T3he I
Ragged Edge I
by I
Harold MacGrath 1
xamiiniiiiuciiiiiiiiiiiiicaiiiuiiiiiiicsiiiiiJiifiiicaiiiiiiiifmmiifimittmniiniiHiS
! The doctor had entered the
.Jrpom fully determined to tell the
tpatlent the major part of Ruth’s
•tory, to inspire him with proper
respect and gratitude. Instead,
he could not get beyond these
minor details—why sh* wore the
jgjress, whence she had come, and
thither she was bound. The
! jtea of this sudden reluctance
;as elusive; the fact was evident
ut not the. reason for It.
‘ ‘IIqw would you like a job on/
a copra plantation!” he asked,
Irrelevantly to the thought
crowding one another In his
mind. “Out of the beaten track,
with a real man for an employ
er! IIow would that strike
jou!” . _ . ..
Interest snot imo opunoca s
eyes; it spread to his v^rn face.
Out of the beaten track! lie
must not apear to eager. "I’ll
need a job when I quit this bed.
J’m not particular wbat or
.where.”
"That kind of talk makes you
•ound like a white man- Of
course, I can’t promise you the
job definitely. But I've an old
friend ori the way here* and he
knows the game down there. If
he hasn’t n job for you, he’ll
know someone who has. Man
agers and accountants arc al
ways shifting about, so he tolls
me. It’s mighty lonesome down
there for a man bred to cities.”
"Find me the job. I don’t
care how lonesome it is.”
Out of the beaten track!
thought Spprlock. A forgotten
island beyond the ship lanes,
where that grim Hand would
falter and move blindly in its
search for him! From what he
had read, there wouldn’t be
much to do; andin the idle hours
he could write.
"Thanks," he said, holding
out a thin white hand. I’ll bo
very glad to take that kind of a
job, if you can find it.”
"Well, that’s fine. Got you
Interested in something, then?
Would you like a peg?"
"No. I hated the stuff. There
was a pleasant numbness in the
bottle; that’s why I went to it.”
"Thought so. But I had tc
know for sure. Down there,
whisky raises the very devil with
white men. Don’t build your
hopes too high; but I will do
'tvliat T can. While there’s life
ihore’s hope. Buck up.”
"I’m afraid I don’t under
stand. ’ ’
"Understand what?”
"You or thisjjirl. There are,
then, in thw Sorrv world, people
who can be disinterestedly
kind 1"
The doctor laughed- gave
Spurlock's shoulder a pat, and
left the room. Outside the door
he turned and stared at the
panels. Why hadn’t he gone on
with the girl's story? What in
stinct had -stuffed it back into
fcis throat? Why the inex
plicable impulse to hurry this
rather pathetic derelict on his
way?
/ CHAPTER XV
Krnuintta hi* illvtoeo Unn«
A * v * »Wi*« IU M4R1 IUUVOOj MpUi'
lock’s mind had been tortured
t»y an appalling worry, so that
"»ow, in the process of conva
Icscenes, it might be compared
to a pool which had been vio
lently stimd : there were indica
tions of subsidence, but there
*ere still strange forms swirling
•n the surface—whims and
£ascie» which in normal times
would never have risen above
i sub-consciousness
Little by little the pool clear
ed, the whims vanished: so that
both Ruth and tho doetor, by tbc
middle of the third week, began
to accept Spurlock's actions as
normal, whereas there was still
a mote or two which declined to
settle, still a kink in the,gray
matter that refused to straight
en out.
Spurlock began to watch for
Ruth's coming in the morning;
first, with negligent interest,
then with positive eagerness. His
literary instincts were, reviving.
Ruth was something to study for
future copy; she was almost un
believable. She was not a re
version to type, which intimates
the primordial; she suggested
rather of some goddess of the
South Seas. He was not able to
recognire* as tfee doctor did, that
she was only a natural woman.
His attitude toward her was
purely intellectual, free of any
sentimentality, utterly selfish.
Ruth was not a woman; she was
a phenomenon. So, adroitly and
patiently, he pulled Ruth apart;
that is, he plucked forth a little
secret here, another there, until
he had quite a substantial array.
What he did not know was this:
Ruth surrendered these little
secrets because the doctor warn
ed her that the patient must be
amused and interested
From time to time, however,
he was baffled. The real tragedy
—which he sensed and toward
which he was always reaching—
eluded all his verbal skill. It
was not a Cambric curtain Ruth
had drawn across that part of
her life: it was of iron. Ruth
could tell the doctor; she could
bare many of her mnermost
thoughts to that kindly man;
but there was an inexplicable
reserve before this young man
whom she still endued with tho
melancholy charm of Sydney
Carton. It was not due to shy
ness: it was the inherent instinct
of the Woman, a protective fear
that she must retain some ele
ments of mystery in order to
hold the interest of the male.
When she told him that the
natives called her The Dawn
Pearl, his delight was unbound
ed. He addressed her by that
title, and something in the tone
disturbed her. A sophisticated
woman wotdd have translated
the tone ns a caress. And yet to
Spurlock it was only the title of
a story he would some clay write.
He was caressing an idea.
The point is, Spurlock was
coming nlong: queerly, by his
own imagination. The true crea
tive mind is always returning to
battle; defeats are only tem
porary set backs. Spurlock
knew that somewhere along the
way he would write a story
worth while. Already he was
dramatizing Ruth, involving her,
now in some pearl thieving ad
venture, now in some impossible
tale of a white goddess. But
somehow he could not bring any
of these affairs to an orderly
end. Presently lie became filled
with astonishment over the
singular fact that Ruth was
eluding him in fancy as well as
in realitv.
One morning he caught her
hand suddenly and kissed It.
Men had tried that before, but
never until now had they been
quick enough. The touch of his
lips neither thrilled nor alarmed
her, because the eyes that looked
into hers were clean. Spurlock
knew' exactly what he was doing,
however: speculative mischief,
to sec how she would act.
“I haven’t offended you?”—
not contritely but curiously.
“No”—as if her thoughts
were elsewhere.
Something in her lack of em
barrassment irritated him. “Has
no man ever kissed you?”
“No.” Which was literally
the truth.
lie accepted this confession
•conditionally t that no young
man had kissed her. There was
nothing of the phenomenon in
this. But astonishment would
have been great indeed had he
known that not even her father
had ever caroused her, cither
with lips or with bauds.
Ruth had lived in a world
without caresses. The signifi
cance of the kiss was still obsfhrc
to her, though she had frequent
ly encountered the word and act
in the Old and New Testaments
and latterly in novels. Men had
tried to kiss her—unshaven dere
licts, some of them terrible—
but she had always managed to
oscape. What had urged her to
wrench loose and fly was the
guarding instinct of the good
woman. Something natnelessly
abhorrent in the eyes of those
men. . . • .!
She knew what arms were for
- -to fold and embrace and to
hold one tightly; but why men
wished to kiss women was still
a profound mystery. No matter
how often she ca'ne across this
phase in lov*' stories, there was
never anything explanatory: as
if all human beings perfectly
understood. It would not have
K
been for her an anomaly to r#afl
no kisses. »
This salnto of his—actually
the first she could remember—
while it did not disturb her, be
gan to lead her thoughts into
new channels of speculation. The
more her thoughts dwelt upon
the subject, the more convinced
she was that she could not go
to any one foi help; ahe would
have to solve the riddle by her
own efforts- by some future ex
perience.
“The Dawn Pearl,” he said.
“The natives have foolish ways
of saying things.”
“On the contrary, if that is a
specimen, they must be poets.
Tell me about your island. I
have never seen a lagoon.”
“But you can imagine it. Tell
me what you thirfk the island is
like.”
lie did not pause to consider
how she had learned that he had
imagination; he comprehended
only the direct challenge. To be
free of outward distraction, he
shut his eyes and concentrated
upon the scraps she had given
him; and shortly, with his eyes
still closed, he began to describe
Ruth’s island: the mountain at
one end, with the ever-recurring
scarves of mist drifting across
the lava-scarred face; the jungle
at the foot of it; the dazzling
border of white sand; the sprawl
ing store of the trader and the
lotting wharf, sundrily patched
with drift-wood; the native huts
on the sandy floor of the palm
groves; the scattered sandalwood
and ebony; the screaming para
keets in the plantains; the fish
ing proas; the mission with its
white washed walls and barren
frontage; the lagoon, fringed
with coco palms, now ruffled
emerald, now placid sappKire.
“I think the natives saw you
coming out of the lagoon, one
dawn. For you say that you
swim- Wonderful! The water,
dripping from you- must have
looked like pearls. Do you know
what? You’re some sea goddess
an you’re only fooling us.”
He opened his eyes, to behold
hers large with wonder.
“And you saw all that in
your mind?’’
“It wasn’t difficult. You your
self supplied the details. All I
had to do was to piece them to
gether.’’
“But. I never told you how
the natives fished.”
“Perhaps I read of it some
where. ’ ’
“Still you forgot something.”
“What did I forget?”
“The breathless days and the
faded pitiless sky. Nothing to do;
nothing for the hands, the mind,
the heart. To wait for hours and
hours for the night! The sea
empty, for days! You forgot
the monotony, the endless mo
notony, that bends you and
breaks you and cruches you—
you forgot thatl”
Her voiee had steadily riseu
until it was charged with pas
sionate anger. It was his turn
to express astonishment. Fire;
she was full of it. Pearls in the
dawn light, flashing and burn
intrl
“You don’t like your island?”
“Iliateit! . . But, there!”
— weariness edging in. “I am
sorry. I shouldn’t talk like that.
I’m a poor nurse.”
“You are the most wonderful
human being I ever saw! ’ ’ And
he meant it.
She trembled; but she did not
know why. “You mustn’t talk
any more, the exciteraeut isn’t
good for you.”
Drama. To get behind that
impenetrable curtain* to learn
why she hated her island. Never
had he been so intrigued. Why,
there was drama in the very
aress she wore! There was
drama in the unusual beauty of
her* hidden away all these years
on a forgotten isle t
“You’ve been lonely, too”
“You mustn’t talk.”
He ignored the command. “To
be lonely! What is physical
torture, if someone who loves
you is nigh 1 But to be alone . .
as I am l . . . yes, and as
I you are! Oh, you haven’t told
me, but I can see with half an
eye. With nobody who cares
.... the both of us!”
He was real in this moment.
She was given a glimpse of his
soul. She wanted to take him
in her arms and hush him, but
she sat. perfectly still. Then
came the shook of the knowledge
that soon he would be going up.
on his way, that there would be
no one to depend upon her; and
all the old loneliness came smoth
ering down upon her again. She
could not analyse what was stir
ring in her: the thought of loi
Inf the doll, the dog, and the
cat. There was the world be
sides, looming darker and larg
er.
“What would you like most
in this world ? he asked. Once
more he was the searcher.
‘Red apples and snow I” she
sent back at him, her face sud
denly transfixed by some inner
glory.
“Red apples and snow!” he
repeated. lie returned figura
tively to his bed—the bed he
had made for himself and In
which he must for ever lie. Red
apples and snow! How often had
these two things entered his
thoughts since his wanderings
began? Red apples and snow !—
and never again to behold them!
“I am going out for a little
while,” she said. She wanted
to be alone. “Otherwise you
will not get your morning’s
sleep.”
Ho did not reply. IIi« curiosi
ty, his literary instincts, had
been submerged by the recurring
thought of the fool he had made
of himself. He heard the door
close; and in a little while he
fell into a doze; and there came
a dream filled with broken pic
tures, each one of which the girl
dominated. He saw her, drip
ping with rosy pearls, rise out of
tlie lagoon in the dawn light:
he saw her flashing to and fro
among the coco palms in the
moonshine: he saw her breasting
the hurricane, her body as full
of grace and beauty as the Wing
ed Victory of the Louvre. The
queer phase of the dream was
this, she was at no time a
woman; she was symbolical of
something, and he followed to
learn what this something was.
There was a lapse of time, an in
terval of blackness; then he
found his hand in hers and she
was leading him at a run up the
side of the mountain.
His heart beat wildly and he
was afraid lest the strain be
too much; but the girl shook her
head and smiled and pointed to
the top of the mountain. All at
once they came to the top, the
faded blue sky overhead- and
whichever way he looked, the
horizon, the great rocking circle
which hemmed them in. She
pointed hither and yon. smiled
and shook her head. Then he
understood Nowhere could he
see that reaching, menacing
Hand. So long as she stood be
side him, he was safe. That was
what she was trying to make
him understand.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
PENN STATERS
ARE COACHING
Thirty Former Athletes Un
der Bezdek Have Com
fortable Berths Now
State College, Pa.—No less then
SO Penn State athletes, the majority
of them products of Hugo Bezdek,
successful football tutor of the Nlt
tany l ions, are now to be found in
coaching positions that extend from
coast to coast. A partial list com
piled to date by local athletic au
thorities reveals that these former
blue and whit" athletic stars ftre
folding down responsible coaching
jobs In college trd high school cir
clee. All but seven have absorbed
their athletic knowledge under Coach
Bezdelc.
Seven former Penn State gTldders
will be found head coaches In col
lege this fall. Prominent
among n is Andy Smith, Uni
versity of California tactician, who
learned considerable football at the
Nlttany institution before trans
ferring to the University of Pennsyl
vania. Other head coaches are: VV.
W. Wood, ‘18. Gettysburg; R. C.
Harlow, '12. Colgate; K. A. Higgins,
‘18, West Virginia Wesleyan; P. W.
Griffiths, ’21, Marietta; B. C. Cub
bage, *18, V. P. I.. and J. K, Light
ner, '22, Dickinson.
OChnrs in college coaching worl:
will be: B. M. Herman, ’12, and W.
G. KUHngcr, *22, both at Penn State;
W. H. Hess, *10, University of South
ern California; K. H. Roach, *21, Col
gate; M. Y. Palm, *24, Georgetown,
and J. C. Frank ‘24, Dickinson. R.
N. Berryman, ‘18, will coach the
Franklin Yellow Jackets, Philadel
phia.
In high school circles will be found
B. E. Miller, *14, Harrisburg Edison
Junior I-Ilgh school; K- A. Huffoid,
‘23, Sunbury; G. S. Snell ‘23. Rtaik
lng; II. N. Bentas, '23, Shipoopshurg
Normal; II. L. Koehler. ‘23, VVlndbor,
anil J. N. Reed, ‘24, Braddock. C. A.
Way. '21; U- S. Conover, '19; A. H.
Knabb. '22; N. R. Korb, *21. and S. C.
CcCollum. '22. are known to be In
coaching work, but their location Is
not. available. W. C. Mearklo. '21, Is
athletic director at Coatsville High;
Don Blythe, '17, Is freshman base
ball coac-h at Carnegie Tech.; C. A.
Brumbaugh, '21, Is baseball coach at
Caldwell High, New Jersey; 11. E
Burron, '22, Is teaching track at
Cascadillas School, Ithaca, and M.
U. Shields, '22, Is In a stinila.* post- j
tlon at PhU'ipa AnJover ioc.e’omy.
ALL DEPENDS ON
PROPER SPIRIT
Young Arrives In Berlin To
Further Dawes
Proposal
BY O. D. TOLISCHU8,
Universal Service Correspondent.
Berlin, Sept. All now depends
on the spirit In which the Dawes
plan is carried out. If the right spir
it Is present the worst plan will suc
ceed, If It is not there then the beat
plan will fall.
This is the outstanding thought in
a statement issued by Owen Young
after his arrival In Berlin Thursday
evening. Mr. Young was accompan
ied by his wife and Mr. and Mrs. Ru
fus Dawes, as well as by the Belgian
Representative Gutt and the English
Representative MacFaydean and a
number of secretaries.
The coming of these reparations
agents, who will arrange the ma
chinery for making the Dawes plan
effective, attracted no attention from
the public, and the only persons
present outside of the official recep
tion committeement, were Journalists
and photographers.
Praises Gilbert.
The entire party went to the Ad
lon hotel where Young received the
American correspondents. He paid
a tribute to Permanent Agent Gen
eral Gilbert, praising him In tho
highest terms and declaring that
Gilbert's clear judgment, impartial
ity and unselfish spirit will Insure
successful administration of the
Dawes plan.
“It must give a feeling of relief and
satisfaction to the world and to Ger
many particularly," continued
Young,” to know that Initial steps
will now' be taken In Berlin to Inau
gurate tho London agreement and
the Dawes plan. Quite apart from
the merits or faults of the plan it
self, one may say that It has already
afforded not only a basis for accord
between the allied governments but
also of an understanding between
points might bo accepted by France,
a high French official Indicated, but
the fourth point, which is really the
crux of the whole situation as It
stands now, Is entirely unacceptable
to France and Belgium as well as to
the minor nations in the Balkans.
Premier Herriot is expected to say
Friday that France cannot disarm
until security is guaranteed by an in
ternational pact, which Premier
MacDonald stated would never be
agreed to by England.
Late Thursday the British and
French premiers got In touch with
each other but little hope remains
that tho two opposing policies will
be reconciled.
Abyss Too Wide
“Britain and France are bowing to
each other from different sides of an
abyss which they are unable to
leap,” said a neutral observer
tonight.
It was affirmed In high quarters
that France has withdrawn opposi
tion to Germany’s admission to the
league. It is Indicated that if
Germany asks admission it will bo
elected unanimously by this assemb
ly and even be given a scat In tho
League council.
To the press Premier MacDonald
stated that even if other nations re
fuse to adopt the principle of com
pulsory arbitration, Great Britain
wil itself openly accept that princi
ple. He suggested that the court o(
arbitration might bo composed of
“retired, venerated statesmen from
all countries who, while alert mental
ly, might be actively retired from
political leadership."
Wheeler Out For
Providence Vote
Third Party Candidate
Given Warm Reception
In Mosquito State
Providence, R. I. Sept. .—This city
Thursday night gave Senator Burton
K. Wheeler, independent progressive
vice presidential nominee, an enth
usiastic. reception at a political rally.
Sensing the tense political atmos
phere In this state and the public
apetite for political discussion as a
result of the Rhode Island senato
filibuster. Senator EaFollette’s run
ning mate made a great effort to
cut In on the votes of both the old
parties in Providence.
Earlier In the day at Newport,
Senator W'heeler spoke from a truck
to a crowd of apparently enthusiastic
supporters of the third party candi
dates.
Senator Wheelers address was
virtually the same he has made In
other New England cities.
Soldiers To Guard
Americans In China
Four Nations Band Together
For Protection Of
Citizens
Washington, Sept. —The foreign
settlement at Shanghai will l>e pro
tected during the civil war In China,
by n special guard composed of
American, British. Japanese and
French sailors and Shanghai volin
tee.r forces, the state department was
advised by Charge D’Affalres Bell, at
Peking
Arrangements are complete, the
dispatch stated, to prevent the entry
of armed forces Into the section of
the city accupled by American and
European residences and business
houses.
Troops of Kiangsu province ad
vanced a distance of four miles at
Qulnsnn. on the morning of Septem
ver 2. the communication added, and
railroad and telegraph communtca
i lion,0 were cut off In that vicinity.
BULL”STARTS
FINAL ROUND IN
BOUT WITH U. S.
Davis Takes Action In Case
Of Fighter—May
Decide Today
Universal Service
Washington, Sept. —A final
decision by the immigration au
thorities of the labor department
in the case of Luis Angel Firpo,
Argentine, prize fighter, prob
ably will be made Saturday, of
ficials of the department said.
A large batch of the evidence
and testimony collected by Com
missioner Curran of New York
was received by Commissioner
General of Immigration Hus
band Friday.
Although no official statement
has been made, some officials
believe the evidence which has
arrived so far is not sufficient
to warrant any action by the
department.
Universal Service.
New York, i?ept. 5,—A United
States warrant for the deportation of
Luis Angel Firpo was authorized Fri
day night by Secretary of Labor
Davis.
Immigration Commissioner Harry1'
Curran, in stating from Fills Island,;
that he had been authorized to apply
for the warrant, refused further com
ment.
As two full business days are re
quired for completion of the techni
calities in signing and serving tha
summary warrant, a race will now
ensue between time and Curran,
ensue between time and Curran,
prodded by the labor department ar.d
Canon Chase.
The finish is Thursday night,
September 11, the dale of the Firpo
Wills fight.
The instructions from Washington,
came on the heels of categorical!
des and of Commissioner Curran'a,
daily communique whitewashing tha
defendant In the proceedings befora;
«“>• , a
Landlady Testifies.
After testifying before Curran. Mrs.
Nlta Nitzi, landlady of the rooming.
I10U30 in which Firpo and Miss Lour-1
des hud apartments a year ago,, told
that her patrons had left behind!
photographic records of their in
timacy.
"Firpo will be deported,” said tha
woman, who seemed to have advanca
knowledge of the warrant permit
which arrived an hour later. “Ha
committed prejury when he said haj
did not know Blanca. They were In
my house for weeks and appeared
very Intimate.
"After Blanca departed she sent
me a telegram telling me to look for'
all papers, pictures and letters which
she left behinA and to destxoy every,
scrap. I did.” j
Sin,...n ,
William A. WItmer. also a witness,
and once Firpo’s secretary, told of
the photographs.
Firpo, It seems, didn't know tha,
camera was loaded, and ho pointed It!
nt himself and pulled the trigger at
a moment when he was !n a most!
awkward pose with Miss Lourdes.
Disregarded Advica
Firpo fired WItmer in one of Ms
thrity fits and WItmer has been
wondering what he could do with th*
negative ever since.
WItmer sajd that as Flrpo's secre
tary, he had advised against bringing'
Blanca lnto,the United Stntes. Firpo
disregarded the advice, he testified,,
and the infuriated lady retaliated by
plotting for Witmer’s dismissal.
Under the surface, a tense hatMa
for the timh is being fought ovor
the weekend. Certain forces are
eommitted to the principle that Firpo'
StiaT! keep a toehold on Amerlean so?J,
until he can collect the $60,000 pure*
next Thursday. The first handy'
monkey wrench to be thrown at let*!1
machinery will be Ihe postponement,
over the weekend. Then throep-h the)
first four days of next weal; Firpo'*
backers wilt-use every argument far
delay.
Slow Train Of Ark.
To Have Real Rival
Pennsylvania Town Cut*
Speed Limit To 8 Mile?
An Hour
New Carlisle, Ind.. Kept. -The
slow train of Arkansas fame is to
have a rival.
In an effort to check the toll of
death at grad* crossings hare, the
city council passed an ordinance
Batting the speed of trains passingJ
through this city at eight miles an
hour. The ordinance goes Into ef
fect September 15.
Many fast trains are »ffe.cted by
the ordinance, among them tho
Twentieth Century Limited.
Ninety-two trains, 50 passenger
and 40 freight, pass through the
town daily. The slower speed will
mean that trains will pass through
the town 16 out of 24 hours of the
day. At eight miles an hour It will
take o train 80 minutes to clear New
Carlisle.
SHOCK CAUSE OF DEATH
Morley, la., Sept. ' , (Special.)—
William rtyan, Savanna, 111., brake
man, is dead as the result of a
shock caused by a freight wreck on
tho Milwaukee railroad. He went
forward from the caboose to see
what had caused the wreck anf
dropped dead near the locomotivo.
He was in a wreck at the same
place 11 years ago.
As a consequence of the heavy influx;
of American visitors, the girl clerks in;
many of the large Loudon stores areI
now taught Li r» kun crlata la dollar*.;
