TUB SUNDAY HER: OMAHA, OCTOIUilt 1. 1922.
The World Outside
ItnHliHMd Vrvm ! three.)
ByHaiola MacGralh
L.
V
br wonderment tevr eeaij to
t ow, I tor thought ran l h to a
ury sh bd one read: Of youth
who always remained young, and
who had acquired all th learning
In tha world. Hh found tirraxlf
liking them both, unreat-rvedly,
perhaps because urh was an un
usual personality. Craig had at
tracted till liking out of hT,
d-pltn hr resistance; ulia had gone
toward Bancroft, her reluctance
shadowy, IxwauM of I ha roniantlo
background out of which ba bad
corn The boy was qulta a distin
guished aa th man. and mora re
markubl becausa Ilia distinction
wa purely Innat and not innat
and acquired, aa In the man.
Cruig ros from I ho a tool, and
with a serious xpnjUn put out
Ma hand towurd hi young rival.
"Thank you, Mr. Colllngawood, for
a flna Idea. I'm ashamed to say
that I never thought my muslo
onlght Im of una to any una. Vou
J cr In tha army?"
"On thla side."
"And you know her aome of
thes soldier hospitals Brat" , ,
"I ran easily secure a list."
"Will you take lunch with tne to
morrow at Tho I'layere, ao wa can
tulk It over? Twelve-thirty, Oram
tarey Bark. Anyone will ahow you
tha way. I'm going to be very grate
ful. It will be a tonic; something I
need rather keenly."
"I shall be happy to have lunch
with you." said Ifetncroft, disarmed
completely.
Said Craig to Nancy: "I shall
telephone Korrentlno. And don't be
afraid of him."
py. "I ahall be afraid ft him, of
hut'a very easy to aay," replied
myself of everything."
"But you mustn't. You have a
foothold; you're the hit of The Pur
ple Moth. You're a celebrity."
"I wonder," said Nancy.
It waa half after three when Jen
ny's party broke up. After he had
helped Jenny and Nancy with the
dishes and the general cl-anup of
the studio, Jerry bade them good
night at their door and sought his
own.
To And It slightly ajar. He re
membered clearly of having locked
It before going out. He flung It
wide reached in a baud, and turned
the light button. He made two Im
portant discoveries. Firat, that the
contract with the Great Adventure
Company waa no longer Sn the bur
eau drawer; accond, that his trunk
lock had been broken and that the
prospectus, the photograph of Bell
man, and the synopsis of his ad
ventures bad vanished along with
the contract!
Firat blood, Bancroft admitted
grimly, Stewart for the purloiner
could be none other taking advan
tage of his regular absences at
night, had struck with unexpected
swiftness and from an unsuspected
angle, almost aa if he had been aa
sured of his, Bancroft's Intention to
U deposit the documents In the bank
stt tnA tnArfAiV Via .1 o n f llUl t fid
the possibility of such a mot J. Bo
here he was, without a line to grove
that he had entered Into any agree
ment with tho Great Adventure
Company, with nothing to prove that
such a concern even existed. Ho
could not appeal to Stewart in any
manner, for that would be a confes-
a of weakness. . He must await
events and meet them as they fell.
But one fact was now established
comprehensively by this peculiar
theft. Stewart dared not leave any
trail behind. This was a direct ad
mission that there was no harmless
adventure toward, but a sinister
business in which the liberty per
haps tha life of one Collingswood
Jeremiah Bancroft was concerned.
That part of the pool had clarified,
and Bancroft felt considerable relief.
Up to now he hadn't known what
was on the knees of tho gods a
jest or a portent. But the major
portion of the pool was still In chaos
the why of these actions and
wherein they concerned himself and
his father.
j Htewart must not find the copy of
that afliiUvlt In which ha, Bancroft,
had aworn that it he signed any
document it would bo through phy
sical or moral coercion, and yet he
must keep Is about his person, hand
ily. At length be found an excel
lent hiding place between the rib
bon and the felt of his hat. He had
a feeling that this docurhent was the
only trump be luld. How be would
come to the uau of it lay In the fu
turn.
And mw what to do with tha wul
l;lf After all, Bancroft conclud-d
the seven odd thousand and a packet
of emerald would not interest the
seller of adveuturva; euch a game
wouldn't be big enough. And where
potild ha hide the money and jewels
In bla roum. alnce trunks and bur. -ah
drawer ofUred n security? He
t would hav to dvMalt tbru in tha
bank or cany th-ro about, and h
"Vdelld pon tha euiil procedure
Ol wa i hk, II to" off
f nf ah and !ii-d vn l tU
tower hall, hr the tt. pfw.no w,
)U rwtle.1 up tha hll wht a ttad
sbpt la th amtHtaa,tor'a auit ij
)kd If Mr. !!! fMimaa ;i,
dy 14 be lnftiitl K Mr, iwt'
man bud paid bta till and lift for
part unknown. To Bancroft' mind
this a the finishing louh. Hull
mun Wiia no lutigvr needed aa a dum
my adventurer.
Banrroft would have l--n cvjually
umuNl ami aton!h4 If "be had
known that at this mom'nt norga
Bllmin waa rolling In drugttwl
stupor from on aide of bla bunk to
tha other, on his any to 0pe Town,
and win to hive, hefnra the voy.-ige
nndi-d. the most aholrsoma rpm-t
for the president of the Great Ad
venture Company, defunct, which
mny not be the proper way to dn-MTlt-e
It, since there had actually
never exlated any atjch concern.
Ha want to bed and f II Into a
(u-rh-a of troubled dreams. When
ever bla father'a face Intruded there
wa calm; whenever Htewart',
streaa and storm, with Nanry'a face
and Jenny' and Cralg'a oddly cut
ting In.
Promptly at i o'clock that after
noon Nancy ap(eared before the
door to Borentlno' apartment. She
did not prea the bell at once, but
stared with Ironical speculation at
the dark punels, aa if ah expected
that there would appear, summoned
by the sheer force of her will, aome
handwriting touching upon the
Immediate futuro. To be or not to
!. flupposlng. . . I Supposing
Jenny was right? Supposing she,
Nancy Bowman, had misdirected her
young energies all these years? Pup
posing she had wasted the playtime
of her youth for a chimera?
Of wliat breed waa ahe a thor
oughbred or a winner? If there waa
a blow In there, would she come
forth standing or orunhcd?
The door opened. Bhe did not re
member having touched the bell.
"I arn Miss Bowman," she man
aged to any. "I have an apMlnt
ment" The Italian manservant bowed and
gestured for her to enter. He led
her toward the music room, and Bor
rentlno met her warmly at the
threshold.
"Ah! A young lady who is
prompt!" be sold. He spoke Knglish
fluently. His roving professional
glance took in the slender but round
ed body, the ruddy hair, and tho
golden skin, the splendid hazel eyes:
a young Viuletta. That she could act
vivaciously, that she was lively and
bewitching, he already knew. What
he particularly admired was the lack
of theatrical! assurance. She was nut
flustered, but ehe was evidently anx
ious. "Where is your music the
compositions you wish to sing to
me?"
"I am going to leave that to you,
Clgnor," she answered In excellent
Italian,
"Slgnorita, you please me," be said
in his native tongue. "Come in to
the piano."
The top of the piano was littered
with the scores of all the famous
operas, and out of this medley Snr
rentlno selected two songs which he
was tolerably certain eho would
know from Marta and Linda di
Chamounl. He tried her in comedy
and tragedy; he gave her voice
every possible opportunity; what Is
more, he gave her a full hour.
"B finlto!" he cried at last, dis
missing the accompanist. "My
friend, the Signor Craig who should
be a famous pianist told me that
you would want the truth, signorina.
Do you?
"Yes. If my endeavors are be
ing wasted I ought to be made aware
of it."
"Your voice is wonderful for the
work to which you now apply it. It
is clear, true, and sweet. You are a
born comedienne, signorina, just as
a. grand opera singer is born. All
the study and application in the
world will not make of you what you
are not. First of all, endurance, an
iron body. In a little time you will ,
be rich and famous. Make them give
you light opera wltb. real music."
"The truth, signor," ahe inter
rupted, understanding whither these
complicnts were leading.
But Sorrentino continued serenely.
"I am giving you the benefit of my
obHervation and experience, signor
ina. I repent. In light opera you will
become irresistible. You are now
the lark In the meadows, wholly
free. Why seek to become the
nightingale and live eternally In a
cage, in fear of draughts, the rain,
the snow, the temperature of the
rooms, the pleasant little vices of the
table? To study always, to be suh
'tvd to Implacable jealoUKiea! Ah,
believe me, the diva la never ao
happy and carefree as the sou
brtte." "Tell me what I lack, aignor."
"Your voice la beautiful, but weak.
There are many beautiful voices,
but only a few throat which ran
meet the tremendoua call made up
on them. The grand ot r throat
I peculiarly a gift from baven: It
Aiintt be f.mMoned by atu.lv. You
might go a little way. In minor part,
but In th end your courage would
flb and ynur heart brk. How
jwtiiy women are aoiiiftilruouily
great la grand opera? Ton (aa
count lh-u an th Bnr of on
band. Ilva, nut uf aa army f hlf
a million! It to ta b: it ta M
n, ult t tell IM truth; but I am al .it
I mn Ui-4U I have ntaaya l,, the
truth. Ibid I tod iM-eii you hint night
I would huv tld you the truth af
tr th flrt aong, x-thup roughly.
Hut )ou road.' m lu UK h lut nilit.
and 1 (! you something for that.
Hut you!" ho l.i on lied plMiauntly.
"Ah! To alng na you do. and to make
Jour uuUirm-e Liunh! What mora do
you wiah?" Thin, gravidy: "Who
sit you uin Ihli path? You lut-rnt
ma"
"My adoplod ful In r."
"He was a miiMliian?"
"Yw; a vocal teacher."
"Whut other teachura?"
rthe named them.
"GimmI," he aald. 'Ton have Im-ui
w. ll innt ructol III th cultivation of
your voice, but you have born mls
llrwird aa to Its poaslblllllra"
"All my study, nil my aelf dcnlal
' No, no!" be Interrupted, Intui
tively taking the word out of ber
mouth; "never wasted. No study la
wasted; no hard Work I useless.
How old are you?"
"Twenty."
"only twenty, and fame and for
tune within your reach! signorina
you dn not realize how lucky you
are. If, in your particular environ
ment, you can make a crabbed old
man Ilk me laugh, you will mako
me weep if I fail to convince you of
the folly of deserting the absolute
for a vague possibility. The ability
to make peoplu laugh, in their minds
aa well as in their throat, require
n ppeclHl genius, quite aa great aa
that of A Idil or GullH'urcl. Good
day and good luck. I shall come to
see you ngnln some nltrht when my
nerve are all tortured, and you will
make me laugh uguin.
Suddenly a vast ludifferenco fell
upon Nancy. "I thank you, aignor,
for your kindness and your pa
tience." He kissed her hand gallantly as be
led her to the door.
Nancy went town und out Into the
street. For a little while tho street,
with Its tremendous warrens and its
scattering human atoms, refused to
be real. The primal cause of this
unreality waa not that she had failed
in liv ambitions or that they were
In a master's judgment unattainable.
It lay in the fact that everybody
considered her a comedienne, w hich
in her opinion, aha essentially was
not. What would happen to her,
now that the props had been
knocked from under? What would
become of her, with tha spur gone
that carried her through her foolery
every night? A comedienne, when
her background was tragic! This
great maestro, telling ber that she
had made him laugh! O, she was
mad or the world was!
She wanted I.lng Foo; ahe wanted
the dog to cuddle and cry over and
hug to her empty heart. A com
edienne! All at once she recalled the
question she had asked herself be
fore tho maestro's door; Was she
a thoroughbred or a whiner? Her
chin went up and her eye flashed.
Tbo seller of adventures, half a
dozen yards behind her, noticed the
sudden tilt of her head and the
clenched bands, and wondered wliat
manner of thought had assailed her.
The girl who had ordered the apple.
One or the other of these young
women might become necessary to
his plans in the near future, and it
behooved him to investigate their
habits against this possible need.
Bread and butter, bread and but
ter., The phrase began to haunt her
footsteps, and the elevated took up
the chant. Bread and butter, bread
and butter! Could she remember all
the things she did on the stage?
Could she repeat her lines correctly?
Supposing she faltered and forgot,
struck by a passing aphasia? Her
h'ad began to race, as it naturally
would with all this confusion, this
groping about in the dark without
feeling anil substance to hold to.
That night the god of irony en
tered the theater with her as usual,
but in a new role: Nancy was per
mitted to bo conscious of everything
she did; she was no longer an auto
maton. After the firat act Mannheim came
to her dressing room,
"Wojj was I nil right?" eagerly.
(Bread and butter, bread and but
ter!) "You were, little lady. That me
chanical doll stunt has knocked
them over. You're, a born com
edienne." But she knew that all the rest of
her stage career was going to be ono
i niifUuiit atege of terror.
on the elevated that night aha
had Insist ml upon going home alone
she presently beeam aware of an -unuauul
Ijiterext on th part of h'-r
fi'llow travelers. They stared at her,
some h-lly, stun with mll. Curl
(iii i to arn the r'aon, aa hitherto
tiolHxIy bad t paid any attention
to her, ah opened h?r handbag and
tol a gbtnc Into her pockwt mir
ror. Hhe horrlned to that
ahe bad forgot lo lak off ber mako
un. A wwk pMt. anothor, without
any potablv i.t iu th Uvea of ti
thr lnriarUra, (, r lUmrotte
alay uhf iln Noncy u with
Jnny or with both. The tltr4 vt
tht-iH w st to Mwmlty tK
wu gem-rally teit at 4 In Nancy'
room, and freiu--ntly be went uIh-iumJ
with Jenny. Tlnr were tinn a when
be had tea, with Nancy alone, for
Jenny could not alwaya get away
from the mo-li'l shop.
Ho far aa Bancroft was emicrnrd,
Nancy no longer troubled berarlf
ti oberve convention. Hhe bad
rchi-d that point of faith In him
when hi presence was comforting;
she bkiil to be with him, for he was
never dull. A month gone, the
thought of being alone In her room
with a young mun would buv
shocked ber. Ktlll, she made a con
cession to convention: The door wu
always ajar. Now that It waa no
longer forbidden ground, King Foo
ceased to explore th bull showing
bow easily a dog adopt human
trnlta.l
They learned that they had many
likes In common, the some ro
mance, the same port. Bhe sang
for him In th twilight, old folk
songs, old love ballads, and there
waa one particularly haunting re
frain: Only come agiln In drenma,
And with the morning light ar
flciL
When she sung, that ho would
nit with his chin in his paJms and
star into the gathering shadow.
What happy hour these were to
him who had never known com
panionship! They were sometimes joined by
Craig, who waa arranging for a tour
In January. For he had taken ser
iously Bancroft' suggestion about
ploying to tho broken soldiers.
Nancy praised lilm generously, but
she did not know that for this noed
of praise Craig would have gone to
Dahomey and played before tho sav
afro king. But vaguely and resent
fully Bancroft comprehended this
fact.
Ono twilight Craig sat Ot tho
piano playing Chopin nocturnes.
Nancy had Ung Foo In her lap.
Jenny wa leaning against the
rlano. Bancroft sut in the Morria
chair, his head back, studying the
patch of reflected linht on the cell
ing. Craig turned.
"I say, you ample. Thanksgiv
ing in three days. Come up to my
home and have dinner with me.
Turkey, cranberry sauce and mince
pie. I'll set the hour at 5:30, ao we
can have about two hours before
theater. My aunt will coine In: sho
always does. What do you say?"
Jenny answered for everybody.
"Well, believe me, that'a th' best
muslo I ever heard! Will we go?
On'y a busted subway could hold us
back!"
To dine in a real home, thought
Nancy, with rooma and rooms to
meander about In, fine rug on the
floors, painting and tapestry on
the walls, and coxy bookshelves!
"Jenny is right," she said. "That
is good muslo to three lonesome
folks who were dully planning din
ner in a nearby restaurant. Of
course, we'll go."
Bancroft did not particularly care
for tho change in the plans of fes
tival. He would now have to share
these two with Craig, and he
shunted to ono side. He managed
however, to voice his acceptance
heartily enough.
Craig departed, and Jenny sang
his praises. Nancy turned on tho
lights and Bancroft approached a
window and stared into tho dim
configuration of back yards. Two
weeks, and beyond the purloining
of tho contract and prospectus ma
terial, the Great Adventure com
pany had not stirred In his direc
tion. Battle, m jrdor and sudden
death . . .
"I beg your pardon," he said.
"I was sayin'," said Jenny, "that
you're booked to tote me th' rounds
t'riight. Seo you after th' show.
Will you go, Nancy?"
"I shall be too tired."
Bancroft did not caro to gn the
rounds with Jenny; he wanted to
see Nancy homo from the theater,
but he had no good excuse to of
fer Jenny:
"fay, what's th' big idea?" de
manded Jenny, breathlessly.
"What Idea?" sold Bancroft.
"This yankin' me across alleys
's if you thought a truck was comln'
out."
"Did I?"
"You did, an' I felt my sleeve
seams rip. It ain't on'y t'night;
you've been uoin' it riicut along.
8om bill collector chasln' you?"
"Jenny, I'm afraid of alleys."
"Yes you are!"
"I'm not Jokliig. My horoscope
say "
"What kind of a acopo Is that?"
"The things that are going to hap
pen to you Horn' time In the future."
"O, you ain't talllu' ma you've
tnren visit In' molluma? I ran ao
you with th' ouij hoard on your
kMM-n i! You're goin't b rtu li
aoin day, an' marry a lowly g.il.
'Uvrd In prucu an' d.rd In greas
an' burl In mutton taller.' That')
wliat tby aaed f aay when I wa
a kid Mm Ix gon to alng;
Ut'U bug la tlu V
you u u
rn day!
II Ut:h-it, .Itnnv a im-1 rum.
puny. Pho waa never ast.1l. pliysl
rally or vocally, ami occax.oiiiUly,
wbtu aomth.ng touched her In-art,
she waa almost a beaut, fil m
Nancy,
"I am honestly afra.d of dark
alley way. Homo day tho I. tile bug
you speak about I go ng to Jump
out at me, and if I have i.iiid I'm
goiig to beat It u fast mm ever 1
can."
"Too nby for me! Bay, ain't
Nancy leg'lar, though? You don't
rvalues whut a smash aha' bad.
Mho's ulway been a bug on grand
opi-ra, an' old Horrentlno tells her t'
forget It an' stick t th' Job le'sgut.
Next year she'll be th' lwt com
edienne In America, f-'he N now,
but th' puhllo ain't wlso yet. That
mechanical doll stunt has got th'
critic comln' tack. What d' you
know about that?"
The elevated, roaring above them
for they were mounting the stairs
aved hint from commenting. It
waa a queer feeling, but he did not
Ilk to discus Nuncy with Jenny.
As they finally entered the hall
way of the house In Ninth street
titer hapiiened on of those tragi
comedies that are always treading
upon the heels of youth. Without
th least premonition of whut he
was going to do Bancroft threw his
arm clumsily around Jenny's neck
and kissed her.
Jenny stood perfectly still, the
color gone from her face, her mouth
partly open, and a something In her
eyea aa perhaps would come there
had the handsome boyish face van
ished, and a Japanese devil musk
replaced It.
"Jenny, Jenny! I didn't mean to
do that I'm sorry! But you looked
so sweet. I'm sorry. I didn't moan
to do It!"
That waa to bo Jenny's tragedy,
forever after. He was aorry. lie
hadn't meant to kiss her.
A kiss Is a perfectly foolish thing.
But what are you scientific: old gray
beards going to do about It? There
It is; dissect it, analyse it how you
will, but where do you go from
there? Nowhere. Who taught hu
man beings white human bolnga
to kiss ono another? Nobody. It
waa the Beginning of Things; It Is
with us Now: it will always be
Here. Bugs? Who cares?
Two pairs of lips, male and fe
male watch out! There It is, come
and gone, hence or whence notMidy
knows. Damnation sometimes; al
ways a revelation. It is often life
two clouds meeting, there is thun
der and lightning; again, it is aa
the fulling leaf touching the stream,
light and inconsequent. (Sometimes
there Is tho Inconsequence of the -leaf
on one side and thunder and
atark lightning on the other. Take
care! A queer unnameable reaction
upon the senses. The first gift we
receive, and the last, with innu
merable Intermediate instances.
The whites alone possess it, the
art of kissing. The Jap, viewing
white lovers on the screen, la
moved to laughter at the sight of
a man putting his lips to those of
a woman. The Jap docs not under
stand what It means. Neither do
we! It Is the act, the desire, that
is incomprehensible; but heaven
help us with the aftermath, that
is clear enough to us. We find our
selves trapped in tho mlddlo of an
manner of emotions, good and evil,
joyous and miserable, ecstatic and
despairing.
Boy- and girl presto! they aro
man and woman. It is instantane
ous. The bridgo goes smashing
down behind us, with never any
going back. We are in for It, wlily
nllly. As Bancroft and Jenny were in
for it. In kisa'ng Jenny, Bancroft
made the amaz'ng discovery that
he loved Nancy! All in a moment,
like that; by k'ss.'ng Jenny Malloy!
It was rlc.'ulous, it was inexpl'ca
ble, but the fact waa complete. He
had begun to love Nancy that
Htormy n!ght, when she had entered
tils bouse, drenched and footsore;
probably Immediately after that
smile of hers. The d'scovery of her
photograph in the lobby of the the
ater had given permanency to a
feeling which otherwise might have
been fleeting and In the day obliter
ated. Nancy Bowman, who hud the
town at her feet! What were seven
m II ons? Nothing. Whut chanca
ltad he, a country boy, against a
man of Crag's attainments? Non
whatever. Craig was rich, hand
some, Intellectual aud could play
the heart out of a woman If he
wanted to. H.i understood now th
ep'sodo of Jenny' party. Craig had
drawn Nancy to him. II under
stood now h'a own action, that of
Irtterrupt'ng them, " Jealousy. And
to 1ft th fog aurroundlng tbs
man'festat'nn by k'aa'ng Jnny
Malloyl II felt lik a mnnlkla
wh vMi manlpulut'nff wire rofua t
work.
And what of Jenny? In r--lvlng
that k'aa, ah, ton, nuvd diarew
ry; that tnved th' quwr "f
t-iter than I f ltalf. Thumb r 4
tVhtn ag. That k waa aa tor ut
of her ob t a th una star.
llaM m ra mM.)
V
