Cimarron Valley Clipper (Coyle, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 1, 1924 Page: 2 of 8
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CIMARRON VALLEY CLIPPER
r ---*
CHAPTER XV ,
* —12—
Lndy Cynthia ran Into Sir Timothy
near the end of a dinner dnnce nt
Clarldge’s, just when she had about
reached the end of her endurance
of boredom. *
"What brings you here alone?” she
asked him.
"I have an engagement In a few
minutes." he explained. “My car Is i
waiting now. I looked In nt the club
to dine, found my favorite table taken
and.nearly every man I ever disliked
sidling up to tell me that he hears I
am giving a wonderful party on Thurs-
day. I decided not to dine there, after
all, nnd Charles found me a corner
here. I am going in five minutes."
“Where to?" she usked. “Can’t 1
* come with you?"
“I fear cot,” he answered. “I am
going down In the East End."
"Adventuring?"
“More or less,” he ndmltted.
Lady Cynthia became beautiful. She
was always beautiful when she was
not tired. *
"Take mo with yoh, please," she
begged. "I'll get my cloak."
They drove along the Embankment,
cityward. The heat of the city seemed
to rise from the pavements. The wall
of the Embankment was lined with
people, leaning over to catch the lan-
• guid breeze that crept up with the
tide. They crossed the river and j
threaded their way through a night-
mare of squalid streets, where half-
dressed men and women hung from
the top windows nnd were even to be
seen upon the roof, struggling for ulr. |
The car at last pulled up at the corner i
of a long street.
"I am going down here,” Sir Tim- j
othy announced. “I shall be gone per- |
haps an hour. The neighborhood Is j
not a fit one for you to be left alone
in. I shall have time to send you
home. The car will bo back here for
me by the time I require it"
“Where are you going?" she asked
curiously. "Why cun’t I come with
you ?”
* "I am going where I cannot take
you," was the firm reply. “I told you
that before I started."
“I shall sit here nnd wait for you,”
she decided. “I rather like the neigh-
borhood. There is a gentleman In
shirtsleeves, leaning over the rail of
the roof there, who has his eye on me.
I believe 1 shall be a success here—
which Is more than I cun say of n
little farther westward."
Kir Timothy smiled slightly. He
had exchanged his hat for a tweed cap
and had put on a long dust-coat.
“There is no gauge by which you
may know the measure of your suc-
cess," he said. “If there were—"
“If there were?” she asked, leaning
a little forward nnd looking at him
with a touch of the old brilliancy In
her eyes.
“If there were,” he said, with a little
show of mock gallantry, “a very jeal-
ously guarded secret might escape me.
I think you will be quite all right
here,” he continued. “It is an open [
thoroughfare, and I see two policemen
at the corner. Hassell, my chauffeur,
too, Is a reliable fellow. We will be
back within the hour."
"We?" she repeated.
He Indicated a man who hnd silently
made Ills appearance during the con-
versation and was standing waiting on
the sidewalk.
“Just a companion. 1 do not advise
you to wait If you insist—au revoirl”
Lady Cynthia leaned hack In a cor-
ner of the car. Through half-closed
eyes she watched the two men on their
way down the crowded thoroughfare—
Elr Timothy, tall, thin as a lath, yet
with a certain elegance of benriug; the
man at his side shorter, his hands
thrust into the pockets of his coat, his
manner one of subservience. She
wondered languidly ns to their errand
in this unsavory neighborhood. Then
she closed her eyes altogether and
wondered about many things.
Sir Timothy nnd his companion
walked along the crowded, squalid
6treet without speech. Presently they
turned to the right nnd stopped In
frotit of a public-house of some pre-
tensions.
"This Is the place?" Sir Timothy
asked.
"Yes, sir I"
Both men entered. Kir Timothy
made his way to the counter, his com-
panion to a table near, where he took
a seat and ordered a drink. Sir Tim-
othy did the same. He was wedged i
in between a heterogeneous crowd of
shabby, depressed but apparently not
Ill-natured men nnd women. A man
In a flannel shirt nnd pair of shabby
pluld trousers, which owed their pre-
carious position to a pair of worn-out
braces, turned a beery eye upon the
newcomer.
"I’ll ’ave one with you, guvnor,” he
snld.
"You shall Indeed,” Sir Timothy as-
sented.
"Strike me lucky, but I’ve touched
first time 1" the man exclaimed. "I’ll
E. PHILLIPS OPPENHEIM .
Copyright by Little, Brow* and Company
'ave a double tot of whisky,” tie added,
addressing the barman. "Will it run
to it, guvnor?”
“Certainly,” was the cordlnl reply,
“and the same to your friends, If you
will answer a question.”
"Troop up, lads," the man shouted.
"We’ve a toff 'ere. He ain’t a 'tec—
I know the cut of them. Out with the
question.” .
“Serve everyone who desires It with
drinks,” Sir Timothy directed the bai-
man. “My question is easily answered.
Is this the place which n man whom
I understand they call Billy the Tan-
ner frequents?"
The question nppenred to produce
an almost uncomfortable sensation.
The enthusinsm for the free drinks,
however, was only slightly damped,
and a small forest of grimy hands
were extended across the counter.
"Don’t you nsk no questions about
Mm, guvnor,” Sir Timothy’s Immediate
companion advised earnestly. “He’d
kill you ns soon ns look nt you. When
Bill the Tanner's In a quarrelsome
mood, I’ve seen Mm empty tills plnce
and the whole street, quicker than If
a mad dog was loose. ’E’s a fair and
’oly terror, ’e Is. 'E nbout killed Ms
wife, three nights ago, but there ain’t
a living soul ns 'd dare to stand In
the witness-box ubout It."
“Why don’t ttie police take a hand
in the matter If the man Is such a nui-
sance?" Kir Timothy asked.
Ills new acquaintance, gripping a
thick tumbler of spirits and water with
a hand deeply lncrusted with the stains
of his trade, scoffed.
“Police 1 Why, ’e’d take on any
three of (he police round these parts 1"
ho declared. "Police I You tell one
on ein that Billy the Tanner's on the
rampage, nnd you’ll see ’em *op It.
( heero, guvnor, and don’t you get curi-
ous nbout Billy, it ain’t ’ealtliy.”
The swing-door was suddenly
opened. A tousle-halred urchin shoved
Ills face In.
“Illlly the Tanner's coming!” he
shouted. "Cnve, all 1 lie’s been ’avln’
a rnre to-do In Smith’s court."
Then a curious thing happened. The
little crowd at the bar seemed some-
how to molt away. Half-a-dozen left
precipitately by the door. Half-a-
dozen more slunk through an Inner en-
trance Into some room beyond. Sir
Timothy’s neighbor set down hls tum-
bler empty. He was the last to leave.
“If you’re going to stop 'ere, guv-
nor," be begged fervently, “you keep a
still tongue In your 'end. Billy ain't
particular who It Is. ’E’d kill Ms own
mother, If ’e felt like It. ’E’ll swing
some day, sure ns I stand '«ro. but
'e'll do a bit more mischief first. 'Op
It with me, guvnor, or get Inside there.”
“Jim’s right," the man behind the
bar agreed. "He’s a very nasty cus-
tomer, Bill the Tanner, sir. If he’s
coming down, I’d clear out for a mo-
ment. y ou can go In the guvnor's
sitting-room, If you like."
Sir Timothy shook his head.
“Billy the Tanner will not hurt me,”
he said. “As a matter of fact. I came
down to see hltn.”
Ills new friend hcsltntcd no longer,
out made for the door through which
most of hls companions hnd already
disappeared. The barman leaned
across the counter.
“Guvnor,” he whispered hoarsely,
“I don’t know what the game Is, but
I've given you the office. Billy won’t
stand no truck from anyone, lie's a
holy terror.”
Sir Timothy nodded.
"I quite understand," he snld.
There was a moment’s ominous si-
lence. The barman withdrew to the
further end of hls domain nnd busied
himself cleaning some glasses. Sud-
denly (he door was swung open. A
mun entered whose appearance alone
was calculated to Inspire a certain
amount of fear. He was tall, but hls
height escaped notice by reason of
the extraordinary breadth of hls shoul-
ders. lie had a coarse nnd vicious
face, n crop of red hnir, nnd an un-
rhnven growth of ^lie same upon hls
face. He wore whet appeared.to he
the popular dress In the neighbor-
hood—a pair of trousers suspended by
a belt, and a dirty flannel shirt. Hls
hands nnd even hls chest, where the
shirt fell away, were discolored by yel-
low stains. He looked nround the
room at first with an nir of disappoint-
ment. Then he caught sight of Sir
Timothy standing nt the counter, and
he brightened up.
"Where's nil the crowd, Tom?” he
nsked the barman,
"Seared of you, I reckon," was the
brief reply. “There wns plenty here
n few minutes ago.”
“Scared of me, eh?" the other re-
peated, staring hard nt Sir Timothy.
"Did you 'ear that, guvnor?”
"I heard It," Sir Timothy acqui-
esced
Billy the Tanner began to cheer up.
He walked all around this stranger.
“A toff I A big toff! I’ll ’ave a drink
with you, guvnor,” he declared, with a
note of Incipient truculence In ills tone.
The barman had already reached up
for two glasses, but Sir Timothy shook
bis head.
“I think not,’’ he said. ’
There was a moment’s silence. The
barman made despairing signs at Sir
Timothy. Billy the Tanner was mois-
tening bis lips with hls tongue.
“Why not?” he demanded.
“Because I don't know you and I
don’t like you," was the bland freply.
Billy the Tanner wasted small time
upon preliminaries, lie spat upon his
hands.
“I dunno you and I don’t like you,"
he retorted. “D'yer know wot I’m
going to do?”
“I have no Idea,” Sir Timothy con-
ferred.
“I’m going to make you look so that
your own mother wouldn’t know you—
then I'm going to pitch you Into the
street,” he added, with an evil grin.
“That’s wot we does with big toffs
who come ’anging around ’ere.”
“Do you?” Sir Timothy said calmly.
"Perhaps my friend may have some-
thing to say nbout that.”
M’he man of war was beginning to be
worked up.
“Where’s your big friend?" he shout-
ed. "Come on 1 I’ll tuke on the two
of you.”
The man who had met Sir Timothy
In the street had risen to hls feet, lie
strolled up to the two. Billy the Tan-
ner eyed him hungrily.
“The two of you, d'yer ’ear?" he
shouted. “And 'ere’s just a flick for
the toff to be going on with I”
lie delivered a sudden blow at Sir
Timothy—a full, vicious, Jabbing blow
which had laid many a man of the
neighborhood in the gutter. To hls
amazement, the chin nt which he had
aimed seemed to have mysteriously
disappeared. Sir Timothy himself was
standing nbout half-a-yard farther
nway. Billy the Tnnner was too used
to the game to be off hls balance, but
he received nt that moment the sur-
prise of hls life. With the flat of hls
hand full open, Sir Timothy struck
him across the cheek such a blow that
it resounded through the place, a blow
that brought both the Inner doors ajar,
that brought peering eyes from every
direction. There was a moment’s si-
lence. The man's fists were clenched
low, there was murder In hls face.
Sir Timothy stepped on one side.
"I am not a fighter,” he said coolly,
leaning back against the marble table.
“My friend will deal with you.”
Billy the Tunner glared at the new-
comer, who had glided In between him
and Sir Timothy.
“You can come and Join In. too," he
shouted to Sir Timothy. “I’ll knock
your big head Into pulp when I’ve done
with this little Job I"
The bully knew In precisely thirty
seconds what bad happened to him.
So did the crowds who pressed back
Into the place through the inner door.
So did the barman. So did the land-
lord, who hnd made a cuutlous appear-
ance through a trapdoor. Billy the
Tanner, for the first time In hls life,
was fighting a better man. For two
years he had been the terror of the
neighborhood, nnd he showed now th t
at least he had courage. Hls smatter-
ing of science, however, appeared only
ridiculous. Once, through sheer
strength and blundering force, he
broke down hls opponent’s guard nnd
struck him In the place that hnd dis-
patched many a man before—Just over
the heart. Ills present opponent scarce-
ly winced, nnd Illlly the Tanner pnld
the penalty then for hls years of bully-
ing. Ills antagonist paused for a single
second, as though unnerved bjf the
blow. Red fire seemed to stream fftun
hls eyes. Then It wns all over. With
a sickening ernsh, Billy the Tanner
went down upon the sanded floor. It
was no matter of n count for him. He
lay there like a dead man, and from
the two doors the hidden spectators
streamed Into the room. Sir Timothy
laid some money upon the table.
"This fellow insulted me nnd my
friend,” he said, “You see, he has
pnld the penalty. If he misbehaves
ngnln, the same thing will happen to
him. I am leaving some money here
with your bnrmnn. I shall be glad for
everyone to drink with me. Presently,
perhnps, you hnd better send for an
ambulance or a doctor."
A little storm of enthusiastic excite-
ment, evidenced for the most part In
expletives of n lurid note, covered the
retreat of Sir Timothy nnd hls com-
panion. Out In the street a small
crowd was rushing toward the plnce.
A couple of policemen seemed to be
trying to make up their minds whether
it was a fine night. An ^Inspector hur-
ried up to them.
"What’s doing In ’The Rising Sun’?”
he demanded sharply.
"Someone’s giving Billy the Tanner
a hiding*one of the policemen replied.
“Honest?” .
"A fair, ripe, knock-out hiding,” was
the emphatlf confirmation. “I looked
In nt the window.”
The Inspector grinned.
“I’m glad you had the sense not to
Interfere," he remarked.
Sir Timothy end hls companion
reached the ear. The latter took a
sent by* the chauffeur. Sir Timothy
stopped tri. It struck him that Lndy
Cynthia wns a little breathless. Her
eyes, too, were marvelously bright,
wrapped around her knees was the
chauffeur’s coat
“Wonderful 1” she declared. "I
haven't had such a wonderful five min-
utes since I can remember 1 You are
a dear to hnve brought me, Sir Tim-
othy.” •
“What do you mean?” he demanded.
"Mean?” she laughed, as the car
swung around nnd they glided nway.
“You didn’t suppose I was going to
sit here and. watch you depart upon a
mysterious errand? I borrowed your
chauffeur’s coat and hls cap, nnd slunk
down after you. I can assure you I
looked the most wonderful female
npaelie you ever saw 1 And I saw the
fight. It was better than any of the
prize fights I have ever been to. The
real thing Is better than the sham,
Isn’t It?”
Sir Timothy leaned back In hls
place nnd remained silent. Soon they
passed out of the land of tired people,
of stalls decked out with unsavory
provender, of fetid smells and un-
wholesome-looking houses. They passed
through a street of silent warehouses
on to the Embankment. A stronger
breeze came down between the curv-
ing arc of lights.
"You are not sorry that you brought
mo?” Lady Cynthia asked, suddenly
holding out her hand.
Sir Timothy took It In hls. For
some reason or other, he made no an-
swer at all.
The ear slopped In front of the gront
house In Grosvenor Equate. Lady Cyn-
thia turned to her companion.
"Y’ou must come In, please,” she
said. “I Insist, if It Is only for five
minutes.’’
Sir Timothy followed her across the
hall to a curved recess, where the
footman who had admitted them
touched a bell, and a small automatic
lift came down.
“I am taking you to my own quar-
ters,” she explained. “They are rather
cut off, but I like them—especially on
hot nights.”
They glided up to the extreme top
of the house. She opened the gates
and led the way Into what was prac-
tically an attic sitting room, decorated
In black nnd white. Wide-flung doors
opened onto the leads, where comfort-
able chairs, a small table nnd an elec-
tric standard were arranged. They
were fur above the lops of the other
houses, and looked Into the green of
the park.
"This Is where I bring very few
people,” she said. “This Is where,
even after my twenty-eight years of
fraudulent life, I am sometimes my-
self. Walt.”
There were feminine drinks nnd sand-
wiches arranged on the table. She
opened the cupboard of a small side-
board Just Inside the sitting-room,
however, nnd produced whisky and a
siphon of soda. There was a pall of
Ice In a cool corner. From somewhere
In the distance came the music of vio-
lins floating through the window of a
house where a dnnce wns In progress.
They could catch a glimpse of the
striped awning nnd the long line of
waiting vehicles with their twin eyes
of fire. She curled herself up on a
settee, flung a cushion at Sir Timothy,
who was already ensconced In a lux-
urious easy-chair, and with a tumbler
of Iced sherbet In one hand, and a
cigarette in the othur, looked bctoss
At him.
"I am not sure,” she said, "that yon
have not tonight dispelled an Illusion.”
"What manner of one?” he asked.
"Above oil things," she went on, ”1
hnve always looked upon you as wick-
ed. Most ut<p!o do. I think that Is
the reasot trly so mnny of the women
find you -.’tractive. 1 supposa It Is
why 1 have found you attractive."
The sr.illo was back upon hls lips.
He bowed a little, nnd, leaning for-
ward, dropped a chunk of Ice into hls
whisky nnd soda.
"Dear Lady Cynthia," he murmured,
“don’t tell me that I am going to slip
•back In your estimation Into somo nor-
mal place.”
"I am not quite sure," she said de-
liberately. "I have always looked
upon you ns a kind of nmnteur crimi-
nal, a man who loved black things nnd
dark ways. You know how weary one
gets of the ordinary code of morals in
these days. You wero such n delight-
ful antidote. And now, 1 am not sure
that you have not shaken uiy fuith
in you.”
“In what wny?”
"You really seem to hnve been en-
gaged tonight In a very sporttng and
philanthropic enterprise. I Imagined
you visiting some den of vice and mix-
ing as an equal vlth these terrible
people who never seem to cross the
bridges. I was perfectly thrilled when
I put on your chauffeur’s coat and bat
and followed you.”
“The story of my little adventure Is
a simple one,” Sir Timothy snld. “I
do not think It greatly affects my char-
acter. I believe, as a matter of fact,
that I am Just as wicked ns you would
have me be, but I hnve friends In every
walk of life, and, as you know, I like
to peer Into the unexpected places. I
had heard of this man Billy the Tan*
ner. lie beats women, and has estab-
lished a perfect reign of terror In the
court nnd neighborhood where he lives.
I fear I must agree with you that there
were some .dements of morality—of
conforming, nt any rate, to the recog-
nized standards of Justice—In what I
did. You know,-of course, that I am
a great patron of every form of box-
ing, fencing nnd the various arts of
^elf-defense and attack. I Just took
along one of the men from the gym-
nasium who I knew was equal to the
job. to give this fellow a lessoyi.”
“lie did It all right,” Lady Cynthia
murmured.
“But this Is where I think I re-
establish myself,” Sir Timothy con-
| tinued, the peculiar nature of his smile
I reasserting Itself. “I did not do this
j for the sake of the neighborhood. I
did not do It from any sense of jus-
tice nt all. I did It to provide for
myself an enjoyable and delectable
spectacle."
She smiled lazily.
“That does rather let you out," she
ndmltted. "However, on the whole I
am disappointed. I am afraid that
you are not so bad as people think."
“People?" he repeated. "Francis
Lcdsam, for Instance—my son-in-law
In posse?”
“Francis Ledsam Is one of those few
rather brilliant persons who have con-
trived to keep sane without becoming
a prig,” she remarked.
“You know why?” he reminded her.
‘‘Francis Ledsam has been a tremen-
dous worker. It Is work which keeps
a man sane. Brilliancy without the
capacity for work drives people to the
madhouse."
“Where we are all going, I suppose,"
she sighed.
“Not you," he answered. “You have
Just enough—I don’t know what we
moderns call It—soul, shall I say?—to
kee[t you from tho muddy ways."
She rose to her feet and leaned over
the rails. Sir Timothy watched her
thoughtfully. Iler figure, notwith-
standing its suggestions of delicate ma-
turity, was still ns slim as a young
girl’s. She wns looking ncross the
tree-tops towards an angry bank
of clouds—long, pencil-like streaks of
black on a purple background. Below,
In the street, a taxi passed with grind-
ing of brakes and noisy horn. The
rail against which she leaned looked
very flimsy. Sir Timothy stretched
out hls hand and held her arm.
“My nerves are going with my old
age.” lie apologized. "That support
seems too fragile."
She did not move. The touch of hls
fingers grew firmer.
“We have entered upon an allegory,”
she murmured. "You are preserving
me from the depths."
He laughed harshly.
“11” he exclaimed, with a sudden
■ touch of real and fierce bitterness
which brought the light dancing Into
her eyes and a spot of color to her
cheeks. “I preserve you I Why, you
can never henr my name without
thinking of sin, of crime of some sort I
Do you seriously expect me to ever
preserve anyone from anything?"
“You haven’t mude any very violent
attempts to corrupt me,” she reminded
him.
"Women don’t enter much Into my
scheme of life,” lie declared. ‘They
played a great part once. It was a
woman, I think, who first headed me
off from the pastures of virtue." *
“I know," she said softly. “It was
I Margaret’s mother."
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Exasperated Nerves
Are Very Infectious
“It has boon my experience In life,
and I find the experience of others
confirms me, that Irritability begets Ir-
ritability and scolding begets scold-
ing.
“Exasperated nerves nre very In-
fectious. Beware of the tongue of
that husband who has a shrewish
wife Beware of the company of those
children who have n nervous Invalid'
In authority over them I
“Satire, properly speaking, is the
scorn of fools. The satirist, therefore,
claims a personal exemption. He, by
some miracle, hns escaped from folly
It Is an assumption which I, for one’
nm never prepared to grant him. Are
you? Well, you will not be when you
are older. And you may take this from
me.”—Lee Wilson Dodd In MeNaught'B
Monthly.
When men speak 111 of you live so
that nobody may believe them.
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Cimarron Valley Clipper (Coyle, Okla.), Vol. 23, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 1, 1924, newspaper, May 1, 1924; Coyle, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc912838/m1/2/: accessed July 11, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.