HIE SUNDAY BEE: OMAHA, SEPTEMBER 3. 1M2.
The World Outside
By Harold MacGrath
rmm ktobt Tuva r.
Am aataalara fa I;MI laat U Mm
ktaam wtt aaaaa fc I aUlaaaaaaal
4-lak IMmlt, wka kaa iaa la
karttaa kt raW 1,M,I. kr M
... .-trU ilmiK oka ml ka tanra.
aa4a Ik l.taa A4aatca raaaaaar,
jwn. mum ihi Iii . bi
aa falllaa I mm IN "' nasi-rw-Um
(laaraa. aaaf f a4 l-a aaa.
aar. nnilili fcl aaa It kaa
raai aa wl kla falkar aslarl.a
aaatfc -a 'rlakt, wwH k raaarSa.
UK aa Jarr? at raaalllaa asaatiraa.
dam la kla ralkar' af farla. rraaiaa
'fata! kaara la rail," aal af Ika
km mmm aaaallfal fcaarr Maamaa.
Hraaaaajr fatarlla, rata araarkaa)
aa4 M. Jarrr mirtj ka la (ka aaa
aat rallraaa) atattaa aa4 tka Bait aar.
trailed kr aaala a ka alajata a-llar
af adtaalaraa, aa ta ha rtrk, k-rs
ka Mm Ika ll' Idaalllr. Tka fcka.
mm aua l.aaraa rtallataa, laa rraaka la
Ika taaala af laalat Mirwari, Ika
aallap af aaalraa, ravaala tka ka ka4
aarvaa 14 jaara la artana far Mllla a
aatlt-aaxaa. Jaaaf Mallar. Maarr'a
frlraa. tUa Siaarr ka aaara aakt
llaaa ara tata aaai anaa ka la ka
mar a Iaa) la Anna I rait, karka af
ka aiaaaral pamrriy.
nrrii install mi: sr.
"Your Father Wa an Honcit
Man."
Nancy' knees shook so violently
that kite had to it down. She Kit'
tunned y Jenny' frank summary
of her prospects. It wit a if she
harl climbed a vast flight o( stair,
only to find a bottomless pit be
tween her and the aerond hall of
the journey. She knew that Jen
ny loved her and that Jenny was
never known to lie. Jenny had the
habit of 'peaking the truth boldly,
even hurt fully; friends and Strang,
ers, it did not matter, her lash
swept about impaitially and im
personally. Hut it could not be true; it jtit
couldn't he 1 It did not serve, how
ever, to reiterate this denial; she
recognized the depressing fart that
her confidence had been shattered,
and from the smoke of it came
the ugly shadow of doubt. No
drama in her voice . . , If the
conductor had said that! A wave
of terror awept over Uer. Without
the shining goal to buoy her up,
how could she continue to play the
part of the female clown? Jenny
was wrong. This was not Nancy
Bowman's game. She could not
turn about r.ow and direct her en
ergies into the lesser way. She
might not be able to go forward,
but how was she to turn back?
"O, Jenny, why didn't you leave
me be?"
Jenny had indeed awakened her.
Tomorrow night her full conscious
ness would be with her. How
would she act? how would she
ting? How would she be able to
put vivacity into a numbed body,
rollicking mischief into her face,
and vocal honey into her throat?
But wail! Hadn't her teacher
told her again and again that she
had the making of a great artiste?
This hope was short lived, falling
back as if -did upon a cynical
truth: that it was her teacher's
bread and butter to praise her. Had
poor old Daddy Bowman been
wrong? Had he let hope bemuse
his knowledge of the truth for
her sake?
This life, instead! Never to
, know anything better than this,
mediocre verse and music, the as
sociation of scatter brained girls
whose highest flights never rose
beyond lobster and sable and
square cat diamonds! The fading
terror was swept aside by a wave
of bitter recklessness. She was a!-'
most tempted to recall Jenny and
go with her into the night.
She waited 10 minutes until her
eyes cleared, then she went out in
to the corridor. She paused as she
reached the doorkeeper.
"Is Mr. Craig about?" she asked.
"On the walk, Miss. He's wait
ing for Mr. Mannheim."
Jenny stepped out into the night
and cast a glance about.
"O. Mr. Craig 1" she called.
Craig, much astonished, ap
proached. "Is there anything I can
do for you?"
"Yes. You can let me thank
you for Ling Foo."
"O, that!"
"I did not realize until tonight
how abominably I have behaved. I
should have sent the dog back or
acknowledged him."
"You like him, then?"
"That's just it. After a few days
I couldn't give him up. ou see
. . . it's hard to explain! ... but
I'm too busy to make friends. I
never go anywhere. All mv free
hours are devoted to study."
"Study?" he interrupted.
"Yes. I am trying to make in?
voice worth something."
"Grand opera? We were alt
wondering." he said. So that was
rt? Just sensible young woman
with a hne ambition.
"Would you like me to lake tea
with you somewhere alter the malt
nee tomorrow?"
"I beg pardon?"
With some confuiiu. h re
peated the question. Supposing h
now dci luic) . It would serve her
rif
h . . will von?" he crJ.
There t something in the ap
peal that shocked her. Never ha J
lite hi ril a voice so full of hunger
and loneliness. She was not near
enough to tell, but the wondered
if then was liquor in hit breath to
night. 'Where and what lime?"
"The Kit, at 5. You make me
very happy, Mi Bowman,"
"Five o'clock, then. Good night"
Craig remained bareheaded until
Nancy turned into Broadway; then
he put on hi hat. For the sake of
tht d"gl He wanted to laugh, but
hi throat was dry. So it was
Jrand opera? Why hadn't the Mai
oy girl mentioned it? Well, if
grand opera was the girl's dream
lie could help her; he had influence
in tlmt direction. Some day he
would get Sorrentino to try her
out.
'1 he stage door opened and
Mannheim came outt.
"Anywhere you say, Craig," taid
the .uanagfr. "But where ran we
talk. I've the synopsis of a new
book. You're always alive with
suggestion, background stuff and
costumes. There' a great part in
it for Bowman."
"Jut had a little talk with her.
She's going lo take tea with me
after the matinee."
"Well, now!" '
Nancy walked across town to
the Flevated. which she took, be
ing particularly careful to keep
Ling Foo covered. The puppy
seem to appreciate her difficulties,
for on these midnight journeys he
was always as quiet as a mouse.
The responsibility attendant upon
the care of such a dog, com
bined with the alertness and se
cretiveiiess with which he had to
be guarded, had filled an enormous
void; and tonight she had some
thing alive to whisper to and cud
dle, to mitigate her profound hap
piness. She would appear friendly to
ward Caig; but a single false move
and she would have no more of
him. If she could find in him a
real friend she would be grateful;
but she was full of doubting.
So, while she prepared the
puppy's supper, while Bancroft
rolled upon down in his sultatiic
bed, now amused, now exultant,
the seller of adventures wove his
web, so fine, so broad and high,
that one day both Bancroft and
Nancy Bowman found themselves
inescapably enmeshed in it.
Bancroft was awakened the next
morning by the early sunshine. He
had forgotten to draw the curtains,
and the golden light, beaming with
' motes, struck his eyes and picked
out the costly appointments of hi
bedroom. It all came back in a
moment; he knew where he was.
With a laugh Bancroft jumped
out of bed and trotted about the
room on his tors, did a little
shadow boxing, then made for the
white enameled bathroom, with its
perfumed soaps, its lilac toilet
water, its bag-of sea salt. He fell
vaguely embarrassed; it was al
most as if he had entered some
feminine domain. But suddenly he
burst into laughter again. The
world was full of laughter this
crisp October morn;
Nancy Bowman. If she reallv
owned a dog all would be well
with the world. Amazing fact!
They two stage favorite and coun
try bumpkin shared a secret. Af
ter all seven millions weren't going
to be su cha burden. But on the
heels of this complacency came the
thought that he wasn't going to
have seven millions for many
weeks to come: he was going to be
a poor young man who had come
to the city to make his fortune.
Nancy: English and old fashioned.
How she could sing and how she
could dance! O, this world was
all right.
But what should he do? He
would have to have a job of some
kind. He couldn't sit in his room
and twiddle his thumbs between
meals. No store job; that would
be intolerable; whatever he did he
must be his own master. He could,
at a pinch, translate one of Horace's
books of Satires. He would not
have to apply himself rigorously to
the task; only when time hung
heavy on his hands: enough work
to prove that he was thus engaged.
Besides, it was the best of mental
exercises, the study of any foreign
tongue. Still, the Satires would
scarcely do. He ought to have
something that had a business air
about it, a financial promise. Hat
a text book for beginners; that
was a capital notion. He recol
lected having read that teat books
which were adopted by public
schools were gold mines. In his
case it would not matter how much
he pirated; the work would never
be offered to any publisher.
The Great Adventure company.
The animation faded from bit ex
pression, a a cloud shadow will
suddenly obliterate a field of tun
shine. First, aa interview with
George Bellman neat, quietly to
invest, g.te the hntneial status of
th Bolivian Frntrald company.
If films a. and the ewtrald mint
came through, all the more rtaton
for signing the preposterous con
tract. Something sinister lay be
hind it all. He could not analyze
this feeling; he wa only conscious
of it presence. What a nuu.
though! what an antagonist for a
bov!
Nevertheless he would atUik the
problem as hehad, not so long ago,
attacked problems in trigonom
etry. An adventure of this ralibrr
sooner or later resolved itnclf into
pure mathematics. Tin adventure
company in tome way related lo
his father and the sustained mys
tery of hi father' actions and
conduct of life. 'Bancroft was this
morning a certain of the fa t as
he was of his siiiht, which auto
matically calculated the drpth of
the water rushing into the tub.
First olf, clothes: he mut be
thoroughly if modestly outlined
from head to foot. He had already
had it carried home to him that
here in New Y'ork clothes bad
precedence over moral and worth.
Nobody studied countenance fur
rws
the distinguishing characteristics of
a soul, but rather the label in
one's hat. A fashionable label was
open sesame. A Piccadilly bowler
was a better passport in New York
than King Ferdinand's Bulgarian
whiskers.
Immediately after breakfast he
proceeded to the shopping district.
What he selected at the clothier's,
the haberdasher's and the shoe
maker's spoke of natural good
taste. This business, which he
found more than ordiuarly pleasur
able, brought to a conclusion, he
purchased a stout leather suitcase
and a small trunk. He was now
ready to face the world.
He began to rove the streets.
They were irresistibly fascinating.
Pretty girls; they were everywhere,
coming and going, crossing the
streets, always at a brisk pace.
Where did they come from?
Where were they going? Where
and how did they get those silk
stockings and flimsy shirtwaists?
' How did they escape pneumonia?
What were their homes like? Were
they al happy a they looked?
It struck him depressing! that
he had never known a pretty girl
that is, one with whom he could
laugh and jet, with whom he
could loll agamst the gate or sit
on the porch steps in the eve mug.
How often the sight of other boy
enacting then idyl aid racked hit
haartl Will, hert ha wa. in New
York; k wonld b a countr
barapkin indeed if lie did not fend
tomt artity gut tu U'k to II
. j
i
"Who own this hoiue?"
dared not admit to himself thai
there was a possibility of becoming
really acquainted with Nancy
Bowman. She was high romance,
and he had no right to aspire to
U'-h.
During this walk, this adventure
of the ryes, the mathematical
atoms bad been swarming in
search of procedures, what he
khmild do clionologically. Id le
gal affair first, then to gather
all the data he poibly could re
garding his father; then a room
somewhere. These affairs out of
the way, George Bellman and the
Bolivian F.merald company would
come into the circle of action,
The law oftice of Snell & Pride
was situated in the warehouse dis
trict. Winter and summer there
was the stench of cured hide. The
main office first floor up, no ele
vatorwas large. Thousand of
yellow law book bent the (helves; .
they were stacked in corner for
lack of room on the shrive. Min
gling with that of hide was the
vague odor of the finished product.
FX
T I
F.verything was old the books,
the desks, the clerk It was al
most British in its mustiness, its
dinginess. The firm of Snell &
Pride never dealt in divorces, mur
der, theft, but was sometimes
forced into court in the matter of
tampered wills and litigation over
wills. The general business was
estates.
There were three private offices,
the windows of which offered the
pleasing prospect of an alley into
which the sun was never able to
squeeze. There were no names
on the roughened glass of - the
doors. This gave the occupants
a certain protection against un
welcome visitors.
Bancroft had never been to the
offices before. Snell had come out
to the village to read the will, or
rather to offer it. He was un
known here, so he stood outside
the gate, striving in vain to catch
an eye. At length an aged clerk ap
proached. "You wish to see . , . ?"
"Mr, Snell. I am Mr. Bancroft."
A slight rustle was audible '
among the dozen human fossil,
It wa a sign of tremendous inter
et, had Bancrotl but known.
"Mr. Bancroft? Oh, sir, come
right along with roe," taid the
rlerk. "Mr. Snell la in bU office.
Mr, pride is ia San Frsnciico."
Th rlerk knocked on th midJIe
door, and a brisk voice bade him
enter.
'Me. Bancroft, tir "
"Well, well!" began Snell, with
ered but peppery, fur all that he
had spent the nujur portion of In
day in this drnii tomli. "Sit down,
(ilad vou're so nrompi." He
presort a button, ''Bauiroft." he
said in answer to lite rh-rk' in
quiry. "Well, how does it let I
be a millionaire?"
"Some day 111 be ithle lo trM
you; just now there are other
things in my forehead "
"Ah, ye, I see. The Johiuon
matter. Well, I don't know,"
"Mr, Snell, I'm going to k you
a question which may startle you.
Wa my father an honest man,'''
"Come witli me," tiid Snell,
"We'll go into the ofhee - vour
father occupied all thee years,"
On the way Snell wa given the
tin box which held the Ham roll
paper. Once within the elder
Bancroft' room, the lawyer turned
and laid his hands upon the young
man' shoulder. "Here in thin
room, where the spirit of vour
father may sometime return. I
say to you solemnly that inidrr
God' heaven there lived nu
homster man than your father."
"Then every dollar is clean?"
"As the sunshine is in your pait
of the world."
"But why live a he did? Why
did he treat me so?" cried the sou
passionately.
"God only know. What vour
father' motives were for acting
the misanthrope and pretending u
be a miser, I have no kuowlcdite.
But to far as his honesty is con
cerned, I can declare that. You
know nothing about rents in New
York at the present time; but
you'll get a glimmer when I tell
you that all your rents are the
tame as pre-war times. He had
all the chance in the world lo
gourge, but he didn't. Now. ob
serve this slip."
L'pon this clip Bancroft read
about 20 names, with addresses.
Against each name was a sum of
money.
"People who owe him?"
No. Your father wai not only
M honest man, mv boy. but a
kindly one. On December ').
year after year, I made out these
sums into checks and mailed them,
f doubt if, even at this day, the.
beneficiaries know where the mon
ey comes from. Nearly $10,001 a
year to men and women who had
in some way. at some time, per
formed an act in h service dis
interestedly." "Charity!"
"I'recisely,"
"I don't understand. He never
gave me any money."
"But today you are onlv 2-1 and
the absolute master of nearly
$7,000,000. That seems answer
enough. The day you went to
camp he said he was making his
will in your favor: every dollar,
stick, and stone. I vaguely pro
tested about the looseness ami
suggested a trust. He said no:
and went on to say that all tin
money you had ever had vou had
earned by the sweat of vour
brow, that you would know what
a dollar was and how far it would
go. So that part of the riddle
seems clear enough; He taught
you the pleasure of honest work."
"But not a line of advice!" said
Bancroft. "As if he were absolute
ly indifferent what I did with this
money. Not a legacy of auv
kind. Supposing I had grown in
illiterate what then!"
"Ah, but you didn't," countered
Snell. "Your father knew what
you were about, but he taid noth
ing. Supposing he had admitted
his wealth and sent you to college,
would you be as well off as you
are today? Would you be half sn
well educated? Wait a minute."
Snell dug into the box and pro
duced a bundle of receipts. "Who.;e
signature ia that?"
"Miller's! The academy prin
cipal! Fifteen hundred a year!"
Bancroft's bewilderment was rock
ing him painfully. "But he kept
me at arm's length, Mr. Snell, al
ways at arm' length." There was
a break in the young man's voire.
"I know no reason for that. But
one day Miller came in. In some
manner he had learned that your
father had hii office here. He
came to suggest that you be tent
to college. Your father asked
Miller if he couldn't give you the
equivalent of a college education,
and Miller answered that he could.
So for seven year Miller drew a
salary of $1,500. He proved him
self to be something mar than a
tutor, a teacher; ba bectKau your
moral guide at well became he
wa fond of you. You aren't met tly
educated; y are a scholar."
Tea, yesl But my youth -where
it that? AH these lonely
yeareT
"Your youth? Yon nave Just
entered upon it equipped beyond
ordinary, a fortune and the brain
with which in enjoy It. Or you
can dissipate il all, youth and iw
tnna, jH 4i) months" dryl.
fUnrroft picked up thf list of )'
(latNssal aa fat Sai-a
