THE
FORBIDDEN YEARS
by
WADSWORTH CAMP
CHAPTER X
Barbara’s mind remaincc.
painfully clear, but the choked
concentration of her regard
exhausted all her strength,
and she fell back in her chair,
•taring at the vision that had
never dimmed In her memory.
Rulon's alarmed voice seemed
very far away, of no possible
Importance.
“Don’t get hysterical with
me. Don’t make a show of
yourself here.”
In his egoism he imagined
he was the cause of her emo
tion.
But was sim making a show
rt herself? With her odd, tense
clarity of mind she saw a
waiter hurrying toward her,
and she noticed people moving
about the room, or toward the
entrance, among them Steve
and Esther Then they were
leaving, and must pass close
to her. She didn’t want to
make a show of herself before
Esther; but she was held by
(the white-and-go!d vl3lon
against a saffron background
•wiftly approaching.
“Here, Louis! This girl’s
tainted. Get her to the dress
ing room."
The voice was harsher than
when It said, “I’m sorry she
(wakened,” but the remembered
jbeauty survived rather more
than sketchily in the golden
hair of the wig Essie had put
#n, and in the aging face, now
painstakingly made up.
"WHO s WIUi ilCi r
Barbara didn't see Rulon
because of her absorption in
the white-and-gold woman
Who stared down at her with
out a trace of recognition.
Perhaps Rulon had gone. She
Imped he had. The grasp of
ithe maitre d’ hotel’s hand
was somewhat restorative. She
stirred and took a deep breath.
“Leave me alone. I’m all
tight."
ESsie straightened.
“That’s a good girl. Give
Jier a hand to a cab, Louis.”
Barbara heard Steve’s voice.
“I know her. I’ll take her
bomc.”
The sneering quality she
bad displayed at the table
came back to Essie.
“Steve! You always were a
most convenient knight. I
don’t care who takes care of
tier as long as she gets out of
bere.”
Barbara shivered. Her moth
er had said that to her! Shak
ily she got up, and Steve
grasped her arm. and led her
out of the room and down the
ctalrs. She was aware of Esther
gloating after, and yet, she
thought, driving her. Steve
cent for his automobile and
helped her and Esther in. Bar
bara drew back in her corner,
and Steve sat between them.
“What was it, Barbara? You
looked as if you'd seen a
gbest."
Barbara muttered: “Worse
than a ghost, I’m afraid,
«teve.”
Esther’s flat laugh was like
• discordant bell, and the last
pretense between them echoed
away.
“So that was what you found
•ut!”
Esther nodded.
“Pleasant spectacle, wasn’t
it?”
Barbara answered hotly: “I
don’t see why It was any pleas
anter for you.”
Esther’s laugh rang mean
ingless, and Steve commenced
lapping nervously with his
cane.
-What are you two talking
about?”
Barbara put her hand on his
arm.
“I’ve got to tell you, Steve,
but not here, not with her.”
tl
Esther lifted her shoulders
slightly.
“I know when I'm a crowd.
Will you drop me, Steve?”
He nodded.
"But you both mystify me.
Need I warn you that your
father and mother will
scarcely be agreeable company
tomorrow?”
Esther yawned.
“You need not. I shall avoid
them all I can until they get
over the worst of it.”
He looked at her curiously.
“I’ve never had the temerity
to try to analyze you, little
Esther, but what has happened
must carry some unpleasant
implications even to you.”
This time her laugh was
contented.
“At moments the most un
pleasant facts of life have
their uses.”
Barbara remembered with a
sinking heart that Gray had
urged her to leave the Bars
and Stripes, and now she
thought she knew why. She
wouldn’t say anything else,
nor did Esther speak again
until she left the automobile
at her home. Then she called
brightly:
“Have a good cry, dears.”
When the driver had closed
the door and returned to his
place Barbara leaned closer to
Steve.
“She knew all along. She
took Gray there deliberately,
[ and now he’s gone. I hate her,
[ sieve.
He spoke softly.
“I’m afraid it rather jea
lousy than hatred, my dear.
Jealousy’s dangerous business.
You’ve learned what it got
Bob Helder, and Essie, and
quite a lot of other people.”
“Oh. yes. I’ve learned.”
“Barbara! You’re not cry
ing?”
She could think perfectly
clear, but her voice was
! choked.
“It's taken me a good many
years to find out why I have
a right to cry. I wish I’d never
found out.”
Steve snapped off the light
and drew her head down on
his shoulder.
“You mustn’t cry, child.
Tell me what upset you so in
Essie's devilish hole. What
could you have found out
there?”
She ceased crying; she an
swered quietly.
“I found out that I ought to
cry for my father, I found out
that I ought to hang my head
' in shame for my mother.”
He didn’t seem to compre
hend. He patted her shoulder.
“What have your father and
mother to wo with it?”
Tensly she tried to force the
truth on him.
“There’s no doubt. That’s
the horror of it. I’m as sure
as that I'm with you, Steve,
that that woman who's come
out of prison to get herself,
and the rest of us talked about,
and stared at, and laughed at
is my mother; and I thought
of her to-night as something
venemous. That’s a nice thing
to think of one’s mother, isn’t
it? All my life I’ve longed to
know who she was. Now that
I know I'd give my life not to
have found out.”
That made him sufficiently
alert.
“Go easy. Barbara. What can
possibly make you suspect
you're Essie Holder's daugh
ter?”
“It’s more than suspicion,
Steve, because I saw my moth
er a little while ago precisely
as I remember her last when
I was a child.”
“Barbara, you must be im
agining. How did you see her
last?”
j Barbara shivered.
'Standing all golden and
white in front of yellow and
blue and white hangings just
after I heard ?. pistol shot. You
can understand it’s one pic
ture I’d never forget. You saw
her, too, to-night, precise^
like that, only older.”
She read Steve's wonder in
his quick stiffening, his ex
plosive question.
"You’re sure you heard a
shot when you were a child,
and saw a woman, white and
gold, against yellow hang
ings?”
"Yes. There’s no way around
it. I’m sure.”
He lay back again, and
mused.
"She wore white that night,
and there were yellow hang
ings.”
Then he seemed to remem
ber the vital effect on herself !
of what she had said.
"How long ago was this?
Think. Tell me everything you
can.”
Dreamily she led him
through the fcg which she
had to so frequently attempted
unsuccessfully to explore; but
now for the first time she had
an apprehension of the fog’s
thinning, and of the drifting
of various shapes through it.
Steve noddem
"With her obsession she
would logically have used
those clothes and colors to
night.”
"Yes, it fits, Slev( You’ll
come up for a minute, won’t
you? I don't know what to do.
I’ve no idea what I ought to
do.”
“Certainly I II come up. l ve ;
got to get this straight. We
must be sure before vve take
any steps.”
She shrank from the pros
pect of taking steps. She didn’t
see what steps could very well
be taken. In her apartment he
limped up and down, tapping
his cane, computing.
“You’re the right age, and
there was a child in that house
although she made no im
pression on me, although I’m
not even certain I ever saw
her; but I do remember a
nurse distinctly, a lank,
severe-looking woman.”
Barbara sat on the sofa, her
hands clasped, mechanically
moving her head up and
down.
“You see.”
“I see.” Steve said, “that
after the tragedy the natural
destination of Robert’s child
would have been Lyon and
Martha. Instead you went to
Elmford. There’s something
out of the picture there.”
She didn’t see why.
“You know Mrs. Helder. You
can imagine her state of mind.
She wanted to forget as soon
as possible. I can understand
her not caring to have me
around, a perpetual reminder
of the family's disgrace. As
far as that’s concerned they
may have sent me away for
my own sake, so that I needn’t
grow up in New York with
that stain; for it is a stain,
Steve, an ugly stain to have
one’s mother convicted of the
murder of one’s father. You
1 can’t gloss that over, and what
she’s doing now makes it just
so much worse. I don’t wonder
Gray said he’d made a donkey
of himself, and ran away from
me.”
Steve paused and faced her.
“I saw him dashing off in
one of his tempers.”
Barbara nodded.
“And he was so happy when
he first came in and saw me.
Then when my mother was at
your table Esther whispered
to him, and probably told him
who I was, and he changed,
and warned me to get out. and
said he was leaving town him
self. and practically told me
■ the bargain was done.”
She stared straight at
Steve.
“That's ended, and no mat
ter what you think it breaks
my heart.”
“If,” Steve said. “Esther did
tell him and it sickened him
of you. you’re in luck to be rid
of such a man. What I want
to know is how you got to Elm
ford. What's the connection
with the Gardners?"
Always while Barbara tried
to grope with him she saw
‘ Gray running away iron, la
| after Esther had whisper.,
“There mayn’t be any real
1 fomily connection. I can’t
} even be sure Mrs. Gardner is
my aunt. The Helders may
have given me the name of
Norcross, and farmed me out
to the Gardners. They'd have
chosen Elmford on account of
the Manvels.”
Steve was doubtful.
“Think, Barbara. The Gard
ners must have told you some
thing about your parents.”
“Never a word.”
“But hadn’t you any curio
sity?”
She smiled drearily.
“Loads, but Aunt Barbara
taught me to keep it to my
self. She flew into a rage
whenever I mentioned the
subject. That’s why I’ve al
ways been afraid my father
and mother were involved in
some scandal too bad to be
talked about.”
Steve frowned.
“Odd! But it’s all odd. In
Justice to Lyon I'm going to
assume that he didn’t know
where you were.”
Barbara shrugged her shoul
ders.
“Maybe he and Mrs. Helder
were glad to forget where I
was.”
Steve closely regarded her.
“Then we’ll remind them all
about you, for there’s no doubt
left in my mind. When I first
saw you in Elmford you had
a vaguely reminiscent quality
for both Jacob and me, but
we couldn’t give it a name.
Now I know what it was: your
resemblance ( in a feminine
fashion to dashing Bob Hel
deiv
He laughed sardonically.
“Have you realized, my deal,
that you and your very dear
friend, Esther, are first
cousins?”
Barbara clasped her hands.
“I do hate her, Steve. I don’t
want that. You know perfectly
v/ell the Helders won’t thank
you for digging me out of the
past. I’ll go on as Barbara
Norcross. No one need know
who Ireally am.”
Steve shook his head.
“Esther knows.”
“She’s not likely to spread
it,” Barbara said, “now that
the ugly truth has driven Gray
away from me.”
Steve’s voice was firm.
“Then I’ll spread it. In the
first place I don’t think it
could be kept dark, and it
oughtn't to be. There’s some
thing owing you, Barbara, and
the Helders are going to give
it whether they like to or not.”
“Steve, I d rather not after
the spectacle my mother made
of herself to-night, and means
to go on making as long as
she can. I don’t see how she
could have done that if she
actually killed my father.”
Steve frowned.
“Does seem inhuman she
should have, and you know I
got a thought for a moment
that she’d staged the whole
disgusting show in the hope
of startling someone into q
revealing gesture.”
Barbara nodded.
“I thought of that too.
Steve, what did she mean by
saying she’d give a lot to know
if all these years she'd been
serving time for you?
A quick flash of pain crossed
Steve’s face.
“Possibly because I hap
pened to be in the house a
little while before Helder was
shot."
Barbara pressed her point, i
“Doesn’t the very fact that |
she could say such a thing
point to her innocence?”
Steve smiled cynically.
“The evidence was as water
proof as circumstantial evi
dence can ever be.”
“Then tell me all about it,
what you saw that night.”
His cane resumed its ner
vous tapping.
TO BE CONTINUED
••
ANOTHER FOR WAR
Gemiany is S3id to b' developing
a new mysterious d ath "lone'* ma
chine- This mazhlnr. It Is raid, may
be able to destroy battleships and
airplanes through inaudible sound
wavei It will tend cut.
DRUG VICTIMS
AROUSE POLICE
London — CUP' — Attacks on
wunen and girl* by men who sur
reptitiously drug them aid carry
11,rui away have reached such
atrrmtng propci'Ion* that Scotland
Yard plana to send out a squad of
plain-clothes women detective*.
Hundreds of women have been
dntCgrd by the slight prick of a
needle In the last rew months. The
attacks sre often made on them In
the most public places, while riding
on a bus, or shopping tn a crowded
store, Sometimes they sre unaware
at the needle. They grow faint
j nud sis assisted sway by the at*
tacker.
Purse snatching thieves, who
knock women to the pavement, have
long been cne or London * most
troublesome crtmtn.il typsa. but the
drtigger Is even more dangerous and
harder to catch. One even decoyed a
woman to a church on the pretex'
that she was wantsd to help wp><
the cleaning operation* ins.tie I itete
the was drugged and attacked.
A girl helping an older woman
cross a busy street was pricked In
the arm and another was drug-red
as she was alighting from a bus
at Victoria station. One wrs found
weeping outside a public house and
charged with drunkenness. In court
she said she had been drugged.
- - • ♦
TMK OBKEEV\NT « \DDY
Front Answer*. IxMtdon
A woman whose goir anntion wss
in esc** of Iter performance wilh
tiie glube played a aei es of rounds
wun a view 10 iruucmg nrr Handi
cap.
One day. having completed a
round in well over a century, ahe
turned to her disillusioned caddie
w^h the question:
"What did I go round in yester
dav. Tamaon?”
• In a red ‘at. I think, mlaa," h«
ventured at length
• * —
Progrc**.
From the Vancouver Province.
Mattel H >w t» vour husband g t
tine cn wllh golf?
Ahc* O. verv well Indeed The
children aie allowed to watch
now.
rilK MANET ART
OF DISHWASHING
v’roni Christian Scieiicc Uomtor
Statistics resulting from a recent
survey of domestic life in metro
politan New York invite attention
.0 the helpfulness of husbands in
:he daily recurrent task of washing
the dishes. It appears that 39’i per
cent of the husbands help their
wives with the dishes. What pro
portion wipes and what proportion
washes is not stated, and it may
well be that husband and wife
sometimes change places for sake
of variety. It seems reasonable to
assume that approximately the
same SS1.* per cent would hold good
in other American cities.
Such investigation may seem to
some an invasion of the home;
where, as Goldsmith once wrote,
With secret course which no
loud storms annoy.
Glides the smooth current of
domestic joy.
The domestic joy of sharing this
task has hitherto been kept inti
mate. But ever since dishes
were invented and the prac
tice of washing them at
intervals gained general ac
ceptance, some husbands, though
probably not always 39 'j per cent,
undoubtedly have helped their
wives at this task.
In our own period, as compared
with immediate predecessors, it is
widely observed that homes and
families are smaller, with less cook
ing done in them and proportion
ately fewer dishes to wash. A do
mestic employe, such as used to
be called "the girl,” is more expen
sive. And then, conversation, which
in other days would have continued
pleasantly at the table while the
girl was doing the dishes, can go
forward as happily in the kitchen
or kitchenette while a wife and
husband do the dishes together.
One may reasonably assume that
the statistics were concerned only
with the dinner dishes. The inex
orable routine of commerce and
the S:10 train certainly would not
allow 391s per cent of the husbands
to hc’p with the breakfast dishes.
As for the GO’- per cent who do
not help their wives wit- flic dishes,
some, of course, lack the occasion.
Their wives “don’t want a man in
the way” when they wash the
dishes. But many, it may be specu
lated, are debarred by an obstinate
unwillingness to wear the apron
upon which their wives as obstin
ately insist. Others very likely re
frain in the conviction that, apron
or no apron, it is not the manly
part to help: If the gathering of
these statistics accomplishes no
other purpose, tr.ey at least
weaken this position and go to
show that this idea is an outmoded
convention.
Council ol War.
From the Omaha World-Herald.
The republican high command
has decided that President Hoover
will restrict his campaign for re
election to the east, probably mak
ing no personal appearances in
western states and coniining his ac
tivities for the most part to the ra
dio.
Mr. Fees—Well, all I got to say is
it's going to look plenty funny, him
not showing up in person.
Mr. Watson—Oh. he’s going to
show up here in the east some, Fess.
That ought to be enough.
Mr. Fess—l"m talking about the
west!
Mr. Hyde—Yes. and I'll tell you
about the west! J[ been in the west.
I tried to make some speeches in
the west. I say to hell with it!
Mr. Fess—He showed up in tl.e
west last time.
Mr. Watson—Last time! Don't be
silly, Fess.
Mr. Newton—I'm in favor of his
sticking to the radio.
Mr. Hoover (who up to this time
had taken no part in the conversa
tion)—I like that idea, Walter. I'm
good on the radio.
Mr. Fess—I tell you the people
are going to want to see their can
didate!
Mr. Watson—And I tell you you'll
have to prove that to me!
Mr. Hoover—I like the radio idea
mighty well. J got the voice for that,
too.
Mr. Fess—It's going to take more
than a voice to win this election.
Mr. Hoover—Then I wish I knew
where to get it! (Sighs.)
Mr. Fess—I resent your attitude,
Watson! I have faith in my chief.
I want to see him go in person be
fore the people and tell them to
their laces—
Mr. Hoover—Still, Fess, Walter'*
radio idea is good.
Mr. Fess—But. sir, the people
:an t see you on the radio!
Mr. Hoover—l got a tine radio
voice. The announcers all say so.
Mr. Fess—Surely, gentlemen, w*
aie not afraid to go before the peo
ple?
Mr. Hyde—Why be foolhardy,
Fess? Discretion is the better part
of valor.
Mr. Watson—Mr. President, fust
tell us frankly, what do you think
about this whole business?
Mr. Hoover—I like Walter's ra
dio idea.
Mr. Fes'-—Mr. President, can it be
pcs iblr that you, too. are—
Mr. Hoover—I tell you. I life®
Walter’s radio idea! Now quit nag
ging at me!
- ® ® --
No Bed for Betty.
From Answers.
Little Betty had been bad and
her mother made her sit on a chair
in one corner of the room.
"And dent you dare get down
until you are good." iter .nether
told her.
After a while the molher said:
■*Eettv, it’s time for you to co to
bed."
“Oh. no. mummy! I'm not good
enough yet."
♦ •
Japan's rubber footwear industry,
though mainly a post-war develop
in nt. has risen fist enough to make
t lie empire one of the world's lead
ing producers.
BOTTLED MILK PLAN OPPOSHD
La Cross?. \VU.—(UP»—Consum
e s who purchase milk in bulk from
the 17 public milk stations here
are elmdating petitions In opposi
tion to the plan requiring the but
tling of all milk Although the sta
t on prlc? is 6 cent* a quart, over
measure brings the price down to
five cents a quart. La Croas* ta
, ir.id to b? the only city In the
, (Minify in which the station s;i
i ifm In use.
• •
Mra. Ira HonV.brnofc of Aberd-’-n.
Wash. totaled M'l pm* for thri*e
| laiuea in a oi seller bowllm u,at. h.
Made specially for
BABIES and
CHILDREN
Physicians tell us that one condi
tion is nearly always present when a
child lias a digestive upset, a starting
cold or other little ailment. Consti
pation. The first step towards relief
Is to rid the body of impure wastes.
And for this nothing is better than
genuine Castoria ! Castoria is a pure
vegetable preparation made specially
for babies and children. This means
it Is mild and gentle; that it contains
no harsh drugs, no narcotics. Yet it
always gets results! You never have
to coax children to take Castoria.
Real Castoria always bears the names
CASTORIA
i jjgggjg '
Gavel Constructed of
Wood Oddly Preserved
A gavel made from what is be
lieved to be the oldest living unpelri
fied wood on the American continent
lias been sent to Dr. Waller Wil
liams, president of the University of
Missouri. The history of the gavel
goes back to a time some thousands
of years ago when a volcano burst
forth at a place about 100 miles east
of Eugene, Ore., and in the high Cas
cades. A lava stream gradually built
up a dim at one end of a deep
canyon, in the bottom cf which grew
tali Douglas firs. As the canyon filled
with the cold mountain water a lake
was formed, and the trees were sur
rounded and covered by this water
of unchanging temperature. When
tlie wood was cut from one of the
trees for the gavel it was found to
contain all its natural juices and bad
tiie pungent odor of freshly cut tim
ber.—Montreal Herald.
IPelermio’s Ant Food li oure death
to ants. Sprinkle It about the floor,
window tills, thrives, etc. Effective
24 hours.* day. Safe. Cheap. Guar
anteed. More than 1,000,000 cans
aold last year. At your druggist's.
fiht
Acquainted
Mrs. P. went' to call on Gerald's
mother and was telling her about a
family that had recently moved into
the neighborhood.
“Have they any children?” asked
Gerald’s mother.
“Toro little boys,” answered Mrs. B.
“I dou't believe (Jerald knows
them,” remarked the mother.
“Oh, yes 1 do,” Gerald piped up.
‘I know one of ’em well, mother. I
knocked out his two front teeth.”
Inducements
“Oh, mamma,” cried Martha, rustl
ing luto tlie house, “Keith's going <o
have » tootii pulled, and his father
is going to get him something real
nice.
“Mamma, can’t I have my tooth
pulled, too? Then you can get bio
something nice.”
Of Short Duration
Mistress—Your references seem to
suggest that you frequently change
your place.
New Cook—Yes, my fiance Is wit Is
a traveling circus.—Muskete lVien
na).
At Least in School
Small Hoy—f ifty cents for goose
eggs? I always thought they wera
nothin*!—Judge.
How One Man
Lost 22 Pounds
Mr. Herman Itunkis or Detroit
writes: “A few lines of I hanks from
a rheumatism sufferer—my first
bottle »f Kruschen Halls took all tho
ache* and swellings out of my joiui*
— wltb my Hr«t bottle 1 went on *
diet and lost -I’ pounds and now I
feel like n new man.”
T.» lose fat SAKKI.Y ami quickly
take one half leu spoon ful of Kras
then Salt* in n sins* of hut water
la Itio morning before brenknfat.
t or your health'* sake ask for iu(t
gel Kruse ben—the com for a bottlo
that Iasi* 4 weeks I* tint a irlfie at
any drogsiore In the World and If
after Ilia firm hot lie you are not
Joyfu'ty atllsfied with result* —
m,cv*v hsi k. Alt good druggist#
will !•» g’sd la supply you.
