Show I J LO j II i p I I 7 Q 11 D D' D Y V VV ILLUSTRATIONS V BY JAY RAY T i o e r GW C Nf SYNOPSIS Howard Jeffries bankers banker's son on under der lh the evil Influence of ot Robert Underwood I Ia a student fellow at Yale leads a a. life of dissipation dJ marries tho the daughter of a gambler who died In prison and Is disowned disowned disowned dis dis- dis- dis owned by his father He tries to get work and falls fatIs A former college chum makes a a. business proposition n to Howard which requires 2000 cash and Howard HowardI I Is broke broker Robert ober Un Underwood erwood who had hadi i be been n repulsed by Howards Howard's wife Annie j I In Sn his c college lege days and had once been i engaged eng to Alicia Howards Howard's stepmother t has haa apartments at tho and 1 I 4 aJ apparently In prosperous circumstances 1 Howard recalls a loan to Underwood that remains unpaid and decides to aski ask f i him for tor the 2000 he needs I CHAPTER III The handsome townhouse of Howard Howard Howard How How- ard Jeffries es the known well banker on n Riverside drive was one of the most striking among the many imposing millionaire lre homes that line the city's splendid water front Houses there were In the tho Immediate proximity which were more showy and had cost more money but none as completely satisfying from the art lovers lover's stand stand- point It was the home of a man who studied and loved the beautiful for Its own sake and not because he wanted i to astonish people with what miracles his money could work Occupying a aI I large plot on slightly elevated ground f c th the house commanded a fine view of the broad Hudson Directly opposite i. i across the river busy with steam and andt t sailing craft smiled the green slopes j of New Jersey in the he purplish north 1 frowned the jagged cliffs of ot the precipitous precipitous 1 itous Palisades i The elder Jeffries aristocratic descendant descendant de de- I de-I I of an old Knickerbocker f family was proud of ot his homo home and andr j I It t r had spent large sums of money in I I beautifying it Built in colonial style i I II I I of pure white marble with long I French French windows and lofty columns supporting a fiat flat rounded roof surrounded surrounded surrounded sur sur- rounded by broad lawns wide spread ing shade trees and splashing foun foun- fountains tams It was a conspicuous landmark for miles The Interior was full of ot architectural beauty The stately entrance entrance en en- trance hall hung with ancestral pori portraits portraits por por- i traits was of noble proportions and anda a superb staircase decorated with statuary led of off to tastefully decorated reception rooms above To-night To the house was brilliantly y Illuminated and there was considerable activity at the front entrance where a footman in smart livery stood opening the doors of the carriages as they drove up In quick succession Mrs Jeffries' Jeffries musicales were always largely attended because she knew the secret of ot making them interesting Her husbands husband's wealth and her fine tine house enabled her to entertain on a liberal scale and she was a tactful and diplomatic hostess as well She not only cultivated the right kind of people who were congenial to each I other but she always managed to have some guest of special distinction whom every one was eager to meet Her own wide acquaintance among the prominent operatic artists and her husbands husband's Influential position n in the world of finance made this policy polley an easy way of ot furthering ber social ambitions am am- She would always invite some one whom she could present as the lion o of the evening One week It would be a tenor from the opera house another r time a famous violinist In Inthis Inthis Inthis this way she managed to create a little little lit lit- tle tie artistic salon on the lines of th the famous political salons in which the brilliant women of the eighteenth century cen cen- tur tury molded public opinion In France Alicia knew she was clever and as she stood admiring herself in front of ofa a full length mirror while awaiting the arrival of her guests she congratulated congratulated herself that she had made a B success of her life lire She had won those things which most women hold dear 1 wealth and social position She had married a man she she- she shedid did not love It was true but other women had done I that before her If she had no brought her hel husband love she at least was not a wife he need be ashamed of In her gown of gold cloth I with sweeping train and a jeweled tiara In her hair she considered herself her- her I self elf handsome enough to grace any mans man's home It was Indeed a beauty which she saw In the tho mirror the mirror the face faco of a woman not Zet 30 with the features features features fea fea- tures regular and refined The eyes were large and dark and tho the mouth end Ana nd n nose se delicately molded The face seemed academically perfect all but I tho the expression She had a cold calculating cal look and a cynic might have charged her with being heartless of topping stopping at nothing to gain her own ends To-night To Alicia had every reason to feel Jubilant She had secured a social sor so so- r cial lion that all New York would talk about about no no less a person than than Dr I Bernstein Bornstein the celebrated psychologist gist lIat the originator of the theory of scientific psychology Everything seemed to go the way she wished her musicales were the talk of the town her husband had Just presented her with the Jeweled tiara which now graced her head bead there seemed to be nothing in the world that she could not enjoy Yet she eho was not happy huppy and as she gazed cued at thE face reflected before her herh herto h to fv th i- i cp she he wondered wonder d If the world guessed how unhappy she was She I knew that by her own Indiscretion she was in danger of losing all she had won her position In society her place in the affections of her husband everything When she sho married Mr Jeffries It was with deliberate calculation She Shedid Shedid Shedid did not love him but being ambitious she did not hesitate to deceive him He was rich he could give her that prominent position in society for which she yearned The fact that she was already engaged to a man for whom she did care did not deter her herfor herfor for Cor a moment from her set purpose She had met Robert Underwood years before He was then a colle college go boy tall handsome clever She fell inlove Inlove in inlove love with him and they became engaged en en- As she grew mote more more sophisticated ed she saw the folly of they thel youthful Underwood was without fortune his future uncertain While In this uncertain state of mind she I met Mr Jeffries then a widower at ata a reception Tho The banker was attracted attract attract- ed to her and being a business man he did things quickly He proposed and was accepted all in the brief time of five of-five minutes Robert Underwood Underwood Under Under- wood and the romance of her girlhood were sacrificed without question when it came to reaching a prompt decision She wrote Underwood a brief letter of farewell telling him himm that the action she had taken was really for the best interests of them both Underwood made no reply and f for r months did not attempt to go near her Then he met mether mether mether her in public There was a tion He exerted the old spell spell spell-on on the married woman Cold and indifferent rent I to her husband Alicia found it amusIng amusing amus- amus Ing to have her old lover paying her hercourt I court and the danger of discovery only I pocketed the money forgetting to account ac ao- ao- ao count to the owners for the sums Bums they brought The dealers demanded restitution restitution resti or a settlement and Underwood dreading exposure had to hustle around to raise enough money to tomake tomake tomake make up the deficiency In order to avoid prosecution In this way he heAved Aved from day to day borrowing from Peter to tos' tos settle with Paul and on one or two occasions occasions' he had not been ashamed hamed to borrow from Mrs Jeffries herself elf Alicia lent the money more because she feared ridicule than from any real desire to oblige Underwood She had long since become disgusted with him The mans man's real character was now plainly revealed to her He was an adventurer little better than a common common common com com- mon crook She congratulated herself herself herself her her- self on her narrow escape Suppose she had married him the him the horror of It it Yet the next Instant she was filled with consternation She had allowed him to become so intimate that It was difficult to break off oft with him all at once She realized that with n a man of that character the the Inevitable In inevitable evitable must come There would be bea a disgraceful scandal She would be mixed up In It ft her husbands husband's eyes would be opened to her folly It might ruin her entire life She must end It now once now once for all She had already given him to understand that their intimacy must cease Now he must stop his visits to her house and desist desist de de- from trapping her friends Into his many schemes She had written him that morning forbidding him to come cometo to the house this evening She was done with him forever These thoughts were responsible for forthe forthe forthe the frown on the beautiful Mrs Jeffries' Jeffries Jeffries' Jeffries Jeffries' Jeffries Jef Jef- fries' fries bejeweled brow that particular Saturday evening Alicia gave a sigh I and was drawing on her long kid gloves before the glass when suddenly sudden sudden- ly a maid entered and tendered her mistress a note Alicia knew the handwriting only too well She tore the letter open and read Dear Mrs Sirs Jeffries I received d your letter let let- ter telling me that my presence at your house night to-night would be distasteful to you As you can Imagine It was a great I shock Dont Don't you understand the harm I this will do me Everybody will notice notice my absence nce They will Jump to the conclusion conclusion conclusion con con- that there has been een a rupture and my credit will suffer suiTor Immediately with your friends I cannot afford to let this happen now My affairs are In such condition that t It will be fatal to me I need your support and friendship more I than ever I have noticed for or some Bome time timer r I o b t j f w wrT 1 I rT Al U I T 1 I II Ii I I I i I I 1 I I i Al 9 I i I II If I r f la I IH I I H 1 tit 7 7 t Ii She at Least Was Not a Wife He Need Be Ashamed Of gave the Intrigue additional zest and charm She did not lead Underwood to believe that he could induce her to forget her duty to Mr Jeffries but she was foolish enough to encourage a dangerous intimacy She thought she was strong enough to be able to call a halt whenever she would be so disposed but as Is often the case she overestimated her powers The Intimacy intimacy In in- grew Underwood became bolder claiming and obtaining special privileged privileges He soon realized that he lie had the upper hand and he traded on it Under her patronage he was Invited invited In in- e ere re lIe He practically lived on her friends frieds He borrowed their money and cheated them hem at cards His HIa real character was soon known to all Jut but no one dared expose him for forr r of offending the influential Mrs Jeffries Realizing this Underwood continued his depredations until he became a sort of social highwayman He had no legitimate source of income income in in- come but he took a suite of apartments apart apartments m ments at atthe the expensive and andon andon andon on credit furnished them so 50 gorgeously gorgeous ly Iy that they became the talk of tho town The magazines and and newspapers newspapers newspapers pers devoted columns to the magnificence cence of their furnishings and the art treasures they contained Art dealers deal deal ers all over the country offered him liberal commissions If he would dispose dis pose of expensive dart d'art to his friends He entered in business relation relation rela rela- I tion with severn several firms and soon his rooms became a veritable bazaar for art curios of ot all kinds Mrs Jeffries' Jeffries friends paid exorbitant prices for some somo of or the stuff and nd Underwood that your manner to me has hM changed Perhaps you ou have believed some of the tho stories m my enemies have circulated about me For Forthe the sake of If our old friendship Alicia dont don't desert me me now Remember what I once was to you and let me come cometo cometo cometo to your reception to Theres There's a reason reason reason rea rea- son why I must be seen aten en In your house Yours devotedly ROBERT UNDERWOOD Alicia's face flushed with anger Turning to the maid she said Theres no answer The girl was about to close the thedoor thedoor thedoor door when her mistress suddenly recalled recalled recalled re re- re- re called herWalt herWalt her Walt Wait a minute she sha said sad Ill write a lino Une Taking from her dainty escritoire a sheet of perfumed notepaper she wrote hurriedly as follows If It you dare to come coma near my house to night I will ha have you e you yeu put out by the tho I servants Quickly folding the note she crushed It into an envelope sealed It handed it to the girl and said Give that to the messenger The servant disappeared and Alicia resumed her work of drawing on her gloves in front of her mirror How dare he write her such a letter Was Washer Washer Washer her house bouse to be made the headquarters for tor his swindling schemes Did he want to cheat more of her friends The more she thought of all he had done the angrier she became Her eyes flashed and her bosom heaved with indignation She wondered what her husband the soul of honor bonor would say If he ho suspected that she had permitted a man of Underwood's character to us use use his home homo for his bis dishonest dishonest dis dis- dis honest practices She was glad she had ended It now nog before It was WM too toll late There Thore might have haTe been n a scandal scan I dal dat and that she must avoid at an any cost Mr Jeffries Jeffri s she felt certain I would not tolerate a u scandal of any kind All at once she sho felt something brush her cheek She turned quickly It was her husband who had entered the room quietly Oh Howard she exclaimed peevishly poet peeT how you frightened me mo Yoo You shouldn't startle me like that that thatA A tall distinguished looking distinguished looking mss man r with white mustache and pointed beard stood admiring her in silence His erect figure admirably set off oft Ina in ina ina a well cut dress coat suggested the ta soldier What are you ou doing alone here dear he said I hear carriages out out- side Our guests are arriving Just thinking that's all she replied replied re r. plied evasively He noticed her preoccupied look looka a d with some concern he demanded Theres nothing to worry you Is there Oh no nothing no-nothing nothing like liko that the she he said hastily He looked at her closely and she averted her eyes Mr Jeffries often otten wondered If he had made a mistake He felt that this woman woman to whom he had given his name did not love him but his vanity as much as his pride prevented him from acknowledging ns It ft even to himself After all aU what did he care She was a companion s she e graced his home and looked Booked after his creature comforts perhaps no reasonable man sho- sho should id expect anything any thing more Carelessly he asked Whom do you exve expect t to night 1 Oh the usual crowd replied Alicia languidly Dr Bernstein Is t. coming you coming you know hes he's quite the rage Just now He has to do with ply psychology ho o ogy and all that sort of ot thing So hes he's your lion night to-night Is he smiled the banker Then he went on By the by I met Brewster at the club to night ht He promised to drop in Now It |