OCR Text |
Show JUAB COUNTY TIMES. NEPHI. UTAH " Ha was obliged to ask his father tV pay for the limousine he bad hired, be called upon torelate hi and whole adventure. f . "Limousine, eh?" snorted Jeremiah. "To take home one of the girl who got hurt out In the stitching room? "However, ince you've done it, I suppose Ml have to settle," he grudgr hill from the ingly took a safe and handed It over. "Tell Mis Hastings to charge that up to my personal account and give her the girl' release to put on file." "Her release?" Jock gave an uneasy m WILSON '.'. WOODDOW i . s five-dolla- AUTHOR OF -- THE SIL VER BUTTERFLY," "SALLY SALT," "THE BLACK PEARL," ETC. NOVELIZED FROM THE SERIES OP PHOTOPLAYS OP THE SAME NAME RELEASED BY SECOND STORY The Tight Rein In Jeremiah McCall' great factory at leaping Itivcr, it was estimated tlutt a jHilr of shoes was turned out every seven and a half seconds. The big rolls of leather dry, llfeleHs skins of rat LI o, goats and horses came in at one end of tho plant, and passed out at the other as the finished artlclo, of them, shining, Inequered, complete In neat pasteboard boxes. Conversely, the factory took hun, dreds of young girls, bright-eyed- , glossy haired, bursting with youth, and turned thorn into dry, lifeless old women, leathery of face and leathery of soul. for Among the new applicants work tho row material of tho system one day came Amy Prentice. It bappened to be a day In April a tricksy day with big, white clouds Bailing lazily over the bluest kind of sky, aud a warm, soft breeze which rustled In at the open windows to whisper all aorta of fanciful suggestion. Hy a coincidence. It bappened to bo the birthday of young Jock McCall, the aon of the owner of tho plant his twenty third birthday. One by one, the applicants passed before bis desk to bo perfunctorily questioned as to ago, experience, references. 1 ben suddenly ho glanced up to encounter a fuco which In Its wistful delicacy, and almost childlike charm of expression, seemed to him the very counterpart and embodiment of the day. You aro looking for work?" ho asked, yet hardly knew his own voice. It was as If ho wcro saying, "I love you." She started a Ilttlo at his question, showing plainly that she too had been dream gathering; then murmured au acquiescence. She was absolutely green and wltn-cu- t experience, and for untrained labor of Hint sort McCall usually paid from threo to five d dlars a week. Jock mentally straiiiej a point as to the factory's m ci hsitii s, nnd assigned her to piece work en a stitching machine where, !f she w ro quh k and capable, fclm tou'd earn from twenty to twenty-five- . mil-lion- s theery-i-heeked- Mo-Ca- ll start. Do you mean to say "Certainly. that after all this hauling of her FAT HE EXCHANGE. o deception that ha practieed In the next few week. Under Gertrude' tutelage a woman can alway gira a man lessons In tJuplicity-:- ha gave, the. Impression that he was falling in with hi father's wishes and assiduously courting the daughter of old Jordan, thus avoiding the raising of any Issue, while all the time he was spending stolen hour with Amy. But Leaping River was too small a place and the son of Jeremiah too promineut a person in the community for bia actions long to escape comment: and when Amy, with only a healed scar to show for the Injury she had received, returned to work, and Jock made a practice of escorting her to and from the factory every day, some of the gossip that was rife came to the ear of the stern, old head of tho concern. He satisfied himself that the information wa authentic. Then be moved swiftly to action. First he gave order for the discharge of the "hussy" as he termed her It was not hard to tlnd a cause of dismissal, when she was so plainly incompetent then calling bis son into the office, he laid down the law In six vitriolic sentences. Pretending surrender, he promised compliance to all the old gentleman's demands, and that night after a tear ful farewell interview with Amy, be skipped out. When the safe at McCall was opened the next morning. It was found that five hundred dollar in cash was missing, and in Its place lay the following letter: Father: I have taken $500. I suppose you will say I have stolen It But I have n father atarted to speak, "you will tell me that you give me the privilege of going to the various stores and charging things up to your account, always knowing that you will look over the bills. Then too. If 1 want live or ten dollars for spending money I can generally get it by asking you and ex plaining Jimt exactly what I am going to do with it. Trohahly I get, all told, a fair remuneration for my services." "Then what are you complaining about?" questioned McCall coldly. "What do you want?" "I want a regular salary. I want to spend it as I see lit, without any-onhaving the right to stop or question me. 1 want freedom." "Supposo," be flushed a trifle selfconsciously, "I should meet some girl that I would want to marry. How could I ever think of entertaining such un Idea, when I am nothing more than a dependent receiving only what you choose to give?" Tho old man's lips relaxed somewhat from their stubborn set. "The day you marry," ho said, 'Til take you Into partnership." lie turned back to his desk wltn an nlr of having ended the discussion, and Jock, knowing how useless it was to continue when his father adopted that time is money tone, went. Meanwhile, McCall scratched off his slguaturo to a basket of letters which the stenographer brought in. Then allowing himself a breathing spell at last, ho stepped to the window and gazed meditatively toward a group of factory buildings over on tho other side of tho river, belonging to hi friend and competitor, I'cter Jordan. The two concerns combined would make one of tho largest plants In the world; and that is what he saw In his mind's eye already accomplished a mammoth establishment, which under tho narao of McCall, would be carried on by bis grandson and o around like she was some visiting royalty, you didn't get her to sign up and release the firm from liability? Thunder and guns, boy, where are your wits? Why, I'll bet some personal shyster Is out there now drawing up the papers for a ault. Here," he waved a peremptory arm, "grab your hat and streak It out there again as fast as you can make it. Or, wait a minute." he selred a pen aod sJiti-blea line across the sheet of a memorandum pad. "Take this and tell Miss Hastings to give you a hundred dollars in currency. The sight of the cash will sometimes land them when they'd turn their nose up at a cheek. Strike as good a bargain with her as you can and don't come back without that release." Jock vanished, glad to get off with no stronger a reprimand. On his arrival at the cottage he found that the girl was only too willing to waive any claim for compensation to which she was entitled. Jock pulled out and tendered the one hundred dollars r. a "small Indemnity from th. firm for the loss of time and extra expense to which they would be put " Then walking home in the soft April dusk, his mind full of entrancing visions of Amy as she sat propped up at a tea table almost smothered in her flowers, he encountered Gertrude Jordan. Ho was about to pass her with a mere lifting of the hat and a word of greeting; but she turned, as If upon impulse, and fell into step beside him. "Father and I are Invited up to your house on Thursday," Gertrude said y d ured carefully, and have decided I tint over and above what I have had from you, there is mure than thts due me at the lowest waire rate paid at the factory. You have steadfastly refused me the wages and the Independence you eMve to your cheapest hand. Now I am off to win my own way. Old Jeremiah made no comment when he read this letter. His bard old face grew a shade grimmer, perhaps; he drove his working force possibly a trifle more ruthlessly; otherwise there was no change la him. He simply ceased to mention hi son' name. That all resentment was not dead within him, though, was shown by the significant fact that when be chanced to learn that the girl he blamed for Jock downfall wa employed at Jor great-grandson- Jordan had already given tacit consent to the plan; for Jordan bad no son to aucceed him. and was very willing that his only daughter, Gertrude, should marry such a steady-goindependable lad as Jock McCall. Jeremiah decided as he rubbed hi thin bands tgethr to bring the matter to a head, lie stepped to the telephone and calllt.s up his home, directMi wifo to Invite the Jonlans, ntl.-e- . Pr nrre was "Amy the ed twenty," father and daughter, tip for dinner hhe l.iid In way filed the application soma evening tli.it week. Mmik be had Riven her; but his heart It never occurred to him for a bid christened her, "April' Lady," beenter objection that J:;ck ae-ifore he ever knew her name. proporr-- l srrai;,"metit, sny 1 ho entrance of Co head of the con- to th cern aroi.:;e.l jijm from his Idlo mus- - more than !t had to Jordan that l(U-aas to . mla.li McCall was a tall, tnnle might have other lig. of her hand ;.ara m.-i- as hard ami dry and brown the .disposition Idea a Hh not unconiie-uas tho leather In which, ho dealt ci tain handst mo young foreman In They talked busiiir. Vr a few m;n-ute- one of her father's shops. rouilno matters then J.m k emMcCall never doubted that Jock boldened by iho faint dimlnut un of would fall In with the n'lsietity in the other's manner, ven- scheme, obediently when 11 was outlined to him. tured to broach a request which huJ Young Jock, returning from the task beerria big mind for some time. of strairhtotiirig out the dilatory leIn daringfather," be I Hiiis-.cbad made a long and quite tm-ly, 'I've been around tho plant here tter, l through the cosfiary detour t f'ir three years now, ever since I came l l'k from college. Vovl told me you ihop where t.!s little jrotegco t,f tliat v, hi. ted mo to learn the business, and morning was nt work. He saw with a little citr!i of arxii ty that wi;li her iin xh rt I.a:idling cf t.ie big machine at wliirh she was set, there was grave flanvr of disaster. Awkwardly l uihlng !i,e tip; er, on which h was npaee.l, ncrosi the mafhlTie, Amy's t.stid ha 1 sfayel out :T, :' of place arid the sharp, s'rr ig needle s. f i wss driven completely tl.roc-h- . P.efore It could descend a second . , lime, aim-- . st before the quick cry of pain brnl.f from her lips, J i had sprurg forward and thrown a U. whih brought I lift swiftly moving mechanism to a halt Then as the girl reeled bark half fali.lt if In her seat, he threw an arm leut her nn-supjorted hr. wl,;V a g'O'ip of nerbr omployeps hurried'? leaving their n.a chines (ca'bered arounl tbcri t ' "Oh," h" appe aled a he gazc.l at the white, r ain convit'ed frff , ing sainwt hlj shoulder, IVri anybody here who knows what to da i i a r. - ' 'U . . mo-r:el- s J.-r- - t ) - 'IJ - j i K - ' .,- I -- . . . . , . J ? d d i, VS. ... v J 'n't - this?" eeFcrlunatclv Ilk- Amy Wat Discharged. I'r awe ahead and tried to do It. I'm rot throwing any bouquets at myself, but I think that Its made reasonably coca. s5'U,at you d have more or less of a hard time getting anyone to f:ll my place." " Well V tho i old man's tone was absolutely without expression. Joe hesitated. "Tell me, frst," bt parried with a touch of shrewdness, "what you think Hae I, or bar I not made good?" s rigidly honest In speech McCall a well as in action. "I've no com-- . plaints to mrtVe of you," he said dryly, "Then," cKtriaudel Jock, "why don't yon psy me a salary, s you would have to with any other man who did he 6rit for you ihat I am doing?" Oh, I ijjow," t broke out as hi 1 thte Wj. Minor casualties of the sort were of to infrequent occurrences In that department, and a rned !!eome !at bureau had coTpelled the Installment of a "first aid" einlpment. With this forthcoming now. the girl was given am h relief as the circumstances permitted. The cdor came back to her pale cheeks ejus bark rather strongly ss she realised where her head was pillowedand she raised herself a trlfl hurriedly. "I am quite all right now," she Insisted. "If someone will only go out with me as far as the car, t am snr I can get home without the slightest trouble." Hut Jock woiiH llsfofi io rtotbing of the sort. Alresd? h had nt out for a luurlon tjnw'tisine, and so, despite her protesti, Amy rods fcorne In state j and escorted by the son of McCall to the shabby little tol'sie In a poor quarter cf the town, whera aha lived! with her widowed mother. j ' I The Girl Was Given Such Relief a Circumstance now with a significant twitch to the corner of her lips. "It s to be a sort of engagement party." ' Engagement parly?" Jock repeated vaguely. "Yes. A kind of opening gun to " the marriage between you and nivse'f." J'xk halted abruptly and stood back staling nt her. "Tho marriago between ynu and myself 1" bo gasped incredulously. "Good Lord!" Gertrude burst Into a ringing laugh of sheer amusement. "Flatterer!" sho mocked, "rteaily, Jixk, you couldn't look more hurrifleJ if I bad told you that you were going to bj electrocuted. What the matter with u i e, an; haw? I think 1 would make a wife for any man to Jump at." "You want me to marry you?" be ar-ran- sai l ferbly, no!" Sh was ns emdisclaimer as h.m?elf. phatic It Isn t what you or 1 want that I'm bothoring about. It's what our two fathers are after. ' Let those old men scheme and plan all they please. They can lead us to the water, but they ran t make us drink, not if we both make up our minds to It." Then she stopped asd scrutinized him sharply In the light of a street lamp. "Jock McCall," she exclaimed, "there' another girl." "How did you guess that?" be stammered. "Why, from the rery look of you. t hadn't the chance to aee your face Oh. glory!" she plainly before. clapped her bands. "Now I know 1 can count on you." Ho with a perfect understanding established, be escorted her to her gate, and then went on home to report hi success In obtaining the release to his father. "It took me longer than I expected," he said, "and It cost me the full hundred dollars, but 1 finally argued them Into signing." It was th first thti be bad ever deceived bis father n t business matter, bat be justified blmeelf on the ground that ha wa not beln treated siuarely from the other side. h'or was thl by any n?an the last ';oh1 !rd, In her to Permitted. dan', he railed up hi competitor on the phone and asked as a personal favor to himself that she be discharged. Jock, through some Influence he commanded there had secured the place for her before he went away, telling her that as soon as he was fairly settled and making his own way they would be married; but of course old I'cter Jordan cared nothing for that, and was quite willing to oblige his friend. To the two women in the little cot-lawhere Jock had spent so many happy hours, however, it was nothing more or leS than a tragedy. The semi Invalid mother, broken by the years In wliirh she had fed her youthful vigor Into those big machine clanking away In the factories along the river, was Incapable of and Amy was apparently black-tinte- ;- , W hat bad happened at Jordan' wa almost certain to happen at any other place In Leaping Klver where she mipht secure employment; for Jeremiah Mcfall wa not the one either to forgive or forget and hi word was very potent. In short, there seemed no'.hlng for the girl exrept to go away. To make her lot more hard, ehe bad heard nothing from Jock for several weeks. He had not written her, nor did she even know where be wa. In her dilemma. New York with It countless opportunities teemed to offer the only refuge, and like msny another girl who finds herself at a disad vantage against the barrier of her home environment, she turned her eye toward the shining tower of Manhattan. One afternoon when she bad been wearily tramping Itroadway all day In the vain search for work, she turned Into the employment bureau of a big department store. Fhe bad had nothing to eat since breakfast, and then only a glass of milk and a couple of rolls. Ho, a she stood there In the long line of applicants, tired, footsore and weak from hunger, she uddenly collapsed In a faint When he came to herself again, aha wa lying on, a fouch In ona of tha re the establish mo tiring rttoojf tear-staine- d 1 all-nig- fac-tor- I k '5 , - - - t ' . f- - V ' - v i. i - While a eouple ef aaleewtfme hovered adresttsement there oarne 4o over her with a bottle of smelling ing house, addressed to Jock McCall a blotted and note. The salts.-.The manager of the department, a handwriting wa very shaky, but still big, pompous man, buBtled In and took It wa unmistakably Amy'. a look at her. It wa brief, scarcely mora than hall "Ah! coming around all right, eh?" a dozen lines, ant?t told him that ha He seemed kind, and so as he might a well give up the search for shrewdly led her on to talk, it wa not her and go back to where ha came long until Amy had acquainted him from. She did not want to be found. with the main details of her long strugAnd thl last wa underscored three gle for work, and bad also revealed time. to him how utterly alone and friendStill, Jock did not give up the search. less was her state. He abandoned hi position and all bla "Well, well," he patted her hand flue prospects, and settled down In gently. "I shall certainly have to try New York to devote himself to that and do something for you. Call around one end finding Amy. He went to tomorrow morning about ten o'clock places where the light laughter of when I have more time to talk with women rises like the bubbles in their you. brimming wine cups. To cabarets and "Or, say," he added, a he walked with her in casual fashion to the door. "come to think of it, I won't have a moment to spare in the morning. I wonder If it would be possible for you to drop up to my apartment and have a chat with me this evening. Here is the address." He slipped a card Into her hand as he spoke. Amy eagerly assented. She was en tirely willing to meet his convenience, she told him. And so that night, all unsuspecting, she went to the address he had given her. The next day a girl with wide blue eyes in which lurked a ihrinking hor ror and a mouth whose tender curves were drooping and forlorn, wandered through New York debating In her despair whether she should throw herself into the river, or into the gutter. Of one thing she was certain, che could never go back to Leaping River, or even to the lodging bouse where she had been stopping in New York. In the end perhaps because the love of life strong even when all else is gone, and because she was tired and hungry and had no place else to go she crept back to the depart nient manager from whom that morn lug she had flung herself away with words of utter loathing and contempt. and this time she stayed. Suddenly Collapsed In a Faint. And the pity of it wa that at the dance restau- palaces, and lodging house she had deserted, Jock rants be went, and even, to places of McCall wa besieging the door In the worse repute. Out he never set eye effort to get some Information in re upon her. to gard her; for in spite of hi silence, One day he saw crossing Broadway be bad never forgotten or wavered In at Forty-seconhi old playhis determination to come back and mate, Gertrude street, Jordan. She had get her. grown stout and matronly, since he had For a time, when discouragements een her last, but there was a look upfell thick about him, and it seemed on her face which be had never known that he would never get on, he bad In the old days, and which made her been too heartsick to write and then homely feature almost beautiful. after that ha bad fallen 111 aud had Then be recognized the cause, for bebeen In the hospital for many weeks. side her was the stalwart foreman-husband- , But at last with health recovered, he now the manager of Jordan's had managed to annex a small' Job In and on bis shoulder wa a chubby, his own line, and bad shown such boy. marked capabilities that he bad been Jock did not try to speak to them. rapidly advanced through successive "TU ore, except for my father' mednow wa be until as an promotions be muttered bitterly, "goes sistant superintendent with excellent dling," Amy Prentice and myself." prospects of an even higher boost. Lut at last be found her. It wa He had saved his money sedulously, Just a bo had Often pictured lL She and as soon as he felt that be had was at a fast restaurant with a gay enough he came back to Leaping party. Ulvcr. He paused beside her. A be walked up briskly to the ! "Amy." bo aaid. old Jeremiah McCall from his She glanced up at him quickly, and window saw him like another father half drew back, her face paling under of whom we are told, "while be was the rouge. yet a long way off." But unlike that "I am going to take you home, and other father, Jeremiah did not go out let you change that for someand fall upon the neck of the returning thing more suitable." gown be said as b On the contrary, be sat led her to the door, "and then wt'r prodigal. stonily still with bis bard eyes fixed going over to Jersey and get married. upon the framed text "The Wages Of I have a friend there who will manSin Is Death." And he did not change age the licence for us." from that attitude even when bla boy "Oh, no, Jock." she faltered. "It entered the room. too late. Hon't you understand? 1 Jock hesitated a moment on the could never be your wife anybody' threshold; then as be realized the sig- wife now." nificance of the severe back turned so Eh would have said more. oerhaD. relentlessly toward him, bis head but at that minute, the manager from went up, and he stepped quickly for- the department store, beginning to ward to lay an envelope on bla fa sense what was in th wind, strode ther desk. forward. "I mTeturnlng, ir," be said, "with "Go bsck to your seat," be ordered interest, the five hundred dollar dropping a heavy band usxa ber borrowed from your safe. 1 consid shoulder. cred then and I consider still that Almost simultaneously, Jock's fist the money was Justly due me; but I shot out and the manager went down am no longer In need of any assist- to the Boor with a crush that nearly ance from you, so 1 have brought it knocked the glasses oft" the tablf. back." A dozen waiters rushed forward to There wa no answer, nor did the Interpose; but before ther could t old man change In any degree bis half way aroas the room. Jock bsi" stiff pose of disapproval. Jock waited whisked Amy out of the door, and In a moment for some word, some sign to a tsxlcab standing In front. A moof yielding; then with bis head thrown ment later they were whirling off to up higher than aver, he staiked from her apartment. the room. "Hurry now, dearest" be her. This first duty accomplished. Jock s be opened the door with the key left the factory, and hastened to the she gave him, and they passed Insld cottage of Mrs. I'rentlce. Had It been togixher. 'I am going to telethons the other way about and be bad been th minister at Hoboken that we will thus Informed of old Jeremiah' arurvy be there In half an hour." trick In seeuring the discharge of the I!ut again doubt and compunction girl from Jordan bis visit to bis fa- assailed ber. ther might have been of a less pacific "Th past I -Amy." be said tenor. A It was, so great was bis dis mssterfmiy. Ve have both gon over appointment finding Amy gone, wrong, and bav suffered for It. flu! and o hot hi resentment over the the future Is ours, and by the Eternal, cause of her leaving that be was wen snare it together." strongiy tempted to return to the fac Suddenly, the door wss dashed onen. tory and give hi father what he snd the enraged manaeer. wild- called "one good bawling out." eyed and batles and disheveled. He bad, however, but twelve min confronted them with a revolver In bis ute In which to catch a train for hand. New York, and therefore felt oblired The next Jeremiah McCall to defer the Interview until a later picked up hismorning. newspaper and read that occasion. At the station, be sent a bis eon had shot and killl am w.k. " wire to apprise Amy of his cominc ties and then killed himself. Ther It arrived Just ten minute after she wa nothing In the account to Indicate . bad left the bouse to keep her ill fated what bad been their direct motive...... engagement. But Jeremiah McCall raised bJ eves And so, for three day. Jock suffered grimly to the text on bis office wall; every qualm of anxiety, apprehension "The Wage of Sin 1 Death-"- . , . ,; . ' and panic. The lodging house womso Tb newspspr a.tonnl of the trag equally with himself wss at a loss to dy of these two you ig live gave Jereaccount for tl a girl Inexplicable ab- miah McCall no tint that the manager sence; uch a thing bad never occurred of the department afore bad followed hi quarry, taken b berore, the said. reJock spent a small fortune In adver- venge and mad goodila desprat escape. Tbs for her, and wandered Ilroadway police were satisfied with the evl tising V like an uneasy ghost In the rain bone that appeared to their eye, bat the moral law still qiention: - that he might pfr k up some elne. Then on the fourth day, the mystery "WHO'S OLTLTTr was solved. In response to on of hi tEND OF SECOND STORY. urd a S' as- . |