. 
 
 " Why don't that cursed nigger start for Europe?" 
 he asked. 
 
 She glanced around her with a frightened look. 
 She feared ears that should not might hear them. 
 But she rallied as she reflected that Hannibal was 
 miles away, in fact in the city with her father. 
 
 "He is going soon," she replied. "But why do 
 you allude to him by that harsh term ? I thought 
 you rather liked him." 
 
 "I do," he answered. "I like him so well that if 
 he continues to talk to to vour father as I heard 
 htm the onier day. I will throw him into the Hudson^
 
 176 A BLACK ADOKIS. 
 
 I can't stand by and see him insult anan old man- 
 much longer." 
 
 The girl looked at him with sad eyes. 
 
 "I thought I had succeeded in silencing that kind 
 of talk," she said. " Mr. Roseleaf used to speak very 
 violently of Hannibal, but he has listened to reason 
 of late. Let me beg you to see nothing and hear 
 nothing, if you are the friend of this family you have 
 given us reason to believe." 
 
 She extended her hand, as if to ask a promise oj 
 him, but he affected not to see it. 
 
 "When does he intend to go ?" he demanded. 
 
 " Before the ist of April." 
 
 " I will give him till that date," he answered, " but 
 not an hour beyond. He will sail out of this country 
 for some port or other, or there will be a collision. 
 You must not, you shall not defend him !" he added, 
 as she was about to speak. " I know the harm he is 
 doing, and it must have an end !" 
 
 Turning from her suddenly he went out of doors. 
 Far down the road he stopped to look around, press- 
 ing his hand to his forehead, like one who would 
 make sure he is awake, and not the victim of some 
 fearful dream.
 
 THE OBEEN-STBD MON8TKB. 177 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER. 
 
 Before the first of April came, Hannibal sailed. 
 During the winter he had taken lessons in French of 
 a city teacher, until he believed he could get along 
 after a fashion with that language. He announced 
 to Daisy that he would go on the third of March, 
 then he changed it to the tenth, and again to the 
 seventeenth. Each time, when the date approached, 
 he seemed to have a weakening of purpose, a dread 
 of actually plunging into the tide that set toward 
 foreign shores. The girl had interviews with him on 
 each of these occasions, at which what passed was 
 known only to themselves. And each time, when she 
 had reached her own room, she threw herself on her 
 bed and wept bitterly. 
 
 But, at last, on the twenty-fourth, he went. With 
 his overcoat on his arm, his satchel and umbrella in 
 his hands, he said " Good-by " to the little party that 
 gathered at the door. He had been treated with 
 great consideration in that home. Perhaps he real- 
 ized this to some extent as he was about to turn his 
 back upon it. Certain it is that he could not hide 
 the choking in his throat, as he said the words of 
 farewell. Archie Weil, who stood there with the rest, 
 thought he saw a strange look in those black orbs as 
 they dwelt a moment on the younger daughter ; but 
 It passed so quickly he could not be sure.
 
 1T8 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 Mr. Fern was there, and Roseleaf. Millicent had 
 responded, when a servant went to inform her that 
 Hannibal was going, that she was very glad. Did 
 she wish to go down ? By no means. She hoped she 
 was not such a fool. 
 
 Weil, who watched everybody, saw an unmistak- 
 able relief in the careworn countenance of Mr. Fern, 
 when the tall form of his late servant disappeared at 
 the gate. 
 
 " I hope you will do well," had been the last words 
 of the merchant, and Daisy had added, " So do we 
 all, I am sure." Roseleaf had not spoken. He had 
 stood a little apart from the others, his mind filled 
 with varying emotions. It was he who had furnished 
 the money to carry out this plan, and if it made one 
 hour of Daisy's life happier he would be content. 
 
 Within an hour it was evident that a cloud had 
 been lifted from the entire household. Everybody 
 felt brighter and better. Roseleaf eyed Mr. Fern 
 with surprise, and had half a mind to go to his office 
 the next day and tell him how dearly he loved his 
 daughter. It was the first time anything like a 
 smile had been upon that face since he had known 
 its lineaments. 
 
 Archie Weil devoted his attention, as usual, to 
 Millicent. He did not talk to her about Hannibal, 
 knowing how distasteful was the subject. He dis- 
 cussed her novel, of which she never seemed to tire, 
 and asked her about another, which she had begun 
 to map out. She told him she was sure she could do 
 better the next time, and spoke of the assistance Mr- 
 Roseleaf would furnish if needed, quite as if that was
 
 THE GREEN-EYED MONSTEB. 179 
 
 a matter already arranged between her and the 
 young novelist. 
 
 Archie wondered if Millicent knew the extent of 
 the attachment that had grown up between Shirley 
 and her sister. She seemed to feel sure that he 
 would be at hand when wanted. Could it be that 
 she believed he would ultimately become her broth- 
 er-in-law ? The negro's guess had almost been 
 blotted out of his mind. There had been absolutely 
 nothing in his observation to confirm it. 
 
 A day or two after the departure of Hannibal, 
 Mr. Fern had a conversation with Daisy, in which 
 he dwelt with more stress than she could account 
 for on a special theme. He was talking of Walter 
 Boggs and Archie Weil, and he cautioned her earn- 
 estly to treat both gentlemen with the greatest con- 
 sideration. The girl detected something strange in 
 his voice, and she stole apprehensive glances at him, 
 hoping to read the cause in his eyes. 
 
 " Why, papa, I never see Mr. Boggs," she said. 
 " It is weeks and weeks since he came here. As for 
 Mr. Weil, we all treat him nicely, I am sure, and are 
 glad to have him come." 
 
 "Yes," he admitted. "You use him quite right, 
 my child. I am not complaining ; only, if you could 
 show him particular attention, something more than 
 the ordinary " He paused, trying to finish what he 
 wished to say. "There may be a time when he will 
 be of great value to me and I want him to feel 
 you observe things so cleverly do you think Milli- 
 cent cares for him ?" 
 
 Daisy looked up astonished.
 
 180 A BLACK ADOWI8. 
 
 Cares forMr. Weil T 
 
 Her father nodded. 
 
 " He has been here several times a week for months, 
 and most of his time here has been spent with her. 
 I thought I hoped that she cared for him." 
 
 He thought ! He hoped ! Daisy had never had such 
 an idea in her head until that moment. She had a 
 dim idea that her father would give up either of his 
 daughters with great regret, although she could not 
 help knowing that the relations between him and 
 Millicent were not as cordial as those between him 
 and herself. And he " hoped " that Millie would 
 marry, and that she would marry Mr. Weil ! Her 
 mind dwelt upon this strange thought. She tried to 
 find a reason for it. Was there any stronger incen- 
 tive in her father's mind than a desire to see Millie 
 well settled in life, with a good husband ? 
 
 Had he a fear that the time might soon come 
 when he could not provide for her ? 
 
 Or was there a worse fear the kind of fear that 
 had haunted him in relation to Hannibal ? 
 
 Every time Mr. Weil came to the house after that 
 the young girl watched him as closely as he had ever 
 watched her. He did not exchange a word with her 
 father that did not engage her attention. And the 
 conclusion she came to was that, whatever the 
 object of Mr. Frn in this matter, Mr. Weil was 
 honor itself. 
 
 Daisy had never made much of a confidant of 
 Millicent, and the latter had the habit of keeping her 
 affairs pretty closely to herself. It was no easy task, 
 then, that the young sister had in view when she
 
 THX OBBEN-ETKD MON8TES. 181 
 
 came to a decision to talk with Millie about Mr. 
 Weil. 
 
 Her father had expressed a hope that Millie and 
 Weil would marry. Mr. Fern had some strong 
 reason for his wish. Whatever it was, Daisy, witli 
 her strong filial love, wanted it gratified. 
 
 " Millie, what do you think of marriage ?" she 
 asked, one day, when the opportunity presented 
 itself. 
 
 " I suppose it's the manifest destiny of a woman," 
 replied her sister, quietly. 
 
 Much encouraged, Daisy proceeded to allude to 
 Mr. Weil, praising him in the highest terms, and 
 saying that any girl might be proud to be honored 
 with his addresses. Millie answered with confirma- 
 tory nods of the head, as if she fully agreed with all 
 she uttered. But when her sister spoke, the words 
 struck Daisy like a blow. 
 
 " I am glad to hear this," she said, in a voice more 
 tender than usual. " I think Mr. Weil would have 
 proposed to you long ago, but that he feared the 
 result." 
 
 Daisy gasped for breath. 
 
 " Millie r" she cried. " Do you mean that Mr. 
 Weil that why, I do not understand ! He has 
 hardly spoken to me, while he has spent nearly every 
 minute he has been here, with you !" 
 
 " Of course he lias," responded the other. "What 
 could be more like a case of true love? If ever a 
 man lost his head over a woman he has lost his over 
 you, Daisy, And, at any rate, you must know that
 
 18* A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 / care nothing for him. You certainly could see 
 where my affections were engaged." 
 
 Daisy pressed her hand dreamily to her forehead. 
 She had never known her sister to show the least 
 partiality to any other man. 
 
 " I understand you less than ever," she faltered. 
 
 " Are you so blind ?" exclaimed Millicent, with 
 superior wisdom. " Did you think Mr. Roseleaf had 
 been so closely engaged all this time in my literary 
 work without learning to care for me ? I presume 
 you will think I ought to blush, but that is not my 
 way. The strangest thing is that I should have to 
 explain what I thought every one knew." 
 
 Poor little Daisy ! She was so crushed by these 
 statements that she did not know what reply to 
 make, which way to turn for consolation. 
 
 " He has told you that he loves you ?" she man- 
 aged to articulate. 
 
 " He has shown it, at least," was the answer. <l He 
 had not been here a week before he tried to put his 
 arms around me. I had to let him hold my hand to 
 avoid an absolute quarrel. He is not an ordinary 
 man, Daisy, and does not act like others, but we 
 understand each other. He is waiting for some- 
 thing better in his business prospects, and as I am 
 so busy on my new book I am glad to be left to 
 myself for the present." 
 
 It was the old story. Daisy could not doubt her 
 sister's version of her relations with Mr. Roseleaf. 
 When he called the next time there was a red spot 
 in both her cheeks. He told her with happy eyes 
 that he had at last secured something which made it
 
 THE GREEN-EYED MO.NSTBB. 186 
 
 possible to speak to her father. He had been offered 
 a position on the Pacific Quarterly, at a good salary, 
 and another periodical had engaged him to write a 
 series of articles. 
 
 " They tell me I hare no imagination," he ex- 
 plained, " but that I do very good work on anything 
 that contains matters of fact. I have some money 
 of my own, but I did not want to tell your father I 
 was an idle fellow, without brains enough to make 
 myself useful in the world. The novel on which I 
 base such great hopes might not seem to him worth 
 considering seriously, you know. So I can go with a 
 better account of myself, and I am going this very 
 week." 
 
 The bright light that shone from the face at which 
 she looked made her waver for a moment, but she 
 found strength to answer that he must not speak to 
 Mr. Fern about her now, or at any other time. She 
 did not want to marry, or to be engaged. She 
 wanted to live with her father, and take care of him, 
 and she wanted nothing else. 
 
 "Millie will marry," she added, as a parting 
 thrust, meant to be very direct and bitter. " One of 
 us ought to stay with papa." 
 
 For a while he was too overwhelmed by her 
 changed attitude to make a sensible reply. When 
 it dawned on him that she meant what she said, he 
 appealed to her to take it back. He could not bear 
 the thought of giving her up, or even of waiting 
 much longer for the fulfillment of his hopes. He 
 spoke in the most passionate tone, and his whole be- 
 ing seemed wrought up by his earnestness. The
 
 184 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 girl was constantly thinking, however, that this was 
 the same way he had addressed Millicent, and that 
 there was no trust to be placed in him. 
 
 " Calm yourself," she said, when he grew violent. 
 " I have tried to be honest with you. I have thought 
 of this matter a great deal. You will admit that it 
 is of some importance to me." 
 
 " To you !" he echoed. " Yes, and to me ! I do 
 not care whether I live or die, if I am to lose you!" 
 
 She wanted to ask him if he had told Millie the 
 same thing, but she could not without making an ex- 
 planation she did not like to give. 
 
 " There are others," was all she said. "Others, 
 who will make you happier, and be better fitted for 
 you in your career as a writer." 
 
 He never thought her allusion had reference to 
 any particular person, and he answered that there 
 was no one, there never could be any one, for him, 
 but her. He had never loved before, he never should 
 love again. And she listened, thinking what a ca- 
 pacity for falsehood and tragic acting he had de- 
 veloped. 
 
 After two hours of this most disagreeable scene, 
 Roseleaf left the house, moody and despondent. It 
 would have taken little at that moment to make 
 him throw himself into the bosom of the Hudson, or 
 send a bullet through his brain. 
 
 On the way to the station he met Mr. Weil, who 
 could not help asking what was the matter. 
 
 "Oh, it's all up !" he answered. a She; has refused 
 me, and I am going to the devil as quick as I can."
 
 THE GREEN-EYED MONSTEK, 185 
 
 " What are you talking about ?" exclaimed the 
 Other, staring at him. " You don't mean Daisy !" 
 
 "That's just what I mean. I went there to tell 
 her of my good luck, and to say I was going to ask 
 her father's consent ; and she met me as cold as an 
 iceberg, and said she had decided not to marry. So 
 I'm going back to town without a single reason left 
 for living." 
 
 Mr. Weil stood silent and nonplussed for a few 
 seconds. Then a bright idea came into his head. 
 
 "Look here, Mr. Impetuousness," said he. "I 
 know this can be arranged, and I'm going to see 
 that it's done. My God, the same thing happens 
 in half the love affairs the universe over ! Give me 
 a few days to straighten it out. Co home and go 
 to work, and I'll fix this, I promise you." 
 
 It took some time to persuade Roseleaf to follow 
 this advice, but he yielded at last. Weil pleaded 
 his warm friendship, begged the young man to do 
 what he asked if only to please him, and finally suc- 
 ceeded. A few minutes later Archie had secured an 
 audience with Daisy. 
 
 Too shrewd to risk the danger of plunging directly 
 into the subject lie had in mind, Mr. Weil talked on 
 almost everything else. It happened that Millicent 
 was away, which enabled him to devote his attention 
 to the younger sister without appearing unduly to 
 seek her. But Daisy, only half listening to what he 
 said, was pondering the strange revelation her sister 
 had made, and thinking at each moment that a dec- 
 laration of love might be forthcoming. 
 
 She remembered her father's injunction to treat
 
 186 A m,A01E ADOWIS. 
 
 this man with particular courtesy, and was in a 
 quandary what to do in case he came to the crucial 
 point. But to her surprise, instead of pressing his 
 own suit, Mr. Weil began to support in a mild man- 
 ner the cause of Mr. Roseleaf. 
 
 " I met Shirley leaving here," he said, in a sober 
 tone, " and he was in a dreadful state. You didn't 
 say anything cross to him, I hope." 
 
 With these words there seemed to come to Daisy 
 a new revelation of the true character of this man. 
 Loving her himself, he was yet loyal to his friend, 
 who he believed had a prior claim. As this thought 
 took root it raised and glorified its object, until 
 admiration became paramount to all other feelings. 
 
 " Why should I be cross to him ?" she asked, 
 evading the point. " There are no relations be- 
 tween us that would justify me in acting as his 
 monitor or mentor." 
 
 Mr. Weil shook his head. 
 
 " He loves you," he said. " You cannot afford, 
 my child, to trifle with a heart as noble as his." 
 
 The expression, "my child," touched the girl 
 deeply. It had a protective sound, mingled with a 
 tinge of personal affection. 
 
 "I hope you do not think I would trifle with the 
 feelings of any person," she said. " Still, I cannot 
 marry every man who may happen to ask me. You 
 know so much about this matter that I feel justified 
 in saying this ; and I earnestly beg that you will ask 
 no more." 
 
 But this Mr. Wefl said gently he could not prom- 
 itt. Ht said further that Roseleaf was one of hit
 
 dearest friends, and that he could not without emo- 
 tion see him in such distress as he had recently 
 witnessed. 
 
 " You don't know how fond I am of that boy," he 
 added. " I would do anything in my power to 
 make him happy. He loves you. He will make 
 you a good husband. You must give me some mes- 
 sage that will console him." 
 
 He could not get it, try as he might ; and he said, 
 with a forced smile, that he should renew the attack 
 at an early date, for the cause was a righteous one, 
 that he could not give over unsatisfied. He took her 
 arm and strolled up and down the veranda, in such 
 a way that any visitor might have taken them to be 
 lovers, if not already married. She liked him better 
 and better. The touch of his sleeve was pleasant. 
 His low tones soothed the ache in her bosom, severe 
 enough, God knows ! When her father came from 
 the city he smiled brightly to see them together, and 
 after hearing that Millicent was away, came to the 
 dinner table with the gayest air he had worn for 
 months. 
 
 Another week passed, during which Mr. Weil 
 went nearly every day to Midlands, and communi- 
 cated to Roseleaf on each return the result of his 
 labors, coloring them with the roseate hues of hope, 
 though there was little that could legitimately be 
 drawn from the words or actions of Miss Daisy. 
 The critic for Cutt & Slashem had also been given 
 more than an inkling of the state of affairs, and had 
 perused with delight the chapters last written on the 
 famous romance. He saw that the next experience
 
 needed by the author was a severe attack of jeal. 
 ousy, and as there was no one else to play the part 
 of lago he himself undertook the r6le. 
 
 "Archie Weil is pretty popular with the Fern 
 family, isn't he?" was the way he began, when he 
 called on Roseleaf. " I met the old gentleman the 
 other day and he seemed absolutely 'gone on ' him, 
 as the saying is. They tell me he's out at Midlands 
 every day. Got his eye on the younger daughter, 
 too, they intimate." 
 
 It takes but little to unnerve a mind already 
 driven to the verge of distraction. The next time that 
 Weil saw Roseleaf, the latter received him with a 
 coolness that could not be ignored. When he 
 pressed for a reason, the young man broke out into 
 invective. 
 
 "Don't pretend !" he cried. "You've heard of 
 the case of John Alden. What's been worked once 
 may go again. I'm not entirely blind." 
 
 Mr. Weil, with pained eyes, begged his friend to 
 explain. 
 
 " Tell me this," shouted Roseleaf. " Do you love 
 that girl, yourself?" 
 
 Unprepared for the quest : on, Archie shrank as 
 from a flash of lightning, and could not reply. 
 
 " I know you do /" came the next sentence, sharply. 
 " And I know that it is owing to the inroads you 
 have made not only with her but with her father 
 that I have been pushed out. Well, go ahead. I've no 
 objection. Only don't come here every day, with 
 your cock and bull stories of pleading my cause, for 
 I've had enough of them !"
 
 THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER. 189 
 
 Tht novelist turned aside, and Mr. Weil, too hurt 
 to say a word, arose and silently left the room. His 
 brain whirled so that he was actually giddy. Not 
 knowing where else to turn he went to see Mr. Goug- 
 er, to whom he unbosomed the result of his call. 
 
 " Don't be too serious about it," said Gouger, 
 soothingly. "It's a good thing for the lad to get 
 his sluggish blood stirred a little. In a day or two 
 he'll be all right. That novel of his is coming on 
 grandly !" 
 
 Weil was in no mood to talk about novels, and 
 finding that he could get no consolation of the kind 
 he craved, he soon left the office. The critic laughed 
 silently to himself at the idea of the biter having at 
 last been bitten, and then took his way to Roseleaf's 
 rooms. 
 
 No answer being returned to his knock, he opened 
 the door and entered. At first he thought the place 
 was vacant, but presently he espied a still form on 
 the bed. The novelist was stretched out in an 
 attitude which at first suggested death rather than 
 sleep, and alarmed the visitor not a little. Investi- 
 gation, however, showed that he was simply in a 
 tired sleep, worn out with worry and restless nights. 
 
 "What a beauty !" whispered Gouger. "A very 
 dramatic scene could be worked up if that sweet- 
 heart of his were brought here and made to stand 
 beside the couch when he awakes. Yes, it would be 
 grand, but it would need his own pen to trace the 
 words !" 
 
 The hardly dry pages of the great manuscript that 
 lay on an adjacent desk caught the eyes of the critic
 
 190 A BLACK ADO9I8. 
 
 and he sat down to scan them closer. As he turned 
 fhe leaves he grew so delighted as to become almost 
 uncontrollable. 
 
 " He's a genius, nothing less !" he said, raptur* 
 ously, and then tiptoed softly from the chamber. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 H I'VE HAD SUCH LUCK !" 
 
 One day Mr. Fern came home in a state of great 
 excitement. He had not acted naturally for a long 
 time and Daisy, who met him at the door, wondered 
 what could be the cause of his strange manner. He 
 caught his daughter in his arms and kissed her like 
 a lover. Tears came to his eyes, but they were tears 
 of joy. He laughed hysterically as he wiped them 
 away and told her not to mind him, for he was the 
 happiest man in New York. 
 
 " I've had such luck !" he exclaimed, when she 
 stared at him. " Oh, Daisy, I've had such grand 
 luck !" 
 
 She led him to a seat on a sofa and waited for him 
 to tell her more. 
 
 " You can't imagine the relief I feel," he continued, 
 when he had caught sufficient breath. " I've had 
 an awful time in business for years, but to-day every- 
 thing is all cleared up. The house over our heads 
 was mortgaged ; the notes I owed Boggs were al-
 
 "I'VE HAD SUCH MJOK!" Itl 
 
 Most due ; I had given out paper that I could sec no 
 way of meeting. And now it is all provided for, I 
 am out of financial danger, and I have enough to 
 quit business and live in ease and comfort with my 
 family the rest of my days !" 
 
 Daisy could only look her surprise. She could 
 not understand such a transformation. But she 
 loved her father dearly, and seeing that he was 
 happy made her happy, too ; though she had had 
 her own sorrows of late. 
 
 " Tell me about it, father," she said, putting an 
 arm around his neck. 
 
 *' You couldn't understand, no matter how much I 
 tried to make it clear," he answered, excitedly. 
 " There was a combination that meant ruin or suc- 
 cess, depending on the cast of a die, as one might 
 say. Wool has been in a bad way. Congress had 
 the tariff bill before it. If higher protection was 
 put on, the stocks in the American market would 
 rise. If the tariff rate was lowered they would fall. 
 I took the right side. I bought an immense quan- 
 tity of options. The bill passed to-day and the 
 President signed it. Wool went up, and I am richer 
 by two hundred and fifty thousand dollars than I 
 was yesterday !" 
 
 For answer the girl kissed him affectionately, and 
 for a few moments neither of them spoke. 
 
 " I don't wonder you say I can't understand busi- 
 ness," said Daisy, presently. " It would puzzle 
 most feminine brains, I think, to know how a man 
 could purchase quantities of wool when he had noth- 
 ing to buy with."
 
 199 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 The father drew himself suddenly away from her, 
 and gazed in a sort of alarm into her wide-opened 
 eyes. 
 
 " That is a secret," he said, hoarsely. " It is one 
 of the things business men do not talk about. When 
 stocks are rising it is easy to buy a great deal, if one 
 only has something to give him a start." 
 
 "And you had something ?" asked Daisy, trying to 
 utter the words that she thought would please him 
 best. 
 
 "Yes, yes !" he answered, hurriedly. "I had 
 something ! And to-morrow I shall free myself of 
 Boggs, and of of all my troubles. I shall pay the 
 mortgage on the house, and we can have anything 
 we want. Ah ! What a relief it is ! What a 
 relief !" 
 
 He panted like a man who had run a race with 
 wolves and had just time to close the door before 
 they caught him. 
 
 "May I tell Millie? asked the girl. "She has 
 worried about the house, fearing it would be sold." 
 
 He shook his head as if the subject was disagree- 
 able. 
 
 " She will find it out," he said. " There is no 
 need of haste. And at any rate I don't want you to 
 give her any particulars. I don't want her to know 
 how successful I have been. You can say that I 
 have made money enough to free the home. Don't 
 tell any more than that to any one. It it is not a 
 public matter. I was so full of happiness that I had 
 to tell you, but no one else is to know." 
 
 Daisy promised, though she asked almost taunt-
 
 "i'v HAD IUOH LUOK!" 193 
 
 diately if the prohibition extended to Mr. Weil. He 
 was such a friend of the family, she said, he would 
 be very much gratified. 
 
 She had reached thus far in her innocent sugges- 
 tion, when she happened to glance at her father's 
 face. He was deathly pale. His body was limp and 
 his chin sunken to his breast. 
 
 " Father !" she exclaimed. And then, seized with 
 a nameless fear, was about to summon other help, 
 when he opened his eyes slowly and touched her 
 hand with his. 
 
 "You are ill! Shall I call the servants?" she 
 asked, anxiously. 
 
 He intimated that she should not, and presently 
 rallied enough to say he was better, and required 
 nothing. 
 
 "What were we speaking of?" he asked, in a 
 strained voice. 
 
 " We were talking of your grand fortune, and I 
 asked if I might not tell Mr. " 
 
 He stopped her with a movement, and another 
 spasm crossed his face. 
 
 "You will make no exception, he whispered. 
 " None whatever. My affairs will interest no one 
 else. If you are interrogated, you must know noth- 
 ing. Nothing," he added, impressively, " nothing 
 whatever !" 
 
 Mr. Fern's recovery was almost as quick as his 
 attack, although he did not resume the gaiety of man- 
 ner with which he had opened the subject. After 
 dinner he talked with Daisy, declaring over and over 
 that she had been on short allowance long enough,
 
 194: A. BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 and asserting that she must be positively in a state 
 of want. She answered laughingly that she needed 
 very little, and then suddenly bethought herself of 
 something and grew sober. 
 
 " Do you feel rich enough to let me exercise a 
 little generosity for others ?" she inquired. 
 
 He replied with alacrity that she could do exactly 
 as she pleased with whatever sum he gave her, and 
 that the amount should be for her to name. 
 
 " You don't know how big it will be," she replied, 
 timidly. 
 
 " I'll risk that. Out with it," he said, smiling. 
 
 " Supposing," she said, slowly, "that I should ask 
 for a thousand dollars ?" 
 
 " You would get it," he laughed. " In fact I was 
 going to propose that you accept several thousand, 
 and have it put in the bank in your name, so you 
 would be quite an independent young woman. You 
 must have your own checkbook and get used to 
 keeping accounts. I will bring you a certificate of 
 deposit for three thousand dollars, and each six 
 months afterwards I will put a thousand more to 
 your credit, out of which you can take your pin 
 money." 
 
 It seemed too good to be true, and the girl's face 
 brightened until it shone with a light that the father 
 thought the most beautiful on earth. Now she could 
 return the thousand dollars she had borrowed of 
 Mr. Roseleaf, a sum that had given her much uneasi- 
 ness since she broke off her intimate relations with the 
 young novelist. More than this, she would have suf- 
 ficent on hand to send the future amounts that Han<
 
 tt l'VE HAD SUCH LUCK T 195 
 
 nibal would need to keep him abroad. It was such 
 a strange and delightful thing to see smiles on her 
 father's face that she did not want anything to dis- 
 turb them. She was quite as happy as Mr. Fern, now 
 that this cloud had been lifted from her mind. 
 
 The next day was a bright one for the wool mer- 
 chant. By noon he had sent for Walker Boggs and 
 astonished that gentleman by handing him a check 
 in full for the entire amount of his indebtedness. In 
 answer to a question he merely said he had been on 
 the right side of the market. Mr. Fern also settled 
 with his mortgage creditor, and went home at night 
 happy that his head would again lie under a roof 
 actually as well as in name his own. Notes which he 
 had given came back to him soon after, and he 
 burned them with a glee that was almost saturnine. 
 Burned them, after looking at their faces and backs, 
 after scanning the endorsements ; burned them with 
 his office door locked, using the flame of a gas-jet for 
 the purpose. 
 
 The ashes lay on the floor, when a knock was 
 heard and Archie Weil's voice answered to the 
 resultant question. Mr. Fern lost color at the 
 familiar sound, but he mustered courage. 
 
 " I've come to congratulate you," said Archie, 
 warmly. "They say you have made a mint of 
 money out of the rise in wool." 
 
 " Who says so ?" asked Mr. Fern, warily. 
 
 " Everybody. Don't tell me it's not true." 
 
 "I've done pretty well," was the evasive reply. 
 " And I'm going out of business, too. It seems a 
 good time to quit."
 
 1M A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 Mr. Weil made a suitable answer to this statement 
 and the two men talked together for some time. 
 After awhile the conversation took a wider turn. 
 
 "Where's your young friend, Roseleaf?' asked 
 Mr. Fern, to whom the matter did not seem to have 
 occurred before. " I don't believe I have seen him 
 at Midlands for a month." 
 
 " No, he doesn't come," replied Archie, growing 
 darker. " If you wish a particular reason, you will 
 have to ask it of your daughter." 
 
 Mr. Fern looked as if he did not understand. 
 
 " He became very fond of her," explained Archie, 
 "and for some reason, he does not know what, she 
 has evinced a sudden dislike to him." 
 
 Mr. Fern looked still more astonished. 
 
 " Millie is a strange girl," he ventured to remark. 
 " But I supposed I was almost sure, her affections 
 were engaged elsewhere ; and, really, I thought he 
 knew it." 
 
 Mr. Weil stared now, for it was evident his com- 
 panion was far from the right road. He was also 
 interested to hear that Miss Fern had anything like 
 a love affair in mind, for he had supposed such a 
 thing quite impossible. 
 
 " I was not speaking of Miss Millicent, but of Miss 
 Daisy," he said. 
 
 The wool merchant rose from his chair in the ex- 
 tremity of his astonishment. 
 
 " You meant that that Mr. Roseleaf was in love 
 with Daisy!" he said. "And that she seemed to 
 reciprocate his attachment ?" 
 
 " I did. And also that a few weeks ago she asked
 
 I'VE HJO) SUCH LUCK!" 197 
 
 him to cease his visits, giving no explanation of the 
 cause of her altered demeanor. . He is a most ex- 
 cellent young gentleman," continued Weil, "and 
 one for whom I entertain a sincere affection. Her 
 conduct is a great blow to him, especially as he does 
 not know what he has done to deserve it. I trust 
 the estrangement will not be permanent, as they are 
 eminently suited to each other." 
 
 The face of Mr. Fern was a study as he heard this 
 explanation. 
 
 " If he was an honorable man, why did he not 
 come to me?" he asked, pointedly. 
 
 " He was constantly seeking Miss Daisy's per- 
 mission to do so," replied Archie. " Which she 
 never seemed quite willing to give him." 
 
 "She is too young to think of marriage," mused 
 Mr. Fern, after a long pause. 
 
 " He is willing to wait ; but her present attitude, 
 giving him no hope whatever, has thrown him into 
 the deepest dejection." 
 
 From this Mr. Weil proceeded to tell Mr. Fern all 
 he knew about Roseleaf. He said the young man 
 was at present engaged on literary work that 
 promised to yield him good returns. He had a 
 small fortune of his own beside. Everything that 
 could be thought of in his favor was dilated upon to 
 the fullest extent. 
 
 " I don't believe I can spare my ' baby,' " said Mr. 
 Fern, kindly, " for any man. You plead with much 
 force, Mr. Weil, for your friend. How is it thatytu 
 have never married. Are you blind to the charms 
 of the sex ?"
 
 196 A BLACK AJ30NI8. 
 
 For an instant Archie was at loss how to reply. 
 
 " On the contrary," he said, at last, " I appreciate 
 them fully. I have had my heart's affair, too ; but," 
 he paused a long time, " she loved another, and there 
 was but one woman for me. Perhaps this leads me 
 to sympathize all the more with my unfortunate 
 young friend." 
 
 Mr. Fern said he would have a talk with Daisy, and 
 learn what he could without bringing in the name of 
 his informant. 
 
 "We fathers are always the last to see these 
 things," he added. " It would be terrible to give her 
 up, but I want her to be happy." 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 A BURGLAR IN THE HOUSE. 
 
 Millicent Fern lay wide awake a few nights later, 
 at Midlands, when the clock struck two. She was 
 thinking of her second novel, now nearly ready for 
 Mr. Roseleaf's hand. There was a hitch in the plot 
 that she could best unravel in the silence. As she 
 lay there she heard a slight noise, as of some one 
 moving about. At first she paid little attention to 
 it, but later she grew curious, for she had never known 
 the least motion in that house after its occupants 
 were once abed. She thought of each of them in 
 succession, and decided that the matter ought to be 
 investigated.
 
 A BURGLAR IN THE HOUSE. 10$ 
 
 Millicent had no fear. If there was a burglar 
 present, she wanted to know. She arose, therefore, 
 and slipped on a dress and slippers. Guided only 
 by the uncertain light that came in at the windows, 
 she tiptoed across the hall, and in the direction in 
 which she had heard the noise. She soon located 
 it as being on the lower floor where there were no 
 bedrooms, and a thrill of excitement passed over her. 
 She crept as silently as possible down the back 
 stairs, and toward the sound, which she was now 
 sure was in the library. 
 
 What was the sound ? It was the rustling of 
 papers. It might be made by a mouse, but Milli- 
 cent was not even afraid of mice. She was afraid of 
 nothing, so far as she knew. If there was a robber 
 there, he would certainly run when discovered. At 
 the worst she could give a loud outcry, and the serv- 
 ants would come. 
 
 She tiptoed along the lower hall. A man sat at 
 her father's desk, examining his private papers so 
 carefully, that he seemed wholly lost in the occupa- 
 tion. 
 
 The room was quite light. In fact, the gas was 
 lit, and the intruder was taking his utmost ease. 
 His face was half turned toward the girl, and she 
 recognized him without difficulty. 
 
 It was Hannibal ! 
 
 Hannibal, whom she supposed at that moment in 
 France ! 
 
 Without pausing to form any plan, Millicent 
 stepped into the presence of the negro. 
 
 " Thief," she said, sharply, " what do you want ?"
 
 200 A BLACK ADOWIS. 
 
 They had hated each other cordially for a long 
 time, and neither had changed their opinion in the 
 slightest degree. Hannibal looked up quietly at the 
 figure in the doorway. 
 
 *' I have a good mind to tell you," he said, smil- 
 ing. 
 
 " You will have to tell me, and give a pretty good 
 reason, too, if you mean to keep out of the hands of 
 the police," she retorted. " Come !" 
 
 He laughed silently, resting his head on his hands, 
 his elbows on the desk. MiKicent's hair hung in a 
 loose coil, her shoulders were but imperfectly cov- 
 ered by her half buttoned gown, the feet that filled 
 her slippers had no hosiery on them. She was as 
 fair a sight as one might find in a year. 
 
 " Do you remember the time I saw you in this guise 
 before ?" he asked, in a low voice. 
 
 A convulsion seized the girl's countenance. She 
 looked as if she would willingly have killed him, had 
 she a weapon in her hand. But she could not speak 
 at first. 
 
 " It was you who sought me then," said the 
 negro. "And because I bade you go back to your 
 chamber, you never forgave me. Have you for- 
 gotten ?" 
 
 Gasping for breath, like one severely wounded, 
 Millicent roused herself. 
 
 "Will you go," she demanded, hotly, " or shall I 
 summon help ?" 
 
 " Neither," replied Hannibal. " If you inform 
 any person that I am here, I will tell the story I 
 hinted at just now. Besides, I would only have to
 
 A BUKOLAB IN THB HOUSE. SOI 
 
 wait until your father came down, when ne would 
 order them to release me, and say I came here by his 
 request." 
 
 Millicent chafed horribly at his coolness. 
 
 " Came here by my father's request !" she echoed. 
 u In the middle of the night ! A likely story. Do 
 you think any one would believe it ?" 
 
 "I do not think they would. It would not even 
 be true. But he would say it was, if I told him to, 
 and that would answer. Don't you know by this 
 time that I have Wilton Fern in a vise ?" 
 
 Yes, she did know it. Everything had pointed in 
 that direction. MiHicent could not dispute the 
 insinuation. 
 
 " What has he done, in God's name, that makes 
 him the slave of such a thing as you ?" she cried. 
 
 "I will answer that question by asking another," 
 said the negro, after a pause. " Do you know that 
 Shirley Roseleaf hopes to wed your sister ?" 
 
 The shot struck home. With pale lips Millicent 
 found herself trembling before this fellow. 
 
 "You love him," pursued the man, relentlessly. 
 "You do not need to affirm or deny this, for I know. 
 He loves Daisy, and unless prevented, will marry 
 her. I hold a secret over your father's head which 
 can send him to the State prison for twenty years. 
 If I confide it to you, will you swear to let no one but 
 him know until I give you leave ?" 
 
 The girl bowed quickly. She could hardly bear 
 the strain of delay. 
 
 " Then listen," said the negro. " To save himself 
 in business he has committed numerous forgeries*
 
 209 A BLACK 
 
 upon the names of two men. One of them is Walker 
 Boggs and the other Archie Weil. Very recently he 
 has been successful in his speculations, and has called 
 in many notes with these forged endorsements. But 
 the proofs of his crimes are ample, and I possess 
 them. If he ever proposes to let Roseleaf marry 
 Daisy, hint to him of what you know, and he will 
 obey your will. I shall be in the city. Here is my 
 address. If you need me I am at your service. 
 Understand, I shall not harm your father unless he 
 makes it necessary. I only mean to use the fear of 
 what might await him, and you can do the same. It 
 is time. I was going. I have found all I want here, 
 though I had enough before." 
 
 He handed Millicent a card on which was the 
 address he had mentioned, and she allowed herself to 
 take it from his hand. Then he started to pick up a 
 package of papers that lay where he had put them on 
 the table, when a third figure, to the consternation of 
 both, brushed Millicent aside, and stepped into the 
 room. It was the younger sister. 
 
 "Give that to me!" she demanded, imperiously, 
 reaching out her hand for the package. 
 
 The apparition was so unexpected that the previ- 
 ous occupants of the library stood for a few seconds 
 staring at it without moving a step. Daisy was 
 dressed in much the same manner as Millicent, but 
 she thought only of the danger that threatened one 
 she loved better than life her father. 
 
 "Give that to me!" she repeated, approaching 
 Hannibal closer.
 
 Without a word the negro, his head bowed, handed 
 it to her. 
 
 "And now," she said, in the same quick, sharp 
 tone, " the others !" 
 
 "They are not here," he answered, huskily. 
 
 " Where are they ?" 
 
 "At my lodgings in the city." 
 
 Instantly Daisy snatched the card from her sister's 
 hand. 
 
 "At this place?" she asked, hastily scanning the 
 writing. 
 
 "Yes," said Hannibal, in a voice that was scarcely 
 audible. 
 
 "I will be there this morning at ten o'clock. See 
 that they are ready." 
 
 The negro bowed, while his chest heaved rapidly. 
 
 " And now," said the girl, pointing to the door, 
 " go !" 
 
 He hesitated, as if he wanted to say more to her, 
 but recollecting that she would meet him so soon, lie 
 turned and obeyed her. At the threshold he only 
 paused to say, " You must come alone ; otherwise it 
 will be of no use." And she answered that she un- 
 derstood. 
 
 She followed some paces behind and closed the 
 door after him, pushing a bolt that she did not 
 remember had ever been used before. 
 
 Then she turned to encounter her sister ; but Mii- 
 licent had disappeared.
 
 304 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIIL 
 
 BLACK AND WHITE. 
 
 When Daisy reached her own room again, she felt as- 
 sured that no one but herself and Millicent knew what 
 had occurred. This was something. Had her father 
 awakened, she did not know what might have fol- 
 lowed. She had seen him too often, pale and dis- 
 traught, in the presence of his relentless enemy, not 
 to entertain the greatest thankfulness that he had 
 slept through this terrible experience. At any cost 
 it must be kept from him. She would beg, pray, en- 
 treat Millicent to seal her lips. And in the morning 
 she would go to the address Hannibal had given her 
 and obtain his proofs of her father's guilt, remov- 
 ing the frightful nightmare that had so long hung 
 over that dear head. 
 
 Would Hannibal surrender his documents ? He 
 had made a tacit promise to do so, and she had faith 
 that she could make him keep his word. She knew 
 the negro had a liking for her that was very strong. 
 
 She had made it possible for him to become a 
 man by giving him the money that took him to 
 France. Why had he returned so suddenly ? What 
 new fancy had caused him to give up his studies and 
 recross the sea to enter her doors at night, to 
 plunder still further secrets from her father's private 
 desk ? There were a thousand reasons for fear, but 
 the devoted daughter only thought of saving the one
 
 BLACK AND WHITE. 2305 
 
 she loved at all risks. She would dare anything in 
 his behalf. 
 
 And this father of hers that she had revered from 
 babyhood was a forger ! He had made himself 
 liable to a term of imprisonment in the common 
 jail ! He was a criminal, for whom the law would 
 stretch out its hand as soon as his guilt was re- 
 vealed ! His previous high standing in the com- 
 munity could not save him ; nor the love of his 
 children ; nor his new fortune won by such means 
 as this. Nothing could make his liberty secure but 
 the silencing of the witness to his fault, the negro 
 who had carefully possessed himself of certain facts 
 with which to ruin his benefactor. 
 
 What did Hannibal want ? Surely he had no re- 
 venge to gratify, as against her or her father ! They 
 had treated him with the greatest consideration. 
 Only once that day on the lawn had Daisy spoken 
 to him in a sharp tone, and then the provocation 
 was very great. Since then she had raised the money 
 that was to make a man of him. What did he 
 require now ? An increased bribe to keep him away ? 
 Well, she would get it for him. She would spend 
 one, two, three thousand dollars if necessary to 
 purchase his silence ; if it needed more she could 
 borrow of of Mr. Weil. 
 
 Yes, Mr. Weil was the friend to whom she would 
 turn in this emergency. He had lost nothing, 
 apparently, by the unwarranted use of his name. 
 The notes on which his endorsement had been forged 
 were all paid. When she met Hannibal she would 
 ascertain his price and then the rest would be easy.
 
 206 A SLACK 
 
 Her father need not even know the danger to which 
 he had been exposed. 
 
 In the morning she went to Millicent's room early, 
 in order to have a conversation with her undisturbed. 
 Millicent was sleeping soundly and was awakened 
 with some difficulty. 
 
 " I've only been unconscious a little whiie," she 
 said, in explanation. " I thought I never should 
 sleep again. Oh, what a disgrace ! My father a 
 forger ! Liable to go to prison with common 
 criminals, to wear the stripes of a convict ! It seems 
 as if my degradation could go no lower." 
 
 Reddening with surprise at the attitude of her 
 sister, Daisy answered that the thing to be thought 
 of now was how to save Mr. Fern from the conse- 
 quences of his errors. 
 
 " You're a strange girl," was Millicent's reply. 
 " You don't think of me at all ! Won't it be nice to 
 have people point after me in the street and say, 
 ' There goes one of the Fern girls, whose father is in 
 Sing Sing !' I never thought I should come to 
 this. There's no knowing how far it will follow me. 
 I doubt if any reputable man will marry me, when 
 the facts are known." 
 
 Thoroughly disgusted with her sister's selfishness, 
 Daisy cried out that the facts must not be known- 
 that they must be covered up and kept from the 
 world, and that she was going to bring this about. 
 She reminded Millicent of the evident suffering their 
 father had undergone for the past two years, changed 
 from a light-hearted man into the easily alarmed 
 mood they had known so well.
 
 BLACK AJTD Wmi'K. 207 
 
 " If he deserved punishment, God knows he has 
 had enough !" she added. " And there is another 
 thing you and I ought not to forget, Millie. What- 
 ever he did was in the hope of saving this home and 
 enough to live on, for us ! During the last week he 
 has had an improvement in business. He has paid 
 all of those people whose claims distressed him. 
 You have seen how much brighter it has made him. 
 Now, when he had a fair prospect of a few happy 
 days, comes this terrible danger. Surely you and I 
 will use our utmost endeavors to shield him from 
 harm. Even if he were the worst of sinners he is 
 still our father !" 
 
 But Millicent did not seem at all convinced. She 
 could only see that her reputation had been put in 
 jeopardy, and that a dreadful fear would constantly 
 hang over her on account of it. 
 
 "It is your fault, as much as his, too!" she ex- 
 claimed, angrily. " You both made as much of that 
 negro as if he were a prince in disguise. I've told 
 you a hundred times that he ought to be discharged. 
 I hope you'll admit I was right, at last." 
 
 There was little use in reminding her sister that 
 Hannibal had shown himself the possessor of some 
 information that endangered Mr. Fern before either 
 he or Daisy began to cultivate his good will ; for she 
 knew it well enough. What Daisy did say was 
 more to the point. 
 
 " Have you always hated him ?" she asked, 
 meaningly. " What did he mean last night by his 
 reference to a time when you taught him, en dis-
 
 JOS A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 Millicent sprang up in bed, with flashing eyes. 
 
 " He is a lying scoundrel !" she cried, vehemently. 
 " I never did anything of the kind, and I do not see 
 how you can stand there and repeat such a cal- 
 umny 1" 
 
 * The strange thing about it," replied Daisy, quietly, 
 " is that you did not dispute him. But then, you did 
 not know a third person was present. When I meet 
 him this morning I shall ask for further particu- 
 lars." 
 
 Millicent sprang from the bed and threw her- 
 self at her sister's feet. 
 
 "Would you drive me mad !" she exclaimed. "I 
 am distracted already with the troubles of this house, 
 and now you wish to hear the lying inventions of one 
 you know to be a blackmailer and a robber ! Don't 
 mention my name to him, I entreat you. He is cap- 
 able of any slander. You can't intend to listen to 
 tales about your sister from such a low, base thing !" 
 
 Having Millicent at her feet, Daisy was pleased to 
 relent a little. 
 
 " Very well," she said. " I will not let him tell 
 me anything about you. But I want you to prom- 
 ise in return that you will do all you can to protect 
 father from the slightest knowledge of what hap- 
 pened last night. I am afraid it would kill him. So 
 far he believes us ignorant of his troubles. If I can 
 make an arrangement to send Hannibal back to 
 France he will remain so. Be sure you do not 
 arouse his suspicions in any way, and we may come 
 out all right yet." 
 
 The promise was made, and, as nothing could be
 
 BLACK AND WHITE. 909 
 
 gained by prolonging the conversation, Daisy with- 
 drew. In the lower hall she met her father, and his 
 bright smile proved to her that he was still in bliss- 
 ful ignorance that any new cloud had crossed his 
 sky. Millicent did not appear at breakfast, for 
 which neither of the others were sorry. It enabled 
 Mr. Fern to talk over some of his plans with his 
 younger daughter. Among them was a possible 
 trip abroad, for he said he felt the need of a long 
 rest after his troubled business career. 
 
 The last suggestion opened a new hope for Daisy. 
 If worse came to worst, and there was no other way 
 to escape the jail, flight in a European steamer 
 could be resorted to. It would mean expatriation 
 for life, as far as he was concerned, but that would 
 be a thousand times better than a lingering death 
 inside of stone walls. He could raise a large sum 
 of ready money, and they would want for nothing. 
 Millie would not wish to go with them, probably. 
 She would stay and marry how the thought 
 choked Daisy marry Mr. Roseleaf ; unless indeed, 
 the young novelist did what she had foreshadowed, 
 repudiated the thought of allying himself with a 
 tainted name. 
 
 Roseleaf ! The bright, happy love she had given 
 him came back to the child like a wave of agony. 
 
 Making an excuse that she had shopping to do, 
 Daisy took the train to the city with her father, and 
 parted from him at a point where the downtown and 
 uptown street cars separated. Then she took a cab 
 and drove to the address given her. 
 
 It was not the finest quarter in the city, ana she
 
 210 JL BLACK 
 
 would have hesitated at any other time before tak- 
 ing such a risk as going there alone. At present she 
 thought of nothing but the object of her visit. In- 
 quiry at the door brought the information that the 
 lady was expected and that she was to go upstairs 
 and wait. The woman who let her in was a pleasant 
 faced mullatress, and several young children of 
 varying shades were playing on the stairs she had 
 to ascend. Daisy mounted to the room designated, 
 which proved to be a small parlor, with an alcove, 
 behind the curtains of which was presumably a 
 bed. 
 
 As the weather was quite warm, the girl went to 
 the front windows and opened them, in order to 
 admit the fresh air. Then she sat down and waited 
 impatiently. There was a scent in the room which 
 she associated with the Ethiopian race, a subtle 
 aroma that she found decidedly unpleasant. It 
 gave her an indefinable uneasiness, and she men- 
 tally remarked that she would be glad when the 
 ordeal was over. Her nerves were already begin- 
 ning to suffer. 
 
 After the lapse of fifteen minutes, Hannibal en- 
 tered. He had the look of one who had passed a 
 sleepless night, and despite the blackness of his 
 complexion, his cheeks seemed pale. 
 
 " Good-morning," said Daisy, rising. 
 
 " Good-morning," he replied. 
 
 And then there was a brief space of silence, each 
 waiting for the other. 
 
 "lam here, you see," said the girl, finally, with ft*
 
 BLACK AND WHITE. 
 
 211 
 
 attempt at a smile. " And now will you give me the 
 things I came for, as I cannot stay long?" 
 
 The negro tried to look at her, tried many times, 
 but failed. His eyes shifted uneasily to all the other 
 objects in the room, resting on none of them more 
 than a second at a time. 
 
 " You wonder," he said, after another pause, " why 
 I returned to America, why I came to your house 
 last night. I thought I could tell you this morn- 
 ing and I have been trying to prepare myself to do 
 so but I cannot. You blame me a great deal, that 
 is evident in every line of your face, but you do not 
 know what I have suffered. Were your father to go 
 to jail for the term the law prescribes, he would not 
 endure the agony that has been mine." 
 
 He looked every word he spoke and more. 
 
 " I am sorry, truly sorry for you," she replied. 
 " But why could you not leave all your troubles, 
 when you went to France, and begin an entirely new 
 life ? You found it true what I told you, I am sure, 
 about the lack of prejudice ron account of your- 
 race. " 
 
 He nodded and cleared his throat before he spoke 
 again. 
 
 " Oh, yes ; but it is not the prejudice there that 
 worries me. It is the prejudice here. It is the 
 barrier my color brings between me and the only 
 being whose regard I crave !" 
 
 The girl's cheeks grew rosier than ever, but she 
 affected not to understand, and once more reverted 
 to the errand that had brought her thither. 
 
 ** You promised me the documents with which my
 
 213 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 poor father has been tortured," she said, reproach- 
 fully ; "let us not talk of other things until you 
 have given them to me." 
 
 The negro drew from a pocket of his coat a fair- 
 sized package tied with a ribbon. 
 
 " They are all there," he said. " Every scrap, 
 every particle of proof, everything that could bring 
 the breath of suspicion upon your father's honesty. 
 All there, in that little envelope." 
 
 She reached for it, but instead of giving it to her, 
 Hannibal caught her hand, and before she dreamed 
 what he intended, pressed a kiss upon it. The next 
 moment the girl, with a look of outraged woman- 
 hood, was rubbing the spot with her handkerchief, as 
 if he had covered it with poison. 
 
 " You brute !" she exclaimed. " You you " 
 
 She could not find the word she wanted ; nothing 
 in the language she spoke seemed detestable enough 
 to fill the measure of her wrong. 
 
 " You see !" he answered, bitterly. " Because I 
 am black I cannot touch the hand of a woman that is 
 white. You have claimed to be without the hatred 
 of the African so ingrained among Americans ; you 
 have talked about the Almighty making of one 
 blood all the nations of the earth ; and yet you are 
 like the rest ! A viper's bite could not have aroused 
 deeper disgust in you than my lips. And all because 
 the sun shone more vertically on my ancestors than 
 it did on yours !" 
 
 Daisy was divided between her horror of the act 
 he had committed and her anxiety to do something 
 to free her father from his danger. She suppressed
 
 BLACK AJTD WHITE. 213 
 
 the hateful epithets that rose to her tongue and once 
 more entreated the negro to give her the packet he 
 
 held in his possession. 
 
 "You can do nothing with it but injure a man 
 who has been kind to you," she pleaded. " And if 
 you use the information you have, and afterwards 
 repent, it will be too late to remedy your error. Give 
 it to me, and return to France with the proud con- 
 sciousness that you are worthy the position you 
 wish to occupy." 
 
 Hannibal shook his head with decision. 
 
 " That would be very well if I ever could be con* 
 sidered a man by the one for whose opinion I care 
 most. But while I am to her a creature something 
 below the ape, a mere crawling viper whose touch 
 is pollution, I will act like the thing she thinks me. 
 To-day I possess the power to make a high-born 
 gentleman dance whenever I pull the string. You 
 ask me to give up this power, and in return you 
 offer nothing." 
 
 "One would suppose," remarked Daisy, strug- 
 gling with herself in this dilemma, " that the ability 
 to inflict pain was one a true nature would delight 
 to surrender. My father has done no harm to 
 you." 
 
 The negro bent toward her and spoke with vehe- 
 mence. 
 
 " But his daughter has ! She has made my life 
 wretched. Whatever position I may attain will 
 be worthless to me, without the love I had hoped 
 might be mine." 
 
 " Love r cried the girl, recoiling. " Love /*
 
 914 A. BLACK ADQITIB. 
 
 " Love and marriage," he replied. " In France we 
 could live without the hateful prejudices that prevail 
 in America. I have natural ability enough, you have 
 told me so a thousand times, and I could make my- 
 self worthy of you. As my wife " 
 
 Daisy rose and interrupted him fiercely. 
 
 " Cease !" she exclaimed. " There is a limit to 
 what I can endure. If you mean to make any prom- 
 ise of that kind a prelude to my father's freedom 
 from persecution, we may as well end this conversa- 
 tion now as later. He would rather rot in prison 
 than have his child sacrifice herself in such a man- 
 ner !" 
 
 She started toward the door, and he did not inter- 
 rupt her passage, as she half expected he would do ; 
 but he spoke again. 
 
 " All this because I am black," he said. 
 
 "Because you are a cruel, heartless wretch !" she 
 answered, her eyes flashing. " Because you have 
 abused the goodwill of a generous family ; because 
 you have tortured a kind old man and a loving daugh- 
 ter. If you were as white as any person on earth, I 
 would not marry you. Worse than all outward 
 semblance is a dark and vile mind. Do what you 
 like ! I defy you !" 
 
 The door opened and closed behind her. Han. 
 nibal heard her retreating footsteps grow fainter on 
 the stairs, and then there was silence. 
 
 " I might have known it," he said, aloud. " I did 
 know it, but I kept hoping against hope. She would 
 wed a Newfoundland dog sooner than me. Noth- 
 ing is left but to make her repent her aciioc. 1 will
 
 "PLAT OUT TOtTS FJLRCE." 215 
 
 bring that father of hers to the dust, if only to 
 revenge the long list of injuries his race has inflicted 
 on mine !" 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 " PLAY OUT YOUR FAROE.** 
 
 When Daisy left the house where she had the 
 interview with Hannibal, she walked for some 
 minutes aimlessly along the street. Her mind was 
 in a state of great excitement. She realized that she 
 had defied a man who could inflict the deepest injury 
 on the father she dearly loved. How she could have 
 done otherwise was not at all clear, but the terror 
 which hung over her was none the less keen. The 
 proposal of the negro to marry her filled her with a 
 nameless dread that made her teeth chatter, though 
 it was a warm day. Rather would she have cast her 
 body into the tides that wash the shores of Man- 
 hattan Island. Even to save her father from prison 
 if it came to that she could not make this sacri- 
 fice. She now felt for Hannibal a horrible detesta- 
 tion, a feeling akin to that she might entertain for a 
 rattlesnake. Whatever good she had seen in him in 
 other days had vanished under the revelations of his 
 true character 
 
 What to do next was the absorbing question. A 
 great danger hung over her father. A dim idea of 
 seeking the mayor or the chief of police and im-
 
 216 JL BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 ploring their mercy, entered her brain. Then she 
 thought of Roseleaf, whose aid she might have 
 secured, if he had not proved himself a double- 
 dealer, capable of making love to herself and Milli- 
 cent at the same time. And then came the resolve 
 to seek out Mr. Weil, the one person in all this 
 trouble that seemed clear of wrong. Her sister had 
 told her that he loved her. Well, if necessary she 
 would marry him. At least he was a man of honor, 
 and white. Yes, she would go to him and throw 
 herself upon his mercy. 
 
 Daisy knew that Archie made his headquarters at 
 the Hoffman House, and summoning a cab she asked 
 to be taken to that hotel. Ensconced in the ladies' 
 parlor she awaited the coming of the man she wanted 
 and yet dreaded so much to see. Luckily he was in 
 the house, and in a few moments responded in per- 
 son to her card. 
 
 "Why, Miss Daisy/' he stammered. "What is 
 the matter ? Nothing wrong, I trust. You look 
 quite pale. Is it anything about your father?" 
 
 The girl was pale indeed. Now that Mr. Weil 
 was so close, the danger that he might not be willing 
 to help her rose like a mountain in her path. She 
 did not know exactly how grave a matter forgery 
 was whether it was something that the injured 
 party would be able or likely to forgive. If she 
 should tell him everything, and he should refuse to 
 be placated what could she do then ? 
 
 There was no one else in the parlor, but seeing 
 that she wanted as much seclusion as possible, Mr. 
 Weil motioned the girl to follow him to a remote
 
 -PLAT OUT YOTTB FAROE." SIT 
 
 corner, where the curtains of a recessed window 
 partially concealed them. He felt that she had 
 come on a momentous errand. His suspicions con- 
 cerning Mr. Fern were apparently about to be veri- 
 fied, and if so, he did not mean that other ears should 
 hear the tale. 
 
 " Mr. Weil," began Daisy, tremblingly, " I don't 
 know what to say to you. I am in great distress. 
 Would you will you help me?" 
 
 He responded gently that he would do anything 
 in his power. He bade her calm herself, and prom- 
 ised to be the most attentive of listeners. 
 
 Reassured by his kind words and manner, the girl 
 began again ; but she could not tell her story con- 
 nectedly, and after making several attempts to do 
 so, she broke out in a new direction. 
 
 "I want so very much of you, dear Mr. Weil. And 
 I am nervous and afraid to ask what I would like. I 
 will give you anything you please in return. Yes, 
 yes, anything." 
 
 He smiled down upon her face, on which the tears 
 were making stains in spite of her. 
 
 "You are promising a great deal, little girl," he 
 said. 
 
 "I know it; I realize it fully," she responded 
 quickly. " But I mean all I say. I did not think I 
 could, once, but I am quite resolved now. Millie 
 told me you were in love with me, and feared I would 
 refuse you. But I won't. No, no, I will marry you 
 indeed I will if you will only save my darling 
 father !" 
 
 The concluding words were spoken in the midst of
 
 918 A BLAGS JLDOSTB. 
 
 a torrent of sobs that shook the girlish frame and 
 affected powerfully the strong man that witnessed 
 them. 
 
 " Daisy, dear child, don't speak like this," he ans- 
 wered. " If I can do anything for your father I will 
 most gladly, and the price of your sweet little heart 
 shall not be demanded in payment, either. Leave 
 that matter entirely out of the question, and tell me 
 at once what you desire." 
 
 She heard him with infinite delight, and wiping her 
 eyes she began, in broken tones, to relate the history 
 of Hannibal's revelations. As she proceeded his 
 brow darkened, and when she had finished he mut- 
 tered something that sounded very much like a 
 curse. 
 
 " And what do you wish of me ?" he asked, when 
 she had ended. 
 
 " To keep him from having my father put in prison ; 
 to give us time to escape, if there is no other way ; 
 and to forgive the harm to yourself. I know," she 
 added earnestly, " it is a great deal to ask, but I have 
 no one else to go to. He has paid every cent, and 
 you will lose nothing. Tell me, dear Mr. Weil, is 
 there anything you can do?" 
 
 He had the greatest struggle of his life to keep 
 from bending over that trembling mouth and press- 
 ing upon it the kiss he knew she would not refuse ; 
 that mouth he had coveted so long and which must 
 never be touched by his lips ! 
 
 "Can I do anything?" he repeated. "Certainly, 
 lean stop that fellow so quickly he won't know what 
 ails him. Hare no fear, Mis- Daisy. Go home and
 
 " PLAT OUT TOUJB AJBOB." $19 
 
 rest in peace. Before the sun sets I will remove the 
 last particle of danger from your father's path." 
 
 The girl sprang to her feet and would have thrown 
 her arms around his neck had he not prevented her. 
 
 " You are certain you can do this ?" she cried, 
 beaming with happy eyes upon him. 
 
 " There is not the least question of it. But I 
 must demand payment for my trouble. I shall not 
 do this work for nothing." 
 
 With a hot blush Daisy lowered her eyes to the 
 carpet. 
 
 " I have already told you what I will do," she said, 
 trembling. " If you accomplish what you say, have 
 no fear but I shall keep my word." 
 
 There was an element of pride and truth in the way 
 she spoke that struck the hearer strongly. The rev- 
 erent smile on his face grew yet deeper. 
 
 " I am placed in a peculiar situation," he said, 
 after a slight pause. " Your sister has, unintention^ 
 ally, no doubt, misrepresented matters in a way that 
 may be embarrassing for us both. When I have re- 
 moved the troubles that stand in your way, I will 
 talk this over with you." 
 
 Daisy looked up quickly. What could he mean ? 
 
 "I beg you to explain," she stammered. "If 
 there has been any mistake no time can be better to 
 set it right than now." 
 
 The man toyed with the lace of the window cur- 
 tain. He had no intention of evading his duty, and 
 yet he did not find it agreeable as he proceeded. 
 
 " Your sister told me," he said, finally, " that you 
 loved me. She was wrong. I knew all the time she
 
 220 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 was wrong. You have just offered to give yourself 
 to me in marriage in exchange for the efforts that I 
 am to make on your father's behalf. But I would 
 not marry a woman who did not love me who only 
 became mine from gratitude. No, I could not 
 accept you under such circumstances." 
 
 The young girl glanced at him timidly. 
 
 *' I wish you knew how much I liked you," she 
 said. " I never knew a man I respected more." 
 
 *' That is most gratifying," he answered, " for I 
 hold your good opinion very highly. You must 
 think I speak in riddles, for I have said that I 
 demand payment for my services, and yet that I 
 would not accept the greatest gift it is in your 
 power to bestow upon me. Let me wait no longer 
 in my explanation. When I have put your father 
 out of all danger from this blackmailer and I can 
 easily do it, never fear you must do justice to 
 Shirley Roseleaf." 
 
 She shivered at the name, as if the east wind blew 
 upon her. 
 
 " He is not a true man," she replied, in a whisper. 
 " He has forfeited all claim to my consideration." 
 
 " Why do you say that ? I am afraid there is 
 another misunderstanding here, my child." 
 
 Then he drew out of her, slowly at first, the revel- 
 ations that Millicent had made. And he disposed of 
 the charges, one by one, until there was nothing 
 left of them. 
 
 "Could you would you only go with me to his 
 rooms," he added, " and see him lying there, wan 
 and pale, disheartened at the present, hopeless for
 
 'PLAT OUT TOUB FABOE." 221 
 
 the future, you would change your mind. He has 
 never in his life loved but one woman, and that one 
 is yourself. I will not undertake to say why you 
 have been told differently, though I could guess. 
 Shirley Roseleaf loves you, Miss Daisy, and you love 
 him. When I have made good my promise, I shall 
 ask you to come to my friend's side and bring him 
 back to health with the sunshine of your presence." 
 
 Daisy was more than half convinced, for the 
 strong affection she had had for the young man 
 plead for him in every drop of her blood. 
 
 " Is he so very ill ?" she asked, dreamily. 
 
 " He has not left his room for a week," was the 
 answer. " Nothing his friends can say will move 
 him. He is in such a state of mind that he even re- 
 fuses to have me with him ; me, until very lately, 
 his closest friend. But if I tell him you have re- 
 lented, there is no medicine on earth will have such 
 an instant effect." 
 
 The girl thought for some moments without speak- 
 ing. 
 
 " It is my father first, of course," she said at last. 
 "But while you are arranging matters concerning 
 him, I do not sec any reason to keep me from help- 
 ing a sick boy. I yes, I will go with you now." 
 
 He looked the gratitude he could not speak, and 
 fearful that in her mercurial mood she might change 
 her mind, he accompanied her without delay to the 
 street, and procured a cab, in which they were 
 driven rapidly to Roseleaf's lodgings. On the way, 
 with that loved form so near him, Archie Weil had
 
 222 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 a constant struggle. She might be his, if he would 
 forget duty. 
 
 And he loved her ! God, how he loved her ! He 
 could marry her, and perhaps after a fashion make 
 her happy. The perspiration stood on his forehead 
 as he dwelt on the bliss that he had resolutely cast 
 aside. 
 
 Roseleaf's landlady came to the door in person 
 and informed the callers that her guest was in about 
 the same condition as he had been for some days. 
 He was not ill in bed, but he did not leave his 
 room. When she sent up his meals he received them 
 mechanically, and they were often untouched when 
 the domestic went for the dishes. He wrote several 
 hours a day, though he was undoubtedly feeble. 
 Did he have any visitors ? Only one, Mr. Gouger, 
 who was with him at the present moment. Should 
 she go up and announce them ? Very well, if it was 
 not necessary. Mr. Weil could show the lady into 
 the adjoining room, which was empty, until he had 
 announced her presence in the house to his friend. 
 
 Archie whispered to Daisy when he left her at 
 Roseleaf's door, that he would come for her as soon 
 as possible. He did not enter the sick boy's cham- 
 ber at once, for something in the conversation that 
 came to his ears arrested his steps at the threshold. 
 Mr. Gouger's voice was heard, and Archie's ears 
 caught the sound of his own name. 
 
 "You should let me send to Mr. Weil," said Goug- 
 er. " I am sure he can explain everything. You 
 hav* written all you ought for the present. H 
 
 -
 
 "PLAT OUT TOCB FABCX." S2S 
 
 would take you to ride and bring the color to those 
 white cheeks of yours." 
 
 "But he cannot bring me the girl I love," re- 
 sponded Roseleaf, with a profound sigh. " Even if 
 1 have done him injustice, she is lost to me now. 
 You know appearances were against him. Why, 
 you agreed with me about it. I don't want to see 
 any one. I want to go away from here, and forget 
 my sorrows as best I can in some far distant place." 
 
 There was a sadness in the tone that went to the 
 listener's heart. The door was slightly ajar and 
 Archie took the liberty of looking into the room. 
 Roseleaf lay stretched out in a great chair, and Goug- 
 er leaned over him, appearing for all the world 
 like some sinister bird of prey. Mr. Weil felt for 
 the first time in his life that there was something un- 
 canny in the aspect of the book reviewer. He did 
 not think he could ever be close friends with him 
 again. And what did Shirley mean by saying that 
 Lawrence had " agreed " with him when he heard 
 such base opinions? 
 
 The critic was fingering with apparent satisfaction 
 a pile of MSS. that lay on the table. It had grown 
 vastly since Archie saw it the last time, and must be 
 fifteen or twenty chapters in extent now. 
 
 " You must not go away until you have finished 
 this wonderful work," replied Gouger, with concern. 
 "A few more months a little further experience in 
 life and your reputation will be made ! Ah, it is 
 wonderful ! It is magnificent ! The world will ring 
 with your praises before the year is ended. Such 
 fidelity to nature ! Such perfection of detail ! la
 
 224 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 all my career I have never seen anything to approach 
 it!" 
 
 Shirley moved uneasily in his chair. 
 
 " Do you ever think at what cost I have done this ?" 
 he asked. "I know the pain of a burn because I 
 have held my hands in the fire. I know the agony 
 of asphyxiation, because I have dangled at the end 
 of a rope. I can write of the miner buried beneath 
 a hundred feet of clay, because I have had the load 
 fall on my own head. To love and find myself be- 
 loved ; then to see happiness snatched without ex- 
 planation from my grasp ; to feel that my best friend 
 has been the one to betray me ! That is what I 
 have passed through, and from the drops of misery 
 thus distilled, I have penned those lines you so much 
 admire. I have written all I can of these horrors. 
 I will not begin again till I have caught somewhere 
 in the great sky a glimpse of sunlight !" 
 
 Mr. Weil could wait no longer. He pushed open 
 the door and went to the speaker's side. 
 
 " The sunlight is awaiting you," he said, gazing 
 down upon the figure in the armchair. "You have 
 only to raise your curtain." 
 
 Mr. Gouger sprang up in astonishment at the sud- 
 den arrival, and perhaps a little in alarm also ; for 
 he could not tell how long the visitor had been 
 eavesdropping at the portal. But Roseleaf turned 
 his languid eyes toward his old friend, and was 
 silent. 
 
 " Shirley, my boy," pursued Weil, with the utmost 
 earnestness, " I can prove to you now that Daisy 
 Fern loves you and you alone."
 
 "PLAT our TOUB I-AXCE." 225 
 
 Roseleaf did not move. His lips optned and the 
 words came stiffly. 
 
 " You can promise many things, he said," " but can 
 you fulfill any of them ?" 
 
 So cold, so unlike himself ! 
 
 " What will convince you ?" demanded Weil. 
 " Shall I bring a letter from her ? Or would you 
 rather she came in person, to tell you I speak the 
 truth ?" 
 
 The shadow of a smile, a smile that was not agree- 
 able, hovered around the corners of the pale mouth. 
 
 " I shall write no more," said the lips, when they 
 opened, " until I have seen her and heard the reason 
 for my rejection. I will discover who my enemy is. 
 I will unmask the man or the woman that has done 
 me this injury. Till then, I shall write no more. 
 No, not one line." 
 
 Mr. Gouger was nonplussed by the new turn in 
 i ffairs. He knew that Weil had some basis for what 
 he said, that he was not the man to come with pre- 
 tence on his tongue. Neither of the other persons 
 in the room paid the least attention to him, any more 
 than if he had not been present. It was like a play, 
 at which Gouger was the only spectator. 
 
 " Could you bear it if I brought her to you to-day, if 
 I brought her here now ?" asked Archie, beseechingly. 
 " If I jf an d get her, and she comes with me, will 
 the shock harm you ?" 
 
 The *onical smile deepened on the face of the 
 younger inan. 
 
 " Play out your farce," he said. 
 
 Casting one look of apprehension at Roseleaf, Mr.
 
 126 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 Weil turned toward the door that entered the hall- 
 way. Before he could reach it, a female form came 
 into the room and caught his arm. Together they 
 faced the recumbent figure in the chair. This lasted 
 but a moment. Then Daisy broke from her escort 
 and threw herself at her lover's feet. 
 
 " Come," whispered Archie, to the critic. " Let 
 us leave them alone." 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 LIKE A STUCK PI. 
 
 Hannibal was neither better nor worse, morally, 
 because his color was black. There are men with 
 white complexions who would have done exactly as 
 he did. There are others as dark as Erebus who 
 would have done nothing of the sort. 
 
 He was no ordinary negro. His intelligence was 
 above the average. When he first entered the employ 
 of Mr. Fern, that gentleman took every pains to en- 
 courage the aptitude for learning that he found in 
 him. Hannibal accompanied his employer to his 
 office, where he was entrusted with important com- 
 missions, which he seemed for a long time to execute 
 with faithfulness and discrimination. At home he 
 performed his duties in a way that gave great satis- 
 faction. At the end of the first six months Mr. Fern 
 would have hated to part with a servant that he 
 believed difficult to replace.
 
 LIKE A STUCK PIS. 22T 
 
 But the great source of trouble arose gradually. 
 Hannibal began to entertain a sentiment for his mas- 
 ter's younger daughter that was impossible of frui- 
 tion. Daisy treated him in the most considerate 
 manner, never dreaming what was going on behind 
 his serious brow. Millicent, ungovernable in all 
 things, began early to show the bitterest enmity 
 toward the negro, while her sister, seeing that her 
 father liked and appreciated him, tried by her own 
 kindness to compensate for the other's rudeness. 
 What caused Millicent's feelings Daisy had no means 
 of knowing, and she had not the least suspicion until 
 she heard the conversation in the library the night 
 the house was entered. Even then she did not take 
 the subject much to heart, for she did not compre- 
 hend all that Hannibal had meant to convey in the 
 brief and sarcastic expression he used. Daisy had a 
 mind too pure to believe anything so heinous of her 
 own sister as Hannibal had intimated. 
 
 The passion of love is a thing that grows in curi- 
 ous ways. What made it seem to Hannibal that 
 there was hope for him was the discovery that Mr. 
 Fern was committing forgeries and that the proofs 
 might be his for the taking. If he could hold such 
 a power as that over this gentleman, who could say 
 that even so great a m6salliance as his daughter's 
 marriage to an African might not be arranged ? 
 
 The negro proceeded cautiously. He secured the 
 proofs he wished, and let Mr. Fern know tacitly that 
 he had them. The terror, the undisguised fear that 
 followed, the admittance of the menial to a totally 
 different position in th household and the office,
 
 323 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 showed that the servant had not underrated the im- 
 portance of his acquisition. 
 
 Not one word bearing directly on the subject 
 passed between them. The condition of the mer- 
 chant was more horrible than it would have been 
 had his employ^ said outright, " I have the proof 
 that you are a forger I can send you to prison for 
 twenty years, and I will do so unless you do so-and- 
 so for me." He did not know how Hannibal meant 
 to use his information. He was afraid to broach the 
 matter to him. He could only wait and suffer ; and 
 suffer he did, as a proud-spirited, high-minded man 
 who has made an error must suffer, when such a 
 sword hangs over his head, ready at any moment to 
 fall. 
 
 As Walker Boggs had said, Mr. Fern was not by 
 nature a business man. After the former's retire- 
 ment from active participation in the concern there 
 was a series of losses. When Mr. Fern took his pen 
 and began to imitate the signature of his late part- 
 ner on a sheet of paper, nothing but some such 
 course stood between him and bankruptcy. He felt 
 certain that if he could tide over twenty-four houri 
 he would be saved. , Before he 1'eft his office he had 
 made a note, written Mr. Boggs name across the 
 back of it, and raised money thereon. 
 
 He did this many times afterwards, but finally, 
 when he again wanted a name to save himself with, he 
 dared not use this one. Boggs had called in to remark 
 that he should withdraw the capital he had lent as 
 soon as the term arranged for had expired. The 
 sum was already infringed upon, bad the investor
 
 LIKE A STUCK FIG. 
 
 known it. The next name used was that of Archie 
 Weil. Archie had been to the house a good deal to 
 see Millicent. Mr. Fern believed there was a love 
 affair between them, and he caught at the straw of 
 possible protection in case of discovery. The for- 
 geries became numerous, and the total amount or. 
 that day when the passage of a new tariff saved the 
 venturesome speculator, was very large. Hannibal 
 was at this time in foreign parts, or at least so the 
 merchant supposed. He soothed his conscience with 
 the reflection that this additional wrong act would 
 enable him to right the others that preceded it. And 
 things might have gone well had not the negro re- 
 turned, consumed with the love he bore the younger 
 daughter, and had not his love turned to vinegar by 
 her contemptuous rejection of his advances. 
 
 An hour after Daisy left him, Hannibal had made 
 up his mind to be revenged. He had faltered a little 
 in the meantime, asking himself what good it would 
 do to bring disgrace on the head of this poor old 
 man, but his injuries were too strong for mercy. 
 He was despised by them all ; he would show them 
 that, black as he was, his ability to hurt was no less 
 strong than theirs. Roseleaf had made the first im- 
 pression on that young heart he himself had craved. 
 It remained to be seen whether he would wed the 
 daughter of a convict. There would be something 
 pleasant, too, in disgracing Millicent, who had once 
 placed herself in a position where he could have 
 blasted her reputation forever, and had afterwards 
 dared to treat him as if he were the dirt beneath her 
 shoes. Yes. Hannibal decided, he would go tv Mr.
 
 MO A iutny AOOHUL 
 
 Weil and Mr. Boggs, and show them the way this 
 man had used their names, hawking them in the 
 public market without their knowledge. 
 
 When Hannibal reached the Hoffman House and 
 inquired for Mr. Weil, he was told that he was 
 absent. An hour later he received the same answer. 
 A visit to the residence of Mr. Boggs elicited a 
 reply precisely similar. In fact, the day wore away 
 and evening arrived before he found them. 
 
 In the meantime, Mr. Weil had not been idle. 
 While Daisy and Shirley Roseleaf were tearfully ex- 
 changing their explanations, he sent a messenger to 
 Mr. Boggs, asking that gentleman to come to him 
 without delay. An hour later the messenger arrived 
 with the gentleman, and having engaged a room for 
 temporary use, and seen to it that Roseleaf wanted 
 nothing at present but his fair nurse, Archie pulled 
 Boggs in and locked the door securely. 
 
 " What's all this ?" exclaimed Boggs. " You look 
 and act as if there was the devil to pay." 
 
 M There is," was the short answer. " I want you 
 to do one of the most creditable acts of your life. I 
 want it as a personal favor, and I'm going to have it, 
 too." 
 
 Mr. Boggs crossed his hands o\*r his paunch and 
 waited for further information. 
 
 " Are you a first-class liar ?" was Mr. Weil's next 
 question. " Could you, in an emergency, do your- 
 self justice as an eminent prevaricator? Are you 
 able, for a certain time, to banish truth from your 
 vicinity ?" 
 
 Mr. Boggs remarked, in response to these astonish-
 
 ma A TOOK PTO. 881 
 
 ing suggestions, that he could tell much better what 
 his friend was about if he would drop metaphor. 
 
 Mr. Weil hesitated. He saw no way but to trust 
 this man with the facts, and yet he dreaded the pos- 
 sibility that he might prove obstinate. 
 
 " By-the-way," lie said, as if to change the subject 
 temporarily, " have you been out to see Fern 
 lately ?" 
 
 Mr. Boggs shook his head. 
 
 " You ought to," said Weil. " He's improved g 
 thousand per cent, in the last few weeks. His finan- 
 cial luck has made a new man of him." 
 
 " I'm glad of that," responded the other. " And 
 I'm glad too that I've got my money out of his firm^ 
 for I had a strong suspicion at one time that he waa 
 running pretty close to the wall." 
 
 Mr. Weil nodded to show that he believed this 
 statement, and then grew sober. 
 
 "Sometimes, when men get into a tight place 
 financially," he said, "they do queer things. Sup- 
 posing I should tell you that Mr. Fern had endorsed 
 checks and notes in a way he was not authorized 
 to do ?" 
 
 The stout man opened his eyes wider. 
 
 "That would be a piece of news," he answered. 
 " But, if he did, he's made it all right by this time, of 
 course, and nobody is the loser." 
 
 Mr. Weil drew himself up in his chair, as if right- 
 eously indignant. 
 
 " Do you think that is enough ?" he demanded, 
 raising his voice. " By Gad, supposing I tell you my 
 name was one of those he monkeyed with !"
 
 232 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 The other did not seem much perturbed. 
 
 " If the paper is all in, I wouldn't make a fuss 
 about it, if I were you," he replied. " Fern is a good 
 fellow. He has gone out of business, and I hope 
 he'll never go in again. Take my advice, if you have 
 learned anything to his discredit, and keep it to your- 
 self." 
 
 Weil could hardly control himself. 
 
 " Do you think I intend to let him forge my name 
 on his notes and checks and not put him under 
 arrest !" he cried ; " when the proofs are beyond 
 question ?" 
 
 Mr. Boggs bowed and said he meant that, exactly. 
 He further remarked that he was astonished that his 
 friend had any other idea in his mind. The Fern 
 family was one in which he had been favorably 
 received and he ought to do everything possible to 
 prevent harm to any of its members. As he pro- 
 ceeded in this vein, Mr. Boggs grew so earnest that 
 he did not notice the broad smile of happiness that 
 was creeping over the face of his companion, and was 
 not prepared to find a pair of manly arms clasped 
 around his neck. 
 
 "You you !" Archie Weil was trying to say. 
 " You dear, kind, sensible fellow. You've made me 
 the happiest man on earth ! Of course / wouldn't 
 trouble Fern, but I was afraid you would. He used 
 your name as well as mine, the rascal ! Everything 
 is paid up, and all the trouble now is that a misera- 
 ble scamp has got hold of some of the paper and 
 wants to blackmail him. And what I called you here 
 to-day for is to get you to agree with me to
 
 LIKE A STUCK PIG. 23S 
 
 acknowledge every scrap of that paper as being our 
 own !" 
 
 The sudden change was more than Mr. Boggs 
 could bear for a moment. He sat, to use a common 
 expression, " like a stuck pig," staring at Archie. 
 
 " You remember the nigger that worked for Fern," 
 explained Mr. Weil. " He got hold of some of 
 these notes and checks, in Fern's office, and is 
 coming to look us up to-day, for the purpose of hav- 
 ing his employer arrested. A nice game, eh ? But 
 we will foil him, won't we ? We'll show him a trick 
 worth several of his ! He's probably gone to the 
 Hoffman House and he'll hang round till he finds 
 me. I'll send word that I am to be home this after- 
 noon at five. You will be there with me. We'll 
 tackle him together. When he tells us that he has 
 some forged paper in his possession we'll act aston- 
 ished and enraged ; we'll ask him to show it to us ; 
 and when we've got it all in our hands we'll say the 
 signatures are our own, and kick him down stairs. 
 Are you with me, Walker ? Is it a go, old boy ?" 
 
 The agreement was made without more ado. Mr. 
 Boggs began to see the humorous element in the 
 affair, and actually came nearer laughing than he 
 had done since the day he discovered that the sire 
 of his waist placed him out of the list of eligible 
 " mashers." 
 
 When everything was settled, Mr Weil excused 
 himself for a few moments, while he tiptoed to Rose- 
 leaf's door and knocked. Daisy came to open it, 
 and when she saw who the visitor was she blushed 
 charmingly.
 
 234 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 " Come in," she said. " I am sure both of us are 
 glad to see you." 
 
 Shirley's eyes met those of his friend with a 
 strange expression. He knew now that all his sus- 
 picions were unfounded, that Weil had proved him- 
 self noble and true. But the apologies that he owed 
 could not be suitably made in the presence of a third 
 person, and he made no reference to them. His 
 changed appearance was enough, however, for 
 Archie. The reconciliation with the girl of his 
 heart was perfect, and the happiness that shone from 
 their faces repaid their good friend for his sacri- 
 fice. 
 
 " I think I ought to take Miss Daisy to her train 
 now," said Archie, after the exchange of a few ordi- 
 nary remarks. " She can come to see you to-mor- 
 row again, and before many days we will have mat- 
 ters arranged with pater familias, so that Shirley 
 can go out to Midlands in his proper capacity. Oh, 
 you need not redden, little woman ! The love you 
 two have for each other does both of you credit." 
 
 Returning to Mr. Boggs, for the sake of allowing 
 the young couple a few minutes for their good-bys, 
 Archie dismissed that gentleman with the under- 
 standing that not later than half-past four he would 
 join him in his room at the Hoffman House. Soon 
 after he escorted Miss Fern to her station, and be- 
 fore he left the building Archie sent a dispatch to 
 her father, asking him to come to the city and meet 
 him at his hotel at four that afternoon. 
 
 Everything worked to a charm. Mr. Fern ar 
 rired t the time designated and went promptly to
 
 LIKE A STOCK PIG. 86 
 
 Mr. Weil's apartments. A brief explanation of 
 what was about to occur threw the wool merchant 
 into a state of extreme agitation, but he was assured 
 that the last particle of danger to himself would be 
 removed before he left the Hoffman House. He was 
 asked to step into an inner room of the suite, the 
 door of which was to be left ajar, and to make no 
 move unless he was called. 
 
 Mr. Boggs came at his appointed hour, and Han- 
 nibal soon after. Delighted to find both gentlemen 
 accidentally, as he supposed the negro began 
 without delay to explain the cause of his visit. He 
 stated the manner in which he had discovered the 
 forgeries, and said he thought it only his duty to let 
 the facts be known. 
 
 Messrs. Weil and Boggs exchanged glances of well- 
 simulated surprise as the discoverer proceeded. 
 
 " How long is it since you first knew of this mat- 
 ter ?" asked Mr. Weil, when Hannibal came to a 
 pause. 
 
 " Something like eighteen months." 
 
 " And you allowed this swindle to go on all that 
 time without saying a word !" said the questioner. 
 " I am surprised, when I remember that for a long 
 time you saw me almost daily." 
 
 " That is true," was the quiet response. " I could 
 not easily bring myself to disgrace one whose bread 
 I was eating. But that does not matter now. I 
 have here a number of notes on which Mr. Fern has 
 forged both of your names. The law will hold him 
 just as strongly as if I had exposed him at the time." 
 
 He exhibited a package of papers, and unsuspici-
 
 236 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 ously passed them to the two gentlemen. Undoing 
 the band Archie Weil spread the documents on the 
 centre table and went over them carefully with Mr. 
 Boggs, separating those which bore their several 
 names. A close perusal of all the notes followed, 
 and finally Mr. Weil looked up and asked if there 
 were any more. 
 
 " No, those are all," said Hannibal. " I believe 
 there are thirty-six of them." 
 
 Mr. Weil consulted in a low tone with Mr. Boggs. 
 They seemed puzzled over something. 
 
 " If these are really all the notes you have," said 
 Archie, " there has been a great mistake on your 
 part. These endorsements are genuine in every 
 case. Where are the forged papers of which you 
 spoke ?" 
 
 The negro stared with all his might at the speaker. 
 
 " Genuine !" he repeated. 
 
 " Undoubtedly, as far as my name is concerned. I 
 have lent my credit to Mr. Fern for a long time." 
 
 " That is equally true of myself," spoke up Boggs, 
 slowly. " I wrote every one of these signatures and 
 I am willing to swear to them." 
 
 Hannibal's eyes flashed with baffled rage. He 
 had been trapped. These men had conspired to 
 save his late employer from his clutches. They had 
 lied, deliberately, and he was powerless against their 
 combined assertions, although he knew the falsity of 
 all they said. 
 
 " You will be as glad as we to learn the truth," 
 said Archie, in a softly modulated voice. " It would 
 have grieved you to know that your kind employer
 
 LIKE A STUCK PIG. 237 
 
 had made himself amenable to the criminal law. 
 Your only object in this matter was to ease your con- 
 science, and do justice. There is nothing, now, to 
 prevent your returning at your earliest convenience 
 to France." 
 
 The negro rose and took up his hat. 
 
 "This is Tery nice," he growled, "but I want to 
 tell you that you are not through with me yet." 
 
 Mr. Weil rose also. 
 
 " I trust," he said, "that you are not going to be 
 impolite. I certainly would not be guilty of discourt- 
 esy to you. But let me assure you of one thing : 
 If you ever, hereafter, annoy in the slightest degree 
 my friend, Mr. Fern, or any member of his family, 
 you will wish heartily that you had never been born. 
 We can spare you now, Mr. Hannibal." 
 
 With the last words, Archie waved his hand to- 
 ward the door, and without further reply than a 
 glare from his now blood-shot eyes, the African 
 strode from the apartment. 
 
 " I want you to take a ride in the Park with me, 
 for an hour or go, and then we will return here for 
 dinner," said Mr. Weil to Mr. Boggs. 
 
 He did this to allow Mr. Pern to leave the house 
 without Boggs' knowing he was there, and also to 
 avoid a meeting that he felt would be too full of 
 gratitude to suit his temperament just then.
 
 986 A BLACK AIM9NIS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 * WK WANT MILLIE TO UNDERSTAND." 
 
 Millicent Fern had been so busy on her second 
 novel that she had hardly noticed the prolonged 
 absence of Shirley Roseleaf from her father's house. 
 Her first story was selling fairly well and she had 
 received a goodly number of reviews in which it was 
 alluded to with more or less favor. Not the least 
 welcome of the things her mail brought was a check 
 bearing the autograph of Cutt & Slashem, that 
 tangible evidence which all authors admire that 
 her efforts had not been wholly in vain. She had 
 put a great deal of hard work into her new novel, 
 and felt that, when Mr. Roseleaf added his polish to 
 the plot she had woven, it would make a success far 
 greater than the other. 
 
 Millicent thought she understood the young man 
 perfectly. To her mind he was merely awaiting the 
 moment when she was ready to name the day for 
 their marriage. To be sure he had not asked her to 
 wed him, but his actions were not to be misunder- 
 stood. She would accept him, for business reasons, 
 and the romance could come later. Together they 
 would constitute a strong partnership in fiction. 
 While she was wrapped up in her writing it was 
 quite as well that he remained at a respectful dis- 
 tance. Between her second and her third story she 
 would have time to arrange the ceremony.
 
 *WB WANT MILLIE TO TmrrBBSTAKD.'* 239 
 
 When Roseleaf made his next appearance at din- 
 ner, in the house at Midlands, Miss Fern smiled on 
 him pleasantly. She remarked that he lacked color, 
 and he replied that he had been suffering from a 
 slight illness. Then she spoke of her new story, re- 
 vealing the plot to a limited extent, and said it would 
 be ready for him in about two weeks. The as- 
 tonished young man saw that she considered his ser- 
 vices entirely at her disposal, without question, 
 whenever she saw fit to call upon them. He talked 
 it over with Daisy. 
 
 " You know," stammered the girl, " that Millie 
 thought you were in love with her. That would ac- 
 count for everything, wouldn't it ?" 
 
 " But where did she ever get that idea !" he ex- 
 claimed, desperately. 
 
 " She says you tried to put your arm around 
 her." 
 
 "Just to practice. Just to learn what love was 
 like. I told you how ignorant I was, the same as 1 
 did her. Archie said she would show me, but it 
 didn't amount to anything. It was only when I 
 asked you, Daisy, that I began to understand. Do 
 you remember how you stood on your toes and kissed 
 me ?" 
 
 The girl bade him be quiet and not get too reminis- 
 cent, but he would not. 
 
 " It taught me all I needed to know, in one in- 
 stant," he persisted. "Ah, sweetheart, how much 
 happiness and suffering I have had on your ac- 
 count !" 
 
 He stooped and kissed her tenderly as he spoke.
 
 24:0 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 "And after this it will be happiness only/' she 
 whispered. 
 
 Another kiss answered this prediction. 
 
 " What can I do if she asks me to rewrite the whole 
 of another novel ?" asked Roseleaf, with a groan. 
 
 " I think you might find time to oblige her," said 
 Daisy. " But you ought to explain things you 
 ought not to let her misunderstand your position 
 any longer." 
 
 He said that this was true, and that he would act 
 upon the suggestion. He had her father's consent, 
 and nothing could stand in the way of his marriage 
 to Daisy before the year ended. It was not right, 
 of course, to go on with the implication of being en- 
 gaged to both the sisters. 
 
 " But I wish I could escape doing that writing," 
 he added. " I hate fiction, any way ; I have been at 
 work on one of my own that I fear I never shall 
 finish. There is much sadness in novels, and I 
 like joy so much better. I believe I shall abandon 
 the whole field." 
 
 This she would not listen to. She said her hus- 
 band that was to be must become a famous writer, for 
 she wanted to be very proud of him. And Mr. Fern 
 came in to the room, and having the question put to 
 him, decided it in the same manner, as he was sure 
 to do when he learned that his younger daughter 
 held that opinion. 
 
 The retired merchant bore the appearance of a 
 man from whose shoulders the severe burden of a 
 great weight had fallen. The tiger that had crouched 
 so long in his path, ready at any moment to spring,
 
 had been vanquished. Beyond the profound humil- 
 iation of knowing that his sin was exposed to the 
 gaze of two of his intimate friends, he had no cause 
 for present grief. Both of them had proved friends 
 indeed, and nothing was to be feared from any quar- 
 ter. Hannibal had disappeared immediately after 
 the interview at the Hoffman House, and it was sup- 
 posed had gone back to France. 
 
 There was to be no histe about the wedding, after 
 all. Now that the young couple felt perfectly sure 
 of each other they were more willing than they had 
 been to wait. The freedom that an understood en- 
 gagement brings to Americans was theirs. If Mil- 
 licent had only known the true condition of affairs, 
 and was content with them, they would have been 
 perfectly satisfied. 
 
 An old story tells how a certain colony of mice 
 came to the unanimous conclusion that a bell should 
 be hung around the neck of a cat for which they had 
 a well-defined fear ; and it also relates that none of 
 the rodents were willing to undertake the task of 
 placing the warning signal in the desired position. 
 Botli Shirley and Daisy wished heartily that Millicent 
 could be told the exact condition of their hopes and 
 expectations, but neither had the courage to inform 
 her. Many of their long conversations referred to 
 this matter, and one day, when they had discussed it 
 as usual, Daisy hit upon a bright idea. 
 
 "You don't suppose, do you, that Mr. Weil would, 
 tell Millie for us ? He has done so many nice things, 
 he might do one more." 
 
 Roseleaf wore a thoughtful expression. He re-
 
 242 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 alized how much Archie had already done for him 
 realized it more fully than Daisy did ; but he said 
 the matter was worth thinking of. He wanted very 
 much to have it settled. 
 
 " Would would you ask him ?" he stammered. 
 " He would do anything for you." 
 
 " Yes," she responded, softly, " I will ask him. 
 But we had best be together. I do not want to 
 broach the matter unless you are there." 
 
 In a few days the opportunity came. Mr. Weil 
 heard the voice he loved best explaining the situa- 
 tion. 
 
 " We want Millie to understand," said Daisy. " If 
 she if she still likes Shirley herself, there may be an 
 unpleasant scene, and you will see how difficult it is 
 for either of us to tell her. But you, who have done 
 so many kindnesses for us, could convey the infor- 
 mation to her without the diffidence we should feel. 
 Will you, dear Mr. Weil ?" 
 
 And Archie said he would, and that it would be a 
 pleasure to him. And a bright light illumined the 
 faces of the young people, as another stone was 
 rolled out of the pathway their feet were to tread. 
 
 Mr. Weil did not know how to approach his sub- 
 ject except by a more or less direct route. One day 
 he was talking with Miss Fern about her new novel, 
 and she spoke of Mr. Roseleaf in connection with its 
 nearness to the required revision. 
 
 "I don't know as Shirley will find time to help you 
 out," he replied. " He is so busy just now with Miss 
 Daisy." 
 
 She did not seem to comprehend him in the least. 
 
 "Oh, he is merely filling in the time, as a matter
 
 M WE WANT MILLIE TO UNDERSTAND." 24rtf 
 
 of amusement," she answered. " When I am ready 
 he will be." 
 
 He looked at her earnestly. 
 
 11 Is it fair to speak of love-making as a matter of 
 amusement, Miss Fern?" 
 
 "Love-making? Is he, then, practicing for his 
 novel with Daisy, also ?" she inquired. " I am afraid 
 he will get erroneous views of love in that quarter. 
 She is such a child that she can have little knowledge 
 of the subject." 
 
 She had evidently no suspicion of the truth, and he 
 determined to become more explicit. 
 
 " Perhaps that is exactly what he wishes," said he. 
 41 The virgin heart of a young girl certainly affords 
 tempting ground for the explorations of a novelist." 
 
 For the first time she showed a slightly startled 
 face. 
 
 " I trust you do not mean that Mr. Roseleaf is de- 
 ceiving my sister with pretended affection ?" she 
 said. "I did not think him that kind of man. If 
 he is making love to her, as you call it, surely she 
 understands that it is only for the purposes of his 
 forthcoming novel ?" 
 
 Mr. Weil drew a long breath. 
 
 " Is it possible," he asked, " that you do not know 
 him better than even to hint that suspicion ? Shirley 
 Roseleaf is honor personified. He would not lead 
 any woman to believe him her lover unless he truly 
 felt the sentiments he expressed." 
 
 Miss Fern looked much relieved. 
 
 " J am glad to hear you say so," she replied
 
 244 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 Archie was plunged into a new quandary. He 
 had evidently made no progress whatever thus far. 
 
 " No," he continued, slowly, " he has not deceived 
 Miss Daisy. His love for her is as true as steel. I 
 understand their engagement is to be announced in 
 a few days." 
 
 If he had known the pain that these words would 
 bring to their hearer if he had foreseen the anguish 
 that was portrayed on that brow and in those eyes 
 friend as he was of the young couple who had set 
 him to this errand, he would have shrunk from it. 
 Millicent made no verbal reply. Spasms chased 
 each other over her white face. She seemed stricken 
 dumb. Her hands, lifted to her forehead, trembled 
 visibly. And Mr. Weil sat there, uncertain what to 
 do, as silent as herself. 
 
 Gradually the force of the storm passed, and Miss 
 Fern staggered faintly to her feet. Mr. Weil offered 
 to support her with his arms, but she refused his aid 
 with a motion that was unmistakable. She was mak- 
 ing every effort to conceal her agitation, and she 
 dared not trust herself with words. After taking a 
 weak step or two, and finding that she could not walk 
 unassisted, she rested herself upon the arm of a large 
 chair, and signed to him to leave her. Much morti- 
 fied, but knowing no other course, he bowed pro- 
 foundly and obeyed the signal. 
 
 The next morning he received the following letter 
 at his hotel : 
 
 " MR. A. WEIL: SIR: If you are in any respect a gentle- 
 man which I may be excused for doubting you will not
 
 "WB \TANT MILLIE TO UNDERSTAND." 945 
 
 allude in the presence of any one to the exhibition I made 
 to-day. Had I had the least preparation I could have con- 
 trolled myself. You adroitly took me at a complete dis- 
 advantage, and you saw the result. 
 
 " I leave to-morrow for a new home. Never again shall I 
 live under the roof of those who have betrayed me. Do not 
 think I shall succumb to grief because of my sister's con- 
 duct. She is welcome to her victory. No answer to this 
 is expected. Yours, M. A. F." 
 
 Luckily Archie had escaped from Midlands with- 
 out meeting either Daisy or Roseleaf, and he obeyed 
 as strictly as possible the injunction he received from 
 the elder sister. All he would say was that he had 
 informed her of the engagement and that she had 
 made no reply. When he was told a day or two 
 later that Millicent had left the house, he merely re- 
 marked that he was not much surprised, as she was 
 a girl of strong will and usually did about as she 
 pleased. 
 
 Mr. Fern, at first much distressed over his 
 daughter's action, grew reconciled when he thought 
 of it more at length. He sent a liberal allowance to 
 her, which she did not return, and made arrange- 
 ments by which she could draw the same sum at her 
 convenience at a bank in the city.
 
 946 A. BLACK ADOtTU. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 WHERE WAS DAISY ? 
 
 The wedding was arranged to occur in the month 
 of October, and the preparations, so dear to the 
 hearts of all young women, were pushed with dis- 
 patch. There were to be no ceremonials beyond the 
 ones necessary, and the company to visit the nuptials 
 was limited to a dozen of the family's most intimate 
 friends. When the evening came, Walker Boggs 
 was on hand, wearing an extra large waistcoat, and 
 a countenance such as would have best befitted a 
 funeral. Lawrence Gouger came, his keen eye alert, 
 foreseeing several chapters in the great novel that 
 Roseleaf was writing, based on the experiences of the 
 next few weeks. But Archie Weil wrote a note at 
 the last minute, regretting that a business engage- 
 ment that could not be postponed had called him 
 to a distant point, and sending a magnificent orna- 
 ment in large pearls for the bride, to whom he 
 wished, with her husband, all health and happiness. 
 
 Mr. Gouger had had many arguments with Mr. 
 Weil, in opposition to the early date set for the wed- 
 ding. He had shown that, according to the best 
 models, the hero of Roseleaf's novel which was prac- 
 tically the young man himself, ought to pass through 
 some very harrowing scenes yet before his wedded 
 happiness began. He feared an anti-climax, and was 
 apprehensive tiiat the wonderful romance would lie
 
 "WHERE WAS DAISY ? 24:7 
 
 untouched for long months while Roseleaf sipped 
 honey from the lips of his beloved. And he acted as 
 if these things were entirely at the disposal of Mr. 
 Weil as if the young couple were mere marionettes 
 whose actions he could control. 
 
 " You could put it off if you liked," Gouger said, 
 complainingly. "You could introduce other ele- 
 ments that would be the making of the novel, and 
 you ought to do it. They should not marry before 
 next spring, at the earliest. You run the risk of 
 spoiling everything." 
 
 " Good God !" cried Archie. " You talk like a fool. 
 I would have postponed it forever, if I could, and 
 you know it. But she loves him, and there is noth- 
 ing to be gained by delay. Confound you and your 
 old novel ! With the happiness of two human beings 
 at stake you talk about a piece of fiction as if it was 
 worth more than a blissful life !" 
 
 Gouger straightened himself up in his chair. 
 
 " It is worth a hundred times more !" he answered, 
 boldly. " A novel such as Roseleaf's ought to be 
 would give pleasure to millions. But I see you are 
 bound to have your way. The only hope left is that 
 there will be trouble enough after marriage to spice 
 the story to the end. A milk and water, nursing- 
 bottle existence for them would make all the work 
 already done on this manuscript mere wasted time !" 
 
 Weil turned from his friend in disgust. Could the 
 man talk nothing, think nothing, but shop ? 
 
 But Archie did not come to the wedding. He 
 knew the final strain would be more than he could 
 bear. It was one thing to sacrifice the woman he
 
 24:8 JL BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 loved and quite another to see her given into the 
 arms of the rival he had encouraged. One may do 
 the noblest things, at a respectful distance, and find 
 himself physically unable to view them at greater 
 proximity. 
 
 Of course Shirley Roseleaf was almost too happy 
 to breathe. But even the happiest of lovers some- 
 how manage to inhale a sufficiency of oxygen to 
 keep life in them, though they have no knowledge 
 of the process by which this is accomplished. He 
 had seen several of his productions in type, some in 
 the leading magazines, and he had a permanent posi- 
 tion now on the staff of a great periodical. When 
 the month he had allowed himself as necessary for a 
 wedding journey was ended, he would settle down 
 to work, and he knew no reason why he might not 
 make a success in his chosen field. And there was 
 Daisy always Daisy he would never again be sep- 
 arated from Daisy ! Who that has loved and been 
 loved can doubt the perfect content of this young 
 man ? 
 
 The saddest face at Midlands was that of Mr. Fern, 
 who failed in his best attempts to appear cheerful. 
 He was not sorry that his daughter was to be mar- 
 ried, he would not have put a single obstacle in her 
 way ; but she was going from him, and the very, very 
 dear relations they had so long sustained would 
 never be exactly the same again. It was the destiny 
 of a woman to cleave to her husband. He found no 
 fault with the law of nature, but he had clung to 
 Daisy so devotedly that he could not welcome very 
 sincerely the hour that was to take her away.
 
 WHEEB WAS DAISY? 249 
 
 The marriage was to be early in the evening. 
 Everything was ready, even to the trunks, filled with 
 traveling and other dresses. The night was to be 
 passed at the Imperial Hotel in the city, and the 
 journey proper to be begun some time on the follow- 
 ing day. 
 
 On the most momentous morning of her life, 
 Daisy Fern announced that she had an errand to do 
 in the city and would return shortly after tweke 
 o'clock. As she was so thoroughly her own mistress 
 nobody thought of questioning her more particularly. 
 But twelve o'clock came, and one o'clock, and three, 
 and five, and she neither was seen at Midlands nor 
 was any message received from her. 
 
 By the latter hour Mr. Fern was in a state of ex- 
 citement. The entire house was in an uproar. The 
 servants were catechised, one by one, to see if per- 
 chance any of them could guess the young lady's 
 destination. Word was sent by telephone to various 
 places in the city, asking information, but none was 
 received. She had left the house, ostensibly to go 
 to New York, and nothing could be learned of her 
 from that moment. 
 
 As Mr. Roseleaf was not expected until some time 
 later, Mr. Fern went at last to the city and sought 
 the young man at his rooms. He found him in the 
 company of Lawrence Gouger, dressed for the cere- 
 mony, and impatient for the arrival of the hour 
 when he should start for his bride's abode. It may 
 be conceived that the news Mr. Fern brought was 
 not the pleasantest for him. 
 
 " You you have not seen Daisy ?" came the stain-
 
 250 A BLACK ADOKIS. 
 
 mering question, as the father paused on the thresh- 
 old of Roseleaf's room. 
 
 14 To-day ? Why, certainly not !" was the stupe- 
 fied answer. " I was just about to start for your 
 house." 
 
 Mr. Fern sank upon a sofa just inside the door. 
 
 " Something has happened !" he groaned. " Ah, 
 my boy, something has happened to my child !" 
 
 Roseleaf looked at Mr. Gouger, who in turn looked 
 at Mr. Fern. 
 
 " She went away tkis morning on an errand," 
 enunciated the father, slowly, " saying she would 
 return at noon. And that is the last we have 
 seen of her. Oh, it seems as if I should go mad !" 
 
 It seemed as if Shirley Roseleaf would go mad, 
 too. He looked like one bereft of sense, as he stood 
 there without uttering a word. 
 
 " Perhaps she has returned since you left home," 
 suggested Mr. Gouger, on the spur of the instant. 
 * Don't lose heart yet. Let me send to a telephone 
 office and have them inquire. You have a 'phone in 
 your house, have you not, Mr. Fern ?" 
 
 The father bowed in reply. He was too crushed 
 to say anything unnecessary. Touching a button, 
 Mr. Gouger soon had a messenger dispatched for 
 the information desired, and in the meantime he 
 tried, by suggesting possibilities, to soothe the two 
 men. 
 
 " You shouldn't get so exciied," he protested. 
 " There are a hundred slight accidents that might be 
 responsible for Miss Daisy's delay. Perhaps she 
 has met with an insignificant accident, and the word
 
 WHERE WAS DAWT ? Si I 
 
 she has sent to her father has gone astray as hap- 
 pens very often in these days. That would account 
 for everything. Or she may have taken the wrong 
 train an express that did not stop this side of 
 Bridgeport, and hesitated to telegraph for fear of 
 alarming you. ' Don't cry till you're hurt ' is an old 
 proverb. Why, neither of you act much better than 
 as if her dead body had been brought home !" 
 
 They heard him, but neither replied. They waited 
 it seemed an hour for an answer to the telephonic 
 message, and it came, simply this : " Nothing has 
 been heard as yet of Miss Fern." 
 
 The thoroughly distressed and disheartened 
 father shrank before the gaze of the lover, when this 
 news was promulgated by Mr. Gouger. 
 
 " What swindle is this ?" were the bitter words he 
 heard. " Have you decided on another husband for 
 your daughter, and come to break the news to me 
 in this fashion ?" 
 
 Mr. Gouger interfered, to protect the old man 
 whose suffering was evidently already too acute. 
 
 " Hush !" he exclaimed. " Can't you see that 
 you are killing him ? Be careful !" 
 
 Roseleaf waved him back with a sweeep of his 
 arm. 
 
 " Your advice has not been asked," he replied, 
 gutturally. "I can see some things, if I am blind. 
 That girl has gone to the man she loves the man 
 he," indicating the father, " wanted her to marry. 
 He is rich, and I am poor, and he has won ! It is 
 plain enough ! And he pretended, day by day, to 
 ray face, that he had given her up for my sake ;
 
 252 A. BLACK ADONI8. 
 
 and she put her arms around me, and beguiled me 
 into confidence, in order to strike me the harder at 
 the end. Well, let him have her ! I wouldn't take 
 her from him. But there's an account between us 
 that he may not like to settle. When you see your 
 friend, tell him that !" 
 
 Mr. Fern heard ihese terrible sentences like a man 
 in a dream. It could not be Roseleafthat was utter- 
 ing them the man to whom his young daughter had 
 given the full affection of her innocent heart ! H 
 was mad to talk that way. Mad ! mad ! 
 
 "You will repent these rash statements," said the 
 old gentleman, rising faintly from his seat. "You 
 will repent them, sir, in syckcloth. I wish with alt 
 my heart that Mr. Weil was here, for he would at 
 least try to help me find my child." 
 
 Mr. Gouger suggested that Mr. Weil would be at 
 Midlands soon, as he had an invitation to the wed- 
 ding. 
 
 " No," replied Mr. Fern, chokingly. " I received 
 word from him to-day that he could not attend. He 
 is out of the city." 
 
 Roseleaf gave vent to an expression of nausea. 
 
 " Are you yourself deceived ?" he exclaimed. 
 "He will not attend my wedding; certainly not J 
 He is attending his own. If, indeed, he does not com- 
 pass his ends without that preliminary." 
 
 Weak and old as Mr. Fern was he woold have 
 struck the speaker had not the third person in the 
 room interfered. 
 
 " Do you dare to speak in that manner of my 
 daughter !" he cried. " Must you attack the char-
 
 WHERE WAS DAISY? 259 
 
 acter not only of my best friend but of my child as 
 well? I thank God at this moment, whatever be her 
 fate, that she did not join her life to yours !" 
 
 With a majestic step he strode from the presence 
 of his late prospective son-in-law. Gouger, with a 
 feeling that some one should accompany him, fol- 
 lowed. But first he turned to speak in a low key to 
 the novelist. 
 
 " Do not go out to-night, unless you hear from 
 me," he said, impressively. "This may not be as 
 bad as you think, after all. I will go to Midlands 
 and return with what news I can get. Don't act 
 until you are certain of your premises." 
 
 The young man was removing his wedding suit, 
 already. 
 
 " I shall not go out," he responded, aimlessly. 
 
 "You might write a few pages on your novel," 
 suggested the critic, as he stood in the hallway. 
 '* There will never be a better " 
 
 A vigorous movement slammed the door in his 
 face before he could complete his sentence. 
 
 Hastening after Mr. Fern, Gouger accompanied 
 him home, where the first thing he heard was that 
 there was still no news of the missing one.
 
 3&f A BLACK ADOJlIi. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 AN AWFUL NIGHT. 
 
 It was an awful night for Wilton Fern. The pres- 
 ence in the house of Mr. Gouger and Mr. Boggs 
 aided him but little to bear the weight that pressed 
 Upon his heart. It was better than being entirely 
 alone, but not a great deal. Together tliey listened 
 whenever their ears caught an unusual sound. 
 Twenty times they went together to the street door 
 and opened it to find nothing animate before them. 
 
 Morning came and still no tidings. The earliest 
 trains from the city were visited by servants, for the 
 master of the house was too exhausted to make the 
 journey. And at nine o'clock the gentlemen who 
 had passed the night at Midlands took the railway 
 back to New York, with no solution of the great 
 problem. 
 
 Mr. Gouger had not been in his office an hour be- 
 fore the door opened and in walked Archie Weil. 
 The critic started from his chair at the unexpected 
 sight, and remarked that he had not expected to sec 
 his visitor so early. 
 
 * I presume you heard the news and came home 
 at once," he added, meaningly. 
 
 Mr. Weil was pale, and wore the look of one whose 
 rest has been disturbed. 
 
 "I don't know what you mean," he replied. M I 
 w called away on business that I could not evade,
 
 AH AWFUL NIGHT. 96i 
 
 and came back as soon as I could. I fear the Ferns 
 thought it rather rough of me to stay away from th 
 wedding, but I could not very well help it. You 
 were there, of course. Everything went off well, 1 
 trust." 
 
 The speaker had the air of a man who tries to ap~ 
 pear at ease when he is not. His voice trembled 
 slightly and his hands roamed from one portion of 
 his apparel to another. 
 
 " Then you have heard nothing !" repeated Goug- 
 er, gravely. " Prepare yourself for a shock. There 
 was no wedding last night at the Ferns'. Miss 
 Daisy disappeared yesterday morning, and has not 
 been seen since." 
 
 If Mr. Weil had been pale before, his face was like 
 a dead man's now. With many expressions of in- 
 credulity he listened to the explanations that fol- 
 lowed. He declared that the occurrence was past be- 
 lief, and that he could see no way to account for it. 
 Clearly something had happened that the girl could 
 not prevent. She would never have absented her- 
 self of her own accord. She loved the man who was 
 to be her husband, and if she had wished to post- 
 pone her marriage she could have easily arranged it. 
 
 " I can think of nothing but a fit of temporary in- 
 sanity," he added, with a sigh. "And Shirley poor 
 fellow how does he take it ? Completely broken 
 up-, I suppose ?" 
 
 When he heard the attitude that Mr. Roseleaf had 
 assumed, Mr. Weil seemed stupefied. Little by 
 little Mr. Gouger revealed to him the answers that 
 the young man had made to Mr. Ftrn, finally rlr-
 
 256 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 ring to the charge that he (Mr. Weil) had eloped 
 with the bride. Archie's face grew more and more 
 rigid as he listened, but the anger that the relator 
 had anticipated did not show there. 
 
 "He is crazy," was the mild reply. "I will go 
 and see him, at once, and enlist his assistance in the 
 thorough search that must be undertaken. Come, 
 Lawrence, leave your work for an hour and go with 
 me." 
 
 Remembering his promise to return in the morn- 
 ing with the latest tidings, Mr. Gouger put on his 
 hat and coat and entered the cab which his friend 
 summoned. He felt that he was about to witness 
 another chapter that would make most dramatic 
 reading in that great novel ! 
 
 " You had best let me go in first," he whispered, 
 when they stood at Roseleaf's door. " He is in an 
 excitable frame of mind, I fear." 
 
 For answer, Archie brushed the speaker aside and 
 preceded him into the chamber, without the formal- 
 ity of a knock. Roseleaf lay before them in his easy 
 chair, bearing evidence in his attire that he had not 
 disrobed during the night. He greeted his visitors 
 with nothing more "-.han a look of inquiry. 
 
 "I only heard of your terrible disaster a few mo- 
 ments ago," said Mr. Weil. " I learn that Miss Daisy 
 had not been heard from up to nine o'clock this 
 morning. We must bring all our energies to bear 
 on this matter, Shirley. Her father is unable to 
 help us much. For all we know she may be in the 
 most awful danger. Rouse yourself and let us con- 
 sult what is best to do."
 
 AW AWFUL NiOHT- 267 
 
 Incredulousness was written on the quiet face that 
 looked up at him from the armchair. 
 
 "Why don't you tell us what you have done with 
 her v> sa** 1 *& bloodless lips, slowly. 
 
 Mr. Weil trembled with suppressed emotion. 
 
 "This is no time for recriminations," he replied, 
 " or I might answer that in a different way. We 
 must find this girl. Before we go to the police 
 let us consider all the possibilities, for they will 
 deluge us with questions. Did any one think," he 
 asked, suddenly, turning to Gouger, " of sending 
 word to her sister Millicent ?" 
 
 Mr. Gouger replied that they had done so. A ser- 
 vant had been dispatched early in the evening to 
 Millicent's residence and had returned with the 
 answer that she had heard nothing of Miss Daisy 
 and did not wish to. She had previously sent a 
 sarcastic reply to an invitation to attend the wed- 
 ding. 
 
 " And she never came to comfort her father in 
 his distress !" exclaimed Mr. Weil. " What a 
 daughter !" 
 
 They could get nothing out of Roseleaf. He 
 answered a dozen times that it would be much easier 
 for Mr. Weil to send Daisy home or to write to her 
 father that she was in his keeping, than to attempt 
 th difficult task of deceiving the police, who would 
 have enough shrewdness to unmask him. 
 
 " Then you will do nothing to help us ?" demanded 
 Archie, his patience becoming exhausted, though he 
 kept his temper very wtH " In that case we must
 
 258 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 lose no more time. Ah, Shirley ! I thought you 
 worthy of that angelic creature, but now " 
 
 He checked himself before finishing the sentence, 
 and went out into the hall. 
 
 " I think I had best go to Midlands and consult 
 with Mr. Fern," he said to Gouger in a low tone. 
 " There is a possibility that his daughter has 
 returned since you came away. What an awful list 
 of horrible thoughts crowd on one ! If you can 
 help me any I will send you word later." 
 
 When Mr. Weil was gone, Mr. Gouger opened the 
 door and looked again into Roseleaf's room. The 
 young man had not changed his position in the least. 
 
 " He has started for Midlands," he said. "What 
 do you think of his explanation in regard to his 
 absence last night ?" 
 
 " I think I know it is a lie !" was the quick 
 reply. 
 
 "You really believe she went away to meet him 
 and that he has passed the last twenty-four hours 
 with her." 
 
 "Undoubtedly." 
 
 The critic waited a minute. 
 
 " Do you think they are married ?" he asked. 
 
 Roseleaf closed his eyes, as a terrible pain shot 
 across them. He wondered dimly why this fellow 
 should delight in uttering things that must cause suf- 
 fering. Gouger deliberated whether to say more, but 
 thinking that he had left the right idea in the young 
 man's mind for the purpose he had in view, he softly 
 withdrew from the chamber and left the bouse
 
 JUT AwroL WIGHT. S5 
 
 When Roseleaf looked up again, some minutes later, 
 he was alone. 
 
 Mr. Weil's hand was grasped feebly by the owner 
 of Midlands, when he came into the presence of the 
 gentleman. Though completely exhausted Mr. Fern 
 had not been able to sleep. He listened wearily 
 while his caller suggested possibilities to account for 
 his daughter's absence, but could not agree that any 
 of them were probable. When the idea was broached 
 of communicating with the police he shrank from 
 that course, but finally admitted that it must be 
 adopted, if all else failed. In answer to a hundred 
 questions he could only say that he had no idea of 
 anything that could make her absence voluntary. 
 
 "She loved her chosen husband devotedly," said 
 the old man. " When she hears what I have to tell 
 her she will hold a different opinion." 
 
 "Then," said Archie, ignoring the latter expres- 
 sion, "she must either be the victim of an accident, a 
 fit cl aberration, or " 
 
 H could not bear to finish the sentence, but the 
 fathr bowed in acquiescence. 
 
 Lunch was served and Mr. Weil sat down to it, 
 trying by his example to persuade Mr. Fern to take 
 a few mouthfuls. Neither of them had any appetite, 
 and the attempt was a dismal failure. 
 
 " I leave everything to you," said the host, as Mr. 
 Weil prepared to take his departure. "You are the 
 truest friend I ever had, and whatever you decide 
 jupon I will endorse. But I have an awful sinking at 
 the heart, a feeling that I shall never see my child
 
 399 A BLACK iDOXtt. 
 
 alive. Do you believe in premonitions ? I have felt 
 for weeks that some misfortune hung over me." 
 
 Before Mr. Weil could reply a servant entered 
 with a telegraphic message that had just been re- 
 ceived. Tearing it open hastily Mr. Fern uttered a 
 cry and handed it to his companion : 
 
 " I am alive and uninjured. Look for me to-morrow. 
 Daisy." 
 
 A gush of tears drowned the exclamations of joy 
 that the father began to utter. 
 
 "Alive!" he exclaimed. "And will be home to- 
 morrow ! Ah, Mr. Weil, hope is not lost, after all. 
 But why, why does she leave me in my loneliness 
 another night ? Is there any way in which you can 
 explain this mystery ?" 
 
 Mr. Weil confessed his inability to do so. He 
 tried, however, to show the father the bright side of 
 the affair, and bade him rest tranquil in the certainty 
 that only a few hours separated him from the child 
 he adored. When Daisy came home she would ex- 
 plain everything to his satisfaction. In the mean- 
 time he ought to indulge in thankfulness for what 
 he had learned rather than in regrets. 
 
 " Go to bed and get a good rest," he added. " I 
 will make a journey to the telegraph office in the city 
 and see if it is possible to trace this message. If I 
 learn anything I will ring you upon the telephone at 
 once. And remember, if you do not hear from me, 
 there is a proverb that no news is good news. 
 Daisy has promised to come home to-morrow. This
 
 Alff AWFUL NIGHT. 261 
 
 Is something definite. An hour ago we were plunged 
 in despair. Now we have a certainty that should 
 buoy us up to the highest hope." 
 
 Catching at this view of the case, Mr. Fern con- 
 sented to seek rest and Mr. Weil took the next train 
 to the city. Engaging a carriage he bade the driver 
 take him with all speed to Mr. Roseleaf's residence. 
 Notwithstanding the harsh manner in which he had 
 been treated by his late friend, he wanted to be the 
 first to inform him that Daisy had been heard from. 
 He was smarting, naturally, under the imputation 
 upon his own honor, and felt that the telegram in 
 his hand would at least remove that suspicion. 
 
 "I couldn't help coming again, Shirley," he said, 
 when he was in the presence of the novelist. ' I 
 know, despite the cruel manner you have assumed, 
 that you still love Daisy Fern and will be glad to 
 hear that she is safe from harm. Here is a telegram 
 that her father has just received, stating that she is 
 well and will be at home to-morrow." 
 
 His face glowed with pleasure as he held out the 
 missive, but darkened again when Roseleaf declined 
 to take it in his hand. The young man had not 
 moved, apparently, from the chair in which he had 
 been seen three hours before, and his expression of 
 countenance was unchanged. 
 
 " Does she say where she passed the night and 
 with whom ?" he inquired. 
 
 " No. But she says she is well and will return. 
 Is not that a great deal, when we have feared some 
 accident, perhaps a fatal one ?" 
 
 The novelist uttered a sneering laugh.
 
 262 A BLACK ADOVIf. 
 
 " My God, Shirley, why do you treat me like this !" 
 exclaimed Mr. Weil, excitedly. " I have been your 
 friend in everything, as true to you as man could 
 be ! If I had done the dastardly thing of which you 
 accuse me, why should I come to you at all ? I 
 could have taken my bride and gone to the other 
 end of the earth. We need not have adopted these 
 contemptible measures. But although I did care, for 
 this girl more than I ever cared or ever shall care 
 for another I knew it was you she loved and I did 
 all I could to aid you in your suit. Have you for- 
 gotten how I brought her here, as you lay in that 
 very chair, and removed the misunderstandings that 
 had grown up between you ? As God hears me, I have 
 no idea what caused her absence last night ! I am 
 going now to the telegraph office to trace, if possible, 
 the message and find where she is at present, for I 
 want to relieve her father's mind still more." 
 
 Roseleaf seemed partially convinced by this out- 
 burst. He left his chair, and began slowly to ar- 
 range his attire before the mirror. 
 
 " If you are sincere," he said, " I will accompany 
 you. I will also do my best to discover the resting- 
 place of this young woman. You must remain with 
 me till she is found. If we do not see her before to- 
 morrow morning, we will walk into her presence at 
 Midlands together. Do you agree to this ?" 
 
 ** With all my heart !" was the joyous reply. 
 
 In ten minutes they entered the carriage at the 
 door, and were driven to the station from which the 
 telegram had been sent.
 
 "THIS ENDS IT, THEN?" 263 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 " THIS ENDS IT, THEN ?" 
 
 There was nothing to be learned at the telegrapk 
 fice. As near as could be remembered a boy had 
 brought the message, paid for it and vanished. Only 
 one discovery amounted to anything. The original 
 dispatch was produced and proved to be in Daisy's 
 handwriting. Roseleaf attested to this, and he 
 knew the characters too well to be mistaken. 
 
 It was not advisable, in Mr. Weil's opinion, to go 
 to the police, after the receipt of this word from the 
 missing girl. It would only add to the notoriety of 
 the family in case the press got hold of the news. 
 But he did think it wise to go to see Isaac Leveson 
 and find a man named Hazen, whose reputation as a 
 detective was great. He could rely on the absolute 
 silence of both of them. The ride to Isaac's was 
 consequently made next, and by good fortune Hazen 
 happened to be in. He listened gravely to the situa- 
 tion as it was outlined by Mr. Weil, but expressed 
 his opinion that nothing would be gained by doing 
 anything before the next day. 
 
 " That telegram is genuine," he said. " It follows 
 that, unless she is detained forcibly, she will be at 
 home to-morrow. The writing in this message is 
 not like that of a person under threats, like one com- 
 pelled to send a false statement. Your best way is to 
 wait till she comes home, providing it is not later 
 than she indicates, and hear her story. Perhaps it
 
 264: A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 will explain the mystery. If she declines to do thi, 
 I will undertake to probe it to the bottom, if you 
 wish." 
 
 Mr. Roseleaf took no part in this discussion. He 
 was becoming convinced that Archie Weil was inno- 
 cent of any complicity in this affair, but he was still 
 disinclined to talk much. 
 
 " Where shall we go now ?" he asked, when they 
 came out of the restaurant. 
 
 " To the Hoffman House ?" said Weil, interroga- 
 tively. " I believe with Hazen that we can do noth- 
 ing to-night." 
 
 Very well, to the Hoffman House they would go. 
 But they had not been in Weil's room five minutes 
 when a boy came up with a telephonic message from 
 Mr. Fern, stating that Daisy was safe at Midlands. 
 
 "Let us return without delay," said Weil, enthusi- 
 astically. "We should not lose a moment in remov- 
 ing this terrible cloud ! Come, Shirley, we can 
 catch the six o'clock train if we hasten." 
 
 Mechanically the younger man followed his com- 
 panion through the hall, down the elevator and into 
 a carriage at the door. Forty minutes later they 
 alighted from the train at Midlands and were soon in 
 the familiar parlor at Mr. Fern's. A servant who had 
 admitted them, stated that Miss Daisy had been 
 home about two hours but that she was now lying 
 down. He would inquire whether she would receive 
 the visitors. 
 
 What seemed an interminable time followed be- 
 fore the appearance of Mr. Fern and his daughter. 
 When at last they came in together, leaning on each
 
 "THIS ENDS IT, THEN?" 265 
 
 other, they were two as forlorn objects as one can 
 
 imagine. The sight of his sweetheart's woe-begone 
 face smote Roseleaf like a blow. He regretted to 
 the bottom of his heart the cruel things he had 
 thought and said of her. 
 
 " Daisy !" he exclaimed, stepping forward. 
 "Daisy my " 
 
 He could get no further, for Mr. Fern, with a ma- 
 jestic motion of his hand, waved him back. The pres* 
 ence of the intended bridegroom was evidently not 
 agreeable to the old gentleman. 
 
 " Sit down," said Mr. Fern, in a quavering voice, 
 addressing himself wholly to Weil. " I telephoned 
 to you that my daughter had returned, for I knew you 
 would be anxious." He bore with special stress on 
 the word " you." " I I did not know that you in- 
 tended to bring any other person." 
 
 The allusion to Roseleaf was so direct, that he 
 could not help attempting some kind of a reply. 
 
 " Who could be more anxious than I ?" he asked, in 
 a tone that was very sweet and tender ; in vivid con- 
 trast, the old man thought, to his manner of the pre- 
 ceding evening. " No one has a greater interest to 
 learn where she has been these long, desolate 
 hours." 
 
 Mr. Fern abandoned his intention not to recognize 
 the fact that Roseleaf was present, and turned upon 
 him with a fierce glare in his sunken eyes. 
 
 " What right have you to ask questions ?" he de- 
 manded, pressing the trembling form of his daughter 
 to his own. " You were the first to doubt her even 
 her innocence this lamb that would have given her
 
 266 A BLACK ADOJHi. 
 
 life for you only yesterday ! She has returned to nit, 
 and henceforth she is mine! You could not have 
 her though you came on your knees ! You wish to 
 know where she has been ! Well, you never will! 
 She will not tell you ! It is her own affair. I am 
 speaking for her when I say that we desire no more 
 of your visits to this house ; we are through with 
 you, thank God !" 
 
 It would be hard to tell which of the two men who 
 listened to this was the more surprised. Mr. Weil 
 felt his heart sink as well as did Roseleaf. Daisy 
 clung to her father, without raising her eyes, and 
 there was nothing to indicate that she disputed his 
 assertions. 
 
 All was over between her and Roseleaf ! Nothing 
 could bring them together again ! And she did not 
 mean to divulge the cause of her remaining away a 
 day and a night that day and night that hac 1 . been 
 expected to precede and succeed her marriage. 
 
 Shirley rose slowly. He bent his eyes earnestly 
 on the father and daughter, and his voice was 
 firm. 
 
 "When one is dismissed, there is nothing for him 
 but to go. I regret sincerely what I said last night, 
 when the horror of this tiling came suddenly upon 
 me. I love you, Daisy, and I know by what you 
 have told me so often that you love me. Are the 
 foolish utterances of a distracted man to separate us 
 forever ? Conceive the agony I was in when at the 
 very moment I was to start for my wedding I heard 
 that my bride could not be found ! If I had not 
 adored you passionately would I have been on
 
 267 
 
 the verge of madness, saying and doing things 
 without reason and excuse ? I am ordered to leave 
 you, my sweetheart, and if you do not bid me stay I 
 can only obey the mandate. But I love you more at 
 this moment than ever. All I ask to know is why 
 you made this flight. If your answer is satisfactory 
 there will be nothing on my part to prevent our 
 marriage." 
 
 Archie Weil wished that he could have led this 
 young man aside for just a moment, to show him 
 that this was no time to make demands or exacpcon- 
 ditions. He had no doubt that Daisy would explain 
 everything, a little later. All that was wanted now 
 was a revocation of the dismissal that Mr. Fern had 
 pronounced. But he could not control the stormy 
 ocean upon which they rode. 
 
 " You seem singularly obtuse," Crime the shaking 
 voice of the old gentleman. "It is not tor you to 
 dictate terms. We want to see you no more. Is 
 not that clear enough ?" 
 
 It certainly did not seem to be. Roseleaf lingered, 
 wondering if these were really to be the last phrases 
 he would hear in that house in that very room 
 where he had expected to hear the words that would 
 make this sweet girl his for life. 
 
 "Daisy," he said, addressing himself once more to 
 the silent figure, " I cannot believe you have so soon 
 learned to hate me !" 
 
 She looked up at the solemn face and then dropped 
 her eyes again. 
 
 "You will tell me where you were?" he pleaded. 
 " It is ray right to know."
 
 268 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 She looked up again, with a wild horror in her 
 
 features. 
 
 " Oh, I cannot 7 she cried. '* I never can tell you. 
 I never can!" 
 
 This statement shocked more than one person in 
 that room. Up to this moment Mr. Fern had only 
 understood, from the disjointed expressions of his 
 daughter when she entered the house, that she did 
 not wish to be questioned at that time. She had 
 also explained to him that she had sent the telegram 
 to make the coast clear of all except her parent, as 
 she did not wish to meet others on her first arrival. 
 When he had urged the duty of informing Mr. Weil 
 she had acquiesced, not dreaming that Mr. Roseleaf 
 would be in his company. 
 
 And now the old man felt that there was more in 
 the answer she had given than he had suspected 
 something very like a confession of wrong. Mr. 
 Weil felt this also, though he could not believe Daisy 
 meant anything very heinous, and Shirley Roseleaf 
 had a dagger in his breast as he reflected what inter- 
 pretation might be given to her words. 
 
 "You cannot!" he repeated, ignoring the position 
 in which he stood, and the presence of the others. 
 " You must r 
 
 Mr. Weil made haste to allay the storm that he 
 saw was still rising. 
 
 " Let us be considerate," he said. " Miss Fern is 
 not well. She is tired and nervous. To-morrow, 
 when she has rested, she will be only too glad to tell 
 us the history of her strange disappearance." 
 
 Mr. Fern looked uneasily from his daughter to the
 
 "THIS ENDS IT, THEN?" 269 
 
 gentlemen and back again. He loved her dearly, 
 and in this new danger that seemed to threaten her 
 danger perhaps even to her reputation he wanted 
 more than over to shield her from all harm. What- 
 ever had happened she Was his child. She should 
 not be baited and badgered by any one. But Daisy 
 did not give him time to speak in her defense. She 
 answered Mr. Weil almost as soon as the question 
 left his lips. 
 
 " It cannot be. Not to-morrow, nor at any other 
 time, can I tell you or any person anything. You 
 must never ask me. It would merely give me pain, 
 and heaven knows I shall suffer enough without it. 
 Let me say a little more, for this is the last time I 
 shall ever speak of these things. To you, Mr. Weil, 
 I want to give my warmest thanks. You have been 
 a true friend to me and mine. I do not mean to 
 seem ungrateful, but I can tell you no more. And 
 as for you, Shirley," she turned with set eyes to the 
 novelist, " you know what we were to each other. 
 It is all ended now. Even if you had expressed no 
 disbelief in me when you heard I had disappeared, 
 it would be just the same. I hold no hard feelings 
 against you, whatever my father may say. It is 
 simply good-by. I shall not remain here much 
 longer. Do not let this make you unhappy any 
 longer than you can help. Now, you must excuse 
 me, for my strength is gone." 
 
 Daisy had been much longer saying these things 
 than the reader will be in perusing them. They had 
 come in gasps, as from one in severe pain, and there 
 were pauses of many seconds. When she had
 
 270 A BLACK Anoxia. 
 
 nnished she rose, and leaning heavily on the feeble 
 old man who escorted her, walked slowly out of the 
 
 " Well, this ends it, then," said Roseleaf, gloomily, 
 following the fair figure with heavy eyes. 
 
 " No, Shirley, it does not ; it shall not !" replied 
 Weil. "There is some dreadful mistake here, and a 
 little time will clear it away. Have patience." 
 
 The novelist gazed at the speaker with a strange 
 look. 
 
 " I have treated you like a brute," he said, slowly. 
 "And I have treated Mr. Fern just as badly. My 
 punishment is well deserved. But how can this puz- 
 zle of her absence be accounted for ! Of course she 
 would have had to satisfy me on that point before I 
 could have married her." 
 
 The listener turned giddily toward a window. 
 
 " And yet you talk of love !" he said, recovering. 
 " If that girl had done me the honor she did you I 
 would not have asked her such a question I would 
 have refused to listen if it gave her the slightest pain 
 to tell." 
 
 " I wonder she did not love you instead of me for 
 she did love me once," was the sober reply. " You 
 would be a thousand times better, more suitable, 
 than I." 
 
 There was no reply to this, but the two men walked 
 slowly out of the house and to the station, where 
 they took the next train for the city. On the way 
 they talked little, and at the Grand Central Depot 
 they separated. 
 
 Lawrence Gouger, who had in some strange way
 
 "THIS ENDS IT, THBW?" 271 
 
 learned the news of Miss Fern's return, was awaiting 
 Roseleaf in his rooms. 
 
 " Well, I hear the missing one is found," he said, as 
 the novelist came in. 
 
 " Yes. She is with her father. But the peculiar 
 thing is that she closes her lips absolutely about her 
 absence. She not only refuses to speak now, but 
 announces that her refusal is final. 
 
 Mr. Gouger hesitated what card to play. 
 
 " When does the marriage take place ?" he asked, 
 finally. 
 
 " With me ? Never. I have been thrown over. 
 Unless she had explained I could not have married 
 her, any way ; could I ?" 
 
 The critic said he did not know. It would cer- 
 tainly have been awkward. 
 
 " And what is your theory ?" he added. " Do you 
 still lay anything to Weil ?" 
 
 " No. I am completely nonplussed. But, never 
 mind. It is over." 
 
 Roseleaf stretched himself, and yawned. 
 
 " Do you know, Gouger, I almost doubt if I have 
 really been in love at all. I feel a queer sense of 
 relief at being out of it, though there is a dull pain, 
 too, that isn't exactly comfortable. I told Archie 
 coming in that she should have married him. Upon 
 my soul I wish she would. She's an awful nice little 
 thing, and he has a heart that is genuine enough for 
 her. Well, it's odd, anyway." 
 
 Astonishment was written on the face of the other 
 gentleman as he heard these statements. 
 
 " You hare at least gained one point," he said, im-
 
 272 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 pressively. " You have done the best part of the 
 greatest novel that ever was written. Sit down as soon 
 as you can and finish it, and we shall see your name 
 so high up on the temple of fame that no contempor- 
 ary of this generation can reach it." 
 
 " So high the letters will be indistinguishable, I 
 fear," responded Roseleaf, with a laugh. " Where do 
 you think I can get the heartiest supper in New 
 York ? I am positively starved. I don't believe I've 
 eaten a thing since yesterday. If you can help me 
 any to clear the board, let us go together." 
 
 This invitation was accepted, and Roseleaf began 
 making a more particular toilet, taking great pains 
 with the set of his cravat and spending at least ten 
 minutes extra on his hair when he had finished shav- 
 ing himself. He never had allowed a barber to 
 touch his face. 
 
 " You won't lose any time on the novel, will you ?" 
 asked Gouger, anxiously, while these preparations 
 were in progress. " You must take hold of it while 
 the events are fresh in your mind." 
 
 "All right, I'll begin again to-morrow morning, 
 and stick to the work till it's done. Where shall we 
 go to supper? I'll tell you Isaac Leveson's." 
 
 The critic could not conceal his surprise at the 
 overturn that had taken place So suddenly in the 
 young man's conduct. He stared at him with a look 
 that approached consternation. 
 
 " You want to go there 1" he exclaimed, unable to 
 control himself. " You wish to dine with some pretty 
 girl, eh T* 
 
 Roseleaf start** violently.
 
 AN UNDISOOVERABLE BECKET. 973 
 
 *' No, no ! Not yet !" he answered. " We can 
 get a supper room without that appendix. I wish to 
 be among men as mean as myself. I want to dine in 
 a house full of people who would cut a woman's 
 throat or break her heart and sleep soundly when 
 they had done it I" 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 AN UNDISCOVERABLE SECRET. 
 
 The Ferns did not stay much longer at Midlands. 
 Crushed by their misfortunes neither cared to remain 
 near the scenes that had made them so unhappy, nor 
 where they would be likely to meet faces which kept 
 alive their grief. The father knew no more than at 
 first concerning the strange conduct of his daughter. 
 She had told him nothing, and he had not asked her 
 a single question. It was enough for him that she 
 was bowed with a great trouble. His only thought 
 was to mitigate her distress in every possible way. 
 He was old how old he had not realized until that 
 week when she changed from a happy, laughing girl, 
 standing at the threshold of a marriage she longed 
 for, to a sombre shadow that walked silently by his 
 side. He was the one who under ordinary circum- 
 stances should have received the care and the 
 thouglitfulness but everything was altered now. 
 He guided and directed the younger feet, even 
 though his own were faltering and slow.
 
 274 A B&AOK ADOSI3. 
 
 Where they had gone no one seemed to know. 
 Archie Weil received one brief note from Mr. Fern 
 thanking him again in touching phrase for his many 
 kindnesses, and saying that Daisy wished to add her 
 most earnest wish for his happiness. The letter said 
 they were going away for some time ; but no more. 
 He went one day to Midlands, hoping to learn 
 something from the servants, and found the home 
 entirely deserted. A neighbor told him a real estate 
 agent near by had the keys, but that the place was 
 neither for sale nor to rent. The agent, when found, 
 could add nothing to his stock of information. Mr. 
 Fern had merely mentioned that he was going on a 
 journey and asked to have a man sleep at the house 
 during his absence, as a precaution against robbery. 
 
 Mr. Weil saw Roseleaf two or three times, but the 
 interviews were so unsatisfactory that he felt them 
 not worth repeating. The novelist told him, as he 
 had told Gouger, that he did not believe he had ever 
 really loved Daisy, and was actually relieved now 
 that the strain was ended. No persuasion could 
 turn him from this statement, which he made rather 
 in explanation of his present course than as a 
 defense of it. Gouger had persuaded him that a 
 love affair was necessary to develop his talents as a 
 writer. Before he knew what he was about, such an 
 affair had been precipitated upon him. He had felt 
 its pleasures and pains to the uttermost, and now it 
 was ended. All that was left as a result was a pile 
 of MSS. which the critic pronounced wonderful. It 
 was as if he had been in a trance, or mesmerized.
 
 Alf UWDiaCOVERABLE SECRET. 275 
 
 Henceforth he would confine his writings to actuali- 
 ties or to poetic imaginings. 
 
 Talking with a man who held these views was not 
 inspiring, to put it mildly, and Archie reluctantly 
 gave up all hopes of making Daisy Fern a happy 
 woman through this source. He had dreamed of 
 unraveling the mystery that surrounded her and 
 placing the young couple again in the position 
 which, by some horrible mischance, had been so 
 vitally changed in the short space of one day. 
 Though he still loved Daisy with all the warmth of his 
 nature, Archie had no thought of trying to win her 
 for himself. She had given the fullness of her 
 innocent heart to Roseleaf and he did not believe 
 she was one to change her affections to another so 
 soon as this. 
 
 What had happened ! What had happened ! He 
 thought it over day by day, and night by night. 
 
 Among the things he did before leaving New York 
 for ke felt that a journey was necessary for him 
 was to seek out Millicent. He found the elder sister 
 adamant to every suggestion of love for her family. 
 She believed herself injured by them, and would 
 have nothing more to do with either. As to the 
 strange affair regarding Daisy she declared she had 
 no theory. She did not think it sufficiently interest- 
 ing even to try to formulate one. Her time was 
 given to writing, and she had found another assist- 
 ant that quite filled Roseleaf's place. The firm of 
 Scratch & Bytum had accepted her latest novel, as 
 she did not care to have anything more to do with 
 Mr. Gouger.
 
 373 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 When she mentioned the name of Roseleaf, Mr. 
 Weil looked at her intently, and saw that she uttered it 
 with the utmost calmness. She had hardened. Her 
 fancied grievances had made her a different woman. 
 She was cynical before, but now she was bitter. Ha 
 would not have believed that such an alteration 
 could have taken place in so short a time. 
 
 " What is your new book about ?" he asked, try- 
 ing to be polite. 
 
 " Crime !" she answered briefly. " It deals with the 
 lowest of the low. It suits the mood I am in. I am 
 writing of things so terrible that they will hardly be 
 credited. To get at my facts I have to go into the 
 most depraved quarters, and associate with the 
 canaille. But I am going to make a hit that has not 
 been equaled in recent years P 1 
 
 He smiled sadly. 
 
 " Roseleaf had the same expectation," he said. 
 "And yet he tells me that he is doing nothing on 
 that wonderful tale over which I have heard Gouger 
 rave so often. He has reached a point where lie can 
 go no farther, and unless he rouses himself, all he has 
 done is merely wasted time.*' 
 
 Millicent closed her eyes till they resembled those 
 of a cat at noonday. 
 
 " Keep watch for mine," she said. " It will be all 
 I claim for it." 
 
 During the winter Mr. Weil was in California. As 
 spring approached he returned to the East and 
 visited a well known resort in North Carolina, 
 where by one of those curious coincidences that hap- 
 pen to travelers, he found himself placed at table
 
 AW UWDISOOVERABLE SECRET. 277 
 
 exactly opposite to Mr. Walker Boggs. The ordinary 
 salutations and explanations followed, and then Mr. 
 Boggs alluded to a more interesting subject. 
 
 " I think I can surprise you," he remarked, " by 
 something that I learned the other day. Mr. Fern 
 and Miss Daisy are living within five miles of here." 
 
 It was certainly news, and entirely unexpected at 
 that. Those people might be in Greenland, for all 
 Archie had known, and indeed he had supposed they 
 were on the other side of the ocean. He listened 
 with interest while Boggs went on to say that they 
 had hired an old plantation house and grounds 
 and were living a strictly secluded life. The narra- 
 tor had seen them in one of his drives through the 
 country, and had talked a few minutes with Mr. 
 Fern ; but and he said it with a touch of pique 
 he had not been invited to visit them, nor had any 
 apology been made for the neglect. 
 
 " By George, I thought it rather tough !" he 
 added, " considering the way you and I got him out 
 of that nigger's clutches." 
 
 " But you must remember what he has since en- 
 dured," replied Archie, mildly. 
 
 " And there's been no explanation, of any sort ?" 
 
 " Not the slightest. I'd give half I'm worth if I 
 could get a clue. It worries me all the time. A life 
 like that girl's ruined simply ruined in twenty- 
 four hours, and nobody able to tell why ! It's 
 enough to drive a man frantic !'* 
 
 Mr. Weil did not drive immediately to Oakhurst, 
 which he learned was the name of the estate that Mr. 
 Fern rented, but he enclosed his card in a hotel e*
 
 278 A BLACK 
 
 Yelope and sent it there by mail, without a word of 
 comment. If they thought it best to see him h 
 would be glad to go, otherwise he would not intrude 
 on their privacy. 
 
 Several days after mails were slow in the South 
 an answer came. It briefly requested that Mr. 
 Weil and Mr. Boggs, if the latter were still in town, 
 would come to lunch on the following Wednesday. 
 Boggs fumed slightly at the apparent difference 
 made between him and Weil, but ended by going 
 with his friend to Oakhurst. 
 
 Mr. Fern did not look any worse than when Archie 
 had last seen him indeed, if anything, he had im- 
 proved in appearance. Time helps most griefs to put 
 on a better face, and though the marks of what he 
 had passed through would not be likely to leave his 
 countenance, the utter hopelessness had in a measure 
 diappeared. When Daisy came into the parlor, she 
 also wore a mien not quite so crushed as when she 
 left the room at Midlands with her words of fare- 
 well. Whatever her trouble was, it had not left her 
 without something to live for. Her youth was doing 
 its work, and it seemed to the anxious eyes of the 
 onlooker that time would restore her nearly, if not 
 quite, to her former radiance. 
 
 In the presence of Mr. Boggs, neither father nor 
 daughter cared to discuss the past. They talked of 
 the plantation on which they resided, of the pleasant 
 drives in the vicinity, and of matters connected with 
 the world in general, of which they had learned 
 through the newspapers. But after the lunch was 
 finished Archie found himself alone with Daisy, wan-
 
 AH tnSDISOOTEBABLE 8ECBET. 70 
 
 dering through the extensive oak forest that gave 
 the place its name. 
 
 " How long shall you stay here ?" he asked her, as 
 a preludeto the other questions he wanted to follow it. 
 
 " I don't know," she replied. "We shall probably 
 , go north during the warm weather, perhaps to the 
 1 White Mountains. 
 
 He suggested that it must be rather lonesome at 
 Oakhurst. 
 
 " Not for us," she said, quickly. " We are all in 
 all to each other, and require no thickly settled com- 
 munity to satisfy us." 
 
 " Daisy," he said, after a pause, " there are things 
 I must say to you, and I 'hope with all my heart 
 you will find a way to answer them. In the first 
 place, do you believe me, really, truly, your friend ?" 
 
 She placed her hand in his for answer. The action 
 meant more than any form of words. 
 
 " Then, tell me tell me as freely as if I were your 
 brother, your priest why you stayed from home that 
 night." 
 
 She withdrew the hand he held, to place it with 
 the other over her eyes. 
 
 44 It is impossible," she responded, with a gasp. 
 " I told you that I never could explain, and I never 
 can." 
 
 He looked sorely disappointed. 
 
 " I know no person on earth not even my father/* 
 she proceeded, giving him back the clasp she had 
 loosened, " that I would tell it to sooner than you. I 
 have not given him the least hint. I know it leaves 
 you to think a thousand things, and I can only throw
 
 280 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 myself on your mercy ; I can only ask you to re 
 member all you knew of me before that day, and 
 decide whether a girl can change her whole mental 
 and moral attitude in a moment." 
 
 He drew her arm caressingly through his, and 
 breathed a sigh on her forehead. 
 
 "Not for one second have I doubted your truth !" 
 he replied. " Believe that, Daisy, through every- 
 thing. But I hoped for an explanation, for some- 
 thing that might assist me to punish the guilty ones, 
 for such there must have been." 
 
 The face that she turned toward him was full of 
 terror. 
 
 " Why do you say that ?" she exclaimed. 
 
 " Because " 
 
 " No, no !" she cried, interrupting him. " I do not 
 want to hear you ! We must not talk on the sub- 
 ject j There is nothing to be told, nothing to be 
 guessed. This must be alluded to no more between 
 us. It must end here and now !" 
 
 Thoroughly disappointed, he could do no more than 
 acquiesce in the decision, and he indicated as much 
 by a profound bow. Then she changed the conver- 
 sation by an abrupt allusion to Roseleaf. When he 
 told her, as he thought it wisest to do, how well the 
 young man had borne his loss, she said she was very 
 thankful. She had feared that he would suffer when 
 he came to his senses, and it was a mercy that this 
 reflection had been spared her. 
 
 He spoke of her sister, and of the call he had 
 made upon her, suppressing, however, the disagree- 
 able features of her remarks. Daisy said she had
 
 AS UNDISCOVEEABLB SECRET. 281 
 
 written twice and received no reply. It was evident 
 that the separation in the family was final. 
 
 Toward evening the visitors drove back to their 
 hotel, discussing the strange events that had oc- 
 curred. Archie Weil did not close his eyes that 
 night. The love he had tried to suppress broke 
 forth in all its original fervor. He could not sleep 
 with the object of his adoration five miles away, so 
 lonely and so desolate. 
 
 The next day Mr. Boggs went away, and the next 
 after this, a new visitor carried from the north. On 
 coming out upon the veranda to smoke, Mr. Weil 
 found Shirley Roseleaf there. 
 
 The surprise was mutual. Dying of ennui, Archie 
 was glad even to meet the novelist. They talked for 
 hours and afterward went to ride together. It ap- 
 peared that Roseleaf had come south to get material 
 for an article in the interest of the magazine on 
 which he was employed. 
 
 One night, a week later, Roseleaf came into Weil's 
 room and asked if he would like to take a moonlight 
 canter with him. Glad of any means to vary the 
 awful monotony Archie accepted, and the horses 
 were soon mounted. Weil noticed that the route 
 was in the direction of Oakhurst, but as he supposed 
 Roseleaf knew nothing of the presence of the Ferns 
 there, and as the family were doubtless abed at this 
 time, he made no attempt to induce him to take an 
 opposite course. It was a sad pleasure to pass with- 
 in so ahort a distance of the roof that sheltered the 
 one he loved best. On they rode, until they were
 
 968 A BLACK ADOWIS. 
 
 within a mile of Oakhurst, and then Roseleaf drew 
 his animal down to a walk. A little further he 
 turned sharply into a by-path and alighted. 
 
 " What's all this ?" asked Archie, stupefied with 
 astonishment. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 " I PLAYED AND I LOST.** 
 
 Roseleaf did not immediately reply. He busied 
 himself by tying his horse to a tree, taking particular 
 pains to make the knot good and strong. He appar- 
 ently wanted a little time to think what form of 
 words to use. 
 
 " I want you to see something that will interest 
 you," he said, finally, in the lowest tone that could 
 well be heard. " If you will follow my example and 
 accompany me some distance further I think you 
 will be paid for your trouble." 
 
 Mr. Weil was pale. He felt certain that this 
 strange visit had been premeditated, and that some 
 revelation regarding the Fern family was about to be 
 made. The dread of an unknown possibility for 
 which he had no preparation affecting the girl for 
 whom he had so deep a love unmanned him. 
 
 "I have a right to ask you to explain," he re- 
 sponded. " If your statement is satisfactory I will 
 accompany you gladly. I do not se the need of any 
 mytttrj in the matter/*
 
 "l PLATES UT1> X UMK. 2& 
 
 The younger man drew a long breath and looked 
 abstractedly at the ground for some moments. Then 
 he spoke again : 
 
 " There are subjects," he said, " that one does not 
 like to discuss. There are names that one hesitates 
 to pronounce. If you will tie your horse and go 
 with me, your eyes and ears will make questions 
 unnecessary." 
 
 A momentary suspicion flashed through the mind 
 of the other a suspicion that he was being beguiled 
 to this lonely spot from a sinister motive thai boded 
 his safety no good. But it was immediately dis- 
 missed, and after another second of delay, Archie 
 slipped from his saddle and followed the example of 
 his companion. 
 
 " Lead on," he said, laconically. 
 
 Without waiting for a second invitation, Roseleaf 
 began to penetrate the wood. He found a footpath, 
 after going a short distance, and crept along it 
 slowly, taking evident pains not to make unnecessary 
 noise. They were going in the direction of Oak- 
 hurst, and in less than ten minutes the chimneys of 
 that residence could be seen in front of them. A 
 little further and Roseleaf stopped, placing himself 
 in the attitude of an attentive listener. 
 
 The silence was profound. A slight chill perme- 
 ated the atmosphere, but neither of the prowlers felt 
 cold. On the contrary, perspiration covered the 
 bodies of both of them. Roseleaf went, very slowly, 
 along the path, till he came near a fence, and 
 then, diverging from it, drew himself quietly into a 
 thick copse, motioning Weil to follow. Here the
 
 384 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 leader sank to the ground, with a motion which indi* 
 cated that the journey was temporarily, at least, at 
 an end, and the second member of the party followed 
 his example. 
 
 Half an hour passed with nothing to indicate the 
 reason for these most peculiar actions. Half an 
 hour that was interminable to Mr. Weil, torn with a 
 thousand fears as to what it might all portend. At 
 last, however, a faint sound broke the stillness. 
 Some one was approaching. Roseleaf touched the 
 shoulder of his companion to indicate the necessity 
 of absolute silence. 
 
 Hardly ten feet away there passed a tall, athletic 
 form, walking with a quick stride, as of one who has 
 no suspicion that he is watched by unfriendly eyes. 
 As the man's face became visible in the moonlight it 
 was well that Roseleaf had a pressure of warning on 
 his companion's shoulder. It was almost impossible 
 for the latter to restrain an exclamation that would 
 have ruined everything. 
 
 It was the face of Hannibal, the negro ! 
 
 Horrified, Archie turned his bloodshot eyes toward 
 Roseleaf. What could this strange visit of Han- 
 nibal's to that vicinity presage ? Did he intend ta 
 murder the master of the house and abduct the 
 daughter ? What was he doing there, at an hour 
 not much short of midnight? The terrors of hii 
 previous imaginings gave way to yet more horrible. 
 ones. 
 
 But the mute appeal that he shot at his com- 
 panion produced no answer, except a resolute shakt
 
 rt i PLAYED AHD" i LOST;** 285 
 
 of the head an absolute prohibition against the 
 least sound or movement. 
 
 Hannibal reached the fence and, without any 
 attempt at concealment, climbed over it into the 
 enclosure where were situated the house and out- 
 buildings of the Oakhurst estate. He acted like one 
 who knows his ground and has no occasion to pick 
 his way. He went, however, but a little farther in 
 the direction of the residence. In a place where the 
 shadow of a' smokehouse hid him from the possible 
 view of any one looking from the windows, he 
 waited in an attitude of expectation. 
 
 The difficulty of controlling himself grew stronger 
 and stronger for Archie Weil. He wanted to end 
 this terrible doubt to spring over that fence, pinion 
 this fellow by the throat and demand what business 
 he had on those premises at that hour. Roseleaf 
 realized all that was passing in his mind, and kept 
 his hand still on his shoulder, at the same time warn- 
 ing him by signs that the least movement would 
 ruin everything. It seemed to Archie, when he 
 thought it over afterward, that he had never endured 
 such pain. He knew beyond reasonable doubt that 
 Hannibal was awaiting some one by appointment. 
 Who could it be ? That was the stupendous ques- 
 tion that Roseleaf might have answered in a whisper, 
 but that he preferred for some mysterious reason his 
 friend should discover in the natural course of events. 
 And that course was horribly, torturously slow ! 
 
 Everything has an end, and the dread of the 
 watcher changed to another feeling as he saw dis- 
 tinctly one of the outer doors of the residence open
 
 2S6 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 and Daisy Fern's form come out. Without glancing 
 to the right or the left she walked in the direction 
 where the negro was waiting. For an instant, over- 
 come by his apprehensions, Archie closed both his 
 eyes in despair. The voice of Roseleaf was at last 
 heard in his ear, a whisper nearly inaudible, con- 
 juring him not to betray his presence whatever the 
 provocation. 
 
 When Archie opened his eyes again he saw that 
 Hannibal stood in an attitude of respect. When the 
 girl approached he bowed, without offering any 
 more intimate courtesy. Daisy had the look of one 
 who has made up her mind to endure an unpleasant 
 interview and desires to end it as quickly as possible. 
 
 "Well ?" she said, in a low tone. 
 
 " I am going to-morrow," he replied, in a voice 
 that shook with emotion. 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " And, as I told you, I want to say good-by once 
 more." 
 
 Archie breathed a trifle easier. He could not teh 
 what fears had crowded upon him they were indis. 
 tinct in their horribleness but some of them had 
 already flown. 
 
 " You are as cold as ever," continued the ricK 
 voice of the negro, in a cadence that was meant to be 
 reproachful. 
 
 "Do you think I could be anything else ?" was the 
 quick reply, as if forced from lips that had meant to 
 remain silent. " Has your conduct been such as to 
 make me like or respect you ?" 
 
 Th negro's eyes fell before her indignant gaze,
 
 **I PLATED AND I LOST." 987 
 
 " No,'* he answered, humbly. " I expect nothing ; 
 I ask nothing. I can see my mistakes now. And 
 yet, it would have been no different had I played the 
 part of an angel toward you. The entire question 
 with you was settled in advance by the fact that my 
 skin was black. 
 
 The pressure on Weil's shoulder grew heavier, 
 from time to time, as his companion realized his 
 temptation to break from his covert. 
 
 " If it had been as white as any man's who ever 
 lived," replied Daisy, boldly, "your conduct would 
 have earned the contempt of a self-respecting per- 
 son ! A blackmailer, an abductor, a conspirator 
 against the peace of mind of an old man and a. young 
 girl who never harmed you ! I wonder you can talk 
 of other reasons when you created so many by your 
 wicked acts!" 
 
 Hannibal shrugged his shoulders. 
 
 " It is true, nevertheless," he replied. * I am a 
 negro. In a moment of insanity I dreamed I was a 
 Man ! I dreamed I might gain for my wife a woman 
 whose ancestors had been born in a more northerly 
 clime than my own. To gain that end I took the 
 only course that seemed open. I possessed myself 
 of an influence that would make her father fear me. 
 Well, I played and I lost and then, like other play- 
 ers and losers, even white ones, I was desperate. 
 You were to be married to another a man 1 hated. 
 Life had lost its only charm, I could not bear that 
 you should be his bride. My torture was intense. I 
 asked but for death/'
 
 288 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 These revelations, so novel to at least one of the 
 listeners, smote him with terrific force. 
 
 " You asked for more !" said the girl, hoarsely. 
 " You asked for my death as well as your own. And 
 you wanted me to die in such a situation that all the 
 world would say I had perished willingly with you. 
 Could anything more cowardly be conceived ! Was 
 anything more dastardly ever devised ! It was the 
 morning of my wedding day; my father was wait- 
 ing for me at home ; my promised husband was pre- 
 paring for the bridal ; my friends were invited to 
 the ceremony. What were all these to you ? With 
 Mephistophelian cunning you sent me a letter in an- 
 other person's handwriting, saying that, if I would 
 come to a certain address, and pay fifty dollars, sev- 
 eral forged notes given by my father would be re- 
 turned to me. You knew I would respond. You 
 knew I would tell no one where I was going, as I 
 did not expect to be detained more than an hour, 
 and there was apparently the strongest reasons for 
 secrecy. And when I was completely in your clutches 
 you gave me the alternative of marrying you ugh ! 
 or of taking the poison you had so carefully pre- 
 pared. Oh, how could you ! how ndd you, when 
 you professed to like me !" 
 
 There was a low gurgle in Archie Weil's throat, 
 that he could not suppress. Fearful that it might 
 be heard in that dead silence, Roseleaf shook his 
 companion slightly. Mingled with his other emo- 
 tions there now came to Weil a stupefied wonder at 
 the apparent coolness of the novelist. 
 
 ** When one is willing to die for his love, it should
 
 " I PLATED AND I LOST." 289 
 
 not be questioned," said the negro. " I could not 
 have you in life I wanted you in death. I wanted 
 the world, which had despised me, to think a beauti- 
 ful woman had preferred to die with me rather than 
 marry a man she did not wish to wed. But why 
 should we recall that dreadful day and night ? You 
 won the victory. You, with your superior finesse, 
 triumphed over the African as your race has always 
 triumphed over mine. I demanded love or death. 
 You dissuaded me from both. And the next day I 
 permitted you to depart, and saw vanish with you 
 the last hope of happiness I shall ever feel," 
 
 The rich voice of the speaker broke completely at 
 the close, but the girl who heard him seemed to feel 
 no sympathy for his distress. 
 
 "Always yourself!" she exclaimed. "Do you 
 ever think of the life you left to me a life hardly 
 more kind than the murder you contemplated. Be- 
 fore you opened the portals that you had meant 
 for my tomb you made me swear never to reveal 
 where I had passed those hours. Never, no matter 
 what the provocation, was I to utter one word to 
 implicate you in the tragedy that had ruined two 
 households. You were the one to be protected / 
 the one to suffer ! Had it not been for the sacrifice 
 to my reputation in being found there with you 
 dead no explanation being possible from my closed 
 lips I would have accepted the alternative and 
 swallowed the poison rather than live to bear what I 
 do to-day!" , 
 
 Weil closed his eyes again. His braia was swim- 
 ming.
 
 290 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 " And you are sure," asked the negro, after a 
 pause, " that you have not violated that promise ? 
 You can still swear that you have never, even by a 
 hint, given the least cause of suspicion against me ?" 
 
 " Never 1" said the girl. " I consider my oath 
 binding, notwithstanding the manner in which it 
 was obtained. You may live in what peace your 
 conscience allows you, free at least from that fear." 
 
 The negro evidently believed her, for he heaved a 
 sigh of relief. 
 
 <l Well, good-by," he said. 
 
 " Good-by," she replied. "And you are not to 
 come again, remember. There is nothing to be 
 gained from another meeting between us. If if 
 you want money I can send it to you." 
 
 He lifted his head rather proudly at the last sug- 
 gestion. 
 
 " I do not want any," he said. " I am not low 
 enough for that. I took the sum from you to go to 
 France, because I hoped in my infatuation that I 
 could make myself something that you would not 
 despise. If I had wanted money I could have got 
 thousands out of your father, and I could still, not- 
 withstanding the pretence of those men that they 
 wrote the signatures I saw him forge. No, I mean 
 to give you back what I had from you, if ever I can 
 compose my mind enough to go to work and earn 
 it. I have no ambition. I stay in my mother's 
 cabin, day after day, unable to make the least effort. 
 Perhaps I can do something in time." 
 
 The negro took a step away, and then turned, as if 
 unable to go so abruptly.
 
 "l PLAYED AND I LOST." 201 
 
 " Good-by," he said, again. 
 
 " Good-by," answered Daisy, impassively. " I 
 want to tell you, now I think of it, where I got that 
 $1,000 I gave you. It was lent to me by the man 
 you hated so, Mr. Roseleaf." 
 
 Hannibal did not seem to care for this informa- 
 tion. 
 
 " He did not lend it for any good-will to me," he 
 replied. " I have heard, by-the-way, that he did not 
 mind losing you this man for whom you spurned a 
 heart that worshiped your very footprints. I believe 
 some day I'll take a shot at him." 
 
 The girl shuddered. 
 
 " It would be like you," she said, " if no one 
 was looking, and he did not know of your presence. 
 I don't believe, with all your claims, there is a manly 
 trait in you." 
 
 The tall form drew itself up and the athletic arms 
 were folded firmly. 
 
 " Take care !" said the red lips, sharply, and the 
 ivory white teeth gleamed. 
 
 " Oh, I am not afraid," replied Daisy. "My maid 
 is watching us from behind the blinds of my room. 
 I told her my own story about why I was to meet 
 you, but should harm happen to me the alarm bell 
 would ring out." 
 
 Startled visibly at this information, Hannibal 
 glanced in the direction indicated, and then began 
 to take his departure in earnest. 
 
 " All right," he said, as he mounted the fence. 
 " Keep your word and I'll keep mine. But if you 
 play any tricks, remember that's a game for two."
 
 292 A BLACK. ADONIS. 
 
 The men could not arise without startling Daisy, 
 who would undoubtedly have uttered a loud scream 
 had they suddenly appeared before her vision. They 
 saw her stand there for at least ten minutes, before 
 she went into the house. When she was out of sig)->t, 
 Weil crawled into a safer place and rose to his feet, 
 
 " I am going to follow that cur !" he muttered, be* 
 tween his teeth. 
 
 " To-morrow is soon enough," was the calm reply 
 of his friend. " I know where he lives." 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 ABSOLUTELY BLAMELESS. 
 
 Most men who are by nature excitable surprise 
 tkeir friends on occasions by exhibiting great calm- 
 ness. Shirley Roseleaf, who had often been thrown 
 into the greatest heat by far less important happen- 
 ings than the one just narrated, seemed a picture of 
 repose as he walked through the wood with his 
 friend in the direction of the horses they had teth- 
 ered. 
 
 " How did you discover they were going to have this 
 meeting ?" asked Weil, nervously. " I am all at sea.*' 
 
 " I have been on his track ever since the day I was 
 to have been married," was the reply. " I didn't in- 
 tend to leave a mystery like that unsolved. I dis- 
 covered that the Ferns were living here, and that
 
 ABSOLUTELY BLAMELB8S. 293 
 
 Hannibal originated a few miles further on. I found 
 that Miss Daisy was still a little afraid of him, that 
 he was using an influence over her which was to say 
 the least strange. Before I got at the truth I had 
 some queer misgivings, you may believe." 
 
 Mr. Weil stared at his companion. 
 
 " But how did you learn all this ?" he demanded. 
 
 " Oh," said Roseleaf, with a slight laugh, " I've 
 been in this neighborhood for two months. They 
 haven't met once but I heard every word they said. 
 Little by little I gained the truth of the matter. 
 And to-night, as it was perhaps the last time they 
 would be together, I wanted you to understand it 
 perfectly." 
 
 Archie frowned at the thoughts that crept in upon 
 his brain. 
 
 " Excuse me for saying that you don't appear to 
 mind it much," he muttered. " If you have heard 
 many conversations like the one to which I just 
 listened, and could go away without expressing the 
 thoughts you ought to feel, you are made up differ- 
 ently from me." 
 
 " That may be so, too," smiled the other, good- 
 humoredly. " But rememberthatthings are changed. 
 I once was a man in love now I am simply a writer 
 of romance." 
 
 The elder man shivered. 
 
 " Could one be actually in love with a girl like that 
 and then recover from it v ' he asked, half to himself. 
 
 " I don't think I ever was very much in love," was 
 the quick reply. "But never mind that. Let us 
 talk of Hannibal. You spoke of going after him.
 
 2&4 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 What would you have done had you carried out that 
 intention ?" 
 
 Weil had not thought of the matter in this con- 
 crete form. He had wanted to punish the negro for 
 his crimes against the woman he so dearly loved, 
 against the old man for whom he had such a warm 
 affection. How he would have accomplished this he 
 had not decided. The first thing was to follow and 
 tax the wretch with his offense. Subsequent events 
 would have depended on the way Hannibal met the 
 accusation. Certainly the temper of the pursuer 
 would have been warm, and his conduct might have 
 been severe. 
 
 "I don't know," he said. "I should have told 
 him for one thing that he would have to reckon with 
 something more than a weak girl or a poor old man 
 if he annoyed that family again. In case he had 
 been impertinent I cannot say what I might have 
 been tempted to do." 
 
 " All the more reason for congratulating yourself," 
 replied Roseleaf, as they reached the horses, "that 
 you did not follow him. He has promised to keep 
 away from the Ferns, and I think they have seen the 
 last of him. What is done can't be undone, ugly as 
 it is. Now," he continued, vaulting into his saddle, 
 "your course is reasonably plain. You must visit 
 Miss Daisy soon, let her know that the extent of her 
 misfortune is in your possession, and after a reason- 
 able time, ask her to marry you." 
 
 Archie Weil, who had also mounted his horse, 
 came near falling from the back of the animal at 
 this very abrupt suggestion.
 
 .1BBGLTJTELY BLAMXtBBI. 295 
 
 " That is just what you should do," continued 
 Roseleaf, without allowing him to speak. " You are 
 desperately in love. Daisy likes you very well, and 
 it would take but little effort on your part to induce 
 even a warmer sentiment. Her father thinks you 
 one of the angels that came down to earth and 
 forgot to return to heaven. She ought not to go 
 through life alone. Her only trouble is the suspicion 
 that rests on her name a suspicion she considers 
 herself bound in honor to do nothing to lift. Show 
 her that you know how innocent she is, and you will 
 bring a new light to her eyes, a new smile to her 
 lips." 
 
 " But," asked Archie, catching at the straw, "how 
 can I tell her how can I explain the source of my 
 information ?" 
 
 Roseleaf laughed. 
 
 " By the novel method of using the truth, or at 
 least a part of it," he said. " Tell her you were out 
 riding and saw Hannibal, and followed him. You 
 needn't count me into it. Why, you've got to let her 
 know, or else I have. It's a thing she would almost 
 give her life to have revealed without her aid. Go 
 like a man and take that heavy weight off her young 
 soul." 
 
 Finally Weil consented. He would not discuss 
 the question of whether he would afterwards speak 
 of the hope that lay nearest his heart. But he would 
 go to her, as Roseleaf suggested, and relieve her of 
 the strain that had worn so deeply. He would go 
 the very next day. The ooner it was accomplished 
 the better. The more he thought of it the more de-
 
 206 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 lighted he grew that he could carry such tidings. 
 He could make Daisy happier. That was enough 
 for him at present. If he could make himself 
 happy at a future date but there was time enough 
 for that. 
 
 He sat upright in his saddle and exulted as his 
 horse bounded nimbly over the ground. Why was 
 it not already day, that he might turn the beast in 
 the opposite direction ! The hours would be very 
 long before the sun rose and he could start on his 
 joyful errand. The sombre hue of his countenance 
 disappeared before the contentment that began to 
 fill his breast. 
 
 He slept well, notwithstanding the fact that he 
 expected to lie awake all night when he retired. In 
 the morning, on going down to breakfast, he found 
 that Shirley had left still earlier, leaving word that 
 he had started on a quest for game. Weil did not 
 mind. He had enough before him for one day. He 
 was going to see Daisy, and he had that to tell which 
 would lighten the load she had so long felt com- 
 pelled to carry. 
 
 He waited until after nine o'clock, feeling that 
 some regard must be paid to les convenances, even on 
 such an important occasion as this. When he was in 
 the saddle he rode as slowly as he could bring him- 
 self to do, to make his arrival still later. At last he 
 reached the gate of Oakhurst, and when he had sum- 
 moned the porter he sent him for Mr. Fern, stating 
 that he had happened to ride in that direction and 
 wanted merely to make a short call. 
 
 It was but a few minutes before the servant re-
 
 ABSOLUTELY BLAMELESS. 297 
 
 turned, and the hospitable master of the premises 
 came with him. Mr. Fern upraided Weil for using 
 so much ceremony, remarking that although he was 
 living in a retired way, there was always one friend 
 he was glad to see. Giving up the horse, Archie 
 accompanied his host to the house, where the latter 
 said he would send at once for Daisy. 
 
 " A minute," interpolated Archie. " I want a little 
 talk with you first, alone." 
 
 Mr. Fern looked up curiously. He believed he 
 knew what his visitor was about to say. He had 
 long suspected the feelings which Archie entertained 
 for Daisy. He knew also that his daughter would 
 consent to wed no man, no matter who, while there 
 hung over her fair fame the terrible mystery of her 
 wedding night. 
 
 " I want to tell you," pursued Archie, before his 
 host could interrupt, " that I have made a great dis- 
 covery one of the utmost moment to your family. 
 I know what happened on that day so sad to all of 
 us, and listen to me, Mr. Fern ! I know that your 
 child is absolutely blameless in the matter." 
 
 The listener's face grew very white. He under- 
 stood imperfectly, but it seemed to him that a tale 
 he could not bear to hear was about to be forced 
 upon him. 
 
 "Mr. Weil," he said, earnestly, " I hope you will 
 not continue this subject. I do not know what 
 occurred I do not wish to know. I have consulted 
 my daughter's sentiments entirely. She prefers to 
 have the veil unlifted, and I respect her wish."
 
 298 A BLACK ADONI8. 
 
 The visitor could hardly contain himself for im- 
 patience. 
 
 " That has been true hitherto," he replied. " But 
 Miss Daisy herself will be more than delighted when 
 she knows I am aware of the entire facts which she 
 has been prevented, by a promise extracted from her, 
 from revealing. Call her, let me tell her that I 
 know everything, and how I know it, and you will 
 fee the happiest girl in America." 
 
 Mr. Fern shook his head doubtfully. He was 
 much afraid of doing something to injure Daisy's 
 feelings. He could not believe she wanted to have 
 ihe trouble that had crushed her raked up by any 
 one. Archie persisted, however, and his arguments 
 it last won the day. 
 
 " You do not think I would come here with any 
 tidings I did not believe agreeable ?" he said, inter- 
 rogatively. " You know I care too much for for 
 both of you to do that." 
 
 When Miss Daisy was summoned, which she was 
 at last, and Mr. Weil gently let drop a hint of what 
 he had to tell, the girl was hardly less agitated than 
 her father had been. Instead, however, as the vis- 
 itor expected, of relying on her natural protector 
 during the expected recital, she whispered to Mr. 
 Fern, who obediently rose and let her lead him out 
 of the room. Presently she returned, and took a 
 chair opposite to Mr. Weil. Her face was so 
 pathetic, her attitude so entreating, that he quite 
 forgot what he had come to tell, and leaning to- 
 ward hr, took hr hands in his.
 
 ABSOWJTfcLY BLAJfBLBM. 9 
 
 " Daisy,* he said, a I I " and he could go no 
 further. 
 
 " Yes, I know," she answered, in a low voice. 
 " But there is a reason why I cannot listen to you. I 
 have told you that before. I ought not even to say 
 as much as this. I should not even remain in the 
 room while you explain the least thing." 
 
 He choked down the rising in his throat and has- 
 tened, lest she should follow literally the sentiment 
 she had outlined and leave him to himself. 
 
 " This has all been true, until now," he said. " You 
 were under a promise, an oath. But Daisy, last 
 night I heard all that passed between you and your 
 persecutor, and there is no longer any need for mys- 
 tery between us." 
 
 She gasped, as if her breath was going. 
 
 " You you heard !" 
 
 " Everything. I was within forty feet of you. 
 Are you sorry that the awful cloud is blown away 
 that your perfect innocence is proved without a. 
 violation of your plighted word ?" 
 
 For the girl was crying, slowly, without hysteria, 
 crying with both her hands tightly clasped over her 
 eyes. 
 
 " / did not need it, not I," continued the man, 
 earnestly. " I knew you had done nothing of your 
 free will that the whole world might not know. But 
 I knew, too, that you would be pleased to have your 
 innocence established. And I was glad for another 
 reason. I love you, Daisy. I have loved you a very 
 long time. Your sister was right in that. Had you 
 not shown such a marked preference for my friend I
 
 300 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 wouid have done my best to win you, months and 
 months ago. While you felt that you were an ob- 
 ject of suspicion I knew you would not consent to 
 be my wife, Now, that obstacle is gone andDaisy 
 I want you." 
 
 The hands were withdrawn from the tear-stained 
 face, a handkerchief was hastily passed over it, and 
 Daisy turned half away from the speaker. 
 
 " You will not refuse, my love," he murmured, 
 bending again toward her, " You will promise?" 
 
 One of her hands strayed toward him, and was 
 clasped joyfully in his own. 
 
 " But, in relation to that other matter," said Daisy, 
 some moments later, when the sweet tokens of love 
 had been given and taken, " I must be as silent as 
 before. I have listened to you, but I have not re- 
 plied. You can understand the reason. Never 
 speak of it to me again, if you do not wish to inflict 
 pain. It is something I cannot discuss." 
 
 "I may tell your father, though," he whispered. 
 
 " It would be best not. He is content now. No, 
 I beg you, say nothing to any one," 
 
 And he promised, like the lover he was, and sealed 
 it with another kiss on her pure mouth. 
 
 " I may tell him of of our love ?" he asked, 
 
 " Oh, yes ; we will tell him of that together;"
 
 TRAPPING A WOLt. 301 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 TRAPPING A WOLB 1 . 
 
 When Shirley Roseleaf left the hotel that morning 
 he carried a fishing rod, a rifle, a gamebag and 
 other acoutreraent3 of the sportsman. In his earlier 
 years, before he ever came to the city, he had been 
 accounted something of an expert with these imple- 
 ments. Since being in this country where there was 
 so much to tempt a Nimrod he had made a number 
 of similar excursions. Although it was some dis- 
 tance to the locality where he intended to go the 
 young man did not take a conveyance Of any kind. 
 He walked briskly over the road, breathing the pure 
 air of that early hour, and whistling in a low tone to 
 himself as he went along. 
 
 Among the other things he carried was a light 
 lunch, for he did not care to break his fast so 
 early in the day. H had, besides, a contrivance 
 for making coffee and for broiling the fish he 
 expected to catch. Even if his jaunt lasted till night 
 his physical needs were well provided for. One 
 would not have imagined, to see his free and easy 
 swing over the road, that he had anything of greater 
 moment on his mind than to watch for some stray 
 rabbit, or a possible deer track. 
 
 Not less than six miles from his starting point, he 
 came to a small lake, to reach which he had followed 
 a narrow path that led through the wood* On the
 
 302 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 shore was a primitive rowboat, or rather canoe, 
 which he had purchased on another occasion from a 
 native for an insignificant price. Into this boat the 
 novelist stepped, and after safely depositing his traps, 
 took up the paddle and used it skillfully. When he 
 had reached approximately the centre of the lake, he 
 sat down, prepared his fishing tackle and began to 
 angle for the denizens of the water below. 
 
 With the patience of a true fisherman Roseleaf sat 
 quietly for two hours, during which time he had 
 drawn out but few specimens. The long walk had, 
 however, given him the appetite he needed, and he 
 now pulled his frail craft toward the shore, with the 
 intention of lighting a fire and preparing a meal. But 
 even when he had nearly reached land he saw splinters 
 flying beneath his feet, and immediately after heard a 
 dull sound which showed what had caused the 
 trouble. 
 
 A stray bullet, from some careless hunter, had 
 penetrated his canoe. The hole was large enough to 
 render the boat useless, for the water began to come 
 in rapidly. With two more stout movements of the 
 paddle Roseleaf forced his craft against the shore and 
 sprang upon dry land. Then he quietly picked up 
 the things he had brought with him, and walked a 
 little away from the scene. 
 
 " These fellows are getting altogether too care- 
 less/' he muttered, as he inspected his damp belong- 
 ings. " A little more and that thing would have 
 been tearing splinters in me." 
 
 Scraping some dead wood together, he soon had a 
 fire started, and the cooking of his breakfast was
 
 TRAPPING A WOLF. 303 
 
 begun. He went about the work methodically, 
 whistling again in that low key he had used when on 
 the way from his hotel, and stopping now and then 
 as the noise of a woodbird or some wild quadruped 
 of the smaller kind came to his ears. He sniffed the 
 coffee that was boiling furiously and the freshly 
 caught fish that sent out an appetizing aroma. No 
 meal served at the Hoffman, the Imperial or the far- 
 famed Delmonico restaurant, could equal this primi- 
 tive repast, for him. 
 
 Finally, all was ready. Helping himself to a large 
 plateful of the delicious food, and pouring out a 
 huge tin cup of the coffee, Roseleaf sat down as if 
 to take his ease while breakfasting. But, instead of 
 touching the viands he had been at such pains to 
 prepare, the next thing he did was to fall prone on 
 the ground. And at the same instant a second bullet 
 whizzed past him and buried itself with a tearing of 
 bark and wood in the tree just behind him. 
 
 If Roseleaf had laid down with suddenness he rose 
 with no less speed. As he sprang to his feet he 
 picked up his rifle. He made a dozen steps for- 
 ward, and then, bringing the weapon to his shoulder, 
 cried to some one in front of him : 
 
 " Halt, or I fire !" 
 
 A human form that had been creeping away on its 
 hands and knees, now stood upright. It was perhaps 
 thirty yards from the speaker, and when it faced him 
 he saw that the countenance was black. 
 
 " Don't come any nearer and don't go any farther 
 off," said the novelist, gravely. " You are at a con-
 
 304 A. BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 venient distance. I can shoot you best where you 
 stand." 
 
 The negro looked considerably crestfallen. He 
 seemed doubtful whether to break and run or stay 
 and try to face it out. 
 
 "I can't help an accident,". he said, at last, when 
 the other remained covering him with the rifle. 
 
 "No," was the answer. "An accident is liable to 
 happen to any one, they say. But two accidents, of 
 the same kind, on the same day accidents that 
 might either of them have been fatal if you were not 
 such an awfully bad marksman are too many. 
 When /get ready to fire, there will be no accident." 
 
 The negro was plainly uneasy. He cast his eyes 
 on the ground and writhed. 
 
 " You have dropped your gun," said Roseleaf. 
 " That was right. It would have incommoded your 
 flight, and its only cartridge was used. You would 
 have had no time to reload. I know that gun very 
 well ; I have heard it many times in the last six 
 weeks. I knew the sound of it to-day when you 
 fired the first time. A rifle has a voice, like a man ; 
 did you know that ? I knew it was your gun and 
 that you were at the end of it. With that informa- 
 tion in my possession, of course you couldn't catch 
 me napping twice. I pretended to watch my cook- 
 ing, but in reality I watched nothing but you. 
 There is no need that you should say anything, Han- 
 nibal. You could not tell me much, if you tried." 
 
 The speaker examined his rifle carefully, still keep- 
 ing the muzzle turned toward the person he was
 
 TRIPPING A WOLF. 305 
 
 addressing. The latter did not seem to grow less 
 uneasy. 
 
 " I spent some time last evening," continued Rose- 
 leaf, presently," in listening to a little conversation you 
 had with a certain young lady living a mile or so fom 
 this spot. That surprises you, does it ? I thought it 
 might. I learned how you had ruined her peace of 
 mind, how you had artfully contrived to make her 
 appear the opposite of jvhat she really was. Now, 
 you have tried twice within the last hour to murder 
 me. For this I could have forgiven you. What you 
 did to that young woman is, however, a more serious 
 matter. I don't think anything less than pulling this 
 trigger will expiate that." 
 
 He placed the rifle to his shoulder again, as he 
 spoke, and glanced along the sight. The negro half 
 turned, as if of a mind to attempt an escape, and 
 then, realizing the hopelessness of such a move, sank 
 on his knees and raised his hands piteously. 
 
 " If you have anything to say, be quick 1" said the 
 hard voice of the man who held the rifle. 
 
 Then Hannibal blurted out his story. He told 
 how he had been led, step by step, to hope that he 
 might rise above his station, until the wild idea en- 
 tered his brain that he could even make Daisy Fern 
 love and marry him. He pleaded the disappoint- 
 ments he had suffered, the terrible revulsion of feel- 
 ing he had undergone, the broken life he had been 
 obliged to take up. He did not want to be killed. 
 If allowed to go he would swear by all that was 
 good never to cross the path of the Ferns, or Rose- 
 leaf, or any of their friends again. When bit en-
 
 306 A. BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 treaties brought no verbal response he grew louder 
 in his tone, feeling that something must be done to 
 move the deaf ears to which he addressed his peti- 
 tion. 
 
 " If I allowed you to leave here, you would try to 
 shoot me the next time you had a chance," said the 
 novelist. " I should merely be giving my life in ex- 
 change for yours, which I do not consider a good 
 bargain." 
 
 " No, I swear it before God !" came the trembling 
 words in reply. 
 
 " I cannot trust you." 
 
 A slight sound attracted the attention of Roseleaf 
 as he uttered the latter words. It was the sound 
 that oars make when dipped in water. With a quick 
 glance to one side he beheld a rowboat, in which 
 were seated Archie Weil and Daisy Fern, and they 
 were coming directly toward him. 
 
 " Here are some of the others you have wronged," 
 he said, pointing. " I will wait to see if their opin- 
 ions agree with mine." 
 
 Daisy saw him first, as Weil was handling the 
 oars, and she called her companion's attention to 
 him. Archie called his name. 
 
 " Come here !" was Roseleaf s reply. " I have 
 winged a black duck and I cannot leave." 
 
 A few more movements of the oars brought the 
 boat to the shore, and the surprise of its occupants 
 can be imagined when they saw the tableau that 
 awaited them. Hannibal was still groveling on the 
 earth, and the attitude of Roseleaf plainly showed the 
 cause of the negro's terror.
 
 TRAPPING A. WOLF. SOT 
 
 " What has he done ?" was the first question, and 
 it was Daisy's voice that asked it. 
 
 "Let him tell," replied Roseleaf, nonchalantly. 
 " Tell the lady what you did, Hannibal." 
 
 With a courage born of his knowledge of the young 
 lady's kind heart, Hannibal now turned his attention 
 toward her. He begged her to plead with his would- 
 be executioner to give him one more chance for his 
 life, and reiterated his promises to cease meddling 
 with all of their affairs if this was granted. As he 
 spoke Daisy crept nearer to Roseleaf 's side, and when 
 he paused for a moment to gain breath, she laid her 
 fair hand on the rifle. 
 
 41 You would not kill a fellow creature r* f she said^ 
 gently. 
 
 * A fellow creature ?" he retorted. " No ! But a 
 wolf, a snake, a vulture yes." 
 
 She shook her head slowly, while Mr. Weil looked 
 on, uncertain what to do or say. He wanted more 
 than anything else in his life to lay hands upon the 
 cause of all her woes. 
 
 ** You have not told me yet what he has done,*' 
 she said. 
 
 " He shall tell you," replied Roseleaf, sharply. 
 "Stand up, Hannibal, and answer truly the ques- 
 tions I am about to propound to you.'* 
 
 The crouching figure tottered to his feet. The 
 negro was weak from fear. 
 
 41 Did you try twice this morning to murder me?" 
 
 "Yes," replied the shaking voice. "But I was 
 insane with my troubles I did not realize what I 
 was doing I"
 
 308 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 Daisy's slight hand, still on the barrel of the rifl, 
 was bearing it steadily to the ground. 
 
 " Once," she said to Roseleaf, impressively, "you 
 told me you loved me ! Have you regard enough 
 left to grant me a favor *" 
 
 He shook his head. 
 
 * There are favors," he said, " that are crimes. It 
 is one's duty to exterminate vermin, in the interest 
 of the human race." 
 
 But, even as he spoke, she was having her way. 
 Her slight strength had taken the weapon from 
 him. 
 
 Then, with the face of a forgiving angel she turned 
 toward the negro and uttered very softly one word, 
 Go!" 
 
 Glancing at the others to see if he might safely 
 follow this direction, Hannibal disappeared in the 
 thick woods behind him. He walked with an un- 
 steady step. There was a strange lightness in his 
 brain. Some distance away he found the boat in 
 which he had come, and entered it, staggeringly. 
 Pushing from the shore with a feeble touch on his 
 paddle he set out for his home. 
 
 The negroes who found his body, a week later, 
 could not decide whether he had perished by acci- 
 dent or by deliberate intention. The boat was not 
 capsized, but it was partially filled with water, indi- 
 cating either that he had tried to sink the craft or 
 bad leaned too heavily to one side in something like
 
 THK GREATEST NOVEL. 309 
 
 a stupor. When his gun was discovered on the 
 
 shore, new speculations were set in motion. 
 
 Those who knew him recalled that he had been 
 moody for a long time in fact, ever since he came 
 from the north. They remembered him as a young 
 fellow, four or five years previous, not very different 
 from his mates ; and they had stared in wonder when 
 he returned with fine clothes and money in his 
 pocket. The dislike between him and his old ac- 
 quaintances was mutual. They could not under- 
 stand him ; and what an inferior mind does not com- 
 prehend it always views with suspicion. 
 
 A grave was made near the border of the lake, and 
 the single word "HANNIBAL" was written on the 
 board that marked the spot. But later some envi- 
 ous hand scrawled beneath it : 
 
 " HE WANTED TO BE A GENTLEMAN 1** 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX 
 
 ** THE GREATEST NOVEL.** 
 
 Archie Weil and Daisy Fern were married in June. 
 There was no need of waiting longer. It was a case 
 of true love sanctified by suffering and devotion. 
 The bright eyes and ruddy cheeks of the bride tes- 
 tified to her renewed health and spirits. The news 
 of Hannibal's death albeit it brought a tear to her 
 eyes, had removed the only shadow that Stretched 
 across her pathway.
 
 S10 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 Shirley Roseleaf did not come to the wedding, to 
 which he was the only invited guest. He wrote 
 that an important mission from his magazine made 
 it impossible to accept the invitation, but he sent a 
 handsome present and a letter to Archie, congratu- 
 lating him in the warmest manner. 
 
 For some time Lawrence Gouger had been urging 
 the novelist to hasten the wonderful story that was 
 to make his fortune and give a new impetus to the 
 house of Cutt & Slashem. They had consulted to- 
 gether a hundred times, and the thirty chapters al- 
 ready finished seemed to leave but a few weeks' 
 steady work to be accomplished. Shortly after 
 the wedding Gouger went to Roseleaf's rooms, one 
 evening, and begged him to lose no further time. 
 
 " What is there to wait for now ?" he asked. 
 "All the dramatic incidents have occurred. You 
 only need to wind up with a glory of fireworks, show- 
 ing virtue triumphant and vice buried under a North 
 Carolina sycamore. Come, my dear boy, when may 
 I expect to see the work completed ?" 
 
 Roseleaf did not answer for some seconds. 
 
 "There is a part of this story that you do not 
 comprehend," he said, finally. " A chapter is yet to 
 be written at which you have not guessed." 
 
 "Indeed !" exclaimed the listener. 
 
 "Yes," nodded the other. "So far the character 
 that is supposed to represent myself appears that of 
 a heartless, cold, unfeeling wretch. Do you think 
 I shall be satisfied to leave it that way ?" 
 
 The critic stared at the speaker in astonish- 
 ment.
 
 THE GREATEST NOVEL. $11 
 
 " I I do not understand," he replied. 
 
 " I thought not," said Roseleaf, soberly. " Well, 
 this story, to be truthful, must do justice to the one 
 who is supposed to personate its author. And, in 
 the first place, to avoid all circumlocution, let me tell 
 you there has never been a moment since I first 
 loved Daisy Fern that she has not been the dearest 
 thing on this earth to me !" 
 
 Mr. Gouger could not reconcile this statement with 
 the events that had taken place, and his puzzled 
 countenance said as much. 
 
 " I acted like a villain, did I not," continued Rose- 
 leaf, after a slight pause, " when the news was brought 
 that she had disappeared ? I seemed to have no faith 
 in her, no confidence in Archie, no trust in that poor 
 old man, her father. Why ? I was so madly, insanely 
 in love that every possible phantasy got possession of 
 my excited brain. To lose her was to deprive me of 
 all hope, all ambition, all care for life. So far, I acted 
 my real self. If what I supposed true had been 
 proven I think there would have been a murder. 
 Not of Daisy ; ah, no ! but of the man who had 
 robbed me of my treasure. Then I went to Midlands 
 with Archie and I saw her. I heard her speak, and 
 like a lightning flash it came to me. He was as hon- 
 orable as a man could be and she cared more for him 
 than for my unworthy self. She had contrasted us 
 and discovered how much he was my superior. And 
 I said to myself at that moment, ' I will give her up ! 
 If it costs me my happiness as long as I live I will 
 give her up ! No matter what happens, I will unite 
 these people, who have been so faithful to me and
 
 312 A BLACK ADONIS. 
 
 toward whom I have acted the part of a cur and a 
 coward !' " 
 
 The young man was speaking with perfect com- 
 posure, but with intense earnestness. 
 
 "The first thing to be done," he continued, " was 
 to take myself out of their way. The next was to 
 unravel the mystery that had made the trouble. 1 
 knew, when my mind had resumed its natural state, 
 that, whatever had occurred, Daisy was blameless. 
 I knew that something far out of the common line 
 had caused her to commit the act which had cast a 
 blight over her reputation. For weeks I could find 
 no clue. Then, one day, in the street, I saw Hanni- 
 bal, the negro for whom she had borrowed my money 
 and who I supposed was still in France. I cannot 
 help the quick temper I have inherited, and I confess 
 that the sight of that fellow aroused my suspicions 
 against this girl, only they took a new and more hor- 
 rible form. 
 
 "I remembered distinctly what a strong hold Han- 
 nibal had on the Fern family. I recalled, with fright- 
 ful distinctness, the manner in which he attended 
 Daisy at table, his interest in her health, the $1,000 she 
 had given him, her quick movement to prevent my 
 striking him when his answers insulted us both. Per- 
 haps but I will not dilate on the things that came to 
 my distorted imagination. It was enough for me to 
 put a detective on his track. I engaged Hazen, and 
 in three days he came to tell me that a white woman 
 had passed the night with Hannibal at a house on 
 Seventh Avenue, the date corresponding with the 
 one on which I was to have been married J"
 
 THE GBEATEST NOVBL. 313 
 
 Gouger listened spellbound. It seemed to him 
 that the most exciting chapter of this weird tale was 
 yet to be written. 
 
 " If I had lost control of my senses before," pur- 
 sued Roseleaf, " what do you suppose happened 
 when this information was brought to me? But 
 then I found an excuse for my beloved one. I con- 
 sidered her the victim of one of those forms of 
 hypnotism of which there can no longer be any 
 doubt. She could not have gone there without the 
 demoniac influence of a stronger personality. He 
 had charmed her from her home by the exercise of 
 diabolic arts. My fury was entirely for him. I 
 sought him at once, only to learn that he had left 
 the city a few days before, leaving absolutely no 
 trace. I could not give over the hunt, however. If 
 he was on the earth I must find him and be avenged 
 for the wrong he had done. It occurred to me that 
 an influence so strong as he had exerted would not 
 be given up. Wherever the Ferns had gone, he 
 would probably be found. I discovered the where- 
 abouts of the family, after a great deal of effort, and 
 went to North Carolina. With the patience of a dog 
 and the cunning of a fox I laid in wait for weeks, 
 and one night I saw and heard Daisy Fern and 
 Hannibal in conversation!'" 
 
 There was no movement on the part of the critic. 
 He sat as still as a block of stone, 
 
 " When they began to speak I could have sworn 
 that my recent guesses were correct ones. It was at 
 about the hour of midnight, and she had crept 
 quietly and alone out of her house to meet this
 
 SlJt A BLACK. ADO2J1S. 
 
 Afri'.-r But the first dozen sentences that were 
 uttered g*/e me a new version of the affair. It was 
 by no mesmeric power, but by a threat of injury to 
 her father that this fellow held her under bond. I 
 learned that Mr. Fern had done something I could 
 not then tell what which rendered him liable to 
 imprisonment. I learned, also, beyond question 
 for they spok* without restraint, supposing them- 
 selves alone that, whatever the purpose of Han- 
 nibal when Daisy <rame to his rooms on the day she 
 was to have been married, it had not been accom- 
 plished. She was afraid of him, but only for her 
 father's sake. Ana I discovered beside, though not 
 with perfect clearness, that a promise of secrecy ac- 
 counted for her refusal to explain the cause of that 
 absence which had altered the whole course of our 
 lives. 
 
 "I have said I had watched with patience. I 
 determined to continue my watch till I understood 
 the entire situation. About once a week they met in 
 the way I have described, and as the next date was 
 always arranged in my hearing there was no diffi- 
 culty in my keeping the appointment. In the mean- 
 time I learned that Hannibal was born in the vicinity, 
 that he was living a hermit life, and that nobody 
 knew of the surreptitious visits he was paying to 
 Oakhurst. Then one day I heard that Archie was 
 at the hotel, and thinking it time that I let him into 
 the secret I went there, pretending I had just arrived 
 from the north, when in reality I had been boarding 
 for months five miles away. The rest you know. I 
 was enabled to prove to him as \vell as to myself
 
 Tffii GJUtATBST SOTKJU $1 
 
 what had actually happened. Since then justice has 
 been done to us all." 
 
 Mr. Gouger had to speak at last. 
 
 11 To you?" he asked. " Do you admit that all this 
 is just to you ?" 
 
 "Without doubt," said Roseleaf. "I forfeited 
 every right to the woman I had insulted by my sus- 
 picions. There are certain metals that can only be 
 tried by fire. I was placed in the crucible, and found 
 wanting." 
 
 The critic shook his head sagely. 
 
 "You are a regular Roman father to your own 
 delinquencies," he answered. " But tell me another 
 thing. Would you have shot Hannibal if Mr. Weil 
 and Miss Fern had not made their appearance ?" 
 
 " I have not the least doubt of it. He was in my 
 eyes at that moment a crawling adder, whose fangs 
 were liable to penetrate the flesh of some one if he 
 was not put out of the way. But I am more than 
 glad I was spared the infliction of his punish- 
 ment." 
 
 Gouger wore a strange look. 
 
 " And yet he had one most human quality," 
 said he. 
 
 "Yes, I admit that now," was the reply. "In his 
 passionate, barbaric way, he certainly loved. When 
 I revise my novel I shall try to deal fairly with 
 him." 
 
 " And you will finish it very soon now ?" 
 
 " As soon as possible." 
 
 A month later Lawrence Gouger received at his 
 office a package marked on the outside, " From Shir-
 
 31$ A BLACK ADONI8. 
 
 ley Roselcaf." He could hardly control his excite- 
 ment until he had untied the strings, taken off the 
 wrappings and disclosed the tin box inside. It was 
 a square box, just the right size for manuscript paper 
 such as he had seen Roseleaf use, and the heart of 
 the enthusiast beat high as he took it in his hands. 
 A jewel case filled with the costliest stones would 
 not have seemed to him more precious. The fame 
 of a new author would soon resound through the 
 world ! Cutt & Slashem would have the greatest 
 work of fiction of recent years in their next cata- 
 logue ! And he, Lawrence Gouger, would be given 
 the credit of discovering one might almost say of 
 inventing this wonder ! 
 
 Opening the box, the critic looked at its contents 
 and then dropped it with an exclamation. It con- 
 tained nothing but a small sealed envelope and a 
 heap of ashes t 
 
 Ashes ! Ashes made from recently burned 
 paper ! 
 
 When he recovered enough to open the envelope, 
 this note was found within : 
 
 " To LAWHINCE GOUGER, ESQ. : DEAR Snt : Enclosed 
 herewith you will find the novel for which you have waited 
 so long. I hope it will please you in all respets, as I cer- 
 tainly have taken the greatest pains with it. 
 
 M On reading it over I thought it best to more thoroughly 
 disguise the personality of the characters, lest any of them 
 might be injured by its publication. There was the happi- 
 ness of a newly-made bride to be considered ; her husband's 
 ease of mind ; her father's serene old age ; her sister's 
 feelings. There was even a black man who had perhaps
 
 THE GREATEST NOVEL, 317 
 
 suffered enough, and a critic employed by a large publish- 
 ing firm who would not like bis true character made mani- 
 fest in type. In order to protect these people I have ap- 
 plied a match to the pages. You can best tell whetner I 
 have performed the work too well. 
 
 " If this novel does not bring me the fame you anticipate 
 I shall not much care ; I have lost some of my ambitions. 
 If it fails to add to my fortune, never mind ; a single man 
 has no great need of wealth. 
 
 " I go to-night on board a steamer which sails for Europe 
 at daybreak, When you read this I shall be on the sea. I 
 have secured a position as resident correspondent abroad 
 for one of the great newspapers. Perhaps I never shall 
 return. Truly your friend, S. R." 
 
 "The idiot r cried the reader, as he finished per- 
 using this letter. "The imbecile! Was there ever 
 such a fool born on this earth !" 
 
 Then he apostrophised the neap of ashes that lay in 
 the box before him. 
 
 " There never was and never will be so great a work 
 of fiction as you were yesterday ! And yet a little 
 touch of flame, and all was extinguished ! How like 
 you were to man ! Let him have the brain of a 
 Shakespeare, and a pound weight falling on his skull 
 ends everything. 
 
 " There was a flood in Hungary last week, in which 
 a thousand people were drowned. There was an 
 earthquake in Peru where five hundred perished. A 
 vessel went down off the Caroline Islands. Taken all 
 together, they did not equal to this world your loss. 
 
 " The poet knew what he was saying: * Great wits 
 are sure to madness near allied/ Oh, to think that
 
 ol5 A BLACK ADOXIS. 
 
 a mind that could execute your thrilling pages knew 
 no more than to destroy them ! 
 
 "I will not cast you, sublime ashes, to the winds 
 of heaven ! I will keep you reverently, as one pre- 
 serves the cloak of a great man, or the bones of a 
 mastodon. Behold, I close you again in your 
 covers, where the eye of no mortal shall henceforth 
 behold you." 
 
 With the words the disappointed critic performed 
 the action. And to this day visitors to his room 
 read with wonder the inscription he has placed on 
 the box : 
 
 " The greatest novel that ever was written?
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
 Los Angeles 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 Form L9-Series 444
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 A 000032797 3