Show A 7 51 SJ 11 LD X ti iad DE I 1 KLEIN u AD V ARTHUR HORNBLOW illustration BY RAY WALTER AY G W D LL L L COMPANY 6 SYNOPSIS how hom ard jeffries Jeff rles banker s son the evil I 1 influence nf luence of robert underwood a ell w student at yale leads ai a I 1 fe of dissipation dissipation marries the daughter of gambler who NN he d ed in prison and Is dis owned by h s father he ile tries to get work and falls fails A former college churn makes a business busine qs proposition to hovard ho vard which r requires e q u ares s cash and howard Is broke R robert b rt underwood who had been re pulsed by howard howards s wife mire annie in his college days and had once been engaged to alicia howard a stepmother pas apartments at the artrur a and Is ap jrr patently antly ly in prosperous circumstances howard w ard recalls a ao 0 loan to underwood that remains unpaid and decides to ask I 1 im tor for the OW he needs underwood taking advantage of his intimacy w th mrs jeffries Jeff rles sr becomes a sort of social c caal highwayman discovering his true char acter she denies him the I 1 ouse under wood s absence from a funch on causes comment an ong mrs jeffries Jeff rles guests CHAPTER IV continued in a word laughed the j idge you mean that any one trained to read my mind can tell just what 9 passing in my braina precisely replied the doctor with a smile the psychologist can tell with almost matha matic il accuracy just how your mental mechanism is work ing I 1 admit it sounds uncanny but it can be proved in fact it has been proved time and time again alicia came up and took the doc doe tor a arm oh dr Dern bernstein stein she protested I 1 can t allow the judge to monopolize you in this way come with me I 1 want to introduce you to a most charming woman who Is dying to meet you abie Is perfectly crazy on psychology don t introduce me to her laughed the judge I 1 see enough crazy people in the law courts dr bernstein smiled and followed his hostess judge brewster turned to chat with the banker from the dis tant music room came the sound of a piano and a b beautiful ful soprano voice the rooms were now crowded and newcomers were arriving each min ute servants passed in and out ing iced delicacies and champagne suddenly the butler entered the salon and quietly approaching alicia handed her a letter in a low tone he said this letter has just come in mm m the messenger said it was very ini and I 1 should deliver it at once alicia turned pale she instantly recognized the handwriting it was from robert underwood was not her last message how dare be he address her again and at such a time Ae retiring tiring to an inner room she tc atre re open the envelope and read as follows dear mrs jeffries Jeff rles this Is the last t me I 1 shall ever bore you nith mith my let lef you have forbidden me to see you mcgain practically you have sentenced me rne to a living death but as I 1 prefer death shall not be partial but full and rom complete oblivion I 1 take this means of letting you know that unless you revoke your cruel sentence of banishment I 1 shall make an end of it all I 1 shall be found dead monday morning and you will know who Is responsible yours devotedly HOBERT ROBERT UNDERWOOD an angry exclamation escaped alicia a lips and crushing the note up la in her hand she bit her lips till the blood came it was just ai she feared the man was desperate he was not to be got rid of so easily how dare he how dare hea the coward conard to think that she could be frightened by such a threat what did she care it if he killed himself it would be good riddance yet suppose he was mas in earnest suppose he did carry out his threatt threat there would be a terrible scandal an investigation people would talk her name would be men cloned no no that must be pre vented at all costs distracted not knowing what course to pursue she paced the floor of the room through the closed door she could hear the music and the chatter of her guests she must go to see underwood at once that was certain and her visit must be a secret one there was already enough talk if her enemies enemies could hear of her vis via biting him alone in his apartments the that t rould be the end yes I 1 must see him at once tomorrow Is sunday ile hes s sure to be home in the evening he ile mentions monday morning there will still be time III go and see him to tomorrow morrow alicia All cia ailcia the door opened and mr jeffries put his bead head in what are you doing here my deara he asked I 1 was looking everywhere for you judge brewster wishes to say good night p I 1 was fixing my hair that a all replied alicia with perfect compos ure CHAPTER V among the many huge caravansaries t I 1 tat at of recent years have sprung up in new york to provide luxurious quarters regardless of cost those ho can afford to pay tor for the best bole tote could rival the Ast ruria in size and nd magnificence occupying an ail en ell tire bleci in the very heart of the residential district it took precedence over all the other apartment hotels of the metropolis as the biggest and most splendidly appointed hostelry of its kind in the world it was indeed a small city in itself it was not nee essary for its fortunate tenants to leave it unless they were so minded everything for their comfort and pleasure was to be had without taking the trouble to go out of doors on the ground floor were shops of all kinds which catered only to the Ast Astr ruria urla s patrons there were also on the premises a bank a broker brokers s office a hairdresser and a postal tele graph office A special feature was the garden court containing over 30 square feet of open space and tastefully laid out with palms and flowers here fountains splashed and an orchestra played while the patrons lounged on comfortable rattan chairs or gossiped with their friends up on the sixteenth floor was the cool root roof garden an exquisite bower of palms and loses artificially painted by a famous french artist with its rach arche restaurant its tzi ganes and its superb view ot of all manhattan I island dand the A was the last wor wort in expensive apartment hotel building architects declared that it m was as as far as modern laviL ness and gance could go its interior arrange ments mere in keeping with its ex sp lendol its apartments were mere of noble dimensions richly decorated and equipped with every device new and old that modem modern science and builders ingenuity could suggest that the rents were on a scale with the grandeur of the goes without saying only long purses could stand the strain it was a fa evorite headquarters for westerners who had struck it rich wealthy bachelors and successful actors and opera singers who loved the limelight on and off the stage sunday evening was usually exceed angly quiet at the Ast astrina ruria most of the tenants were out of town over the weekend and as the restaurant ana root roof garden gurden were only slimly patron laed the elevators ran less frequently making less chatter and bustle in cor riders and stairways stillness re ened everywhere as it if the sobering influx ence of the sabbath had invaded even this exclusive domain of the unholy rich the uniformed attendants hav ing nothing to do yawned lazily in the deserted halls some even in bulged in surreptitious naps in cor ners confident that they would not be disturbed callers were so rare mat when some one did enter from the street he was looked upon uvon with suspicion it was shortly after seven 0 clock the day following mrs jeffries reception when a man came in by the main entrance from broadway and approaching one of the hall boys in quiren for mr robert underwood the boy gave his interlocutor an impudent stare there was something about the callers dress and manner which told him instinctively that he was not dealing with a visitor whom he aust treat respectfully no one divines a mans or ot woman s social status quicker or more unerringly tn a servant the attendant saw at once that the man did not belong to the class which paid social visits to tenants in the Ast Astr ruria urla he was rather seedy looking his collar was not immaculate his boots were vere thick and clumsy his clothes cheap and 11 ill fitting Is mr air underwood inc he de banded come not home replied the attendant insolently alter after a pause like in most pleasure hall boys he took a savage pleasure in saying that the tenants were out the caller looked annoyed he must be in he said with a frown I 1 have an appointment with him this was not strictly true but the bluff had the desired effect got an appointment why you S say ay so S 0 at once reaching lazily over the telephone switchboard and without rising from his seat he asked the mr bennington the boy took the transmitter and spoke into it A party called to see mr under wood there was a brief pause as if the person upstairs was in doubt whether hether to admit that he was home or not then came the answer the boy looked up he ile says you should go up apart ment take the elevator in his luxurious appointed rooms on the fourteenth floor robert under wood sat before the fire puffing ner bously at a strong cigar all around him was a litter of dart d art such as would have filled the heart of any ua 2 N if Q e 4 51 aa ry yes I 1 must see him at once connoisseur with joy oil paintings in heavy gilt frames of every period and school Rem brandts culps dabis Reynold ses corots henners some on easels some resting on the floor handsome french bronzes dainty china on japanese teakwood tables antique furniture gold em broidered clerical vestments hand pointed screens costly oriental rugs rare ceramics all were confusedly jumbled together on a grand piano in a corner of the room stood two tall vases of almost inestimable value on a desk close by were piled miniatures and rare ivo ies les the walls were covered with tapestries armor and trophies of arms more like a museum than a sitting room it was the home of a man who made a business of art or made of art a busi bust ness underwood stared moodily at the glowing logs in the open chimney place his face was pale and de d ter mined after coming in from the restaurant he had changed his tux edo for th the e more comfor comfortable tab I 1 e house coat nothing called him away that particular sunday evening and no DO one was likely to disturb him ferns perris his man servant had taken his usual sunday off and would not return until midnight the apartment was still as the grave it was so high above the street that not a sound reached up from the noisy broadway below un derwood liked the quiet so thai that he could think and he was thinking hard on the flat desk at his elbow stood a dainty demitasse of black coffee un tasted there were glasses and decanters of whisky and cordial but the stimulants did not tempt him he ile wondered von dered it if alicia ignore his letter or if she would corns come tc h him im surely she could not be so heart less ay as to throw him over it at sich a moment crushed in his I 1 ft hand was a copy of the new york herald containing in elaborate account of the brilliant reception and musicale given the fhe precious ious evening at her home with an exclamation of l quience he rose from his seat threw 9 afe e paper from him and began to pice the floor was anis the end of ev ry grything thing had he reached the end of his rope he ile must pay the reckoning if not to daa da to tomorrow tomo mairow irow As his eyes wan dered around the room and he took mental inventory of each costly coaly ob joca he experienced a a shock as he recalled the things t tl at were missing how could he explain their absence 9 the art dealers were al ready sup lelous they not to be put off any longer v ith excuses any moment they might insulat either on the immediate return of their prop erty or on payment in full he ile was in the position to do neither th the articles had been sold and the money lost gambling curse the luck every lvery thing had gone against him t f late the dealers would begin criminal plo pi ec edings disgrace and prison stripe would follow there was no way out of it he had no one to whom he could turn in this crisis and now even alicia had deserted hi him in this was the last straw wh ie lo he was still able to boast of the tho friendship and patronage of the aels to cratic mrs howard jeffries he could still hold his head high in the world no one would dare question his integrity but now she had aban boned him to his fate people would mould be gin to talk there was mas no use keeping up a hopeless fight suicide was mas the only way out he stopped in front of a mirror startled at what he saw there it was the face of aman a man not yet 30 but apparently much older the features were drawn and haggard and his dark hair was plentifully streaked with gr gny ay iy he ile looked like a man who had lived two lives in one tonight to night bla his face pice frightened him his eyes had a fixed stare like those of a min be he had once seen in a madhouse he wondered if men looked like that when they were about to be executed wag not his own hour cloe at hand ha ila nonder monder d why the loch lock was so aisy it seemed to him that the ticks were louder than usual he started sud denly and looked around fearfully he thought h he had heard a sound outride shuddered he shuddered as he glared toward the little drawer on the right hand side of his desk in which he knew there va was a loaded revolver if alicia would mould only relent escapa might yet be possible it if he did not hear from hei her it must be for to night tight one slight little pressure on the ti is ger and all would be over I 1 suddenly the bell of the telephone connecting the apartment with the main hall downstairs rang violently interrupted thus abruptly in the midst of his reflections underwood lumped jumped forward startled his nerves were so unstrung that he was ever apprehensive of danger with a trem ulous hand he took hold of the re beiver and placed it to his ear car As he listened his already pallid face turn turned d whiter and the lines about his mo ith tightened he hesitated a moment be fore replying then with an effort he aid vald send him up dropping the receiver he began to walk nervously up and down the room the bricis had come sooner than he expected exposure was at hand this man was the man ager of fie the arin of dealers whose goods he disposed of he could not make restitution prosecution was in evitable disgrace and prison would follow he could not stand it he would mould rather kill himself trouble wa wao very close at band hand that was certain ho how could be he get out of ltv it pacing the floor he bit his lips i 11 tit tl e blood came there was a sharp ring at the front door underwood opened it As he recognized his visitor on the thresh old he exel exclaimed aimed why bennington this is a sur prise the manager entered awk awkwardly w ardly he had the constrained air of a man who has come on an unpleasant er rand but wants to be as amiable as the circumstances will III permit you didn dian t expect me did you youa he began shutting the front door underwood led the wa way back into the sitting room and making an effort to control his nerves said raid sit down wont won t you youa 9 but mr air bennington merely bowed it was evident that he did not wish his call to be mistaken for a social visit I 1 haven t time thank you to be frank my mission is rather a delicate dl icat one mr air underwood TO BE CONTINUED |