Show THIRD D on U sta ca A narrative ap CM metropolitan life U B by CHARLES KLEIN and ARTHUR HORNBLOW 1 illustrations BY RAY WALT WALTER EttEl iff U company SYNOPSIS howard jeffries bankers son under me evil influence of robert nobert Up underwood derwood a fellow student at yale leads a life of dissipation marries the daughter of a gambler who died in prison and la Is disowned by his father tie he tries to ge work A and nd falls A former college cl chum I 1 makes a business proposition to howard which requires require 9 2000 cash and howard Is broke CHAPTER 11 II continued you know I 1 annie he said gald earnestly not one second have I 1 ever regretted marrying you honest to god A faint flush of pleasure lit itt up the young cifes face for all her assumed lightheartedness she was badly in need of this reassurance it if she thought howard nourished secret regrets it would break her fier heart bearl she could stand anything any hardship but not that she giuld nylund leave him at once nee in a way she held herself responsible for his present predicament she had felt a deep sense of guilt dutli ever since that afternoon in new haven when listening to howards importunities tuni tunIt ties les and obeying an impulse she was powerless to resist she had lung flung aside her waitress apron furtively left the restaurant and hurried with him to the minister who declared them man and wife their marriage was a mis mistake talce of course howard was in no position past it on to marry they should have walte waited they both realized their folly now but what was done could not be undone she realized too that it was worse for howard than it was for her it had ruined his prospects at the outset of his bis career and threatened to be irreparable ano blight on his entire life she realized that she was largely to blame bladd she had done wrong to marry him and at times she reproached herself bitterly there were days when their union assumed ahsu med in her eyes the enormity of a crime she should have seen what a social gulf lay between them all these taunts and insults from his bis family which she now endured she had foolishly brought upon her own head but she had bad not been able t to 0 resist the temptation howard came into her life when the outlook was dreary and hopeless he had bad offered to her what seemed a haven against the cruelty and selfishness of the world happiness for the first erst time in her life seemed within reach and she had not the moral courage to say no if annie had no education she was not without brains she had bad sense enough to realize that her bringing up or the lack was an barrier to her ever being admitted to the inner circle of howards family if her husbands father had not married again the breach might have been crossed in alnie but his new wife was a prominent member of the smart set a woman full of aristocratic not notions lons who recoiled with horror at having anything to do with a girl guilty of the enormity of earning her awn own living individual merit inherent nobility of character amiability of disposition and a personal reputation untouched by scandal all this went for nothing because beca useI unaccompanied by wealth or social position annie had neither wealth nor position she had not even education they considered her common impossible they were ever ready to tend lend an ear to certain ugly stories regarding her past none of which were true after their marriage mr jeffries sr and his wife absolutely refused to receive her or have any communication with her whatsoever As long therefore as howard remained faithful to her the breach with lils his family could never be healed have some more stew dear she said extending her hand for her husbands plate 1 howard shook his bis bead and throw threw down his knife and fork ive had bad enough he said despondently 1 I 1 much appetite she looked at him with concern poor boy bay youre tired out As she noted how bow pale and dejected he appeared her eyes eye s filled with sympathetic tears she forgot the appalling number of cigarettes he smoked a lay day nor did she realen bealls t how bow abuse of alcohol had spotted spoiled hid hia stomach for solid food 1 I wish I 1 knew where to go and get cot that 2000 muttered howard his mind till still pr preoccupied with co cocoa els proposition lighting another cigarette ho he leaned back in his bis chair and lapsed into Ri lence annie sat eat and watched him wishing she bhe could suggest sonin way to solve the problem that troubled bled him she loved her li husband with all tier her heart and soul ills his very weakness of character endeared him film the more to tier her she was not blind to hla his faults but she excused them ills vices his blEt drinking cigarette smoking anti and general shiftlessness were she alto argued the result of bad associates tle ie was self indulgent lie ho made many good resolutions and broke them but he ans was not really vicious ile he had a good heart beart with rome nonie one to watch him and keep him lu fit the straight path he would still give a wood wod account of himself to the world she was confident of that she recognized many excellent qualities in him they only wanted fostering and bringing out that yas was why she married him she was a few years his bis senior she felt that she was the stronger mentally she considered it was her duty to devote her life to him to protect him from himself and make a man of him it was not her fault she mused if she was not a lady literally brought up in fit the gutter what advantages had she had bad tier her mother died in childbirth and her father a professional gambler abandoned the little girl to the tender mercies of an indifferent neighbor when she was about eight years old her father was arrested he refused to pay police blackmail was indicted ed rAll railroaded to prison pilson and died soon after in convict stripes there was no provision tor for annies mal maintenance n te nance so at the age of nine she found herself tolling in a factory a helpless victim of the brutalizing system of child slavery which in spite of prohibiting laws still disgraces tho the united states ever since that time she had earned her own living the roid road had bad often been hard bard there were times when she thought she would have to give up the fight other girls she had met had hinted at an easier lensler way of earning ones living hying but she had kept her courage refused to listen to evil counsel and always managed to lo I 1 keep beep her name unsullied unskilled she left the factory to work behind the counter in a new york dry goods store then about a year nio ago she drifted to new haven and took the position of waitress at tho the restaurant which the college boys patronized robert underwood was among the students who camo came almost every day ho he made love to her from the start and one day attempted liberties which she was prompt to resent in ia a way he did not shAfter rell that he be let her alone she devir never liked the man she knew him to be unprincipled as well as vicious one night he bro brought tight howard jeffries Jet fries to 0 o the rest restaurant durant they seemed the closest celoso st of cronies and she was sorry to see what bad influence the elder sophomore had over the young freshman to whom she was at once attracted E every very time they ca came meshe ohp watched them and she noticed how under tinder his bis mentor howard became more hardened ile he drank more and more and became a reckless gambler underwood seemed to exercise it a ban ut ul spell over him she saw that he would soon be ruined with such a man as underwood for a constant companion her interest in the young student grow grew they became acquainted and howard not no realizing that she was older than tie ne was immediately captivated by her vivacious charm and her common sense views they saw each other more frequently and their frie friendship grew until one day howard asked her to marry him while she sometimes blamed herself for having listened too willingly to howards pleadings she did not altogether regret the step she had bad aitken it was most unfortunate that there must be abis rupture with ill his family yet something within told her that she was doing gods work saving a mans soul without her howard would have gone swiftly to rule ruin there was little doubt of that his a affection f for her had partly if not wholly redeemed him film and nd was keeping him straight he had been good to her ever since their marriage and done everything to make inake her com fordable for f 01 table once he took a position as guard on the elevated road but caught cold and was forced to give it up she wanted to go to work again but he be angrily refused that alone showed that he was not entirely devoid of character lie he was unfortunate at present and they were poor but bui by dint of perseverance he would win out and make a position for himself without hla his fathers help these were their darkest days but light was ahead As long as they loved each other and had bad their health what more was necessary T say annie I 1 have bava an idea suddenly blurted out howard what Is it dear she asked her reveries thus abruptly interrupted 1 I mean regarding that 2000 you know all about abat which I 1 once lent underwood I 1 never got it back although ive been after him ranny many times tor for it hes a slippery customer but under tho the circumstances I 1 think its worth another determined effort ho he seems to be better fixed now thru then he eyer ever was iles hes living hying nt at the As mahln making g a social splurge and all that sort of thing ile iio must have money ill try to borrow the 2000 from froin him A lie ile certainly appears to be pros proa porous replied annie 1 I see ills his name lu in the newspapers all the alio time there la is hardly an all affair at which he Is 18 not present yes growled Il howard oward 1 I 1 dont seo see how ho he does it he lie travels on ills his cheek arl principally nel pally I 1 guess ills ilia name was wag among those present at my stepmothers musicale cale the other night bitterly he added how low the world goes there Is no place for mo me under tinder my fathers fathera roof but that blackguard Is welcomed with open armiel arms I 1 1 I thought your father was such a proud roan mail interrupted annie how flow does docs he come to associate with people like underwood oh an all old doltl exclaimed howard impatiently theros theres no fool like an old tool fool of course lies hes sensible enough in business matters he be where lie he Is today to day it he dut but when it comes to the woman question hes as aa blind as a CZ 71 not one second have 1 I 1 regretted marrying you honest to godl god V bat what right had a m man an of his age to go and marry a woman 20 years hla his junior of course she only married him for hla his money everybody knows that except he people e laugh nt at him behind his back instead of enjoying a quiet peaceful home in the declining years of his life he Is compelled to keep open house and entertain people who are personally obnoxious to him simp simply ly because that sort of life pleases his young wife who was she anyway before their marriage interrupted annie ohi a nobody he replied she was very attractive looking dressed well and was clever enough to get introductions to good people she managed to io make herself popular in the smart set and she ahe needed money to carry out her social ambitions dad wealthy ye althy widower came along and she caught him in her net allt all annie listened with interest she was human enough to feel a certain sense of satisfaction in hearing that this woman who treated her with such contempt was herself something or of an intriguer how did your stepmother come to know robert underwood she asked he was never in society no replied howard with a grin it was my stepmother who gave him the entree you know she was once engaged to him but broke it off so she could marry dad he felt very sore over it at the time but after her marriage he was seemingly as friendly with her as ever to serve his own ends of course it Is simply wonderful what influence he has with her he exercises over her the same fascination that he did over me at college ile he has sort of hypnotized her I 1 dont think its a case case of love or anything like that but he simply holds her under his thumb and gets her to do anything lie lia wants wanti she invites him to her house introduces him right and leit left got people to take him up everybody laughs about it in society underwood la in know aars howard jeffries pet fotr such much a thing soon gets talked about that Is the secret of ills his successful career in n now york As far as aa I 1 know sho ashes US as much infatuated with illin ad ever A took look of cattle came into an ales faco face to tills young woman choso whoso one idea or of matrimony was stend steadfast fast loyalty to tho the man whose life sho shared and phoso whoso namo camo sho she bore there was something repellent and nauseating in fit a woman permitting herself to be talked about in that way your father object she asked Pe Ps hawl laughed howard he see neo going on under hla his very noso nose lies hoo too proud a man too sure of hla his own good judgment to b believe for a moment that the woman i to whom ho he gave his name would be guilty of the slightest of that kind annie was waa silent for a minute then she said what makes you think that un derwood would lot you have the nion money oy because I 1 think hes got it I 1 obliged him once in the same way myself I 1 would explain to him what I 1 want it for lie he will see at once that it Is a good thing ill otter offer him a good rate of interest and he might be very glad to lot let me have it anyhow theres no harm trying annie said nothing she did not entirely approve this idea of her husband trying to borrow money of a man in whom hla his stepmother was so BO much interested on the other hand starvation stared them in the face if howard could get hold of this 2000 and start in the brokerage business it might be the beginning of a now new life for them well do dd as you like dear she said bald when will you go to him the best time to catch him would be in the evening replied howard well then go tonight to night she suggested howard shook his head no not tonight to night I 1 dont think I 1 should find him in iles hes out every night somewhere tonight to night theros theres another big reception at my lath fathers ers house bouse hell probably be there I 1 think ill wait till tomorrow to morrow night im nearly sure auro to catch him at horde home then annie rose and began to tol remove 1 the dishes from the table howard howar d nonchalantly chal clial antly lighted another cigarette and leaving the table took up thi the evening newspaper sitting down comfortably in a rooke rocker r by the window he be blow blew a cloud of blue smoke up in the air and said yes it ill go tomorrow to morrow night to the and strike bob underwood for that 2000 11 TO BE DE CONTINUED |