Show H i 6 Li I T i J- J What Was th the e Good 0 of f Re Regrets r. r iJ E CID 1 e C 1 ill j Pd Q ThIRD lh KLEIN y A AND f g g p f G lY Y Y ILLUSTRATIONS BY RAY WALTER COPYRIGHT 1109 09 Y DY CW COMPANy y I SYNOPSIS Howard HO Jeffries bankers banker's son under the he evil Influence o of Robert Underwood a student fellow at Yale leads a life of ot dissipation marries the daughter e of a gambler ambler who died In prison and Is d disowned dis- dis s owned by his father tather- He tries to get w wand work and nd falls fails A former college chum makes which a business proposition to Howard which requires 2000 cash and Howard Is la broke Robert Underwood who had been his re repulsed revised re- re pulsed by Howards Howard's wife Annie In n his college ollege days das and had once been engaged to o Alicia Howards Howard's stepmother hh has apartments at the a and Is ls apparently ap- ap p- p In prosperous circumstances Howard Howard r recalls alls a a loan to Underwood that hat remains unpaid ate ad l decides to too ask him ilm for tor the 2000 he needs Underwood taking advantage of his Intimacy macef with with Mrs Jeffries Sr becomes a sort o of ot social hIghwayman Discovering his true char Alicia character char char- acter she denies him the bouse Alicia receives a a. note from Under Underwood od threatening threatening threat- threat ening suicide She decides to geland go and see gel him lm He Tie Ie Is In desperate has financial been straits Art dealers for whom h he has been acting as s commissioner d demand and d an accounting He ie cannot make good Howard Het Jeffries t asks asks' calls In an Intoxicated condition He asks asks' Underwood for tor 2000 and IB IA told by the latter alter that he Is In d debt u up to his eyes yes Howard drinks himself Into a maudlin condition and goes to sleep p on onU ona a divan A caller Is announced and U Under Underwood draws raws a screen around the drunken e eat a leeper Alicia enters She h demands a heh promise remise from rom him m that at he will not take his life pointing to the disgrace that would attach to herself Under Underwood refuses reuses re re- fuses uses to promise unless s sher she will renew n her ber ler patronage CHAPTER VII VII Continued I 1 dont don't believe you Intend to carry carryout carryout carryout out your threat I should have known from rom the first that your object was to frIghten me The pistol display was highly theatrical but It was only a blurt bluff Youve You've no more Idea of taking your life Ufe than I have of taking mine I was foolish to come here I might have lave spared myself the humiliation of this clandestine Interview Goodnight Good night She went toward the door Underwood Underwood Underwood Under Under- wood made no attempt to follow her In n a hard strange voice which he scarcely recognized as his own he merely said Is that all you have to say Y Yes s replied Alicia as she turned at the door Let ULet it be thoroughly un understood understood understood that your our presence at m my mylouse house louse is not desired If you force yourself upon me in any way you OU must take the consequences Underwood bowed and was silent She did not see the deathly pallor of his ais face Opening the door of the apartment WhiCh leu led to the me nan hall she again turned Tell me roe before I you go go you didn't mean what you said In your letter did you IOU Ill tell you nothing replied Underwood Un derwood doggedly She tossed her head scornfully I dont don't believe that a man who Is coward enough to write a letter like I this has the he courage to to- carry out out his his threat Stuffing the letter back Into oer Der bag she added I should have thrown brown it In the wastepaper waste basket out but on second thoughts I think Ill I'll keep It Good night night Good echoed Underwood mechanically I He watched her go down the long hallway and disappear In the elevator Then shutting the door he came slowly back into the room ant and sat down at his desk For ten minutes he heat sat at there motionless his head bent forward every limb relaxed There was deep silence broken only by How low ird's ud's regular breathing and the loud Licking icking of the clo clock k Its all up he muttered to himself Its no use battling against the tide The strongest swimmer must go under gounder under some time Ive I've played my last card and Ive I've lost Death is better than going to jail What good Is life anyway anyway anyway any any- way without money Just a mo moments moment's ent s nerve and it If will all l be over over over- Opening the drawer in the desk he took out the revolver again He turned it over OTer In his hand and regarded fearfully fearfully fear fear- fully the polished surface of the instrument instrument in in- strument that bridged life and death He had completely forgo forgotten en Howards Howard's presence presence In the room On On the threshold thresh old of a terrible deed his thoughts were leagues away Like a man who is drowning and close to death he saw with surprising distinctness a kaleidoscopic view of his past life He saw himself an Innocent impulsive school boy the pride of a devoted mother the ha happy py home where he spent his childhood Then came the association with bad companions the first step in wrongdoing stealing out of a comrades comrade's pocket In school the death of his mother leaving home home home- with downward l progress until he gradually gradually grad grad- gradI I drifted Into his present dishonest dishon dishon- est way o of living What was the good goodof of regrets He could not recall his mother to life Ufe He could never rehab himself among decent men and women The world had suddenly become be come too small for him He must go and quickly Fingering the pistol nervously he sat b before fore the mirror and placed it against his temple The cold steel gave him a sudden shock He wondered wondered wondered won won- dered if it would hurt and U if i there would be Instant oblivion on The glare of or the electric light in the room disconcerted disconcerted disconcerted dis dis- concerted him It occurred to him that it would be easier in the dark Reaching out his arm he turned the electric button and the room was immediately im im- immediately mediately plunged Into darkness except except except ex ex- for the moonlight which entered through the windows Imparting a ghostly aspect to the scene On the theother theother theother other side of the room b behind hI the screen a red glow from the open fire fell Cell on the sleeping form of ot Howard HowardJ J Jeffries Slowly deliberately Underwood raised the l pistol to his temple and fired CHAPTER VIII VIM Hello What's that Startled out of his Gargantuan slumber by the revolvers revolver's loud report Howard sat up with a Jump and rubbed his eyes On the other side of the screen concealed from his observation ob ob- there was a heavy crash of ofa a body falling with a chair then chair then all was quiet Scared not knowing where he was Howard jumped to his feet For a moment he stood still trying to collect col lect led his bis senses It was too dark to discern anything plainly but he could dimly make out outlines of aesthetic furniture and bibelots Ah he remembered remembered remembered re re- re- re now lIe Ho was in Jn Underwood's Underwood's Underwood's Under Under- woods wood's apartment Rubbing his eyes he tried to recall how he be came there and slowly his befuddled befuddled be be- fuddled brain began to work He re- re that he needed 2000 and that he had bad called on Robert Underwood Underwood Underwood Under Under- wood to try and borrow tho the mone money Yea Yes he recalled that perfectly well Then ho bo and Underwood got drinking and talking and he had bad fallen tallen asleep He thought he be had heard a womans woman's voice voice voice-a a voice he knew Perhaps that I was only a dream He lie must have been asleep some time because the lights were out and seemingly everybody everybody every every- b body dv had gone to bed He wondered what the noise which started him could have been Suddenly he heard hearda a groan He listened intently but all was still The silence was uncanny Now thoroughly frightened frIghten d Hotard Howand Howard How Hot ard and cautiously groped his way about trying to find the electric button He had no idea what time timo it was It must be very late What an ass he was to drink so much He wondered what Annie would say when he didn't return He was a hound to let her herBit sit Bit up and worry like that Well this would be a lesson to him him it It was the thelast thelast thelast last time hed he'd ever touch a drop Of course he had promised her the same thing a hundred times before but bu this ills time he ho meant it His drinking was always getting him Into some fool scrape or other He was gradually working his way along the room when suddenly he stumbled over something on the floor It was a man lying prostrate StoopIng Stooping Stoop Stoop- ing lag he recognized the figure Why Why its Its It's Underwood 1 he ex ex- ex claimed At first he believed his classmate was asleep yet considered It strange that he should have selected so uncomfortable uncomfortable un un- un comfortable a place Then It occurred to him that he might be ill Shaking him by the shoulder he cried Hey Underwood what's the matter matter matter mat mat- ter No response came from fromA the prostrate prostrate pros pros- A figure Howard stooped stooped lower to see better and accidentally touchIng touching touching touch touch- ing Underwood's face found it clammy clammy clam clam- my and wet He held his hand up in inthe inthe inthe the moonlight and saw saw that it was covered with blood stricken Horror-stricken he cried My God Hes He's bleeding bleeding hes he's hes hurt hurU What had b happened An accident or or worse Quickly he felt the mans man's pulse It It had ceased to beat Underwood Underwood Underwood Under Under- wood was dead For a moment Howard was too much o overcome by his discovery to know what to think or do What dreadful tragedy could have happened happened happened hap hap- Carefully groping along the mantelpiece he be at last found the elec trie button and turned on the light There stretched out on the floor lay Underwood with a bullet hole in iIi his left temple from which blood had flowed freely down on his fu dress full shirt It was a ghastly sight The Theman's Theman's Theman's mans man's white set face covered with witha a crimson stream made a repulsive spectacle On the floor near the body was a highly polished revolver still smoking Howards Howard's first supposition was that tha burglars had entered the place ant and that Underwood Un-derwood had been killed while e defending his property He remembered remembered remembered now th that t in his drunken sleep he be had heard voices in angry tion Yet why hadn't he be called fo for assistance Perhaps he be had and he hadn't heard him He looked at the clock and was surprised to find it was not yet midnight mid mid- night He believed it was at least leas five o'clock In the morning It was wa evident that Underwood had never neve gone to bed The shooting had occurred occurred occurred oc oc- oc- oc either while the angry dispute was going on or after the unknown visitor had departed The barrel o othe of the revolver was still warm showing that It could only have been discharged discharged dis- dis dis- dis charged a few moments before Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly it flashed that UnderWood Underwood Underwood Under Under- wood might have committed suicide But it was useless to stand there theorizing Something must be done He must alarm the hotel people o or call the police He felt himself turn hot and cold by turn as he realized the serious predicament in which he hims himself lf was placed If It he aroused sed the hotel people they would fled find him here alone with a dead man SuspIcion Suspicion cion clon would at once be dl directed ted at him and it might be very difficult for him to establish his Innocence Who would believe that he could have fallen asleep in a bed while a man killed himself in the same room It sounded preposterous The wisest course for him would be be to before get away anybody any an body came Quickly he picked up his hat and made for the door Just as he was about to lay hand on the h indie there was the click of a latchkey Thus Leaded off and not know knowing ng what to todo todo todo do he halted in painful suspense The d door or opened and a man entered He looked as surprised to see Howard Howard Howard How How- ard as the latter was to see h him im He TV was as shaven clean-shaven and neatly dressed yet did not look th the gentleman His appearance was rather that of a servant ant All these details flashed Before eCore Howards Howard's mind before belore he blurted out Who the devil are you The rhe man looked astonished at the question and eyed his interlocutor closely as if In doubt as to his ty In a cockney acc accent nt he be said loftily I I am Ferris Mr Underwood's Underwood s 's man I sir Suspiciously he added Are you a friend of Mr l Underwood's sir He might well ask the question for Cor Howards Howard's disheveled appearance and ghastly face still distorted by terror was anything but reassuring Taken by surprise Howard did not know what to say and like most people questioned at a disadvantage ho he answered answered answered an an- foolishly Matter No What makes you think anything is the matter Brushing past the man he be added Its late Im I'm going I minute cried cred the tho Stop a man manservant manservant servant There was something in Howards Howard's manner that he ho did not like liko Passing quickly into the sitting room he called out Stop a minute But Dut Howard did not stop atop Terror Terror- ga vo him wings and without waiting for tor 1 tho the elevator he be was already half halt way war down the first staircase wh when n ne heard shouts behind him Murder Stop thief thle Stop that man Dan Stop that man There was a rush of ot feet and hum of voices which made Howard run all ill the faster He Ho leaped down four steps at a time In his anxiety to get gel away But Dul it was no easy matter descending descending descending de de- so many flights of stairs It took him several minutes to reach the main floor By Dy this time the whole hotel was aroused Telephone calls had quickly quick quick- ly warned the attendants who had promptly sent for the police By Dy the time Lime Howard reached the main entrance entrance entrance en en- trance he was intercepted by a mob too numerous to resist Things certainly looked black for him As he sat white while and trembling under guard In a corner of the entrance entrance entrance en en- trance hall waiting for the arrival of ot the police the va valet t breathlessly gave the sensational particulars to the rapIdly rapidly rapIdly rap- rap Idly growing crowd of curious on on- lookers He had taken his usual Sunday Sunday Sunday Sun Sun- day out and on returning home at midnight as was his custom he had bad let himself In with his latchkey To his astonishment he had found this man the prisoner about to leave the premises His manner and remarks were so peculiar that they at once aroused his suspicion He hurried into the tho apartment and found his master lying dead on the floor in a pool of ot blood In his hurry the tho assassin had dropped his revolver which was lying n near ar the corpse As far as he could see nothing had been taken from the apartment Evidently the man was disturbed at his work and when suddenly suddenly sud denly surprised had made the blurt bluff that he was calling on Mr o Under wood They had got the right man that was certain He was caught red redS handed and In proof of what he be said the valet Talet pointed to Howards Howard's right hand which was still covered with blood How terrible exclaimed a woman bystander averting her face So Sa young too Its Ita It s all a mistake I 1 tell you It |