OCR Text |
Show JF V IDrGERAUXNE BONNER IXJM.J.LWIN Cbjoyrigk TOT.Le023S-M!Ll:PJLL CO. man with his most Ironical air. "Suppose "Sup-pose then you let me know what you've come down to say." "Can't you guess?" she answered, with an expression that was almost one of flirtatious interrogation. "Nup," he answered, looking steadily steadi-ly at her. "I have to have it said in that plain style with no politeness that you say is the way we always talk." "All right," she answered briskly. "Here it is as plain as A B C. I've decided to accept your offer and take the money." She looked up at him, smiling gallantly. gal-lantly. But as her eye caught his her smile, try as she would to keep it, morning, in you pop, and you're all of a tremble to get it. What's the meaning of it?" "I can't stand it any more," she said. "When you said I couldn't the other day, that I'd break down, you were right. I can't Btand It. Nobody could. It's broken me to pieces. I want to get away from it all. I want to go somewhere where I'm at peace, where the people don't hate me and hound me " Her voice suddenly grew hoarse and she stopped. He looked at her In surprise. She bent her face down, biting her under lip, and picked tremulously tremu-lously at the leaves of the purple orchid as if arranging them. hysterical condition that was beyond her control. Now she made an effort to recover herself, sat up, swallowing and gasping, while she wiped her eyes. "I'm ready to do it all," she sniffed, "only only " she paused on the verge of another collapse, suppressed it, and said with some show of returning re-turning animation, "only I must have some money now a guarantee." "Oh," he said with the descending note of comprehension. "As I remember, remem-ber, we agreed lo pay you seven thousand thou-sand dollars for the first year, the year of desertion." She lowered the handkerchief entirely, en-tirely, presenting to him a disfigured puzzlement under Its slight, ironic j smile. ! Once in the street her demeanor again changed. Her step became sharp and quick, her expression keenly keen-ly absorbed and concentrated. A clock showed her that it was nearly half-past ten, and she walked, with a speed that was as rapid a mode of progression as it could be without attracting attention, to the great bank on which the check was drawn. On the way down on the car she had thought out all her movements, just what she would do, and where she would go. Her mind was as clear, her movements as systematic as though she were moved bv mechanism. IS SYNOPSIS. Bill CanrMn, the bonanza king, and his daughter, Rose, who had passed up Mrs. Cornelius Ryan's ball at San Francisco to accompany her father, arrive at Antelope. Dominick Ryan calls on his mother to beg a ball invitation for his wife, and is refused. The determined old lady refuses to recognize her daughter-in-law. Domlniek Dom-lniek had been trapped into a marriage with Bernice Iverson, a stenographer, Beveral years his senior. She squanders his money, they have frequent quarrels, and he slips away. Cannon and his daughter are snowed in at Antelope. 1 lominick Ryan is rescued from the storm in unconscious uncon-scious condition and brought to Antelope hotel. Antelope is cut off by storm. Rose become alarmed at the general desertion de-sertion and demand his wages, she ordered an even more elaborate menu than usual, telling him she would bring home a friend. She breakfasted in her wrapper and after the meal finished her toilet with the extremest solicitude. Never had she taken more pains with herself. Though anxiety and strain had thinned and sharpened her, the fever of excitement which burnt in her temporarily tem-porarily repaired these ravages. Ker eyes were brilliant without artificial rtii. i, v j died. He suddenly realized that she was extremely nervous, that her lips were dry, and the hand she put up to adjust her veil, and thus hide her intractable mouth, was shaking. The admiration he had of late felt for her insolent fearlessness increased, also he began to feel that now, at last, he was rising to the position of master of the situation. He leaned back in the swivel chair and glowered at her. "You know," he said slowly, "you've a gall that beats anything I've ever seen. Two days ago you busted this business higher than a kite by stop- "You've beaten me," she said In a suddenly strangled voice; "you've beaten me. I can't fight any longer. Give me some money and let me go. I'm beaten." She lowered her head still farther and burst into tears. So unexpected were they that she had no preparations prepara-tions for them. Her handkerchief was in the bead purse that hung on her wrist, and, blinded by tears, she could not find the clasp. Her fumbling hand tried for a possible reserve supply sup-ply in her belt, and then in despair went up to her face and lifted her face, all ils good looks gone,-but showing show-ing distinct signs of attention. "I don't want the seven thousand. I'll waive it. I want a sum down, a guarantee, an advance. You offered me at first fifty thousand dollars. Give me that down and I'll go this afternoon." after-noon." "That wasn't our original arrangement," arrange-ment," he said to gain time. "Deduct it from the rest. I must have it. I can't go without it. If you give me the check now I'll leave for New York tonight." Her reviving interest and force She ran up the steps to the bank ana presented the check at the paying teller's window. "In one-thousand dollar bills, if you please." she said, trying not to speak breathlessly, "all but five hundred, and you can give me that in one-hundreds." The man knew her, made some vaguely-polite remark, and took the slip of paper back into unseen regions. Berny stood waiting, throbbing from head to foot with excitement. She was not afraid they would refuse to Cannon nurses Dominick back to lite. Two weeks later Bernice discovers in a paper where husband is and writes letter trying to smooth over difficulties between them. Dominick at last is able to join fellow snowbound prisoners in hotel parlor. par-lor. He loses temper over talk of Bufurd. an actor. After three weeks, end if imprisonment im-prisonment is seen. Telegrams and mail arrive. Dominick sets letter from wife. Tells Rose he doesn't love wife and never did. Stormbound people begin to depart. Rose and Dominick embrace, father sees them and demands an explanation. Rose's brother Gene Is made manager of ranch, and is to get it if he stays sober a year. Cannon expresses sympathy for Domi-nick's Domi-nick's position in talk with Rose. Dominick Domi-nick returns home. Berny exerts herself to please him, but he Is indifferent. Cannon Can-non calls on Mrs. Ryan. They discuss Dominick's marriage difficulties, and Can-nen Can-nen suggests buying off Berny. Dominick Koea to park on Sunday with Berny and family, sees Miss Cannon, bows to her and starts uneasiness in Berny. In Mrs. Ryan's name Cannon offers Berny $.-.0,009 to leave her husband and permit divorce. She refuses. Dominick sees R"'. Cornelia Cor-nelia Rvan engaged to Jack Duffy. Cannon Can-non offers Berny $100,000 and is turned down. Berny tells sisters of offer. Bu-ford, Bu-ford, the actor, makes a hit in vaudeville. Rose tells Dominick that he must stick to wife, and first time acknowledges that she loves him. Cannon offers Berny $300.-(100 $300.-(100 which she refuses, saving Cannon wants Dominick for Rose. Gene wins the ranch. Bernv accuses Rose of trying to that needed no rouge; The innate practicality of her character asserted itself even in this harassed hour. Last night she had put the purple orchid in a glass of water on the bureau. bu-reau. Now, as she pinned it on her breast, she congratulated herself for her foresight, the pale lavender petals of the rare blossom toning altogether harmoniously with her dress of dark purple cloth. Before she left the room she locked the trunks and left beside them a dress suit-case packed for a journey. Standing in the doorway she took a hurried look about the apartment a last, farewell survey, not of sentiment but of investigation, to see if she had forgotten anything. A silver photograph pho-tograph frame set in rhinestones caught her eye and she went back and took it up, weighing it uncertainly uncertain-ly in her hand. Some of the rhinestones rhine-stones had fallen out, and she finally decided it was not worth while open-ins open-ins the trunks to nut in such a dam ping my uaugmer on me puunc street and telling her the whole story. You did the one thing you knew I'd never forgive; and you ended the affair, hammered the nails in its coffin and buried it. Now you come flourishing into my office as If nothing had happened hap-pened and say you'll take the money. It beats me how you've got the nerve to dare to 6how your face in here." Berny listened with the hand holding hold-ing the veil pressed against her mouth and her eyes staring over it. "It's all straight enough," she burst out, "what you say about telling your daughter. I did it and I was crazy. I'll admit that. But you'll have to admit on your side that it was pretty rough the way I was treated here, ordered out like a peddler. I was sore, and it was you that made me so. And I'll not deny that I wanted to hit you back. But you brought it on yourself. And, anyway, what does it matter if I go? Maybe your daughter's daugh-ter's mad and disgusted now, but women don't stav that wav for ever. veil trying to brush away the falling drops. The Bonanza King stared at her amazed, as much surprised as if he had seen a man weep. Finally he felt in his own pocket, produced a crisply-laundered square of white linen and handed it to her, observing observ-ing soothingly: "Here, take mine. You're all broke tip, aren't you?" She seized his offering and mopped her cheeks with it, sniffing and gasping, gasp-ing, while he watched her In genuine solicitude. "What's wore you down to this state?" he said. "You're the nerviest woman I ever saw." "It's It's all this thing," she answered an-swered in a stifled voice. "I'm just worn out. I haven't slept for nights" a memory of those miserable nightB of perturbation and uncertainty swept over her and submerged her in a wave of self-pity. The tears gushed out again, and she held the old man's large handkerchief against her eyes, seemed to have quenched the sources of her tears as suddenly as her exhausted ex-hausted nerves had made them flow. But her disfigured face, her figure which seemed to have shrunken in its fine clothes, were extremely pathetic. "If you don't trust me send one of your clerks with me to buy my ticket, send one to see me off. I've left my husband for gcod, for ever. I can't live here any longer. Give me the money and let me go." "I don't see that I'm going to have any security that you're going to carry car-ry out the whole plan. How do I know that you're not going to New York to have a good time and then, when you've spent the money, come back here?" She sat up and sent a despairing look about the room as if in a wild search for something that would convince con-vince him of her sincerity. "I swear, I promise," she cried with almost frantic emphasis, "that I'll never come back. I'm going for good 1 Li 1 til ml ii j , 0ls Mm, pi steal her husband and tells her of the offered of-fered bribe. Rose tells father what she learned about the attempt to bribe Berny and declares that she would never marry Dominick. should he ever be divorced. Exacts Ex-acts promise from father 'to let Berny alone. Stranger sees Berny in restaurant, apparently recognizes her. and follows her home. The stranger, who is Buford. the actor, calls on Dominick. Declares that he married Berny secretly some years before. Berny comes In and he recognizes her. Dominick packs belongings to go to mother. CHAPTER XXI. Continued. "Don't go to your mother's." she cried, following him up the hall, "for to-night, Dominick, please. And don't tell her. I beg, I pray of you. don't tell her till to-morrow." Her manner was so pleading, so Imploringly insistent, that he turned and looked somberly at her. She w-as evidently deeply in earnest, her face lined with anxiety. "This is the last thing I'll ever ask of you. I know I've got no right to ask anything, but you're generous, you've been kind to me in the past, and it'll not cost you much to be kind just once again. Go to a hotel, or the club, or anywhere you like, but not to your mother's and don't tell her till to-morrow afternoon." Hp ctarorl at hpr without snenkine. aged article. It was only a quarter past nine when she emerged from the flat. She took the down-town car and twenty minutes later was mounting the steps to Bill Cannon's office. She had been motionless and rigidly preoccupied on the car, but, as she approached the office, a change was visible in her gait and mien. She moved with a light, perky assurance, a motion as of a delicate, triumphant buoyancy seeming to impart itself to her whole body from her shoulders to her feet. A slight, mild smile settled on her lips, suggesting gaiety tempered with good humor. Her eye was charged with the same expression rendered more piquant by a gleam the merest suggestion of coquettish challenge. The Bonanza King was already in his office. The same obsequious clerk who had shown her in on a former occasion oc-casion took her card in to the inner sanctum where the great man, even at this early hour, was shut away with the business which occupied his crowded days. In a moment the young man returned smiling and quite as murmurously polite as be had been on her former visit, and Bernv was If I get out, drop out of sight, the way I intend to do, give Dominick his freedom, free-dom, isn't she going to forget all about what I said? Wouldn't any woman?" n The Bonanza King made no answer. He had no intention of talking with this objectionable woman about his daughter. But In his heart hope sprang at the words. They were an echo of his own desires and opinions. If this woman took the money and went, would not Rose, in the course of time, relent in her attitude of iron disapproval, and smile on the man she loved? Could any woman hold out for ever In such a position? "See here," Berny went out, "I'll leave a statement. I'll put in in your hands that I changed my mind and voluntarily left. I'll draw it up before be-fore a notary if you want. And it's true. She needn't think that I'm being be-ing forced out to make a place for her. I'm glad to go." She had leaned nearer to him from the chair, one finger tapping the corner cor-ner of the desk to emphasize her words. Scrutinizing her as she spoke, he became more than ever im- utterlng small, sobbing noises, sunk in abandoned despondence In the hollow hol-low of the chair. The Bonanza King was moved. The facile tears of women did not affect him, but the tears of this bold, hard, unbreakable creature, whom he had regarded only as an antagonist to be vanquished, stirred him to a sort of abashed sympathy. There was something some-thing singularly pathetic about the completeness of her breakdown. She, who had been so audacious an adversary, adver-sary, now in all her crumpled finery weeping into his handkerchief, was so entirely and utterly a feeble, crushable thing. "Come, brace up," he said cheer-ingly. cheer-ingly. "We can't do any talking while you're acting this way. What's the proposition again?" "I want some money and I want to go." She raised her head and lowered low-ered the handkerchief, speaking with a strained, throaty insistence like a child. "I can't live here any more. I can't bear it. It would give a prize fighter nervous prostration. I can't bear it." Her voice grew small and high. "Really I can't," she managed aim 1 ill UUlg LU sei j-jiuiuicn. nee. Oh, do believe me. Please. I'm telling tell-ing the truth." He was impressed by her manner, as he had been by her tears. Something Some-thing undoubtedly had happened which had suddenly caused her to change her mind and decide to leave her husband. He did not think that it was what she had told him. Her excitement, ex-citement, her overwrought condition suggested a cause less gradual, more like a shock. He ran over in his mind the advantages of giving her the money. Nothing would be jeopardized by it. It would simply be an advance made on the sum they had agreed upon. "Fifty thousand's too much," he said slowly. "But I'll be square to you and I'll split the difference and give you twenty-five. I'll give you the check now and you can take it and go to-night." She shook her head obstinately. "It won't do." she said. "What difference dif-ference does it make to you whether you give it to me now or next year? I'll give you a receipt for it. There won't be any trouble about it. It's as broad as it's long. It's simply an ad- Berny Stood Waiting, Throbbing From Head to Foot With Excitement. cash the check. Her sole fear was that Cannon, as soon as she was gone, might have regretted his action and telephoned from his office to stop the payment on it. She knew that once the money was hers he would not make any attempt to get it back. His own reputation and that of his daughter daugh-ter were too inextricably bound up with the transaction for him to dare to apprehend or punish Berny for her deception. Her heart gave a wild leap as she saw the teller returning, and then pause behind the netting of his golden cage while he counted out the bills. She tried to speak lightly to him a3 he laid them one by one on the glass slab. She was hardly conscious of 1 what she said; all she realized was that the crisp roll of paper in her fingers was her possession, if not of great fortune, at least of something , to stand between her and the world. When she left the bank she walked forward slowly, the excitement which had carried her on to this point hav- and tired. She entered the railway office and bought her ticket for New York for that evening's train. Then once more emerging into the sunshine sun-shine she directed her steps to the car which would take her to her sisters. sis-ters. She had decided to spend her last day in San Francisco with them. As the car whisked her up the hills she carefully pondered on how much she would tell them, where truth was advisable and where fiction would serve a better purpose. (TO EE CONTINUED.) wishing she would be silent and leave him. "I'll not trouble you after to-morrow. I'll go. I'll get out. You'll never be bothered by me any more." "All right," he said, "I'll go o the club. Let me alone, that's all, and let me go." "And and," she persisted, "you won't tell her till tomorrow, tomorrow afternoon?" He had entered the parlor in which the Chinaman had lit the lamps, and opening the desk began hunting for his papers. To her last words he returned return-ed no answer, and she crept in after him and stood in the doorway, leaning against the woodwork of the doorframe. door-frame. "You won't tell her till to-morrow to-morrow, say, after three?" He found the letters and drew them out of their pigeonhole. "All right," he almost shouted. "I won't tell her. But, for God's sake, leave me alone and let me go. If you keep on following me round this way I won't answer for what I'll do." "You promise then," she said, ignoring ig-noring his heat. "You promise you'll not tell her till aHer three?" He turned from the desk, gave her a look of restrained passion, and said, "I promise." then passed by her as ghe stood in the doorway and walked to the stair-head. Here his valise stood, and snatching It tip he ran down the ftalrs and out of the house. Berni'-e hearing the door shut, returned re-turned to h'-r room and went on with the work of sorting her wardrobe and packing h'-r trunks. She did It, de-llbern de-llbern I fly and carefully, looking over each garment, anil folding the choicer article:-; between sheets, of lis ue paper.. pa-per.. At. midnight, kIip Imd net yet finis' and under the blaze of tli" p!isi. ljil:ir!K very tired, she went on f.vw.'Uiv.v. S.I lis tiiifl pr.rSilir.; up III" luce 00 bodice: ;is :!ie T ; I ' I tle-m ten-flcrlv ten-flcrlv fin the trass that :-',!ood on the once again ushered Into tho presence of the enemy. The old man had read the name on the card with a lowering glance. His command to admit, the visitor had been hardly more than an inartcnlate growl which the well-trained clerk understood, as those about deaf mutes can read their half-made signs. Cannon Can-non was not entirely surprised at hor reappearance, and mingled feelings stirred in him as he turned his swivel chair away from the table, and sat hunched in It, his elbows on Its arms, his hands clasped over his stomach. She came in with an effect of dash, confidence, and brilliancy that astonished aston-ished him. He had expected her almost al-most to sidle In In obvious, guilty fear of him, her resistance broken, humbly coming to sue for the money. Instead, a rustling, scented apparition appeared In the doorway, more gracious, gra-cious, handsome, and smiling than he had ever thought she could be. She stood for a moment, as If waiting for his Invitation to enter, the whole effect ef-fect of her rich costume, her feverishly feverish-ly high coloring, and her debonair and seTf-confident demeanor, surprising surpris-ing him Inlo silence. A long white feather on her hat made a background back-ground for her darkly-flushed face and auburn hair. There were some amethysts ame-thysts round her neck, their purple lights harmonizing richly with tho superb flower pinned on her breast. Her eyes looked very black, laughing, and provocative through her spotted veil. 'Weil," che Kflid In a gay voice, "here I am ntmtn! Is It a mii-priso?" She advanced Into the room, n rid the did man, almost unconsciously, rose from bin chair. "Yes. sort of." he said, dryly. Kho i:oH-(I by the desk, looked ill him niilewi' e, a nd nn id : "ho wo shake hands?" iris glance on her was hard ami cr.M '('.eriiv met It an.! ceaild not ri. I !f u 'I v? - - i fl sk vNv;' NNV., vance on the main sum." He looked moodily at her and then down. Her demand seemed reasonable reason-able enough, but he distrusted her. "If you don't believe me,"r she insisted, in-sisted, "send out that clerk of yours to buy my ticket to New York. Tell him to go up to th? flat and he'll see my trunks all packed and ready. I tell you you've beaten me. You and Mrs. Ryan are one too many for me." He again looked at her, his lips pressed together, his eye coldly considering. con-sidering. "I'll give you thirty thousand dollars dol-lars and it's understood that you're to leave the city tonight." She demurred, but with less show of vigor, and. for a space, they haggled hag-gled over the sum till they finally agreed upon thirty-five thousand dollars. dol-lars. As the old man drew the check she watched him with avid eagerness, restraining re-straining by force tile band that trembled trem-bled In Its anxiety to become possessed pos-sessed of the slip of paper. He noticed, no-ticed, as she bent over the desk to sign the receipt, that her lingers shook so they could hardly direct the pen. She remarked it herself, setting it down to hor upset nerves, and laughing laugh-ing at the sprawling signature. With the chock in her hand she rose, something of the airy buoyancy of demeanor that had marked her oi. her entrance returning to her. "Well," she said, opening her purse, "this is the real beginning of our business busi-ness relations. 1 feel as If we were partners." The old man gave a short, dry laugh, lie could not rhl his mind of suspicions of her and the whole proceedings, pro-ceedings, though he did not see Just how she could be deceiving him. "Walt till next year." he said. "When I see the divorce papers I'll 1, cl n lot surer of the partnership." .Hie snapped the clasp of her purse, laioiiing ami nun lug to the door. She "Whnt's Wore You Down to This Stale," He Said. bed, the table, ami the sola. The ni.'h' was tar M"-at Lcloro very I h i a g w, arranged to her sal isfael Ion and r,l. went, to bed. Mho was. up h'-tlmes In the mora-Inr;. mora-Inr;. KUiit o'clock had not r.lruek when she vac making a last, tour of the par!;? picking up small niUelcs of iilvr and glass that she crowded do-.vn lino crack:'. In the t Igh 1 1 V packed trunk:!. At breakfast the China ma 11, 1111 oblique, obr.orva nt. eyo on her, naked her what, he tiliould prepare lor lunch Consolouit that IT she told ntrri wb v niild riot be back be mlht strain a linking of the courage that ", a , h'-r Ti.'r.t ad 1: i ra l ie clia rael erisl ic and that, she had screwed far pasl Ils ordinary nt Icklng-pnlnt. that morning. She sank down Inlo in name armchair arm-chair thai she hail occupied on her former visit, and said, with a lllflo languid effect, of Indifference: "Oh, well, never mind' We don't have lo waulo time being polite. That's one of the most convenient things about, our Interview. Wo Just say what, we really think and lhere11 no need bothering nbout. humbug." "Ko glad to hour It," s;d tho old 1 wits wild to gel away, to escape from the dark room that held such unpleasant unpleas-ant memories, ami the old man. who'C steely penetrating eye. fastened on her. was lull of unsatislled query. "Well, so long,!" she cried, opening tho door. "Nel time we meet It will ho more sociable, 1 hope. We really ought to bo old friends by this lime." She hardly know what she was saying, say-ing, but she laughed with 11 natural gaiety, and In tho doorway turned and bowed her Jaunty good hys lo him. lie stood hack and nodded good-humoicdly good-humoicdly til her, hU fnco showing pressed with Ihe conviction that she was held In it tremor of febrile excitement. excite-ment. Her voice had an under note of vibration In II, like the voice of one who breathes quickly. The orchid on her breast trembled with the trembling trem-bling of hor frame. "Look here," he salu quietly, "I want, lo understand thin thing. What's made you change your mind ho suddenly? sud-denly? A few dnyH ago you were all up on fiddle HliingH at. tho miggostlou of taking Hint money, llote, thl lo articulate, ami then dissolved inlo anol her Hood. Tho old man, high In his swivel chair, sal with his hands In his pockets, pock-ets, his lipH pursed and his eyes on Ihe Hour. (luce or twice ho whirled the chair sllghlly from one side to the other. After a panne of some nilu ules ho said : "Are you prepared to agree to anything any-thing Mrs. Hyan and I demanded?" After the laid, outbreak she. had complclcly abandoned herself to tho |