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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1914)
, 8 B ttik umaha .sunimv jjek: NOVKMBEK VJU. '? TPEY 0' LOUS JOSEPH VANCE r 77e photo-!rimA torrtsptmding to th tmttHirjtnik of "Tht Tfty C'hsrt$" may wow b attn at tha leading moving plctur theAfrr. By this tmiout atrtngtmtnt Xvitft tht tmwu Film Mfg. Co it it therefor not only possible to reed " The Trey C Heart" in this paper, hot Also to set each MaMment of t at iSt moving surfer iheaiere, (Copyright, lflt, by Loul JoeTh Tsars.) 15th Installment. THE LAST TRUMP RTNOFSIW Tha -ef-Mearte U tta "eata-rl(a" aav loy-d br Baa era Trtaa, an e4 and crippled nonftmtnlti. In th private war of vengeanea w.hleh ha waea aaalnat Alaa Law, ton of tha man (bow deed) who wee Inaoeentl rraponelple for tha accident whlrh rendered THaa a help-l-aa Invalid for Ufa. Alaa falle In leva with Knee, Trlaa'a daughter, and hie love la ralurnad. Judith, KWi twin end double, but a woman of violent paaolona and erretln temper. prnmlHt her father to oompaaa Alaa'i death: bat undar dramatlo clrcumetancre Alaa bar Ufa and ao, unwillingly, wlna bar love. Jadlth than lurna agalnet har rather and aueeeeafallr eppoeee hla effort. ta eauie Alaa to ba eeaaaainatod br bla aldea and mer;ner1e After many adventuree Alaa, Kaee, e'adtth and Barrae, A Ian 'a brat frland. eecape to tha mountain country af Houthern 'aurora ta and thVa leave Trine hrlplraa and frlendleoe through cauelng tha death ln anlf-defanael of bta two rat llrutenaata. I THE NEW JUDITH, From sleep as from drugged stupor Judith Trtn wakened, struggling back to consciousness Ilk onw exhausted diver from the black depths to tha ' atar-smltten aurface of a nightbound pool. And for a little aha lay unstlrrlng, bar half-numb wlta fumbling with their bualneaa of renewing ac quaintance with tha world. At first ahe could br no means recognize har sur roundings. This rude chamber of rough plank walla and primitive furnishings ; this wide, hard couch she shared with her atill slumbering aister, Rose: the view revealed by an open window at the bedside; a fair perspective of tree-clad mountains i through which a wide-bottomed canyon rolled down to an emerald plain, conveyed nothing to her In telligence. , A fortnlesa sense of some epochal change In tha habits and mental processes of a young lifetime, added to her confusion. j Who waa ah herself, thla strange creature who rested here ao calmly by the eld of Rose? If she were Judith Trine, how came she to be there? Ir reconcilable opposite In every phase of character, the sisters had sedulously avoided association with each other ever sine childhood: .they had not shared the shelter of four walla overnight sine time beyond the bounds of Judith's memory. What, then, had so changed them both that they should be found In such close company? Where waa tb Judith of yesterday btgh-eptrtted, fearless, proud to arrogance, the puppet of fiery passions, the wom an who had been able to contemplate without a qualm committing with her own hand a murder that her .father's mind might be eased, hit last daya soothed with the sens of a wrong repaid ta brimming meaaur? ' What. Indeed, ' had become of that wild thing, Judith Trio of yesterday?. Surely she had little nough In common with this Judith of today. In whoa heart was no more room for envy, hatred, malice or amy-nnchtrttableness, so full waa It of love which, though .. waa focused upon the person of on man, none the lesa embraced all the world even her aister and successful rival In that on man's affections. And this was the work of Lovai She sighed, but sighed aoftly, that ah might not disturb her sister; and In this very act of consid eration emphasised the vastness of the chang that had com over her. For a week ago to have roused Rose needlessly would have afforded Judith mall clous delight; while today Judith waa 'not only thoughtful of her sister's minor comforts, but stood , prepared to sacrifice herself, to break ' har own heart with her own two hands, that Rosa's hrppl ness might be assured. .... Now the chain of memoriae waa quit complete, no link lacking In Its continuity. 8h recalled clearly every Incident that had marked the alow growth of this great love ah had for Alan Law, from that first dsy, not yet a month old, when h had escaped the fiery deathtrap ah had aet for him and repaid bar only by risking hla life anew to save her from destruction, down to this very morning when the stream from a hydraulio notsl had awept over the brink of a thra hundred-foot precipice a crimson racing automobile containing two desperate men bent upon compassing tha death of her beloved. By that act of abeer aelf-defenaa the world waa richer for the loaa of two black-hearted black guards, and Alan Law might now be considered safe from further persecution since there bow remained not one aoul loyal enough to Seneca Trine to prosecute hla private war of vengeance against" Alan. And though that aged monomaniac ' had meana whereby he might purchase other acoun Brele and corrupt them to hla hldeoua purposes, Judith waa determined that ha should never again have any opportunity ao to do. Though Alan, ah knew, would never lift bis hand to hinder her father freedom of action, ahe, Judith, meant to take auch. atepa aa hla peraecutlon called for. If there were any Justice In the land if ther were any alienists capable of discriminating between Trine's apparent aanlty and hla deep-rooted mania then aurely not many daya more should pass Into history without witnessing his consignment to an Institution for the criminally insane. 8b a, Judith, would see to that, and then . . . The woman sighed one mora. Then Rose and Alan would marry and llv hspplly ever afterward. But what of Judith? ' Eh made a amall gesture of resignation to br destiny. What became of her ao longer mattered, ao that Alan were mad happy la auch happlneaa aa h coveted. And now the thought attrred hJr sharply that what was to be done must be don quickly. It . at all. And the almost level rays of the declining sun, trlklng In through the open window, counseled haste If Judith were to accomplish her Intention , of leaving this place and finding her father agala before nightfall. With the utmoat care ah roe from tha bed, crept to the door of th room (now recognised as the Quarters of th foreman of th hydraulic min ing outfit) and out Into th room adjoining. And there, pulling th door to gently behind her, ah paused and for many mlnutee stood la. tense- strung contemplation of tb man ah loved Alaa Law, asleep In a chair bealde a table, hla head pil lowed oa bla folded arm a. This was leave-taking between them and he would never know. rar better o: Judith felt ah could not trust herself to Bay farewell to him without breaking down and confessing the utter wretchedness that threatened to overwhelm her each time ahe forced herself to face the thought that this parting must be final. Like a thief ah stole across the creaking floor fo Alan's aide, hesitated, bent her head to his and touched her lips to his cheek a caress ao light that he alept on in Ignorance of It v Then, aa she lifted her head and stood erect, bosom convulsed with silent sobs, she looked squarely Into the face of Rose. II THE OLD ADAM. A long minute elapsed before either woman moved or spoke. Transfixed beside Alan's chair, ateadylng heraelf with a hand upon Ita back, Judith stared at the figure In the kloorway, In a temper at once discom fited and defiant With this she suffered a phase of Incredulity, wss scarce able to persuade herself that this was truly Rose who confronted her Rose whose sweet and gentle nature had ever served as tha butt of Judith's supremo contempt and ruthless ridicule. Here was revolution with a vengeance, when Rose threatened and Judith shrank! It waa aa If th women had exchanged natures while they slept. The countenance that Rose showed her sister was a thundercloud rent by the lurid lightning of her angry eyes. Her pose was tense and alf.it, like the pose of,an animal Sot to spring. In hor hnd hung a revolver. And slowly, toward the end of that long, mute minute, the glrl'e grasp tightened upon th grip of the weapon and Its muzzle lifted. Remarking this, a flash of her one-time temper quickened Judith. Of a sudden, with a start, she crossed the floor In a single, noiseless stride, and threw herself before her sister. "Well?" she demanded hotly. "What are you waiting for? Nohody'a stopping you: why don't you ahoot?" The upward movement of the hand was checked: 1 th weapon hung level to Judith's brenst as level and unequivocal as the glance that probed her eyes and th tone of Rose's voice as she demanded: "What wer you doing there?" "If you must know from me what you already know on the evidence of your eyes I waa bidding good-by to the man I love kissing him without his knowledge or consent before leaving him to you for good and all!"- "What do you mean?" "That I'm going away that I can't stand this situation any longer. Marrophat and Jimmy are dead, my father's helpless and I mean to see that he remalna so.' Nothing, then, standa In the way of your marrying Alan but me. And such being the case and because he's as dear to me as he Is to you I'm going to take myself off and keep out of th way." For fear leat he find out that you love him?" Judlth'a Up curled. "Do you think him ao witless h doesn't know that already?" "And ao you leave him to me out of your char ity! Ia that Itr ' "Any way you like. But If It's so Intolerable .to you to think that I dare love him and confess 1t to you If you begrudge me the humiliation of stooping to kiss a man whedoesn't want my kisses If you are ao afraid of losing him while I live and lov him very well, then!" With a passionate gesture Judith tore open the bosom of her waist, offering her flesh to the muz 1 of th revolver. A cry broke from the lips of Rose that waa Ilk th cry of a forlorn child punished with cruelty that pasaea its understanding. She fell back against th wall. The revolver swept up through the air hut lta mark waa her own head rather than Judlth'a bosom. But before her finger found strength to pull th trigger the man at th table, startled from his sleep by th sound of angry voices, leaped from hla chair with a violence that aent it clattering to th floor, and hurled himself headlong across th room. Im prisoning the wrist of hla betrothed with on hand while th other wrested th weapon away and paased It to Judith. "Rose!" h cried thickly, "what doee this mean? Ar you mad? Judith " Dragging th boaom of her waist together, Judith thrust th weapon into lta holster and turned away. "Be kind to her, Alan," ah aald In an uncertain voice: "She didn't understand and and I goaded her beyond endurance, I'm afraid. Forglv me but be kind to har always!" Somehow, blindly, ahe stumbled out of th cabin into th open, possessed by a thought whoa temptation waa stronger than her powera of resist ance. What Rose had failed to accomplish might now serve to resolve Judith's problem . . . Nona, she told herself bitterly, would seek to hinder her. But she meant ao to arrange th matter that non ahould see or suspect and be moved to interfere. It though th afternoon hour was. tb busi ness of hydraulio mining atlll engaged th undi vided attention of every man In the camp, Non noticed the girl aa ah sped up the road toward the cliff at least, if any one did. It waa without re marking the symptoms of the hysteria which waa at the bottom of thla mad Impulse toward self destruction. And yet, such Is th Inconsistency of the humaa animal, the -Instinct for solf preservation waa stronger than her purpose: when a touring car awung round the mountain and ahot toward her. She checked hastily and Jumped aside la ample time to eecap being run down. Th next Instant the machine waa lurching to a halt and th sonorous accent of Seneca Trla wer saluting her: "Judith! Tou her! What th devil! WherVv you been? Wher ar. Marrophat and Jimmy?" "Dead!" th girl replied, sententious, eyeing him strangely. "Dead?" b echoed. "Whoa dead?" A gleam of Infernal Joy lighted up hla grim and lowering countenance. "Tou dont mean to tell m Alaa Law" "No," ah cut him short again. "I mean to tell you that Marrophat and Jimmy ar dead." "I don't believe It!" th old man creamed, aghast "I won't believe It. You're tying to me, you Jade! Tou'r lying 8b indicated with a gesture two forms that lay at a little distance back from th roadside, motion less beneath a aheet of canvas th bodies of Trine's creatures, recovered by the mining gang and brought up for a Christian burial This, then, was the cruel fruition of his merci less hounding of -Alan Law from the woods of northern Main to the hills of southern Califor nia! ... The last bitter drop that brimmed his cup) of misery was added when Alan 'Law himself ap peared, leaving the miners' cabin In company with his betrothed Roe now soothed and comforted, smiling through the traces of her recent tears as she clung to her lover, nestling la th hollow of his arm. To Alan, on th other hand, thla rencontre teemed to afford nothing but th pleaaantest sur prise Imaginable. "Well!" he cried, releasing Roa and running down to the car. "Here'a luck! And at th very moment when I was calling my lucky star hard names 1 How can I ever reward your thoughtful ness, Mr. Trine? It beats me how you do keep track bf me this way happening along like this every time I need a car the worst way in the world!" "Drlv on!" Trine screamed to the chauffeur. "Drive on. do you hear?" But Judith had stepped up on the running board and waa eyeing the driver coldly, with one hand significantly resting on the butt of the weapon at her side. The car remained at a standstill. "But whero's Barcus?" Judith demanded when, after helping Ros into the car and running off There was no other occupant of the room. Though he had lain nearly two days In coma, her father's subsequent progress toward recovery of his normal state had been rapid. For the last twenty-four hours he had been In full possession of his faculties and (for tome reason Impossible for Judith to fathom) uncommonly cheerful. From this circumstance she drew a certain sense of mystified anxiety. Twice In th course of the morning she had caught hla eye following her with a gleam of sardonlo exultancy, as though he nursed some secret of extraordinary potentialities. And yet (she argued) It was quite impossible that he should have some fresh scheme brewing for the assassination of Alan. And yet . . . she was oppressed by a great uneasiness. A considerable degree of restlessness was surely pardonable In one who, from her window, watched a carriage-drive populous with vehicles (for the most part motor cars) bringing to the hotel gayly dressed men and women, the guests Invited to the wedding of Rose Trine and Alan Law. Within another ten minutes the man Judith loved with all her body and aoul would be the hus band of her sister. Slowly, ngatnst her will, she rose and stole across the floor to her father's chair. His breathing was slow and regular: beyond doubt he slept; unquestionably ther was no rea- ED m RtanKannnnnanri aw ! T '4 yaffil! E3 E3 t A ieMwwKe . eaJ V',." iw,n , X. I Si - ... if. - - i si 1 1 I - f to thank their hosts, Alaa returned alone to th car. "Goodness only knows," the young man" answered cheerfully. "He would Insist on rambling off down th canyon la search of an alleged town where w could hire a motor cai somewhere down there."- Taking the seat next the chauffeur, he gav th word to drlv on; and they slipped away from tha location of the mining camp, saluted by cheers from the miners. Half an hour passed wtthout a word spoken by -any member of the party. Each was deep In hla or her own especial preoccupation. The aged monomanlao occupied the right-hand corner of th rear seat. Thus his on able hand waa next to Judith, In close Juxtaposition to th revolver In th holster on her hip. Without the least warning his left hand closed upon the weapon, withdrew It and leveled It at the back of Alan'a head. Aa he pulled the trigger Judith flung heraelf bodily upon the arm. Even so, the bullet found a goal, though In an other than the Intended victim. The muscular fore arm of the chauffeur received It With a shriek of pain th man released the wheel and grasped his arm. Before Alan could move to prevent the disaster the car. running without a guiding hand, cannoned off a low embankment to the left and tfhot full tilt Into a shallow ditch on the right shelling Its passengers like peas from a broken pod. Alan catapulted a good twenty feet through the air and alighted with such fore that h lay atunned for several momenta. When ha cam to, he found Barcus helping him to hla feet: a heavy aven-paaaenger touring car halted In the roadway Indicated the manner In which hla friend had arrived on th seen of th accident When damages wer assessed It was found that none of the party had suffered seriously but th chauffeur and Seneca Trine himself. Th former had only hla wound to show, however; while Trine lay still and senseless at a very considerable dis tance from th wrecked automobile. ni THE LAST TRUMP. Toward the evening of th third day following th motor spill, 'Judith eat in th deeply recessed window of a bedchamber oa the second floor of a hotel situated in th heart of California's orange growing landa. Behind her Seneca Trine sat, apparently aaleep, la a wheeled Invalid chair. son why ah should not leave him foe ten luhiuic; even though he waked It could not harm him to await her return at the end of that scant period. Like a guilty thing, on feet aa noiseless as any sneak-thlef's, she crept from th room, closed th door silently, ran down the ball and descended, by a back way, a little-used staircase, to th lower hall, approaching the acene of the marriage. ' Above stairs. In the room Judith had quitted, Seneca Trine opened both eyea wide and laughed a silent laugh of savage triumph when the door closed behind hla daughter. At laat he waa left to hla own devices and at a time the most fitting Imaginable for what he had In mind. With a grin, Seneca Trine raised both arms and t stretched them wide apart Then, grasping the arms of his chair, he lifted : himself from It and stood trembling upon his own feet for th first time In almost twenty years. Grasping the back of the wheeled chair, he used It as a crutch to guide his feeble and uncertain movements. But these became momentarily atronger and more confident Thla, then, waa th secret he had hugged to hla embittered boaom. a secret unsuspected even by the attending surgeon: that through the motor ac cident of three days ago he had regained the use of limbs that had been stricken motionless strangely enough, by a motor car nearly two dec ades since. Slowly but surely moving, to the bureau in th room, he opened on of its drawers and took out something he had, without her knowledge, seen Judith put away there while sb thought he slept Then, with this hidden In th pocket of his dressing gown, he steered a straight If very de liberate course to the door, let himself out, and Ilk a materialized tweeter of th man he one had been, navigated the corridor to th head of the broad central staircase and step by step, cling ing with both hands, negotiated the descent The lobby of. the hotel waa deserted. As th ceremony approached Ita end every guest and serv ant In th hous waa crowding th doorway to th chapel. Non opposed th progress of this ghastly vision In dressing gown and slippered feet, chuck ling Insanely to himself aa he tottered through th empty halla and corridors, finding an almost super natural strength to sustain him till he found him self fac to fac with his chosen enemy and victim. The first that blocked his way into the chapel, a bellboy of the hotel, looked round at the first touch of th claw-Ilk hand upon his shouldsr and shrank back with a err of terror a cry that waa echoed from half a dozen throats within another instant. As If from the path of some grizzly visitant from the world beyond the grave, -the throng pressed back and cleared a way for Seneca Trine, father of the bride. And as the way opened and he looked up toward the altar and saw Alan standing hand In hand with Rose while the minister invoked a blessing upon the union, added strength, the strength of the in sane, was given to Seneca Trine. When Alan, annoyel by the disturbance in the body of the chapel, looked round, It was to see th aged maniac standing within a dozen feet of him; and as he looked and cried out In wonder, Trlna whipped a revolver from the pocket of his dressing gown and swung It steadily to bear upon Alan's head. At that Instant the storm broke with Infernal fury upon the land. A crash tit thunder so heavy and prolonged that It seemed to rock-the very building upon Its founda tions, accompanied the shattering of a huge stained glass window. A bolt of bluish flame of dazzling brilliance slashed through the window like a flaming sword and smote the pistol in the hand of Seneca Trine, discharging the weapon even as It struck' him dead. 1 As he fell, the bolt swerved and struck two oth ers down Alan Law and the woman who had Just been made his wife. IV THE WIFE. Again three days elapsed; and Judith, returning? from the double funeral of her father and sister, doffed her mourning for a gown less somber and more suited to the atmosphere of a sickroom, then relieved the nurse In charge of Alan. He remained as he had been ever since the fall ing of the thunderbolt in absolute coma. T5ut he lived, and or the physicians lied must soon regain consciousness. Kneeling beside his bedside Judith prayed long and earnestly. When she arose it was to answer a tap upon tha door. She admitted Tom Barcus and suffered nlm to lead her into the recess of the window, where they conversed In guarded tones in plte of the fact that the subject of their communications could not possibly have heard them. "I've come td tell you something." Barcus an nounced with characteristic awkwardness, "I'va known. It for three days ever ince the wedding. In fact and kept it to myself, not knowing wheth er I ought "to tell you yet or not." . He paused, ayeing her uncertainly, unhappily. "I -am prepared," Judith assured him calmly. "You're nothing of the sort," he -wintered, argu mentative. "You couldn't be. It's the most amas ing tiling Imaginable. . . . See here ..." "Well?" "You understand, don't you, that Alan must ner. er know that Rose was killed by that lightning; stroke?" "What do you mean?.' "I mean," the man floundered miserably, "yoa see, he loved her so I thought I'm sure It would be best If you can bring yourself to -t to let him go on. believing It wasn't Rose who waa killed, but Judith. And thaUa skating so close to the truth that It makes no difference: the Judith Alan knew and the Judith I knew In the beginning is gone aa completely as thoifgh she and not Roe had been killed." After a long pause, the girl asked him quietly a "I understand. But Is It possible you don't under stand that, If I were to consent to this proposition, lend myself to atdeceptlon which I must maintain, through all my life to come Alan would consider me his wife?" "Well, but you see you are his wife. . . . Oh, don't think I'm off my bat: I'm telling yoa the plain, unvarnished truth. You ar Alan's wife. . . . No, liaten to me. You remember that day In New York when you substituted for Rose, when Alan tried to eope with her. and you went with him to Jersey City, and stood up to be married by a preacher-guy named Wright and Marrophat broka In Just at th critical moment and busted up tha party r "Well?" she demanded breathlessly. Barcus produced a folded yellow paper from hla ' coat pocket and proffered It "Read that It waa handed to me as best man. Just before th ceremony. Seeing it was addressed to Alan and knowing he was In no frame of mind to be bothered by telegrams, I slipped It into my pocket and forgot all about t temporarily. When I came to find It I took the liberty of reading it. But read It for yourself." The typewritten lines of the long messag blurred and ran together almost Indectpberably In N Judith's vision. None the less, eh contrived to grasp th substance of its meaning: "WHY DIDN'T YOU WIRE ME SOONER?" It ran: "MARRIAGE TO ROSE IMPOSSIBLE. REV MR. WRIGHT INFORMED ME YOUR MARRIAGE TO JUDITH LAST WEEK HAD GONE TOO FAR WHEN MARROPHAT INTERRUPTED. JU DITH LEGALLY YOUR WIFE. WOULD HAVH ADVISED YOU SOONER HAD YOU LET MH KNOW WHERE TO ADDRESS YOU. HOPE TO HEAVEN THIS GETS TO YOU BEFORE TOO LATE." The message was signed with the name of Alan'a . confidential man of business in New York. ... ' When Judith looked up she was alone In tha room, but for the silent patient on his couch. Slowly, almost fearfully, she crept to his bed side and stood looking down Into the face of her husband. And whll she looked Alan'a lashes fluttered, his respiration quickened, a faint color crept Into his pallid cheeka and hla eyes opened wide and looked into hers. His lips moved and breathed a word of recog nition: "Judith!" With a low cry of tenderness, the girl sank to her knees and encircled his head with her arms. "Judith," she whispered, hiding her face in hia boaom, "Judith la no more . . ." A pause; and then the feeble voice: "Then, If I was mistaken, If you aren't Judith,' you must be Rose my -wife!" She aald steadily: "I am your wife." His hands fumbled with her face, closed upon' her cheeks, lifted her head until her eyes must1 look Into his. And for many minute he held her so, looking deep Into the aoul of the woman. Than quietly he said: 1 know , . w END OF THE TREY O HEARTS.