Show age 4 TAK I 1 R h D ca narrative CI metropolitan r life i by CHARLES KLEIN and ARTHUR HORNBLOW UY BY RAY WALTERS copyright lum by br 0 W company 6 SYNOPSIS howard jeffries bankers son aon under the evil influence of robert Un darwood i fellow student at yalo leads a life of marries tho the daughter ot of a rambler who died in prison and la Is dis owned by his father he tries to got gat work find and falla A former college chum makes a business proposition to howard which re requires aires 2000 cash and howard Is 1 broke robert underwood Under underwood who had been repulsed by howards wife annie in his college days andrad and had once been engage engaged to alicia howards stepmother has apartments apart menta at the As t aurla and Is ap ti in pro circum circumstances ra underwood howard recalls it a SO 20 loan to underwood that remains unpaid and decides to ask aak him film for tho the VOW ho he needs underwood taking advantage ot of his hid intimacy with mra jeffries Jeff sm becomes a sort of oc social highwayman discovering his true char acter ahe denies him the house woods allne absence from it i function causes comment among mrs jeffries guests CHAPTER IV continued in a word laughed the judge you mean that any one trained to read my mind aan tell just passing in my brain precisely replied tho the doctor with a smile the psychologist can tell with almost mathematical accuracy just juat how your mental mechanism la Is working I 1 admit it sounds uncanny but it can be proved in fact it has been proved time and time again alicia came up and took look the doctors arm oh dr bernstein she protested 1 I cant allow the judge to monopolize you in this way come with roe me I 1 want to introduce you to a most charming woman who Is dying to meet you she Is perfectly crazy on psychology dont introduce me to her laughed the judge 1 I see enough crazy people in the law courts dr bernstein smiled and followed hla bis hostess judge brewster turned to chat with the banker from the distant tant music room came tho the sound of a piano and a beautiful soprano voice the rooms were now crowded and newcomers were arriving each minute servants passed passa d in and out serving iced feed delicacies and champagne suddenly the butler entered the salon and quietly approaching alicia banded her a letter in a low tone he said this letter has lust just come mm the messenger said it was very important and I 1 should deliver it at once alicia turned pale she instantly recognized the bandar handwriting biting it was from robert underwood was not her last message enough how dare he address her again and at such a time retiring to an inner room she tore open the envelope and read as follows dear mrs jeffries Jef tries this la Is the last time I 1 shall ever bore you with my letters you have forbidden me to see bee you again practically you have sentenced me to a living death but as I 1 prefer death shall not be partial but full and complete oblivion I 1 take this means of letting you know that unless you revoke your cruel sentence of banishment I 1 shall make an end of it all I 1 shall be found dead monday morning and you aiu know who la is responsible le yours devotedly ROBERT UNDERWOOD DEnWOOD UN an angry exclamation escaped alician All Ali clas cias aps lips and crushing the note up in her hand band she bit her lips till the blood came it was just as she feared the man was desperate lie he was not to be got rid of so easily how dare he how bow dare he the coward to think that she could be frightened by such a threat what did she care it ho be killed himself it would be good riddance yet suppose he was waa in earnest suppose he did carry out his bis abr threat eat there would be a terrible scandal andal an investigation people would talk her name would be mentioned no no that must be prevented at all costs distracted not knowing what course to pursue she paced the floor of the room through the closed door she could hear the music and the chatter of her guests she must go to see underwood at once that was certain and her visit must be a secret one there was already enough talk if her enemies could hear bear of hervis her via biting him alone in his apartments that would bo be the end yes yea 1 I must see him at once tomorrow la is sunday hes sure to be ba home in the evening everl ng he mentions monday morning there will still bo be time ill go and see BOB him tt tomorrow to morrow alicia All cla Al iclal the door opened and mr jeffries put pui his head bead in what sra are you doing arre ray my dear he be asked 1 I was wag looking everywhere for you judge brewster Brew wishes to say bay goodnight good night 1 I was fixing my hair all replied alicia with perfect compos ure CHAPTER V among the many huge caravansaries caravan saries that of recent years have sprung up jn in now new york to provide luxurious quarters regardless of cost for those who can afford to pay for the best none could rival the Astr urla urta in size elzo and magnificence occupying in an entire block in the very heart of tile tho residential district it took precedence over all tile the other apartment hotels of the metropolis as the biggest and most splendidly appointed hostelry of its kind in tho the world it was waa indeed a small city in itself it was waa not necessary for its fortunate tenants to leave it unless they were so BO minded everything tor for their comfort and pleasure was to be had without taking the trouble to go out of doors on tho the ground floor were shops of all kinds which catered only to the patrons there were also on the premises premised a bank a brokers office a hairdresser and a postal telegraph grape office A special feature was the garden court co iut contal containing nin g over square foot of open space apace and tastefully laid out with palms and flowers here fountains splashed and an orchestra played while the patrons lounged on comfortable rattan chairs or gossiped with their friends up on oil the sixteenth floor was the cool root roof garden an exquisite bower of palms and rosos roses artificially painted by a famous french artist with its restaurant its picturesque tzi ganes and its superb view of all manhattan island tho the Astr urla was the last word in expensive apartment hotel building architects declared that it was as far as modern lavishness and extravagance gancer could boits interior arrangements were in keeping beeping with its external splendor its apartments were of noble dimensions richly decorated and equipped with every device new and old that modern science and builders ingenuity could suggest that the rents were on a scale with the grandeur of the establishment goes without saying only long purses could stand the strain it was a favorite headquarters tor for westerners who had struck it rich wealthy bachelors and successful actors and opera singers who loved the limelight on and off the stage sunday evening was usually exceedingly quiet at the Astr urla most of the tenants wore out of town over the weekend week end and as the restaurant ana roof garden w were ere only st inn y patronized the ele elevators ran less frequently making less lees chatter and bustle in corridors and stairways stillness reigned everywhere as aa if the sobering influence of the sabbath had invaded even this exclusive domain of the unholy rich the uniformed attendants having nothing to do yawned dawned lazily in the deserted halls some even indulged in surreptitious naps in corners confident that they would not be disturbed callers were so rare that when some one did enter from the street he was looked upon w with ith suspicion it was shortly after seven the day following mrs jeffries Jeffri ea r reception e when a man came in by the main entrance from broadway and a approaching one of the hall boys inquired for mr robert underwood the boy gave his interlocutor an impudent stare there was something about the callers dress and manner which told him instinctively that h he 11 was not dealing with a visitor whom he must treat respectfully no one divines alvines it a mans or womans comans social status quicker or more nn than a servant the attendant saw at once that the man did not belong to the class which paid social clatts to tenants in the Astr Ast urla ruria he was rather seedy looking his collar was not immaculate his boots were thick and clumsy his clothes cheap and ill III utting fitting Is mr underwood in he demanded not home replied the attendant insolently after a pause like most hall boys he took a savage pleasure in saying that tho the tenants were out the caller looked annoyed he must bo be in he said with a frown 1 I have an appointment with him this was not strictly true but the bluff had the desired effect got an appold appointment why yu say so at once once reaching lazily over the telephone switchboard and without rising from his bis seat he be asked su rilly the name mr bennington the boy took the transmitter and spoke into it A party called to see mr bir underwood there was a brief patice as it if the person upstairs was in doubt whether to admit that he was home or not then asme c tae the answer the boy looked u up he says eay you should go up apartment men take tho the ele elevator ator 11 in his luxurious appointed rooms on the fourteenth floor robert underwood sat before the fire puffing nervously at a strong cigar all around him was a litter of oblate dart such its as would havo have filled the heart of auy any connoisseur with joy oil paintings in heavy gilt frames of every period and school Rembrandt a culps dabels Reynol Reynold dees ses corots anners Hn Hv ners niters some floma on easels eadels some resting on tho the floor handsome french bronzes dainty china on japanese teakwood tables antique furniture gold embroidered broi dered cl clerical orical vestments hand painted screens costly oriental rugs rare ceramics amice all were confusedly jumbled together on a grand piano in ili a corner of the room stood two tall vases of almost inestimable value on a desk close by were piled miniatures and rare ivories the walls were covered with tapestries armor find and trophies of artris arms more like a museum than a sitting room it was the homo home of a man who made a business of art or mado made of art a business underwood stared moodily at the glowing logo loga in the 0 open chimney place hla his face was pale and determined ter mined after coming in from the restaurant he be had changed hla his tuxedo tor for the more comfortable house coat nothing called him away that particular sunday evening and no one was likely to disturb him ferris hla his man se servant rYant had taken his usual sunday off and would not return until midnight the apartment was still as the grave it was so BO high above the street that not a sound reached up from the abo noisy broadway below underwood liked the quiet so BO that he could think and lie he was waa thinking hard on the flat desk at his elbow stood a dainty demitasse demi tasse of black coffeo coffee there were glasses and decanters of whisky and cordial but the stimulants did not tempt him lie ho wondered if alicia would ignore hla his letter or if she would come to him surely she could not be so heartless as aa to throw him over at such a moment crushed in hla his left hand was a copy of the new york herald containing an elaborate account of the brilliant reception and musicale cale given the he previous evening at her home with fin an exclamation of impatience he rose from his seat threw the paper from him and began to pace the floor was this the end of everything had he be reached the end of his rope he must pay the reckoning it not today tomorrow to morrow As his eyes wandered around the room and he took mental inventory of each costly object he experienced a sudden shock as ho he recalled the things that were missing how flow could he explain their absence the art dealers were already suspicious auspicious they were not to be put off any longer with excuses any moment they might insist either on the immediate return ot of their ir property or on payment in full lie he was in the position to do neither U the 1 e articles had bad been sold and the money lost gambling curse the lucki luck everything had gone against him of late the dealers would begin criminal proceedings ce co disgrace and prison stripes would follow there was no avay out of it he had no one to whom he be could turn in this crisis and now even alicia had deserted him this was the last straw while he be was still able to boast of the friendship and patronage of the aristocratic to mrs howard jeffries Jeff rles he be aa I 1 ame W 1 N cc 6 vv 3 6 40 vy u v 8 J yes I 1 must see him at once could still hold his head high in the world no one would dare question que atlon his integrity but bia now she had bad abandoned him to his fate pe people 0 ale would begin to talk there was no use keeping up a hopeless fight suicide was the only way out he stopped in front of a mirror startled at what he be saw there it was the face of a man not yet 30 but apparently much older the features fea turea were drawn and li haggard aggard and hla his dark hair was plentifully streaked with gray he looked like a man who had bad lived two lives in one tonight to night hla his face frightened him his eyes had a fixed axed stare like those of a man he bo had orice once seen been in a madhouse he wondered it men looked bookel like that when they were about to be executed was not his bla own hour dose close at hand he wondered why the clock was so eo noisy it 11 seemed to him that the ticks we were r louder than usual he attreed suddenly and looked around tearfully fearfully lie he thought he be had bad heard a sound outside ho he shuddered as he be glared toward the little drawer on an the right hand band side of his desk deak in which he know thero aas was a loaded revolver it alicia would only relent escape might yet be possible it if lie ho did not hoar hear from her it must be for tonight to night one slight little ottlo pressure on oil tho the trig got gor and all would be over suddenly the bell of tho the telephone connecting the apartment with the main ball hall downstairs rang violently interrupted thus abruptly in the th midst midat of 0 hla his reflections ron octlona underwood Un dorwood lumped jumped forward startled life his nerves were so BO unstrung that he was over ever apprehensive of danger with a tremulous hand h hg took hold of the receiver and placed it to his bis ear As ho he listened his already pallid face turned whiter and the lines about his mouth tightened he hesitated a moment before replying then with an effort ho he sold said send bend him up dropping the receiver he began to walk nervously up and down tho room the crisis had bad come sooner than he ha expected exposure was at fiand band this nun man bennington wits was the man tiger ager of the firm of dealers whose goods he be disposed of he could not make restitution prosecution was waa in evitable disgrace and prison would follow lie could not stand it he would rather kill himself trouble was wait very close at hand that was certain cort aln how co could ul d he g get e t out 0 of f I 1 itt t pa pacing cl ng tho the floor he hit bit his lipo till the blood came there was a sharp ring at the front door underwood opened it As he ha recognized his visitor on the thresh old ho be exclaimed why bennington this Is ii a sura the manager entered awkwardly awkward li he had the constrained air of a raw who has haa come on an unpleasant ii errand but wants to be as amiable as ie the circumstances will permit i rl you expect me did you he began shutting the front door underwood led tho the way back into the sitting bitting room and making an effort to control hla his nerves said eald sit down wont you but mr bennington merely bowed stiffly it was wac evident that he did not wish hla his call to be mistaken forano fo fora raso so caal visit 1 I time |