The Lenapah Post (Lenapah, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 28, Ed. 1 Friday, August 25, 1916 Page: 3 of 8
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A
A Novel of New York Life
By REX BEACH
h CHAPTER XXII— Continued
4A -
"Tour brother — forced big way into—
3aj room” ' r '
“What are yon talking about?” Mrs
Fennell drew ber guest swiftly Inside
4 "Hush! Don’t make a show of your-
V elf” ' ‘
"Wha’s all tbls?” came from Harden
Fennell wbo was sprawled In a cblntz-
covered easy chair
''Be still!” bis wife' cried sharply
“Will you' send someone for Bob?”
Lorelei asked more quietly “I want
to — leave” i
Bnt her hostess protested “Now
why stir up trouble? Bob Is drunk he
and Bertie are old friends Bertie will
apologize In the morning and— after
' all It was nothing”
“Will you send for my husband?”
Mrs Fennell’s gaze hardened she
stiffened herself saying coldly:
“Why certainly If you Insist npon
rousing the whole household but he’s
In no condition to understancTthis silly
allair'' You fnlght have some consider
ation for us” - - -
Bright disks of color were burning
In Lorelei's cheeks? she was smiling
’ peculiarly '
"Rest easy” she said "I’ve no wish
to embarrass you nor drag my hus-
band Into this ' rotten business It
aeems he's as modern as the rest of
you but I’m— old-fashioned”
There came a knock at the door
t and Hayman’s voice calling:
"Betty I Let me In!” i
His Bister opened the door an Inch
or two “You mustn’t come In now”
sbe expostulated then cried sharply:
"Why you’re badly hurt You’re all
bloody!” As Hayman agreed In a
burst of profanity she exclaimed fret-
fully: "Ob this Is dreadful! Go to
your room for heaven’s sake! I’ll see
what I can do with this— with Mrs
Wharton”
Lorelei broke out sharply: "If You’ll
permit me to thank you for your hos-
pitality I’ll leave at once”
“Leave? At this hour?”
i Lorelei’s' forced smiled bared her
even white teeth “Of course if It’s
too much trouble I can walk — ”
“No trouble at all” Mrs Fennell
showed some relief "I — I’m dread-
fully sorry Still I can’t permit you — ”
"In ten minutes then If there's no
train I may ask your cbiffeur to drive
me Into the city” " '
“Why to be sure! ’ Er— what shall
1 tell Bob when he asks for you?”
"Use your own judgment please
You can handle drunken men better
than I And don’t ' trouble to send
p maid to my room I’ll be downstairs
when the car comes”
She was pacing the gloom of the
porte-cochere when an automobile
swung ont from among the trees and
swept the shadows flying with Its
brushes of flame As she directed the
driver from an open window behind
ber came a drunken shout a burst of
men’s laughter followed the car as It
rolled away
e
i So that- was the charmed circle to
which sbe had aspired those the people
sbe bad envied behind her was that
life tp which sbe had sold herself and
this was the end of her dream of line
ladles and gallant gentlemen! Lorelei
’ scarcely knew whether to laugh or cry
She reached the little apartment In the
bushed' hours before the dawn and
straightway began her packing SInce
Bob was doubtless In a drunken stu-
- por which would last for hours she did
not hurry
Only once did sho halt In ber labors
and then only from surprise In a bu-
reau drawer she uncovered a bundle of
letters and documents addressed to her
husband which in some way aroused
her curiosity Swallowing her qualms
she examined the contents They
proved to be In the main letters from
Bob’s mother and father urging him to
break off bis marriage Those from
Mr Wharton were characteristically
Intolerant and dictatorial those from
Bob’s mother were plaintive and infl-
ultoly sad Both parents she per-
ceived had exhausted every effort to
win their son from his infatuation
both believed Lorelei to be an infa-
mous woman bent upon his destruc-
tion and Judging from the typewrit-
ten reports Inclosed with some of the
father’s letters there was ample rea-
son for such a belief These reports
covered Lorelei’s every movement they
bared every bit of ancient scandal con-
nected with her they recounted sala-
cious stage gossip as fact and falsely
- construed those actions which were
capable of more than one Interprets-
?lon It gave the girl a peculiar sensa-
tion of unreality to see her life laid
out before ber eyes in so distorted a
shape and when she read the business-
like biographies of herself and Jjie
members of ber family she could only
marvel at Bob’s faith For evidently
he had not answered a single letter
Nevertheless after preparing an early
breakfast she sent ber trunks down-
stairs and ’phoned for a taxicab
CHAPTER XXIII
t —
On Tuesday afternoon a badly shak-
eh exceedingly frightened young man
calliid at Campbell rope’s boarding
boust
bat?” cried
Pope at sight of his caller Wharton
took a fleeting glance at himself in a
mirror and nodded noting for the first
time the sacks beneath bis eyes the
haggard lines from nostrils to Up cor-
ners -
“I’m-all in Lorelei’s quit me” he
said dully
“Quit you!”-Pope frowned "Tell me
about It” ’
"Well I climbed the vine again and
fell off Sbe packed up — disappeared —
been gone since Saturday night and
I can’t find her Nobody seems to
know where sbe Is I I’m bard
bit Pope God! I keep think-
ing that maybe she took the river You
see I’m all gone” He sank Into a
chair twitching and trembling In a
nervous collapse
“Better have a drink” Pope suggest-
ed but Bob returned roughly:
"That’s what broke up the sketch I
‘got stewed at Fennellcourt— high-hat
week-end party— fast crowd and the
usual trimmings Never again! That
Is If I And my wife”
"Fennellcourt! Suppose you tell me
all about It If there’s a chance that
It’s suicide—’ Pope’s reportorlal In-
stinct brought the last word Into Juxta-
position with "Fennellcourt” and he
saw black headlines -
"Judge for yourself Maybe you can
help me nobody else can” Bob re-
counted the story of the bouse party
He could remember little of Sunday’s
occurrences not nntll late that evening
bad he fully grasped the fact that Lo-
relei had gone Even then be was too
befuddled to act Neither Mrs Fen-
nell nor her husband could give him
any help and Bert Hayman had been
confined to his room all day Sunday as
the result of a fall or an accident of
some sort Monday morning while
still suffering from the effects of his
spree Bob had returned to the city to
find his home deserted and he could
And no trace of Lorelei In any quarter
So as a last resort before calling in
the police he bad come to Pope When
be had finished bis somewhat muddled
tale he stared at the critic with a look
of dumb appeal
Campbell began In a matter-of-fact
positive tone “She’s altogether too
healthy to think of suicide rest easy
on that score You’re weak enough
emotionally to do such a thing but
not she Besides why should she?
I can’t imagine that any act of yours
could very deeply offend anybody even
your wife However—” He studied
briefly “Have you been to see Miss
Demorest?"
“Sure! Adoree hasn’t seen her”
“Possibly!” Pope eyed his caller
speculatively "So you decided to
jimmy her into society eh! Who was
at the party? Oh heavens!” be ex-
claimed as Bob muttered over the list
of names "How did she compare with
those sacred cows?”
“Oh great! The men went crazy
over her— I knew they would”
"But bow did the women treat ber?”
"Why air right I didn’t ndtlce any-
thing” “What? No of efurse yon didn’t
You were probably too drunk to no-
tice much” Bob flushed “Well
something must have happened to
alarm her and since you were too
mandlln to be of any assistance she
evidently took the bit In ber teeth I
can’t blame her For heaven’s sake
why did you set her in with that
crowd? i If you wanted to take her
slumming why didn’t you hire a guide
and go Into the red-light district?”
Bob defended himself listlessly
“That’s the only crowd I know It’s
the only set that’s open to a Pittsburgh
furnace mnn’s son Those people aren’t
so bad I guess they’re no worse than
the rest If a person goes looking for
nastiness be can find It nearly any-
where I never did — and I never saw
anything very scandalous around that
bunch”
“One’s observations are never very
keen when they're made through the
bottom of a glass” observed Pope
Bob exploded Irritably "All right
lieutenant! Play ‘Jerusalem’ on the
cornet while I pass the tambourine
I want my wife not a ‘Balllngton
Booth’ on the terrors of Intemperance
She's the only person who can straight-
en me up I was doing fine
Had a job I’ll go straight to
bell again If I don’t find her” There
was no doubt of the man's sincerity
his mental and his physical condition
were obvious 1
Pope did bis best to repair the wreck-
age In some degree and having qui-
eted the sufferer be set out for Miss
Demorest’s home f
Adoree clad In slightly 'soiled neg-
ligee answered bis ring then recog-
nizing him blocked the door hastily
exposing a face Overcast with defiance
and contempt
- "Aha!” she exclaimed "Aha!” and
Pope's sensitive ego recoiled before the
fierce challenge of ber tone Invariably
she greeted him with contumely in-
variably be arose to the challenge and
overcame ber attack Invariably she
fought him on every subject And yet
all the time he vaguely suspected that
they were really In complete accord
and growing to like each other
'T’ve come to see Lorelei” be ex-
plained affably
“She’s not here”
"Then I’d like to talk with you” The
door Opened slightly and Popesmlled
whereupon tbe opening narrowed
“No You can’t come In I’ve just
cleaned bouse” v '
In desperation the man exclaimed:
"I won’t sit down but I must talk to
you Really I must bout— ducks If
nothing else”
"Ducks!” Adoree’s expression al-
tered “Let’s be sensible I want you to
like me” Pope tried to appear amiable
but the effort resulted In a painful
smirk ' "
"Huh!” "
“We like the same things — let’s be
friends You needn’t tell me anything
about Lorelei but I do want your ad-
vice about Bob” 1
"I suppose there’s no reason why
you shouldn’t come In You’ll probably
wriggle In somehow even If you have
to steal a key If you don’t know the
truth you’ll probably ’make up some-
thing about Lorelei as you did about
me — buzzard!” Pope began to per-
spire as be always did when deeply
embarrassed But the door swung
wide' and he entered with a strained
unnatural smile upon bis face '
"You see I’m not concealing ber any-
where” Miss Demorest challenged
“Of course not We never suspected
you but we’re afraid something has
happened to her”
“I should say thfere has! You want
scandal? I'll give you some”- Ado-
ree’s eyes were flashing now - Have
you any Idea what that girl went
through out there on Long Island?
Listed” Sbe plumped herself down
beside Pope and began to talk swiftly
with an Intensity of Indignation that
made her forgetful of ber dishabille
When she had finished her story ber
shocked blue eyes Interrogated his and
the critic roused himself with an effort
He found that be was tightly bolding
the fingers of ber right hand but
dropped them and cleared his throat
“You say she’s staying here with
you?"
“I didn’t say so but she Is”
"Doesn’t she care for Bob any
more?”
"Y-yes! At first she was furious
but we’ve talked a good deal and I
think she does care — away down un-
derneath She may not know It her-
self but she does But she won’t go
back She declares sbe won’t spoil ber
whole life for a drunken wretch like
him and she’s quite right of course”
"She's quite wrong of course! Bob’s
done pretty well for a man of bis type
and he’s had a hard lesson After all
It’s a woman’s part to sacrifice — she’s
not happy unless she gives more than
she gets Yott and I must bring them
together” -“How?”
'
Pope had been thinking while he
talked and now he sketched his plan
eagerly
“You are perfectly detestable and
horrid” she told him when he had fin-
ished "but I suppose there must be
some good in you” She laid her hand
upon his arm again and Pope’s sallow
cheeks were glowing and his eyes as
bright as hers ' v
“Ge! You’re all right!” he said
"I’ll call for you after the show”
Adoree’s smile was uncertain as she
demurred “Perhaps you'd better
meet me here What will people say?”
But Pope was insistent
S S S v
We are accustomed to resent the ef-
forts of our friends to arrange our af-
fairs for us and we pray for deliver-
ance from their mlstnkes yet without
"Don’t You Understand Stupid?” She
Said
their assistance we would often make
miserable failures of our lives Lore-
lei was surprised when Adoree brought
Campbell Pope home with ber that
night and sbe was somewhat diverted
by the complete change In their mutual
attitude Now that the first clash wu
over now that they 'had expressed their
dislike and disapproval of each other
they no longer quarreled Pope was
frankly admiring and Adoree could
not conceal her awe at Campbell’s lit-
erary gnd musical ability She ex-
plained to Lorelei: "I asked him In 'for
the sake of the piano I knew you
were blue and there’s nothing so cheer-
ing as music”
But when Pope finally got around to
play the result whs not altogether
happy Adoree to be sure seemed de-
lighted bnt Lorelei felt herself gripped
by a greater loneliness than usual
Pope’s music was far from lively and
be had cunningly chosen the hour when
It exerts Its greatest emotional appeal
He was artist enough moreover to
work his effects with certainty
Lorelei sought relief at length in the
seclusion of Adoree’s rear room and
there In the midst of a "crying spell”
Bob found her
Her first quick resentment at the de-
ception practiced upon her melted at
sight of him for he had suffered and
he was evidently suffering now He
was not the Bob she bad known but
chastened repentant speechless with
a tremulous delight at seeing her again
In the next room Campbell played on
smoothing the way for a reconciliation
Lorelei found herself In her hus-
band’s arms listening dazedly to his
passionate protestations and his ear-
nest self-denunciation Bob had re-
ceived the fright of his life his lesson
bad been seared Into him and he lost
no time in telling his wife about It
At last Lorelei laid her Ungers upon
hla lips ber eyes misty and luminous
with the light of a new and wondrous
certainty
“Walt! Let me speak” she said
"I’ve done a lifetime of thinking In
these few days I’m not sorry that I
left you for it has enabled me to see
clearly But I’ll never leave you again
Bob no matter what you do I can’t — ”
He crushed her to him then held ber
away at the hint of something unsaid
“You mean you’ve begun to love me?”
he Inquired gladly
"Perhaps I don’t know Some-
thing has changed— tremendously”
Under his bewildered gaze the blood
rose warming ber cheeks her eyes
swam but not with tears her bosom
was tremulous with the knowledge
that clamored for freedom and yet re-
fused to come
"Don’t you understand stupid?” she
said seeing him still mystified She
bid her face then whispered In his
ear whereupon he fell to trembling
and the fervor of his embrace relaxed
He held her gently tenderly as If he
suddenly found her to be a fragile
thing
"My deart— my — dear!” And then
he too hid bis face as If blinded by a
pitiless light When he raised it tears
glistened on his lashes and a happiness
that was like pain pierced him “Oh!
If I had only known—” he choked
"Wbat a fool I’ve been never to think
that this might come! I— can’t believe
it”
“It’s true” she smiled and her
cheeks were still dyed with that vir-
ginal flush “Perhaps that’s why I’ve
changed toward you — something has
happened Bob and you mustn’t leave
me now I couldn’t bear to do with-
out you”
“You may forgive me” he cried “but
I’ll never forgive myself To think that
I should learn of this right now— after
what I did Well I’m through making
new promises I’m going to keep some
of the old odes”
“I think It’s about time we both
came to earth”
“No need for you — you’re the sen-
sible one If I can’t straighten up on
my own account and on yours surely
I can and will for — this”
An hour later Adoree tiptoed back to
the piano after a surreptitious peek
Into the back room whenqp nothing
but the faintest murmurs Issued Her
face was radiant
"You 'played some high-priced di-
vorce lawyer out of a good case Mr
Cricket” she beamed on Campbell
“She’s In his lap" Pope’s rippling fin-
gers paused bis bands dropped and
he sighed
"I could have set them quarreling
just as well but the role of cupld suits
me tonight” His shoulders drooped
wearily the feverish brightness of bis
eyes ond the pallor of his tbln face
Indicated that be had Indeed spent all
his nervous force
"Cupid In a sweater!” Adoree ex-
claimed "Well I believe It for your
playing made me positively mushy
I’ve been hugging a sofa cushion and
dreaming of heroes for ever so long
Why at this moment I’d marry the
Janitor"
With the eager shyness of a boy he
Inquired: “Do you really like to bear
me play? Can I come and piny for
you again?”
"Not without a chaperon” she told
him positively "wool tickles my
cheek”
Pope rose hastily and In some em-
barrassment He could write about
love with a cyulc’s pen but he could
not bear to talk about It even In a
Joking way He eyed the speaker with
the frightened fascination of a charmed
rabbit until ahe laughed In mischievous
enjoyment of bis perturbation
“Oh never fearl It will take more
than music to make me forget wbat
you are Say!” Sbe yawned doubled
up her little fists and stretched
“Won’t you play something to make
those lovers go home so I can go to
bed?”
CHAPTER XXIV
Bob’s work as a salesman continued
to be so effective that Kurtz finally
offered him a salaried position But
Instead of accepting Bob made a counter-proposition
that caused the little
man to gasp Briefly It was to extend
the scope of the present business by
laying In a stock of extravagant high-
priced shirt and necktie materials with
Bob as partner In the new venture
Kurts protested that he was not a ha-
berdasher bnt be was constrained to
admit that Bob had the right Idea of
smart business and after some discus-
sion accepted bis employee’s noncha-
lant offer to go halves wn the new ven-
ture and share In Its profits The
fact that Bob had no money with
which to carry through his part of the
deal troubled that youth not in the
least — Kurtz’ credit was ample Bob’s
theory of securing the Fifth avenue
trade was to double existing prices
and If this did not bring the business
to doqble them a second time and this
theory was correct as he demonstrated
when the new department was organ-
ized But despite the excellent Income he
now began to make there was never
anything left In the Wharton bank ac-
count for Bob moved bis wife to a
more pretentious apartment on River-
side drive and managed to increase
their expenses so as to balance his
earnings very nicely It was quite a
feat to adjust a fixed outlay to a vary-
ing Income so that nothing whatever
should remain and he considered It a
strong proof of bis capacities that he
succeeded 1
By Christmas the haberdashery ven-
ture had shown such a profit that he
began to pile up a small bank account
In spite of himself so he bought an
automobile which served to eat up any
monthly profits and guarantee a deficit
under the most favorable circum-
stances Being thus relieved of finan-
cial uncertainty he laid plans to wrest
from Kurts a full partnership In the
tailoring business Itself
The Whartons’ new home was charm-
ing and Bob provided his wife with
every luxury Lorelei did not regret
that she was prevented from going out
as much as formerly— her experience
at Fennellcourt bad cured her of any
desire to get Into ber husband’s social
set — end unconsciously she and Bob
began to develop a real home life
As time went on and evidences of
prosperity showed themselves Lorelei’s
family forgot some of their dislike of
Bob and became more companionable
Strangely enough too their cost of liv-
ing increased In proportion to their
friendliness but Bob never questioned
any amount they asked him for and
he swelled their allowance with char-
acteristic prodigality
Lorelei was proud of him as she
bad reason to be but ahe had occasion
for sorrow as well His generosity was
really big his pagan Joyousness ban-
ished shadows but he was intensely
human In his fallings and In spite of
bis determination to stop drinking In
spite of all his earnest promises the
old appetite periodically betrayed him
For a month for two months at a
time he would manfully fight his de-
sires then without excuse without
cause just when he was boasting loud-
est of his victory he would fall And
yet drinking did not brutalize him as
It does most men he never became dis-
gusting liquor Intoxicated him but
less In body than In spirit His re-
pentance followed promptly bis cha-
grin was Intense and his fear of Lore-
lei almost ludicrous But the girl bad
acquired a wider charity a gentler pa-
tience she grieved she tried to help
him and his frailty endeared him to
her Love bad been slow to awaken
In fact she bad not been definitely
aware of Its birth but suddenly she
had found It flowering in ber soul and
now It flourished the more as that other
Interest intensified and began to domi-
nate her r
Bob responded to all her efforts save
one: she could not make him serious
On the whole however they were
more happy than they bad ever been
One day during the slack holiday
season Hannibal Wharton appenred at
the Kurts establishment He ap-
praised the elaborate surroundings with
a hostile eye and stared at his son
Impassively
“Sol You're a seamstress now” he
began and Bob grinned “Merkle told
me you repaid his loan and had an au-
tomobile” “That’s true”
“Second-hand car?"
"No”
"How much do you owe?”
“Nothing except for stock”
"Stock I What do you mean?”
"Kurts and I are partners In one end
of this business”
"I'll be damned!” breathed Mr
Wharton Then he Inquired curiously
“Do yon like this work?”
"It's not what I prefer still there
Is a margin of profit”
"Hub! I should think so at ninety
dollars a suit Well this town is fud
of fools”
Bob agreed "But we dress ’em bet-
ter than they do In Pittsburgh”
After a moment’s consideration Ha mi
nlbal said slowly: “Mother's at the
Waldorf she wants to see you You’ve '
Just about broken her heart Bob”
"We’re not going out much but per-
haps we Could call on her—’’ - '
"‘Wei’ I said she wants to see ‘
you” -
"And not my wife?”
"Certainly not Neither do I You
don’t seem to understand—” '
Bob answered smoothly: "Certainly
I understand you think ninety dollars '
Is too much for a suit Perhaps I can
show you something in scarfs of an
exclusive design?"
"Don't be funny 1” growled his fa
ther t
“Really dad you’d better go That
suit of yours Is a sight Somebody'
may think we made It for you”
Mr Wharton remained silent for ai '
moment “The situation is Impossible
and anybody bnt you would see It
We can’t accept that woman and we
won’t She’s notorious”
"No more so than I am— or you for
that matter” x
"She’s a grafter She’d quit you If '
I paid her enough”
"How do you know?” ‘
“Her mother has been to see me half
a dozen times I’ve offered to pay her '
anything within reason but they’re
holding out for something big You
come back Bob Let ber go to ber
own people”
“And what’s to become of the other
one?” Bob was smiling faintly
“The other one? What do you mean?
' “I mean there will be three In the
family soon dad you’re going to be
a grandfather”
The effect of this announcement wan
unexpected Hannibal Wharton was
momentarily 'stricken dumb for once '
he was utterly at a loss Then Instead
of raising his voice he spoke with a
sharp stuttering lndslveness:
“So that’s her game eh? I suppose
she thinks she’ll breed her way Into
the family Well she won’t It won’t
work I was willing to compromise be-
fore— so long as there was no tan-
gible bond between that family' and '
mine— but they’ve got their blood
mixed with mine they’ve got a finger-
hold In spite of hell and I suppose
they’ll bold on But I won’t acknowl-
edge a grandchild with scum like that
In his veins Good Godl Now listen— 1
you” Wharton’s Jaw was out-thrust -his
gaze hard and unwavering “No
child tainted with that blood will shara
In one penny of my money now or at
any other time Understand?” ‘
"Perfectly" Bob’s color had reced-
ed but In no other way did be show
his struggle for self-mastery “My
wife Isn’t bearing a child to spite you
and If it ever needs a grandfather we’ll
adopt one”
"They’ve pulled you 'down Into the
mud now they've tied you there He-
redity’s stronger than you or I watch
your child grow up and watch Its
mother’s blood tell Then remember
that I tried to free you before It was
too late Well I’m through This
settles me Good-by and God help
you with that rotten gang” Hannibal
Wharton turned and strode out of tha
room shaking bis bead and mumbling
CHAPTER XXV
Bob had seldom been conscious of 4
deliberate effort to please himself for
to want a thing had always meant to
have It almost before the desire had
been recognized The gratification of
his Impulses had become a sort of sec-
ond nature to him and one day feel-
ing that he owed a debt of friendliness
to the world he was Impelled to liqui-
date it ‘
(TO B9 CONTINUED)
i
i
w 4 -
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Garrett, Alva R. The Lenapah Post (Lenapah, Okla.), Vol. 5, No. 28, Ed. 1 Friday, August 25, 1916, newspaper, August 25, 1916; Nowata, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1748987/m1/3/?q=j+w+gardner: accessed June 22, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.