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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1924)
I, THE KING 1 By WAY LAND WELLS WILLIAMS. (CopyriffbC. 3924.) ' - _—J {Continued From tatanlir.) “What I've done is this," he went tin, with some difficulty. "I’ve put aside the safest investments, ltalf of them are bonds, and the stock are public utilities and things that won’t fluctuate much. They bring It, all totd, an income of something like twelve thousand a year. I.ater on, when things recover, they’ll bring more, hut not much.- Probably no' more than fifteen thousand, at the best. Well, these securities I'm plan ning to settle on you, absolutely, with out condition. "I'm not pretending, Mary, that It's much. I know it's a pretty poor ful fUlment of our marriage contract. It's —I . . . it's hard to say anything without implying that you married mo for money, which of course you didn't; but our marriage gives you certain rights in my money. Yc«t happiness and—and salvation lie in things that a big income gives, as mine lies in other things. On what I propose leaving you, you can’t have all those things. You can have safety and a certain amount of ease; a fl9t in New York and a trip abroad now and then and perhaps a car and chauffeur, but that's about ull. And, > Mary, if it isn't enough, l want you to sue so. Truthfully, because I've no right to buy my salvation at the expense of yours. I don't say I'll give up niy whole plan if you object, but I'll consider it, and perhaps modify it. At any rate l shan't consider it settled without knowing how you feel-'’ He stopped. The soft bright little room whs dead quiet; tlie new chintzes gave forth a light pleasant odor; a fragmentary whistling drifted in from rile crew's quarters. Mary looked at the end of her elgaret. flicked the ash off It and then suddenly pounded it out on a small brass tray. She leaned forward in her chair toward Kit. her arms resting on the table. “Then—you don’t want me?” she said. VIII. The words were like a two-edged knife ln a finely woven texture, the texture of Kit's talk and all that lay behind it. The whole prayerfully de vised pattern lay inshreds between them. “Why," he said, and felt his heart give a curious flutter, "why. I haven't considered that, Mary. I’ve been tak ing <t pretty selfish point of view all along, but ‘that's really one thing I haven't allowed myself to think fcbout.” •“What?” Her question was blind, ducnli. like a stupid child’s. "Why, whether I want you to—to share this exile with me. I thought your freedom was the best I could olfier you—and the least.” Phe flicked her hand impatiently. **!n^5n't go on like that." "Like what'.”' ' “tn that . . . impersonal way." He stifled a laugh, not having been aware of impersonality, exactly. But Mary was deadly serious. ".Don't tell me," she went on, *nd deep feeling suddenly vibrated In her voice, “that when you've found yourself at last—come to see the world from your right point of view —I've got no place in it?" “Place?” he stammered. “Why, you'll always have a place—" “You don't suppose," Mary broke in,.“that I haven't known you weren't .yourself, ail this year? Kver since before we were married? It's lieen plain as a pikestaff. It was as if you we he in a trance. It was for what you'd he when you came out of it— nn<J to help you out, if possible—that I married you." “That was dear of you," said Kit fatuously. He was alive now with hope and excitement, but Mary had ttW lead and was talking on, with cvaF growing tire. •“Of course, I haven’t been able to lift a finger to help you out. Perhaps that gives you some.rigbt to shove me uside. but not all—oh, not nil, when I've watched for It and wanted it so! And now that it's come, you don't think I don't appreciate it, do you? TThJ, it's superb. Giving all you're gmng up, Just for a conviction—it's the most magnificent tiling I ever saw. And in spite of all this, not to be with you, not to mean one con flBJk ded tiling—" ,\Iary!" lie cut in sharply. “Do you mean you want to go to Dimchuri h with me?” She looked at him as one would look at a perfect fool, and spoke as if at the height of an argument. “But of course I want to go to Dimchurch With you! Kamchatka, if you like;” “Really?" he pursued in wonder “Give up New York? Restaurants? Music?" "Why, yes:" "This—society thing'.’" "Why, of course. That's nothing but a game. As soon as I found I could play it I began to lose interest in it.” "And you’re interested in me?" “Well, I believe so;" “Ah, but you aren't sure.” he said, sinking back ,n hls chair, remem bering something. This was just a generous impulse on her part, beau tiful but transient; he must not take advantage of it. "What do you mean? Mary fol lowed him. up. "Can't I I* Inter ested in anything but cafes and Schu mann if I want to? Is It so absurd to be interested in one's own hus band?'* "Why, no. The point Is, T killed all that In you. How could It have been otherwise, the way I carried on? That, was why you took It that way, when VI came into if.” "VI? Did she come into it, after all?" ,“I mean, when I did that funny , thing, and asked you to get her away. You were dear about it, perfectly fine, but—" "Oh. God’," said Mary, thumping the table. "I see! I see it now. You were worried because I wasn't jealous of VI! Was that it?" "Weil—” "Jealous!" cried Mary, her eyes flashing with a kind of angry amuse ment. ‘'Jealous! As If I didn’t hope and pray that VI would get you, from the very start! As though—oh, l don't know. I couldn’t help but hate her, of course, and hate the Idea; and yet I knew that if she once drugged you down It would do the trick. It COtlldn't have failed—with you." "What trick?" "Why. give you a big Jolt, shake yciu out of the trance. What you needed, youi so careful and orderly and refined every minute, was onp large, wholesome humiliation. I thought VI would give It to you—not consciously, oh no. hut that you'd wake up and see afterward. I'd lose you for a while, yes, but I knew thore'd be something different, and better. In your place." "Well, of all the—" "It didn't even need that, it seems •—a simple drunken orgy was enough T'd thought of that too. Often and •lUn this winter, when n mans been carried feet first out of a dame, I ve thought, ‘Oh. If that could only hap pen to Kit Newell. Just once "Jlut why should you lippa for such a thing? It might have meant "ft never could have meant but one ♦ htW with you. W lie t do you t hln I you are a kind of Nero? Jla! A man that keeps a bottle of Indelible Ink In his top bureau drawer, to mark his collars with the minute he buys them, and marks them, too—he isn't the kind of man that’s likely to go very far on the Primrose Path." "Well, I'll he darned!" said Kit, his jaw dropping. "Vi!" went on Mary angrily. "Why, I fairly jumped with Joy when you said you might be in love with her. Your telling me like that—everything In first-rate order. l.ook here: do you suppose you'd have breathed such a thing to me. If you'd really loved her? Pooh! How can a man be such a fool about himself?” There was something about her in dignation that struck him as supreme !y funny: there was really so little to be indignant about now. He threw his head back in one burst of laugh ter that pricked her anger like a bub ble; then he got up, drew her by her hands out of her chair and kissed her soundly on the mouth. "There!" he said, patting her shoulders approving ly. "You're the most wonderful woman God ever made." "I’m not." said Mary, for some reason holding on to her indignation. "Just a little plain horse sense," a little—’’ "Ah, of course you talk nonsense. But for the grace of God I might have gone straight to the devil under your treatment . . . Well, perhaps not. Anyway, God was gracious, so we'll call you right.—You haven't kissed me.” "I don't want to—" "Vou—’’ "—because I like to think about doing It. If you knew how long I’ve . . . There, oh. Lord, my hair. My, you did give me a turn! I was just afraid you didn't like me any more." She stood facing him, her shoul ders limp in his hands, her head thrown liack a little, smiling delicious ly. "Is this real?" she breathed. “Does it* come this way, so,—so normally? I didn't think " "Don't think!" "No. Only, can it last?" "It'll last,” said Kit. "like indelible ink;” and they giggled helplessly. "Oh,” said Mary, looking up, “1 want a house on a select residential street, with two cement things lead ing to the garage behind. And a front parlor, too small for the grand piano, so that the neighbors'll say were living above our station. And the works of Schumann, five volumes, on top of it. I'll play In the evening, anil you’ll he so bored, and go to sleep, and pretend you haven’t. Then In summer we’ll go out for a ride In the Ford—can we go a Ford?" “I think so." "And a maid? Just one?" "Why, yes. After all, your for tune—” "What?’’ "Our fortune—will be twelve thou sand a year. One doesn't exactly starve on that, you know." "Doesn't one?” said Mary, looking at. him. “Are you sure? I've starved on twelve hundred, which was what Father allowed me, and I’ve starved on eighty thousand. T think I've starved every minute of my life, till now." "It's late,” said Kit, "nearly eleven. Hadn't we better join those people?" "I suppose so," sad Mary. "Do we have to go? What a here!” "l.ook here, let’s pretend it’s n game, one last game. let’s pretend we’re a rich lady and gentleman en tertaining a party of fashionable friends—Viscountesses and such—on our yacht. And they've gone ashore to dance. And we'll go over in a launch and dance with them for a while, and then bring them hack and sit around eating sandwiches In a chintz saloon till all hours, talking like rich, fashionable people. It’ll be so nice afterward, when v.c find jt isn't true!” "Ail right." said Mary, responding "Let’s he very bored and calm and witty, like people on the stage, alt gardenias and spats—only it Isn’t the time of day for spats, is it? So cyni cal and worldly—oh, couldn’t we have some one almost compromised? Y'achte are splendid for that!' The words brought something hack ! to Kit. He looked around the bright i little room and sighed. “Poor old! yacht. My mother used to lie so sn k 1 on her. She always thought slje'd get over it, but she never did." "Dear yaelit." said Mary softly, fol lowing his thought. "I suppose she'll have to go?" “Wo certainly couldn't run hot and I doubt if we could even k*o(, her. Better sell her, if we can get a good price." • "Yes. Wo'il get another some time, when you've made your Works pa\ again. Only . . . the old days, some now. Your mother and father, and their friends—It was nice, wasn't it’’ Plenty of money, but no hurry, no Jazz, no cheapness. Will dnys like that ever come back, do you think?" "I don’t think I can bring them, at least not tonight. But some things are pretty nice as they are. seems to me. Come on, dee.,-, the launch La waiting." They went up Into the dark, end descended a small flight of steps lead ing obscurely Into a bobbing boat. A man half rose from his s*at, touched his cap and bent over the engine, and they sat down In the forward cockpit. The launch cast off. the yacht moved slowly away, the yellow' lights (lowing from her ports and skylights. Kit and Mary watched her, their hands joined in the darkness. The launch gave a sneeze and plunged forward anil about, humming comfortably. The harbor yawned in front, broken by the dim forms of anchored boats, slim and shipshape. black or white, teetering with the waves or vastly immovable. J.ights swung from their mastheads and glit tered from their hulls. Afar on shore gleamed a chain of whiter points; from behind these, fugitive!}', at the will of the breeze, came a soft mooing of brass horns. A ship’s bell clanged. The water, black and choppy, was riddled with moving high light". Oc casionally launches darted about, chugging feverishly and blowing sirens; waves divided from their sterns, deflecting channels of light that, swept smoothly out at an ex paneling angle. Soon the> broke, scat tered. coalesced with other lights, sub sided. The expanse was a welter of struggle between living light and dead darkness; to look at it was like look ing at chaos. Mary and Kit sat blinking and speechless before it, but their craft, guided by the unseen man it the wheel, plunged steadily through It Mud carried them safely to the lu tiding. iThe Knd.) Dance Hall Law Sought. Mpsrlal Dispatch »o The nm«rti Bee. York, Neb., Dec. 14.—Mayor Colton of York aud the member* of the city council have under consideration an ordinance to control il^1 fuildlc dance halls of the city. ' THE NEBBS . BLIND JUSTICE. Directed for The Oroah^Bce by Sol Hess /TOUR .HONOR. I P\CKED SATURDAY ( *VH»S MAN UP ON MA\N ' OiinwPU STREET GOVNG HO MUXS - RUDOLPH ^ HOUR AND I GAVE WEBS V wiM A T\CXET. HE SA\D HE WAS \WA$> GOING "VO GET ARRESTED Ky °06, FOR FAST DRWiNG US CASE COMES UP ~VHVS MORWVWG ♦ lag 1 _ /TOUR HONOR,1 WAS WAVE BEEN GOVNG) ( A UTTLE VASTER THAN THE SPEEO \ UNUT BUT NOT AO NVLES AN HOUR - \ I had a VERV VfrAPORTANT ENGAGEMENT WTHTHEPRES\OENT OF MW BANK AND WAS LATE AND WHEN THiS OFFICER ROLLED along Side or m car moo would twnk Vhe was herdwg cattle -Mou'D Think —? he WAS TAUONG to A BaniOt ( /- -'W _ INSTEAD or A RESPECTABLE ) \t \ -“--—) i-fiW r-n. » a / A //? \ I v r^Si h iL' ]t j i - . _HI /MR NEBB. VM GO'NG TO PROPOSE TO^ THE MASOR AnO ThE C'Ty COUNCIL TO \ MARE AN APPROPRIATION mo SEmD OOP] OFFICERS To A Finishing SCmooi So They can talk RESPECTFully To Ol)R lain offenders . in the meantime STEP OVER To The Clerk AnD 7 AM A fine of as dollars And costs and IF MOD EVER GO TEARING Through OoR STREETS AT HO MILES An H0uP h again moo'D better have the president and ThE 3an/ I -MJITH sou IF MO j come J ( to this Court Copyright,!#^ iyrint Ball f I'M SUPPOSEO TO BE IK RESPECTFUL \ CmiEN OP SOME \MPORTAUCr BUT MOT' ^ iN-TWfCT COURT • HE TOO* TMAT ate^'fsssffir? W TO WjJgMM »* 'ISottLS^aju ON AtsiOTKEP g5 FO* nA*> r,xf?^, / K " & tf^ -■ CO. f> .Oftaut ON - Barney Google and Spark Plug Drawn for The Omaha>Bee by Billy DeBeck AM t C0Ar4A DO, i AO^jR **0 AT tg itfi i I ij'MIfl OECER To j EuSOllteH.' 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