Show r t i J rn ITO 1 Z l e iJ c CID aa ac ao G Y e AND JI Y ILLUSTRATIONS BY RAY RAX W LTER COPYRIGHT 1909 EY GW COMPANY J SYNOPSIS Howard Jeffries bankers banker's son under the evil Influence of ot Robert Underwood i s student fellow-student at Yale leads a life of or dissipation marries the daughter of or a a. gambler who died in prison and Is disowned dis dis- disowned owned by his father He tries tries tries' to get work and falls fails CHAPTER I I. I Continued I wish I help you old manAs manAs man As it Is my own salary barely serves to keep me in to neckwear Wall Vall streets street's great fun but it doesn't pay much that is not unless you play the game yourself Howard smiled feebly as he replied replied replied re re- plied Nonsense I I wouldn't accept help i of that sort Im I'm not reduced to soliciting so charity yet I guess Id I'd prefer prefer pre pre- fer the river to that But if you hear of anything keep me in mind I The athlete made no response He was apparently lost in thought when suddenly he blurted out Say Jeffries you haven't got any mone money have you you say say a couple of thousand dollars Howard stared at the questioner as asIf asIf asIf If he doubted his sanity Two thousand dollars he gasped Do you ou suppose that Id I'd be wearing out shoe leather looking for a job If I had 2000 Coxe looked disappointed as he replied replied re reo re- re plied Oh of course I understand you haven't it on you only I thought you might be able to raise it Why do you ask inquired Howard Howard How How- ard his curiosity aroused Coxe looked around to see sea if any anyone anyone anyone one was listening Then in a whisper whisper whis per he said slid Its a cinch If you had 2000 you rou and I could make a snug little Cor fortune tune Dont Don't you understand In my ray office I get tips Im I'm on the inside 1 I know in advance what the big men are going to do When they start to move a certain stock up Im I'm on the Job Understand If you had 2000 I could raise as much and wed we'd pool our capital starting in the business ourselves ourselves on a small scale of course r If we hit it right we might make a aDice anice anice nice Dice income Howards Howard's mouth watered Certainly Certain Certain- ly that was the kind of life liCe he liked best The feverish excitement of gambling the close association with rich men the promise of a luxurious style of living living all all this appealed to him str strongly But what was the use Where could he get 2000 He couldn't go to his bis father He shook his head Im afraid not old sport he said as they left the saloon and he held out his hand to say goad But Dut Ill I'll bear it in mind and If if things improve Ill I'll 11 look you up So long Climbing wearily up the dirty stairs of f the elevated railroad he bought a ticket with one of the few nickels retaining re- re in hf his pocket and taking a teat seat in a north bound train started on n his trip back hack to Harlem The day was overcast rain threat threat- ened A pall of mingled smoke and mist hung over the entire city From the car window as the train wound its serpentine course in and out the maze of grimy offices shops and tenements tenements tenements tene tene- ments everything appeared drab dirty and squalid New York was seen at its ugliest Ensconced in a seat cross-seat his chin leaning heavily on his hand Howard gazed dejectedly out of the window The depressing outlook was in keeping with his own state of mind How would the adventure end Reconciliation with his father was out of the question Letters sent home remained without response He wasn't surprised He knew his pater Io o well to expect that he would rent re re- regent rent gent nt so soon Besides if the old man manNas mangas gas ras so infernally proud hed he'd show him he had some pride too Hed He'd drown h himself before belore hed he'd go down on his knees whining to be forgiven His father Cather was d dead ad wrong anyway His marriage might have been foolish Annie might be beneath him socially She was not educated and her father wasn't any better than he ought to be She did not talk correctly her left much to bo be desired at times ho he was secretly ashamed of her But her bringing up was was her misfortune misfortune tune tunc not her fault The girl herself was straight as a die She had a aheart aheart aheart heart of gold She was far more intelligent Intelligent intelligent in In- far far more moro likely to make him a happy home than some stuck stuck- up Idle society girl who had no thought for any anything save money dr dress ss and show Perhaps If It he had been less honorable and not married her his father would have thought more highly of him If Ie hed he'd ruined t the e girl no doubt he would have b been en welcomed home with open arms Pshaw I lIe He might be a poor weak Jool fool but thank God they couldn't reproach reproach reproach re re- him With that Annie had been loyal to him hloi throughout Hed He'd stick sUck to her through thick and thin As the train swept round the tho curve curvo i it t third Fifty street and started on its long tong raight run up UI the West Vest side bib his nil reverted to Robert Underwood Under Under- I wood i tie lie te had seen his old associate fUu t t since Ip leaving college He Hean Hean an Sin OSS him him one day Cn rn Fifth aye ave nue flue Underwood was coming out of ot ofa ofa a a 1 curio shop He explained hurriedly that he had left Yale anti and when asked about his future plans talked vaguely of going in for art His matter was frigid and nervous the nervous the attitude of the man who fears he may be approached approached approached ap ap- for a small loan Ho He was evidently well aware of the change In his old associates associate's fortunes and havIng having hav hav- having ing squeezed all he could out of him had no further use for him It was only when he had disappeared that that Howard suddenly remembered a than loan of which Underwood had never repaid Some time later Howard learned that ho he occupied apartments at the exclusive and expensive As- As where he was living in great st style le He went there determined to see him and demand his money but the card always came back not at home Underwood had always been a a. mystery mystery mystery mys mys- tery to Howard He kne knew w w him to be bean bean bean an inveterate gambler and a man entirely entirely entirely en en- without principle No one knew who his family were or where he came from His source of Income too was always a puzzle p At college he was always hard up borrowing right and left and forgetting to pay yet he always succeeded in living ODthe on OD I the fat of the land His apartments him what he e chose He wondered l why he had not tried to resist The truth was Underwood exercised a strange subtle power over him He had the power to make him do everything ho wanted him to do no matter how foolIsh foolish foolish fool fool- ish or unreasonable the request Every Everyone one at college used to talk about it One night Underwood I Invited all his classmates to his rooms and made him cut up all kinds of capers He at first firstI I refused point blank but blank but blank but Underwood got up and standing directly In fro front t of him gazed steadily Into his eyes Again he commanded him to do th these e ridiculous degrading things Howard felt himself weakening He was was' suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly seized with the feeling that he must obey Am Amid d roars of laughter he recited the entire alphabet standIng stand stand- Ing on one ono leg he crowed like a rooster he hopped like a toad and he crawled abjectly on his belly like a snake One of the fellows told him afterward that he had been hyp hyp- He had laughed at it then as a good god joke but now he came to think of it perhaps it was true Possibly Possibly Pos Pos- sibly he was a subject Anyway he was glad to be rid of Underwood and hl his uncanny influence The train stopped with a jerk at his station and Howard rode down in the elevator to the street Crossing Eighth avenue he was going straight home when suddenly he halted The glitter and arid tempting array of bottles s In a corner saloon window tempted him He suddenly felt that If there was one thing he needed in the world above all ali others it was another drink True he had had more than h n enough already But Dut that was Coxes Coxe's fault He had invited him and made him drink There couldn't be any harm in taking another He might as well be bo hanged for a sheep as a lamb By the tf time ne he emerged from the saloon his speech was thick and his step tain A few minutes later he was painfully climbing up the rickety st stairs irs I of a looking cheap-looking fiat flat house As he J I 9 a ac av v c I I Wish I Cou Could Id Help You 0 Old Id M Man n I In th the cost a small fortune he dressed well drove a smart turnout turnout turn turn- out and entertained lavishly He was not identified with any particular business business busi busl- ness or profession On leaving college col lege he became interested in art He frequented the Important art sales and soon got his name in the newspapers newspapers newspapers news news- papers as an authority on art art matters matters His apartment was l literally a museum of European and oriental art On all sides were paintings by old masters beautiful rugs priceless tapestries rare ceramics enamels statu statuary ry antique furniture bronzes etc He passed gassed for a man of f Wf wealth and mothers mothers mothers moth moth- ers with marriageable marriageable daughters considering considering considering con con- him an eligible young bachelor bachelor bach bath elor hastened to Invite him to their homes none of them conscious of the danger of letting the wolf slip into the lambs' lambs fold What a strange power of fascination fascination fascination tion mused Howard as the train jogged along men of Underwood's bold and reckless type wield espe espe especially dally over women Their very daring and unscrupulousness seems to render them more attractive He himself at college had bad fallen entirely under the theman's theman's theman's mans man's spell There was no doubt douM that he was responsible for all his trou trou- bles Underwood Underwo d possessed the uncanny uncanny un un- un canny gift gUt of bel being g able to bond people people peo peo- pIe to Jo his will What a fool fool he had made of him at the university lIe He had been his evil genius there was no question of that But Dut for meeting Underwood he might have applied applied applied ap ap- plied himself to serious study left the tho university with honors and be now a respectable member of the community He remembered with a smile that it was through Underwood that he had bad met his wile wife Some of the fellows hinted that Underwood bad had known her more intimately than he had pretended pretended pretended pre pre- tended and had bad only passed her on to him because he was tired of her He ha nailed that as a lie He Annie he could swear was as good a girl as ever breathed He couldn't explain Underwood's Influence over him He fW j ha-j done with r reached ached the top floor a cheerful voice called out Is that you Howard dear CHAPTER II II A young woman Foman hurried out of one of the apartments to greet Howard She was a vivacious brunette of medium medium medium me me- height intelligent l looking with good features and fine teeth It was not a doll face but t the face of a woman who had experienced early the hard knocks knocks- of the world yet in whom adversity had not s succeeded in wholly subduing a natura naturally buoyant amiable disposition Th There re was determination determination determination de de- termination in the lines above her mouth It was a face full of character the face of a woman who by sheer dint of dogged perseverance might accomplish accomplish accomplish ac ac- ac- ac any task she cared to set herself A smile of welcome gleamed in her eyes as she inquired eagerly Well dear anything doing Howard shook his head for all response response re reo re- re and a look of ot disappointment crossed the thA young wife's face Say that's tough aint It she sho exclaimed The janitor was hero again for the rent He lIe says they'll serve us with a dispossess I told him to chase himself I was that mad Annies Annie's vocabulary was emphatic rather than choice Entirely without education she made no pretense at being what she was not and therein perhaps lay her chief charm As Howard stooped to kiss her she said reproachfully Youve been drinking again How ard You promised me you The young man made no reply With an Impatient gesture he passed on into the flat fiat and flung himself down In a a. a chair in the dining room From the adjoining kitchen came a welcome odor of cooking Dinner ready he demanded Im devilish hungry Yes dear just a n minute replied his wife from the kitchen Theres some nl nic Irish s stew aUw w. w just what you like The box like hole where Howard I sat awaiting his meal was the largest room in a fiat flat which boasted of five and bath There was waa a bedroom of equally diminutive proportions and anda a parlor with wall paper so loud that it talked There was scarcely enough room to swing a cat around The thin walls were cracked the rooms were Yet it showed the care of a good housekeeper Floors and windows were clean the cover on the table spotless The furnishings w were re as meager as they were Ingen Ingen- ious ous With their slender purse they had been able to purchase only the bare necessities a necessities a bed a chair or two a dining room table a few kitchen kitch kitch- en utensils When they wanted to sit In th the parlor they had to carry a chair from rom the dining room when meal times came the chairs had to travel back again A soap box turned upside down and neatly covered with chintz did duty as a dresser In the bedroom and with a few photographs and tacks they had managed to im impart impart part an aesthetic appearance to the parlor This pl place ce cost the huge sum of 25 a a. month It might just as well have cost cast for all Howards Howard's ability to pay it The past months month's rent was waa long overdue and the Janitor looked more insolent every day But they did not care They Th-ey were young and life Ife was still before them Presently Annie came in carrying a steaming dish of stew which she laid on the table As she helped Howard Howard How How- ard to a plate full she said So you had no luck again this morning Howard was too busy eating to an sorer As he gulped down a huge piece of or bread he growled Nothing as usual usual same same old story x nothing doing Annie sighed She had been given this answer so often that it would have surprised her to hear anything else It meant that their hard hand- hand to-mouth to struggle must go on She said nothing What was the use It would never do to discourage Howard How How- ard She tried to make mako light of It Of course it isn't easy I quite understand that Never mind dear I Something will turn up up soon Where I did you go Whom did you you see Why I didn't you let drink alone when you promised me you would That was Coxes Coxe's fault atIlt blurted out Howard always ready to blame others for h his own shortcomings You remember Coxe He was at Yale when I was A big fair fellow rellow with blue eyes He pulled stroke In Inthe inthe inthe the v varsity boat race you OU remember remember ber I think thick I do replied his wife indifferently indifferently in in- differently as she helped him to more stew What did he want What's he ho doing In New York Hes got a fine place In a brokers broker's office in Wall street I 1 felt ashamed to let him see me low down like this He said that I could make a good deal of ot money if only I had a little capital He knows everything going on in inWall inWall Wall Vall street If I went In with him Id I'd be on Easy street How much would It require Two thousand dollars The young wife gave a sigh as |