8 D
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: JULY 16, 1916.
Th
e
Gfcip
of
Evil"
By LOUIS TRACY
Author of "Ho Winn of th Morning," "The Pillar of Light,"
"The Terms of Surrender," "Number 17,".. Etc.
Novelised from tho Series of Photoplay! of tho Same Nam.
Released by Path.
Copyright, 1916, by Louia Tracy.
CAST OF CHARACTERS.
JOHN BURTON, foreman at th.
Ptainfiesd Steal work, heir to a
largo oatato and tenth marquu of
Caatleton.
MARY TEMPLE, daughter of the
president of the Plainfield Steel
company.
MR. REEVES, manager of the Plain
. field Steel company, engaged to
Mary.
REV. THOMAS B RANTON, min
bter. BILL THOMPSON, friend and fel.
low worker of John's.
FLORA, girl frieind of John's.
FIRST EPISODE.
"FATE."
CHAPTER 1.
The Catting of th Ingot."
"Stand by!"
A group of men surrounding a mon
strous pot of molten metal heard the
warning shout Each took up his ap
pointed position, a skilled hand
touched a lever, and the huge crucible
tilted slowly on its axis, discliaring
a torrent of fluid steel into the waiting
mold. So piercing was the vomit of
flanie, so intense the heat, that it
seemed as though the flesh must
shrivel and the eyes melt if any hu
man being remained in close proxim
ity, yet the man who had uttered the
order, and was evidently superintend
ing the operations, peered camly into
the depths of the shimmering mass in
the mold after the crucible was empty
and had swung back on its pivot.
He was young, not more than thirty,
tall, sinewy, . splendidly built, with a
face in which tenacity of purpose and
strength of will blended with an al
most feminine tenderness. Though
clad in the rough and soiled clothing
necessarily affected by the employees
of the .Plainfield Steel company, he
W the bearing of a born leader of
men. When he spoke the words
came with decision and good humor.
He might have been a genial czar
marshalling his cohorts. At times he
would be content with a regal ges
ture; thus, he merely signed now to
a quartet of begrimed satellites, who
wheeled away the mold to another
section of the factory.
Wiping the ' perspiration from his
forehead with the back of one hand,
with the other he caught the shoulder
of an undersized, pallid, intellectual
looking mechanic who had been in
charge of an electric winch during the
casting.
There goes another block of good
American steel to blow men like you
and me into smithereens in Europe,
Bill" he said.
"Right you are," came the answer
ing growl. "Why do we workingmtn
stand for it? I tell you, we're lot of
fools"
The shriek of a factory whistle an
nouncing the hour of noon and
the instant rush of all hands for
their lunch pails, cut short the im
minent flood of radical sentiments,
because Bill Thompson was the rec
ognized mouthpiece of the labor
world in Plainfield, whereat the stal
wart, cherry-faced young man who
had unwittingly given him his cue
waa its leader in most matters per
taining to hard work, lighthearted
badinage and every rough game
demanding physical fitness.
But there was a serious side to
John Burton's character. Though his
experience of- life hitherto had sup
plied but little reason for belief in
anything outside the crude facts of
existence, in his unoccupied hours
he was by way of being a reader,
thinker, almost a student of men and
things. By chance this element in
his nature was brought to the sur
face before the laughing, jollying
crowd of which he formed a note
worthy unit had ended the meal they
were consuming in the open airof
the factory yard.
A billsticker came in, clearly by
permission of the management and
pasted a heavy type poster on a wall
near the gate. It read:
HIT THE SAWDUST TRAIL
WITH
REV. THOMAS BRANTON,
WHO IS WORKING NIGHT
AND DAY
TO BEAT THE DEVILl
COME AND HEAR THE RE
VIVALIST TELL ABOUT
PRACTICAL RELIGION .
' IN THE BIG TENT
ELM AND LOCUST STS.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD?
This bizarre appeal flared its mes
sage to the motely gathering. Its
effect varied. Some of the men
. laughed, some criticised, a few frank
ly swore. Finally one tousle-haireds
Hercules smote an empty box with
a sledge-hammer fist.
"Up you get John I" he bellowed.
"Sling us some hot stuff! Guess you
can put as much pep into an oration
as any Rev. Branton."
Now, Burton was a born speaker,
and there waa nothing he liked bet
ter than holding forth to his mates
on any topic which he had really
mattered. 'Oddly enough, those
words, "practical religion," vibrated
some chord deep-seated in his soul,
lie mounted the box at once and be
gan a fluent harangue on the forgoing
of a tteet ingot in an American fac
tory, with its probable infernal out
come in the killing and maiming of
men, and, it might be, of women
and children in some beleaguered
city or stricken battlefield . of far
away Europe. ' '
At the outset he was lightly humor
ous at the expense of the emperors
and kings in those old world lands Of
which he really knew so little. But
soon his tone grew grave and impas
sioned; his audience was mute and
spellbound when a turning of elbows
on the part of several of the men
, standing near the gate drew his
glance to three people who had just
entered the factory yard. 1 x -
The most striking personality
among them wat undoubtedly a young
woman petite, aeii-possessea young
person, dressed in the height of fash
ion, who carried herself with that air
of distinction which seems to be the
- birthright of every American girl
whose purse permits her to disprove
the old adage that "Beauty unadorned
it adorned the most"
With her was a smartly dressed, de
bonair young man, whom Burton rec
ognized as Mr. Reeves, the manager
of the company. The benevolent fea
tures and clerical attire of a second
and older man suggested that same
Kcv. Thomas Branton whose mani
festo had provided a text for the
orator.
.lolin gui-sseil that the lady was
Mary Temple, daughter of the presi
dent of the Plainfield Steel company,
and rumor, which in thin instance was
well founded, had it that she was en
gaged to Reeves,
As the dinner hour had .not yet ex
pired, Burton saw no reason why he
should discontinue his speech, but
there could be no doubt that the lat
est and most unexpected addition to
his audience affected him powerfully.
He chose his words with greater care.
He spoke earnestly. Half uncon
sciously, he began addressing every
phrase to Mary Temple; she, on her
part, was evidently drawn by the
man's magnetic power, because she
advanced closer to the edge of the
crowd and listened with unrestrained
interest. .
He was dealing with the advantages
of democratic control, which, he con
tended, if fully established in Europe,
wouia nave prevented tne war now
so ruthlessly outraging the oldest of
civilizations. He was not afraid,
however, to point out that democracy
had its weakness as well as its
strength, and instanced the power
wielded by trusts in. America, which
had beenpermitted by the careless
ness of the people to grow into an
octopus. .
Mary followed the argument in
tently. Even Mr. 'Reeves, the man
ager, discontinued his conversation
with the clergyman and paid close
heed to the enunciation of principles
which he necessarily regarded as
harmful and incendiary.
Now, it is probable that Burton
would not have gone so far had he
not been fascinated, perhaps even
somewhat flattered, by the attention
given him by the president's daugh
ter. As it was. he rattier foro-nt him.
self, and handled his subject in no
measured tasnion, though with an
earnestness that commanded respect,
and a skill that was distinctly re
markable in a man of no education.
But the factory whistle broke in
on. his thoughts, and incidentally
brought the meeting to an abrupt
close. With rapid transition from
grave to gay, Burton laughed and
jumped down from the box. The
men applauded him for what they
regarded as the greatest speech they
had ever heard him deliver, and hur
ried back to work, whereupon Mary
Temple turned to Reevet and asked
the name of the speaker.
"That's John Burton," laid the
manager, smiling to hide his annoy
ance. "He can talk like a book. -it
a first-rate worker and the most popu
lar man in tne factory plant."
Mr. Branton called Mary's atten
tion To tne poster, which she surveyed
with approval, and the girl's thoughts
were momentarily taken off the good
looking young workman whom she
had just seen and listened to.
She did not mention him again,
though she sought for him with her
eyes when Reeves brought their el
derly companion into the factory and
began explaining the operations of
the varioua machines. John, too, saw
her, and did not scruple to give her
an admiring glance. She turned her
head away quickly too quickly, in
fact and then had some little diffi
culty in conquering the self-conscious
blush which admitted the fascination
she wat exerting over such common
clay as one of the employes in her
father's works. .-..-. -
- When their visitors passed out of
sight John asked Thompson if he
knew who the girl was, ,
"Of course I know her," said he.
"She it old Temple's daughter, one
of the goody-goody, psalm-singing
sort, too, though she doesn't look it
with those fine duds of hers. She's
a supporter of Branton, the revival
ist. An 'ardent church worker,' they
call her. I call her a thief, walking
around with enough furs and clothea
on her back to pay for a year's keep
for a dozen men like you and me.
And we're the boobs that put up with
it, more't the pityC
"Oh, ttow that rubbish I" said
John, good naturedly. "You and I
are just worth the figures on the
payroll, Bill. If we had brains and
ability to get other men to work for
us, maybe we would start a fine line
of kids just 'like that one and rig
them up to beat the band."
Singularly enough the topic crop
ped up again on the following Sat
urday afternoon, when Bill Thomp
son and Burton happened to receive
their pay envelopes at the same time,
and turned into the street simul
taneously. Each man counted 1 his
money. John slipped his few dollars
carelessly into a pocket, but Bill
snapped a contemptuous remark as to
the smatlness of the amount, wherein
his tall companion agreed with him
in an offhand way. Truth to tell, the
matter did not worry him greatly. At
that moment he had seen across the
street his friend Flora, a somewhat
garishly ' attired girl of the loud
mouthed, slangy, gum-chewing type
who was passing with a companion.
Flora smiled and shouted a friendly
greeting, which John returned with
his customary cheerfulness.
"Can we come along?" he cried.
"Sure!" giggled Flora. "Bring your
friend, too, and then we'll be real
company."
This hearty reception ted to an in
vitation to a drink; the two couples
entered a saloon and seated them
selyes at a table, while John signaled
to a waiter to bring "four." Burton,
who was out for a good time, kissed
Flora, without the least hesitation, a
personal attention which she seemed
to regard as her due, John being her
"feller" for the time being. But Bill
Thompson was not minded to indulge
in any such amatory passages. Ever
a moody, brooding creature, he was
still vindictive concerning the amall
ness of the amount he had earned
during the week.
"We work like dogs for next to
nothin'," he was saying to the other
girl. "But somethin's going to happen
soon. See if it don't. We didn't form
a union for fun. What do you think
of it, John? If Temple and nit crowd
are rakin' in big profits, why should
n't you and I have a share? Why
shouldn't these girls be togged up as
fine as Mary Temple?"
"Why not?" laughed John. "Flora
here is as good looking as Mary."
Flora bridled at that.
"As good looking, indeed!" she
cried. "Do you compare me with that
little thing? What sort of figure has
she. I'd like to kuow, by the side of
me?" -
: jft, f J" fflfc
aw a ,v jU
MARY TEMPLE ORDERS BURTON
. FROM HER HOME.
"She don't amount to a row of
beans," he chuckled.
Bill Thompson, however, though a
oersistent oerson. was by no means
self-seeking. The mere fact that Bur
ton seemed to be popular witn nis
fellow-workers caused Thompson to
make use of him. Thus, when the
union decided that shorter hours and
an increased rate of pay should be
demanded from the company, Burton,
actually without hia own knowledge
or consent, waa appointed spokesman
of a deputation which was to wait on
President Temple. He was surprised
when the selection was made known
to him, but, in the happy-go-lucky
way which cloaked his real strength
of character, he entered into the pro
ject more as an adventure than at a
terious undertaking which might af
fect the whole course ot his tuture
life.
Thompson, together with the other
moving spirits in the union, decided
to strike while the iron waa hot, A
messenger was sent to the president's
office to say that some of the men
wanted to see him. Naturally Mr.
Temple wished to know their busi
ness, but the boy who brought the
message was unable to state It,
though he added, on hia own respon
sibility, that the crowd looked "ugly."
' Greatly surprised, the president sent
for Mr. Reeves, and, after a brief
consultation with his manager, de
cided to hear what the men had to lay,
wnereupon the deputation entered the
office and John waa thrust forward
to formulate their demands.
The president waa verv anarv and
told Burton and the others point blank
mat ne would not yield to any ot their
requests, whereupon the workers, in
turn, lost their temper and began
breathing threats. Thompson, being
a little man, was hidden by his more
stalwart mates, but he had the wit to
choose the psychological moment
when to utter the ominous word,
"Strikel" .
Burton, glib as ever, took it up and
put the matter into plain English.
This was the one small spark needed
to fire a mine charged with high ex
plosive. White with rage, Temple ordered
the deputation out of the office,
storming at them at if they were so
many dogs. In consequence, they left
him in the worst possible frame of
mind, and Burton was so carried
away by the aituation that when he
faced the main body of workers, gath
ered in the factory yard, and recited
the unsatisfactory result of the inter
view, he was almost as keen aa
Thompson or any of the others to
urge a strike in behalf of their rights.
Transition from spoken threata to
overt actiont it perilously easy in
such conditions. Almost before the
leaders of the union well knew what
was happening, some irresponsible
youths in the crowd threw stones
through the office windows. Mr.
Reeves chose that unfortunate mo
ment to gaze out at the mob, and a
heavy missile covered him with brok
en glass and narrowly missed his
head. He took shetter hurriedly. The
president, filled with fury against
these disobedient "slaves," grabbed
the telephone and called for the po
lice station. The riot developed rap
idly. Nearly every pane of glass in
the office wat broken within a few
minutes. John, supported by hia
saner-minded comrades, had great
difficulty in saving the factory itself
from being fired.
Burton wat using all hit eloquence
to persuade the crowd to go home
and await the outcome of a meeting
to be held that night, when the tu
mult in the atreet outside the factory
Sate reached tuch dimensions that
e, with others, ran out to tee what
new development had taken place.
He plunged into an extraordinary
and painful acene. Mary Temple,
wholly unconacioua of the sudden de
velopments at the works, had come
in her car on a visit to her father, and
was now 'surrounded by a mob of
several hundreda of wildly excited
women. Unfortunately, in the con
fusion, the chauffeur had not noticed
a small child in the way of the car.
The child, a girl, was knocked down
and rendered unconscious, and was
now lying wan and limp in her fren
zied mother's arms. . ,
Explanations or regrets wera worse
than useless. A number of enraged
women, mostly mothers, leaped at the
car and attacked Mary Temple vici
ously. They struck at her, tore her
clothing, tmathed her hat and evi
dently meant to pull her into the
roadway. The chauffeur endeavored
to save his mistress by starting the
engine, whereupon he, too, was
grabbed and very roughly handled.
Tit unhappy girl's shrieks served
iCjfi o I
k retgL J
BURTON LEARNS HE HAS INHERITED
EARLDOM.
MILLIONS AND AN
only to rouse her assailants to a pitch
of ungovernable frenzy, and soon,
wholly overcome by , fear and ex
haustion, she became almost uncon
scious. Indeed, she was in very real peril,
when Burton forced his way through
the mob, tore open the door of the
car and lifted her in his arms.
' CHAPTER II.
"Hitting the Trail"
Burton was barely able to snatch
Mary to safety when the car caught
fire, the gasoline tank blew up and
the costly vehicle became a mass of
fire. A few of the angry women tried
to bar the rescuer's path, but John
hugged the girl to his breast with his
left arm, while, with the right, he
swept aside some half-hearted as
sailants, and carried the scape-goat of
the accident to the child into her
father's office.
Mary, who had never quite lost con
sciousness, was almost paralyzed with
terror until she found herself in the
strong embrace of a man whose
dauntless manner brought with it a
sense of security. She half opened
her eyes and listened to what he was
saying, though John was not in the
habit of mincing his words. Then,
with a sigh of relief, she nestled
closer. For the moment she forgot
the difference of station. She was
only aware of being a weak and help
less woman and that this big, strong
man waa protecting her. like aome
ancient knight of chivalry daring the
dragon which would slay an innocent
maid.
The two had just reached the door
of the office when a police wagon
dashed into the street and the repre
sentatives of law and order began dis
persing the crowd, partly by persua
sion, partly by the vigorous use of
their sticks. The police did not stop
to inquire who was in fault. . There
was a mob, some windows were
broken, and a car was in flames
these obvious items sufficed 1
't was a singular fact that neither
the girl's father nor her fiance had the
slightest inkling of the peril she had
incurred. The stone hurtling through
the window had forced them to seek
shelter in a corner of the room, so
they did not even know of the car's
presence. They were, therefore, very
much surprised when Mary entered,
leading John Burton by the hand.
John had set her down in the lobby
and was turning to go, when she had
held him and pulled him into the of
fice after her. Rushing to her father,
the girl told him of the terrible occur
rences of the past few minutes and
expiated on her rescuer's heroism.
. Those fearful creatures outside
would have left me to burn to death,"
she cried impulsively, "if this brave
man had not swept them aside and
brought me in here to safety. I had
the narrowest of escapes. . I was just
lifted clear of the car when the traso-
Jine took fire and the limousine burst
into flames."
"You forgot that th women were
excited by the injury to the poor little
girl," put in Burton, almost timidly.
"Oh, no, I don't It waan't my
fault the. child ran right under the
wheels!"
The president was greatly shaken
by the dramatic developments of the
hour, but he waa naturally thankful
fcr the preservation of hit daughter
from a terrible death, and thanked
John warmly. -
"You must forget what I said to
you just now, my lad," he said. "You
are a cut above those idiots outside.
Don't waste yourself on them any
longer. They are nothing but cattle,
fit only to drive. You can make
something of yourself, if you want to.
You're the right sort of metal. Look
at me! I was a messenger boy once;
today I'm a millionaire, self-made. In
this world a man is just what he
makes himself. That is the law. There
is nothing else to it"
Burton, notwithstanding his usual
readiness of speech, was now quite
tongue-tied. He took the president's
outstretched hand bashfully and shook
hand with Reeves and Mary, not fail
ing to notice that the girl clasped his
work-hardened fingers in both of her
small, welt-manicured hands; then,
after a moment's hesitation, he hur
ried out.
By this time the police had cleared
the street. Burton, his head in a
whirl, walked to his humble rooms
and there dressed himself in a better
suit of clothes than that which he
wore while at work. Anxious to avoid
his" comrades for the time, and in the
belief that a novelty might distract
his thoughts, he made his way to the
great tent in which Rev. Thomas
Branton was conducting his religious
service. .
Near the entrance he encountered
Flora, who also was attired in her
holidaybest. With the fickleness of
her sex, she greeted John with much
disdain. Hardly taking this attitude
as personal, he asked if she would go
with him to the revival meeting,
whereupon Flora sniffed and tossed
her head.
"Huh I I should say not!" she cried.
"Be seen with you? Nothin' doin'l
I'm going out with a feller that ain't
on strike. He's workin' an' willin' to
spend his money showin' me a good
time. I. ain't got any use for idle
bums like you."
Here, then, was a new point of view
for John. One of the very people
whom he meant to benefit by the de
mand of shorter hours and better pay
was annoyed with him because of his
own self-sacrifice. Indeed, he had the
mortification of seeing the girl stroll
in with her new man, a grocery clerk,
who, by the way, seemed little pleased
with the situation when he discovered
the size and quality of his displaced
rival. John, however, was more
amused than piqued, and laughingly
shrugging his shoulders strode away
m the direction of the tent
Branton was discoursing with real
fervor, and John watched the effect
of the preacher's eloquence in per
suading people to "hit the sawdust
trail" until his own' attention was dis
tracted from the more serious pur
pose of the gathering by the thrilling
discovery that Mary Temple occupied
a seat on the platform. From that
moment he took no great interest in
anything but the girl
He hung about until the meeting
was closed, and contrived to meet
Mary who was being escorted home
by the minister. She greeted him
warmly and introduced him to Mr.
Branton. John, more for the sake of
saying something than because of any
active zeal, asked the revivalist how
he managed to tway an audience so
effectively.
"Mv dear vounor man." said Mr,
Branton, "it is not I who make people
believe. I am only an humble instru
ment in the hands of that ' Higher
Power which rules us all and controls
our destinies. , Deny or ignore it
though we may, the Divine Influence
is there all the time, sooner or later,
it makes its oresence felt in the life ol
every man and every woman. Some
day soon, perhaps it will stir your
spirit, and then 1 hope to see you
with us in service and prayer.
For some reason, which one at least
of her hearers could not fathom, Mary
Temple seemed to be disturbed by the
minister's words.- She broke off the
conversation rather hurriedly, and
John felt that he had been effectually
if tactfully, dismissed. He sought a
quiet restaurant and ate a much
needed meal, sauntering home after
wards and sitting down to a book and
a pipe.
Those who knew Burton only at
work or play might have been vastly
surprised had they peered, over his
shoulder and learned the nature of
the philosophical work that now en
gaged his attention. He was a slow
and careful reader, allowing no pas
sage to escape his attention until its
meaning was thoroughly mastered
He had the habit, too, of marking sen
tences which appeared to invite sub
sequent reflection. On this occasion.
he took the troubble to underline a
few lines which read:
"The observant man, seeing wrong
so often triumphant or seemingly so
is plunged into a maze of doubt and
can be forgiven if he asks himself: Is
humanity in the grip of evil?"
John frowned over the phrase, It
would seem that Temple, the steel
magnate, and Branton, .the preacher,
were utterly at variance on the chief
issues of life. Which was nahtf
On the one hand, it was surely fit
ting that a man ahould endeavor to
improve his position in the world. On
the other, had not the revivalist
quoted the divine mandate: ; "Sell
what thou hast and give it unto the
poor, and follow me." Was there
no right middle way between these
two extremes?
Burton was chewing his pipe over
this knotty problem when his land
lady, a slatternly woman, entered and
announced in a voice of awe:
'There a a lady to see you. She's
come here in a car." .
"A lady? said John, with sudden
throb of hope that it might be Mary.
"Yep. I put her in the parlor." John
wriggled into his coat, trying to dust
his clothes and smooth his hair simul
taneously, and followed the woman
uownsiairs. ,
Despite his daring anticipation, he
was nevertheless surprised at finding
Miss temple actually awaiting him.
She, of course, was completely at
ease, and 'lost no time in making
known the object of her visit.
"I am glad you are. home," she said,
and her voice sounded strangely
sweet in the ears of a man accustomed
only to the raucous accents of the
factory and the street "I have just
been to the homes of some of the poor
people. You know how they live,
never saving a cent. . They will soon
be in desperate want. Oh, Mr. Bur
ton, they ought to go back to work!"
: John , hardly knew what to tay.
Mary was the last person in the'world
whom he wanted to contradict but
his innate candor conquered. -
It is only fair to point out that the
people themselves voted for . the
strike," he said. - 1
Oh, yes, agreed Mary, earnestly.
"1 am well aware ot tnat, out ine
truth is that they do not know what
is best for them. They need leading,
directing. I believe you have influ
ence with them: You could make them
go back to work at once, and I am
convinced it is your duty to do so."
The girls presence was very frag
rant in that frowsy room, bhe
brought with her a breath of new and
exotic life. Her big eyes looked up
into the man's appealingly. Seeming
to tense her power, she drew nearer
and whispered: , '
"You must do this tor tneir saKes
and for minel"
John capitulated. For her sake he
would do almost anything.. But the
first real service he could render her,
he thought, would be to strangle that
smug-looking person. Reeves, to
whom she was supposed to be en
gaged. Having gained her point, Mary
Temple hastened out and was seated
in the car before John had time to
open the door for her. He had intend
ed not to go to the meeting ot the
union that night, but the promise just
made rendered his oresence there
necessary. With a sigh for he hated
all this turmoil and angry discussion
he went to the hall and faced his- fel
low workmen.
And he surpassed himself. Quite
unconsciously he adopted some of the
revivalist preacher's phrases and
ideas, welding them into his own
rugged and forcible expressions.
Bill Thompson, a level-headed fellow.
soon realized tht some extraordinary
influence was at work or Burton
would never have Kone back on the
very principles he was wont to ad
vocate so strongly.' He tried, there
fore, to get the men to postpone a
decision till next day. But the young
orator's eloquence was more power
ful than the older man s experience.
The strike was declared at an end
and John and hia mates went back to
work; but never sight or sound oi
Marv Temole was vouchsafed during
a week or more, to the man whose
waking thoughts and nightly dreams
were ever of her. -
At last Burton could bear the ten
sion no longer; he dressed in his good
clothes pne evening after leaving
work and resolved to call on Miss
Temple, with the pretext of inquiring
as to whether or not she had com
pletely recovered from the effects of
the riot. Outside his boarding house
he encountered Bill Thompson and
another workman.
"Hello!" he said cheerfully.
"Comin' to the union meetin'?" in
quired Bill.
Burton shook his head.
' "I "V , - .ivn, I' J
how. I may drop in later. See you
then, perhaps.
His abstracted manner, no lest than
hit spruce attire, puzzled Thompson.
"Whst'a wrong wi' John?" inquired
the other man.
"The same old atory," taid Thomo-
son sadly. "He's being fooled by a
woman, I guess."
John walked straight to the fash
ionable quarter of the town, in which
the Temple mansion occupied one of
the largest and most exclusive sites.
It was not John's way to abandon an
enterprise once he had undertaken it,
so he rang the bell without hesitation,
gave his name and was admitted by
a doubtful-eyed maid when he asked
to see Miss Temple.
After a slight delay, he was ushered
into a richly furnished drawing room,
and found Mary there with her
fiance. The girl was in evening drest.
A superb diamond necklace flashed
from the white skin of her throat
There were diamonds in her hair,
in her corsage and on her fingers.
The glitter of them seemed to dazzle
lohn. It Was with a Dositive efforf
hat he forced a halting tongue to
announce the purpose ot his visit.
The girl heard him with chilling in
difference that soon merged into a
supercilious smile.
"Really, Mr. Burton," she said, "it
is presumption on your part to pay a
social call here. I fear you must have
misunderstood both the extent of the
service you rendered me and the na
ture of the appeal I made subsequent
ly. I like to be outspoken in such
matters. That strike had to be ended.
Father's clients were howling for
steel, and I thought that a woman's
tongue might prevail where man's
logic was at fault. Moreover, father
promised me a $50,000 necklace if I
succeeded. Here it is. It was worth
trying for, wasn't it?" And she
touched the glittering gems on her
throat, with those delicate fingers
whose claso had once thrilled John
'Burton's being to its innermost fiber.
He was literally struck dumb. . fie
heard, as one in a dream, Mary's next
wordi to Reeves:
"I am under certain obligations to
this man, dear. Will you see that he
is rewarded?"
John could only stare after her in
blank amazement as slie swept out of
the room. He was quite unaware that
Reeves had thrust some bills into his
hand. . He almost staggered in the
effort to win clear of the house, but
halted in the hall to gaze at the bills
in his hand. When his benumbed
brain understood what they meant he
threw them from him savagely. He
laughed, too, not in his wonted cheery
way, but with the harsh cynicism of
a man who had suddenly and irre
vocably lost faith and hope and rev
erence. On the way to his poor lodging he
remembered the union meeting, and
turned to go there, resolved now to
cast his lot wholly with his brethren.
Suddenly, he halted in the road, and
his well-tanned cheeks blanched at
the thought which came to him.
What right had he to pose among his
mates as one who was whole-heartedly
with them in the never-ending
struggle between capital and labor?
Had he hot betrayed them. Hid he
not sold their trust for a fickle wom
an's smile? - How might he stand up
among tnese nonest comrades and
confess that he had persuaded them
to call off the strike not, as he had put
it, because of the resultant misery to
thousands in the city, but because he
was cozened into the belief by Mary
Temple? .
Sick at heart he went to his poor
lodging. He felt beaten and disgraced.
Literally, he dared not face his com
rades! Nit morning-, when John arrived at the
factory, he was etopped by a foreman and
told that hia eervlces were no longer needed.
Thle wu Reeve'a mean revenge. John
turned on his heel. He didn't care. At any
Other time he WOUld hftvn an,,h, k.l..
of the union, hut ha now regarded himielf
m irauor. .
He went to hli boarding house and did
not stir out again that day. Towards night
a visitor was announced, not a lady this
Ume. It was explained, but a strange man.
Entering the parlor. John waa confronted
by a short, dapper-looking man, who said
he represented a firm of solicitors in Lon
don. John did not know what "solicitors"
were, and thought the man meant to sell
him something. . This minor difficulty soon
vanished when the stranger began ques
tioning him aa to his birth and parentage.
Burton answered as best he could and gavs
such references as lay within his power to
those yet living who might be connected
with his youth.
His mother had died soon after he was
born and his father had been killed by an
accident within a few hours of Mrs. Bur
ton's death. . John had been told that thev
had come from England only a few month's
earlier and that his father was a man of
distinguished appearance and refined speech.
"That la all I know about him." he con
eluded. "Since then I was dragged up by
the scruff of the neck. . Here I am, just as
you see me. What do you- want with me,
anyhow T"
The stranger did not answer for a few
minutes. He took some documents from a
bag and consulted them, comparing certain
statements therein with the notes he had
made of John's dim but fairly accurate rec
ollection.
At last ho lifted- his ayes and aaM,
gravely :
"Tou must prepare yourself for a. shook,
Mr. Burton, but I hope It will be a plea
urable one. Tou are the tenth marquis of
Csstleton, heir to an Invested fortune of
3.000,000 sterling, an estate worth 100.000
a year." '
"What on earth are you talking about,
anyhow?" gasped John.
"I am telling you the literal truth," aald
the other, solemnly. "About thirty years
ago to be exact, In 1886, the ninth marquis
of Castleton, your uncle, quarreled with hia
brother, your father. Lord Richard Burton,
because his lordship had married a house
maid whom he was In honor bound to wed.
The marquis had never married, having
lost the woman he loved on the eve of their
wedding day, and Lord Richard was always
looked upon as his heir. When, however.
your father contracted an alliance which
the marquis deemed derogatory, he waa oast
forth from the family, and the elder brother
Immediately proposed to and was accepted
by a titled lady of his acquaintance. She
bore him two sons, thus, to all appearance,
effectually shutting your father out from
the succeaaton. Two months ago ProsMence
decreed that the marquis and his boys
should be passengers on a liner which waa
torpedoed In the Mediterranean. They were
lost. There can be no doubt of It. becauae
their bndlea have been recovered and Identi
fied. You come of good atock, my lord!
Tour uncle and cousins died like Ens-lish
gentlemen. My Arm, who are the legal
agents for the estate, poaseaaed aome vague
mrormation aa to your father's wherea
bouts when he came to this country. That
la why I am here. X assure you I am not
romancing. Tou are undoubtedly the tenth
marquis or laaueionr
It la said that all the scenes of a crowded
life pass through a man's mind when he is
In Imminent danger of death by drowning.
8ome such experience befell John Burton
now.
He reviewed the years of his youth, his
Introduction to the factory the gradual ac
quirement of manual sklil and the knowl
edge of metals, his rise to a position of in
fluence among his mates, his friendship with
poor, tawdry Flora, the dawn of a real love
for that aelf-deluded phllanthroplat and
social worker, Mary Temple, and the com
plete collapse of his brief sordid record was
succeeded by the fairy tale Just related, an
unbelievable romance. Indeed, yet one which
appeared to have the sanction of law and
society I
Then John began to laugh sardonically.
Ha was on the verge ot hysteria. Mora
than once he seemed to mutter a strange
question i -.
"is humanity in tne grip or evtlT" -Tho
stranger did not pretend to suidea.
stand, so, being a discreet little man, ho
.epi anvuew b'iu quKu, iu. nis leave.
rro Be continued.)
TJ A C. W.nt A Am i - C t,
them for result
