Show A Story About an Experiment Ex Ex- n HILLMAN The H P 3 1 Jl V With Life l By E. E PHIllIPS OPPENHEIM jOHN JOHN FEELS THE LURE OF LOVELY WOM WOMAN AN AND IS UNABLE TO BREAK THE SPELL t LOUISE HAS WOVEN y On Synopsis On a a. a trip through the English Cumberland country the breakdown of her automobile forces Louise Maurel a famous London actress to spend the night at the farm home of John and Stephen At dinner Louise discovers that the broth brothers rs are wowan woman woman- hating bating recluses Next Nex morning she discovers that John the younger brother has recently come Into a large for fortune une In company with him she explores the farm and Is disturbed by evidence of his rigid moral principles He learns she Is a friend of the prince of Sayre a richand rich richand richand I and disreputable neighbor Three months later unable to shake oft off the girls girl's memory John goes to London CHAPTER V V Continued m 3 33 1 3 You arent aren't letting your thoughts dwell upon that woman woman 7 I 1 have bave thought about her sometimes somei sometimes some- some i- i times John answered almost defiant defiant- er ly Iy the harm Im I'm still here k am I not noU 0 t Stephen crossed the room From the drawer ver of the old mahogany sideboard he het t produced an Illustrated paper lIe He y turned back the frontispiece fiercely and held It up Do you see that tha t John 7 r Ive seen it it already Stephen threw the paper upon the table going to act In another of those confounded Fr French plays he z said translations with all the wit i taken out and all the vulgarity left leftin In We knew nothing of her art John Johnt declared shouldn't und understand under under- t coldly We r- r stand It even If It we saw her act Therefore Therefore Therefore There- There fore It Isn't right for us to Judge her The The world has found her a great ac ac- tress She is no not responsible for the plays she acts In r- r 4 Stephen turned away and II lit his his I I pipe anew He smoked d for a minu a or r r two fu furiously His thick eyebrows came came clos closer r an and closer tog together ther He seemed to be tie turning some thought He i f over In his mind r John he be asked ils 9 ls It this cursed money that Is making you restless I 1 never think of It It except except when someone comes begging 1 I promised ed a aI I thousand o nd pounds to th the Infirmary Infirmary- ry td- td i V. V day Then what's wrong wrong with you John stretched himself out a splendid splendid t did figure of healthy manhood His rr c cheeks were tanned sun-tanned his eyes clear r i and bright i t The matter Theres There's nothing on onearth c cf f. f earth the matter with me he de- de Glared r y- y i f It It Isn't your health I mean There J are ore other things as you well wen know You do your days day's work and you take L x your pleasure and you go through both as ns If your ur feet were on a treadmill f- f Your fancy Stephen I God grant it I 1 Ive I've had an nn unwelcome unwelcome unwelcome come visitor in your absence r John turned swiftly around f L A visitor he repeated Who was I I if It IU Stephen glowered at nt him lor for a mo- mo ment meat It was the prince he said the th F 0 prince of Seyre as he calls palls hl himself self t. t though he has bas the right to style himself him him- 4 self Master of Raynham Its It's only his his his' s. s foreign blood which makes him choose R t. t what I regard as the tIle lesser title Yes r- r I I i i use V Vr i ro r- r o 1 I fJ c 4 You Arent Aren't Letting Your Thoughts Dwell Upon That Woman f r nr rt he Called Balled to ask you rou to shoot and stay at the castle if you would from m the sixteenth to the twentieth of next month I j What answer did you give him I 1 I I told him that you were your own m muster master ster You must send word tomor- tomor row i He ne did not mention the names of 10 any of h his 8 other guests I suppose suppo He lie mentioned no names at all John was silent for a moment A v. v bewildering rIng thought had hall taken hold of him Supposing uPP she were to be there i. i I Stephen watching him read his L ii M L thoughts and for a moment lost control control con con control of himself Were Vere you thinking about that woman woman woman wom wom- an 7 he asked sternly What woman The woman whom we sheltered here the woman woman whose whose shameless picture picture picture pic pic- ture is on the cover of that book John swung round rund on his hs heel Stop that St Stephen phen l I he lie said men men- 4 Why should I 17 the older man re- re Take up that paper If f you want to read a sketch h of the life of Louise Maurel S See e the play she made her name La ln in La Gioconda 1 What about it Stephen held hold the paper out to his brother John read r a few lines and dashed it Into a corner of the room Theres this much P rout out It John Stephen continued The Thu woman played that part night after altel night played night played It to the life n mind ind you She made her reputation in In it That's the woman woman we unknowingly let sleep beneath this roof I The barn Is the pla place e for her hec herand herand and her sort JV ll Johns John's clenched fists were held firmly firmly firmly firm firm- ly to his sides Ills e eyes cs were blazing enough Stephen I he cried No Its It's not enough I was the fierce reply The truths truth's been burning In my heart long enough Its It's better out You want to find her a guest at Raynham Raynham Raynham ham castle you do-you do you Raynham castle wh where re never a decent woman crosses the threshold I If It she goes there she goes goes goes- Well An anger that was almost paralyzing ing a sense of the utter Impotence impotence- of f words drove John in silence from the room He left the house by the back backdoor backdoor door passed quickly through the orchard orchard or or- chard where the tangled moonlight lay Iny upon the ground in str strange fantastic shadows across the narrow strip offield of j field a field now of golden stubble up the hill hIlI which looked down upon the farm buildings and the churchyard churchard I He sat grimly down upon a great grent bowlder filled with a hateful sense of ofu u reak d passion yet with a sheer I I thankfulness in his heart that he had bad i escaped the miasma of evil thoughts I which Stephens Stephen's words have created The fancy seized him to face these veiled half-veiled suggestions of his brother so far as they concerned himself and his life during the last few months Stephen was right This woman who had hul dropped from the clouds for those few brief hours had played strange havoc with Johns John's thoughts and his whole outlook upon life The coring coming of harvest the care of his people his sports sport his cricket the early days upon tune the grouse moors had all suddenly lost lost their Interest for him Life LIJe had become a task taste The echo of her half- half III mocking half challenging words was always In his ears cars He ITe sat with his head resting upon his hands looking steadfastly across the valley below Almost at nt his feet lay the little church with its graveyard graveyard grave grave- yard ard the long line of stacks and barns the laborers laborers' cottages the bailiffs bailiff's house the whole little colony around I which his life Ufe seemed centered entered The summer moonlight lay upon the ground almost like snow lie could coul see the sheaves of wheat standing up In the most distant of the cornfields Beyond was the dark gorge olge toward which he had looked so many nights at this hour Across the viaduct there came a ablaze ablaze blaze of streaming light a trail trull a n faintly heard whistle whistle the the Scottish Scottish Scot Scot- tish Uh express on Its way southward toward London Ills His Illse e eyes es followed It out of sight He lie found himself thinking thinking think think- In ing of the passengers rs who would wake the next morning In London He TIe felt himself acutely suddenly acutely conscious of Ills his hIs isolation Was there ere not something almost monastic In the seclusion lon which had bt become come a passion with Stephen and which had its grip too upon him him- him hima a waste of life me a n burying of talents He rose to his feet The half half formed formed purpose of weeks held hint now definite definite deft deft- nite and secure He lIe knew that this pilgrimage pilgrimage pil pil- pil- pil grimage of his to the hilltop his rapt contemplation of the lI little tle panorama which had become so dear to him was In a sense valedictory After all two more months passed before the end came and It came then without a moments moment's warning It was wasa wasn a n little past midday when John drove slowly through the streets of Market Marlet i Ketton in his high dogcart exchanging j 1 5 t salutations right and left lert with the with farmers brought Into town by the market with aCquaintances ac acquaintances aC- aC of all sorts and conditions condi condi- More than one young woman from the shop windows or the pavements pavements pavements pave pave- ments ventured to smile e at him and the f few few v greetings he received from the wives-and wives daughters of his neighbors were as gracious as ns they could possibly be made John almost smiled once Inthe in inthe inthe the act of raising his hat as he realized realIzed realized real real- how v completely the whole charm of the world for him seemed to lie lIel HeIn In one womans woman's eyes yes At the crossways cross where he should ha have haye ye turned to the inn he paused while a motorcar passed It contained a 1 woman who was talking to her host She was not in the least like LouIse Louise Louise Lou Lou- ise and yet Instinctively he knew that she was of the same world The perfection perfection perfection per per- of her white serge serg costume her I J r The Whistle Sounded The Adventure of H His s Life Had Begun at Las Last hat so smartly worn the insolent half nt smile the little gesture with which she raised her hand something hand something about her unlocked the floodgates Market Ketton had seemed well enough a few minutes ago John had felt a h healthy althy a appetite for his midday i y meal and a certain Interest concerning a deal In barley upon which he was about to engage And now Snow an another ther world had him in Its grip He flicked the mare with his whip turned away I from the inn and galloped up to the station keeping pace with the train whose whistle he had h heard ard Standing outside was a local horse dealer of hl his acquaintance Take the mare back for m me to Peak Hall flail will you J Jenkins or send one of your lads he begged I want to catch this train The man assented with pleasure pleasure pleasure-It It paid to do a kindness for a Strange Strange- wey John passed through office to the platform where the train was waiting threw open the door of ofa a carriage and flung himself into a cornier corner r seat The whistle sounded The adventure of his life had begun at last CHAPTER VI The great French dramatist dark pale-faced pale and corpulent stood upon the extreme edge of the stage brand brandishing bran- bran d dishing his manuscript in his hand He banged the palm of his left hand with the rolled rolled up up manuscript mf and looked at them all furiously T The e only success I I- I Icare care for he ne ne thundered Is an artistic success I With Miss Maurel playing your leading part M. M the actor- actor manager declared not to speak of a company carefully selected to the best of my judgment I think you may venture venture ven ven- ture to anticipate even that The dramatist bowed hurriedly to Louise You recall to me a fact he said gallantly which almost reconciles meto meto me mo moto to to this diabolical travesty of some of my lines Proceed then then proceed proceed I I 1 will be as patient as ns possible The stage manager shouted out some directions from his box A gentleman in faultless morning clothes who seemed to have bave been thoroughly enjoying enjoying enjoy enjoy- ing the interlude suddenly adopted the walk wall of a footman Other actors who had bad been whispering together together to to- gether in the wings came hack back to their places place Louise advanced alone a little languidly to the front of the stage At Atthe Atthe Atthe the first sound of h her r voice M. M Grail Grail- lot nodding his head vigorously was soothed Her lIer speech was a long one It appeared that she had been arraigned before a company of b her r relatives assembled assembled assembled as as- to comment upon her ml mis mis- deeds She wound up fp with n a a passionate passion passion- ate appeal to her husband Mr Miles Faraday who had bad made an unexpected appearance M M. Graillots face as she concluded was wreathed in smiles Ah Aim I he cried You have lifted us usall usall usall all up 1 Now I feel once more the In In- Mademoiselle I kiss your our hand he went on It Is you who still r rode redeem dc m my roy play pIny You brIn bring back the I spirit of ot It to me In you rou I see the embodiment embodiment em em- I of my Therese Louise made no movement Her ner eyes were fixed uPon upon a certain shadowy corner of ot the wings Overwrought Overwrought Over Over- wrought as she had seemed w with th the emotional excitement of her long speech there was now a new and curious curious curious curi curi- ous expression upon her face She was looking at a tall hesitating figure that stood Just off oft the stage She forgot the existence of the famous dramatist who hung upon her words Her feet no longer trod the dusty boards of the theater She was almost painfully conscious of the perfume of apple blos blos- som You 1 she exclaimed stretching out outher outher outher her hands Why do you not come and speak to me I am here 1 John came out upon the stage The French dramatist with his hands behInd behind behind be be- hind his back made swift mental notes of an Interesting situation He saw the coming of a a man who stood like a giant among them buoyant with health his eyes bright blight with the wonder of his unexpected surroundIngs surroundings surroundings surround surround- ings a man in n whose presence everyone everyone everyone every every- one else seemed to represent an effete and pallid t type pe of humanity Those first few sentences spoken In InI inthe the the midst of a It curious little crowd of f strangers seemed to John when he I thought of his long waiting almost piteously pit pit- piteously inadequate Louise recognizing ing ling the difficulty of the situation swiftly swiftly swift swift- I ly recovered her composure She Sh was both tactful and gracious Mr Faraday she said appealingly Mr comes from the country coun coun- oun- oun try try try-he he Is In fact the most complete countryman I have ever er met In iii my life He comes from t and he once well once well very nearly saved my life He knows nothing about theaters theaters the the- aters and he hasn't the least idea of the importance of a rehearsal You vont wont won't mind If It we put him somewhere out of the way till we we have finished will yo you After such an nn Introduction Faa Faa- Faraday Fara laa- da day said In a tone toner toner- of f resignation Mr would be welcome at any t time me Theres a dear man I Louise Louls ex ex- ex- ex claimed Let me introduce him quick quick- ly Mr l John Mr Miles Faraday M. M Gr Miss Sophy Gerard Gerard Ge Ge- rard my particular lItt little e friend The prince of Seyre you already know al although although although al- al though you may no not recognize him tryIng try try- Ing ng to balance himself himsel on that absurd stool s John bowed In various directions ns and Faraday taking him natured good ly by the arm led him to a a garden seat at nt the back bac of the stage There I he said You are one of the most privileged persons In London You shall hear the finish of our re re- re- re There Isn't a a press man In Id I'd Piave 1 ave near the place Twenty-four Twenty ho hours rs away from bl |