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Show I BEflnflSMS CAN CHOOSE I by Margeret Weymouth Jackson WNT7 rrlc ( by Bobbs-Merrill Co.) her witn pleading eyes, afraid to trust her voice. Her throat wa dry and closed. "Please where Is she? What hai happened?" "We don't know. We can't find her." "Tell me please." "She's not been well you knew of course that she was expecting another an-other confinement?" Lillian nodded, realizing that she was Ignorant of the date. "Well, since Will's been out of work, she's not been well." "Will out of work? I didn't know that." Her heart was shaken with remorse. Will out of work, and Ernes-Line Ernes-Line ill, and she had known nothing of it playing bridge and golf and swimming at the lake. "But where did she go? Who was with her last? What happened?" Mrs. Bennett tried to be coherent. "She left her little boy with a neighbor neigh-bor and went out alone, early In the afternoon. Evidently she intended to go to the bank, for Will found her bankbook lying on the table. We can't find out whether she was at the bank or not. No one noticed her, and she did not withdraw any money. But she came here about four. I was out and she left, but the maid said she looked as though she were going to drop then. That's the last that's been seen of her. Will got home about three, and he began be-gan to worry because Ernestine had not told him she was going out, and definitely. Loring had swollen to rage, and then he had collapsed, until he stood looking at Will with a dreadful, haunted face. It was strange, Ernestine thought afterward, that none of them felt, even then, that Lorlng was afraid of Will. There was some other element which gave Will tremendous advantage. Before Be-fore the blaze in Will's eyes, before his cursing breathless phrases. Loring fell Into a strange dejection. The two men looked at each other in the stillness still-ness that swirled around them all. Will turned at last to Ernestine. "Go get your things, kitten, and get the- baby ready," he said in a gentle voice. "We'll all go hack together. I'll go to the hotel and get a taxi to take us to the depot. We can get the afternoon train. Gather your things up again, John." With tears running down her face, Ernestine obeyed him. Loring went off, cursing under his breath, and Mr. Poole followed him to shout unheeded threats and maledictions. Lillian helped Ernestine to get ready, both of them crying. "It's the end," said Ernestine. "We can never see each other again now. Our lives are separated Indefinitely," and Lillian was thinking, "What will mamma say?" "I'll call you up, when I get In town. Write to me, Ernestine. Don't let them tear us apart " "My life is with Will yours with Loring," said Ernestine, and wept afresh, trying to stem the tears, trying try-ing not to care, but feeling the nervous, uncontrollable necessity for weeping. In the train, going back to Chicago, she still cried now and then. "Why does Loring hate us so?" she asked at last in a low tone. "Especially me? Why does he hate me? He seems to want to wound me, to strike at me. He's done it before. But I've never harmed him. Why does he hate me, Will?" "Hate you?" exclaimed Will, and looked at her strangely, his dark bright eyes searching her pale face for guile. "He doesn't hate you, Ernestine. Ernes-tine. But forget him I'm glad something some-thing has happened. They've only made us unhappy, anyhow." It was nice to be home again. Ernestine Ernes-tine went about her little house with a feeling of comfort and Joy. Will was not due at the office until the end of the week, but on Monday, as Ernestine was finishing up a washing wash-ing for the baby, he got dressed to go downtown. As she kissed him good-by good-by and watched him go, then turned back to the routine of home, Ernestine felt a sense of well-being blot out yesterday's yes-terday's turmoil. She resolved not to think ab?ut it, nor to worry. It seemed to her that Will had barely bare-ly had time to go to town and come back again before he stood in the kitchen doorway, his eyes upon her with such a look in them that .she gave a little cry and her hand flew to her throat. "Will what's happened?" , He put his hat down slowly. He hung his head, unable to speak to her, but al last he got it out. "I've lost my job." "Will " He said no more. "Tell me what happened?" "Craps." Ernestine sat down weakly In a chair by the kitchen table and gave a foolish-sounding laugh. "Unarm, Eros " she exclaimed and grinned at him. "I'm glad. You would Schlus." to look after Peter, and at length in the early afternoon she started off on the long walk to the street car. She rode interminably, withdrawing her spirit from the concussion of the heat waves that came up from the stone pavement into the street car. Walking in a mist she reached the bank and went Inside. She opened her purse, but found among its contents con-tents no bankbook. Like a picture in a dream she could see the leather square of It on the dining room table in the little house. She had left It at home. If she had been In normal condition she would have realized that It was quite possible for her to establish her identity at the bank. She had made many small deposits. The teller would have remembered her. But as she stood in disappointment, the world grew black before her eyes, and for a straining moment, fully conscious but blind, she stood In silent terror. The blindness passed, and she picked up her purse and went out of the bank, turned, half instinctively, toward Mrs. Bennett's. A strange girl was at the door, a colored girl who rolled her eyes at Ernestine. "Mis' Bennett's out, ma'am. Will you wait?" Ernestine left without a word, and went back to the boulevard. The darkness, the blindness was coming down on her again. She felt that she was going to faint. She could not hold on any longer there was nothing with which to cling she no longer cared. The great bulk of the bus was moving mov-ing down toward her gigantic, menacing. menac-ing. She felt that it would crush her, and moved back a little on the sidewalk, side-walk, her horrified eyes fixed upon the monster which seemed to swell and grow, and then, strangely, to rise from the' pavement and to turn slowly and gracefully about in the air. She knew it was delirium, she knew that the bus could not act that way. But her knowledge could not pierce her fear of confusion. And then the bus lunged at her the blindness came down again, and Ernestine, alone and very 111, fell down upon the pavement of the boulevard boule-vard with a soft and plaintive moan. CHAPTER IX Loring Finds Ernestine It was nine o'clock when Lillian reached Chicago from Langley lake in obedience to Loring's frantic telephone call. She turned the car into Erie street, as Loring had instructed her, and stopped before Mrs. Bennett's door, her hands falling from the wheel of the car with nervous weariness. She went up the stairs quickly, her heart full of repressed terror for Ernestine. Ernes-tine. She could not imagine what might have happened to her. It wasn't time surely for her baby. Loring Lor-ing had been brief and unsatisfactory over long-distance. The door was opened by a colored maid who stared in silence. "Is Mrs. Bennett in? I'm Mrs. Todd's sister. They told me to come here " The girl gave a squawk and threw her band up over her mouth and rolled her eyes at Lillian. "Can you tell me where Mrs. Todd is?" asked Lillian sharply. "Lawd, Miss. Wislit I cud. Nobody knows. But you better c-min and talk to Miz' Bennett. She- kin tell you the fac's." Trembling seized Lillian, but she followed the girl in silence to Mrs. Bennett's sitting room, and in a moment mo-ment found herself confronted by a plump little woman whose face was gray and ravaged. Lillian looked at "We Don't Know. We Can't Find Her." THE STORY Renewing a childhood attachment, attach-ment, Krnestlne JJrlceland, of a wealthy family, Is attracted by Will Todd, newHpaper artist. Her eiiter, Lillian, urges her to break off the affair, but Ernestine refuses. re-fuses. A runaway marriage follows. fol-lows. Loring Hamilton wins Lillian's Lil-lian's consent to become his wife. Will and Ernestine begin their married life In humblo surroundings. surround-ings. John Poole, Will's best friend, gives a birthday party for Ernestine at Ruby Pastano's resort. re-sort. Ernestine and Will have their first quarrel as a result. Will's father dies suddenly. Lillian Lil-lian and Loring are married. Will's mother dies almost Immediately Im-mediately after Ernestine's baby is born. Changes In Will's office fall to bring advancement. Ernestine Ern-estine again is looking forward to motherhood. CHAPTER VIII Continued Ernestine had asked John Poole to come down for the two Sundays they were at the lake. She had come to love the man as much as Will did, and had grown into the way of Ignoring Ignor-ing has bad habits. He was admirably sober the first Sunday he came down to them, and Will and Poole spent the day In the wood path and on the water, making ridiculous sketches in the sand, carrying Peter about with them. But the second Sunday was a day of misfortunes. Ernestine was ill and could scarcely rise that morning, and It seemed to her that Will was irnpa tlent and unsympathetic. Loring telephoned that he had stripped his gears and put the car In the garage. He would have to come on the train, and Ernestine realized with dismay that John Poole would be with him. Lillian brought the two from the station in her car. John Poole was already fuddled with drink and elaborately polite, and it was easily seen that Loring was in a state of nervous exasperation. His face was flushed, his brow furrowed. "I've got to go right over to Pastano's Pas-tano's to see a man that's coming out there today," he said to Lillian as soon as they had had Sunday dinner. "If you are going to see Ruby, I'll go with you," said Mr. Poole. "I have a most Important matter to discuss with Mr. Pastano. Mos' Important. He has a nephew yes, I know" as Will laughed "he has forty-seven nephews but this is a most particular one. This boy .is to study modeling. He Is to be the exception an artist in a family of clever criminals. I'm to see Mrs. Pastano about him. I'll go with you." He rose and took a- familiar hold on Loring's arm. "Will can take you over in the boat, after while," Loring said, "I must - . hurry, and Pastano can't talk to both of us at once." "No, I want to go with you," insisted in-sisted Mr. Poole. Loring no longer made the faintest effort to conceal his disgust. "Your desire is unrequited," he said, and Will laughed and came around the table to his friend and boss and took hold of him. . w "You're coming with me, you old war-horse," he said. "You're drunk. I'll wager you haven't done a lick of work all week. We'll go over to see Ruby after while. Loring doesn't want you, John, so come along with me." John Poole turned and detained Loring who was trying to escape. "You don't want me?" "No," said Loring nervously. "I've had enough of you too much. I don't ever want to see you again as long as I live." "Come outside and fight with me, and I will beat you, and then we'll go to Tastano's together." Loring was furious. "I won't fight with you you old fool ! Will, for G d's sake, take him off me. Why did you bring him down here, anyhow any-how ?" "Don't be so hard with him," said Will, smiling wanly. "He's got a little money he might come in handy some day. You've changed your mind about friends of mine before Pastano and Wiston, for instance." Loring turned to Lillian who stood, silent and grave, by her table. "If this is what I am to expect here It's the last Sunday I come down." 'ill flushed. "So Ernestine is In-truulng In-truulng now?" he said slowly. "Perhaps "Per-haps you have already consummated your Intention of cheating her out of her privileges in this house as elsewhere else-where " "Anybody could cheat Ernestine," exclaimed Loring. "She was cheated once and for gjoti T.en she married you. She rMin4 -r life then, and now she meui endure anything because she lacks protection and . is handicapped handi-capped to boot." Will took a step forward, his big hand raised, and though he still smiled his face was evi He spoke low and rapidly, and with an Indescribable effect of vitrperation : "You great big started shirt you Imitation yo safe-player and bribetaker, bribe-taker, you! .ou coveter! Do you think I dou i unow hat's the matter with you?" Tnw (vas a pause which lasted in- ing on his arrival In the office unexpectedly. unex-pectedly. They had at once planned to eat supper in a crowd. Somebody produced dice to determine immediately immedi-ately who would have to pay. They squatted on their heels In a close ring between the sloping desks, and Tommy Tucker cried a fierce schoolboy "jiggers" "jig-gers" at them. Will held the dice, and he straightened up and turned about boldly rattling the cubes in his big hand, and faced Mr. Wiston. Mr. Wiston made quick work of him. almost, it seemed to Will, or so he said, as though he vre glad of the chance. Within ten minutes after his arrival, Will walked out of the Sun oflices, his possessions, done up in a paper package, under his arm, while half a dozen indignant but futile youngsters mourned after him. But John Poole would not have It. "You fire my help and yon fire me." he told Wislou, and he left bug and baggage. Nobody had thought of this. Mr. Wiston remonstrated with him, but nothing would satisfy John Poole except ex-cept Will's reinstatement, and that Wiston would not concede. So Will had added to his own anxieties anxie-ties a sense of responsibility about John Poole, of concern over Ernestine's Ernes-tine's break with that part of her family which was in .or near Chicagu Mr. Poole let it be known in newspaper news-paper circles that he and his assistant were available, but to his astonishment astonish-ment he had no offers. He vfas old, he had been Identified with the Sun for many years. The Sun's rivals were busy developing their own artists and establishing them. It was only a year or two longer, it was said, for John Poole, and anyhow he would probably be back at the Sun within a month. It was dull in Chicago that summer. Mamma was still in Europe, and Ernestine Ernes-tine felt that she could not confide In Lillian about Will. There were times when she was frightened about her own health. She felt faint in the heat. She could not eat at all. She had not felt this way before Peter was born, but then she had been strong and well. She couldn't understand this her feet were swollen until she could not wear her shoes. Mrs. Schluss and Mrs. Pryor expressed their anxiety. Only Will, engrossed In his own troubles, was unaware of her frailty. She presented pre-sented to Mr. Poole and to Will a superb calm, and a facetiousness that was easier for her than tragedy. Will found some work for an advertising ad-vertising agency, which he brought home to do. He might have taken one of the jobs papa had offered him from time to time, but papa was in Europe and Loring in charge of his affairs. Ernestine could not forgive Will for playing baseball In the streets with John Pryor and a half a dozen other half-grown boys, when he came back from his fruitless jaunts after work. "He doesn't care," she thought, and longed to wound him, to strike through his carelessness. ' She grew almost morbid "Perhaps he'll have reason to waken to understand that life's a job for a man." Will took five dollars, almost the last of their cash, one morning early in August and went, out, looking very clean and spruce, and with the light of adventure in his eye. "I'll find work today, or stay out till I do," he told Ernestine and kissed her on both cheeks. Peter clung to him ecstatically. "Peter loves Will the better," she thought, pressing any thorn at hand against her heart. After he was gone, she went to her trunk and got out the bankbook she had obtained that day two years ago, when she had come out here and found Will's father dead. Here was a secret source of supply of her owr. She looked af. V.tr bank balance. I', wn; enough to pay for herself and the new baby, if she went into a twr-bd ward, as Doctor Grey had planned for her. This was her money. Will would have to manage for hims-elf and Peter. She decided to go and get the money and have cash in the house if anything happened. But sMe would not let Will know she had U. She put the small bankbook on the dining room table and went about the clfran and tidy house, washing dishes, S'.-tting the rooms in order. There was a long letter from uiam- ' ma in the morning mail. Ernestine did not finish reading it, for she had to go and lie down on her bed. seized with such pain that she could scarcely forbear crying out. She felt within herself" no light at all, no buoyancy, no spark of life. She was dull, leaden, submerged. She felt she ought to make some effort to resist this spiritual inertia hut she was too ill. She wondered won-dered if her child would be born too soon. This thought goaded her Into action.( She rose and gathered from . her trunk Peter's little baby garments, long since washed and mended and laid away. She made the things she might need for the baby into a bundle bun-dle and put it In her dresser drawer. She would get her money. She would arrange her own affairs with competence. com-petence. When the call came, she would be ready. But she must rest first. She made herself a pot of fresh, tea. asked Mrs- it was so hot, and she's not been well. He decided to come over here to the bank, and when he faund that she hadn't been there, he went to your mother's.. Ernestine wasn't there. Then Will came here, and Mr. Hamilton Hamil-ton met him here. I phoned to Mrs. Schluss for them, but Ernestine wasn't at home yet. ""Wherever she was she would have come home to Peter, as Will argued, and I agreed with him. Will was nearly distracted the men quarreled bitterly, and Mr. Hamilton called up Ruby Pastano and the papers, and organized or-ganized a search of course, people In the city go off and are delayed and don't get home on time. But, you- see, now it's nearly ten and we haven't heard anything of her. Mr. Hamilton has notified the police. They'll find her unless " "What do you mean?" cried Lillian .sharply. Her hands were shaking so that she could scarcely hold her purse and gloves. "Well your husband Mr. Hamilton, he's got the idea that she may have destroyed herself. But Will says no she wouldn't do that." "Will is right. Ernestine wouldn't do such a thing." "But pregnant womeu get wonderful wonder-ful queer notions in their heads," insisted in-sisted Mrs. Bennett dolefully. "Mr. Hamilton was nearly wild. He told Will that he had killed Ernestine it seemed hard for Will to hear, but he brushed it away like nothing." She paused. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Iff? 4f Will and Poole Spent the Day in the Wood Path and on the Water. never have quit, and now you'll get a job- where they'll appreciate you." "Ernestine!" he said, and choked. "I'll make good to:- you I -will! You'll see some day." Mr. Poole had Lot been at the office when Will was dismissed hy Mr. Wiston. Wis-ton. It was some days before he learned the details and gave them to Ernestine. The fellows had all surrounded sur-rounded Will with affectionate fireet- |