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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 31, 1904)
jtr si. wot, j THE ILLUSTRATED BEE. 13 constituted. To her a Lars house, broken Iowa though It might be, was one of the Indicia of ristocraey'. Eho even gav the-pjar-e a nam. Kb called it "Jelliff. "Now you nurt com oat to Jelliff, Mr. TJUMngton OKeefeV she would ssy trt & manner Q her own, "Oat to JcIIIffe," fe It said, or oat to IT Sautherton ave nue meant a short walk of some eight blocks from the exact center of th town. And so they had stayed there, year after Tear, keeping up, as Mrs. Robeson as sured herself, an appearance which, to say tha least, was aristocratic and genteel. It wu bard work, but she was sure that they were doing it. The Robesons Irred on an annuity, very diminutive one which belonged to Mrs Kobeson hers If. Mrs. Robeson eouldnl understand that the world knew Just about bow smalt it was. She reasoned that just so long as she. could live tn a targe house, . e matter how shabby. Just ao long cs she eould, by dint of starving; herself and her daughter,, keep Um family crest apon her note paper, it mattered little how they really got along inside the- ho una. ETie Kttle- understood thai nine-tenth f th world did not ear a snap ef tn finger about her. and that th other tenth knew alt the facts, as asaa!. It must not be Imagined that Mrs. Robe son was not a good, motherly woman, and a woman who was generally congenial and. pleasant la every way. She was r fined and educated. But she had her pe culiarities, and not so very many of them, nor. te tha eyes of the world such, very queer ones after aB. But Patricia fcEltTe Robesen- had Just one defect. She did not know how to lav. Robeson had been a tover, on of the genuine- kind. 8 Em was different, but ah' did aot know it. Her daughter Margaret, hmcb to her re gret, was a Robeson and not a JefttJTe. But Margaret was beautiful, and that was something, after alt And Margaret, being beautiful, must marry rich; marrying a poor man. marrying for love the principle was wrong somehow, Mrs. Robeson tfkl not exactly know how or why, but she as sured herself that ft was so. She knew ft would be better for Margaret eh realised, although she did not. acknowledge ft. that It would he better for herself. And, ac cordingly, she made op her mind. And Bitlfngton O'Keefe at thta Juncture had somehow loomed span tha borison. And Mrs, Robeson, shutting her eyes to Mr. O'Keefe's uneventful past and .his ob scure ancestry, had set herself the task of winning him for Margaret and herself. Margaret, It may be assumed, was more r less grateful- to her mother principally loss, It was about a week perhaps less after Constitutional Smith had "entered the shop of John Lorfmer; a few days. In fact, after Smith, had " received the letter signed "Patricia Jelliffe Robeson." that a tall young man with clear-cut features and a prominent nose, and a good chin and a good back to his head, stood within the home of Mrs. Patricia Jelliffe Robeson and that of ' her daughter Margaret. He leaned against the mantel. Before him there stood a young girl a girl with lustrous eyes that looked straight Into his eyes from which there shone deep anxiety and trouble. This girt was Miss Margaret Robeson. This young man was John Lorlmer, consulting chemist. They were alone. Lorimer's face had gone suddenly white. "You you have no right," he said ta a. choking voice. "You know what it imoml It means the destruction of two lives of yours and mine. It's wrong. You know It's wrong. You you have no right. Mar garet," he repeated helplessly. She had glanced down for an instant. Again she looked at hfna with that ex pression of deep trouble in her eyes. "It is not a questionv" she began ha a tow voice, which trembled at the first, but grew stronger as she proceeded, "off what yett and I may think is right, but only of what there is for me to do. I Must marry this man. My mother's heart hr set upon ft; her future welfare and comfort depend' upon it I owe It t her. I owe assay things to you; I hare known yea far sesae years. I owe more to my saotber. Eh ia te be considered she must be eoastderesi first. 1 must do it. There la a ether way." He turned upon her fiercely. "Consider." be exclaimed, yo d not eoeafcte " Bh. stepped him with a gesture. "Consider," sh returned wearily; "Tsot consider." She caught kiss by th arm. "Can you look at Boy face. Jena Lertaaer. and say that I do not consider" that 1 do not think of you? What ha kept in from sltep night after night but thief Ton say I do not consider you. Do you think, I do not consider myself I, who have told yorx time and time agalil, I I love you She stopped suddenly, and sinking Into a chair at the table hid her face In her hands. He came over and touched her gently on the head. "Leave it to me, Peggy," he said; "let me decide. If you love me, we, we ought not to we toast axis part. It would be wot-so Peggy, than a mistake. It would be a crime." She shook- her head'. "There's a higher law than love, John Lorlmer," she said. She, too, spoke fit a strange voice, and hat manner was almost stilted because of her self-restraint. "There's a greater thing than self. There's a duty I must perform. X hare told yon that X ewe tnnch to my mother. I do Lorlmer interposed. Tour mother, he protested, "owes tnucb to you." She waved the suggestion aside. "That Is not the question. I owe much to her. I I understand. I love her. She has her heart set on certain things. John, these things to her mean life and happiness yes, and even health. I knew," she continued, "that my mother has ideas of her own. Those Ideas may not be mine, and may not ho yours, bnt they are not unreasonable, as the world judge them. Toe have so often said that we live la a conventional age- that we are bound hand and foot by conventional roles. I am meeting them. Jo ha Lorbner, fare to face. I have thought about it a good deal more than 1 ought to hare done, perhapa I have talked ft over with yon tonight. I know I ass sura, that there ta bat one way tn which my mother ran live ta happiness and comfort. That way Ilea before me. Fve got to follow it. I must There Is no other way." "Your mother does not understand" be gan John lorlmer. The girl bowed her head. "I know It," she answered; "she does not understand ha never can understand Just what I feel Just what . all means to me. But, oh," she went on, "can't you understand meT Can't yon see what 1 am doing? I under stand my mother a nobody else can under stand her, and I want yoiz. of alt people in this world, to understand me. Can t yoo see that 1 am doing Just what is right T' There was a certainty of ton in her voice that Lorlmer could not fall to under stand. "J see bet one thing;" answered Lortmer doggedly; T see nothing bnt that I love you and that you love me. Everything e'se that yoo have said Is wrong wrong tram th begtantot-" From the worldly standpoint Mrs. Patri cia JellHre Robeson may have been eter nally right. Many a girl has loved a poor man b she thought and married htm, oaly to regret adversity. Many a girl has married well, having no perron al regard for the man of her choice, and she has been happy. Happiness, even for refined and educated and aristocrat! people, consists largely ta material thing Peggy's mothes knew It And yet Pteggy's mother In this in stance was wrong wofuliy and trretitev ebly wrong. John Lorlmer knew It. Peggy Robeson, be Caved of Job Lortmer. sh knew It also. But what of that? It was not, as she bad said, a question, of the eter nal fitness of things. It was purely a ques tion of her duty to a mother whose Ideas may have been, from Peggy's standpoint, somewhat warped; but whose Ideas, tn thHr execution and completion, meant ihat mother's happiness. Who shall say that Peggy Robeson was wrong? But further, who shall say that Lorlmer was wrongT Some judge only divinely impartial, and not of the earth earthy! Peggy Robeson ana John Lortmer stood In the Lorlmer houw for a long while, with a great silence between them. Finally she bent over toward him and pot her arms about his neck. "John Lorlmer," she raid, tha knell of all their hopes and Joys ringing tn her . voices "for the last time yott you- most kiss me. For the last time L lave you. This is It must be the end. Heaven help us both!" "Amen." echoed John Larfwwr. fervently, crushing her to his breast with aa emotion fierce and almost owcontroilad. All that night she lay prone span her bed, faee downward, shaken fey sobs that tor her seal asunder. And John Lorlaner. consulting- chemist!! What of him? Lorlmer strode tHl dawn tn the teeth of the bleak, bleak storm ' anywhere, he knew aot wither, he eared not wither crashing in his pains the flower she gave him when he left. The next evening another caller rang the doer hell at the bouse or Mrs. Patricia Jelliffe Robeson. This man, bearrac a book la his hand, was warmly welcomed by en of th two women of the boose. This man, naturally, announced himself aa Mr. BUUngtna CTKaeta, chapter: vrr. WA Aneaeajes raws Cantatta JTcwftav A moth b&ttertd hnraan. being on hoard th- "Sarah Margaret" rectlaed supinely in , a steamer chahr. It was the only steamer chair aboard and belonged to Captain Jenks. It usually graced thn captain's stateroom, if the apartment tn which h Slept eaa he designated by that name. It iss rested apon the deck, sad its oocn- pant was wrapped tn a pair of odurooa blanket and hkt head wa swathed tor bandages. This human being, as may be ntagfaed, was son ther than BUHngion CrtCecrat He was Just ont th eve f retumhtg con sclousness. Near him, leasing against th rail and yet bending half anxiously toward O'Keefe, stood Captain Jenks of the mer chant marine. There was a fulnt movement a sort of tremulous spasm trans the flu tire on the chair, and a flutter of the e;,elld. Captain Jcnks. noting' this, Inint.dlately sprang forward with a fUhk, wMch he had been holding In hla hand, and forced the contents down tha other's throat. Th man in the chair coughed and rplutterext, and then opened his eyes wildly, looked, about and uttered a feeble yell. He prob ably thought he was yet under the terrifla hammering ef Jenks, the implacable. H doeed his ejes enre more to collect hi thoughts, end then, the stimulant having steadied his nerves and will power, he once mora opened them and looked ste.id ily apon the face and figure of Captain Holdworthy Jenks. The latter Immediately flushed op to the eyelids. He had suddenly become coveted with eonfnnion. II did not move for aa instant. Then he stepped forward end clapped the other man upon the shoultlcr. "Why didn't yon tell me who yon wr-?' he exclaimed, thus easine his mind a bit by way of no harm, by placing the blam upon the other man's shoulders. O'Keefe merhaak'aily answered: "I I did." he returned somewhat weakly. "Ton did nothln'." retorted Captain Jenks. "Who did you tell as yon were 7" he asked. "I told yoo." said O'Keefe. "that I was Bilnngton O'Keefe. And that's who X ass." "Biltington O'Keefe, snorted Jenks. "BUIIngtoa O'Keefe. Of course you did. But how ht thunder did you expect me to know all the names you had? And 'how could I tell you with that beard? Now I'll tell you who you are for fair. You're Coo stitutlonal Smith, and by George I never knew it." Bllllngton O'Keefe did not reply. He neither acquiesced nor dlnsentert. He saw at once that this supposed discovery on the port of Captain Jenkins wua some thing in his favor. He -mlled. Then he once more opened his mouth. "I'm Bllllngton O'Keefe, I tell you," he answered finally, but In an unconvincing tone of voice. "That's nil right, old boy." returned the captain, with another gentle whack upon his shoulders, "and it's a darned good name to go by. too. But when you get amongst friends when you're in safe hands at last; when, by George, you're In the hands of Captain Jenks, you ought to tell a body who you are. Old Heseklah Con stitutional Smith! And, by the Lord!" he went on, "I'd a never have known you at all but for this bit of paper that you had stuffed In your pocket." He passed It over. It was not one piece. It was several. There were three in alL One was. a letter addressed In a disguised hand to Hezckiah Smith. No envelope ac companied It. Another was a confidential note in still a different handwriting, ad dressed to Constitutional Smith. The third was a piece of paper on which were scrawled, not once, but a dosen times, the words: "Hexekiah Smith of N. Y. C" and "Constitutional Smith of N. Y. C" Bllllng ton O'Keefe looked at them wonderirvgly. He was surprised within himself that he had never found them in his pocket. But from the date of his advent upon the sailor he had been so dazed that he had not gone through his pockets with any care. It was even possible that h had pulled out these papers and thrust them back again. But he had never taken note of them. TlHit much was dear. Jenks shook lids head. "Now, what the devil," he went on, Tyon want to carry papers Hke that with you, to give you dead away, is one on 'me. That's what." Again O'Keefe mechanically answered: "I I didn't put them there. Somebody he must have done that for me." Jenkins- stood looking down upon the other and scratched his chin for a short space ef time. "Weii M's a blame queer mlxup all ronnd," he said, "but I guess it's safe enough te teii yon just what happened. I guess you're safer here then back there on th coast. I'm fignrtnT en this, and you can teit me if I'm, right. I'm guessln' that yen was heme chased pretty lively across .th country.' and Ia guessuV that, Just Ek yon, yon tried t turn a trtck hero in th west, with a new pal or two though it ain't Hke yen. t work' wita anybody kestde yenreetfand I'm giwstfia" that your pals den yon dirt, scooped the loot, and stuffed yur pockets with these papers, so ta eas yon got away before the dope wore eff, the cops might find yan. Tlven they stung you aboard the "Sarah Mar gairet for a consideration and you was n hit of a bnrgain, ton, see In" sow that it's yo ufi an' here yon aire. I ain't gotn'. to ask not qweatmns, an you needn't tell an lies, X know yea of aid but I've figured it's about that way, as' soma tlmo you can tell tae whether I'm Just about right or Just about wrong:" Once more he lipped hi on th showldcr. "You old Xleaekiub OHUtatiooal Smith you son of seseaok. you." The perceptions of Hold worthy Jenkins were fairly accwrato; his surmise hud been shmoet eorrect. The mystery of the paper writings was easily solved, and his general outline of the motive was Indeed correct. On the night that Bllllngton O'Kecfo had suffered the stroke from Constitutional's terrible right, in the llttlo narrow street in Monroe, Constitutional had stuffed into the breast pocket of Ids own coat which after ward became the coat o( Biltington O'Keefe the letters and memoranda in question. He had done it with an ulterior motive. It wua not allosUhfcr a brlliiaut idea. LUa Idea was this: That If for any reason ht scheme, in alt Its length and breadth, failed to reach completion, or If the two rogues played bim f:Ut-e, he wtks pretty poettiv that O'Keefo would fall into tlio hands of the police. Once In their h;mds, he would be searched; once soarrhed, the paper would be found. Now lie knew quite well that n man of the name of Constitutional Smith would not travel about the country with several sleuths at hU heels with papers in his pocket lenillng to hi identity. 15it lie did know that the Inst.mt the papers were found the police would look upon th form nnd face and figure of ItlllinKton O'Keefe and would immediately, oven through the beard, recognhte the features of Constitutional Smith. If, therefore, he failed to land O'Keefo upon an outgoing sailer and he did not know at that tlm upon Just what sailer he might he landed and if O'Keefe, by some mishap, still re mained In Monroe, his appearance, and th papers, would attract the attention of th police Just long enough to enable him Smith to get awa,v In pence. He had sim ply prepared in thia crude way for the very worst. In case tho worst had happened. There was one thing that Constitutional Smith did not know end could not know nbotrt Bllllngton O'Keefe, and that was that the matter of establtHhtng his Identrty, In rase It were necessary, would have taken but a very few momenta But, on the other hand. Smith did know that ther were but few ways, except by his outward appearance, by whk-h the police could es tablish his own Identity beyond a reason able doubt. But the police were at work; the nefarious success of Smith had put them on their mettle, and they were delns; things, both in tho east and in the west. Bnt of this later. "Now that I look at you," continued Captain Jenks to Itlllington O'ICrefe, "I can see that you're ConHtitutional Smith an no mistake. An' I'm sorry that I didn't know It afore I lambasted you." Suddenly he broke Into a roar of laughter. He felt that, having apologized, he had done ampin justice to the situation so far as any amends were concerned. "But, by George," he suddenly ex claimed, "what gets me ts how I ever laid you out. To think of me me, Jenks, a wallopin' the life out o' you, Bnitthv th strong arm man. You're pals must a doped you fer fair, or else we must a worked tha life out a' you aboard the 'Sarah Margaret.' Well, it's an experience foe you at any rat. Yu'v pot many a man. ont of business lis your time, and now you see how it feelav by George." Beelog apparently that the other man bore him no HI will and indeed CKcef was only too glad at the- turn affairs had taken Captain Jenks roared again and slapped his knee with relish. "Licked Const! toknat Smith, the chans peen o' the world. That's good e.KHish, by George." Bllllngton O'Keefe was treated Hke a lord. Captain Jenks was a fend of good living as was any ether man. and ha had an exceptional store of prwvfcdnm, Hituld and solid, for the delectation and refresh ment of himself, ami at Intervals of hi mate; Mr. Bullitt, who was nothing mom nor less than an Incipient Jeoks. In the captain' stateroom tbat day ther wa set forth an elaborate repast. Three places were set, one for the captain, on for tha mate and one for Bllllngton OKeef. "BuMltt," said the captain, as they care fully assisted their go? Into the room, "by Georget here's old Constitut'onat Smith, Jn-,t about recovered from that there trouncing that I gave 1m, and, by George, he'll be as lively as a cricket hi a day or two, an;' then well have a rarln, tenrm", swearhV tima of it, htm an me. aft" day long an' half the night, a-swoppin lie an' teflln ancient history yes, sir, all o' that to beat th band, by George. Thafs what, an' nothln leas, old Con stitutional Smith." (To be continued.) 5 T A T"irTr T-r-r- iENGKAlNGCa ,V7 5s. Y 1 I . -"r- HI IlV" Sf KoTmg tf StirlS-rs too thanwof ulJI,'-:' mii Uii (alt kt fjrmrm Bcr out4 before. Oox1 nrr h l.iMiii.r 14.00. Our Rptat Dnotiia trn IIU.0O u. coaat t ukm eavtiB I3U.4IU, Sau4. Usui afcuai 1 auaiplata t)Ulu.'. H 4 11 IrVteott AMUj CO., Ilibwtait. .. . . HesYarV