Show JOHN By MAX BRAND RETURNS Copyright Syndicate 1922 by Inc the BelT I IThe The old servant stopp stopped d and faced 11 m. m The light from the candle he cared carried car car- r ried ed flickered across his bald head ead as ashe he 0 nodded wonderingly and John Ov- Ov hardly repressed a smile You are quite sure you were never neverin in the house before asked No No said I was never Fere bere ero before but somehow it seems to toC I Imo amber colored vase with mo C that a II big the el sides es figures tracing down b bl black ck Should should hould stand by that window Its It's Just justA A fancy but rather unusual in its clear- clear nells The are an unusual tam tam- ad he raised his hla 1 sir sir said candle so that its light fell more fully on on n the sternly carven carver face o new Baster malter aster After his moments moment's scrutiny he e sl-ook sl ook his head as ono one who gives up upa a problem mA m. m A A vase like 1115 the one you speak of 8 Blood there ever since the house was 1 b hut built Ut but last week Mrs Worth broke it while sho she was cleaning the room room- Every very week I have the rooms cleaned sir lilT r but for the past year they have havene ne ever er been used none except the kitch- kitch and Mr bedroom where he e lay sick for so eo long And died said Ovington I And died sir He lie woul wouldn't nt trust any anyone fly one save me I X wrote the letter I Iw w which Ich brought you here and I signed c It for tor him I m I l shall never forget that letter s eald aid ld Ovington And that Is the room where here I sleep now I IThe The master has always slept In that room nom since the family came here to e he an answered were Now I think you youve ve seen the whole house Mr OvIng- OvIng t ton n. n But l Isn't nt there a room behind those folding doors asked Bilked Ovington That Is the library and it hasn't been opened the these e past fifteen years dreary years sir It must be fearful tearful thick with dust LAnd And why has it been closed all this timer t time me That was the time when young Maste Mas- Mas te tei r Ovington died and since then the master raster couldn't bear to go into that r rOm om For the family pictures hang h here lere re and ho he couldn't stand to look on hem he having lot logt his heir The Tho family f name en ended ed with him as he hought bought It was only through the law- law rs that we traced the tho line to you sir nir through your great-grandfather great J iJ hn the man who pared So I understand said ald Ovington But ut lets let's have a look at the room drew in his wrinkled lips anxiously sly sir Tonight Why not Its a fearsome place to go into at n night with all nil the great stern old Ov- Ov painted and hanging on the ill UI 11 Its It's most like a graveyard sir With th the ghosts up and sitting on their mb Im I'm sure you will not like It to tob tobe b be there thero at night Mr Ovington Tut smiled Ovington and he laid laida a hand on the old mans man's Well Wen risk the tho dust and tho the emily mily pictures Jt It t was vaa only after much reluctant and many sidewise glances I if In hope that Ovington's n would die away that I final- final produced the key The lock had set seta seto o a fast that It required a great effort pr to send it gritting back I ie is swung the door wide and stepped I to the high dark room Tho The waver- waver I g of ot the light behind him made mado him himI I rn n to who stood outside the the candle fairly shaking In his sand and Come come laughed Ovington fter all Its It's only a room with noth- noth rig ng g more dangerous in it than shadows sha- sha dows owe No sir sir said ald Im not raid But Dut Its It's n II strange house and strange people He lie entered slowly the tho candle held heM gh above his head peering about at ate e cry ry Ill I'll step p. p nto the highest shadows of the tho raft raft- e Led red d ceiling eiling the wavering candlelight ardly ly reached but It shone on the table thickly dusted and to the tho black throat of the fireplace d id picked out tho the long row of ot port- port Its receding dimly on either side of Fhe he room Among them were a few dressed in the ruffs of the Tudor pe- pe rJ LOd od Others Other appeared in somber Purl- Purl nn nn an gray faces under tall hats mon these mong one caught be e. e Ho He took the tho candle from Hilton and nd held it close clORO to the portrait J He lie almost thought for Cor a moment p t nt t he was wa dressed for Cor a a. fancy ball boll balland And stood before n a mirror for It was his hs own face which returned his gaze with a a. half halt scowl and a half halt sneer the same fame strong nose nOlO thin chocks and unflinching unflinching un un- un- un flinching Ho lIe blinded eyes Ies himself with l his hand and looked again but ho tho por persisted Ho lie felt CIt that lila hi forehead had grown very ery cold And who Is this he ho asked aske wondering ond rim if tho the servant would notice the te t e resemblance That I li 15 your our great grandfather no ose OS mme was wall John Ovington like our pur ur nan nime Baid caid forgetting his hla 11 as lUll he talked Ho Jle was waa tho the 1 eat of ot all 1111 tho the for he hede heIde hede de Ide wn one ono day and never came lack ack ek and that is 11 the last t people ever 0 of him And all that was WR man many manyd ind lid d man mans ago So long that my her ether could rould not remember lie lo In led lCd the way to the window nn d ew n the tho curtains loo loosing a Ac aoud c oud ud of hoking dust duet Outside the oon noon glimmered on the garden terraced ter tar raced ares l It stopped down to a tree- tree hollow but the tho other side aide o of 01 the 0 vaIli alley rose rORI dark and steep with arent n. n Trent rent house topping it That in 18 the Jervan house Mid Hill Hill- ton on and hl hIM pointing hand hanl trembled In Int inJo t tho Jo 10 moonlight That Is la the house where ter Bo it i Ire Ice ln Jervin lived e who was wan tho to lt of oC our John In thoo thon old days but John Ovington went W nt rO H th the seas leas and fought in France ranco oance So Ro wh when n he clune Caine back Beatrice lov loved him no longer and the they sa Ey that ho would have havo forced her to lim for tor he wa was a II stark fierce man n n but elm sho fl fled d away in tho the night another r man And John Ovington Oving- Oving ton Jon waited for them at nt a forking ol of the road rond as they fled flod on their horses H il Il stopped Mopped them and would woud have mad mado them turn tun back bak but hut lii 0 tho man drw drow a horse pistol and shot him through the shoulder houlder nud r rde lo on with Beatrice bryan an and God knows know whet 4 h came of ot them both V We only know rt that a gran granddaughter l of at that couple cO married narried bark back Into the Jon an family n arid ind d now th there rc la Is a Ill Jeran Over oyer there again in th that it hou e andover and over here herl he laughed ti Ir In the te moonlight mOonlight oils Is a John Ovington again r Well Veil when th the tho mon rode rodt on with Beatrice I Hut hl I other John r oso up from t the tho hI road mad where wh he ha had alien aUen end ana railed called after them I J have ailed hi but I shall not full t Ie I shall hal tome me again I J shall wait or r you ou in this l place Beatrice nn Jervan and carry you OU away with me forever for for- ever But that ho never neer did for tor shortly afterward he went an and took ship in Boston harbor and went across the sea to other countries And he was waa your our great grandfather All that he left leU was waa his picture on the wall and anda a little of his papers which sIts alts on the tho shelf next to tho the brass brassbound brassbound brassbound bound Bible Dible He was the tho last of the theOld theOld theold old family for after atter him his hla cousin I took the name and the inheritance I Through a long moment Ovington stood staring at the opposite house I am going to stay here an and read some of papers said he at last So you OU can leave leavo tho the candle HUlton Will yo you sl si sit hero here all alone sir on your first night He folded blab ands in his anxiety and when Ovington nodded he turned and went falteringly from the room shaking his head solemnly as s he II II On top On-top top of the papers In inthe tho small chest lay a miniature of a a. girl It had evidently at one time been a bust painted by an an artist of some skill but the lower part o of ot th the picture was waa rubbed and faded beyond the recognition tion of any form Only the face re remained remained remained re- re clear Tho The hair hall was drawn back from the forehead in the severe lines linea which pleased th tho thoo e grim brim old New I Englanders and tho the eyes drooped de demurely demurely demurely de- de downward but no moral preceptor preceptor preceptor pre pre- could lessen the curve and lure of the red lips It seemed to Ovington that the eyes might at any moment flash up and yield him Unknown unknown unknown un un- known depths of light and mockery He Jib dropped the miniature to his knee and sat for a long time looking straight before him When he had rallied his thoughts he commenced to turn over the papers They were all letters written In a a. womans woman's hand and despite the yellowing of time and th the th fading of at the ink he could make malte out the words with little effort eUort Arranged in the order of their receipt tho letters letters letters let let- told their own story of the love between Beatrice Jervan an and John Ovington There was a long Jong group covering the period of the wooing and then came camo the time when Ovington de decided decided decided de- de to go to the war and this letter letter letter let let- ter I could not say it last night I needed quiet so that I could think it all out clearly and now I know what I wanted to say You must not goto goto go to the war John dear I know that glory Is a wonderful thing but a good wife is a wonderful thing too John And would you care to win glory and lose a wife Not that I am sure you would lose me mo But ButI I love happiness dear and I am afraid of pain and if It you OU were thousands and thousands of ot miles mites away what would I have to remember you by It ItIs Itis Itis is so hard to remember a man by his silences John Dear will you try to please me Inthis in inthis inthis this And then I will try to please you all the days days' of or my life lICe But the sea is so broad broa and the French shoot so straight And I do so love laughter laughter laugh laugh- ter John Come to me tonight and andI I know I can change your our mindS He Ue rose and walked with the candIe candie candle can can- die dle until he faced face the picture of ot John Ovington Yes that was the face of ot ofa ofa ota a man able to defy the charm of oC sudden sudden sudden sud sud- den glances and slow smiles He Ho went back to the letters They diminished rapidly In length and then came this If It 11 you ou want me you must come and fight tight for me Captain John Oving- Oving ton There may be dreadful fightIng fighting fighting fight fight- ing on the plains of France Prance But I think you will find enough war here hereon hereon hereon on the hills of Connecticut Ho has yellow ellow curling hair John and wide blue eyes and a 11 gentle voice and a ringing laugh and hes he's as much of a aman aman aman man as you are almost It If you want me you must come for me It may maybe maybe maybe be too late Inte I cant can't tell Then came a short note You need not come It is too toolate late But Dut John Covington had decided to come back and try and after atter his re return return return re- re turn were two letters Jetters the tho last If you will wll not come to see me John Ovington I shall come to see you ou though It If I do that I know mother will faint I think I have never seen so grave a man as the tho John Ovington I met on tho the bridge tho the other day Have you ou truly forgotten me All AU grave men are not silent John Ovington I have havea a a. plan to If It you OU can really smile I 1 will vilt be by the fountain in the garden tonight if It It Is not too cold And John Ovington had evidently changed his mind that night and gone to the gar garden en and made desperate love I hoping against hope for the last letter letter letter let let- ter said I Vincent Colvin has haa been with me menil all nil this morning I am going to ride away with him tonight 1 I have havo not forgotten but I promised laed myself to him long ago and now I shall keep the promise M My father objects so o 0 weare weare we wo I are going to go 0 out for lw r a ride from which wo we shall hall never nevor back and Ond I we will take the New Newbury ury road Oh 01 my ray dear It breaks my heart to rido out of your life lite It has haa au all an been rn n strange so maddeningly dear and add painful Must this be goodbye lie Ho read rend no more that night but he I sat a long time at nt the window watching watch watch- lag ing the night mist creep up the valley val val- Icy ley tangling tan among the trees and nt itt last lat setting a 1 gray veil ell acro across the window windowpane pane Tho The next morning the ch challenge lI ngo of ot the keen October air drew him out Into tho the open In the stables tables he found a greet great black charger and had him saddled addled The groom frOom eyed eed him du dubiously u lu- as u he lengthened hi hU hi stirrups stirrup to suit ault his hll Western fashion of rId riding In but when he ho swung into the tho saddle sl and started down tho the path with his hla I brood broad hat curling up it In front to the wind and his hla cloak fluttering behind him while his hla powerful pull on In the reins held down the horse to an un un- I easy enay pran prance e the groom room grinned with open admiration I I r reckon an Ovington he said MId is I always s an Ovington O Put nut na as he took the road down the I v O could not forget the I nd or of the tho previous evening for tor tho th Connecticut hills rolled up on side aide n a r remembered rOd beauty of ot I 1 I browns browna gold gohl and crimson i running riotously together and all the I trees trOU Hi still shining with tho the touch of ot ott tho the night mist And the great lift and andI t I Iwa sway of the gallop set act his hla h heart singing sing sing- Ing In unison with the tho hoof beat 7 He could not tell ton how tAr ho had ridden l for every eory bend Invited him on In and on down tin minI vistas L I He lie passed pad from the main road on onto onto onto to a narroW path which after n it quarter quarter ter tar of ot a n mile surged to I the ho left ln and ind indI andI nd I around a quick turn he thundered across n t trl m on n it narrow nl Toot root frail which tottered a unit and shoOk hook under him At tho ti's name i time he hi heit the clatter of hoo hoof coming toward him down the sarno same samo path and In a moment a racing brown horse hOrle flashed about the curve and da dashed hed onto the bridge It was far tar too narrow a path for two horses to edge by aach pach other He Ho brought his mount to a rearing stop When he looked again the brown horse horno stood head to head with his black and ho he was Wall face to face with the loveliest girl he had ever seen I but a remembered beauty beauty yes yes the I face of the miniature a spray of autumn autumn autumn au- au aut t 1 leaves at her breast stirring as she panted This Is a real escape isn't it she cried and her voice carried moro more mirth than fear said I guess its it's an escape ho he quietly after atter another moment of ot star star- ing Here there is not room for two to pass Ill I'll back off ote the bridge But Dut when he drew on the reins the black horse reared straight up and when he came down stiff legged little bridge wavered and groaned four tour generations before me inc He commenced to pa pace e up and lawn down the room According to the old ator stor story h he should hould go |