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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 29, 1916)
THE 8EMLWEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA. THE KM ACH A Novel of New York Life By REX BE CHAPTER XXII Continued. 14 "Your brother forced his way Mo ray room." "What nro you talking about?" Mr. Fonuqli drew lior gncst swiftly lnnldc. "Hush! Don't make a show of your self" "VVlm'B nil this?" came from Hnrdcn Fennoll, who was Bprawlcd In n chintz covered easy chair. "Bo HlIIH" IiIh wife cried, sharply. "Will you Bond someone for Hob?" Lorelei asked, more quietly. "I want to leave." Hut hor hostess protested. "Now. why stir up trouble? Dob Is drunk: he and Bortlo are old friends. Hortie will pologlzo In the morning, nnd after nil, 1t was nothing." "Will you send for my husband?" Mrs. Fenncll's gnzo liardoucd; sho stiffened herself, saying coldly: "Why, certainly, If you Insist upon rousing Uio whole household; but lio's In no condition to understand this silly affair, You might have lotno consider ation for us." Bright disks of color wcro burning In Lorelei's cheeks; sho was smiling peculiarly. "Rest easy." sho said. "I've no wish to otubarrass you nor drag my hus band into this rotten business. It seems he's as modern as tho rest of you, but I'm old-fashioned." There enmo a knock at tho door, nnd Hnyman's voice, calling: "tlotty! Let me In!" Ills slstor opened tho door an Inch or two. "You mustn't como In now," aho expostulated, then cried sharply: "Why, you'ro badly hurt. You'ro nil bloody!" As Hnymnn agreed In a burst of profanity, sho exclaimed fret fully: "Oh, this is dreadful! Go to your room, for heaven's snko! I'll see what I can do with this with Mrs. Wharton." Lorolel broke out sharply: "If you'll permit mo to thank you for your hos jdtnlity, I'll lenvo at once." "Leavo? At this hour?" Lorelei's forced mulled bared her von, whlto tooth. "Of course, If It's too much trouble I enn walk " "No troubjo nt all." .Mrs. Fennel! showed some relief. "I I'm dread ffully sorry, Still, I can't permit you" "In ton minutes, then. If thero's no rain I may ask your cb"jffcur to drlvo se Into' tho city." "Why, to bo sure! I3r what shall I toll Bob whort ho aslts for you?" "Do your own Judgment, please. Ton can handlo drunken men better thnn I. And don't troublo to send a maid to my room. I'll bo downstairs when the car comes." Sho was pnclng tho gloom of tho porto-cochcro when nu automobile swung out from nmong tho trees and swept tho shadows flying with Its trashes of flnmo. Ah sho directed tho driver, from an open window behind hor camo a drunken shout; n burst of men's laughter followed tho car as It rolled awny, So that was tho charmed clrclo to which she had aspired, thoso tho people sho had euvlod; behind her wns that llfo to which sho had sold herself, and this was Uio end of hor dream of flno jtedlB and gallant Kontlomoul Lorelei "Scarcely know whether to laugh or cry. bo reached tho little apartment In the IhuHlwd bourn boforo tho dawn, and nstrafghtway begun hor packing, Slnco (Bob wns doubtless In a drunken stu rpor which would last for hours, sho did niot hurry. Only ouco did alio halt In hor labors, a nd then only from surprise, Iu a bu wmi drawer ubo uncovored a bundlo of Mtura nnd documents addressed to hor husband, which lu somo wny aroused hor curiosity. Swallowing hor qualms, who examined tho content, They proved to bo, In tho main, letters from Dob's mother nnd' father urglugiilm to break off Ids mnrrlago. Thoso from Mr Whnrton woro chnrnoterlstlcally Intolerant and dictatorial; thoso from Bob's mother wcro plolntlvo nnd lull- mjieiy buu. uoiu parents, sua jier wived, had oxhausted every effort to tvIu their sou from his infatuation, both believed Lorolel to bo an infa mous woman bent upon his destruc tion, aud, judging from tho typowrlt tn reports Inclosed with somo of tho tbthor's letters, thero wns umpto rea son for such a belief. Theso reports covered Lorelei's overy movement, tlioy bared every bit of ancient scandal con nected with her, they recounted sala cious stage gOHsIp ns fact and falsely construed thoso actions which wore capable of moro thnn ouo Interpreta tion. It gave tho girl a peculiar sensa tion of unreality to sco her life laid out boforo her eyes lu so distorted n whiipo, and when slur rood tho business- ilko biographies of herself and uie tnembcrs of her family sho could only marvel nt Bob's faith. For ovldcntly ho had not answered a slnglo letter. Nevertheless, after preparing nu early breakfast, Bho sent hor trunks down utiilrs aud 'phoned for a taxlcab, CHAPTER XXIII. On Tuesday afternoon a badly shak en, exceedingly frightened young man eallcd at Campbell Pope's boarding Jbouse, Xob! Been mother bat'1 crld Pbpo, nt sight of his oiU.vt. Wharton took a fleeting glance at himself in a mirror and uodded, noting for tho first time the sacks beneath his eyes, tho ! haggard lines from nostrils to lip cor ners. "I'm all in. Lorelei's quit me," ho said, dully. "Quit you!" Pope frowned. "Tell mo nbout It." "Well, I climbed tho vino again and fell off. Sho packed up disappeared been gone since Saturday night, and I can't find her. Nobody scorns to Icnow where sho itt.i, . . I'm hard hit, Pope. . . . God! I keep think ing that mnybo sho took tho river. You see, I'm all gone." Ho snnk into n chair, twitching and trembling in n nervous collapse, "Better have a drink," Topo suggest ed; but Bob returned roughly: "That's what broke up the sketch. I got stowed nt Fennellcourt hlgh-hnt week-end party fast crowd, nnd tho I usual trimmings. Nerpr again! That la, if I find my wife." "Fcnncllcourt! Supposo you tell mo nil nbout It. If there's n chance that It's suicide " Popo'u reportorlal In stinct brought tho last word Into juxta position with "Fennellcourt," nnd ho Baw blnck headlines. "Judge for yourself. Maybe you enn help mo; nobody else can." Bob re- counted tho story of tho houso party IIo could rcniomber little of Sunday's occurrences; not until Into that evening had he fully grasped tho fact that Lo relei had gone. Even then he wns too befuddled to net. Neither Mrs. Fen- noli nor her husband Vould give him nny help, and Bort Ilnyman had been confined to his room all day Sunday as tho result of n fall or an accident of some sort. Monday morning, whlto still suffering fram the effects of his spree, Bob hnd returned to Uio city to And his homo deserted, nnd ho could find no traco of Lorolel In any quarter. So, as a last resort boforo calling In tho police, ho bad como to Pope. When ho hnd finished his somewhat muddled tnla ho stored nt the critic with n look of dumb nppenl. Cnmpbcll began in a matter-of-fact, positive tone. "Sho's altogether too healthy to think of suicide; rest easy on that score. You'ro weak enough emotionally to do bucIi a thing, but not she. Besides, why should sho? I can't lmaglno thnt any act of yours could very deeply offond anybody, ovon your wife. Ilowovbr " lie studied briefly. "Ilavo you been to soo Miss Domorest? ' "Surol Adoroo hasn't seen, her." "Possibly!" Popo eyed his caller speculatively. "So you decided to Jimmy her Into society, oh! Who vrae nt tho pnrty? Oh, heavens!" ho ex claimed, ns Bob muttered over tho list of names, "How did sho comparo with thoso sacred cows?" "Oh, groat! Tho men went crazy over her I know they would" "But how did tho women treat her?" "Why, alt right. I didn't notlco nny thlng." "What? No, of courso you didn't. You were probably too drunk to no tlco much." Bob flushed. "Well, something must havo hnpponed to nlarni her, and, since you wcro too maudlin to ho of nny assistance, sho evidently took tho bit lu her teeth. I can't blamo hor. For heaven's sake, why did you sot her In with that crowd? If you wanted to tako her slumming, why didn't you hire n guldo nnd go Into tho red-light district?" Bob defended himself listlessly. "That's tho only crowd I know; It's tho only set that's open to a Pittsburgh furnneo mnn'H son. Those peoplo nrenU so bnd; I guess they'ro no worso than tho rest. If a person goes looking for hastiness ho can And It nearly any where. I never did and I ncvor saw anything very Bcnudaloua around that bunch." "Ono's observations nro nover very keen when they'ro mndo through tho bottom of a glass," observed Popo. Bob exploded Irritably. "All right, lieutenant! Play 'Jerusalem' on tho cornet while I pnss tho tambourine. I wnnt my wife, not n 'Balllngton Booth' on tho terrors of tntompernnco. She's tho only person who can straight en mo up. ... I was doing lino. Had a Job , . , I'll go straight to hell ngnlii If I don't And her." Thero wns uo doubt of tho mnn's sincerity; his mental and his physical condition wcro obvious, Popo did his best to repair tho wreck' age In somo degree, and, hnvlng qui eted tho sufferer, ho sot out for Mlsa pemorest's home. Adoroo, clad In slightly soiled neg ligee, answered his ring, then, recog nizing him, blocked tho door hastily, exposing a faco overcast with defiance I and contempt, "Aha I" sho exclaimed. "Ahal" aud Pope's sensitive ego roqollcd boforo tho Aerco clinllengo of her tono, Iuvnrlably sho greeted hhn with contumely; lu- - variably ho nrosa to tho challengo nnd I overcame her attnek; Invariably sho fought him on every subject. And yet all the time ho vaguoly suspected thnt they wcro really In completo accord aud growing to llko each other. "I've como to sco Lorolel," bo ex plained, affably, "She's not here." "Then I'd llko to talk, with you." Tho I door opened slightly, and Popo smiled, wheroupop tho opening narrowed. No. You can't como In. I've Just cleaned house." In desperation the man exclaimed': "I won't sit down, but I must talk to you. Ilenlly,- I must, bout ducks, ic nothing else." "Ducks!" Adoroo's expression nl- tercd. "Let's bo sensible. I want you to llko me." Popo tried to appear amiable, but tho effort resulted In a pnlnful smirk. "Huh!" "Wo llko the samo things tot's bo friends. You needn't tell me anything about Lorelei, but I do wnnt your ad vice nbout Bob." "I suppose thero's no reason why you shouldn't cpmo In. You'll probably wriggle In somehow, even If you havo to steal a key. Jt you don't know tho truth you'll probably make up some thing about Lorelei, os you did about mo buzzard I" Popo began to per spire, as ho nlways did when deeply embarrassed. But the door swung wldo, nnd ho entered with a strained, unnatural smilo upon his fnco. "You sco I'm not concealing hor any where," Miss Domorest challenged. 'Of courso not. Wo never suspected you, but wo'ro afraid somothlng has happened to her." I should sny thero has! You wnnt scandal? I'll give you some." Ado roo's eyes wcro flashing now. Havo you nny Idea what that girl went through out thero on Long Island? Listen." Sho plumped herself down beside Popo and began to tnlk swiftly with an Intensity of lndlgnntion that mndo her forgetful of her dlshnbllle, When sho hnd .llnlshed her story her shocked blue eyes Interrogated his, nnd tho critic roused himself with an effort. Ho found that ho was tightly holding the Angers of her right hnnd, but dropped them and cleared his throat "You say she's staying hero with you?" "I didn't say so, but sho is." "Doesn't Bho caro for Bob any moro?" "Y-yes! At first sho was furious, but wo'vo talked a good deal, aud I think sho does cans away down un derneath. Sho may not know It her self, but Bho does. But sho won't go back. Sho declares sho won't spoil hor wholo llfo for a drunken wretch like him, and sho's qulto rght, of course." "Sho's qulto wrong, of course! Bob's dono pretty well for a man of his type, and ho's had a hard lesson. After all, It's a womnn's part to sacrifice sho's not happy unless she gives more than sho gets. You and I must bring them together." "How?" Popo hnd been thinking while ho tnlkcd, nnd now ho sketched his plan eagerly. "You are perfectly detestable and horrid," sho told him, when ho hnd fin ishod, "but I supposo thore must bo somo good in you." Sho laid her hand upon his arm again, and Pope's sallow cheeks were glowlug nnd hl3(eycs as bright as hers. Geo! You'ro all right!" ho said "I'll call for you after tho show." Adoroo's smile was uncertain as she demurred. "Perhaps you'd better meet hie hero. What will peoplo say? But Pope was insistent. Wo nro nccustomed.to resent tho or forts of our friends to nrraugo our af fairs for us, and wo pray for deliver uncc from their mistakes, yet without iiDon't You Understand stunldi" sh a.ld 8nld. their nsslstanco we would often make miserable failures of our lives, Lore lei was surprised when Adorco brought Campbell Popo homo with her that night, nnd sho was somewhat diverted by the complete change In their mutual attitude. Now that tho first clash was over, now that they had expressed their dislike and disapproval of each other, they no longer quarreled. Popo was frankly admiring, and Adorce could not conceal her awo at Campbell's lit erary and musical ability, Sho ex plained to Lorelei: "I asked him In for the sake of tho piano. I knew you were blue, nnd there's nothing so cheer ing ns music." But when Popo flnnlly got around to piny, tho result wns not nltogothcr hnppy. Adorce, to be sure, seemed de lighted, but Lorolel felt herself gripped by a greater loneliness thnn usual. 'one's music wns far from lively, nnd he had cunningly chosen tho hour when It exerts Its greatest emotional appeal. IIo was artist enough, moreover, to work his effects with certainty. Lorelei sought relief at length in the seclusion of Adorcc's rear room, nnd there, In tho midst of a "crying spell," Bob found her. Her first quick resentment at tho de ception practiced upon her melted nt sight of him, for ho had suffered, nnd ho was evidently sufforlng now. Ho was not tho Bob sho had known, but chastened, repentant, speechless with n tremulous delight at seeing her again. In tho next room Campbell played on, smoothing tho way for n reconciliation. Lorelei found herself In her bus- baud's arms, listening dazedly to his passionate protestations nnd his ear nest sclf-dcnunclntlon. Bob had re ceived tho fright of his life, his lesson had been seared Into him, and he lost no time in telling his wife about It. At last Lorelei laid her Angers upon his Hps, her eyes misty and luminous with tho light of a now and wondrous certainty. "Walt! Let mo speak," sho said. "I've dono a lifetime of thinking lu theso few days. I'm not sorry that I loft you, for It has enabled me to see clearly. But Pli-nover leave you again, Bob, no mntter what you do; I can't " He crushed her to him, then heldiher away at tho hint of something unsaid. 'You mean you've begun to lo.ve.me?" he Inquired, gladly. "Perhaps. I don't know. Some Uilng has changed tremendously." Under his bewildered gaze tho blood rose, warming her cheeks; her eyes swam, but not with tears; her bosom was tremulous with tho knowledge that clamored for freedom, and yet re fused to como. "Don't you understand, stupid?" sho said, seeing him still mystlllcd. She hid her face, then whispered In his car, whereupon ho fell to trembling, nnd the forvor of hla embrace relaxed no held her gently, tenderly, ns If ho suddenly found her to be a fragile thing. "My denr! my dear!" And then he, too, hid his faco as If blinded by a pitiless light. When ho raised It tears glistened on his lashes, and a happiness that was like pain pierced him. "Oh! If I had only known " ho choked "Whnt n fool Pvo been, never to think that this might come! I can't believe it." "It's true," she smiled, and her checks wcro still dyed with thnt vir ginal flush. "Perhaps that's why I'vo changed toward you something has happened, Bob, and you mustn't leave mo now. I couldn t bear to do with out you." "You may forglvo me," he cried, "but I'll never forglvo myself. To think that I should learn of this right now after what I did. Well, I'm, through making now promises; I'm going to' keep some of tho old cnos." "I think it's about time we both enmo to earth." "No need for you you'ro tho sen hIIiIo one. If I can't straighten up on my own account nnd on yours, surely I can and will for this." An hour later Adoreo tiptoed back to tho piano after a surreptitious peek Into the back room, whonce nothing but tho faintest murmurs Issued. Her face wns radiant. "You played somo high-priced dl vorco Inwyer out of a good case, Mr. Cricket," sho beamed on Campbell. "Sho's in his lap." Popola rippling An gers paused, his hands dropped, anil ho sighed. "I could havo sot them quarreling Just as well, but tho rolo of cupId suits mo tonight." His shoulders drooped Avearlly; the feverish brightness of his eyes nnd tho pallor of his thin face indicated that ho had indeed spent all lils nervous forco. "Cupid lu a sweater!" Adoreo ex claimed. "Well, I bellovo It, for your playing made mo positively mushy. I'vo been hugglug n sofa cushion and dreaming of heroes for ever so long. Why, at this moment I'd marry tho Janitor." With tho eager shyness of a boy. ho Inquired: "Do you really llko to hear mo play? Can I come and play for you again?" v "Not without a chaperon," sho told him, positively; , "wool tickles ray cheek." Pope roso hnntlly and In boiiio em barraRsmcnt Ho could write about love with n cynic's pen, but ho could not bear to talk about U oven in a -Joking wny. He eyed tho speaker with tho frightened fascluatlon of a charmed rabbit, until sho laughed In mischievous enjoyment of his perturbation, "Oh, nover fearl It will take more than music to make me forget what you arc. sayi" sno yawnod, doubled up her little fists, and stretched. "Won't you play something to mnko those lovers go home, so I can go to bell?" CHAPTER XXIV. Bob'o work as a salesman continued to be bo effective that Kurtz finally offered him a salaried position. Hut Instead of accepting, Bob mndo a coun ter-proposition thnt caused the little man to gasp. Briefly, it was to extend tho scopo of tho present business by laying in n stock of extravagant, high- .priced shirt and necktlo materials, with Bob ns partner in tho now venture. Kurtz protested thnt ho was not a ha berdasher, but ho was constrained to admit that Bob had tho right Idea of smart business, and after somo discus sion nccoptcd his employee's noncha lant offer to go halves on tho new ven ture and share in its profits.. The fact that Bob had no money with which to enrry through his part of tho deal troubled that youth not in the least Kurtz' credit was ample. Bob's theory of securing tho Fifth avenue trade was to double existing prices, nnd if this did not bring tho business, to double them a second tlmo; and this theory wns correct, ns ho demonstrated when tho now department wns organ ized. But despite tho excellent Income hn now began to make thero was never anything left in the Wharton bnnk ac-1 count, for Bob moved his wife to a moro pretentious apartment on River side drive nnd mannged to increnso their expenses so as to balance his earnings very nicely. It wns qulto n feat to adjust a fixed outlay to n vary ing Income so that nothing whatever should remain, and he considered It a strong proof of Ills capacities that he succeeded. By Christmas tho haberdashery ven ture had shown such a profit that ho began to pile up a small bank account In splto of himself; so he bought an automobile, which served to cat up any monthly profits nnd guarantee a deficit under tho most favorablo circum stances. Being thus relieved of finan cial uncertainty, ho laid plans to wrest from Kurtz a- full partnership in tho tailoring business itself, Tho Whartons' new home was.cbann- ing, and Bob provided his wife with every luxury. Lorelei did not regret that sho was prevented from going out ns much as formerly her experience at Fennellcourt hnd cured her of any desiro to get into her husband's social set and unconsciously she and Bob began to develop a real home life, As tlmo went on and evidences of prosperity showed themselves Lorelei's family forgot some of their dislike of Bob nnd became more companionable Strangely enough, too. their cost of liv ing Increased In proportion to their friendliness; but Dob never questioned any amount they nsked him for, nnd ho swelled their allowance with char acteristic prodigality. Lorelei was proud of him, as sho had reason to be, but she had occasion for sorrow ns well. His generosity vas really big, his pagan. Joyousness ban ished shadows, but he was Intensely human in his fallings, hnd In spite of his determination to stop drinking, in spite of all his enrnest promises, tho old appetlto periodically betrayed him For n month, for two months at a time, ho would manfully fight his de sires, then without excuse, without cause, Just when he wns boasting loud est of his victory, he would fall. And yet drinking did not brutalize him as It does most men; he never became dls gustlng; liquor Intoxicated hfm, but less In body than in spirit. His re pentance followed promptly, his cha grin wns Intense, nnd hla fear of Loro lel almost ludicrous. But tho girl had acquired a wider charity, a gentler pa ttonce; she grieved, sho tried to help him, and hla frailty endeared him to her. Lovo had been slow to awaken: In fact, she had not been definitely nwnro of Its birth; but suddenly sho had found It flowering in her soul, and now It flourished tho moro as that other Interest Intensified nnd began to'doml- natc her. Bob responded to .all her efforts save one: sho could not mnko him serious. On tho whole, however, thev worn more happy than they had ever been. One1 day, during the slack holiday season, Hannibal Wharton appeared at uio Kurtz establishment. He an- prnlsed tho elaborate surroundings with a hostile eyo and stared at his son Impassively. "So! You're n seamstress now," ho began, and Dob grinned. "Merkle told mff you repaid his loan and had an au tomobile." "That's true." "Second-hand car?" "No." ""now much do you owo?" "Nothing, except for stock." "Stock! Whnt do you mean?" "Kurtz nnd I nro partners In one end of this business." "I'll bo damned 1" b rnntlinil fi Wharton. Thon )m inn.,i.n,i "Do yon like this workr tu"uus' naturo to him, and ono day. feel "It's not what I Lr mm ; lnff tl,nt 1,0 owta dpbt of friendliness Is a marSn oV proSt." ,d' ho Hi "Huh! l ahould think ho, at ninety " (TO be CONTINUED.) dollars a suit. Well, this town is full of fools." Dob agreed. "But wo dress 'em bet ter than they do In Pittsburgh." After a moment's consideration Han nibal said slowly: "Mother's at tho Wnldorf ; sho wnnts to see you. You'vs Just about broken her heart, Bob." "Wo'ro not going out much, but per haps wo could call on her " " 'Wo!' I said sho wants to see you." "And not my wife?" "Certainly not. Neither do I. You don't seem to understand " Dob answered smoothly: "Certainly I understand; you think ninety dollars Is too. much for a suit. Perhaps I can show you something in scarfs of an exclusive design?" ' "Don't bo funny!" growled his fa ther. "Realiy, dad, you'd better go. That suit of yours is n sight. Somebody may think wo mado it for you." ' Mr. Wharton remained silent for a moment. "The situation Is impossible, "8o That's Her Game, Eh?" and anybody . but you would see Jt Wo can't accept that woman, and we won't. She's notorious." "No more so than I am or you, for that matter." "She's a grafter. She'd quttyon It I paid her enougb." "How do you know?" , "ner mother has been to see me half a dozen times. I've offered to pay ner anything within reason, but they're holding ont for something big. You come back, Bob. Let her go to her own people." "And what's to become of the other one?" Bob wns smiling faintly. "The other one? What do you moan?" "I mean there will bo three In the family soon, dad; you're going to be a grandfather." The effect of this announcement was unexpected. Hannibal Wharton wns momentarily stricken dumb; for once ho was utterly nt a loss. Then, instead of raising his voice, ho spoke with a sharp, stuttering incislveuess: " "So that's "her game, eh? I suppose sho thinks she'll breed her way Into the family. Well, she won't. It won't work. I was willing to compromise be fore so long as thero was no tan gible bond between that family and mine but they've got their blood mixed with mine; they've got a finger hold In splto of hell, and I suppose they'll hold on. But I won't acknowl edge a grandchild with scum like that In his veins. .Good God! Now listen you." Wharton's Jaw was out-thrust, his gazo hard nnd unwnvering. "No child tainted with that blood will share in ono penny of my money, now or at any other time. Understand?" "Perfectly." Bob's color had reced ed, but in no other way did ho show his struggle for self-mastery. "My wife Isn't bearing a child to spite you. and If It over needs n grandfather we'll adopt one." "They'vo pulled you down Into the mud; now they've tied you there. He redity's stronger than you or I; watch your child grow up, nnd wntch lta mother's blood tell. Then remember that I tried to free you before it was too late. Well, I'm through. This settles me. Good by, ami Ood heln you with that rotten gang." Hannlba'l Wharton turned and strode out of tho room shaking his head nnd mumbling. CHAPTER XXV. Bob hnd seldom been conscious of a deliberate effort to please hlraBelf, for to want a tiling had nlways meant to have It almost before tho desiro hid been recognized. The gratification of : uuim nis impulses had become a sort of sec-