Ellis County Capital (Arnett, Okla.), Vol. 16, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, December 21, 1923 Page: 3 of 10
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ELLIS COUNTY CAPITAL ARNETT OKLAHOMA
MOTHER OF
LARGE FAMILY
Recommend Lydia E Pink-
ham’ Vegetable Compound
to Other Mothers
'“DOESN’T JT BORE TOO FRANTIC f"
“Really though except as a show to look at now and then
doesn’t it bors you frantic t The whole thing I mean — our sort of
thing — the sort of people we are f"
" Son’t know any of you very well” he said lamely "I’m
not bored now”
“ You keep going” she said “from the time you’re quite small
thinking that life’s going to open out somehow like a door And
then some day you wake up and realise you’re thirty-five or so and
that it doesn’t mean to open out at all there isn’t any door — not
to the thing you’re in And then you hear about somebody who’s
never been shut up in anything somebody the whole world’s
always been open to And you try to get people to tell you about
him John and Jimmy Wallace and Henry and Margaret Craven —
Margaret's funny about you You wonder what that kind of free-
dom feels like I should think you’d feel” she looked around at
him suddenly “with us you know like a big moose or something
that finds itself shut up tn our pasture with the Holsteins”
The two talking aro Joo Groor and Mrs John Williamson about
whom Henry Kitcholl Webster’s One story “Joseph Greer and His
Daughter" revolves It’s their first meeting Greer la a latter-day pirate
of (he Chicago business world who has fought his way up from the
bottom Violet Williamson Is the wife of a society millionaire who Is
backing Joe in the promotion of an Invention Joe has In California a
wife who la planning to divorce him and a nineteen-year-old daughter
Beatrice whom he has never seen He - Is taking his daughter away
from her mother and planning to force her into-Chlcago society Beatrice
turns out to be as Individual and dynamlo as her father— an Interesting
feature of the story Is their clash of wills and the resulting adventures
that fall to' Beatrice Joe and Violet are irresistibly attracted to each
other with results that lead them to the very brink of destruction
more thanonce There are other strong characters — Jennie MacArthur s
for instance Joe’s 100 per cent efficient secretary And these strikingly
Individual men and women go ahead and work out their own story
apparently without guidance from the master craftsman who has
created them
For beyond question- Webster Is a master craftsman In the con-
struction of the modern novel of 'American life And his life story
reads like one of his own romances Ho began his writing at twenty-
four in Evanston III In '1899 In collaboration with Samuel Merwin
who has also achieved popularity as a novelist Their “Calumet K"
(1901) was a big success as were other Joint stories Then Webster
had a sort of Intellectual shell shock and In the hope of recovering
from It traveled all over the world In desperation he made a complete
change In hia literary methods He dictated fifteen “howler" atorlea
that he sold readily under a pseudonym that he will not reveal And
his hand and brain regained their cunning — witness hla latest novel
“Joseph Greer and Hie Daughter"
CHAPTER I
The Pawn
On the face of It John Williamson's
Invitation to lunch was nothing that
Henry Craven need especially won-
der let alone worry about It was
unusual — Henry couldn't remember
Indeed that It had ever happened be-
fore In just these circumstances — but
surely one needn’t feel on that account
that there was anything ominous
about It The manner of giving It bad
- been a little overbearing perhaps
high-handed anyhow But that was
John Williamson’s way and no doubt
his B1 ace In Chicago’s financial world
entitled him to It
Henry had been dictating a letter —
around eleven o’clock this was — when
one of the bank’s more Important cus-
tomers spoke to him from across the
marble rail Evidently the man didn't
care to come Inside so Henry went to
the rail to see what was wanted His
telephone rang while he stood talking
with (he customer and of course his
stenographer answered It He heard
her say "Yes Mr Williamson” And
then “He's right here Sha’n’t I call
him?” But John evidently hadn’t
thought It necessary to wait even a
minute There was another pause
while she made a notation on a pad
and finally “Very well Mr William-
son I’ll tell him”
What Henry’s stenographer had
written on her pad was: “Be at J
W’s office at twelve-thirty Lunch”
No "Ifs” at all Not even an “If pos-
sible” Well of course there were no “Ifs”
John was one of two or three Olym-
pians who among their other cloudy
vast affairs directed the policies of
this great bank In which ills cousin
by marriage Henry Craven after six-
teen years of faithful service had re-
cently been promoted to be one of the
assistant cashiers Naturally then If
John wanted him for any reason big
or little Henry would come
It was unlikely wasn’t it that the
thing was of any serious Importance?
It mightn’t be a business matter at
- all 3ome little domestic problem or
other Violet (she was John's wife
and Henry’s cousin) had a birthday
coming next week It was possible
that Henry’s cultivated taste was go-
ing to be requisitioned to pick out a
present for her Only would John
have wasted a priceless lunch hour —
the most Important hour of his hard-
driven day — upon a trifle like that? It
was Inconceivable The lunch-table
was Just where men like John talked
over and arrived at their major de-
cisions Yet what major decision of Jchn’s
could imaginably concern Henry? Un-
less — unless It was a question of Hen-
ry’s own Job In the bank They weren’t
going to promote him hgaln they’d
Just done that But suppose — suppose
they felt he hadn’t made good and
had decided to do the other thing
Wouldn't It be broken to him Just like
this genially over the lunch-table?
He pulled himself up with a Jerk
and shot a glance at his stenographer
Had his moment of panic been legible
to her In his face? But she was gaz-
ing out nowhere In the sort of trance
that Is one of the accomplishments of
her profession
“What’s the last thing I sald?’’ he
demanded Then aa the girl started
to read “No give me the whole thing
from the beginning”
He didn’t need It but be did need
another minute or two In which to
take possession of himself That fear
— that damrihble black dog of a fear
had slunk at hts heels slncq his first
day at the bank
It had been natural enough at first
when he was bruised and bewildered
by a sudden tragic change In ' the
whole prospect of his life John had
given him this Job out of charity or
if you preferred putting It so by way
of meeting an obligation he had as-
sumed on marrying Into the Craven
family He’d come Into the bank as
a lame duck
There was though no reasonable
doubt that he stayed and advanced on
his merits All the evidence leaned
that way But the fear persisted
Not of course as a constant compan-
ion There were days weeks of them
together sometimes when he never
thought of It’ But at some trifling
enigma fancied very likely In the
conduct of one of his superiors some
conversation unavoidably half over-
heard some smile that he felt glanced
his way the thing would seize him
like a spasm of pain from an injilred
nerve
He knew It was a weakness He
made valiant attempts to conquer It
He grew ashamed -of It He devel-
oped the corollary fear that it would
be discovered
His latest promotion had he’d sup-
posed worked a cure An assistant
cashier was one' of the officers of the
bank “If ever they make me an offi-
cer” he’d said to himself a thousand
times “then 1’U know I’m safe” And
Indeed during the three months since
It had occurred he’d been breathing
deeper luxuriating In a new security
But now for no better reasoh than
that his Cousin John had Invited him
to lunch he was quaking at the pit of
his stomach like a schoolboy who's
been told to report to the principal
It was absurd A desire came flooding
over him as he sat upon that straight
chair In John Williamson's outer of-
fice — a passionate desire to do some-
thing unexpected wicked quite possi-
bly but successful Immense to the
effect that telephone girls should
stand tn awe of him and private sec-
retaries treat ' him with respect
Through an open transom Henry
could hear loud laughter as a heavy
voice rumbled through a story and hla
anger that he 'should be kept waiting
under such circumstances rose He
was about to have the girl telephone
to John that ho wa a waiting when the
door Into Mills’ office was brusquely
opened Henry heard young Mills
evidently at the other door say “You
can get out this way Mr Greer”
The man addressed stood there In
an attitude of wrested motion grin-
ning back Into the room And Henry
while he stared at the sight of him
held his breath All his fidgety an-
noyances were forgotten swallowed
up In the sensation which the man's
appearance produced
His beard was the first thing you
saw It was cut ound and short — not
fashioned at all — and It was black as
black as If It had been drawn upon
his face with India Ink His hair was
Just as black and thick and It war
cut autte short enough to hide a ten-
deny to curl Against this blackness
of Jowl and brow the gleam of his
teeth and the whites of his eyes made
a dazzling contrast But Indeed as
you took him In you saw that he was
a bundle of contrasts the lightness
of Ills poise as he stood there holding
the door agalpst the burly breadth of
those shoulders and the bull-neck: the
look of geniality that you got from his
smile contradicted by hts nose wnlch
Jutted out In so bluntly aggressle a
manner as to be — piratical almost
Henry felt
He had answered Rollle Mills by
saying In his peculiarly resonant
voice that he always thought he was
lucky coming to a place like this If
he could get out the same door he'd
come In by and he continued for
minute rubbing this In All these rob-
ber barons of finance had he sup-
posed a chute down which the unwary
visitor having been shorn was per-
mitted to plunge
John looked absent-minded when he
appeared a moment later He did not
come out of hla abstraction until Just
aa they were turning Into the club
then he took Henry by the arm i
“Did you know that fellow?” he
asked “The man who was up In my
officer’
‘No’ Henry said “I don’t believe
I’ve ever seen him before ' I’m sure
he’s not one of the customers over at
the bank”
Hla name's Greer” ' said John
“Joseph Greer Ever heard of him??
“The name’s vaguely familiar per-
haps but I can’t place It I'll be glad
to look him up for you If you like”
We’ve looked him up” said John
“I guess we know pretty much all
there Is to know about him ' He’s got
a proposition we’re going to take up
Going Into business with him I’ll
tell you the whole thing at lunch”
By this time Henry perceived that
danger of his Job being taken away
from him did not exist and he breathed
easy again When the two men sat
down to the table John launched Into
a description of Greer’s business It
seemed that the farmers of the fcoun-
try who were growing plants for lin-
seed oil were throwing away the flax-
straw from some two million acres of
land every year and that Greer bad
discovered a ' process by which to
make linen from It at a price that
would permit America to compete with
the Cheap hand labor of Europe
John finally wound up hts talk by
telling Henry that he had picked him
as treasurer of the new company at
a salary of ten thousand a year
Frankly ne stated the directors had
“If Ever They Make Me an Officer"
faith In Greer’s ability In a practical
way but they feared his handling huge
amounts of money without some sort
of a check being kept on him and that
waa to be Henry's duty John did not
press Henry for an Immediate answer
and told him to sleep on It before giv-
ing him his answer
The offer was a splendid one for
Craven after the fifteen years of ter-
rible struggle on the part of himself
and his sister to keep up appearances
His father had died when Henry was
a mere boy leaving his family prac-
tically penniless but the brother and
sister aided by powerful friends of
their father had managed to keep up
the home
Henry arrived home ahead of hla
sister and when the buzzer announced
a caller he rushed to the door expect-
ing to' see Margaret although she
usually carried a key
It wasn't Margaret though There
were two people coming up and they
proved to be Violet Williamson and
young Dorothy The latter when she
saw who was waiting for them Heft
her mother behind took the remain-
ing flight of stairs two at a time flung
her arms around him gave him a tight
hug and kissed him soundly Just as
she'd used to do when she was un-
equivocally a little girl It was a
heart-warming experience The two
foraged In the pantry and through tha
Icebox for materials for tea
'I am practicing on you" Dorothy
admitted “She wants me to”
“Your mother?”
The girl nodded Henry was still
speechless over this when he heard
Margaret talking to Violet in the oth-
er room It was only a moment later
that his sister without stopping to
remove her wraps swooped down upon
them In the pantry She kissed Doro-
thy enthusiastically and held her off
In both hands
“You’re a delicious-looking young
thing” she said
“I wish I looked like you” the girl
retorted a little flushed but easily
enough “I always have you know
People had Just one adjective for
Margaret — good-looking Site fell short
of beauty and there was nothing pret-
ty about her She bad regular fea-
tures rather finely modeled a good
skin and enough hair Had her life
run on In the channel that It had start-
ed In she might have attained an ef-
fect of style smartness anyhow As
It waa what she had achieved was
a crispness of movement and In-
flection an air of adequacy to any
situation that might arise which men
In the main found a little formidable
The men who liked her best were old-
er than she and married1' But Just
this quality It was easy to guess was
what young Dorothy admired And
you could not mistake the sincerity
of what she had Just said
Abruptly Margaret shooed them out
into the sitting-room to keep Violet
amused while she got the tea Just
as Margaret was coming In with the
tray Violet said “It must seem strange
to be leaving the Dank doesn't It?”
He answered quickly “Margaret
doesn’t know” Then to his sister he
went on “John offered me a new Job
at lunch today and I — I’m taking It
Her eyebrowa went up with an ex-
pression which betrayed nothing but
good-humored surprise Then she
said “It must be pretty good If 70U
could make up your mind as quickly
as that to take It”
“Well I’m sure it must look good
to John” Vollet observed “The whole
scheme I mean Because unless It
had looked — well — marvelous he’d
never have gone In with that man”
'Greer you mean” Henry said and
turned once more to Margaret with
explanations “He's an Inventor and
he's found a way1 to make linen out
of American flax straw They’ve never
been able to do It before and the farm-
ers ' have burned It — thousands or
maybe millions of tons of It every
year I don’t understand Greer's
process In - the least I’m not even
sure that John does But he seems to
have no doubt It works John wants
me to be treasurer of the new com-
pany” he concluded “The Inventor
himself Is to be president”
“Have -you met him yet?” Violet
asked -
“I Just got a glimpse of him” Henry
answered “I hadn't time to see any-
thing but his beard”
- "That’s the man all right" Violet
said with a nod And went on since
they were both visibly waiting for
more: “Why he sounds amusing to
me really attractive Jimmie Wal-
lace likes him quite a lot He likes
to play with theatrical people— that’s
how Jlmmlc knows him But of
course Jimmie -himself Isn’t exactly
what you’d call — austere 1 He’s got
an apartment — Greer I mean — up on
Sheridan road In the same building
that Bella and Bill Forrester are In
Bella Is quite an authority on him
Never met him of course but she
meets up with him accidentally you
know every now and then and they
get very pally She’s hoping she says
that he'll invite her to one of his par-
ties They must be pretty terrific
from all accounts”
“I got the Impression” Henry ob-
served “from John’s biography of him
that he’s a bachelor’!
“I don’t know" said Violet “It
comes to that anyhow He lives In
that big apartment all by himself At
least — " she qualified and Broke off
with a glance toward her daughter
“You needn’t mind me” Dorothy
said quietly “I’m reading the Literary
News All the same” the girl went
on looking up at Henry1 from the
magazine her glance had fallen upon
' “I think that sort of Inventor would
be a wonderful person to have about
Mostly they’re so awfully noble and
innocent aren’t they and about a hun-
dred years old? Or Is that Just In the
movies? Anyhow I think you’ll like
It a lot I wish father would give me
a Job In the new company"
She rose then put down her cup
and coming round behind her moth-
er’s chair took her -lightly by the
shoulders “I was to drag you away
by force at a quarter to six” she said
(Henry noted bow ahe had evaded us-
Ing any term of address) “It's nearly
that now and you haven't done your
errand yet” I
I'm having a dinner tomorrow
night” Violet explained to Margaret
'and as things have turned out I’m
simply gorged with men Can I rteal
you a way from Henry? It's going te
be frightfully dull I'm afraid?
Margaret thought she could coma
Dorotny had come over to Henry
and offered hm her hand “for luck”
He retained it as he turned to her
mother and asked “How about an
even exchange? Or wouldn't It be
proper? Or are you going ts con
mandeer Dorothy too?”
Yes It's all right” Margaret said
from her desk In the corner “Love
to I Seven-thirty?”
Oh Dorothy’s perfectly — unattain-
able” Violet told Henry “She’s din-
ing and dancing somewhere tomorrow
night I don't In the least remember
where All I know Is I accepted eleven
Invitations for her for Easter week”
I'm desolated that I can’t dine with
you” Dorothy cried In the beat ao
Wlndom Minn— “I was so run-down
that I waa Just good for nothingI was to
become the mother
of my ninth child and
1 thought I did not
have the strength
to go through with
it 1 took Lvdia E
Pinkham’s Vegeta-
ble Compound and
it has surely done all
1 could ask it to do
and 1 am telling all
my friends about it
Ihavea nice big baby
girl and am feeling
fine You may use this letter to help
other sick mothers” — Mrs C A
Moede Box 634 Windom Minn
My First Child
Glen Allen Alabama— “I have been
greatly benefited by taking Lydia E
Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound for
bearing-down feelings and pains I was
troubled in this way for nearly four
yeara following the birth of my first
child and at times could hardly stand on
my feet A neighbor recommended the
Vegetable Compound to me after I had
taken doctor’s medicines without much
benefit It has relieved my pains and
gives me strength I recommend it and
give you permission to use my testimo-
nial letter”— MIda Rye Glen Allen
Alabama
Men know their weaknesses In a
subconscious way They can't da
scribe them in line language
“CASCARETS” FOR LIVER
AND BOWELS — 10c A BOX
Cures Biliousness Constipation Sick
HeadacheIndigestion Drug stores Adv
In the city
don’t core
we don’t gossip Wa
MOTHER! GIVE SICK BABY
“CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP
“’m Desolated That I Can’t Dine With
You'” Dorothy Cried
centa of Vanity Fair “It would' be
much more amusing”
“I call that” Henry grumbled after
he had closed the door behind them
an Infernal outrage Oh not your
going out to dinner I” he added for he
bad caught a look In bis sister’s face
that startled him “I meant the way
she's trying to spoil that lovely child
John said today that seventeen waa a
devilish age He’s wrong It’s thirty-
eight that la"
“I didn't suppose yon meant about
tha dinner” she said her voice com-
ing rather flat “and I suppose you did
mean Dorothy But there was Just e
chance I thought that yon resented
the way John had treated you”
“John I In offering me the new Job
you mean? That's because you don't
know about It yet Violet spoiled
things rather making me tell it back-
ward It’s ten thousand a year Peg
to -begin with — stock In the (company-
independence again If the thing goes
right — something like old times”
She asked him abruptly "When did
you first hear about this?” ’
“Why — Just today ct lunch You
don’t think I’d keep a thing like that
from you I'm sorry I told Violet flrst
but It came up naturally somehow
and then I took It for granted that
she'd know anyway”
“And you accepted It finally — right
there at the lunch-table?”
“No of course not As a matter of
fact John didn't ask me to He knew
I’d want to think It over — talk It over
with -you”
“How long did he give you to de-
cide?” she asked
“Well the meeting is tomorrow aft-
ernoon” said Henry and all the wind
went out of his sails ou the admission
“They’ll want to know before then
I told John I'd call lilm up In the
morning”
“That’s what I thought you might
resent” Her voice flattened down
upon the words and as she’d turned
away from him they were hardly
apdlble
“I don’t fee I’m being unduly hur-
rled” he assured her “if that’s what
you mean I’Ve already decided un-
less you've some serious objection to
urge that I’ll take It”
“You haven’t decided anything” she
contradicted “You haven’t had 'any
chance to decide You don’t know
whether the process works or not
don’t believe you know whether It’s
ever been tried or is Just a theory
John’s decided It for you He’s going
to take a flier He can afford to loso
as well as not He’s used you like
pawn In a game of chess — pushing you
In It won’t matter to him whether
you're taken or not”
Harmless Laxative te Clean Liver
and Bowels of Baby or Child -
Even constipat-
ed bilious fever-
Isb or sick colic
Babies and Chil-
dren love to take
genuine “Califor-
nia Fig Syrup”
No other laxative
regulates the ten-
der little bowels
so nicely It
sweetens the
stomach and starts the liver and
bowels acting without griping Con-
tains no narcotics or soothing drugs
Say “California” to your druggist and
avoid counterfeits I Insist upon gen-
uine "California Fig Syrup” which
contains directions — Advertisement
“You’re the only stenographer
In the world” ho said
(TO BE CONTINUED)
A mean man usually rejoices
cause of hla meanness
b
'All the optimism some ever feel Is
resignation
LIVERiREGULATOR
fqrBlOOKLiytRKlDNEYS
Use for cuts burns
sores and wounds
Prevents infection
Cleanses and heals
BagUMfeOt
CARBOLATED
PETROLEUM JELLY
CHESEBROUGH MANUFACTURING COMPART
(Consolidated)
State Street New York
Dr Isaac
Thompson's
EYEWATER
HELPFUL EYE WASH
UW Hirer Troy N Y Booklet
HINDERCORNS s
PARKER’S
HAIR BALSAM
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Restore Color and
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Dtobot Chem Wta Palchouej W T
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sfortte l
lovsee ete stop all pata
fret make walklu mt lAa by wall or at l)r-
rtata filMOSCbtaUwg
W N U WICHITA NO 49-1923J
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Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Seward, L. I. Ellis County Capital (Arnett, Okla.), Vol. 16, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, December 21, 1923, newspaper, December 21, 1923; Arnett, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1714344/m1/3/: accessed June 29, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.