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About Dakota County herald. (Dakota City, Neb.) 1891-1965 | View Entire Issue (April 17, 1919)
DAKOTA COUNTY HERALD, DAKOTA CITY, NEBRASKA. ttomeTovm iur- - The Thirteenth Commandment By RUPERT HUGHES Copyright by Hurper A Brothers C0UNTRY NEEDS APPLE TREES Helps 1 ' r vt U CHAPTER XIX Continued. 13 "Whnt they used to call the de cent thing we call Indecent. You said yourself that marriage without love was horrible. And It Is; It's nil quar rel and nagging and deceit. IT people are faithful to each other morally they seem to quarrel all the more. Long ago I vowed I'd never marry, and I don't Intend to. I don't want to marry you. But I want your life." "Mr. Duanel Really, this Is out rageous." "No, It Isn't 1 Hush and listen, honey Miss Kip Daphne whatever you'll let mo call you. I told you I was starl;, starving, crazy mad about rou. Whon I think of you looking for jMtei She Was More Afraid of Him Now Than Ever. work, living In that 'awful spare room of those awful Chlvvises whon I think of you going from placo to place nt the mercy of such men as you're Mire to meet when I think of you uniting for poor WIniburn to get out of tho poorhouse, I want to grab you In my arms and run away with you. It breaks my heart to see you in dls ttoss and anxiety; for I want you to have everything beautiful and cheer ful In the world. And I can get It all for you. Let mc! Let me love you Jind try to make you happy, won't you?" lie hud crowded nearer nnd he held her fast against tho door of the car. His right hand clung to hers; his left slid down to her waist. lie drew her toward him, staring up beseech ingly. Ho laid his cheek against her left side like a child, tho big man pleading to the little woman for mercy. She folt sorry for him and for her self. She regretted .that cruelty wns her one uninlstaknble duty. She had no right to bo kind, nnd charity would he a sin. Slio wrung her hands free from his with slow persuasion and shook her herfd pityingly. He accepted the decision with a nod, hut before she could escape from his arm she felt that ho pressed his lips against her just above her heart. It was asMf lie had softly driven a nail 'nto it. Tears flamed to her eyelids Hid fell on his hands as he carried thnn to ids bent brow. Ilri crossed hem on tho wheel and hid his faco in thou, groaning. "Daphne t Daphne !" .She wns more afraid of him now ,k'ui ever. Ail tho splendors he could promise her were nothing to that prof fer of Ills longing. Wtille she waited In a battle of Im pulses, ho regained self-control with Tvlf-contempt, In a general clench of esolution. "I apologize," lie mumbled. I'm a fool to think that you could -h me." CHAPTER XX. Dunne did not bpeak till miles and jillcs of black road had run backward ocneath their wheels. Then ho grumbled, "What n fool 1 was to Irrnm of such a thing!" More miles went under before her "urlostty led her to wiy, faintly, 'What were you dreaming of?" Jle Inughed, and did not answer for mother while. Then ho luuglied Villa. "Do you really want to know?" "I think so." "Well, you couldn't hnte mo any more than you do, so I'll tell you. I fit til to myself that I would never bo the dnvo of any woman. ."It's not that I am htlngy about my aioney, not that I wouldn't take tho treat est pleasure In pauperizing my clf for tho woman 1 loved, but that I want her to tnko my gifts as gifts, Dot as a tax or a salary. Some of these women think they are doing a linn n tremcudous favor by letting llm support them. That doesn't get ne a llttlo bit. I believe n man does i woupui Just as much hone- ns she docs him, nnd sacrifices a blamed eight more. He gives up his freedom, and if sho gives up hers sho's only giving up something she doesn't know how to use anyway." Dnphno had rarely found n mnn who would talk to her with Duano's frankness, nnd If thcro Is nnythlng that Interests a woman more than an other It Is to hear womankind an alyzed, even sntlrlzcd. She was eager for more vinegar. "You won't be shocked nnd angry?" he asked. "I don't think so." "You don't know how pleasant It Is to talk life and lovo to n woman who doesn't rear up and feel Insulted at everything. At first you gavo mo n couple of how-dare-you's, hut they don't count. And If you do hate mo a little more, why, so much the better. When I thought you had broken with Wlmburn I said to myself, 'She's the one girl in the world for me. I'm go ing to nsk her to marry mc' But I was afraid to, for I was afraid- of mar riage. And then I Well, I'd better not Yes, I will. I said, 'She be lieves that men and women nrc equal and have equal rights, and she's go ing to get out nnd hustle for herself, like a little man. Maybe she could learn to love mo" well enough to go Into a partnership of hearts.' That's what I said to myself. You mustn't tliink It's becauso I don't want to cleave to one woman; it's becauso I do. But I hate handcuffs. Do you see? And now you know what I was dreaming of. What do you think of it?" The answer to his long oration was complete silence. Dunne wnlted for his nnswer, nnd, not getting it, Inughed harshly: "Well, that's that. The next number on our program will be n bal lad entitled 'I Never Dream but I Bump My Ucad.' Go onl Mnrry Clay WIniburn on nothing n year and live miserably ever after." She said nothing to this, cither. Dunne wns In a wretched state of baf flement, no put the car to Its paces, and It ripped through space nt fifty miles an hour. Daphne hnd a new terror added to the load of her nerves. The car went bounding up n steep Incline toward the swerve of a head land cut In rigid silhouette by tho far reaiiiing searchlight of n enr ap proaching from tho other direction. Duono kept well to the outside of the road, but Just as he met tho other motor and winced 'in the dazzle of its lamps, a third car trying to pass It on the curve hurtled Into tho narrow space with n blaze like lightning sear ing the eyes. There was a yelling and hooting of horns and a sense of dis aster. Daphne bent her head and prayed for life, but without faitli. Duane, half-blinded, swung his front wheels off the road and grazed n wall. Tho rear wheels wero not quick enough. The other car smote them, crunlpllng the mudguard and slicing off tho rear lamp. Daphne was, thrown this way and that, and It seemed that her spine must have snapped In n dozen places. When sho opened her eyes again the car was standing still. Dunne turned to her with terrified questions, nnd his hands visited 4ier faco and her arms and shoulders. He held her hands fust and peered Into her eyes while sho promised him that she was not dead. Tho car that had bested his did not return, but the other did, offering help from a safe dlstanco till Its identity was established. In the light of Its lamp Dunne got down and examined his own car. Besides tho damages In the rear, it had sustained n complete fracture of the front axle, a twisted fender, and n shattered headlight. Tho driver of the other car camo up and Joined the cproner's Inquest. He stared at Duane, anil cried In the tone of an English aristocrat, "Gob bless my soul, ain't you Tom Dunne?" Duane, blinking In tho light, peered at him nnd said: "Yop! I can't see you, but the voleo would be Wctli erell's." "Itlght-o; It's me. Oh, pardon me, you're not alone. Nobody hurt, I hope und pray." "No, but we're pretty far from home and country." "I see I lluni-m I Pity I couldn't get the number of tho swlno that hit you. I rather fancy I'll hnvo to give you a lift what? I was out on n tangnroo hunt, but that will wait If you don't mind trusting yourself to had com pany." Duane lowered ills voice anxiously. "Is It very bad?" Wctherell put the muto on his voice. "As good as yours, I'll wager. But let's not gp into family history. Come along nnd'we'll tnko you to the next neutral port. That would be" "Yonkers." "Oh, yes. I fancy thoso wero the Yonkers wo camo through a few miles bnek. Well, come along." Duano was embarrassed, but ho could do nothing except tako Wcth erell to his car nnd Introduce him to Daphne. "Miss Kip," ho snld. "I've got to present Mr. Wctherell. He wants us to ride with him as tar as Yonkers. We'll get another car there." Wctherell camo close and said: "Did he say Mrs. Kip? I can't see you, but I hope you nro the fascinat ing Mrs. Kip I met nt Newport. Ilnvo you forgotten mo so soon?" "I am Miss Kip," said Daphne. "Oh, so sorry I I don't mean thnt, either. But my Mrs. Kip was n siren Leiln was her first name. I called her De-lella, you see. And slfo called mo Samson. She was n " "Sho Is my brother's wife," snld Daphne. "Oh, you don't tell mo!" Wctherell gulped, and his nbrupt silence wns full of startling Implications that alarmed Daphne, nngcred Dunne, nnd threw Wctherell 'into confusion. Dunne helped Daphne to slight from tho derelict and transferred her to tho other car, where Wctherell Intro duced them to a mass of shadow whoso name, "Mrs. Bettany," meant nothing to Daphno and everything to Dunne. Duane nrranged to have n wrecking crew sent out to his roadster, and chartered n touring car and n chauf feur for tho trip Into New York. Ho sat back with Daphno nnd mur mured prnyers for forgiveness be cnuse of the dangers ho had carried her Into and for the things he had said. Daphne's uervps had been overworked. She had been rushed from udventuro to ndventuro of soul nnd body. She had been Invited to enter a career of gorgeous sin, nnd she had been swept along the edge of a fearful disaster. Mrs. Chlwls met Daphno nt tho door. Her recent nffcctlon hnd turned again to scorn, and she glowered nt Daphne, who crept to her room In hopeless ncceptanco of tho role of ad venturess. Tired as sho was sho could not sleep. The clangor of tho morning called her to the window. A gray day broke on n weary town. The prob lem of debt and food and new clothes dnwned again. Everything wns gray before her. Wisdom whispered her to tako Duane nt his word nnd try the grcnt ndventuro. How could it bring her to worse confusion thnn sho found nhout her now? And then tho morn ing mall arrived and brought her n large envelope addressed in a strange Iinnd. She opened It and took from It n sheaf of photographs. "ller father's Imago a dozen times repeated lay before her. Tho un touched proofs omitted never n line, never a wrinkle. One of tho pictures looked straight at her. Sho recalled that once she hnd stood back of tho photographer and her father had caught her eye and smiled Just as tho bulb wns pressed. She made him smllo like that. Whnt would his expression be when ho learned that she had "listened to rea son," ceased to bo his daughter, and become Tom Duano's She shuddered back from tho word and the thought. Sho forgot both In the Joy of reunion with her father. All the philosophies and wisdoms and luxuries wero answered by tho logic of that smile. Sho lifted his pictured lips to hers with flllnl eagerness nnd her tenrs pattered ruinously on the proof. She Tired as She Was, She Could Not Sleep. wns satlfficd to ho what the Jeweler In Cleveland hnd called her to Clay WIniburn "old Wcs Kip's girl." Suddenly sho remembered Woth erell nnd his massnges to Leila. She felt so renewedly virtuous herself thnt It seemed her duty to go down nnd re buke Leila for her apparent philan dering nt Newport. She wns nlso cu rious to see how guilty Leila would receive tho news that Wctherell had asked for her. But sho found Bayard at homo for luncheon and sho wns neither mart nor muim enough to coatxxsu LeJla before him. And this was rather for his sake than Leila's. Lclln wns Just Informing Bnyard that tho butcher had delivered tho morning's order no fnrthcr than tho freight elevator, nnd instructed his boy to send tho meat up only after the money came down. Bnynrd hnd no money and tho cha grin of his situntlon wns bitter. Ho snarled nt Leiln : "Tell tho cub to tnko tho meat hack and cnt it himself. Then I'll go over nnd butcher tho butcher." Lclln dismissed tho boy with n faint-hearted show of lndlgnntlon. Then sho enmo bnck nnd snld, "And now wo have no meat to cat." Bayard was reduced to philosophy, tho last resort of tho desperate: "Well, the vegetarians say wo ought never to eat meat, nnywny. Wo'ro poor, hut, my Lord I we'ro In grnnd company. Look nt this cartoon of Ccsnro's In the Sun Father Knicker bocker turning his pockets inside out nnd not n penny in them. New York city has to borrow money on short tlnio notes nt high interest to pny its own current bills. "Look nt Europe. All the countries over there wero stumbling nlong un der such debt that they yondercd how they could meet the Interest on the next pny day. And now they are mortgaging their great-grandsons' property to pay for shooting their sons. "It's tho old Thirteenth Commnnd ment thnt we'vo nil been' smnshlng to flinders. And, my God! what a punishment wo'ro all getting I And It's only beginning." They sat down to n pitiful meal meutless, maldless, mirthless hnrdly more thnn the raw turnips nnd cold wator of Colonel Sellers. Leila fetched what victual there was. After tho meal Bayard shrugged into ids overcoat nnd left without kissing his wife' or his sister goodby. Dnphno nnd Lclln went out to tho kitchen, set tho dishes In tho pnn, nnd tho pnn under tho faucet. Leila turned on the hot wntcr. Dnphno wns glnd to bo at work. "There's one good thing nhout n smnll menl," sho chirped, "It makes less dishes to wash." Then, with ns much trepldntlon ns If sho had been tho nccused Instead of the accuser she faltered: "Oh, say, Leila, do you ro membor n mnn named Wctherell?" Leila dropped a plate. Sho said It was hot. But other plates had been hot. "Wctherell? Wctherell?" she pon dered, nloud, with nn unconvincing uncertainty. "I be'.Icvo I do remem ber meeting somebody of that name. English, wnsn't he?" "Very." "Oli, yes. no wns nf Newport, I think. Why?" "Oh, nothing. I met him Inst night and ho thought I was you." "How could ho?" Leila gasped. "Wo don't look tho least alike." ( "It was hr tho dark." "In tho dark! Good heavens! Where?" Already Leila had gained tho weath er gauge. Daphno had to confess her outing with Dunne, tho crish of the collision nnd tho return to Yonkers In Wctherell's cnr. Leila took advan tugo of tho situation to Interpolate: "Good hcnvensl How could you? You of nil people! And with Tom Dunne! Whnt would Clay think?" Daphno know that sho had no right to reproach Leila for having known Wctherell in Newport. Sho had no right even to suspect that Leila hnd overstepped any of tho bounds of pro priety. And still sho wns not con vinced of Lelln's Innocence. Sho was merely silenced. CHAPTER XXI. The next dny her fenrs of Wctherell and of Leila wero rekindled. She went down to ask Bayard to help her trace Clay. Bayard was out and Leila was on the point of leaving. She was dressed In her killlngest frock nnd hat and generally nccoutcrcd for con quest. "Aren't wo grand!" Daphne cried. "You look like n million dollurs. Where aro you off to?" "Going for a little spin." "Who with?" Leila hesitated a moment, then answered, with a challenging defi ance: "With Mr. Wctherell. Any ob jection?" Daphno disapproved and feltafruid ; but when Bnynrd enmo In unexpect edly cniiy nnd naked for Leiln Daphne lied Inevitably and said she did not know where she wns. She tried to bo casual about It, but Bayard caught flro at once. IIu wan already In a state of tindery Irri tability, and Daphne's efforts to re asbtiro him as to Leila's Innocence of any gullo only nngcred him tho more. He kept leaning out of tho window and staring down Into tho street. FI nnlly, espying Lclln In WethereU'H cnr when it npproached tho apart ment house, ho dashed to tho elevator and met tho two at the curb. When Leiln got out she was startled to see him Btandlng at her elbow. There wns nothing for her to do but inukf. tho introductions. "Oh, It's you, dcnrl" sho fluttered. "I wnnt you to meet Mr. Wctherell. Mr. Wctherell, my husband." "Ah, renllyl" Wctherell exclaimed, trying to conceal his uneasiness. "This Is n, bit of luck I I've henrd so much nbout you! Your wife does nothing but sing your praises." "Won't you como up?" snld Bnyard ominously. "Er thanks no, not todny. I'm n trlflo Into to nn or appointment." "Then I'll havo n word with you hero," said Bnyard. "Bun nlong, Leila; I'll Join you In n minute." Ho snld It pleasantly, hut Leila wns terrified. Tho epectncle of rival bucks locking horns in her dlsputo, is not nl- "Had You Heard That Your Country Was at War?" together enjoyable to n civilized doe. Lclln went into the vestlbulo nnd wntched through the glass door, ex pecting u combat. Sho could not hear Bayard saying: VMr. Wctherell,, I'd thank you to pyiy your attentions elsowlicro." "Whnt's thnt?" Wctherell gnsped at tho nbrupt attack. "Your attentions to Mrs. Kip uro very dlstnsteful to mc." "My dear fellow, I hope you don't imagine for ono moment thnt Why, your wife Is the finest llttlo girl In tho world!" "Tlint's for mo to say, not you I" "My word! tills is nmnzlngl" "It Is, Indeed. It will bo moro thnn that If you como nround again. Had you heard that your country wbb nt war?" . "I had." "Well, n big, strapping fellow llko you ought to bo over thero lighting for ids country instead of looking for Uoublo here." Wctherell's pnnic nt tho domestic situntlon wns forgotten In tho nttnek on his patriotism, "no drew hlmsolf up with an unconsciously military nu tomntlsm nnd said, "I fancy I'm doing as milch scrvlco hero ns I could do over there." "More, perhnps," Bnyard sneered, with contemptuous Irony. "But that's your business, not mine. Mrs. Kip la my business nnd I don't Intend to havo her subjected to your your atten tions. I'm trying to bo neutral, but by Well, I'vo warned you. Good day!" Bayard Jolnod Leiln in the vestlbulo nnd they went up In tho elovutor to gether. Sho waited till they wero In their ownnpiirtmont beforo sho de manded an account of tho conversa tion. Ho told her In n rngo and sho flew Into nnother. She divided her wrath between Bnyard and Daphne. Thcro was enough for both. Daphno tried to escape, hut, being cornered, pro ceeded to light bnck, whereupon Lclln denounced her to Bnyard and told of her rido with Duano. It was a right good light and getting well beyond tho bounds of discretion whon tho telophono nnnounccd thnt CIny WIniburn wns calling. Nobody Imnglnnblo would havo been welcomo In that battlefield, but Clay seemed peculiarly III timed. Bnyard went to tho telophono nnd called down : "Tell him wo'ro out." "yes, sir." Evidently tho telephone was taken from tho hnllmnn'H hand, for Clay's voice roared In Bayard's ear: "1 hour you, you old villain. I know you're In, and I'm coming up. It's n matter of life and death. I'm on my way up now." It seemed deccnter that Leila und Daphno should disappear, since Bay ard had until that they wero nil out. Tho women retreated to Lelln's room as n good coign of nudlllon, (to nn CONTINUED,) Have Much tho Samo Thought. A luxury Ih something wo nro npt to think our neighbors ennnot ufford, ami our neighbors aro npt to think, we cannot ufford themselves. Little Danger of a Surplus of Produc- j tlon If All of Us Should Qet Busy. "An npplo a day keeps tho doctor nwny." With nil things tnken Into consldcra- ; tlon tho npplo stands nt the head of nil fruit lists. It Is the favorite fruit in the ma jority of homes. Tho npplo Is not only n productive crop, hut from n commcrclnl standpoint n good paying Investment. Tho war created such n big demand and necessity for Immediate food that for the last four years the planting of nil kinds of fruit hns been neglected. Leading authorities state thnt In order to meet the requirements of the over expanding npplo Industry there must 'be pbmted 12,000,000 to 15,000,000 apple trees each year Tor the next ten years. If you own a piece of ground, no mutter how small or large, jilnnt much fruit ns you can, especially ap ple. Bemember If you have a small lot In n suhuiban town, sny,f0 by 1C0 feet, you could plant a dozen trees or more. If you own tho lot and hnvo not already built your house, start tho trees now; the cost will bo small and tho value of your lot Increased. Farmers having plenty of acreage should plant apple trees In largo quan tities. It requires no special skill and very llttlo attention to bring tho young orchard to tho 'bearing age. Uticn Globe. HOW TREES BENEFIT STREETS Amply Demonstrated That They Are of Practical Value In Prolonging , Life of Roadway. It has been demonstrated hy thoso In charge of tho work that aside from tho purely ornamental value of trees nlong the highway, many practical ben efits would result from their proper use. It 1b not generally renllzed thnt trees, hy menus of their shade during hot summer months, prolong tho life of tho rondwny for mnny years, nnd rond experts in general nro heartily In fnvor of this means for rond pro tection. Duo to tho emergencies of wnr work It wnB found neccssnry to keep mnny of the highwnyB which formorly hnd not been used for travel in wlntor open und frco from drifting boows. That a demand will be mado for keeping,theso roads open in the future Is certain, ami -In placo of mnny expensive and un- sightly snow fences which now lino our moro open stretches of highway It has been found that much of this work can bo performed equally oh well by tho proper grouping of trees und shrubs along tho open nreaB. Moro general planting of fruit and nut trees along tho ,8tato highways will bo recom mended. Need for Library Work. Librarians in tho. wnr camps Buy that the need of libraries In all towns nnd neighborhoods In tho United i States will bo moro acutely felt hence forth thnn in tho past. Tho men re- i turned from tho nrmy, when scattered over tho land, will, It Is held, wish to continue their reading, and will be restless If denied tho opportunity. Consequently, although It may ho nec essary to postpone tho book distribu tion scheme tentatively decided upon by tho American Library ussbclntlon, tho plan should be kept well in view, subject only to Btich nmpliflbatlon ns may bo necessary to meet all tho re quirements of tho case. Tho returned American soldier who likes to read should ho afforded tho opportunity always. Boston Housing Plan. Boston, even beforo the announce ment of tho federal government'H re construction building program, had un der way a housing plan aimed to de molish the city's slums nnd to relieve congestion ns much as possible. Tho situation Is complicated In that city by high fares on tho street railway sys tem, which tend to keep workers muss ed near tho places whero they aro enipjoyed. Several other cities wero also con templating housing programs on a con siderable scale when tho department of labor mado its plan public. Need of Sclf-Control. We need to use self-control In 'con nection with our good qualities iih well as with our faults. If Wo aro not Helf controlled In our sympathy It may dtu uioro harm than good. Generosity un- l controlled, leaves tho giver poor and- Injured the recipient. Some, girls who realize perfectly tho need of self-con--trol when they uro angry, forget that It Is ns necessary in love n.s In hnte. Girl's Companion, Not tho Thing. Kitty wns engaged nnd her girl friends were very Interested. "How did It feel," nskeibouo, ''while Billy was proposing to you?" "Oh," laughed Kitty, twisting her lovely 'diamond ring, "two or three. times I felt llko supplying tho words. I Knew ho was groping for; but of' course that wouldn't havo been t,ho. thing to do at all, would It?" ; : ' ' ,1 1 j i u