15he
Ragged Edge
by
Harold MacGrath
Ruth’s eyes began to glow. She
had often wondered if Hoddy
would ever go back to it. She
knew now that he never would.
“Sometimes a cup of lies is
a cheering thing,” replied the
trader. In wine there is truth.
What about that?”
“It means that drink cheats
ft man into telling things he
ought not to. And there’s your
liver.”
‘/Ay, and there’s my liver.
It’ll be turning over tomorrow.
But never mind that,” said Me
Clintoek grinning as he drew the
dish of bread-fruit toward him.
“Tomorrow I shall have a vis
itor. I do not say guest because
that suggests friendship; and I
am no friend of this Wastrel.
I’ve told you about him; and
you wrote a shrewd yarn on the
subject.”
. “The pianist?”
“Yes. Lie’ll be here two or
three days. So Mrs. Spurlock
had better stick to the bungalow.
“Ah,” said Spurlock; “that
kind of a man.”
“Many kinds; a thorough out
law. We’ve never caught him
cheating at cards; too clever;
hut we know he cheats. But he’s
witty and amusing, and when
reasonably drunk he can play the
piano like a Paderewski, lie’s
an interpretive genius, if there
ever was one. Nobody knows
what his real name is, but lie’s a
Hollander. Kicked out of there
for something shady, A retmit
tanee man. A check arrives in
Batavia every thret months. He
has a grand time. Then he goes
stony, and beats his way around
the islands for another three
months. Retribution has a queer
way of acting sometimes. The
Wastrel—as we call him-cannot
play when he’s sober; hands too
slmky. lie cannot play cards,
either when lie 's sober. Alcohol—
would you believe it?—steadies
his nerves and keens his brain:
which is aguinst the laws of grav
itation you might say. Me has
often told me that if he could
play sober, he would go to
America and reap a fortune.”
“You never told me what he is
like,’’said Spurlock.
“1 thought it best that you
should imagine him. You were
wide the mark, physically; other
wise you had him pat. He is big
and powerful; one of those
drinkers who show it but little
outwardly. Whisky kills him
suddenly; it does not sap him
gradually. In his youth he must
have been a remarkable hand
some man, for be is still hand
some. I don t believe he is much
past forty. A bad one in a rough
and-tumble; all the water-front
tricks. His hair is oddly streaked
with gray—1 might say a dis
honourable gray. Perhaps in the
beginning the women made fools
of themselves over him.”
“That’s reasonable, I don’t
know how to explain it,” said
Spurlock, “but music hits women
queerly. I’ve often seen them
storming the Carnegie llall
stage.”
“Aye, music hits them. I’m
thinking that the Wastrel was
one day a celebrated profession
al ; and the women were partly
the cause of his fall. Women! He
Is always chanting the praise of
some discovery; sometimes it
will be a native, often a white
woman out of the stews. So it
will he wise for Mrs. Spurlock to
keep to the bungalow until the
rogue goes hack to Copeley’s.
Queer world. For every Eden,
there will he a serpent; for
every sheepfold, there will be a
wolf.”
“What’s the matter, Ruth!’’
“It has been . . . rather a
hard day, Roddy,’’ Ruth answer
ed. She was wan and white.
So, after the dinner was over,
Spurloek took her home; and
worked far into the night.
The general office was an ex
tension of the west wing of the
MeClintoek bungalow. From one
window the beach was always
visible; from another, the stores.
Spurlock was invariab'y at the
high desk in the early morning,
peril over ledgers, and giving
the beaeh aud the stores an oc
casional glance. Whenever Mc
Clintock had guests, he loafed
with them on the west verande
in the morning.
This morning he heard voices—
McClintoek’s and the Wastrel’s.
“Sorry,” said McClintoek,
“but I must ask you to check
out this afternoon before five.
I’m having some unexpected
guests.”
“Ah! Sometimes I wonder I
don’t run amok and kill some
one,” said the Wastrel, in brok
en’ English. “I give yon all of
my genius, and you say—‘Get
out!’ I am some kind of a dog.”
“That Is your fault, none of
mine. Without whisky,” Avent
on McClintock, “your irritability
is beyond tolerance. You have
said a thousand times that there
was no shame in you. Nobody
can trust you. Nobody can an
ticipate your next move. Wc
tolerate you for your genius,
that’s a fact. But underneath
this tolerance there is always the
vague hope that your manhood
will someday reassert itself.”
The Wastrel laughed. “Did i
you ever hear me Avnine?”
“No,” admitted McClintock.
“You’ve no objection to my
dropping in again later, after
your guests go?”
“No. When F’m alone I don’t
mind.”
“Very well. You won’t mind
if I empty this gin?”
“No. Befuddle yourself, if
you Avant to.”
Silence.
Spurlock mused over the pre
vious night. After he had eaten
dinner Avith Ruth, he had gone
to McClintock’s; and he had
heard music such as he had heard
only in the great concert halls.
The picturesque scoundrel had
the true gift; and Spurlock Avas
filled Avith pity at the thought
of such genius gone to pot. To
use it as a passport to card-ta
bles and gin-bottles! McClintock
wasn’t having any guests; at any
rate, he had not mentioned the
fact.
' Spurlock had sensed Avhat had
gone completely over McClin
tock’s head—that this Avas the
playing of a soul in damnation.
His oAvn peculiar genius—of a
miracle key to the hidden things
in men’s souls—had given him
this immediate and astonishing
illumination. As the Wastrel
played, Spurlock knew that the
man saw the inevitable end—
death by drink; suav the glory of
the things he had throAvn aAvay,
the past, once so full of promise.
And, decently as he could, Me
Clintock Avas giving the man the
boot.
There Avas, it might be said, a
double illumination. But for
Ruth, he, IloAvard Spurlock,
might have ended upon the
beach, inescapably damned. The
Duavii Pearl. After all, the Was
trel was in luck: he avus alone.
These thoughts, however, came
to a broken end. From the Avin
dow he saAV The Tigrgess faring
toward Copeley’s! Then Some
body was coming? Some political
high mnekamuek, probably. Still,
he Avas puzzled because McClin
tock had not spoken.
Presently McClintock came in.
“General inspection after lunch;
drying bins, stores and the young
palms south-east. It Avill be hot
work, but it must be doue at
once.”
“All right, Mr. McClintock.”
Spurlock loAvered his voice. “You
are giving that chap the boot
rather suddenly?”
“Had to.”
‘' Somebody eoming 1 ’ ’
“Yes. Top-side insurance
people. You know all this stuff
is insured. They’ll inspect the
schooner on the way back,” Ale
Clintoek lied, cheerfully.
“The Wastrel seemed to take
it all right.”
“Oh, it’s a part of the game,”
said MelTmtoek. “He knows he
had to take it. There are some
islands upon which he is not per
mitted iv land any more.”
At luncheon, preoccupied in
thought, Spurlock did not notice
the pallor on Ruth’s cheeks or
the limited look in her eyes. She
hung about his chair, followed
him to the door, touched his
sleeve timidly, all the while
striving to pronounce the words
which refused to rise to her
tongue.
He patted the hand on his
sleeve. “Could you get any oi
the music last night?"
"Yes."
“Wonderful 1 It’s an infernal
shame."
"Couldn’t . . . couldn’t I
go with you this afternoon?"
"Too hot."
"But I’m used to that, Hod
dy," she said, eagerly.
"I’d rather you went over the
last four chapters, which I have
n’t polished yet. You know
what’s what. Slash and cut as
much as you please. I’ll knock
off at tea. By-by."
The desperate eagerness to go
with him—and sflie dared not
voice it! She watched him until
McClintock joined him and the
two made off toward the south.
She turned back into the hall.
Rollo began to cavort.
"No, Rollo; not this after
noon."
"But I’ve got to go!" insisted
Rollo, in perfectly understand
able dog-talk.
"Be still!"
"Oh, come along! I’ve just
got to have my muck bath. I’m
burning up."
"Rollo!"
There were no locks or pan
elled doors in the bungalow; and
Hollo was aware of it. He dash
ed against the screen door before
she could catch him • and made
the veranda. Once more he
begged; but as Ruth only repeat
ed her sharp command, he spun
about and raced toward the
jungle. Immediately he was
gone, she regretted that she had
not followed.
Hidden menace; a prescience
of something dreadful about to
happen. Ruth shivered; she was
cold. Alone; not even the dog to
warn her, and Hoddy deep in the
island somewhere. Help—should
she need it—from the natives
was out of the question. She had
not made friends with any; so
they still eyed her askance.
Yes; she had heard the music
the night before. She had resist
ed as long as she could; then she
had stolen over. She had to
make sure, for the peace of her
mind, that this was really the
man. One glance through the
window at that picturesque head
had been sufficient. A momen
tary petrifaction, and terror had
lent wings to her feet.
He had found her by the same
agency her father had; native
talk, which flew from isle to j^le
as fast as proas could carry it.
She was a lone white woman,
therefore marked.
What was it in herheart or
mind or soul that went out to this
man? Music—was that it? Was
he powerless to stir her without
the gift? But hadn’t he fascinat
ed her by his talk, gentle and
winnin? Ah, but that had been
after he had played for her.
She had gone into Morgan’s
one afternoon for a bag of salt.
One hour later she had gone
back to the mission—without the
salt. For the first time in her life
she had heard music; the door
to enchanted sounds had been
flung wide. For hours after she
had not been sensible to life,
only to exquisite echoes.
Of course she had often heard
sailors hammering out their dit
ties. Sometimes ships would stop
three or four days for water and
repairs; and the men would ca
rouse in the back room at Mor
gan’s.
Day after day—five, to be ex
act—she had returned to Mor
gan’s; and each time the man
would understand what had
drawn her, and with a kindly
smile would sit down at the pi
ano and play. Sometimes the
music would be tender and
dreamy, like a native mother’s
crooning to her young; some
times it would be like the storms
crashing, thunderous.
' On the fifth day he had ven
tured speech with her. He told
her something about music, the
great world outside. Then he
had gone away. But two weeks
later he returned. Again he
played for her; and again the
eruption of the strange senses
that lay hidden in her soul. He
talked with his manner gentle
and kindly. Shy, grateful in her
loneliness for this unexpected
attention, she had listened. She
had even confided to him how
lonely it was in the island. He
had promised her some books,
for she had voiced her hunger
for stories. On his third visit
to the island she had surprised
him, that is, she had glaneed up
suddenly and caught the look
of the beast in his eyes.
And it had not shocked her!
It was appalling absence of in
dignation that had put terror
into her heart. The same look
she had often seen in tfie eyes
of the drunken beachcombers
her father had brought home,
and it had not filled her with
horror. And now she compre
hended that the man (she had
never known him by any name)
knew she had surprised the look
and had not resented it.
Still, thereafter she had
avoided Morgan’s; partly out
of fear and partly because of
her father’s mandate. Yet the
thing hidden within her called
and called.
Traps, set with peculiar cun
ning; she had encountered them
everywhere. By following her
he had discovered her secret
nook in the rocks. Here she
would find candy awaiting her,
bits of ribbon, books. She
wondered even at this late day
how she had been able to hold
her maddening curiosity in
check. Books! She knew no\*
what had saved her—her
mother’s hand, reaching down
from heaven, had set the giver’s
flaming eyes upon the covers of
these books. One day she had
thrown all the gifts into the la
goon, and visited the secret nook
no more.
And here he was, but a hun
dred yards away, this wastrel
who trailed his genius through
the mud. Iloddy! All her fears
fell away. Between herself and
yonder evil mind she had the
strongest buckler God could
give—love. Hoddy. No other
man should touch her; she was
lloddy’s, body and soul, in this
life arid after.
She turned into the study, sat
down at the table and fingered
the pencils, curiously stirred.
Lead, worth nothing at all until
Iloddy picked them up; then
they became full of magic. She
began to read, and presently she
entered another world, and re
mained in it for two hours. She
read on and on, now thrilled by
the swiftly moving drama, now
enraptured by the tender pas
sages of loves Love . . . He
could imagine it even if he could
not feel it. That was the true
miracle of the gift; without
actual experience, to imagine
love and hate and greed and
how they would react upon each
other; and then, when these pas
sions had served their temporary
purpose, to cast them aside for
new imaginings.
She heard the bamboo curtain
rattle slightly. She looked up
quickly. The Wastrel, hi3 eyes
full of humorous evil, stood in
side the room.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
FEW SLAYERS
HANGED IN U. S.
Only One Person Pays
Death Penalty in 146
Homicides
Chicago.—Out of every 146 homi
cides In the United States, only one
person pays the death penalty, ac
cording to Frank E. Hand, supreme
vice-chief ranger of the Independent
Order of Foresters, in an address
here.
“In a recent survey of 116 typical
homicide cases," said Mr. Hand,
whose society has 165,000 members
In the United States and Canada.
“32 were classed as ‘justifiable.’ In
the other 114 Instances, cases of un
justified murder, indictments were
returned in only 69 cases, or 60.5
per cent. Of the 45 unindlcted cases
one-third of the assailants remained
at large, 22 committed suicide, and
In eight the evidence was Insuffi
cient to warrant Indictment.
"Among the 69 Indictments, 11
were ‘no trial’ cases. In the re
maining 58 trials, verdicts of ‘not
guinlty’ were rendered In 16 cases,
or 27.6 per cent. Of the 41 adjudged
‘guilty,’ 35 served time, with appeal
pending In six cases; three were
held for new trial, one was paroled
and one was executed.”
METHUSELAH MERE
STRIPLING OF 80,
PROFESSOR SAYS
Berkeley, Cal.—That Methuselah
Isn't even the oldest man In the
annals of history Is the firm belief
of Professor R. T. Crawfor I, of the
astronomy department of the Univer
sity of California.
“According to Genesis, Mc’huselah
attained the lmprobablo age of 969
years,*’ he said.
“However, the people of that era
reckoned time by cycles—a term
which many of us have mlsirterpret
ed as being the equivalent of one of
our years, whereas in all probability
the Biblical term ‘cycle’ means a
lunar cycle, or a period of time about
equal to one of our months.
“Figured in this way Methuselah’s
ago comes to about eighty years.’’
A Transposed Age.
From the Edinburgh Scotsman.
Maggie—How old are you?
Nellie—I’ve just turned 23.
Maggie—Oh, I see 32!
Three American race horses are to be
shipped abroad next fall to meet the ,
beat In England and France. 1
Elements of Bad Taste in Proposal
For Applying Dawes Plan to Allies
From the New York Times
The funding of Poland’s debt to th» United States, on terms
generally similar to those used in the funding of the British debt,
reduces by $178,000,000 the amount of unsettled claims of the
country against governments of Europe. Poland is the fifth na
tion thus to come to a formal agreement, the others being Great
; Britain, Hungary, Lithuania and Finland. The largest remain
ing unsettled debts are those of France, Italy and Belgium. It
has been the consistent policy of the present and the preceding
administration to consider the debt of each nation separately. In
particular have they resisted efforts to bring about a global set
tlement of all foreign debts arising out of the war. At the same
time they have firmly refused to admit the principle of cancella
tion.
The latest contribution to the discussion of the debt question
conies from Mr. Ronald W. Boyden, formerly American unofficial
observer on the reparation commission, who at a dinner of the
Academy of Political Science advocated the application of the
general principles of the Dawes plan to the debtor nations of
Europe. The difficulties in the way of jsuch a proposal are ob
viously enormous. First and foremost are tEose of a political and
sentimental nature. It is easy to imagine the just indignation of
the people of Italy, France and Belgium at the thought that, like
Germany, they should be put in the hands of receivers. The very
suggestion implies a failure to distinguish between the case of a
reluctant defeated enemy, bent on evading her debt*, and a willing
ally, rady to pay when she is able. Furthermore, it is difficult to
envisage the United States, so much more partial to observing
than to participating in Europe’s affairs, having a supervising
hand in the finances of Europe’s governments.
There is merit, however, in the suggestion that the problem of
how much the debtor nations can pay be thoroughly and impar
tially studied. In doing this some of the precedents of the Dawes
commission will undoubtedly prove useful. But it must not be
forgotten that the question of the “should” as well as of the
“can” still remains unsettled. Despite the attitude of the gov
ernment that no cancellation is possible or desirable, the fact must
be faced that there is an overwhelming sentiment abroad, sup
ported by a small group in this country, that a great portion of
the loans made by the United States to France, Belgium and Italy
was in the common behalf, and that those sums which were spent
in the common defense should be considered as separate from
those spent for the particular interests of the borrowing nation.
How much the nations ought to pay, therefore, is still a question
to be debated, and is determinable by considerations wholly dif
ferent from those which help to show what they are able to pay.
The one is a question of ethics anil politics, the other of financial
fact.
| CURING THE PESSIMIST
Once upon a time a delegation
of bees came to the queen and
through their chairman this is
what they said: “The flowers
are plentiful, there is an abund
ance of honey to be gathered,
but all the bees in our hive seem
to be discouraged and go about
their work in a half-hearted
way." “Do you know what the
trouble is,” said the queen.
“Yes,” said the chairman, “I
know at least, and that is what
we have come to talk over with
you. There is one bee in our
hive who is a disturber. He
isn’t lazy, as a matter of fact
he works hard; but he is always
borrowing trouble, always telling
the rest of us that although
there are lots of flowers today,
we’ll see that some morning
when we go out we will find
them all withered and with no
honey in the hive, we will have
nothing to live on next winter;
and so now it happens that many
in our hive who do not reason
for themselves believe him and
the rest of us are kept so stirred
up by his continual and constant
evil forbodings, that we are pro
ducing just about one-half the
honey we might.” “Well,” said
the queen, “My advice to you is
this: If you can’t laugh this
chap out of his wrong mental
attitude, sting him and sting
him proper until he wakes up
and reforms. If this does not
do the business, however, my
further advice is to form a new
hive and allow him to brood
himself to death.” _
I
J-ay Gould’s Advice
From the New York American.
How long is the bull market in
stocks likely to continue?
To a young man who asked that
question many, many years ago. Jay
Gould answered'.
•‘A bull market usually lasts about
sixty days.”
Undoubtedly what he meant was
that a period of constant advance in
prices without any pronounced ret
rogression Is generally limited to a
period of about sixty days. He could
not have meant so definitely to
restrict those wide swings In the
stock market which—made up of a
series of periods of climbing prices
with less protracted reactions—have
sometimes continued an upward price
trend for a year or more.
Nevertheless, that estimation of
fered so long ago by the master of
the market in his day Is still remem
bered and still venerated. Many
warm friends of the glass-headed
man. as they scrutinize the figures
on the tape, recall that answer of
Jay Gould’s and ponder possibilities.
The present bull stock market
may be said to have started No
vember 5, the day after election. The
first week in January, then, apply
ing the Gould calipers. Is likely to
mark its temporary culmination.
Speculators see more reason for
this possibility than the mere pro
nouncement of the voice out of the
past. That reason is the Income tax.
Fortunate buyers of stocks who
have large profits on paper do not
want aerially to take those profits
until after the first of the year.
Thus, they think, they may save
money; for who knows but that be
fore 1923 wears itself away the in
come tax will be modified and sur
taxes greatly reduced?
We answer, no one knows; and to
those gentlemen who neglect their
The Clergyman’i Farewell.
From “The Sands of Time," by
Walter Siehel.
A village clergyman, on the eve of
his departure to take up the post of
chaplain to some prison, opened his
farewell sermon by saying that he
was going to make another and less
tangible departure. He was going
to reserve his text till the end.
"All these years," he proceeded,
"you have taken little Interest In the
parish, in the services, and, I fear,
none in me. As you know, I have
reluctantly accepted the post of a
I orison chaplain. And now for my
I text: ‘I *o to prepare a place for
*ou.’ *
KNOWLEDGE AND
ENJOYMENT
John Burroughs.
What we love to do, that we do
well. To know is not all; it is
only half. To love is the other
half. Wordsworth’s poet was con
tented if he might enjoy the
things which others understand.
This Is generally the attitude of
the young and of the poetic na
ture. The man of science on the
other hand, is contented if he may
understand the things that others
enjoy; that is his enjoyment. Con
templation and absorption for the
one; investigation and classifica
tion for the other. We probably
all have, in varying degrees, one
or other of these ways of enjoy
ing Nature; either the sympathetic
and emotional enjoyment of her
which the young and the artistic
and the poetic temperament have,
or the enjoyment through our
knowing faculties afforded by
natural science, or it may be, the
two combined, as they certainly
were in such a man as Tyndall.
real business and go without lunch
eon dally to stand beside the glass
headed man and study the figures
he chatters forth, we offer another
bit of market lore provided in a
famous answer of another famous
market master of the vague past,
Russell Sage:
Said he glibly when asked how he
made money In stocks:
"By not trying to buy them at tho
bottom, and not trying tc sell them
at the top.”
— ' ■ ^ > .1 i 1 1 —
The Brookhart Contest.
From the New York World.
Under the constitution, the Senate
is the sole judge of the qualifications
of its members. This moved Maurice
Splain, famous Washington corres
pondent, once to say that the Senate
could unseat a man because he had
red hair. But even granting that
extreme rivilege, It is neither desir
able nor likely that the Senate will
ever allow personal or political pre
judice to affect its consideration of
contests. Which brings us to the
Iowa case:
On the face of the returns Senator
Brookhart was narrowly re-elected.
His margin Is about 700 votes. His
democratic opponent, Major Stock,
Intends to contest on the ground that
over 4,000 ballots cast for him were
thrown out by election officials be
cause they were defaced with arrows,
drawn in by zealous partisans. In
due time the Senate will be asked to
judge of the truth and the effect of
these varying claims.
There are laws and courts in Iowa.
These are responsible directly to the
voters of Iowa. If those laws and
these courts sustain Mr. Brookhart's
title and validate the casting out of
defaced ballots—even though suffi
cient to change the result—then that
decision Is the decision of Iowa and
cannot fairly be undone by the
Senate. If, however, the Senate be
lieves or proves that frauds against
Major Stock have been committed in
Senator Brookhart's interest, the
senator should and probably will be
unseated. But the Senate should not
undertake to Interpret the laws of
Iowa or to review the decisions of its
courts and election officials.
Fraudyeommitted by state officials
and compounded by state courts Is
the only fair basis for refusal uy the
Senate to accept election certificates
from sovereign states.
Pick the Winning Colors.
From the Philadelphia Public Lodger.
Automobile license plates for 1926
display a wider range of fancy than
ever in their color schemes. The
modest blue and gold of Pennsylvania
contrasts with Louisiana’s seven
various color combinations for cars
of different kinds. Tennessee ha*
four combinations, and Minnesota
has the same number, with “'robin’*
egg blue and black” for dealers’ cars.
Of the total registration at Har
vard this year. 224 of the student*
come from foreign countries. Kurop*
*n students lead with a total of 10*.
u art Japanese; 22 L*atin Americana; Sl
Bast Indian, and 17 miscellaneous.
