THE
MASTER MAN
BY
RUBY M AYRES
Aathor of “Tha Phantom Lovar," "Tha Girl Next Door," ate.
“For a sprained ankle ”
•aid hliehael contemptuously.
“Ill be dashed if I do. 1 shall
be allright in the morning. I
dare say I can manage to walk
sow f’re got the boot off.”
Ifr. Philips looked on grimly
•a Michael dragged himself to
an upright position, blit in a
moment be was back in bis
chair again, white to the lips
with pain and furious because
•f his helplessness.
Mr. Philips telephoned for
the doctor without further par
ley. Michael watched him with
(rim cy-*.
“If you think you're going
to keep me a prisoner here for
• week,” he began threaten
ingly
“A week! More like a month
I should think,” Mr. Philips
answered. Michael swore.
“Aud what about Miss Rolf,
Iu Heaven’s name!” be de
manded. “Who’s going to find
ber if 4 m tied here hand and !
foot!”
Mr. Philips' eyes were very
kindly as he looked at the
young man’s agitated face.
“Well, I’ll do my best,” he
submitted.
M irhael muttered something
unintelligible. He had a yery
poor opinion of Mr. Philips’
“best.”
“How long have I got to
•it here!” he demanded later
•f the doctor.
“How longt Well, it s im
possible to say. A sprain’s a
nasty thing, you know,’’ was
the guarded reply.
“It’s a conspiracy, that’s
what it is,” Michael growled
when be had gone. “There’s
nothing the matter with me—
it’s all rot.”
When Mr. Philips had taken
bis departure he dragged him
self to bis feet again and tried
once more to walk across the
room, but the pain of the ef
fort turned him deadly sick.
“Far better give it up sir,”
ha man advised sympatheti
cally. “I ’ve had a sprain like j
that and I know the only way
to cure it is to lay up ”
“I'd have given a thousand
pounds r&thcr than it should
have happened now,” Michael
said savagely.
The thought of Patricia
worried him doubly now he
could no longer search for her
►—he wrote an imploring note
to Mr. Philips before the law
yer had been gone an hour,
urging him to do everything J
in hia power to find her, and
to spare no expense. Mr. Philips
was at dinner when the note
caiue—a journalist nephew
was dining with him, and when
he reached the end of Michael’s
desperate note a sudden idea
flashed across his usually im
aginative brain. “I suppose,”
he said deliberately, and with
unconscious sarcasm, turning
to his nephew, “that mistakes
are sometimes made, even in
your profession—people wrong
ly reported to have died, for
instance, or to have met with
a serious accident ?”
Young Philips laughed.
“Rather!” he said. “Didn’t
I tell you how I once killed
and bnried a man in an evening
edition, and had a whole
column of his obituary pub
jisiieu, wnen ne was as wen as
you ard T are at. this momentT”
Mr. Philips’ face flushed ex
citedly. He leaned across the
table and laid his hand on the
young man's arm.
11 How would you like to do
something of the same sort
again.” he asked impressively,
"to oblige met”
When M ichael Rolf's man
came to eall his master the fol
lowing morning he found him
already half-dressed and sitting
on the side of the bed.
“It's no use arguing,”
Michael said crossly, when the
man started talking about doc
tor’s orders.
i Auto Records.
From Chicago Journal of Commerce.
With about 3,000,000 cars and
track* already built and delivered
to dealers, the automobile industry
Is obviously in the midst of its
Eeatesl year. Last year, at the
tUoay mark, the number was
UracJA* cars. The proportion this
year to last is 3 to 2. If the same
proportion continues for the rest
■jf the year, the number of cars
and trucks sold this year will br
close to 6,000.000. It is highly doubt
ful, however, whether the same pro
portion will continue.
Iasi year, with 4,601.130 cars and
ttaciu built and sold, was the rev
r
17
“I’m not going to stay here
—not if the whole medical pro
fession went on their bended
knees and implored me not to
get up. I’ve got business to do
—urgent business—so lend me
a hand, there’s a good fellow,
and shut up.’’
The man obeyed resignedly.
Secretly he admired Michael’s
spirit. He helped him to finish
dressing and got him into the
next room by the fire.
Michael had had about ,
enough of it then, whether he
choose to admit it or not—his
ankle ached unbearably, and
he was glad to rest.
He made a pretense of eating
breakfast, and took up the
paper. An advertisement had
appeared in it every day since
Patricia had vanished, care
fully worded by Michael him
self so that she should under
stand for whom it was intended
and by whom it had been in
serted, but so far it had borne
no fruit, and Michael scowled
as his eyes rested upon it.
He turned over the sheet
quickly, and his own name in
a small paragraph caught his
attention
“Serious accident to Mr.
Michael liolf.”
Michael blinked his eyes and
stared. It could not be referring
to himself, that was certain.
There must be another Michael
Rolf—another who—he read a
highly-colored and incorrect ac
count of his mishap with a sort
of amused consternation. It did
refer to him without a doubt,
but who had inserted it, or
known of it, lie eonld not
imagine. Nobody but Mr.
Philips had heard of it. Who in
the wide world, then, could be
responsible for such a gross
exaggeration of what had hap
pened, and why should the
public at large be supposed to
take an interest in the doings
of his obscure selft
The day produced no solu
tion of the mystery. Mr.
Philips, interviewed on the tele
phone, professed entire ignor
ance of the matter, and Michael
pushed it aside in exasperation.
After all, what did it matterT
lie only felt savagely sorry that
the motor-lorry had not over
taken and finished him. He fell
asleep during the afternoon by
the fire, his injured foot resting
on a chair, and only roused to
the ringing of a bell and voices
talking together outside the
door.
Michael had been dreaming
•of Patricia—a silly confused
dream in which he knew she
had been crying, and lie had
been scolding her, so it did-not
seem altogether strange that
lie should open his eyes to the
firelit room and still hear the
sound of her voice.
He lay still for a moment,
listening; then suddenly lie sat
up stiffly at attention, jerking
his injured foot and causing
himself an excruciating twinge
of pain, for the voice was real
—so real that Michael's heart
began to thump suffocatingly
against his ribs; and the next
moment the door was poncd
softly, as if the intruder was
afraid of disturbing him, and
it was Patricia who entered.
CHAPTER XI
Michael did not move. He sat
and looked at her across t.he
firelit room, and she looked
back at him with frightened,
itnplring eyes, then without any
warning she hurst in to tears
“They said you were very
ill,” she sobbed.
“I thought you were dying
That hateful paper! Why did
you let them put such things
in.—I’ve been so frightened—
I thought—,”and the tears and
sobbing came again.
Michael dragged himself up
from the chair leaning heavily
against it, relief at seeing her
and bitter anger with her for
so calmly walking back into
ord year of the Industry. The pre
ceding year, with 3.580.380. was
subnormal, largely because of the
Ford shutdown. The year before
that—1926—had broken all records
with 4,505.661 cars and trucks built
and sold. Concurrent with the in
crease in the Industry’s prodi»ction
has been the Increase In the re
placement demand. In 1927 this
crossed the 2,000.000 mark for the
first time. The number of cars
and trucks sold for replacement
purposes that year was 2,110,223
The number in 1928 was 2,460,000
Sanguine as forecasters were at
the beginning of this year, few oi
them seriously believed that 3,000.
000 cars and trucks would be buil:
hi« life after the torments he
had suffered m her account,
had kept him silent, but now
he gave a short, hard laugh.
“I am flattered that you
should be so concerned on my
account—but I assure you that
it's entirely unnecessary. I’ve
sprained my ankle—nothing
more! And as to that absurd
paragraph in the paper—I
know nothing whatever about
it,” he said, curtly.
Patricia reused her head—
her face wass all white and
tear-stained, but Michael had
no pity for her. In this sudden
reaction he could only re
member what he himself had
endured for her sake. The I
deepless nights and endless
days of alternating hope and
fear, and his eyes were hard as
they searched her weary beauty
of her face.
“Where have you been?” he
asked, roughly.
She made a little hopeless
gesture.
“I don’t know. I’ve been
trying to work. I sold pro
granies in a theater for two
nights, but I hated it, and. . . .
and—”
He cut in almost rudely, it
seemed.
“Why have you come back
to me?”
Her lips moved, hut she
eould find no words. Somehow
she had never dreamed that he
would receive her like this—
she had been so sure that in
spite of everything Michael
would be glad to see her- The
blank amazement and silence
fanned his smouldering anger
to passion.
lou'ro utterly selfish and
inconsiderate," lie broke out
hoarsely. “And I’ve had
enough of this infernal dancing
about after you. It’s ceased to
be amusing or interesting. You
may stay away for ever for all
concern it is of mine. I did my
best for you, and this is how
you treat me—rushing off from
Kensington lie that, leaving a
ridiculous note."
Her cheeks flamed.
“You had been deceiving me
all the time. You bar arranged
it all—that Mrs. Smith should
write me, and that you should
pay her to have me there. How
dared you do such a thing?"
“I did it because you are
not fit to be trusted to look
after yourself. I suppose I was
a fool, but 1 did it for your
sake."
“If I had known I would
rather have died than have
gone there at all."
Michael laughed grimly.
“I’m afraid you will have to
die this time then. I suppose
you’ve got some idea in com
ing here to me, though why to
me after what has happened
Hod only knows. But it’s too
late, Patricia. You told me, to
begin with, that I should never
be able to master you, and you
were right. I can’t, and I no
longer want to!"
He looed helplessly towards
the door.
“I’m afraid I must troubble
you to ring for my man. I
can’t put my foot to the
ground- lie’ll get you a taxi."
“To tac me where?" Patricia
asked with white lips, lie
would not. lok at her.
“You can go hack to Mrs.
Smith of Mrs. Flannagan—
whichever you prefer," he said,
hardily.
Patricia gave a stifled cry.
“I will never go back to
either."
Michael went on as if she
had not spaken.
“You owe Mrs. Smith an
apology—running away like
that. She has been very good
to you, I know, and is one of
the few people who is really
disinterestedly fond of you. I
thought you cared for her, but
apparently you have not got it
in you to care for anyone."
Patricia winced as if lie had
struck her. She moved towards
the door uncertainly.
“I will go—I am sorry I
came." There was a touch of
her old hauteur in her voice. “I
should not have done so oAly
I thought you were really ill I
thought you might be wor- |
tied." Her voice broke in the *
most undignified way. “It only
ind sold by July 1. The vast demand
has a twofold cause. First is the
general prosperity. Sesond Is the
.act that a given amount of money
will buy a better car or truck today
than ever before. It is little
.ealized that the actual value of
ars and trucks produced in 1928
vas less than the value of the pro
duction of 1926, and almost the
ame as the value of the 1925 pro
luction. This was true although the
928 production was larger than
hat or any earner year, and con
ained a larger proportion of 6's
md 8’s, as well as more refinements,
in other words, in 1928 a larger
lumber of cars, with a higher
verage of power and a greater de
I Rhows how miitaken 1 was,"
she added, almost in a whisper
Michael’s face flamcd
“Worried! Of course I was
worried,” he answered pas
sionately. “Do you think it’s
been any pleasure to me tc
know that you’ve been racing
about London when, if you’d
chosen to behave like a rational
woman, you could have been
living down at Clayton, with
everything you want in .the
world? Worried? Of course 3
was! And a lot you care. How
ever—you’ve come back—foi
some reason best known tc
yourself, no doubt, and m\
worrying is over. You can d<
as you like in the future, and 3
promise not to interfere. .
Where are you going now?”
“I don’t know’; any where
away from you.”
He laughed cruelly.
“You’d better go back tc
Mrs. Smith and ask her to for
give you for the way you’ve
behaved,” he said rathei
brutally. “After all you owe
more to hpr than you do to mt
or anyone else.”
“What do you mean?” Pa
tricia faced him w’ith flashing
eyes. “I have never owed Mrs
Smith anything—I would never
condescend to owe her any
thing. If she tok me in, it was
for the money you gave her
and for no other reason. I shall
repay you that as soon as I can
earn anything, you may be very
sure—” She broke off w'ith a
stifled scream. Michael had
somehow dragged himself
across the room to her and
caught her by her shoulders—
his face was w’hite as he looked
down into hers.
“Shall I tell you who Mrs.
Smith is, my proud princess?
he asked her with slow deli
beration. “Would you like to
know who she is, and why she
has always been fond of you
and put up w'ith your insufer
able pride?—shall I tell you
who she is?
blie tried to free herself from
him; there was a flash of fear
in her eyes, and she trembled
beneath the touch of his hands
“Let me go, Michael—you’re
hurrting me. I don’t know
what you mean—she isn’t any
thing to me—how could sell
be: why. ...”
“She is your mother,” said
Michael.
There was a dreadful little
silence; 1 atricia had fallen
back from him, and wras lean
ing against the door, her
beautiful eyes fixed on his
white face.
“My mother!—oh, how ab
surd—why. .
She broke off, only to cry out
again, “It’s not true! Michael,
say it isn’t true.”
“It is true,” said Michael
curtly. “She told me herself,
and Mr. Philips told me—ask
him if you don’t believe me
I suppose it hurts your pride to
think that you came from
simple people like that. I sup
you were Miss Rolf, of Clayton
pose you’d rather know that
Wold, than the daughter of
ordinary Mrs. Smith.” He
laughed, the stunned pain in
her eyes gave him an odd sort
of pleasure.
“So now you see why you
had better go back and ask her
to forgive you.” he went on
more quietly. “Your home is
with her, and I dare say, in
spite of all that has happened,
you will find that she is ready
to take you back-” His eyes
softened ever so little as he
broke out hoarsely: Hoven’t
you got a heart for anyone Pa
tricia? Xoe even for your own
mother? You look as if von
could care so much, and all
the time I know there isn’t a
soul in the world who matters
one hang to you.”
He wanted to take her into
his arras and kiss her disdain
ful face till it quivered intc
life and passion beneath the
touch of his lips,but she looked
so cold and unapproachable as
she stood there that it gave
him a bitter realisatiu of his
own impotence.
What did she care that h<
loved her and had suffered for
her? Her master he had svvorr
he would be. and he had failed
(TO B» CONTINUED)
gree of comfort and elaborateness
was sold for less than a smallei
number of cars, with a smallei
average of power and a lesser de
gree of comfort and elaborateness
was sold for In 1926. Constantly
giving better value for the money
the automobile industry is con
stantly inducing the people to buy
more cars than ever before.
---»♦..— .
Yes!
Prom Tit-Bits.
“Would you say Yes’ if I askec
vou to marry me?” he asked cau
tiously.
“If I should say: ’Yes.”' sh# rt
plied, with equal caution, "would
vou ask me?" '
WORLD IS SEX MAD—
Milwaukee—And it’s not get
ting any better if you listen to
Mrs. Susan Garlick, who re
cently celebrated her 88 th
birthday here.
“You might Just as well say
that flour and milk, white su
gar and eggs will make up
into a fruit cake as that this
sex mad, money mad. pleasure
mad world is getting better,”
she says. “Nonsense; the ma
terials aren't there to make
it; nor are the materials in
the young generation growing
up now present to make the
world better. The right ingre
dients are lacking.
“You get sex at the movies,
sex in your magazines, and
sex at the theaters," she adds,
“and the women are worse
than the men.”
Upward Trolley Rates.
From Commerce and Finance.
The decision of the United States
Supreme Court in the Baltimore
street car case that a return of 7.44
per cent on the present value of tho
company’s property was not exces
sive is that august body’s third im
portant recent ruling in favor of
utilities. This decision, coupled with
those in the St. Louis and O’Fallon
railroad case and the Los Angeles
street car case, rounds out a trio
which established precedents pro
viding a definite legal status with
respect to rates favorable to these
industries.
The Baltimore case ruling con
firms and expands the court’s de
cision in the famous O'Fallon casa.
In the case of the Los Angeles rail
way against the California Railroad
commission, the court held that the
city had no authority to enter into
five-cent fare contracts with the
company operating the street car
system and that therefore the com
pany was not bound by such agree
ments.
On the basts of these decisions,
there seem to be no legal barriers
to prevent traction companies from
increasing their fares. They must
use discretion, however, in the rates
asked, lest they lose their customers.
A study of the 297 traction com
panies operating in 280 cities of the
United States having populations of
25,000 or more showed a distinct
trend from 5-cent to 10-cent fares
from 1917 to 1929. In 1917 there
were 271 companies of 297 with 5
cent cash fares, the only higher
fares being 6 cents for 24 compan
ies, according to the American Elec
tric Railway association. There was
one 7-cent fare and there were zone
fares in one other case. The 7 and
8-cent fares appeared in 1918, and
the 9 and 10-cent fares in 1920 and
1919 respectively. In 1921 68 com
panies were using a 7-cent cash
fare, 64 an 8-cent cash fare
and 49 a 10-cent cash fare. In Au
gust, 1929, the numbe’* of compan
ies charging 10-cent fares had in
creased to 118, while the number of
concerns with 7-cent fares had
dropped to 59, with 8-cent fares to
46 and with 5-cent fares to 33.
There were also 24 zone fares 14
6-cent fares and three 9-cent fares
at that time.
The trend toward higher fares
has been due almost entirely to a
decline in riding on street cars or
failure to increase the number of
passengers, which in either case has
made it difficult to provide suffi
cient funds for replacement of ob
solescent equipment. The difficulty
in obtaining new capital mounted
as the growth of the property ceased
or was replaced by a decline.
Social Czar at Washington.
From Philadelphia Public Ledger.
...W*10 S111 fiit’ where and why at
White House functions hereafter
will be decided by a master of so
cial etiquet in the person of Warren
Delano Robbins, minister to Salva
dor.
Mr. Robbins will operate under
the title of director of ceremonies.
He will have a desk in the White
House and will officiate as a court of
last resort on all delicate questions
bearing upon social precedence and
other problems of similar character
Mr. Robbins will be the first offi
cer of this grade. Hitherto all mat
ters connected with social affairs at
the White House were handled by
an attache of the protocol division
of the state department. James
Clement Dunn, who has been direct
ing ceremonials at the White House,
will return to the state department
for the purpose of making a study of
affairs in Haiti.
Dunn generally was understood
co have prepared the ruling made by
Frank B. Kellogg as secretary of
state that Mrs. Dolly Gann, sister
of Vice President Curtis, did not—
as official hostess for the vice presi
dent—rank the wives of ambassa
dors.
This ruling precipitated the con
troversy which finally was settled by
Mrs. Gann being accorded by the
diplomatic corps at the White House
the rank which would be received
by the wife of the vice president.
Washington is inclined to view the
change in status of the ceremonial
officer as indicative of a new era
of more rigid formality at the White
House. Meanwhile, Salvador will
have to get along as best it may
without a minister from this coun
try until the end of the present so
cial season.
-♦♦
Q. How long are some of ths
railroad nonstop runs? E. R. A.
A. One of the longest nonstop
runs was over the Canadian Na
tional Railways from Montreal to
Vancouver, a distance of 2,937 miles
in 67 hours. This was a test run
and although the train made sev
eral stops, the engine in the car
did not once stop running. The
motive power was a Diesel-Electric
car. However, the London Midland
and Scottish railroad has the long
est daily nonstop run in the world,
being from Euston to Carlisle, 299
miles.
Sure Sign.
From Tit-Bits.
“Did ye hear th»t M’Gregor fell
into the water while he was fish
ing and was drooned?"
"Are ye sure he’s deid?”
“Oh, He,s deid richt enough. When
they got him oot they went through
his pockets and he didna move.”
Don't Mind the Fags.
From Answers.
Father: I don’t like to see our
daughter lighting cigarets.
Modern mother: Oh, don't be old
fashioned, John.
Father: It isn't that. She’* too
young to be plaaiitf with mi.7h- -
I
Women ^
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and the charm of youth If you use ■
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and brlnga out tha tweet charm that
every woman haa. M|H
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your akin feel younger and you your- H
■ self look younger. MB
F Then people trill admire you and W|
tar—“What lovely thin you Fiavef*
Popular sue package! at 25c and 50c,
all ehadea—at all dealera.
F Send /or free liberal sample JH
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MARCELLE LABORATORIES U
c. w. etaa* sons * co.. ciucaco. lamais WB
fcaatiiriagik! AanrieaaWtaai hr BailtCeaiiry BlI
Don’t Speculate!
“I lost $30 and 1 cent yesterday."
“How?”
“I offered Dora a penny for hep
thoughts."
“Well?”
“She was thinking that I ought to
take her out for the evening."
FAMILY DOCTOR
LEARNED THIS ABOUT
CONSTIPATION
!Dr. Caldwell loved people. H19
years of practice convinced hint
many were ruining their health by
careless selection of laxatives. He
determined to write a harmless pre
scription which would get at the
cause of constipation, and correct it.
Today, the prescription he wrote
in 1885 is the world’s most popular
laxative! He prescribed a mixture
of herbs and other pure ingredients
now known as Dr. Caldwell’s Syrup
Pepsin, in thousands of cases where
bad breath, coated tongue, gas,
headaches, biliousness and lack of
appetite or energy showed the
bowels of men, women and children
were sluggish. It proved successful
in even the most obstinate cases;
old folks liked it tor it never gripes;
children liked its pleasant taste.
All drugstores today have Dr.
Caldwell’s Syrup Pepsin in bottles.
For Galled Horses
Hanford's Balsam of Myrrh
All dttlen trt eatboriied to refund roar a oar 7 for
the tint bottle if »t tailed.
Lucky Fellow
“A knot In your handkerchief?”
“To remind me to get tickets for
the theater and meet my wife there
tonight.’’
“Which theater?”
“Bother—I have forgotten!”—Lus
tlge Sachse.
“My little daughter was born on a
homestead in northern Alberta. 1 had
four other children and I worked so
hard that I suffered a nervous break
down. The doctor’s tonic did not
seem to help me and when a friend
told me about Lydia E. Pinkham’s
Vegetable Compound, I began to
take that instead. I kept on until I felt
well again. It brought back my
strength. Today I can do anything,
thanks to the Vegetable Compound.”
—Mrs. William Parent, 1415 W. 62nd
Street, Seattle, Washington.