THE SEMfAVEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
Hie Ambition of Mark Truitt
By
HENRY RUSSELL ROLLER
.--m:'?.:Tatf!j;Jl?
issTarararrearararec'
(Copyright, 1913, br The
SYNOPSIS.
Marie Truitt, encouraged by his sweet
heart, Unity Martin, loaves Bethel. Ills
natlvo town, to neck his fortuno. Simon
Truitt tells Mark Hint It Ioiik has boon
liln dream to sun a steel plant at Dethol
And asks thu eon to icturn and build
oneJf he over cots rloli. Mark applies to
Thomas Henley, head of tho Qulnby Iron
works, for a Job and Is sent to tho con
tmctlon KniK. Ills success In that work
iwlm him a place as helper to Roman
.Andzrejzskl, open-hearth furnaceman Ho
(becomes a. boarder In Roman's home and
laaolsU l'lotr, Roman's aon, In his studies
jKazIa, an adopted daughter, shows hor
gratitude In such a manner ns to arouse
Mark's Interest In her Heavy work In
"the Intense, heat of tho furnace causes
Mark to collapso and Kazla cares for
him. Later Roman also succumbs and
Mark pets his Job. Roman resents this
and tells Mark to find anothor boarding
placo.
CHAPTER X.
Wounded on tho Field.
The accident was ouo that happened
ofton. Occasionally, after a tap, water
'would bo turned Into tho cinder pit
that tho cooling sing might hardon and
'bo broken without delay. Not seldom
tho water would bo conveyed under
tho crust, como Into contact with tho
still molten slag and bo converted sud
denly into steam. Then there would
bo an explosion. Men might bo sort
outily injured, or evon killed, which
was very sad but ono of tho hazards
of tho employment. It happened when
.Mark bad been following his straight
Toad ahoad for more than flvo years.
Five years during which ho had won
ucccsti, substantial it not brilliant!
Tho lack of brilliancy might have been
disputed by those fow who know that
sundry labor-saving devices Installed
In the Qulnby mills during this period
wore of his invention
Whon Henley heard of tho acci
dent ho frowned; Honloy doicsted ac
cidents, which spoke of inefficiency
Bomowhcro. But when tho Informa
tion was added that tho foroman of
the open-hearth battery was among
the injured, ho said: "Damn!" and
In person at once called tho hospital
and his own phyulcltui by tolophono
and through these agoncios command
toored tho best surgical skill and caro
tor that valuablo workman.
Tho doctors gathered in solemn
conclave and did various things to
Mark's shattered body. Thoy dogged
his stops into jtha vory shadow of
death and would not let him dlo. Thoy
did that, knowing they condomnod him
to a life of pain, and having tho so
curlty of Thomas Honloy's word that
-tholr bills should each and ovary ono
of them bo paid.
Whllo Mark still lingered In tho valo
of mystery that leads to full knowl
edgo, two man began tholr dally and
nightly watches. One was a thin
faded man who woro tho rusty black
of tho country preachor. Tho other
was nn awkwnrd, gray llttlo man
who would sit motionless by tho hour,
never taking his eyes from tho still
Jorm undor tho white shoot.
Mark did not dlo. Ills brokon body
bogan slowly to mend. Ho passod out
of lmmedlato danger; ho was oven al
lowed to talk and to-bo talked to a llt
tlo. Hut in tho manner of tho nurses,
of his visitors from Dethel, oven of tho
calloused doctors, wero a grava gen
tleuess, an absence of tho oxultatlon to
bo expected aftor triumph over death.
Ho folt it.
Ho put his question to his father.
"'What aro thoy kooplng back from
mo?"
Simon's glance did not waver, nor
did ho try to ovado with a soothing
lie. "Yoll novor walk easy again
Yo'll have to ubo a crutch, loaBtways
c. cano, always."
"It's my hip?"
"Yes."
"Is that all?" ,
"Yo woro hurt itinardly, Yo'll have
Ito bo careful always. No rnoro work
In tho mills."
Mark closed hla eyes, uttorUig no
complaint. But within was a turmoil
of protest and rebellion. A cripple,
a partial invalid for llfo! Half a
cmau! So had oudod the dreamed cam.
Ealgu of conquest. Tours of futile rngo
oepod out through his closed eyelids.
Ills recovery was Blow and vory
painful; six years of driving ahead at
Jiop spoed had left him but llttlo re
serve vitality for tho emergency, Tho
mood of rebellion died down from
Bhoor exhaustion. Ho aocoptod his
tDlsfortuno; but sullenly, with no swell
ing horolc resolvo to dofy untoward
circumstance.
Thoro was no conscious desire to
return to tho mills from which ho had
boon banlshod. They woro too much
tho objoct of hU smoldering resent
jment just thon. Ho folt toward them
lis tho betrayed toward tho traitor.
"I think," ho said once to Simon and
Illcbard Courtney, who had not yet
Jeft tho city, "I'll go back to Bethel."
"It will bo & good placo to rocupor-
Ato," said the proacher,
"But 1 moan to stay."
"Wo shall bo glad to have you back."
Thoughts of Bethol naturally rovlved
the inomory of Unity Martin. Mark
found a certain grlra humor In the
xocollectlon.
Ho had had his period of tragic re
snoraa (or Karla. Ho bad not, how
ever, let consclonco push to tho ox.
tromo of disturbing tho fixed destiny
just montlonod. Nor waa ho long In
attaining a comparative peace of mind
Author of
-run man tunitPR up." "his rise
TO POWER." Etc
Bobbu - Merrill Company)
In which ho could congratulate hlniBelf
on having avoided a serious blunder.
Not many months later ho by chanco
mot Plotr, who conveyed tho news that
Kazla had married Whiting. Plotr's
manner of narration implied that,
though Whiting was a poor refuge,
Kazla had been fortunate to escape
Mark. 11a seemed disappointed that
his auditor showed no deep omotlon.
Mark's lotters to Unity had contin
ued, at erratic Intervals, Soon her re
plies, too, began to dwindto In number
and In length; thoy had novor had
much to loao In tho way of Intensity.
And thon ho sont a letter that alio
fulled to answer at all, leaving tholr
lovo affair susponded, so to speak, in
the air. Ono of Simon's raro and mis
spelled missives Informed Mark that
she was, In tho phraso Bethel used,
keeping company with ono Slocum, a
prosperous young farmer of tho vicin
ity. This may hardly bo rewarded as
poetic retribution. It cauBod Mark a
fow days' surface Indignation and a
secrot relief; ono can not feel deeply
tho loss of a shadow, oven though one
has paid a price for her,
Kazla married; Unity, having Jilted
him, keeping company with plodding
Bill Slocum! His tragedy had endod
In shoer farco. Wo do well, ho con
cluded, not to tako our drnmas too
oorlouBly
An amazing thing happened ono day.
Thoro was the sound of a quick un
familiar trend in tho corridor, the door
was pUBhed briskly open and Into tho
room stepped Thomas Henley.
"How aro you, Truitt?" he Inquired,
shaking hands. "I was going by, had
a few minutes and ran up to find out
for mysolf."
"Well enough, 1 guess," Mark ro
pllcd out of his amazement.
"Oood!" said Henley. "Your father,
I presume?" Ho noddod toward Simon.
Mark mado tho necessary introduc
tions. Simon said: "Pleased to meet
ye," and flushed for his son, who had
had to own up to the relationship.
Toward the other visitor Henley
glanced uncertainly a momont, thon
held out a hand.
"Ah! Doctor Courtney! Do you hap
pen to remember mo?" Tho question,
obviously, was in playful irony.
"I happen to," answered Courtnoy,
who did not Bharo Simon's shyness.
"I remembor now, it was you who
sent this young man to me. I," said
Honloy graciously, "am In your dobt."
Tho preacher's shadowy smllo ap
pearod. "Is ho?"
Henley laughed plcnnantly. "I fancy
he Is. And I have a notion tho debt
I'm Going Back Home."
will grow. 1 am llnlshlng your Job,
Doctor Courtnoy."
Ho turned to Murk. Simon nnd
Courtnqy pushed their chairs back
from tho bedside, that tho great man
might hold the stage.
"Whon," Honloy asked, "do you ox
pect to como back to ubV
Mark winced nnd returned to tho
suilennoss that was becoming his
habit. "I'm going back homo."
Tho pnuso and tho slight emphasis
on tho lust word woro not lost on Hon
loy; a BUBplcion as to tholr Import
stirred. But:
"Exactly right!" ho exclaimed heart
ily, "Stay as long as necessary to get
your strength together. You'ro too
valuablo a man to tako chances. Your
Job will wait for you. By tho way,
about that now charging machluo you
spoko of before the accident; I sup
pose tho plans aron't where wo can lay
our hands on thorn?"
"No," answered Mark, "you cau't lay
your hands on thorn. They're In my
head."
"An excellent place to keep 'em,"
Honloy agreed. "8upposo then, when
you're fooling up to It, 1 Bond ouo of
our engineers after you to go over tho
planB with you? If there's anything in
tho idea, wo ought to Install tho ma
chinos boforo wlntor."
"You can Bond him, If you want to.
But I won't go over tho plaiiB with
hlin." Mark discouraged tho sugges
tion. llenloy atlffenod. "I'm not In tho
business of stealing Inventions."
'"""SyT fl
"I'll see that you don't steal this,"
Mnrk responded ungraciously. "Bo
causo, when you pay for It, you've got
to pay for this, too." Ho put a hand
on tho Injured hip. "That Is, if I over
put tho Idea in shape."
Henley waved a hand to Intimate
that allowance must bo mado for an
Invalid's humors. "Of course, wo ex
pect you to be busIncBB-llke. Just whnt
do you mean by that 'If'?"
"I mean I'm through with tho mills."
"Who," Henley's glanco swept Simon
and KIchard Courtnoy sharply, "who
has boon putting fool Ideas Into your
head?"
"You, for one, whon you como here
becauso I'm a valuable man, not be
cause I'm n man. Would you como to
seo mo If I hadn't a new invention In
mind7"
"Nonsense! You're sick, that'B all."
Henley smiled kindly but confidently.
"1'vo scon men In your enso before.
You think you won't como back. But
you will. Why? Becauso you'ro a val
uablo man I stick to that. You've a
genius for mechanics, you know how
to handle men and you've got a sense
of organization. Most men would think
themselves lucky If thoy. had any ono
of thoso. What doos It mean? That
you fit In here, of course. And when
a man fits Into any kind of llfo, he can
no more keep nway than molton steel
can avoid tho shape of tho mold. And
you'll llnd It so there's something
about our business that gets into the
bono and blood of a man." He looked
at his watch and roso abruptly. "Glad
you'ro getting along. Don't forget, your
Job Is waiting for you."
"But you don't seem to understand,"
Mark cried. "I'm done for. I'll have
to go on a cano, maybo a crutch, all
my life. And tho doctors say, no hard
work at all."
Henley could be very human, when
ho choso. "Ah!" ho Bald genUy. "I
had not heard that. I'm sorry. It
makes a difference, of course."
It is posslblo that Henley waB not
thinking of Mark's commercial value,
as ho stood looking soarchlngly dpwn
at tho querulous patient.
Unexpectedly ho loaned forward a
llttlo. From his eyes a commanding
Hash leaped. He put out a hand and
caught ono of Mark's strongly.
"Your brains don't need a crutch, do
they? It isn't bruto strength that
makes you valuablo we can buy that
cheap. You said something nbout be
ing a man. Now's your chanco to bo
ono. What's a little thing llko a crutch
or a doctor's prohibition? Tho meas
ure of a man Is what ho ovorcomos.
(Jo homo and rest, get your norve to
gether. And when you'ro ready, lot
mo know. I'll find a plnco for you."
Ho was gone. And there was Mark,
who had Just beon weakly If resent
fully accepting defeat, athrlll llko a
war-horse that has heard tho buglo
call.
CHAPTER XI.
The Measure of a Man.
When ho mot Unity again, he had
been In Bethel for moro than two
wooks.
Ho had started out for tho morning
turn on hlB crutches, to teat his re
turning strength, and before he quto
realized it tho village lay behind him.
Ho swung along for some two hundred
yards farther; then let himself care
fully down on the roadside.
Ho sat there for a long time, baring
hlft head to tho summer Bunshlno.
"This is very good indeed!" It
would havo been almost flawless but
for ono thinghe was rather lonely;
ho folt the neod for some ono to share
tho day with him. x
He hnd his wish. Down the valley
road appeared a buggy drawn by a
lazy heavy-footed horse of the sort dis
tinguished as "safe for women." From
within tho buggy Mark caught tho
gleam of a whlto shirtwaist and a
sailor hut. Even before the vehicle
drew near enough for recognition, ho
know tho passenger for Unity.
A slight tremor passed over him. To
meet tho ombodlmont of a shadow by
whom ono has been Jlltod or whom
ono has Jilted? Is at least mildly ex
citing. A slight tightening of the reins wne
suttlclent to stop thnt horso.
"Hello, Unity!" Mark folt that UiIb
greeting fell short of tho dramatic
proprieties.
"Oh! How do you do?" sho an
swered colorlessly.
There Avas a moment of sllenco dur
ing which, without seeming to do so,
thoy luspected each other.
Mark had a twlngo of disappoint
ment. This was not the Unity he had
loved bo boyishly and so brletly. Sho
was na pretty as ever, In a way evon
prettier; but ono could hardly have
thought of her us splrltuello. Her face
was fuller, Its color deeper, and there
was a healthy roundness In tho lino
of shouldor and breast, of tho ankle
that protruded from under the dust
robe. Not that she "Was fat! But her
daintiness was gone. In tho item of
dress sho would havo Buffered from
comparison with the young ladles of
his boarding house. Her hair was done
carelessly. And vivacity had gono tho
way of daintiness. She had tho all
ot having settled Into tho habit of
Bethel, of having accepted its narrow
outlook. A faint vertical lino between
hor eyes hinted that buo might not
havo accepted it with complacency.
Therefore he said: "You look tho
same as ovor, Unity."
Sho brightened a little. "You think
so?" Thoro was something almost
pitiful to him In the way sho caught
at tho remark. She becarao splrltlosa
again. "But, of course, that isn't
truo."
"But, of course, it is."
Sho laughed unpleasantly. "You
wouldn't think so, If you saw the way
thoy treat me hero now."
"Tho men? Surely not!"
'Sho shrugged her shoulders. "No.
Tho women. They're so friendly now
and thoy don't glggto behind my back.
And whon thoy havon't anything clso
to gossip about, thoy talk about how
I'm settling Into an old maid."
"Isn't that what tho rhetorics used
to call hyporbolo? It should bo spar
ingly used. Besides I hear you havo
a beau."
"Oh! him!" With another shrug.
"Ho's afraid I'm not a good cook."
"That's a nlco way to tnlk nbout a
lover! Especially," ho laughed self
consciously, "slnco you throw mo over
for him."
Ho almost missed tho acid look sho
flashed at him. "It broko your heart,
of course 1"
"I'vo had plcasanter experiences,"
ho said dryly. "Why didn't you answer
my last letter, Unity?"
Her indifference might havo beon a
llttlo too woll done. "For ono thing,
oven I havo a llttlo pride. It was
easy to seo you'd got tired of mo. Not
that Pcared! Thoso boy-and-glrl af-
He Waa Still Resting on His Grassy
Bank When the Slow-Going Vehicle
Reappeard.
fairs always die a natural death. There
was another girl, wasn't there?"
"Why, I believe so. In fact, there
waa. I gave her up for you."
"And I gave you up. You must havo
thought," again her unpleasant laugh
rang, "you'd mado a poor bargain all
round. Or had a lucky escape I"
"I did," ho answored grimly, leaving
hor to construe tho answer as sho
chose.
"That's an easy conundrum." Sho
gathered up the reins. "Well, I muflt
bo going. Wo'ro harvesting now and
I havo to got back in tlmo to help get
dinner. Good-by."
Sho drove on, as casually as If thoy
had beon neighbors In tho habit of
meeting dally. . . . And this was their
first meeting after six years.
Ho leaned back on his grassy bank,
having found, If not a companion, at
least food for reflection.
He was still resting on his grassy
bank when, an hour later, tho Blow-
going vehicle reappeared. With diffi
culty for he had not yet become ox
port Wtih his crutcheB-Mie roso and
stood in the middle of the road. Tho
horse, without urging, stopped with its
nose against him. A more skilled ob
server than Mark might have noticed
that feomo villager's mirror and comb
had been utilized to the advantage of
Unity's hair and that her hat had been
readjusted to its most becoming angle;
and would havo drawn certain in
ferences, Mark did not. Ho merely smiled at
her over tho horse's head. .
Sho Boomed rather impatient with
his obstructlveness. "You'vo bought
tho pike, then? I hadn't heard."
Ho laughed and waved his hand air
ily. "This morning tho world is mine.
Do you know, wo havent shaken
hands?"
"Oh, haven't Ave?" Her tono at
tached no Importance to tho omission.
Nevertheless, whon ho stood aside,
sho drove the horse forward a length
and laid a limp hand in Mark's.
"Also," ho continued, "you haven't
said you're sorry that I was hurt."
"Oh!" aho repeated, with perfunc
torinoss unrelieved, "I'm sorry."
Ho laughed again. "You needn't
mind now. You'll havo plenty of
chances before long."
"Meaning?"
"Tho road to your house 1b still open
to tho public, Isn't It? I'm thinking
of buying a new horse. Unity," ho re
turned to gravity, "there isn't any rea
son why wo shouldn't bo good friends,
Is there?"
"People will talk."
Ho paraphrased a classic formula.
"Unity," ho said oarnestly, "drat the
people!"
"You can say that. You don't have
to stay here."
"But I'm going to stay here."
"Not for good?"
"For good."
-Why?"
Mark laughed shortly. "When you're
put- out of tho race, you don't want to
stay where yon have to watch tho
othors still running."
She Inspected him again, moro
closely. He thought ho was sincere.
Hut ho did not know that desplto tho
crutches and his drawn white face he
had not tho resigned dispirited air of
tho man who has accepted a perma
nent seat on tho shelf.
"Look as long as you want to," ho
suggested at last. "In tho meantime
will you set the dogs on mo when I
drive down your way?"
"Oh, well'" Sho tried unsuccess
fully to return to indifference "If you
really want to come! It's been a
dull Bcason. I supposo it would bo a
mercy to tho gossips to give Mielr
tongues a chanco to clack once more."
Sho drew tho reins taut
"A real philanthropy," ho assented,
grinning, as tho horso lumberlngly re
sumed lta Journey.
Mark swung slowly along homownrd.
Ho smiled pityingly. He had read
aright tho new Interest In Unity's faco
that of tho condomned prisoner who
has heard rumor of repriovo. Ho was
sorry for hor. And pity wo havo It
from tho poets Is love's poor relation.
Mark regained a measure of strength.
He discarded ono crutch and began
each day to tako a few steps experi
mentally with no support but a cane.
Ho spent many beautiful idlo hours,
alono or with Htchard Courtney, driv
ing his now horso among tho hills.
Sometimes often Unity was with
him on those drives. Tongues clacked
according to prophecy. But Maikf did
not care. And Unity did not caro.
Mark fell placidly and easily In lovo
with Unity again. At least, tho whllo
protesting, ho decided that it must bo
love.
But tho protest was halt-hearted.
Ho wanted to love.
"Aro ye goln' to stay hero in
Bethol?" Simon broko a long sllenco
to Inquire, ono rainy evening.
"I don't know," Mark answered out
of a brown study, off his guard. But
ho added quickly: "Yes, I do know.
I'm going to stay."
"Then, what are yo goin to do?"
"I don't need to do anything. I've
got twenty thousand dollars. That'll
last me in Bethel."
Simon shook his head gravely. "Yo
can't stand that. Ye'vo got to do
somethin'. An' there's uothin' to do
hero yet."
"And never will be."
"Mebby not. All the moro reason
why that Mister Henley's right."
"Would you have mo go back to
the city?"
"Yos."
"You don't know what you're say
ing," Mark began irritably. "I could
novor take a pen pusher's Job. The
mills are all I know. And that llfo
you don't know It. It costs too much.
It takes it out of you, drives you llko
a slave. It I'm not fit for it now.
It oh, let's not talk about it."
But Simon had more than one of
Mark's problems on his mind.
"Aro ye," he went on, "goln" to
marry Unity Martin?"
"I don't know. I suppose so."
"If yo don't find out purty soon,"
remarked Simon most surprisingly,
"sho'H do your knowln' fur ye. I
wouldn't."
Mark stopped at a window, looking
frowningly out at tho sheets of rain
that dashed across the square of light.
Simon must have felt deeply on tho
subject, for ho repeated, "I wouldn't"
"No," said Mark testily, "I suppose
you wouldn't I don't know. But If I
do It, It will bo with my eyes open."
Which seems a most unlover-Uke say
kig. Thoro was an evening whon he was
alono with Unity on Squlro Martin's
front porch. It was one of the soft
languorous nights that sometimes
como to Bethol In early September.
Thoy talked little and that In low
tones.
Once ho leaned toward her. He had
to peer closely to make out her look
of content.
"Do you know," ho remarked, "you
ought to be glad I came back?"
"Indeed! And why?"
"Havo you looked In the mirror
lately? When I first came you looked
woll, cranky and as though you
didn't care whether school kept or
not."
"Well, of all tho conceit! I sup
pose you take all the credit." Thus
she admitted certain Improvements.
"And why not?" ho laughed lazily.
"Whon you como right down to it,
Unity, you never really', definitely
threw mo over."
"It Isn't too late."
"Yes, It Is too late."
She said nothing. But when he
reached up to tako her hand he found
it a tightly clenched llttlo ball.
"Unity, do you remember tho drive
we took that Sunday boforo I wont to
tho city?"
"I think I do."
"Sho thinks sho does!" ho npostro-
phlzed tho night "1 have a scheme.
Tomorrow, right after dinner, I'm go
ing to drlvo down hero for you. Unity,
let's havo tho Sunday ovor again
in every particular."
Again she was silent
"You don't agree?"
"1 I'm not sure."
"That you lovo mo?"
She shook her head. "That I want
to marry you."
But when he drew her down and
kissed her, she did not resist. "Walt,"
ho whispered fatuously, "until tomor
row. Then you will bo convinced."
Although what virtue tho morrow
would hold ho did not say. Ho prob
ably did not guess.
Unity did not scruple to change tho
current of another's life; sho saw no
occasion for Bcruples. Sho thought she
loved Mark. But sho did not believe
his expressed resolve to stay in Betbol
was, could bo, genuine; or, If genuine,
that Us execution would bo good for
him. And, principally -she knew ex
actly what sho wanted.
Next day they drovo over much the
samo road thoy had taken soven years
before. They chatted In lighter vein,
with Intervals of eloquent sllenco. On
a tllltop vhonco thoy could see only
other hills nnd tho sinking sun thoy
ate tho lunch put up by tho thoughtful
Susan. Then thoy waited to watch tho
sunsot
"Unity, what must 1 do to convlnco
you?"
"Nothing," sho murmured.
He considered his happiness.
And aftor a while sho said: "Tell
me about your llfo In thu city. You've
never said much about It."
Innocent demand! Not In vain Is
tho trap set in the sight of a young
man In ove. Ho began to describe tbo
mills to her. And as ho went on, Into
his words cropt tho unconscious elo
quence of a real enthusiasm. His faco
becamo eager. Before ho had ended,
he waB on hla fcot declaiming to her,
who wns a very nttcntivo audience Ho
saw what ho described.
"Ah!" sho breathed, as ho reachel
a period. "What a life! And yo
could leave It?"
"Yoc forget," ho reminded her, "I
was put out of It" v
Sho leaned forward suddenly, rest
Iiik her hand on tho ono that held tho
.cano. "Mark, why don't you go b'ack
to It?"
Ho Jerked his hand frco, as If ho had
felt a twlngo of pain. "Don't suggest
that, Unity!" ho cried. "There's that
othor side. It's hard and cruel and
narrowing, ft eats up all tho beBt
of you. Sometimes it kills you. It
makes you a machine, not your own
man. I used to fed It when I was
there, sometimes terribly. Horo 1 seo
It from a distance and I understand
better. It's just one hellish scramble,
that life " Ho stopped abruptly, with
an impatient gesture.
"If 1 go back, Unity, you won't "
But how could ho phrase his fear jr
Interpret tho hot surging that drowned
It?
She sighed happily.
He was soon to learn.
A man and a woman entered Into
tho most trying of human relations.
Both wero young, but both had har
dened In the pursuit of selfish desire.
Neither had tho lovo that finds lta
chief joy in yielding.
CHAPTER XII.
A Man and His Wife.
In tho down-town offices of the
Qulnby company and In tho particular
room which may bo called tho head
quarters of tho Qulnby army, two men.
wero sitting lato one winter afternoon.
Tho ono was Henley himself, now
chairman of tho company, a bit stouter
than when we first mot him twelvo
years ago, his arrogance a llttlo less
evident In manner albeit time had not
altered tho fact. Tho other was a.
youngish man whoso thin bony faco
and hands and streaks of premature
gray hair spoko of physical frailty.
It was common knowledge in tho
Quinby company that no ono waa
moro welcome In Henley's office than,
tho young superintendent whom the
master's influence had put In com
mand of tho big now open-hearth,
plant. It was ovon suspected thai
Henley hnd taken Truitt In with hlnr
In his speculations.
At the end of a long discussion ox
company affairs Henley pressed a but
ton. His secretary appeared from tht
adjoining office.
"Bring in the light and heat as
count"
Tho secretary returned with tho ac
count of the latest successful specula
tlon. Henley gave It a rapid glancf
and handed It to Mark. The latto
studied It carefully, questioned certali
items, questioned the explanation an
finally accepted them. Henley smlle
At the Door a Crippled Beggar Ao
costed Them.
again. He know men who would have
hesitated to question his accounts.
Everything he knew of Truitt ho liked.
"Mako out Mr. Truitt's check." ha
directed tho secretary, who withdrew
and promptly returned.
Henley signed the check and deliv
ered It to Mark. The latter receipted
tho accompanying voucher.
"I've another thing in mind," Hon
loy suggested. "Care to go in?"
Mark hesitated, his brow suddenly
wrinkling. "I think not," he said at
laBt. Tho note of irritation did not
escape Henley. "I've my eye on a new
house."
"I thought you wero pretty com
fortably fixed."
Mark shrugged hla shoulders. "It
seoms tho neighborhood leaves some
thing to be desired."
"Yos? I seo," Henley indicated
Mark's heavy furred overcoat, "you'ro
driving out. You can take me homo
unless you'ro" In a hurry to reach
that delinquent neighborhood?"
A quarter of an hour later the two
men emerged from tho corridor of the
Quinby building. At tho door a crip
pled beggar accosted thorn. Henley
Ignored him. Mark slyly gave him a
coin.
A beautifully matched team of blacks
harnessed to a light sleigh awaited
him. Evidently Mark had not forgot
ten his early knowledge of horse flesh.
Only n man whom fortune had kissed
could havo afforded such horses. For
Mark with his, "leg and a halT they
were hnrdly an extravagante, almost
a necessity.
(TO BE CONTINUED J
