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Show THE THE BRANDING IRON By Katharine Newlin Burt Jane Copyright ky Kthrin CHAPTER N. Burt V 17 Joan and Prosper. The situation was no doubt an ex traordinary, an unimaginable one, but It had to be met. When he returned to the bor. Prosper had hlra-el- f In hand, and, sitting a little farther back than before, he watched the econd act with a sufficiency of out ward calm. This part was the most severe test d f his composure, for he had It almost In detail upon that Idyll In a canyon. There were even speeches of Joan's that he had used. To sit here and watch Joan herself go through It,' while he looked on, was an exciting form of torment. The ettlng was different, tropical Instead heroof Northern, and the ine was more passionate, more emotional, more animal than Joan. Nevertheless, the drama was a repetition. As Prosper had laid his trap for Joan, silently, subtly undermining her whole mental structure, using her loneliness, playing upon the artist soul of her, o did this Englishman lay his trap for Zona. He was more cruel than Prosper, rougher, necessarily more dramatic, but there was all the essence of the original drama, the of a simple, direct mind by a complex and skillful one. Joan's urrender, Prosper's victory, ' were there. He wondered how Joan could act It, play the part In cold itood. Now he was condemned t live In his own Imagination through Joan's tragedy. There was that first pltlfulness of a tamed and broken spirit; then rater. In London, the agony of loneliness, of separation, of gradual awakening to the change In her master's heart. Prosper had written the words, but It was Joan who, with her voice, the music of memory-shakeheartstrings, made the words alive and meaningful. Others In the audience might wonder over the girl's ability to Interpret this unusual experience, to make It natural, human, Inevitable. But Prosper did not wonder. He knew that simply she forced herself to relive this most painful part of her own life and to relive It articulately. What, in God's name, had Induced her to do It? Necessity? Poverty? Morena? All t once he remembered Betty's belief, that Joan was the manager's mistress his wild, beautiful Joan, Joan, the creation of his own wizardry. This thought gave hjm such pain that he whitened. -trouper," murmured Betty, "you must tell me what Is wrong. Evidently your nerves are In bad shape. Is the excitement too much for you?" "I believe !t Is," he said, avoiding her eyes and moving stiff, white Hps; Tve never seen such acting. I I Morena says he'll let me see her In her dressing-rooafterward. Ton see, Betty, I'm badly shaken up." "Ye-es,- " drawled Betty, and looked at him through narrowed lids, and he sat with this look on her face nd with her fingers locked, when Prosper, not giving her further notice, followed Morena out. "Jasper" Prosper held his friend back In the middle of a passage that led to the dressing-room"I want very particularly to see Miss West atone. I am very much moved by her performance and I want to tell her so. Also, I want her to express herself naturally with no Idea of mj being the author of the play and without the presence of her manager. Will you Just ask If she will see a friend of yours alone?" Jasper smiled his subtle smile. "Of course, Prosper. It's all as clear as daylight." Prosper did not notice the Jew's Intelligent expression. He was too much absorbed In his own excitement. In a moment he would be with Joan Joan, his love of winter nights! Morena tapped upon a door. A It. maid "Ask Miss West, please. If she will ee a friend of Mr. Morena's. Tell her I particularly wish her to give him a private Interview." He scribbled a line on card and the maid tMk It In. In five minutes, during which the two men waited silently, she came fash-tone- half-nativ- e n the virago, and Henrietta fled. At sight of Joan, Prosper had won back Instantly his old poise, his old feeling of ascendancy. "Joan, Joan," he said gently; "was ever anything so strange? Why didn't you let me know? Why didn't you answer my letters? Why didn't you take my money? I have suffered greatly on your account." Joan laughed. Four years ago she would not have been capable of this laugh, and Prosper started. "I wrote again and again," he said passionately. "Wen Ho told me that you had gone, that he didn't know anything about your plans. I went out to Wyoming, to our house. I scoured the country for you. Did you know that?" "No," said Joan slowly, "I didn't know that. But It makes no difference to me." They were still standing a few paces apart, too Intent upon their Inner tumult to heed any outward situation. She lowered her head In that dangerous way of hers, looking up at him from under her brows. Her color had returned and the make-uhad a more p natural look. "Maybe you did write, maybe you did send money, maybe you did come back I don't care anything for all that." She made a gesture as If to sweep after something you left me In away. that "The day house, Pierre, my husband, came up the trail. He was taking after me. He meant to fetch me home. You told me" she began to tremble so violently that the jewels on her neck clicked Boftly you told me he was dead." Prosper came closer, she moving back, till, striking the chair, she sat down on It and looked up at him with her changed and embittered eyes. "Would you have gone back to him. Joan Landis, after he had tied you up and branded your shoulder with hla cattlebrand?" "What has that got to do with It?" she asked, her voice lifting on a wave of anger. "That was between my man and me. That was not for you to JL NEPHI, UTAH TIMES-NEW- me to fight through my own rough Ufa without any of those things. Did you really think, Prosper Gael, that I would stay In your house and live on your money till you should be caring to come back to me If ever you would care7 Did you honestly think that you would be coming back as as my lover? No. Whatever It was that took you away, It was likely to keep you from me for always, wasn't It?" "Yes," said Prosper In a muffled voice, "It was likely to. But, Joan, The election of Senator Ellison D. Fate was on your side. Since I have Smith (portrait herewith) of South been yours, I haven't belonged to any Carolina, Democrat, as chairman of one but you. You've put your brand the senate Interstate commerce comon me. mittee, results In a carious situation. "I don't want to hear about you," He was elected by LaFolIette radical Joan broke In, "I am done with you. Republicans, voting with the DemoHave you seen this play?" crats, to defeat Senator Cummins of "Yes." He found that In telling her Iowa, Republican. so he could not meet her eyes. The committee remains nominally "Well, the man who wrote that knew Republican, 10 to 7, but the assignwhat you are, and, If he didn't, every ment of the chairmanship to a Demoone that has seen me act In it, knows crat an comthrough what you are." She paused, breathing bination throws a large measure of fast and trembling. "Ooodby," she for the drafting of railsaid. road legislation on the minority. The He went vaguely toward the door. act was supported by then threw up his head defiantly. many Democrats and was signed by "No," he said, "It's not going to be Democratic president. goodby. I've found you. You must Is: Smith himself In a not very let me tell you the truth about my- happy position. He owes the chairmanself. Come, Joan, you're as Just as ship to LaFolIette. Will he be Heaven. You never read my ex man and use the office to planations. You've never heard my exploit the radical fantasies on which side of It. You'll let me come to see the Wisconsin senator depends for publicity and prominence? If he does he you and you'll hear me out. Don't will hitch the minority to the LaFolIette fireworks wagon. If he does not he do me an injustice. I'll leave the will be charged by the Republican "radicals" with ingratitude. whole thing In your hands after that Senator LaFolIette has Introduced a bill which would entirely wipe out the But you must give me that one much of the disputed section 15-law and substitute a new secchance." tion which, according to LaFolIette, will fix as the rate base "the amount of "Chance?" repeated Joan. "Chance money prudently invested in the property by the owners and will outlaw for for what?" purposes the Inflated and fraudulent claims of alleged values now "Oh," Prosper flung up his lithe, forward by the railroads." put long hands "oh, for nothing but Senator Cummins was membership on the Interstate commerce comcleansing In your sight. I want what mittee after being deposed given as chairman. forgiveness I can wring from you. I want what understanding I can force from you. That's all." She thought, standing there, still and tall, her arms hanging, her eyes wide and secret, as he had remembered them In her thin, changed, so Brig. Gen. Smedley D. Butler of much more expressive face. the United States Marine corps (por"Very well," she said, "you may trait herewith), who swooped down JS Qcome. Ill hear you out." She gave upon Philadelphia In the capacity of him the address and named an afterdirector of public safety, Is a personinoon hour. "Goodnight." fication of the qualities that has made It was a graceful and dignified dis the United States Marines famous the missal. Prosper bit his Hp, bowed and world over. "Treat 'em rough" is the left her. motto of the Marines. "Raising h 1," As the door closed upon her, he la General Butler's definition of his knew that It had closed upon the only method. Anyway, in the first week he real and vivid presence in his life. raised It. certainly War had burnt away his glittering, It came about In this way. Govclever frivolity. Betty was the adernor Pinchot tried his hand on the venture, Betty was the tinsel; Joan of Brotherly Love" which ap"City was the grave, predestined woman of pears to be rather wicked these days this man. For the first time in his life and got laughed at for his pains. he found himself face to face with the Then came the election of Mayor W. cleanness of despair. E. Kendrlck, who has his lightning rod up for governor of Pennsylvania CHAPTER VI and then some. So Kendrick picked his friend Butler for the Job of cleanAftermath. ing up the city, borrowed him of Uncle Joan waited for Prosper on the ap Sam, gave him authority anu turned pointed afternoon. There was a fire him loose. Butler Is only 5 feet 0 Inches and weighs only about 155 pounds. on her hearth and a March snow-squaAll the cities around Philadelphia had guards out after that first week to tapped against the window keep out bad men fleeing from Philadelphia. panes. The crackle of the logs Inside New York says that if a nice, place like Philadelphia requires Butler, and that eerie, light sound outside Gotham will have to have Pershing quiet himself. were so associated with Prosper that, even before he came, Joan, sitting on one side of the hearth, closed her eyes and felt that he must be opposite to her in his chair, his long legs stuck out in front, his amused and greedy eyes veiled by One does not have to approve of cloud of cigarette smoke. Uncle Sam's getting Into the repara Since she had seen him at the tions muddle to get satisfaction out of m ..,v7. theater, she had been suffering from Brig. Gen. Charles G. Dawes' speech in At the of the would she sleeplessness. go night accepting chairmanship over and over the details of their Incommittee of experts to Investigate tercourse, seeing them, feeling them, Germany's capacity to pay. Me said, among other things: living them In the light of later knowl"What Is the question of today? edge, till the torment was hardly to be borne. Three days and nights of this Upon what does the success of this inner activity had brought back that committee depend upon the powers sharp line between her brows and the of persuasion? Primarily, no. Upon bitter tightening of her Hps. honesty and ability? Primarily, no. This afternoon she was white with It depends chiefly upon whether In suspense. Her dread of the Impending the public mind and conscience of the Interview .was like a physical Illness. allies and of the world there Is an She sat in a adequate conception of the great dischair, hand long the arms,, head resting back, aster which faces each nlly and Euin that perfect stilleyes rope unless common sense la crowned ness of which the animal and the sav- king. "Now that we are members of a age are alone entirely capable. There were many gifts that Joan had brought committee having a definite and au from the seventeen years on Lone thoritatively defined object In view. river. This grave Immobility waa we are less concerned for tne mo one. She was very carefully dressed ment with the present capacity of Germany to pay than with the present ca In a gown that accentuated her height pacity and courage of this committee to act. and dignity. And she wore a few "The first step which we should take, It aeems to me. Is to devise a pystem Jewels. She wanted, pitifully enough, of stabilizing Germany's currency so we can get some water to run through the to mark every difference between this budget mill. Let us build the mill after we find the stream to turn Its wheels." Jonn and the Joan whom Prosper had drawn on his sled up the canyon trail. If he expected to force her bark Into the position of enchanted leopardess, to see her "He at his feet and eat out of his hand," as Morena had once described the plight of Zona, he would Representative James A. Frear, radical Republican from Wisconsin see at a glance that she was no longwho hns been raising more or less comer so easily mastered, hi fact, sitmotion In congress, has been In the ting there, she looked as proud and one continuously since the Sixty-thir- d perilous as a young Medea, black-haire- d with long throat and cold, congress. He Is a member of the ways und means committee. lie malevolent lips. It was only In the has been getting after Secretary Meleyes those gray, unhnppy, haunted lon and Gen. l.eonnrd Wood. eyes that Jonn gave away her eternal simplicity of heart. They were unalRecently he Introduced a bill proterably tender and lonely and hurt. posing that Income received from state and municipal securities shall be conProsper w announced, and Joan, sidered taxable. In a letter to Seckeeping her stillness, merely turned her head toward him as he came Into retary Mellon Mr. Frear expressed the the room. She saw his rapid observaopinion that a constitutional amendtion of the room, of her, even before ment Is unnecessary. she noticed the very apparent change Ills hill provides thnt the act shall In him. For he, too, wss haggard and not be held unconstitutional by the utterly serious as she did not remem.Supreme court without concurrence of ber him. He stood before her fire and all but one Judge and shall remain In asked her Jerkily If she would let him effect notwithstanding any decision by smoke. She said "Tea." and those lower court pending final determinawere the only words spoken for Ave J ff Mil it tion by the Supreme court. unbearable minutes the seconds of "By one vote the Supreme court which her heart beat out tike a shaky emasculated the Income tax amendment and exempted over $2,000,000.0)0 of stock dividends from personal Income tax durttig 11)22, largely hammer In some worn machine destroying the value of the Income tax provisions of the Constitution," said Mr. Fresr. (TO BE COHTLVCED.) "If the Evans case, exempting Justice salaries. In authority for exempting The southern Appalsrhlaa aren, all municipal securities, then I submit that by two divided court decisions the npon which America depends for her United States Income tax constitutional amendment and the will of the people hardwood, has failsa off 00 per eebt will have gone to the scrap heap and more and more amendments are futile In Pixfimxierxl fe Queer Situation in Senate Committee Esch-Cummi- A Esch-Cummi- rate-maki- Butler in "City of Brotherly - Love" u?2-- ll Dawes, Common Sense and Reparations s wsv At Sight of Joan Prosper Had Won Back Instantly His Old Poise. He loved me. It was through loving me too much, too lgnorantly, that he hurt me so." She choked. "But Judge. you" "Joan," said Prosper, and he laid his hand on her cold and rigid fingera, "I loved you, too." She was still and stiff. After a long silence she seemed to select one question from a tide of them. "Why did you leave me?" "I wrote you a full explanation. The letter came back to me unread." Again Joan gave the laugh and the gesture of disdain. "That doesn't matter , . . your loving or not loving. Tou made use of me for your own ends, and when you saw fit, you left me. But that's not my complaint. I don't say I didn't deserve that. I wos easy to use. But It was all based on what wasn't true. buck. "Miss Went will ere your friend, I was married, my man was living, air." and I had dealings with you. That "Ah! Then MI take rnself off. was sin. That was horrible. That was Prosper, will you Join Hetty and me what my mother did. She was a " Joan used the coarse and ugly word at supper?" "No, thanks. I'll l ave my brief In- her father hnd taught her, and Prosterview wiih Miss West and then go per laid a hand over her mouth. No I Never say It, never "Joan home, if you'll forgive me. I'm about all In. New York's too much for a think It. You are clean." man just home from tlie front." Joan twisted herself free, stood tip, .Iii'per laid I, is hand for a moment and walked away. "I am that!" she on shoulder, smiled, said grimly; "and It was you that Prospers shrugged, nnd turned away. I'rosper marie me. You took lots of trouble to waited till M friend was out of sight make me see things In a way where nnd hearing, then knorked and was adnothing a person wants Is either right mitted to the dressing-rooof Miss or wrong. You made me thirsty with June West. your talk and your books and your She hud cot changed from the eve- music, and when I was tormented ning dress she had worn In the last with thirst, you came and offered me scene nor hnd yet got rid of her t drink of water. That was It. mske-up- . Slie was sitting In a narrow-backe- d don't care about your not marrying chair that had been turned me. I still don't see that that has away from the dressing fable. The much to do with It except, perhaps, tnsld was putting away some cos- that a man would be raring to give tumes. any woman be rightly loves whatever Prosper walked half across the room help or cherishing or gifts the world and stopped. has decided to give her. But, you see. "Miss West," he said qnlet:y. Prosper, we didn't start fair. You She stood up. The nnturnl color left knew that Pierre was allre. Oh, he her face ghastly with patches of paint was Ignorant, a savage, I guess, like I nd daubs of black. She threw hark was. But he did rightly love me. He her head an said, "Prosper!" Just was not trying to break my spirit nor above her breath. to tarn me, nor to amuse himself "Go out, Henrietta, " Tbla was with me, nor to give me a longing for poke to the urn I J in the vole of beauty and easiness and than Us? hHlf-opene- d 1 Boy Actor Cuts Throat in Stage Fight Panic Vlrden, 111. Supposed to end his life by cutting his throat with a razor during a school play at Vlrden, Sylvester Wilson, seventeen years old, was seized by stage fright He forgot which was the back and the front of the razor. He decided to take a chance rather than spoil the play and decidNine stitches were ed wrong. necessary to close the wound. ENRAGED ALLIGATOR GRABS KEEPER'S LEG Movie Cameras Infuriate Reptile in Gotham Zoo. New lork. A seven-loo- t alligator, Infuriated by the chatter of motion-pictur- e cameras pointed at him, nearly gobbled up John O'Brien, head keeper of the Prospect Park zoo. The alligator caught O'Brien's leg In his huge Jaws and would have torn it off if William Ostrander, an asslstunt keeper, hadn't risked his fingers to save his chief. Ostrander strained on the alligator's his grip, while O'Brien, tore his leg free. His torn. Ostrander's hand by the alligator's teeth. The attack of the alligator broke up what was intended to be a simple ceremony. A group of officials vho, as guests of City Chamberlain Berolz-helme- r on St. Simon's Island, in Georgia, recently captured the alligator in a swamp, were making a formal presentation of the reptile to the zoo. Maurice Connolly, borough president of Queens ; Park Commissioner of Queens, Park Commissioner Harman and his secretary, Willis Holly, were among them. Movie cameras were stationed eleven feet from the alligator, the operators having been warned It could leap ten feet in the air. They started to grind as O'Brien slipped a noose about the upper jaw of the alligator. The great body made a sudden twist. Its jaw After snapped on O'Brien's leg. O'Brien had been rescued, a dozen employees threw the alligator Into Its pool. O'Brien was taken to his home. Jaws to loosen in great pain, leg was badly was lacerated Ben-ning- er Pet Opossum Tries in Vain to Escape Owner Washington. While this story is being written, Ossip Opossum, a most ungrateful animal. Is turning over in his small brain divers plans to escape from the residence of a true friend and benefactor. Twice overcome by the master mind of man, but only with difficulties, he now is cooking up a third maneuver. Recently Ossip was saved from poverty and privation by a friend of Irwin B. Linton, 2008 Thirty-sixtstreet northwest, who was returning to the city through New Cut road In an automobile directly behind that of Mr. Linton. Ossip was taken home and placed In the basement. Further, he was placed in a barrel with a weight over the opening. The next day the weight was off, and, after diligent search Ossip was found at the bottom of a big woodpile. Moved to the garage and again injected into the barrel, Ossip spent several days In meditation. The other morning an empty barrel, minus one of Its staves, was all that greeted Mr. Linton. A search that threatened to prove futile ensued, when Mr. Linton happened to think of a most ridiculous place to hunt. And where do you suppose he found Ossip? Why, he was nestled close to the carburetor, tinder the hood of the automobile. And Mr. Linton Is still trying to figure how he got In there. h high-backe- d half-close- Frear Would Tax Municipal Securities production Town's Only Barber Is Placed Under Quarantine Stockton, Cal. The only barber In the mining town of Melones is under luarantine for scarlutina with the result that there is a tense situation In view of a clubhouse dunce, dinner and program. Miners Legsn trooping Into town during the day and stood about the barber shop In large numbers, gazing disconsolately at the quarantine sign displayed on the door. "They tench us first aid here," said one of the miners, "but the operation of a sufety razor Isn't In the curriculum." Some of the feminine residents also were wondering where they would get their hnlr bobbed. Man Drives His Auto 13 Years Without License New York. Frank L. Driver, pre sident of the Driver-Harri- s compnny of Uarrlson, N. J wire manufacturers, has been driving an automobile for 13 years without an operator's license. It was reveuled when ho was arraigned In the Orange police court for his first traffic law violation. He was charged with failure to obey a traffic signal. Sentence was suspended and he waa warned to get a license. Thieves Take Car and Girl child Philadelphia. A three-ye- s Virginia Leonard, left asleep In a mo- tor car while her parents were visiting friends, had a wild rids when thieves took the car. The bandlta abandoned the car after a seven-houjoy rid. nd the child and car were recovered. "The bad men gaVe me faady when I cried," the child said. r |