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Show .by MARGARET WEYMOUTH JACKSON rvice l by Bubbs-Merrlll Oft.) I CHAPTER XIII Continued 13 "Will?" she said at last gently, but lie did not answer. She went around and stood beside him, looking down at htm. lie was asleep. Ills eyes and brow were hidden by the fold of his arm, but his wide mouth, his mobile, sensitive, excited mouth was in repose. Where had she seen that droop before? be-fore? It was Elaine's.. It was the gentle enduring fold of her mouth, when she had been little and sick so much, and had borne It all with such remarkable patience. Will's mouth was like that. Not In cut or form, but in the line of Its expression. Will was bearing something. He was sick. He was enduring. Ernestine felt herself lost in a dark wood. Fiercely, passionately, passion-ately, she buried in herself her personal per-sonal resentment and pain. She must find a way out for all of them. If she could see what to do! If something would show her the way! Next morning Will ate his breakfast -fid went out, his marfner more normal that It had been of late. He kissed her cheek, and said to her: "Was I rough last night, kitten? You're pale. Sorry. I left the money in your desk drawer. Use It. It's all for you and the children, anyhow." "Thanks, Will," she said indifferently, indifferent-ly, for now she did not care about the money at all. "Do you know anything any-thing about Loring and Lillian? We've not seen them for days. I've been spring housecleaning, and haven't even phaed her. I tried to get her just now, and no one answered." "I think Loring and Pastano are having some trouble," said Will. "I saw Ruby a day or two ago, and he was black in the face about something Loring tried to put over on him. He'll be hard, if he gets turned against your brother-in-law. I'll call Loring at his office today, and see if I can find out what's up. Well, so long. I'm late." Ernestine was busy with her family and household all morning, but with a sense of troubled foreboding In . her heart. She went to the phone two or three times, but could not get Lillian's house nor Loring's office. "Funny thing Lillian's maid Isn't at home," she thought, but no one answered an-swered the prolonged ring at the other house. Ernestine went on about her work, and at eleven o'clock, Molly called her to the phone. "Hello," said Ernestine. ' It was a woman's voice, crisp, young and businesslike. "Mrs. Will Todd?" "Yes." "This is the Van nueten Clark Street Savings bank calling. Could you come down here right away?" "Why I don't know. Why should I?" "I'm afraid I can't tell you -that. You're to come here for a private conference. con-ference. I believe It's Important." "Why, yes," said Ernestine. "I can r4ie. But I don't understand. There's not a run on the bank, Is there? I've all my savings " "Oh, no," said the cheerful voice. "Nothing like that, I assure you. Can you be here about ten minutes of twelve? The doorman will take you to the private office." "Well," said Ernestine, "It all seems very mysterious, but I'll come. I'll be there at ten to twelve." "Thank you, Mrs. . Todd. And, please, I was toask you to come by the Clark street car, and leave the car Ontario street, Instead of coming in our own car." The crisp voice was disconnected. Ernestine put the receiver in place wonderlngly. Well, there was no answer an-swer to her questions until she was there. She left the street car at Ontario street and walked south. The doorman door-man at the bunk greeted her with .a stiff nod, left his place and walked back through the big downstairs room. Ernestine followed him. He paused at the foot of the wide stairs that led to the balcony. "The last door, on the left side of the balcony," he said to her in a low voice, and Ernestine went up the stairs, half frightened with this secrecy, walked forward-again, toward the street, passed indifferent employees and opened an unmarked door, entered en-tered a private office, aud closed the door behind her. ltuby I'astano was standing by the green-curtained windows, looking down Into the street through a tiny slit he V'U1 open with his linger. He turned f her. "Ernestine!" "Mr. I'astano !" She did not know whether she was relieved or more frightened. At least, here was some one familiar. "Will you shake hands with me?" He came to her, big, sober, non-committal and offered her his hand. Ernestine Ernes-tine laid her hand In his big thick palm and noticed, as she did so, how extraordinarily long his lingers were, as he took her hand In both of his. "I've beeu wondering, all the way ""Vjr here, wlio It was that bad sent for me," she said nervously. "I did not expect to see you I don't know what I expected. I had a dreadful dream hist night, and I've beeu frightened fright-ened and nervous all day." "Six down, won't you?" the voice, silky, soft, as always, had in it a note of gentleness that went to Ernestine's heart, in spite of her formed and set prejudices against ltuby Pastano. He drew up for lvr a chair upholstered uphol-stered in red pigskin, and she sat down, upright, ready for flight, on the edge of it. He seated himself before her on the empty desk. "I didn't want you to come to my office, and 1 didn't want to go to your home, but 1 felt that I had to see you. Ernestine," he said gently, "do you believe that I am Will's friend?" Ernestine felt that the occasion was momentous. She felt herself thrust back from the ordinary conventional judgments of her class and generation to something more fundamental. She answered naturally, honestly: "Yes," she said, "yes, I do." "Good," he said. "I've not done many unselfish things in my life, although al-though I've done plenty that were dangerous dan-gerous but for my own gain. But I'm going to do something for you now. I'm going to give you a chance to do something for somebody else. All last night I couldn't sleep, knowing that the plans that are coming forward today to-day would hurt you. I knew that 1 must work some change if it were possible. pos-sible. I wanted to take into account the existence of little Ernestine, knowing know-ing that I must at least give her her chance. . . ." "What do you mean, Ruby?' she asked, her thoughts turning to Will. How could he be involved with this man? He had never had any contact with Pastano except the free contact of friendship. He had never had a favor from him. "No," he said, reading her thought, "not Will but Loring your sister's husband, Loring Hamilton. Did you know that he is ruined?" "Loring ruined? But how?" "He will tell you, if he Is fool enough to talk, that I have ruined him. I tell you that he ruined himself. He's in debt, he's In trouble, and he's under the shadow of an indictment for bribing brib-ing witnesses, in federal court serious seri-ous business, Ernestine." "You mean the grand jury? But how did this happen? Tell me, please." , "I cannot tell you everything. It's a long story, and involved, and, besides, it is unwise and unnecessary. I can give you a few facts. A week ago today to-day your brother-in-law was secure. His security was dependent on his obedience. He had placed himself deliberately de-liberately in a position where he had to do as he was told, in return for all that he had and wanted. A week ago he decided to take a step that had been In his mind for some time. 1 knew that It was there. I was expecting ex-pecting it. Loring decided that he would break faith with me, cash in on his knowledge and cut the ties, ye was thirsting for the water that he carried, but could not drink." He paused, and the red of old anger burned in his cheeks. "I held notes on him as security for business that he transacted through his office properties I could not afford af-ford to have in my name. He thought I would not dare to sell his notes, he having so much information about me. No use going into the ugly details. . lie woke up too late to find out that his transactions were with me the company com-pany he was dealing with was mine he sold my property to me. It was I who bought from him what he had no right to sell. I stopped payment on the checks he held, I had his notes, and he was holding the bag." "Hut how could you? That's not right. You couldn't do that." "Why not?" asked I'astano. "I was cleverer than lie. What could he do? What could he say? I called in his notes. Either he had to pay me, or I would sell them to his bank for discount. He put in his stone stock sound property and recovered his notes. Then he found all his debts due on the same day. He lost seventeen seven-teen accounts in one afternoon business busi-ness taken right out of his-office. He sold his car and yesterday he mortgaged mort-gaged his house. And today unless It's stopped he's going to be indicted." in-dicted." Ernestine got to her feet. "But, Iiuhy how can you do this to Loring? He does know things about you " "Very little," answered I'astano evenly. "Fragments nothing whole. I'art of this deal part of that. His own activities will shine much worse In court than his connections with me. Do you think I am fool enough to put myself in jeopardy with a man like Loring?" Ernestine made a little moan, and he began to speak quickly, vehemently, with a, strange sternness and justice in his face. "He came to me he sought the connection con-nection lie ,was eager for any work. He offered to do things for me that I wouldn't let him do. He was well paid, and he didn't play the game. His fees were big business was thrown to him from a rlozeu directions inaccessible inac-cessible to him live years ago. He sat where he wanted to sit in the lap of city politics, and he grew weary of his mistress. He wished to exploit her desert her. So he schemed and planned. But you cannot get Into the whirlpool and then out again " Ernestine, looking at him. felt the sucking breath of the vortex. "But what have I to do with this?" she asked. "What can 1 do for Loring? You haven't told me this without some purpose." "First let me show you why I can do nothing for him myself it is easier to start a landslide than to stop it. It was my intention no, my determination determin-ation to ruin him, to have him debarred, de-barred, disgraced, sent to the penitentiary, peniten-tiary, if I could. It seemed necessary. Here, all about me, are these young men lieutenants' gangsters, if you like the newspaper word better. They are my army. We must have loyalty in any army. ' We must have obedience. obedi-ence. Loyalty and obedience, first, because they have confidence in me, "He Was Well Paid, and He Didn't Play the Game." that I am wise, that I will take care of them while they stay with me, that I am competent to meet all situations. But if a man is disloyal, all the rest must see what becomes of him. Loyalty, Loy-alty, first, because of confidence; second, sec-ond, because of fear. When admiration admira-tion fails, fear remains." "But you are not going to ruin Loring Lor-ing now?" she said eagerly. "You have changed your mind you have some plan?" "No," he said slowly, "no, not I. I have no plan to sTive Loring Hamilton. Hamil-ton. I have no desire to save him. I would not lift my little finger for Loring Lor-ing Hamilton. It is inevitable that he should fail, should be punished. Even if I wanted to do something for him now, I could not. His treachery Is known to others as well as to myself. Money Is needed. If I should withdraw with-draw money from my own private sources, or if I should withdraw money from funds that are available for gifts, when it is necessary, it would be Instantly In-stantly known. No in the first place, ::::;:;:;;;::::::::;;;;;:::: I don't want to help Loring. If he were my own brother, I would feel that' he must follow his course alone. Nor could I help him, even if I liked, but" lie looked at her intently so that for a moment it seemed that she was lost, hypnotized by li is great dark eyes "you can help him, if you like, Ernestine." "Tell me," she whispered. "What can I do?" He put his hand in his pocket and took out his big silver watch. Laying the flat of his palm upon it, he twisted it, unscrewed the back of the watch and took from between the outer and inner cases a small piece of paper, folded once across. He sat. his dismembered dis-membered watch in one hand, and the piece of paper in the other, and said to her : "I know Hint you have your own standards of honor I have exposed myself, in this talk, knowing your code. But now, I must ask you if you are capable of secrecy. No one but Will must know of this. He must know." "1 promise," she said at once. He put the folded paper In her hand, and kept his finger upon it, so that it remained closed. "There is a name here. This afternoon, after-noon, within an hour after this bank is closed before four o'clock, to be exact, twenty thousand dollars, In cash, must be placed in the hands of this person, and the indictment against Loring will be dropped." Ernestine was very pale. "A bribe?" she said, her throat dry. "But that's wrong." He was very gentle. ' "Wrong, yes no doubt. But we are at a place now where it is the lesser evil; which must be chosen not right or wrong. A bribe ugly word. Yes, there is a regular scale of prices for indictments. This money must be spread. It will take twenty thousand dollars to do it. You have the money. I take a great risk upon myself this talk', this name, this opportunity, but I wished you to have it." He beamed upon her now pleased as a child who has beeu good and waits for praise. Ernestine was very agitated. "How do you know I have this money ?" "I am a. director in this bank you have it here." "But that money is for Will. I've been saving it for nearly two years. I can't give that money for Loring. It's Will's." "I'll not pay for Loring," said Pastano Pas-tano sternly, and he shrugged, his face altered, hard. "Why should I? You can if you won't, he's sunk that's all." "No, no," cried Ernestine, "not that not Will's money. 1 won't do it, Ruby, I can't. Loring will have to go down In his own wreckage. Why should I pay a bribe for him? Why should I rob Will of his very chance, for Loring? This isn't just money this is Will's future his peace, his happiness this is my marriage this money." He was silent. He stared at her. She could feel in him disappointment. He was disappointed in her! He, monster that he was, dared to Judge her ! "Y'ou see," she said desperately, "Will isn't always going to be a cartoonist. car-toonist. He's going to do something else. He hasn't any sense about money. I learned about money, when we were poor, but Wilt has never learned. He's extravagant, foolish. 1 found out long ago that if he had fifty cents in his pocket, or fifty dollars, it was all the same to him. And then I discovered that Will wanted to be an artist, that he wanted to work in colors, that he hated the cats. And I began to save. I've kept up a front on a small amount of money. I spent less than twelve thousand dollars last year, and Will earned thirty thousand. But it's been for Will I'm not naturally nat-urally economical, or close, but I did it for Will." "Perhaps Will would want you to do this ask him." "Perhaps he would. It would be like him to throw uway his chance for Loring. But Will doesn't know I've got this money. Nobody knows, except ex-cept the bank clerks. I thought a savings sav-ings account was a private matter. Will has a studio down near here if he could study if he could go to Paris." "I know," said Pastano. "He rents his workroom from me. I've seen some of his stuff. Weil Loring can go to jail then, for all of me, and If you are subpenaed into court, to testify tes-tify about things that happened at Langley. lake three summers ago, don't say I didn't warn you." He sighed. His eyes were sad and tired. The tears sprang down Ernestine's Ernes-tine's cheeks. "Don't think I don't appreciate this I know that you endanger yourself your very lite by talking to me. I know enough about all this to know what you are doing it's generous, but, oh, Ruby, it is Will I love Will, all the time." "Your sister " he objected. "Why should I sacrifice Will for Loring and Lillian?" she said passionately. passion-ately. "It will take me a long time to accumulate this money again. And simply to give it away to send it out blindly, and not even know where it goes! Loring has always hated Will has tried to harm him. And now you ask me to give up Will's chance. He can't wait forever. His gift will die, he'll go stale." "Loripg has loved you, Ernestine." She stopped her incoherent speech. She looked at him with dark eyes, and her face grew very pale. "That time," Pastano said, "when you were ill when Elaine was born, we would not have found you, if it had not been for Loring." "But Will found me," she quavered. "Y'es after Loring bad tern the town up had organized a search had warned me. Will would still be wandering about Sheridan Park. And after Will found you, what did he do? You might have died there, without proper care. It was Loring's practical energy and ability his decision and his efficiency which saved you." He got up and moved about restlessly. rest-lessly. -He seemed almost to plead with her. "That's why I couldn't sleep last night. It came to me all the time he loves our Ernestine, fool and traitor that he is. He would give everything he has for her. It Is her sister, her family, her family name. She is mixed in it she will be hurt by it. So this morning, I came to town. 1 have seen the bank ledger from time to time. I have watched your private fortune growing witli much Interest, and known, or thought, that Will was ignorant of it. So this morning 1 came to town, and carefully I have made this possible. And now, you do not see it." lie was putting his watch together as he spoke, but he left the slip of paper in Ernestine's hand. "It's one o'clock," he said. "The bank closes at three. Suppose you go and talk to Will. A woman ought not take a step like this, anyhow, without talking to her husband." "I'm not going to give Will's money to Loring," Ernestine said despairingly. despair-ingly. Mr. Pastano opened the door for her, but did not answer her low "good-by." Ernestine went swiftly down the stairs and out into the brightness ol the street. "I'm not going to ask Will." she thought stubbornly. "He'll Just tell . me to do what Pastano wants. I'm not going to do It." ' She ran for a car going north and boarded it. She rode as far as Belmont Bel-mont avenue. Jumped up suddenly and got out of the street car. A taxi stood before a drug store across the street. Ernestine ran across through the traffic and got into the taxi. "Please hurry," she said, and gave him the address of the old office building build-ing near the river, where Will led his secret life. She felt that she could not get to Will soon enoui'h, now she w as I started. She paid the taxi driver at j the door and went quickly Into tbt ; dim and dusty doorway. (TO EE CONTINUED.) ' |