Show IN a 0 r A 0 f 1 V i rn I 1 1 I 1 jbv JB dijk aln t ja I 1 1 I c cv M I 1 LIE ERMINE LP rivca 5 s 0 a A U illustrations luat ae ar LAUREN stout I 1 y ay 1 rea men re 4 1 CHAPTER 1 I the crash john valiant tailed rai ledl ejaculated hold held dropped andly and the hat bat he claret colored rug like a huge bugs the i bite splotch of sudden fright the corporation oration failed I 1 orp the of man was glass young the alia won from tile the silken ribbon on the aless panama to his bis pearl gray galt gait 0 bud and A well ell favored a lithe e stalwart et alwart alro with wide set hazel eyes and guro black back from hair waving brown rong boag I 1 candid forehead never had his innocuous and but existence known la a r fly ore startling he had bad swung into 19 room with all the nonchalant haba the ingrained ingrain ad certitude of the man orn irn with achievement ready made in is g hands bands and a single curt state ent like the ruthless bla blades des of a air clr of shears had snipped across 0 ons one splendid scarlet thread in the bof 0 o that constituted life as he know knew lie he had bad knotted his lavender scarf at morning a vice president of the ailant corporation one of the greatt at and most successful of modern organizations lie he sat now in the ay ay iy ding din afternoon trying to realize that e huge fabric without warning had paled to its tall fall how solid and changeless it had rays eways seemed that great business abric woven by the father ho he could 0 dimly rem remember emberl his own invested rbuce had been derived from the rest eat corporation the elder valiant founded a and nd controlled until ilia his eath with almost unprecedented awnings arn ings it had stood as a very gib altar of 0 finance a type and sign of brilliant ant organization now or the eels beels of a trusts dissolution which ovid be a nine days wonder the vast had crumbled up like a card oard the rains had descended and he e foods floods had come and it had fallen I 1 th the a ma man n at the desk had wheeled a his revolving chair and was wab looking it t the trim athletic back blotting the daylight ay light with a smile that was little hort of a covert sneer ile he was one D the local managers of the corporation whose ruin was to be that days sensation easa tion a colorless man who had ac aired middle age with his first long trousers users and had bad been dedicated to the commercial mercial om treadmill before he had bought aught a safety razor he despised all loiterers loiter olter ers along the primrose paths and ohn valiant was but a decorative ng fig elcead valiant started as the other spoke at ii he had bad come to the window ow and was looking down at the tw eiDent how quickly some news pread sl for the first time the young man eted that the street below was filling rith th a desultory crowd he distinguished a knot of italian laborers talkie I 1 with falth excited gesticulations a 1 9 I 1 I 1 e I 1 I 1 I 1 t 11 I 1 ua I 1 1 14 I 1 1 7 r 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 11 7 Z it very G add living abroad tha r rea el a PAM boat leaving 11 1 38 plaste plasterer tools in hand ivle 1 t t some hatless and with thin wa raca coats all peering at the voice lell front nt or of the great building and il h all IG imagined ned with t a thriving fear 11 th i net heir faces ces A AS ho he watched a worn wom 14 coarsely y dressed ran across the treet B her handkerchief pressed to her yes loo the notice j has hab gone eone up P on the r to bald the manager 1 I sent bent word res acs police crowds are ugly somer V I 1 the drew a sudden sharp breath TI down dowd ln in the mire C clods h crowds at its doors ready to I 1 ja tot for money entrusted to it the t i ceif savings or widow and ores ilen hoarded surna burns earned 11 over which pinched sickly 09 sear sap burned the midnight oil li iolder I 1 man had turned back to to draw a narrow typewrite I 1 thy phlip ot of paper fram a L ho ha said la is a list of tho bonds I 10 sub subsidiary sidia companies recorded crded r name these aro are all of vu L engulfed engulfs d in the larger failure ral lure 1 lave ave however your private for lf take my advice by the td tern th eded ded significantly in 3 i jt f li that i you yon mean john va irn quickly it laugh laughed td shortly A afford he quoted its ita very good living st abroad broad theres a boat leaving tomorrow A dull red sprang into the younger face you mean look lok at that crowd down there you can hear them now therell be a legislative investigation of course and the devi lIt get the hindmost ho he struck the desktop desk top with his hand have you ever been the bills for this furniture do you know what that rug under your feet cost twelve thousand its an old persian what do you suppose the papers will do to that do you think such things will seem amusing to that rabble down therel there ills his hand swept toward the window its been going on an tor for too many years I 1 tell you and now some onell pay the piper the lightning wont strike me im not tall enough youre a vice president do you imagine that I 1 knew these things that I 1 have been a party to what you seem to believe has been a deliberate wrecking valiant towered over him his breath coming fast his hands bands clenched hard you the manager laughed again an unpleasant laugh that scraped the others quivering nerves like hot sandpaper oh lord not nol how should you youve been abo busy playing polo and winning bridge prizes he how w many board meetings have you intended this year your v vote 0 te Is led as aa regular as clockwork but youre supposed to know the people down there thera in the street wont ask questions about patent leather pumps and ponies want to hear about such things as rotten irrigation loans in the stony river valley to market an alkali desert that Is tho the personal property of the preal dent of orthis this corporation po ration valiant turned a blank white face sedgwick yes you know his principle its all right to be honest it if youre not too damn honest he owns the tha stony river valley bag and baggage it was a big gamble and he lost valiant was staring at the other with a strange look emotions to which in all his bis self celt indulgent life he had bad been a stranger were running through his bis mind and outre passions had him by tho the throat fool and doubly blind A poor pawn a raking the chestnuts for unscrupulous men whose ignominy he was now called on perforce to share I 1 in his bis pitiful egotism he had bad consented to be a figure figurehead hea d and be had been made e a tool A red rage surged over him no one had ever seen on john Vali ants face such a look as ard grew on it now lie he turned and without word opened the door the older man took too k a step toward him he ha had bad a sense of dangerous electric forces in the air but the door closed sharply la in his face he smiled grimly not crooked he said to himself merely callow A well meaning manicured young fop wholly surrounded by men who knew what they want wanted edl he shrugged his shoulders and went back to his bis chair valiant plunged down in the elevator to the street ile he pushed past the guarded door and threading the crowd made toward the curb where his bulldog with a bark of delight leaped upon the seat beat of a burnished car rumbling and vibrating with pent up power there were those sullen anxious crowd who knew whose was that throbbing metal miracle the chauffeur spick and span from shining cap visor alsor to polished brown puttees put tees and recognized the white faced face that I 1 went past pelted belted it with muttered sneers but he ha scarcely saw or heard them as he stepped into the seat took the wheel from the chauffeurs hand and threw on the gear he drove mechanically past a hundred familiar things and places but he saw nothing till the massive marble fronts of the upper park side ceased their mad dance as the car halted before a tall iron fron grilled doorway with wide gli glistening glistens stent ng steps obet between veen win dows dow strangely ila shuttered uttered and dark he sprang out and touched the heavy oak parted slowly the confidential secretary of the tha man he had bad cone come to face stood in the gloomily I 1 doorway 1 I want to see mr air sedgwick you cant see him mr valiant but I 1 will sharp passi passion on leaped into the young voice ile he must speak to me the nabin man in the doorway shook his head he wont speak to anybody any more he said mr air sedgwick shot himself two hours houra ago CHAPTER II 11 vanity vallant valiant the witness la ill excused in tile the ripple that stirred across tile the court room at the examiners xam iners abrupt conclusion john valla valiant nt who had withstood that pitiless hall of questions rose roes bowed to him and slowly crosE crossed ild tile the cleared a space pace to nil lii coan counsel tho the chairman lookado severely over his eyeglasses eye glasses with his bis gavel lifted and a statuesque girl in the rear of the room laid her delicately gloved hand on a compa companions alons and smiled slowly without withdrawing her gaze and with the bainte faintest at tint of color in her face katharine fargo neither smiled nor flushed blushed readily her smile was an index do of 0 hor ber whole personality languid symmetrical exquisitely perfect pe the little group with whom she sat looked somewhat out of place enthat in that mixed assemblage smartly groomed gro and palpably members of a set BC to whom john valiant was vaa a familiar they had had only friendly nods and smiles for tile tho young man at whom so BO many there had gazed with jaundiced eyes e to the general public which ahl read its dally daily newspaper perhaps none n of the gilded set bet was better known lu than vanity valiant the new ne danhard lie ho drove was the smartest car on the avenue and the collar on tile white bulldog that pranced or dozed dc oil its leather seat scat sported a diamond alami buckle to the spacer of the social act dumns ho he had been a perennial perear inspire In spira tion tho the patterns of ilia his r I 1 and the splendors of his la in lors dinner at pherrys Sher rys 1 I 1 1 1 i 1 i 1 I 1 i i 1 i U ill I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 1 I 1 1110 I 1 I 1 6 6 1 J 1 1 I 1 I 1 r i I 1 4 lh r I 1 r A it i r 1 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 f I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 he had suddenly remco it was his hl twenty fifth items the public had been clentry familiar to it he s i I 1 1 feet symbol of the elder eider ef e e solent display of inh inherit arito and the great majority of had found place in that ro re 7 ber to listen to the ugly tal ta I 1 dered dared millions looked to h 1 resentment that was sharpe sharp apparent nonchalance long before the closi closing ng I 1 had bad been clear that as far fa ments were concerned thi the I 1 tion would be barren of r individual criminality fligh clde aide had bad been confession sweeping charges could not hotl home the glided gilded fool baal n himself into the embar embarrass embarrassing I 1 I 1 T of the law 0 0 0 the jostling crowd flock flocked 1 1 v the square among them a f ir 1 girl on the arm of a graybear gray bear bi 0 f in black frock coat and pl t broad brimmed felt bat S I 1 I 1 1 1 1 i her eyes to his i 1 so that she said is job jo t id almost rather have m miss I 1 boeri falls I 1 must write shirley I 1 about it ani so sorry I 1 w picture of him that I 1 cut 0 11 paper 1 I 1 reckon hes not such a 1 said her uncle he hall bailee eq I 1 grand central station ho he ar witha with a glance at his watch 7 7 quick about it weve jusa jusa mako make our train I 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 some hours later in an in I 1 of a downtown skyscraper sky scraper t appointed receiver of the caf va po horation por atlon ration a heavy thickset thick set sot f v Y t sat beside bemid a t hilll narrow eyes Z T which lay a small blaaw black a sat ate a padlock on its handle wl wh I 1 1 tents several bundles of criag arh he had been turning over ove 7 heavy hands ds with a look of I 1 lous ilous amazement aa A sheet co c a mass of figures band and demor among thorn them the shock was still on his face ace when a knock came at the door and a man entered the newcomer was gray haired alred li slightly stooped and lean with a humorous expression on his lips lie he glanced in surprise at the littered litt pred table fargo fargo said the man at the desk do you notice anything queer about me ilia his friend grinned no buk buck ho he said judicially unless its that necktie it would stop a dutch clock hang the haberdashery read this from young valiant he passed over a letter fargo read lie he looked up securities aggregating three mil millions lional lie he said in a hushed voice why unless ive been misinformed that represents practically all his private fortune tho the other nodded turned over to the i with his resignation as a a vice president and without a blessed string tied to em deml what do you think of that think its the most absurdly idiotic thing I 1 ever met two weeks ago before the investigation 0 but bu t now when its perfectly certain they can bring nothing home t to 0 him ile he paused of course I 1 suppose itil save gave the corporation eh bui bue it may be ten tail years before its securities pay dividends and this Is real money where the devil does he come in meanwhile tho the receiver pursed his lips 1 I knew hii big father lie ha said lie ho hai had the same me crazy quixotic streak lie ile gathered the scattered docu docil mants m ent and locked them carefully with tho the satchel in a safe afo spectacular young lid he said explosively 1 I should say set BO I 1 agreed fargo do you know I 1 used ired to bo be afraid nil iny katharine Kat harln had a leaning toward him dut but thank god chos ho a sensible enil ble giral 0 0 0 0 dusk had fallen that evening when john Vallan Val lanta Vs danhard turned into a t cross cros street erect and circled into the yawn ing mouth of his garage A little later the th bulldog at his 7 p of ilia i i had dis i I 1 rement a i I 1 1 a seats of 0 S 1 dt d 1 but he h 1 h si r 1 i 13 through 1 1 I 1 i 9 a 0 pile all of ol 01 a n m at the ali 6 A j stairway e C arted libra ilbra 1 le io letters letten 1 1 b lie ho had hac 1 t was wa his 1 1 1 i t d ng strain 1 z thought I 1 w afternoon I 1 a A t a i y tile own md ile V 1 I 1 ile bacul 1 1 I 1 of 1 to pre i the t fathers 0 I 1 ight tile L 1 gloomy a I 1 aa ad been i I 1 1 er what I 1 i m in but uld say m him lyt can his I 1 7 1 a I 1 a V I 1 him at i i 4 I 1 I 1 those 1 1 i 1 r hood a a low J t ck with I 1 11 curved 4 daish 0 hurry 0 e I 1 1 it long g room 1 rs that i oua 1 t pen at I 1 j t I 1 w pointed 7 1 open 1 ck two I 1 1 t 2 ae lone I 1 1 I was un 4 I 1 himself od A v an the ar U i I 1 1 0 it coers I 1 7 t 1 4 A L 7 6 0 N I 1 7 ill I 1 it 1 1 L A r i 1 ill a the i 4 1 r or 1 1 l to at i r 1111 danee t i 11 4 1 i M on ly 7 i L d i 1 ar 2 1 11 I 1 L Z e 7 treble I 1 I 1 e 1 house I 1 Z r 1 va 1 Z 8 t 7 I 1 ring 1 W gnall dished 4 r a a never i 1 i 6 le b ig t w rom of 1 v I 1 lt 0 i i s 1 mile 1 ati I 1 1 I 1 m vr T r 1 t 11 aing of st the i i t 7 4 1 gt 1 T n e iz 1 i I 1 i t i ahen wj ls Z oi s I 1 1 t that 4 11 abt 1 1 4 4 4 i I 1 i 4 I 1 t I 1 I 1 ilaf 1 I 1 6 1 4 af M I 1 r VA ff I 1 01 I 1 I 1 man with gold eyeglasses eye glasses who smelled ot of some curious sickish sweet perfume came and took him by the hand and led him into a room where his fattier father lay in bed very gray eray and quiet tue the white hand on the coverlet had beckoned to him and lie ho had gone close up ill to the bed standing very straight his heart beating fast ond and hard johnall john Joh nIll I 1 the word had been almost a whisper very tense and anai anxious ous very distinct john youre a little boy and father la going away to to house the gray lips had smiled then ever so little and sadly no john take me with you fathera take me with youl you I 1 I 1 ills his voice had trembled then and he had had to gulp hard bard liston listen john for what I 1 am |