She
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
a 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 Mc
Clintock grinning as he drew the
dish of bread-fruit toward him.
“Tomorrow I shall have a vis
itor. 1 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
■object.”
“The pianist?”
“Yes. He’ll be here two or
three days. So Mrs. Spurlock
had better stick to the bungalow.
“Ah,” said Spurlock; “that I
kind oi a man.
“Many kinds; a thorough out
law. We’ve never caught him
cheating at cards; too clever;
but we know ho cheats. But lie’s
witty and amusing, and when
reasonably drunk lie can play the
piano like a Paderewski. He’s
an interpretive genius, if there
ever was one. Nobody knows
what his real name is, but he’s a
Hollander. Kicked out of there
for something shady. A remit
tance man. A check arrives in
Batavia every thret months. lie
has a grand time. Then lie goes
stony, and beats his way around
the islands for another three
months. Retribution has a queer
way of acting sometimes. The
Wastrel—as wo call him-cannot
play when he’s sober, hands too
shaky. He cannot play cards,
either when lie 's sober. Alcohol—
would you believe it?—steadies
his nerves and keens his brain:
which is against the laws of grav
itation you might suy. He lias
often told me that if lie could
play sober, he would go to
America and reap a fortune.”
“You never told me what he is
like,’’said Spurlock.
“I thought it best that you
should imagine him. You were
wide the mark, physically; other
wise you had him pat. 11c 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 he 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. 1 lis hair is oddly streaked
with gray—I 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 Hall
6tage.”
"Aye, music hits them. I’m
thinking that the Wastrel was
one day a celebrated profession
al; and the women were partly
the eau.se 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 be wise for Mrs. Spurlock to
keep to the bungalow until the
rogue goes back to Copelev’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, Hoddy,” Ruth answer
ed. She was wan and white.
So, after the dinner was over,
Spurlock 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 w.is always
visible; from another, the stores.
Spurlock was invariably at the
high desk in the early morning,
j.orii over ledgers, and giving
the beach and the stores ah oc
casional glance. Whenever Mc
Clintock had guests, he loafed
with them on the west veraneLe
in the morning.
This morning he heard voices—
MeClintock’s and the Wastrel’s.
“Sorry,” said MeClintock,
“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 you all of
my genius, and you say—‘Get
out!’ 1 am some kind of a dog.”
“That Is your fault, none of
mine. Without whisky,” went
on MeClintock, “your irritability
is beyond tolerance. You have
said a thousand times that there
was no shame iti you. Nobody
can trust you. Nobody can an
ticipate your next move. We
tolerate you for your genius,
that’s a fact. Hut underneath'
this tolerance there is always the
vacate hope that your manhood
will someday reassert itself.”
The Wastrel laughed. “Did
you ever hear me whine?”
“No,” admitted McClintoek.
“You’ve no objection to my
dropping in again later, after
your guests go?”
“No. When I’m alone I don’t
mind.”
“Very well. You won’t mind
if I empty this gin?”
“No. Befuddle yourself, if
you want to.”
Silence.
Spurlock mused over the pre
vious night. After he had eaten
dinner with Ruth, he had gone
to McClintoek’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 was
filled with pity at the thought
of such genius gone to pot. To
use it as a passport to card-ta
bles and gin-bottles! McClintoek
wasn’t having any guests; at any
rate, he had not mentioned the
fact.
Spurlock had sensed what had
gone completely over McClin
tock’s head—that this was the
playing of a soul in damnation.
11 is own 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; saw the glory of
the things he had thrown away,
the past, once so full of promise.
And, decently as he could, Me
Clintock was giving the man the
boot.
There was, it might be said, a
double illumination. But for
Ruth, he, Howard Spurlock,
might have ended upon the
beach, inescapably damned. The
Hawn Pearl. After all, the Was
trel was in luck: he was alone.
These thoughts, however, came
to a broken end. From the win
dow he saw The Tigrgess faring
toward Copeley’s! Then Some
body was coming? Some political
high muckamuek, probably. Still,
lie was puzzled because McClin
toek had not spoken.
Presently McClintoek came in.
“General inspection after lunch;
drying bins, stores and the young
palms south-east. It will be hot
work, but it must be done at
once.”
“All right, Mr. McClintoek.”
Spurlock lowered his voice. “You
are giving that chap the boot
rather suddenly?”
Had to.”
“Somebody coming?”
“Yes. Top-side insurance
people. You know all this stuff
is insured. They’ll inspect the
schooner on the way back,” Mc
Clintoek lied, cheerfully.
“The Wastrel seemed to take
it all right.”
“Oh. it’s a part of the game,”
said McClintock. “He knows he
had to take it. There are some
islands upon which he is not per
mitted 10 land any more.”
At luncheon, preoccupied in
thought, Spurlock did not notice
the pallor on Ruth’s cheeks or
the hunted 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 hancl on his
sleeve. “Could you get any oi
the music last night!”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful! 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 slhe dared not
voice it! She watched him until
McCliutock 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
Rollo was aware of it. He dash
ed against the screen door before
she could catch him and made
1he 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 isle
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 glanced 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 the 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 1 She knew now
what had saved her—her
mother’s hand, reaching dow-n
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 awray, this wastrel
who trailed his genius through
the mud. Hoddy! All her fears
fell away. Betw-een herself and
yonder evil mind she had the
strongest buckler God could
give—love. Hoddy. No other
man should touch her; she was
Hoddy’s, body and soul, in this
life and after.
She turned into the study, sat
dow'n at the table and fingered
the pencils, curiously stirred
Lead, w-orth nothing at all until
Hoddy 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 twro hours. She
read on and on, now thrilled by
the swiftly moving drama, now
enraptured by the tender pas
sages of love. 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
howr 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, his eyes
full of humorous evil, stood in
side the room.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
FEW SLAYERS j
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 166,000 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 unindicted 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. 1!
were ‘no trial’ cases. In the re
maining 68 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. Crawford, of t ie
attronomy department of the Univer
sity of California.
"According to Genesis, Methuselah
attained the , improbable age of 969
years,” he said.
“However, the people of that era
reckoned time by cycles—a term
which many of us have misinterpret
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
age comes to about eighty years.”
A Transposed Age.
Prom 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 tbs
beat In England and Franca
BAD MEN SENT
TO STATE PEN
Their Record of Petty Thiev
ery and Jail Breaking
Ended
Center, Neb., Dec. **’ 'Special)—
With a long record of wild west dep
redations, Jail breaking and playing
hide arid seek with officers of the
law which they have been making
for several years, Christian and Jer
ry Denny, Indian quarter-breeds of
Knox county, recently were senten
ced to the penitentiary, having been
captured by Sheriff Kellogg on the
Dakota side of the Missouri river in
a cave. Christian received a sen
tence of two years and Jerry was
given from one to 10 years.
The two, according to Sheriff Kel
logg, wno, with a deputy, delivered
them, are not as bad as they think
they are. Thinking to have a gor'd
time they broke up a basket social,
pulling a gun on the teacher- Chris
tian broke Jail here twice, in 1920
and 1922, and Jerry broke once in
1922. They broke the lock attached
to a man-hole covering in the Jail,
dug down and out to a point beyond
the outer cellar wall and then dug
upward about 10 feet to freedom,
asing their hands to loosen the dirt
and their feet to kick it out of the
way.
For two years they have eluded
the officers by playing hide and seek
along the northern border of the
state. They lived in caves when the
officers got hot on their trails, one
5f these hiding places being in South
Dakota and the other in Nebraska.
Sheriff Kellogg found both caves and
the men claimed that a “fence" tip
ped them off when it was time to
move from one to the other.
ALLEGED SPITE
FENCE CASE UP
Owners of Fence Say Suit
Is Result of False Pride
Of Neighbors
Omaha, Neb., Dec. “ (Special)—
False pride on the part of property
owners in the exclusive suburb of
Dundee is declared by attorneys for
Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Brailey for the
suit in supreme court to compel them
to take down what the neighbors
say is a spite fence. In their answer
the attorneys for Brailey say that
because his wife took in washing
the neighbors became offended and
abusive, and when she did not stop
they began a series of indignities
that caused them to put up the fence.
The lower court said the fence was
not offensive and refused the in
junction asked
REQUEST FOR INCREASED
PHONE RATES WITHDRAWN
Lincoln, Neb., Dec. * (Special) —
The Ainsworth Telepnone company
has withdrawn the application for
•j,„.."nrrd rural rates that It filed
'me ; go. The owner writes
ihe state railway commission that
they need the revenues In order to
keep up their plant, but that there
has been a bad flattening out of
corn production in that neighbor
now, and he “guesses I won’t be to
hard on the farmers." The company
asked for a raise of 50 per cent, in
switching rates and 20 per cent, in
exchange rates. It says it will now
be satisfied if the commission will
allow it to add 25 cents a month
where prompt payment is not made
of rentals.
WAYNE COUNTY HAS
AN ELECTION CONTEST
Wayne, Neb., Dec. , (Special)—■
Contest proceedings 'ving been
filed by Thomas R. Sundahl, demo
cratic candidate at the late election
for county commissioner of the sec
ond district in Wayne county,
through his attorney, C. W. Peasing
er of Randolph, against Henry Reth
wisch, republican, who was declared
elected by a majority of 4 votes, a
hearing will be held here before
Judge J. M. Cherry,, December 29,
when the ballots will be inspected in
court and evidence submitted. The
petition claims that while, according
to the canvassing board. Sundahl re
ceived 1,598 votes and Rethwisch 1.
602 sufficient errors were made by
election boards in counting some
votes and throwing out others to
have elected Sundahl.
Mr. Rethwisch is the present coun
ty commissioner of the second dis
trict, having served several terms in
that office
CHILD ACCIDENTALLY
HANGS SELF IN BARN
Beatrice, Neb., Dec. -Charles
Meyer, 4 years old, son oi Mr. and
Mrs. John Meyer living southwest
of here, accidentally hung himself
yesterday while playing about a feed
barn where his father was at work.
He attempted to crawl through a
crack in the side of a bin and was
caught in such manner that the
weight of his body rested on his
neck. He was dead when discovered
by the elder Meyer.
HOLT FAIR ASSOCIATION
RE-ELECTS OLD OFFICERS
O'Neill, Neb., Dec. . - ^Special!—
President A. J. Hahn, of Stuart; Vice
President Jacob Hlrsch, of O'Neill,
and Secretary-Treasurer John L.
Qulg, of O'Neill, all were re-elected
at the annual meeting of the Holt
County Fair association. Mr. Qulg
has been secretary of the association
for five years and in that time the
exhibits have increased from a total
of 440 to 6,460- Fifty show cattle,
five dairy herds, 450 hogs and 1,000
head of poultry were in the livestock
exhibits this year.
HE IS ANXIOUS
TO BE CITIZEN
Nebraska Alien Makes Long
Drive in Bitter Cold to
File Papers
O’Neill. Neb., Dec. '!. (Special)—It
Is believed that the application for
citizenship of GottfricVI Huth, of
Holt county, will be favorably acted
upon when it comes up" for final
hearing before Judge Robert R. Dick
eon in district court here next March.
Huth, a young German, drove more
than. 40 miles, Tuesday, in an open
car without a top and In below zern
temperature, to file his citizenship
petition with the naturalization
examiner who was here.
Huth resides near Goose lake, on
the south line of Holt county, where
he is engaged in ranrfhing. He
started from home In a temperature
of 4 degrees below zero which still
was dropping, at 8 o’clock a. m., and
after facing a stinging north wind
for hours arrived at O’Neill shortly"
after 1 o’clock p. m. Huth and a
witness who accompanied him were
covered with Ice and frost when they
drove up to the courthouse. They
had to make an eight mile detour
from the regular route, on their way
up, because of heavy snow drifts on
the roads.
Huth and his companion cranked
up the car again Wednesday morn
ing and in a temperature of 10 be
low zero, started back for the ranch,,
but with the wind to their bacltb on
the return trip.
FORCED DRINK
ON HIRED MAN?
Farmer’s Helper Now Suing;
Lancaster County Man
For Damages
Lincoln, Neb., Dec. (Special).—
An attempt Is being made In the
district court to fasten liability upon
Jennings Lidolph, Lancaster county
farmer, flor the Injuries that came to
William Gable, his hired man, after
he had pressed a drink upon him.
Gable wants $5,000 damages. His
story was that one day in the hot
harvest time he suggested to Lidolph
that a good drink would be most wel
come. Thd'next day Lidolph appear
ed with a bottle and told Gable to
drink hearty. Gable did- Lidolph
invited him to take a second and a
third drink and then left him with
the bottle. A little later Gable’s team
came In unattended, and when search
was made for him he was founci
badly hurt. He said that the last
thing he remembered was taking an
other drink.
SURGEON CLEARED OF
NEGLECT BY JURY
Omaha, Neb., Dec. "V—A verdict in
favor of the defendant was rendered
by the jury in the $30,000 damage
suit brought against Dr. Clyde
Roeder, of this city by the parents
of Averdine Seeley, 5-year-old girl
of Magnolia, la.
The suit alleged that Dr. Roeder
left a sponge in the child's body after
an operation.
AYRES SEEKS TO BE
ACRICULTURE SECRETARY
Lincoln, Neb., Dec. < (Special)—
Harry E. Ayres, who managed the
primary campaign for Speaker A.
N. Mathers, defeated for the republi
can nomination for governor, is ini
Lincoln bearing petitions signed by
influential republicans from the
western part of the state, recom
mending him to Governor McMullen
as the proper man for secretary of
agriculture.
SUPREME COURT ASKS
FOR MORE MONEY
Lincoln, Neb., Dec. (I. N. S.)—
The supreme court has asked for an
appropriation of $222,550 for the
support of the supreme court and the
state library. H. B- Lindsay, clerk
of the court announced he would re
quest this sum from the next session
of the legislature. The proposed
appropriation represents an increase
of $12,860 over last year’s allotment,
the greater part of which will be
used to supply increases In salaries,
of subordinate employes who were
subjected to a 5 per cent cut by the
last session.
Baby Daughter of Nebraska
Couple Found Dead in Bed
Crafton, Neb., Dec. T (Special)—
Kathryne Lorraine, the 20 months old
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Gut
sahaw, was found dead in bed Tues
day morning by her parents. The
family tad gone about their morning
duties as U3ual and about the daugh
ter’s usual rising time went to see>
about her and found life extinct. A
physician was called and an examin
ation proved that the child had been
dead since midnight.
Generally all common clays contain,
aluminum, but as yet no satisfactory
process for extracting this aluminum
from ail clays has been discovered.
DANCER’S PART IN
PROGRAM CANCELED
Omaha, Neb., Dec. —Dorothy
Devere's Oriental dance will not take,
place at the Christmas pageant to be
given by the choir of the Hanscom
I’ark Methodist church Friday night,
Walter B. Graham, director of the
choir, announced.
Church parishoners were shown
photographs of a pose In Miss De
vere's dancing skit and decided that
the costyme to be worn by the dan
cer was “not quite proper” for n
church entertainment and voiced
their protest,
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