2
THE SUNDAY BEE: OMAHA. NOVEMBER 12, 1922.
office ,nnyway?" "rtolu!" ho re
proached her stiffly. "Taylor, Ulalr,
Htonc, Johnston A Jnrdln 1 the big
jest and Isst law firm in town."
"Yes, atnl you think it' some
thing awfully big to be tha young
Mt partner there! I must ay that
I don't know why anybody like you,
t'-IIinw such roiiinntlc lies, should
I) a humdrum lawyer."
"iV's the only work worth doing.
Kola!" ho told her lnrtlKnantly.
"Tim law ii a tangled thing, and
alwuys will he, beeunse It a hu
man growth. It's th most com
plex, contradictory, thing In tha
world except a woman," he added
brightly. "And that's what makes
It Interesting."
"O, I know you love the luw.
But that' what puzzle me. You're
nurmnl In every wuy, and getting
a reputation for brilliancy"
"Thanks."
"And so I can't see why you
should let this one eccentricity run
away with you. It's utterly foolish
and serve no purpoe. If you have
a natural talent for thut aort of
thing, why don't you make some
use of It? Why don't you write
novel?"
"I cun't, Kola. I don't know why,
except that I'm naturally the oppo
site of Archie Fellow a I told you
ubout him man I know In London
during the war. He can't tell the
simplest alory to save hla life; but
ho'a a wlzurd at writing. Now, 1
rnn't do a thing with paper and pen.
It's only In the middle of a conver
sation that a chance word strikes
a spark In mo and I have to
create."
"Well, if you have to"
Ho waa aware of a new deter
mined glint In her eye. Abruptly
aha announced: '
"I haven't told dad or mother yet."
He jumped up.
"You haven't! Why not? I
thought you were going to do It
today?"
"I was going to tell them, today,
and have them announce It In about
a week. But your your Ilea made
mo uneasy. I decided to wait."
"O, now, Ttolu!" he pleaded.
"And I may never tell them. I
will almply call It off unless you
slick to the truth."
lie atared at her defiant eye and
firm aet mouth.
"How can I. Rola? I slip Into a
alory almost without knowing-It.
It Isn't like other habita. I pour
my drink and I light my cigar, but
one of my atorlea just popa out.
Now, can 1 help that?" Hla tone was
aggrieved.
"Of course you can help It! If
you can control the habit at the
office, you can control It elsewhere.
How often do you create?"
"O about twice a week."
She pondered.
"Then I'll put you on a truth diet
for' a month. That ought to cure
you." "
"A month! Kola, who ever told
the truth for a month?"
"O, ordlnury Ilea are all right.
You know Ilea with a purpose.
Everybody telle that kind. A nice
little lie In time docan't hurt any
body and keep away a dozen fool
ish queatlona. But your Idle lies,
good for nothing, but to soothe your
vanity I ahould think you'd be
auhamed of them!" ahe aald with
acorn.
Hut hla mind waa atlll Intent on
her terrible verdict.
"A month!" he repeated dully.
"Yea. Thla la the 29th. If you
ailck to the truth until midnight of
the 29th of next month, I'll tell
dad and mother and have them an
nounce our engagement. And if
you create before then, you muat
come and tell me. Word of honor.
And that will be the end of every
thing." Hla voice had a ring of pain. "O.
now. Kola! You wouldn't break It
off for a little thing like that?"
"Yea! I would!" Her face was
white, and ahe nodded Implacably.
For a moment he forgot the or
deal he fared, and thought only of
hers.
"You're a brave little fighter,
Itola," he auld softly. "All right,
il'a up to me. Thirty day."
He held on the door. Aa ahe
pintaed throuiih, ahe paused.
"Thirty days!" ahe aaid; and sud
denly kissed him.
Thirty dayst
In anticipation It had seemed tt-r-rilile
enouKh, but the reality was
r wuie. Like a man beginning a
(ant, who Immediately conjures up
a vision of thick, tender steaks,
Bennett found himself dwelling mi
the delights of creation.
Hating at hla desk, trying to con
emirate on briefs and demurrei
and cross bills, he saw himself in
fancy telling ma thumping story
la a circle of fascinated, auditor
a story with an arresting beginning
heart quivering rltmat. and a
ift, decllvltnu end. tie him
self elaborating the ft.tt with his
ri hkitulitg matter of f .,. t air,
A ad wha Its found himself la
tariiy with other--! liii.hit
ih a coworker, at a dinner, at an
ffh roftft rears, Ike had I flench
h tret la keea frrt treating
txth ha urn cha- nr4 k--.I
His lnwiiMik.a Hh lit Wf
i f "f s ith ksiis
Abruptly he realized that his sal
vation lay In solitude. Ho he can
celed all the engagementa ho could,
and even did hla beat to avoid new
ones with Itolu, Kor even under
her keen eyes, he found, he could
arurcvly resist the tales that tickled
his tongue for freedom.
Never would she know how hard
he found hla new procedure. Never
would (die know how Taylor, the
revered senior member of tho firm,
eyed him when Hcnnctt pleaded a
throbbing headache to uvold accept
ing one of Taylor's Infrequent and
cherlHhed dinner Invitations. Nor
would alio ever know the degree of
Bennett's temptation when, abutting
himself up In his room at the Drake,
and staring moodily out of the win
dow, ho let his eyes travel up the
Lake Khore drive, and rest on
Jimmy Tree's imposing gray house.
A poker gutne was on thero, and
Jimmy had uaked him.
Abruptly turning from the win
dow, lien net t seized his hut and
bolted out. But not to Jimmy
Tree's. No. Heeking a change of
scene, ho struck westward, making
tho quick transition from the Gold
Coast to the boarding house district,
and thence into the Clark street
badlands, and Into a dingy residence
reel Ion thut was atlll more remote,
After he hud walked himself weary
in a Chicago he hud never seen be
fore, he tix.cabbcd back to The
Drake, and went to bed. There-he
tossed.
On a Sunday, when 10 days had
passed of the terrible 30, Jimmy Tree
met htm on the drive and conscript
ed him for some tennis at the Ca
sino. It was there that Bennett
nearly rendered unncccaarythe re
maining 20 days oT his ordeal.
Between sets, while several' f
them were watching some others at
the nets, Hubs Mulr remarked on the
force of Jimmy's serve.
"Kcmarknblc," Bennett agreed.
Huddenly his clear blue eyes glowed,
and he added: ,
"But what would you aay to a
man who served hand grenades In
the same way?"
"Hand grenades?" Mulr echoed In
amazement.
"O, you mean war bombs?" de
manded Alice I'ankfn.
"Yes," Bennett insisted. "What
would you aay to a man who used
a solid piece of wood, shaped like
a racquet, to serve hand grenades
into tho enemy's trench with as
much speed as Jimmy puts on a
tennis ball?"
"Oreat Scott!" aald Mulr In awe.
For although he had not been In
the infantry he culd appreciate the
miracle that Bennett wag rle!crlblng.
"I once knew a doughboy " Ben
nett began: and stopped, going cold
as ho realized how nearly he had
done it. It was not too late, though;
ho far he had merely asked a ques
tion. "I'd better not talk about that,"
he aald abruptly, and walked away.
Alice Ponkin looked after him in
dignantly, "What in tho world's the matter
with him?" she demanded.
Ituas Mulr leaned toward her.
"He didn't want to give It away,"
he whispered. I'll bet they're sav
ing It for the next war."
I.eag than a week later Bennett
again found himself with one leg
over the brink.
Because Kola insisted, he took her
to a dinner dance of the Friends of
Opera. It was the gayeat thing he
had attended for weeks, and he
breathed happily, forgetting his pre
dicament. Borne vague thing of color In the
affair delighted him. Pondering
this, he decided that it was the pes
ence of a number of opera stars.
One of these, Fania Kaznroff, was at
the table with him and Kola and
Jimmy Tree, who had brought her.
Bennett liked the occasional com
pany of opera singers. Usually
.foreign, they carefully cultivated
their natural exoticism. He liked
their mobile facee, their thick hair
and big eyes, the insignificance of
the things they said.
, Here was Madame Kazuroff, now,
' talking ubout her jewels. He
couldn't quite make out whether
she considered them too glittering or
not glittering euouiih. It didn't mut
ter. He was watching the way her
nimble fiamh opener fauwlse when
she smiled, and curled up Into f.sts
when, aa now, her smile curled up
into serlousneHS.
Uli a was au)lng she had lost a
ling.
' J loss it two days now. The x
lice stupid! Cannot find "
'The police are stupid every
where," put in Jimmy Tree aeiilen
tumsly, "That's their reputation.
Iook at Heotland Yard." he ended,
going a few thousand miles for aa
example.
Mankind YavJ?" echoed Bennett,
his blus eye suddenly luminous.
"Yu think rH-mli.J Yard Iim-b are
frsiU?"
' In th detective ti..- they rs,"
Jimmy argued
lliap," re.!l. 1 Iki.neit "liul
if ya M4 la l.nsUi'4 Unm
the vmf, in aa air emadiun, and
aa eioef eii r ft,! ,iiim up, and Vol
fci.J taken ff with a H'-uttand Yard
hii uur nly ntr m
ra where )ur M,hf had l
nji.i'S M a --'
He was galloping into it. But out
of the corner of his eyes he sud
denly i,w Kola. lie had forgotten
her! I In had forgotten tho 30 days!
He bi-cks off.
"I'erhaps," he resumed, "perhaps
I hud- belter 'not aay any more.
There baa been a lot of talking In
Knglanl, you know Keplngton's
journal and Margot's diary. But
perhaps, after all, some things hud
better remain unsaid,"
And now that he had saved him
self, ho turned to face Itolu. The
color was returning to her fright
ened checks,
"I'm frure your're quite right,
Clregory," she told him, will) a trem
bling littlo smile,
"So you know soma secrets, do
you?" uaked Jimmy. "Do you mind
saying If It's anything that would
help u out In tliu next war?"
Thus beset wllh dreadful tempta
tion every hour, Bennett lived
through tho block days of the long
est month he had ever known.
As the month dwindled away to
ward the 2'Jth, his agonizing Impa
tience increased. Again and again
he counted the days that ho muat
endure: five days, four days, three
days two days,
"Thirty-three hours," he told him
self at 3 p. tn. of the 28lh a Hun
day as he started for one of his
time-killing walks.
Stepping from the clevutor Into
the hotel lobby, ho found himself
facing a slender youiij man of
about hln own height, vlth similarly
light hulr and eyes. The young
man returned his amued stare.
"Archlo"
"Bennett!"
The young man hud the accent of
Piccadilly.
"Whut on earth brings you here?"
Bennett asged his boon companion
of the war days in 1-ondoii,
Archie Fellows sighed.
"Lecturing. I'm one of the great
authors Imported from the other
side to give a living example of an
KngliMhman's vitality. Jove, I .don't
know how tho others stuck it. Never
a minute's peace.'
"Lecturing here in town? How
long have you lieen here?"
"Juat arrived. They give me a
rest today. Tomorrow night I de
liver my message, and fhen I'm
aped away I forgot Just where.
Iowa or Is It Ohio? I Bay, let's
totter up to my room. I rather need
a bracer. I'm expecting my man
ager up there, too." '
The drink disposed of, Archie con
tinued: "I've given orders I'm not here'
to anyone except my manager. No
telephone calls. The usual thing Is
for an army of reporters and book
reviewers und club women to come
ruHhlng in, asking first how I like
the states. Rather ghastly!"
"But lan't there some slight com
pensating advantage?" Bennett
smiled.
"Ilather. It's the money I get for
the lectures.. And tho sales of my
books are increased. O, if it were
merely the lectures, It would be
rather right enough, But being ex
hibited like a circus monstrosity and
what not! I've just come from
Waukesha wus the guest of a
woman there In a frightfully big
house, and seemed sorry I had nevor
been wounded. Hhe seems to' have
the exY-lutdve privilege of entertain
ing all the English lecturers. Chat
tered a good inn bit about 'em all.
She was angling for Wells, and was
awfully ratty because he didn't
come west. Seemed to think he
wronged her."
There was a rap at the door.'
"Come In!" called Archie ner
vously. A brisk apple-cheeked man en
tered. "Everything comfortable?" he
asked cheerily.
"Afraid It waa some one else,"
said Archie with relief. Introducing
Bennett to Mr. Harris, his manager.
"Yes, I'm all right if they let me
alone."
"But the publicity!" objected
Mr. Harris, failing In an earnest ef
fort to frown.
"Publicity be damned! You can
get enough publicity without their
seeing me. Tell 'em I'm rather
busy at a novel I'm Juat beginning;
that I'm going to write It in two
days on a bet. Tell 'em anything."
"Well, I nuess we're all riKht
anyhow," Mr. Harris conceded.
"They're nearly aold out at Prov
ince hull In advance, and we're
only booked here once. I'm going
down to the hall again."
He wa saone.
"Amiable rabbit," i-oiiiiiieiited
Archie, "Iff ftHrhlfuliy Jolly to
be managetl tf a man without a
bit of lien"
Bennett told him, "Arvbie,
there's a till I want you to meet."
" girl'" rrlrd Art Ills rebel
ImiiihIv ' l ike literature, does
she? Yo'l iie- her Judgment
highly, rh? We ll have lutle d.f
haut'b es. h? O. Dennett!" be
eu.le.t rniMi titully.
Nothing of the kind:'' Ut itiieil
liiaui-d ' il a nut lil, ii , and
Im urver of iur
bunks, any luore thssi I ke. Hut
1 toll ler M about you. and
I fctst a ! )on la Rt4 her, Khta
s!l I MM
festly out of a devout friendship,
and Bennett telephoned Kola.
"We'll run over for tea," he told
Archie. "Hho's alone. Name's
Murdoch."
"I've got some Hcottlsh friend
who ark Murdochs. The name Is
rather common, though."
"Her father's Isn't. He's A. A.
A. Murdoch."
"A, A, A.," repented Archie.
"Hounds awfully like a wireless
signal."
It turned out that Archlu liked
Kola after all.
"I'm usually expected to Im bril
liant," he con tided to her In relief,
after a few minutes, "It happens
thut J ran never think of un epi
gram except when I'm alono, and
I'm a rotten raconteur and all that,
you know. Not like Bennett here."
Ho eyed her quest lonlngly. Hhe
and Bennett luughed.
"Kola la on to me," Bennett In
formed him. ,
"You and Oregory resemble each
other In appearance, anyway," Kola
observed.
"We look alike, and that's ull,"
replied Archie. "It's a wonderful
gift he has, lie Kfcd me at first
when I met. They'd sent me home
for three months, and ha hadn't got
to France yet, so wo had a goodlsh
bit of time together, I remember
how he used to Nit, cool us a bottle
In a bucket of Ice, and Improvise a
shilling shocker that convinced,
every bisjy."
"But Ills romancing doesn't do
hltn any good," countered the prac
tical Ilolu, "His stories serve no
purpose. They don't mean any
thing." "It's a gift," insisted Archie, "and
every gift serves a purpose. I'd
like to be there when Bennett tells
a story that comes In the Jolly old
nick of tlmo to snvo somebody's
life und so forth. Kh7"
The twenty-ninth.
"The battle will po over at mid
night," Bennett told himself exul
tantly tit 10 In the morning, as he
looked at his watch for the 15th
time that day.
His schedule for the remaining
14 hours seemed to assure safety.
All day at the office. Lunch alone.
A tight curb on his Imagination
when ho dined with Archie. Taking
Itola to Archie's lecture. Taking her
homo. Midnight. Victory!
If only the time wouldn't pass
jio fearfully slow!
He wondered whnt Archie was
doing- At breakfast Archie had
confided that It was time he began
gathering materia! for a novel of
American life. It ought to go well,
his publishers had told him,
Archie was Intelligent. He knew
well his limitations. Ho knew that
he had not yet seen all of American
life, In his dotted lino from lecture
hall to lecture hall. All In nil, Archie
considered that two weeks wouldn't
be two much for him to devote to
a first hand, unchnperoned study of
American commercial and Industrial
life, of tho conflict between town
and country, of the domestic prob
lems of the natives of nil classes, of
the war between capitul and labor,
of the bombings and the husband
murders, and of the operations of
the great melting pot,
"Twa weeks wouldn't be too
much," Archie declared positively.
"Not every hour of two weeks, of
course," Archie modified. "But
certainly my unoccupied hours for
two weeks. I'll start today.
That evening, as Bennett strode
Into the Drake lobby, a brisk, apple
cheeked man hurreld up to him.
'Have you seen Fellows?" asked
Mr. Harris anxiously.
"Not since breakfast. Anything
the matter?"
"I can't find him," Mr. Harris
whispered. "He's never wandered
around before without my knowing
where he went; he hasn't even
seemed to think there's anything
worth seeing."
"Don't worry. He chanired his
mind, that's all; told me this morn
ing he was going on an observa
tion trip to study American life."
"But he was to meet me here at
4." Mr. Harris Insisted. "And here
it's 5:30."
"Well, the lecture inn't till 8:30."
"Yes, but he was to meet me at
4."
Bennett shrugged and passed on.
At 7 Archie was atill missing; and
Bennett dined alone. To his sur
prise his niHtite waa poor. Home
thing of the apple-cheeked man's
anxiety had infected him.
Dinner over, ha found Harris
awaiting hint. The man's voice
shook and his rosy cheeks were
turning ashen.
"Only 4l minutes lift," he whis
pered. "If he doesn't show up It
may ruin the tour,"
"Cisne tip to my room." Bennett
tn tiered.
He tihe, ll.irrls Into a chair,
poured him a drink, and demanded.
"What's this about ruining lbs
lour?"
"The house la sold out. and my
office la rniaea trouble If a
Irtlurer fails down mi a dnie. e
cully In a tug audteuce. It means
refunds In tiveri tly, and we have
ta tmf the hall rent any. In
Kill I., fellows lies l-eea on thiai
!. He hasn't l-ma eaa.-ily diplu
B'VIc with I ! influential uni, in
il. tnttll I,,!, w i .r M(
supporters. And all It needs la
for him to miss this date and m
office will probably kill the tour
and we haven't gone half way
through It yet. It means a black
eye for mo, too."
Bennett listened grimly. Ho kmw
the Importance of the tour to Archie.
With the money ha would bo at
case, with leisure to write his best
a best that would assuredly yield
him a sufficient Income ns long as
he wrote. Without the lecture money
There would be years of novel wilt
ing with one hand, and of Fleet
Htreet hack writing with the other.
For only with his recent American
flnjiuliuiiy iij Archie Is-gun to lift
his head aUjve water. And thut
popularity wus as yet not wide
spread; nor hud it reached a stable
busls."
"Whom does Archie 'know In
town?" uske Bennett.
"He told mo he didn't know a soul
here," Harris answered hopelessly.
"If ho had uny friends I'd Inquire
among them. He didn't even know
you lived here until ho rnn Into you.
Mnybe he's met with an accident
or Is Incapacitated for some other
reuson," he added meaningly,
"That's why I'm afraid to go to the
(sdlce. It mltfht mean uuplensaAt
publicity,"
"Knows nobody," repeated Ben
nett, with knitted brows.
Huddenly his face lighted.
"Did you send out pictures of bin)
In advance?"
"His photogruph I on the circu
lars of our complete lecture course
and on the advance mutter we sent
to tho newspapers." Harris dragged
some papers from a pocket, "Only
one photograph."
Bennett studied It; a slim, fair
young man, clean shaven.
Wllh the papers In his hand, Bine;
nett turned to the window, gazing
in the direction of Kola's home, a
few blocks northwest. He should
be there now. For he was taking
Kola to the lecture, and It was to be
gin In a half hour.
Klght o'clock now. For more
hours and his ordeal would be over.
He had suffered 29 days and 20
hours for nothing?
Archie's happiness depended on It?
Well, how about his own happiness?
It was tho small, cold voice of
reason trying to debate wllh him,
but, after all, It had no chance. He
smiled grimly, remembering Love
lace going to the wars and the old,
beautiful, hackneyed line:
I could not love thee, dear, so much.
Loved I not honor more.
Abruptly turning to the telephone,
ho gave a number.
"Kola, something Important' hus
come up and I can't take you to
tho lecture. . . . No, I'm sorry
I can't tell you what it Is. . . .
Yes, I realized you'd Want to go
anyhow but I have this request to
make: Please go alone. ... I
can't tell you why I usk It, but it's
imperative. Ml leave tho ticket for
you nt the box office. Coodby,
Itola."
He turned back to Harris and
poured him another drink.
"Listen to me. You're Archie's
manager and tins tour means some
thing to you. I know a way to go
through with th!s lecture, even if
Archie doesn't show up."
Harris lowered his glass and
stared.
"A perfectly safe way," Bennett
swept on. "I'll be Archie."
"You!" r-
Yes. Nobody In town knows him.
I look as much like this half-tone as
h does. This advance press matter
givea a synopsis of various parts of
his lecture that I cun learn in two
minutes what he thinks about
American humor, and so forth."
"But the English accent?"
"Leave it to me," Bennett assured
him loftily. "I was In England quite
a while during the war. I know
England. I know Archie. I know
an American audience. Come on;
you're supposed to be down nt the
hall now. aren't you? Let's get
there. We'll delay the start till
8:45. and if Archie doesn't show up
by then I'll go on. But I suppose
I can't wear a dinner coat? How
about a cutaway?"
Five minutes after Bennett had
rushed Harris out the telephone
Jangled insistently. Two minutes
later there wo a similar alarm In
Harris' room. Another minute and
In Archie Fellows' room the tele
phone (.leaded unheard.
As the clock galloH-d toward II. 4S.
Bennett paced the olllce of the man
alter of Province hall. The ashes
fell unhended from the cH-iir be
tween his teeth. Harris was down
stairs, taking a look at the audi
ence, and arranging the Unul ne
ImuiiHrles It e water and so forth,
thought Bennett vaguely.
If only be could have kept Kola
away! Far his word of honor did
lint cover tills coiiiingeni y This
that he wa about to tell was an
lioitorulile he, serving a purpoae-
meaning something In Itola s word:
It was not a mere eipremlon
the creative Impulse wiliiln hnu.
Ills word of honor did not require
him t (ell her I Ins.
If in'.f he itMild Mil kepi her
away! Pul ll ..iil.l have keen fir
tie In III Hh kd nitt Art hie,
i ! h fete .!