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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 30, 1916)
8 D THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: JULY 30. 1916. 66 The Grip Evil 99 JU By LOUIS TRACY Author of "Th. Winn of the Moraine." "Th. Pillar of Light," .... -, r r nl i C .1 c KI I n l I D-.l : Copyright, 1916, by Louis Tracy. CAST OF CHARACTERS, lye, kindly," because John had taken x his arm, seeing that he was limping. JOHN BURTON, once a steel- j "I ain't so, spry as I used to be. If worker, now Lord Castleton, a j you'll help me inter the house and multimillionaire. have your young man wind up the REV. THOMAS BRANTON, gates I'll be much obleeged." minuter, who knew Burton in nil On reaching the cottage, John saw dsvs of Doverty, GATEMAN, who has invested his savings in the C. O. ft P., for which he works. HIS AGED WIFE. . ALEXANDER HOWELL, presi- dent of the C. 0. ft P., anxious to . have Burton put his millions in a stock deal with him. MRS. ALEXANDER HOWELL, .desirous of making a match be tween her daughter and Burton. MARJORIE ..HOWELL, ...the daughter, interested In Ralph Morgan. RALPH MORGAN, in love with Marjorie, who regards Burton a a rival, but finds him willing to speed his wooing. . THIRD EPISODE. The Upper Ten Thousand. ! CHAPTER V. : ' Some Sharp Contrasts. Thus far, in his search for goodness in the world, John, tenth marquis of Castleton. had been singularly un successful. He did not know, of course, bow ill equipped he was for 1 a self-imposed taste. A man who had passed the first thirty years of his life in an atmosphere of poverty and hard work should have endeavored to ac custom himself . to conditions ef wealth and power before attempting to solve social problems which have puzzled and distressed the thinkers of many generations. 1 Light seemed to' have come, how ever, one evening when the devotion to duty displayed by an old and crippled man saved the young mar quis and his chauffeur from Instant and certain death. John heard that Ke. : Thomas Branton had rented a house in the . neighborhood, and as the evangelist'! influence was mainly responsible for " his attitude toward life in general, he set out to. call on him at the first opportunity that offered. He ws - particularly anxious to have a chat wjth the preacher because 6f an article which had appeared in the local news paper that morning. Some prying journalist had unearthed the marquis' record. A sensational writeup on the first natre waa headed: YOUNG AMERICAN JNHERiTS BRITISH TITLE AND MILLIONS JOHN BURTON BECOMES TENTH MARQUIS OF CASTLE TON. ' .... . . The newspaper scribe lost no time hi reaching the heart of his subject: "Through a series of strange happen ings John Burton, now of 110 Argil street, this city, has become" and so on, through a whole column of Veritable romance founded on fact, . Burton felt that this revelation might affect his quest profoundly, For once his somewhat headstrong and decider impulsive temperament craved advice and sympathy. Branton was just the man for the moment As soon as John learned by telephone that the minister waa at home, he ordered bis car and told the chauffeur to "beat it" across the city. Chauf feurs controlling high-power ma chines . seldom require encourage ment from their employers when speed is - desirable. This driver, in particular, though highly expert and cool-headed, was inclined to rake risks, trusting to his skill and nerve in extricating , himself therefrom. Thus, though the night waa .rather dark and the road new to him, he as sumed that there was no obstacle be- , yond a sharp bend in the street re vealed by the glaring headlights. ' He did not know that the C O. ft P. railway had a most dangerous grade crossing near the 'center of the Bend. It was completely hidden from sight and was protected only by an old fashioned gate, hand operated by ' an elderly man who lived in a cot tage alongside the line. It was the custodian's habit to wind down the gate when warned of approaching train and then unroll a red flag with which he hobbled to the more acute section of the turn. That night the old man was mov ing more slowly than usual; never- ' theless he detected the hum of the approaching automobile and tried to quicken his pace. He hardly realized, perhaps, that a tenth part of a second meant all the difference between dis aster and safety not only for himself, but for the occupants of the oncom- ing vehicle. .- Be that as it may, the old fellow's sense of duty, if slow in operation, was rigid as a rock. When the car came in sight it was much nearer than he anticipated, but he waved his flag and stood his ground right vali antly in the cetner of the roadway, though the staring eyes of the auto mobile must have likened it to a vertiable dragon from whose roaring . menace there was no escape. The chauffeur jammed on both font and hand brakes and succeeded in stop ping the car short of the barrier, but not before its tearless guardian had oeen knocked down. , At that instant an express train j tore past, and its noise and dust con tributed greatly to the discomfiture . of the two men in the car. However, the incident ended as swiftly as it had begun. John helped the chauf feur to assist the fallen man, and was greatly relieved to find the old fellow smiling and stammering an assurance that he "warn't hurt bad." Neverthe less, one leg had been bruised and the skin torn, while his age warranted the assumption that he could hardly with stand a violent fall without suffering more damage than he was willing to confess., . Involuntarily he rubbed the jore spot, but he still smiled, and actually apologized for having got in the way. "I'm all right, sir," he vowed. "A little thing like that don't cut any ice, and I'm only sorry to have pulled you up so tuddent. Of course, the com pany ought to put a tunnel under the track here, and I've wrote to em several times about it, but, bless you, they don't pay no attention. An' me a stockholder, tool" - ' x John saw at once that he would do well to express astonishment at this somewhat remarkable statement "Ves sir,", went on the old roan. "Me and Manny's saved and scraped all our lives so's we could buy stock in mr. railroad. Now we got ten Stares all paid for; too. , : , Thank ( through the open door an elderly woman seated near a lamp.. She was sewing and evidently,.,had, not the least idea of anything untoward hav ing occurred outside. The appearance of her husband, supported by a stran ger, alarmed her greatly, and though she calmed herself sufficiently to search at once for arnica and a band age,, it was clear that any evil which befell either of these two old people affected the other in -even greater measure. While John was helping the old man into a chair and rolling up a trouser leg to lay bare the bruise, he ascertained that the two had been married fifty years. They had actually grown alike in voice and features. They might have been brother and sister rather than husband and wife. The same tastes, the same simple interests, the com plete devotion of each for the other, had compressed their minds and bodies within the same fold. John was almost terrified to think what the outcome would have been had the fine old gatemanrbeen killed. To keep himself from dwelling on a possibility now happily vanished he reverted to the more pleasing topic of a frugality which enabled people in such humble circumstances to become stockholders in an important railway. This ap pealed to both of them. The gateman said, with an air of real pride: "Yes. sir, them stocks are cinched to Marthy and me. Old man Howell votes our stock for us, an' it pays a good seven per cent. T'aint much, but enough to keep us from starvin, when I ain't able to work no longer." At this, the hands of husband and wife met as though by instinct, and they smiled at each other in complete sympathy. A lump rose in John's throat. He rose hurriedly, pleading the urgency of the engagement on wnicn ne was oouna. no inougm u was no time to offer any compensa tion, but determined to call and see them later, and said so. "Right you are, sir, cried the gate- man cordially. . "Look in any time vnu're nassin.' and vou feel tike It. 4 Jojjn entered the car. As he whirled away he lifted his hat to Marthy, who waved a tareweu trom tne aoor. - More shaken than he cared to ad' mit. he was slad of the peace and serenity of Mr. Branton s sitting room. He told of the accident, and then bethought himself of a letter in his pocket : . "By the way," he said, "this reached me Just before leaving nome. And he handed an engraved card tn his host. It read: Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Howell re quest the honor of your company at a dance to oe given at ineir nome, tiu. 27 Magnolia avenue, on Tuesday even ing, May 20, on the occasion of the coming of age of their daughter Mar rioii. Daneinar ten to two. K. S. V. P. "I wonder if this Mr. Howell is president of the C O. ft B. railway?' Branton smiled and handed back the card Th same man," he said. "You are getting to be quite a swell now, John. Recognition by Mrs. Howell the local hal -mark ot society. That invitation is the direct Outcome of the paragraph in this morning's newspaper." ? . "Than I'll turn it down," said John, determinedly. , - "No, don't do that," came the kindly admonition. "You'll find more scope for observation among the newly rich than in the circles either above pr beneath them. Among real aristo crats the principte.of noblesse oblige is potent for good. The virtues and vices of the poor are simple. Things become complex only when poverty game wealth. . . -, j , - "What about me?" asked John seri ously. . "I waa poor enough, goodness knows I Yet wealth and -rank have turned to dust and ashes in my. mouth. I seem to be surrounded by none save sycophants and wrongdoers. I read once in a book that humanity is in the grip of evil, and I am beginning to have a horrible suspicion that the statement may be well founded. n "No, no I" declared the preacher earnestly, his fine eyes kindling with enthusiasm. "Browning's words are eternally true: c . : ? i . God is in heaven, ' And all is well with the world." I tell you it is my firm belief that God permits evil to exist only that good may come of it." j The younger man shook his head sadly: '.'.'" , "I wish I could agree with you," he said in a tone so lugubrious that Mr. Branton laughed. "Oh, don't take such a gloomy view of life. It's an almost humorous phase of the hurly-burly that the old should' be' optimists and the young pessimists. Look at me, and your old gateman and his wifet Contrast our serentity with your spasms of itfiniir. Lift uo your heart- John. If life wasn't worth living, a merciful providence would never have evolved S the tenth marauis of Castleton went tb the Howells' reception and, although he sent in his name as plain Mr. John Burton, a loud-voiced man servant, previously instructed toward that end, announced him by his title. By this time, of course, he had learned to wear his clothes with dis tinction. His carriage and physical development rendered him notable even in a country where tall, straight men of athletic mien are plentiful as blackberries in autumn, ; Though the Howell mansion was filled to the full extent of its hospi table rooms and a laughing , cheer ful crowd babbled around the railroad president and his pretty daughter, a sort of hush followed the footman's proclaimation that a real live marquis was in their' midst. ' Mirs. Howell, a good-looking, well-preserved matron, bustled forward with cmpressement It was evident that she either knew from experience or had recently ac quired the art of addressing titled persons. ':'.. w ;.,. . ''- "I am delighted to meet you Lord Castleton," she said with outstretched hand and a charming smile.! "It was too bad of your lordship to come and live among us incognito, especially as 1 had the pleasure of making the ac- auamtance ot the dowager marchion ess. three years ago at Monte Carlo." V-.-; . ' - ; seessssewseseM i m ! 1111111111 sM RALPH IS JEALOUS OF JOHN'S ATTENTION TO MARJORIE. All voices were stilled and necks were craned so that not a syllable of John's answer might be missed. He was not in the least degree nervous. "To tell the truth, Mrs. Howell," he said. "I know very little about either my title or my relatives. Some how or other, I became a marquis, just because I happened to be my father's son, I suppose.. The strange thing Is that I have always considered myself a sure-enough American, and I am free to confess that hitherto I have looked on my peerage rather as a joke than otherwise." Mrs. Howell Simpered. Evidently a British marquis was no joke to her. She introduced John to her daughter, a really pretty girl who reminded him somewhat of Mary Temple, though, hapfily. there was a hint of a candid and honest disposition in this girl's bright blue eyes, open fore head and well-shaped, tremulous lips. Marjorie Howell had been well trained. She knew exactly how to talk to in earnest-minded young man who obviously possessed none of the' airs and graces of the carpet-knight type- - , But John was more observant than she gave htm credit (or. While doing his best to counter her lively com ments, and repay with interest each arch smile and laughing pout, he saw quite plainly that there was at least one young man present who could Cheerfully have murdered him. - He saw, too, that he was the sub ject of earnest conversation between Mrs. Howell and her husband. He was not blind to the skill with which Marjorie stopped their dance when close to her father and swept the two into a chat. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that the scowling young man promptly appropriated the girl and whirled her off in a waltz. These trivial! plots and counterplots amused him greatly. His mind was intent on them even to the exclusion of the affable comments of that multi millionaire and dominating power of finance, Mr. Alexander Howell. Still, he did wake up sufficiently to give heed to one significant sentence. "Gome down to my office sometime. Mr. Burton," the host was saying, "I may have something that will inter est you. In any event, you'll meet the right crowd." : j , There was a degree of genuine tact in the dropping of John's title in de ference to his expressed wish. Mr. Howell, at any rate, was a better judge than his wife ot a man like Bur ton, marquis or no marquis. John soon found himself dancing with Marjorie again. The girl was a natural-born coquette to whom every good-looking "boy" was fair game. She flirted with John on the ap proved lines, and led him into a palm-filled conservatory at just the right moment. They were laughing and talking here as though they had been friends since childhood when the disgruntled youngster whom John had already noticed came up. "My dance, Marjorie," he growled angrily. "Is it really V cried the girt, subtly conveying to John the knowledge that her forgetfulness was wholly due to him. "Let me introduce you two the marquis of Castleton, Mr. Ralph Morgan! 1 It was abundantly clear that Mr. Morgan's savoir faire did not com pare favorably with his rival's. His bow was very stiff and he led off Marjorie as if she were a prisoner. John heard the girl laughing. "Don't be sillyl" she was giggling. "It's none of my doing.. Is 'umi little feelings hurt, then?" Evidently her companion had some shred of wit left. He pulled her be hind a particularly dense dump of palms, and presumably kissed her. John grinned delightedly. It was all a harmless comedy, he thought Such things formed a mighty pleas ant change from many of his earlier experience. CHAPTER VI. "The Cross Waya." One morning about a week later a group of sharp-eyed business men waa agthered in the private office of the president of C O. ft P. railway, when a clerk entered and handed a cartl to Mr. Howell. The financier rubbed his glasses, focussed the card and read: "Mr. John Burton." - v ""Ui," he said, smiling around on his associates, "this is just one of the right sort of young fellows to have in our crowd. Though he passes as plain 'John Burton,' he is really a . , ... British marquis, and not one of the neiress nunting kind, Decause ne siic- rr!r1 n.ru nvnrtHlv tn 9 An estate and a very large fortune.'' "But why should we want him in with us, Alec?" inquired a short, enor mously stout man, wnose porcine htlllf eyiiHH nwr th tH nf capacious chair. It was a shrewd thrust. The wives or daughters of most of the men in coming-out dance, and Mrs. Howell's keen desire that her daughter should become a marchioness had been pat ent to all. Moreover, John had been 4en trianv tim 1ii Mavinri' mm- pany during the last few days. dui suexanaer npweu nao not made his millions by being a fool. ....... ..v.,, wuon.ui, iig saiu, "you are the last person breathing irom wnom i snoum nave expected such a question. This kid is well fixed. He doesn't know a thing about the ffarrm. H will At g la 1A and be perfectly satisfed when he Huu uui wiiii a nice prom.- since when have you refused to avail your self nf a four millinna ni rUA kl. ing?''..:. ... ,,;.,. , ..... . - Howell's renlv ws t i,nanaiiraM and he knew it. -"Shnw Mr Rtirtnfl in hjl am .. ..... ... , ..V 11... . VII, nodding to the clerk.- . - ,' . , John was greeted mbst cordially. The president introduced him to the others, and each name was bne of import, in tne nnanciai arena ot that city. But it was a serious gathering, drawn together on business and not fn t.iL. Yv,,,.;., . 1- -r ... ! ... of John's arrival Mr. Howell was ex plaining the object of the meeting. nvn,. mm lci lam iacig na ng ures. which. In Ritrtnn1, tl..'-.L.:-.n proved that the C O. & P. line was in a thoroughly satisfactory coltdi- iion. inen came tne bombshell. "That is just how we stand at the moment,". v. continued " Mr.; Howell unrtiimtctv "Thmrm . 1L that doesnt appear on. the balance sneei. we nave j,uw,uuu of unap propriated funds to divide among the shareholders. Now) if we work the suggested pool on the right lines, well send this stock down until we re bay ' i" for next to noth ing. Then when we have declared our dividend, watch it soarl"' Insofar as Bitrtnn rn,,M every other man in the room regarded the projected theft as perfectly satis factory and morally unobjectionable. Howell took it for granted that the scheme showed no flaws, and at once began jotting down names and hold insrs. Half a million Hnllora ...... ,u. lowest individual sum named. Sev eral doubled and a few quadrupled the amount. Howell himself headed the list with five millions. 1 .Now? Mr. Burton," he said at last, How much for you?" - , John shook his head slowly.' "I don't think I'll come in at thi stage," he said. Oddly enough, the others merely regarded him as heinor vtra rantinn a commendable quality among money makers. Rvan Hi-tuftl hlmaAlf AlA . altogether disapprove. ah ngnt, Mr. Burton," he agreed. "It will rifl vnil nn harm if vn.t Am eide to' get aboard later. But remem ber, no matter hnr far that . mtniA, drops, don't be tempted to sell C 0. Soon afterward John left the room. At the exit frnm th nalatial . Affi. he.happened to meet Mrs. Howell and marjorie. Mamma greeted mm ef fusively, and John, of course, ex pressed his pleasure and surprise that two such smart ladies should be down town so early. "This is the only hour that I can be sure of catching my husband," laugh ed Mrs. Howell. "Even now I miv have to wait quite a time. Would n t you two young people like to take a spin out into the country this fine morning?" - . ? . What else could John do but invite Marjorie to enter bis car? ' Eyen he, with vuita liamtntrl Kv ivnanan.. ...... .. ....... ....a u, .Aiivnuikl, did not understand that the Coinci dence of the meeting had been care- luny arranged, tne financiers confi dential clerk having been instructed to advise Mrs. Howell the instant John entered the office. That morning's events, ' trivial though they appeared,' were des.tined to make history. . John was reading in his library after lunch when a servant announced Mr. Ralph Morgan." Somewhat . per plexed by the visit, John was minded to be friendly, but Morgan merely ig nored his host's outstretched hand, waited until the door was closed be hind the footman, and then, speaking with the high tension of a man not quite sure of himself, attacked the other fiercely. ., "I have cemi here, Mr. Burton, or Lord Castleton, or whatever the devil you choose to call. yourself," he blurt ed out, "to tell you stiaight that you must stop fooling Marjorie Howell. 1 won't stand for itl Before you ar rived in this city Marjorie and I were as good as engaged. It's true her mother thought I was hardly eligible, but my family has a better standing than hers in the state and, if we are not quite so well fixed financially, I was making a good start Meanwhile, Marjorie and I had determined to cinch things one of these days by get ting married. Now, you turn up, with your grand airs, romantic history and castles in England, and the old woman is hot on your track, while I'm damned if Marjorie isn't beginning to think how fine it would be to be called 'your ladyship.' This is a man's busi ness, not a woman's. It's you and me for it. I'm " John laughed. He couldn't help it Those words, "your grand air," were too much for his . gravity. The genuine ring of his merriment stayed the unspoken threat on Ralph Mor gan's )ips. - 1 Burton put his hands on his soi disant rival's shoulders. "Steady, my boy" he said. "Ju3t wait a minute. I'm not trying to steal your girl. It isn't quite fair either to her or me that you should say or even think hard things about us. She's delightful and interesting, of course, and any man would be several sorts of a. fool who didn't wake up when she's around. But marriage is a serious thing, and, if that's your ob ject I'm not competing. Now, Just sit down and tell me all about it quietly." .; . ' , ' Morgan, calmed and dominated by a stronger nature, gave in at once. His hectoring tone changed to one of entreaty and self-commiseration. But there could be no manner of doubt as to the nature of the plot hatched by Mrs. Howell. The eyes of a jeal ous lover had pierced the armor of her intent' Every little trick and sub terfuge she had adopted to throw Marjorie at the marquis' head was laid bare and dissected mercilessly. Mor gan himself was forbidden the house, though Marjorie and he had ' been playmates since childhood. As the story progressed : Burton grew more and more irritated. ,.- At last he made up his mind how to act. He outlined a scheme which seemed practicable, and wound up by say ing: .1 - ' i V ;A . "Be sure to have your car outside the Howell mansion at 3 o'clock, sharn.' tomorrow. Toot vour hnrn three timerquickly, and I'll know that matters have gone Without a hitch." i Morgan - did' not refuse to shake hands this time. His eyes were misty with emotion when he left the room. Unfortunately John forgot one thing. His interest in a' seemingly idyllic love story ' had completely driven out of his mind the tragic pos sibilities attached to the proposed hammering of C O. ft P. stock. He spent the evening quietly at home, got on the 'phone 'next morning, and smiled almost cynically when Mrs. Howell bubbled over with enthusi asim at the suggestion that he should come to lunch. . . . ' He ate a very enjoyable meal. As he foresaw, ' the mother left her daughter alone with him at the earli est possible moment. Quite innocent ly, Marjorie was employing some of her feminine arts, when-John cut her short He handed her a note. "Would you mind taking that to your room before Vou open it?" he said. "Meanwhile, you Will oblige me by asking Mrs. Howell to come and have a few minutes' conversation." Surprised and fluttered, the girl agreed. She had recognized Ralph Morgan's handwriting on the en velope, and naturally wondered what Burton's mysterious manner portend ed. She knew within two minutes. Her lover wrote: "John Burton has turned out to be just the best ever. We have ar ranged everything license, ring and time and the minister is expecting us. Now, Jiurry, darling I" There waa more, ot course, but Marjorie's eyes danced so in her head the remainder became a jumble of in coherencies. Mrs. Howell, greatly agitated by the marquis' significant request, came to him instantly. She expected to be asked forthwith to sanction him as her dauahter'a suitor. - She was aston ished and somewhat impatient,' there fore, when he began a detailed ac count of -his birtli and upbringing. Still, she consoled herself with the re flection that this preamble could only lead to one issue, and forced herself to display an intelligent interest. At last John heard three short toots of a motor-horn from the street, fol lowed by the hum of a fast-moving car. Ralph Morgan, if slowgoing in some respects, was a recognized scorcher on the highway. John was puzzling his wits as to the best means of extricating himself from a difficult situation when Howell entered. The financier was bursting with good humor. , "Look at that, my boy," he said, handing Burton a newspaper. "You can get in now as soon as you like." John glanced at some of the scare head lines: SENSATIONAL SLUMP ON STOCK MARKET. BOTTOM DROPS OUT OF C. O. & P. STOCK REACHES UNHEARD-OF FIGURE OF 24 AT CLOSE. MARGIN TRADERS WIPED OUT. SMALL INVESTORS RUINED. ' Howell was blandly unaware of the scathing contempt in Burton's voice when the latter inquired: "What price was your stock yes terday, Mr. Howell?" "Away up among the gilt-edged Drooositions 1081 This is one of the linost successful coups ever engineer ed. I must go back downtown. 1 11 be there till midnight. My wife phoned that you were here, so I ran up to tell you to come in on the ground floor." Burton seized the opportunity to leave the house with the financier. He declined an offer, however, to share the latter's car, pleading the necessity of making a short call elsewhere. His own car was temporarily out of commission, so he hired a taxi. As a taatter of fact, he had just remem bered the old gateman and his devoted wife. If he went to their cottage at once, he could not only reassure them, but greatly increase their small holding, thus insuring them a com petence for theremainder of their days. Unfortunately the taxi broke down. The driver after examination, an nounced ruefully that a defective car buretor could be replaced only after an hour's delay. Thereupon John de cided to walk. He was not well ac quainted with the district, however, and iost his way. He did not even know the name of the street he was looking for. and could only describe it as containing a grade crossing on the C. O. & P. line. "There's plenty of them, sir, wher ever the C. O. & P. runs," grinned a policeman when John explained his difficulty. - Finally, another man recognized the locality, -and put the searcher on his way. In the light of subsequent events these various delays would seem to have been engineered by the tragic fate which persistently beset the path of the tenth marquis of Castleton. When at last he reached the crossing and" found the door of the cottage locked he experienced the first pang of a nameless' fear. Bending down, he endeavored to look .through the keyhole. A whiff of gas reached his nostrils.. Without a moment's hesita tion he burst open the door. . An unlighted gas burner was turned full on and the atmosphere reeked with the poisonous vapor. The old gateman lay sprawled over the table. A newspaper was clutched in his right hand. His wife was seated in a chair, with her hands folded over her lap. It needed only a glance at the gentle, worn face to see that she was dead. John, holding his breath, seized the old man in his strong arms and car ried him out into the fresh air. It was too late. The poor old fellow could not withstand the shock of finding his hard-earned savings wrested from him. He had gone to that distant land where wicked railroad, president! cease from troubling and their' weary victims are at rest. The open news paper told its tale only too plainly, and the silent situation inside the con tage showed that in all probability the old woman had died from heart shock, whereupon her faithful hus band had promptly decided not to btj parted from her. John re-entered the cottage.turnedl off the gas and threw open the win dows. He was about to summon as sistance when the roar of a train reached his ears and he remembered the unguarded crossing with its peril, ous approach. He ran out and began to wind down the slow moving gate, but lett it halt way as the train drew nearer. Then he dashed into the street in order to guard the curve, but had delayed just a second too long. A car ; moving at sixty miles art hour swept past like a phantom. It swerved widely at sight of the ap proaching train, but was caught by the cowcatcher and sent flying to a ditch, a woman's frenzied shriek miiv gling with the engine's whistle aim' the clang of the bell. ' ,.' A few people gathered and assisted Jonh in the work of rescue. He was Iters v flaxen with hnrrnr whn h, m fnnnH Ra1nh Mnro-an : trittrh.'! in- sensible on the ground, but the youngster regained enough. conscious ness to point to the car, beneath which Marjorie was pinned. Providentially, in some sense, she had escaped fatal injuries, but her beautiful face was most terribly gashed by the broken glass.John's very soul was harrowed by thfr sight. He could not forget it.The memory of that place of death and disaster lingered with him many days. At last, about a fortnight .later, learning that young Mrs. Morgan was able to receive visitors, he went to the hospital with an armful of flowers. By unlucky chance he reached the open door of her room at a moment when Mrs. Howell was speaking. , . : "Of couse, you understand, Mar jorie," the mother was saying, in a dull voice, "your social career is ruined, now that you've lost your looks and have married beneath you. Your father and I will provide you with a companion and an income and a suitame piace to live, we suppQtt you win naraiy want to stay home." Apparently the interview was it an end. John made off. If he stayed there he felt he would have had dif ficulty in keeping his fingers off the callous womans' throat. He sought a telephone, thinking that the hapless girls' father would come to her rescue. His name soon cleared the way to the financier's deslc, He began a stammering: exnlanatinn Lbut Howell answered sharply:. i ve no time to talk about my daughter now, Mr. Burton. I'm rak ing in a million dollars a minute I" Almost in despair, John was mak ing once more for Marjorie's room. He met Ralph and the two men en tered together, but Burton did not know that the husband was about to see his wife for the first time with the bandages off her face. The poor girl was certainly a pitia ble sight. After one horrified glance Morgan rushed out. John went after him, thinking to speak some soothing words, but the other pointed through the open door wtih a gesture of despair and muttered huskily: "My God I To think of itl I am mar, ried to that!'1- . , Seemingly unable to withstand the prospect opening before his life Mor gan staggered away, leaving Burton to look after him in silent amaze ment and loathinor. In that knur ni trtrm-n, !. A tJ L . f . . . ,i,c tvuuiu-uc rciormer could? oniv rememner that urh a k..i.. rVL . J"? . Jc"OTin on oenaif of the wicked city the Lord promised not to destroy the place if ten just n, r at . Y.t th. .....- f-:i-J ' J .1. ' was destroyedl f , (End of the Third Episode.) Vacation Time Is Here No matter where or how you spend your; vacation,1 you will meet old friends and make new acquaintances, and you will want to look as well dressed and prosperous as they do. Nothing you can wear will so add to your appearance as a beautiful genuine Diamond. If you are limited in ready money, you can open a charge account with us and pay in small amounts monthly after your vacation is over. Your credit is good at LOFTIS BROS, ft CO., - '9SES&: ftio ft ttiiM.i n 6SS Ladles' Diamond Bine. 14k olid sold. "PertKtion" CCA mountint- .?w ts a Month ' - s 1X14 Ladli' Bine, 1 fin diamonds, set In platinum. band of ring la 14k C-JO solid sold... 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