THE
FORBIDDEN YEARS
by
WADSWORTH CAMP
CHAPTER XI
Btevc chuckled.
•Hairbreadth! But we’re
*afc in Adelaide’s castle.”
Barbara heard the reporters
moving restlessly outside and
murmuring. Probably they
conferred about some strategy
that might give them en
trance. Apparently Hoskins
thought so, for he stood with
bis shoulder braced against
the door as if expectant of
determined physical attack. It
oceured to Barbara that in
fairness to Mrs. Twining she
ought to thrust him aside, turn
the latch, and leave the house
even at the cost of delivering
herself to so disconcerting an
inquisition.
"I oughtn’t to stay, Steve,
They’ll besiege the place. Mrs.
Twining’ll be talked about In
•very newspaper.”
From the back came faintly
•lie persistent whirring of the
floor signal.
"Listen to that. They’ll keep
It up all night. She'll want to
take my head off.”
Steve started for the stairs.
"Then come along and offer
/our neck for the stroke.
There’s nothing eke to do, for
/ou can’t deliberately throw
/ourself to the wolves.”
She followed him up the
•tairs doubtfully, reading in
his sluggish ascent his own
•uspcnse. After all her kind
ness and affection she shrank
from the prospect of Mrs.
Twining’s turning on her, so
•lie lagged as Steve entered
the sitting room, and she
•offered the hesitation of his
confession.
"For once, Adelaide, I’ve
had the temerity to think and
act for you.”
At Mrs. Twlning's sharp de
mand Barbara grasped the
•tair rail.
"How should you dare do
that? Come on. What non
sense have you been up to?”
Barbara clung, listening to
Btcve.
"Adelaide, I’ve brought Bar
bara.”
The Imperious voice snap
ped: "Where Is she?”
Barbara had to go in then,
•nd take the consequences of
Steve’s daring. Mrs. Twining
•at In a big chair between the
Windows, and Barbara was
made more uncomfortable by
•eeing Lyon Helder and his
Wife on a sofa.
‘I’m sorry. I really didn’t
mean to come. The house is
•urrounded by reporters. I
Wouldn’t have got you involved
In this for the world. Steve
tricked me.”
The brittle tones crackled.
“A goad trick too. Thanks,
fiteve, You're absolved.”
She held out her hand, and
Barbara advanced uncertainly.
“You never mean you want
me?”
Mrs. Twining caught her
hand and drew her to the
•Ide of the big chair.
« “Haven’t I always wanted
you, Barbara, since the night
you deserted me? Certainly
I’ve done my best to get you
back.”
“But everything’s so dif
ferent.”
Mrs. Twining asked Im
patiently: “In what way? Ex
cept from what Lyon tells me
you’ve found your own name.”
"The reporters—”
“What do I care for re
porters? Let them freeze their
fingers and toes. No more non
sense now. You've come home,
this time to stay.”
Barbara put an unsteady
hand on the back of the chn!".
“Don’t give way to your
Derves, child.”
“Lei's Hrar (ram the "KorgotUm
Man."
Prom tho Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Never in all history has the “for
gotten man” been responsible for
the expenditure of so much money
by any government
He reads of a million here and a
Bullion there, a billion fur this and
a billion for that, appropriated by
the law-makers.
He hears of economy bills killed
•ft am! periston bills added on all
at the Insistence of the organized
Biinm tttei and at tl|f expense of the
ttoorKaruzed rank and flic, reprs
•rated by the ‘ forgotten man.
And why W he 1 JiS'JUcn? Why.
z
Lyon Helder loosed a
thought.
“Mightn’t do her any harm.
The reporters have been after
me, too, to-day, Barbara, but
it was only a little while ago
that they give me this totally
unexpected news that you are
my niece.”
Mrs. Twining laughed dryly.
‘Don’t look like that, Martha.
Do get it through your head
that you’re not responsible
for Essie’s scarlet melo
dramas.”
But it was plain that Mrs.
Helder, more than anyone else,
carried the weight of the lurid
spectacle on her fragile shoul
ders. She hid her face.
"The reporters will waylay
Lyon and me when we leave.”
Lyon Helder walked ponder
ously to Barbara and placed
his hand on her shoulder.
“I’m glad that Steve brought
you. We’d just come to talk
over with this good friend of
yours and ours what’s best to
be done to make up for an ap
parently inexcusable neglect.”
Mrs. Twining sniffed.
‘/Apparently! That’s a
pretty weak word.”
From behind her hands Mrs.
Helder murmured: “Don’t be
so cruel, Adelaide.”
Lyon Helder’s grasp tight
ened. Knowing him, it never
occured to Barbara to doubt
his defense.
“You’re not often so unjust,
Adelaide. Years ago I was
given to understand that
Robert’s child was dead.”
Mrs. Twining waved her
hand at her sister. Her ques
tion was weighed with sar
casm.
“By our touchy Martha?”
Mrs. Helder lowered her
hands, and her blurred eyes
appealed.
“You are unjust, Adelaide.
By the aunt to whom she was
sent by Robert’s written
orders. He left them in his of
fice the night he was killed. In
case anything happened to
him, he wrote. He seemed to
foresee.”
It failed to diminish Mrs.
Twining’s censoriousness.
“Obviously you didn’t go to
any vast pains to verify the
rumor. Is that why you and
Lyon kept away from Caroline
and Jacob in Elmford?”
In his stolid fashion Lyon
Helder defended himself.
“No. Jacob and Caroline
aren’t a great deal in Elmford.
How often have you been?
There was no reaosn why we
shouldn’t have accepted the
news as valid.”
He smiled at Barbara.
“I’m afraid you weren’t as
close to our hearts as you
should have been. We scarcely
knew you. You were merely
another link with Robert gone,
and afterwards you were given
an arbitrary name. But we
were wrong not to have been
more concerned. Will you for
give us, and let us make up for
It?”
Mrs. Twining didn’t give
Barbara an opportunity to an
swer. Her head went back.
“I’ll do the making up for It.
You and Martha have thrown
away your chance.”
Mrs. Helder spoke faintly.
“We want to do all we can.
If Barbara wishes she may
come to us.”
Again Mrs. Twining wouldn’t
let Barbara sueak. The bony
hand tightened.
“Barbara is staying here.”
Perhaps it was a sense of
relief that gave Mrs. Helder
the courage to attack.
“You never fail to think of
1 year own comfort first, do
| Adelaide?”
I Mrs. Twining wasn't ruffled.
since he is made to pay the bill, is
he not consulted? simply because
he has not been heard from.
Are you among the forgotten? Do
you belong to the great rank and
file—that does not belong to any
group represented by a lobby?
All appropriations for government
expenditure originate in the House
of Representatives. Those represen
tatives are aU that the name im
plies. They represent you as law
makers in exactly the manner you
deserve. Being human, if they do
not hear from you as to what you
think of the legislation that lx be
ing passed, and they do hear from
tbs organized ounomic* 1A fiffc j
“Never; and it will be a
great comfort to have Barbara
in my house again; but I want
you all to understand that she
doesn’t come on the old foot
ing. I'm not to be her care
this time; she’s to be entirely
mine. She’s to have the place
that a child of mine would
have had. She’s to stay here
always. That was in my mind
when she foolishly dashed
off."
Mrs. Helder’s ravaged face
heralded her dismay. Steve
grinned at Mrs. Twining.
“You make me inform you,
usually learned lady, that
children seldom stay always.
They marry and vanish."
“They marry, but they
needn’t vanish."
As a following thought she
asked her sister: “Why didn’t
you bring Esther to the family
reunion?”
Lyon Helder smiled undcr
standingly.
“Esther’s been keep'ng her
self out of the way to-day.”
“Esther,” Mrs. Twining said
bluntly, “doesn’t thing of any
one except her own self.”
Once more Mrs. Helder un
covered a minute combative
ness.
“That shows how unfair
you are. If you won’t admit
anything else, you can5t deny
she thinks of Gray.”
Barbara’s nerves tightened
again. She tried to free her
hand, but Mrs. Twining
wouldn’t let her go. The life
long lack of congeniality be
twen the sisters had seldom
been more in the open.
“You’ll have to prove to me
that there isn’t more calcula
tion than affection there.”
Lyon Helder lumbered to his
wife’s defense.
“Adelaide! What calculation
could there be except that of
affection?”
“Gray,” Mrs. Twining ex
plained patiently, “is one of
the very most eligible men in
New York, and you’ll agree, I
dare say, that Esther has at
least the virtue of going after
the best.”
Mrs. Helder’s hands went
back to her face.
“I don’t know what’s come
over you, Adelaide. You don’t
credit the uoor child with any
heart.”
Mrs. Twlning’s voice
thinned.
“It’s come over me that it’s
healthy to face facts once in
a while. Essie’s given us a few
to stand up to to-day. Poor
child, nonsense! Her heart’s
always beaten for herself. The
trouble with you, Martha, is
that you’ve never had the
courage to look facts in the
face. That’s why you’re
crushed now, although all
along it’s been perfectly ob
vious that that, barring death,
Essie was bound to come back
with the noticeabillty of a
sandwichman.”
Mrs. Helder’s hysteria was
muffled by her hands.
“You can talk that way be
cause she isn’t your sisterin
law.”
“But,” Mrs. Twining said,
“she’s Barbara’s stepmother,
which means rather more, yet
we’re by no means in despair,
are we, Barbara?”
Deliberately Lyon Helder
made hls pronouncement:
‘Sisters quarreling doesn’t
make it any easier to face
facts.”
Steve walked between the
sisters close to him.
“By the way Lyon, speaking
of Gray, have you any idea
where he is? He didn’t show
up at the office to-day, and
he’s sent no word.”
Lyon Helder shook his head.
“Esther might know.”
Mrs. Twining stood up.
“Come along, Barbara.
You’re shaking again. Your
rooms have been waiting for
you a long time, and you're
going to them to have a little
rest and peace.”
Mrs. Twining, as far as she
could, kept the newspapers
from Barbara, and she
wouldn’t let her go again
immediately to see her step
mother.
“You'll be happier in the
Increasing numbers, as they are
hearing, they naturally are going to
listen to the crowd that represents
special privilege, and not to the
great majority as represented by
the “forgotten man”
Don’t forget that everyone pays
hls share of government expendi
tures In some form of taxes. Just
because the tax collector does not
call personally at your home and
Sresent hls bill to you Individually,
i no reason for thinking that you
do not pay. You pay your share of
taxes wnen you buy shoes, hats and
all other articles of clothing You
pay It when you pay rent, and all
on down the line.
. _ WImis ttou are cnmnallad to alva
House until the editors gtv
tired of giving Essie all this
free advertising. They will be
fore long. Mark my words, the
resurrection will be forgotten
faster than the original
crime.”
But the peace which she had
promised Barbara never quite
materialized, and even its
fragile phantom was repidly
dissolved by the worries set
in action by Essie’s rebound
into notoriety. Barbara
couldn’t understand why she
didn’t hear from the Gard
ners. They must have read
the newspaper accounts, yet
neither one came or wrote. She
could explain Aunt Barbara’s
silence after a fashion through
her conservative, self-con
tained nature, but she couldn’t
fathom Uncle Walter’s. With
his romantic individuality he
would normally want to rush
to her side and find a place
in the scene. But her most en
during concern was Gray’s
absence and silence. Steve
said that he thought Gray’s
parents knew his whereabouts
but were bound to secrecy.
Certainly Gray, if he looked
at the papers at all, must
know she was it Mrs. Twin
ing’s. Then what he had said
at the Bars and Stripes had
been final, for Hackey got in
touch with her readily enough,
and so did Harvey.
“Dollink, I’m bald from pull
ing out my hair all on account
of you,” Hackey lamented
over the telephone. ‘‘If the
eruption had come off twenty
four hours earlier I’d have
told Rulon to join the navy,
for your publicity value’s bet
ter than his now. Take ad
vantage of it, beautiful one,
and fly home to Hackey. If
you don’t I’ll have to buy a
toupee. For me you’re the best
hair tonic ever was. Have
mercy, sweetheart, and save
my thatch.”
Harvey, also over the tele
phone, wanted to know if he
could do anything, and halt
ingly let her see his hope that
what had happened might
possibly alter their relations.
Although Gray had gone,
nothing could change the sit
uation between Harvey and
her, and she told him as gently
as possible.
•‘But your loyalty makes me
very happy."
Gray, hidden away, ap
parently had no loyalty. Un
known to Barbara, he had,
however, made one brief, futile
visit to New York. After brood
ing over the newspapers the
day following the opening, he
took down Essie’s address, and
on a headlong impulse jumped
into an automobile and tore
along the roads to the city.
Less than half an hour after
Barbara had left he was pac
ing up and down the living
room of Essie Helder’s apart
ment, frowning and angry.
• ‘‘You’ve got to lay off this.”
At first she didn’t know
who he was. When he told her,
her bitter smile dawned.
I see. You re going to mar
ry Esther. You don’t want the
mud splashed on her. It has
been pretty thoroughly.”
In his taut eagerness he
shouted at her.
“It’s none of your business
what I want, except that you
let the splashing stop. As long
as that place of yours goes on
the talk will go on. Honestly
I don’t give a hang myself,
but it’s pretty hard on others.
That’s all I’m thinking of,
how beastly unpleasant it is
for some others. Mrs. Helder,
close the dump for your own
sake, too.”
Her dreary smile widened.
“Now that’s funny. It’s for
my very own sake that I’ll
keep it going as long as I’ve
got a customer left.”
His manner softened. He
tried to plead.
TO BE CONTINUED
Almost Nothing.
Prom the Humorist.
Landlady (discussing world trou
bles) : I suppose we must be pre
pared for anything these days.
Boarder (eyeing his helping):
Yes—or at any rate for almost any
thing !
over two months' work out of every
year to federal, state and local gov
ernment in taxes, and that in a pe
riod when your own Income has
sharply declined, can you fail to
realise that unless you let yourself
be heard that proportion of your
Income appropriated by the govern
ments will Increase rather than de
crease?
The law-makers, the official mon
ey spender*, not only federal but
local, should hear from the “forgot
ten man.”
•» -■ - ■ i. -
More Mian 50 000 scholarship* are
granted annually by American col
isjhtf and uiUvvrsmea
BOSTON KEEPS
JOBLESS BUSY
Boston — (UP) — Several hun
dred local architects and engineers
have lost their jobs, but few are
unemployed.
This depression paradox is ex
plained by existence of “The Emer
gency Planning and Research Bu
reau, Inc.,” formed several months
ago by the Boston Society of Archi
tects, and the Engineering Societies
of Boston.
Under a growing $75,000 endow
ment pledged by more fortunate
members of the two professions, the
bureau pays $15 a week to Jobless
architects and engineers, who in re
turn are drafting advanced plans
for developments in Boston, Massa
chusetts and New England.
The work these trained men are
doing with as much enthusiasm as
though they were getting normal
wages does not encroach upon the
business of established commercial
firms. Much of it is planning which
states and cities would finance in
ordinary times, such as:
A study of Boston’s slum prob
lem.
Studies of the shift of populations
and curves, for the governor’s street
and highway safety committee.
A plan for future distribution of
waterworks systems in New England.
A comparison of existing building
laws with a proposed general build
ing code.
A study of fire protection in state
Institutions.
William Stanley Parker, Boston
architect, is president of the bu
reau. with Irving E. Moultrop and
Prank M. Gunby as vice presidents.
An impressive advisory board is
headed by President Karl T. Comp
ton of Massachusetts Institute of
Technology.
Since its establishment in Jan
uary, over 650 men have regis
tered with the bureau.
Will It Come To This?
Prom the Columbus, Ohio, Dispatch.
There was a time, under English
law, when a desperate criminal, if
he could not easily be apprehended
and dealt with under the regular
forms of criminal procedure, might
be officially proclaimed as an out
law. The man so proclaimed lost
all his civil rights, and It was a
criminal offense for anyone to give
him aid or shelter. If he did not
than give himself up to the duly
constituted authorities, any citizen
might bring him to Justice, and in
case he should attempt to flee or
resist when called upon to sur
render, anyone might slay him and
be free from any charge of crime in
so doing.
This method of criminal procedure
has never been formally abolished
in England, but has become obsolete
in practice, because the need for
such drastic action has gradually
passed away. The ordinary pro
cesses of law have become sufficient
for the protection of society against
crime.
The outrageous conduct of ban
dits, kidnapers, etc., in this coun
try, however, has led Justin Miller,
dean of the law school of Duke uni
versity and chairman of the section
on criminal law and criminology of
the Amercan Bar association to have
an article prepared by his assistant
on the possible benefits which might
accrue from a revival of this old
English method of procedure. This
article appears in the current num
ber of the Panel, published under
the auspices of the Association of
Grand Jurors of New York county,
and one may wish that it might
have a wide reading among crim
inals themselves. They might be
convinced that they are going too
far in their presumption of superior
ity to the laws and courts, and that
society has still other weapons up
its sleeve, so to speak, If regular
methods of law enforcement prove
unworkable.
The American people would have
to be driven to desperation, of
course, before resorting to a revival
of such a summary method; but
such cases as the Lindbergh kid
naping, and the career of Capone
and his associates and tools, justify
a careful consideration of means of
protection which have proved ef
fective in generations past and
might conceivably be used again.
Flapper Fanny Says
____=-r-*,
A girl vimriimn tells a man he a
Aie salt of the earth so she can
shake him down.
— " ' ■ '■■■»» " ■ ■ —
State Commission
Raises Food for Fish
Harrisburg. Pa. — (UP) — Tha
Pennsylvania state game commis
sion is raising food to feed game
fish tn the streams of the state.
During 1931. about 3 million min
nows, from one to four Inches long,
reiv placed In the streams to feed
trout, baas, pickerel, pike and other
lame fish.
The minnows used chiefly were
the silver shiner, the golden shiner
and the run chub varieties.
MercolizedWax
Keeps Skin Young
Ool an oonce and us« is directed. Fine particles of a***|
•kin peel off until all defects such a* pint pins, liver
•pots, tan and freckles disappear. Skin i« then •oft
and velvety. Your face looks years younger. Mercoliaed
Wax brings out the hidden beauty of your ekin. To
remove wrinkles us* one ounce Powdered Saxolito
dissolved in one-half ptat witch base!. At drug stores.
Here’* One Honest Man
A LJerlin cabinet marker's wife
had nothing to offer a beggar but a
pair of her husband's old shoes,
which, unknown to her, contained
Ills entire savings, 1,500 marks
($380). The beggar did not Inspect
them; sold them to a second-hand
dealer. The dealer read the owner’s
story In the newspaper, turned over
the shoos and the money to the po
lice, who returned them to the right
owner.
i
Unhonored and Unsung
In August, 1918, an English soldier
raided single-handed a German head
quarters and captured some docu
ments which he could not read. The
other day he accidentally learned
that they were the Hindenburg de
fense plans which enabled the allies
quickly to win the war. He’s now
wondering who took the credit ha
should have gotten.—Collier’s Maga
zine.
Battlefield Will
A will, written on a battlefield In
France by a Philadelphia soldier mor
tally wounded In action, was filed
with the register of wills for probate.
Henry J. Keckhut, who died Septem
ber 17, 1918, at St. Mlhiel following
the American offensive, penned the
will knowing that he was about to
die. He left his war risk Insurance
of $2,500 to his mother and sister.
i ■
Over-Officered
At a recent Inspection before the
mayor of a small New Jersey town,
it developed that the village had
seven police officers and three police
men on Its force. The officers—the
chief, the captain, the lieutenant,
three sergeants and a finger-print ex
pert—lined up with the mayor to
watch the patrolman trio pass by.
No Problem at All
Wife—Little Freddy has drunk the
Ink. What shall I do?
Hubby—Write In pencil.
It does seem as if the things young
men most want to do are those their
fathers tell them they’d better not.
Father is full of prejudices which
you inherit.
Man Lost 26 Pounds
Looks 100% Better
Feels Stronger Than Ever
Just to prove to any doubtful man
or woman that Krusohen Salts Is the
SAFE way to reduce—let us take
the letter of Mr. F. J. Fritz of Cin
cinnati. Ohio, recently received.
He writes: “I’ve tried extreme
dieting, setting up exercise* with
very little results — but the results
fromKruschen are almost incredible.
In 3 months 1 reduced from 205 to
179 pounds sad feel stronger than
ever—no more wheeling or gasping
for breath — friends say I look 100%
better.”
Bear In mind, you fat man. that
there Is danger in too much tot—try
the Safeway to reduce—one-half tea
spoonful of Krusohen Salts In a glass
of hot water every morning—out
down on fatty meats and sweets—
one bottle that lasts 4 weeks costs
but n trifle—get it at any drugstore
in the world.
EFtMCFTM'*. i*tl hi* mjr «l*'i*li*
|Vf vans <)vil<*b!f •* him# br w
(UaHvanr vithbit lb* harmful
rtrtic* Nothin* t»* ' Wri?«» MllJi Binxa.
DtlAWVU r. ABUNOTUN, TKX AS
Sioux City Ptg. Co., No. 23-1912.