Show ofie TH IR V won on aft EE r ra ca A N narrative a rr a t v e V e tr ta n i L life f pa i U by CHARLES RLES KLEIN HLEIN and CH ARTHUR T HORNBLOW H L 0 illustrations T ua 10 S n BY R RAY nay A Y W WALTERS ATE L coopy right by bir U W V com compatori tu SYNOPSIS howard jeffries bankers sion ion under the lev evil I 1 I 1 influence of 0 robert un underwood derwood follow rello w student at yale leads a life of dissipation si marries lie daughter of n ga rambler who died in prison anil and Is als disowned ne by his fattier fatlich r he la is out of work and in desperate straits underwood who bad once been engaged to howard a stepmother alicia Is apparently in prosper ous circumstances taking advantage or of his intimacy with alicia he becomes a sort of social highwayman discovering ills hla true character alicia allala marientes mani denies entes him the house ho sends her a note threatening art dealian for whom he acted an aa commissioner demand nn an accounting 11 ile he cannot m goo good howard calls at ills hla apartments lit in an intoxicated condition I 1 on to request leanest a loan or of 2000 to enable him to take up a proposition preposition howard drin drinks ka lipha himself into a maudlin condition an and g goes 0 e s to sleep on a divan A caller to Is lin announced n 0 u nto ed and Una underwood erwood draws a screen around the drunken big sleeker r alicia enters she demands a promise robill so from underwood that lie will not F take ke ills ilia life lie ho refuses unless she bile will renew her patronage this site she refused refu re tuBes seg and takes her leave underwood lulls kil himself tile the report of tile the pistol awakens Il howard oward lie he finds underwood dead howard la Is turned over to tile the capt clinton notorious for big brutal treatment of prisoners puts put howard h tile the third degree and finally gets an alleged confession from the harassed man annie Ilo howards wards wife declares her ber belief in ner husbands innocence and calls on jeffries sr ile he refuses to help unless site she will consent to a divorce to save eave howard she consents conie but when she linds that the older jeffries does not intend to stand by tits his son except financially biall slie site scorns his help annie appeals to judge brewster attorney for jeffries anis sr to tako take Ilo howards wards case ile he declines it la r reported that annie la Is going on tile the stage tile hanker banker find and his wife call on judge drowsier brewster to find soma borne way to prevent it annie again pleads with drew brew ster to defend howard ile ho consents n alicia la Is greatly alarmed alarco e d when she learns from annie that brewster tins has taken tile the case slip she confesses to annie that she called on underwood the night of his fits death and that sho she lies has ills his letter in which lie ho threatened suicide but begs for time before giving ou out thu tho information annie promises lioi brewster to tile missing woman at a meeting Ine eting at his home brewster Brest cr accuses Clin of forcing a confession from howard annie appears without tile the witness and refuses to give the name alicia arrives arr le capt clinton declares annie anne has tricked thorn them alicia handi him under woodi scoda letter annie lots lets clinton believe the letter was written to tn her site she Is ar rested tile the underwood letter and annles annies perjured testimony clear howard tile the older jeffries offers to take howard abroad CHAPTER continued he waited and looked at her curiously na its it if wondering what her answer would be lie he waited some time and then slowly she said 1 I think you had b etter better got go you dont mean that he exclaimed in genuine surprise she shook her head affirmatively yes I 1 do she said your father i wants you to take your position in the world the position you are entitled to the position your association with me prevents you from taking howard drummed his fingers on tho the tablecloth and looked out of 0 the wint dow it seemed to her that his voice no longer had tho the samo same candid ring as he replied yes father has spoken to me about it ile he wants to be friends and I 1 lie he paused awkwardly and then add ed 1 I admit ive ive promised to consider it but annie finished his sentence for him youre going to accept his bis offer howard you owe it to yourself to your family and to she laughed y as she added 1 I was going to say to millions of anxious readers howard looked at her curiously lie he did not know if site she was jesting or la in earnest almost impatiently he exclaimed why do you talk in this way against your own interests you know id like to bo be friendly with my family and all that but it be fair 1 to you im not talking against myself howard I 1 want you iou to bo be happy and youre not happy you cant bo be happy under these conditions N now low be honest with me ine can you can you ho be demanded no she ati answered frankly fian kly not unless you are slowly she went on whatever Wh ateer happiness ive had in life I 1 owe to you and god knows youve auvo had nothing but trouble from me I 1 lt did wrong to marry you and im willing to pay the penalty ive evened matters up with your family now lot let me try and square up with you evened up matters with my family he be exclaimed in surprise what do you mean with a smile she replied ambiguously oh a little private matter of my owal own lie he stared at her unable to comprehend and she went on i gravely howard you must do t weats best for yourself ill pack your things you can call go when you please ile he stared gloomily out of tho the window without replying after all ho he thought to himself it was perhaps for the best beat shackled as he was now lie he would never be able to accomplish anything it they separated his father would take him into his bis business life would begin for him all over again it would bo be better for her too ot of course ile ho would never forget her ile he would provide for her comfort ills hla father would help him arrange tor for that lighting a cigarette ho he said carelessly well perhaps youre right maybe a little trip through europe wont do me any harm of course not she said simply busy with an obstinate match he did not hear tho the sigh that accompanied her words or see seethe the look of agony that crossed her face but what are you going to do ho he inquired after a silence with an effort she controlled her volca voice not for all tho the world would slid sho betray the fact that her heart was break breaking ing with affected indifference she replied oh shall ishall I be all right I 1 shall go and it live ve somewhere in tho the country tor for a tow few months im tir tired edof of the city so am L I 1 he rejoined with a gesture of disgust hut but I 1 hato bate like the douce deuce to loave leave you alone nothing she said hastily A trip abroad Is just what you need looking up she added your face has brightened up already ile he stared at her unable to understand 1 I wish you could go with me she smiled your fat fathers tiers society make quite such in an appeal to rue me as it does t to 0 you carelessly she added where are you going paris or london ile he sent a thick cloud or of smoke curling to the ceiling cel ling A european trip was something pom ething he had bad long looked forward to london vionna vienna paris ho he replied gayly with a laugh he went onno 40 I 1 I 1 think ill cut out parts paris im a married man I 1 forget that I 1 annie looked up at him quickly youve forgotten it already she said quietly there was reproach in her voice as she continued ah howard youre such a boy A little pleasure trip and the past Is forgotten 1 A look of perplexity came over his face being only a man he did not grasp quickly the finer shades of her meaning ine aning with some irritation he be do banded you say you wanted me to go and forget sho nodded yes I 1 do howard youve made me happy I 1 want you to be happy lie he looked puzzled you say you love me he said and yet youre happy because im going away I 1 dont follow that line of reasoning it reason she said with a smile its what I 1 feel I 1 guess a man wants want to have what lie he loves and a woman is satisfied to love just what she wants anyway im glad im glad youre going go and tell your father taking his hat ho he said ill telephone him yes right she replied wheres my cane he be asked looking round the room she found it for him and as he ha opened the door she r said dont be long will you ile he laughed ill come right back by georget Geor gat he be exclaimed 1 I feel quite excited at the prospect of this trip regarding her fondly he went on its awfully good or of you old girl to let me go I 1 dont think there are many women like you annie averted her head bead now dont spoil me she said lifting tho tray as it to go into the kitchen walt till I 1 kiss you goodby good byj by ho be said effusively taking the tray from her he be placed it on the table and folding her in his arms ho he pressed his lips to hers goodby good by he be murmured 1 I wont bo be long As soon as ho he disappeared she gave way completely and sinking into a chair leaned her head bead on the table and sobbed as it if her heart would break this then was the e end n d 11 ho 0 would go away and soon forget her sho she would never liever see him again but what was the uso use of crying it was the way of the world she blamo blame him lie he loved her she was sure of that thal but the call of hla his family and friends was too strong to resist alternately laughing and crying hysterically sho she picked up the tray and carrying it into the kitchen began washing the dishes suddenly there was a ring at we th e bell hastily putting on a clean apron she opened the door judge brewster Brow ster stood smiling on the threshold annie uttered a cry of pleasure greeting the old lawyer affectionately she invited him in As he entered ho he looked questioningly at her red eyes but made no remark im delighted to see you judge she eho stammered As a scat at in the little parlor he bo said your husband passed roe me on the stairs and know me the passage Is so dark I 1 she explained pla Dla ined apologetically ho looked at her for a moment without speaking and for a moment thero there was waa awkward pause then ho he said when does howard leave you annie stared lit in surprise how do you know that she exclaimed we lawyers know everything he smiled gravely ho he went on his fits fathers attorneys have asked me for all the evidence I 1 have they want to use it aga against ilist you the idea Is that he shall go abroad with his father and that tho the proceedings will be begun during his absence howard knows nothing about it said annie confidently are you sure demanded the law yer skeptically quite sure cure she bhe answered positively but he Is going away persisted the judge yes yea I 1 want him to go 1 I am sending him away she replied the lawyer was silent ile ho sat and looked at her as it if trying to read her thoughts then quietly he said do you know they intend to make robert underwood the ground for the application for divorce and to use your own perjured testimony as a weapon against you you see what a lie leads to theres no end to it and I 1 i I 1 I 1 F 7 41 0 then why do you leave her here to fight the battle alone you are compelled to go on lying to 0 o support the original lie and precisely what I 1 wont permit annie nodded acquiescence 1 I knew you ou were wre going to scold me sho she smiled scold you ho he said kindly no its myself im scolding you did what you thought was right and I 1 allowed you to do what I 1 knew was wrong you made two miserable women happy she said quietly the lawyer tried to suppress a smile 1 I try to excuse myself on that ground he said betit but it wont work I 1 violated my oath as a lawyer my integrity as a man my honor ray my self respect all upset lipset all gone ive been a very unpleasant companion for myself lately rising impatiently he strode up and down the room then turning on her he said angrily but ill have no more lies what brings me here this morning the first move they make against you and ill tell the truth annie gazed pensively out of the window without making reply did you hear he said raising his voice 1 I shall let the world know that you sacrificed yourself for that woman she turned and shook her head bead no judge she said 1 I do not wish it if they do succeed in influencing howard to bring suit against me I 1 shall not defend it judge brewster was not a patient man and nd it if there was anything that angered him it was rank injustice ile he had no patience with this young woman who allowed herself to be trampled on in this outrageous way yet he could not be angry with her she had qualities which compelled his admiration mi ration and respect and not the least of these was va her willingness to shield others at her own expense perhaps not ho he retorted but I 1 will its unjust its unrighteous its impossible cut but you dont understand she said gently 1 I am to blame you youre re too ready to blame yourself ho he said testily annie went ment up tip to him and laid her hand affectionately on his shoulder with tears in her eyes she said let me tell you something judge ills fattier father was right when he said I 1 took advantage of him I 1 did I 1 saw that he was sentimental and self willed and all that I 1 started out to attract him I 1 was tired of the life I 1 was living the hard work the loneliness and rill all the rest of it and I 1 made up my mind to catch him it if I 1 could I 1 think it was wrong then but I 1 do now besides she went on im older than he is five years older ile he thinks im three years younger and that hev hes protecting me from the world A 1 diw I 1 took advantage of tits his ignorance life judge bre brewster aster shrugged hla his shoulders impatiently it boys of 25 are not moll men they never will be looking down at her kindly he went on pon my word it I 1 was 25 id let this divorce go through and marry you myself oh judco that was all she could say but there was gratitude in the girls eyes these were the first kind words anyone any one had yet spoken to her it was ulce nice to know that some one saw some good in her she was waa trying to think of something to say when suddenly there was the click of a key being inserted in a yale lock lack the front door opened and howard appeared well judge he exclaimed this Is a surprise the lawyer looked at him gravely how do you do young man he said he added you look very pleased with yourself fl 1 this is the first opportunity ive had to thank you for your kindness said howard cordially you call can thank your wife my boy not me mel I 1 changing the topic he said so youre going abroad eh yes did annie tell you its only for a few months the lawyer frowned tapping the floor impatiently with tits his cane he said why are you going away taken aback at the question howard stammered because because because I 1 want him to go interrupted annie quickly the lawyer shook hla his head an iok ing steadily at howard he said sternly ill tell you howard my boy youre going to escape from the scan dalmon gers and the gossl gossiping ping busy bodies forgive me for speaking plainly but youre going away because your cifes conduct is a topic of conversation among your friends friend howard interrupted him youre mistaken judge I 1 dont care a hang what people say bay then why do you leave her here to io fight the battle alone demanded the judge angrily annie advanced and raised her hand deprecatingly howard looked at he her r as it if now for the first time he realized the truth to fight the battle alone he be echoed yes said bald the judge you are giving the world a weapon with which to strike at your wife howard was silent the lawyers words had struck home slowly he said 1 I never thought of that youre right I 1 wanted to get avay froni from it all father |