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Show I JOHN BURTlluSTS o Autkor of "The MJn.rrd Millionaires." ''Colon.! Moflnx l Itacltln.," Lie. W 8 OOPTHII IIT IMS T I All tlfhH i Ool-VHWHT. tWJ BT Art MJ rniumi k I nun aiihi rtwrtol A J Unlit llinnti Jv5 Chapter XVII Continued Morrla stood a few ti pa I. nek of Jessie anil l toured In r with his eyes IIb noted the ift flilK of Inr hair ,. the roil illicit curve of her neck anil ns one h-II IkmiihI watched her deft 1 llii as they glided over the surface of the sketch Imok . . With n little sixth of disappointment '.) Jesslt dropped the folio on her lap (iV. Not In months hail she drawn with L' ' let aklll. What coulil be the matter W"V, H'19 '" oppreeaed and under tome ma '';' "Rn Inlluencv. Instinctively she (? turned and looked equatoly Into the . i: ardent eyea nnd eager face of Arthur 'If'.'. Morrla. Willi an Intoliinlnry cr of l '",,' surprise, fear and exatlon, alio sprang IV-ili l0 licr fee,t the Retell book falling to 5vJwP ,no nr. 2' ' "Why, Mlsa Garden!" exclaimed V,v' ' Morrla, with atlmulated retonlahment. '.4,, "Jtoally, thin la an unexpected pleas-?' pleas-?' V an- I am delighted to nuel you. Per-,., Per-,., ' inlt me " And he picked up the ;.. , sketch book, bowed, and extended Ills Xj- ' . band. (k , In these brief seconds Jesate had j tjtV regained her aelf poaaoaelon. "You .CI' have surprised me. Mr Morrla." alio v ) raid quietly, Ignoring lila proffered 't ' hand. "You must bo nwaro that tills ; la not n publlo reception room. We ,y.' can talk without disturbing any ono lej ,' tho lobby." ' . A minute later they wero In tho , comparatively deserted niter hull. , . "You hnvo no right to follow mo . hero cr to annoy mu by your niton '. tlons," anld Jennie Cnrdcn, confront- InK Mm with Hashing cjes. Ho fum ' bled nervously at hi watch charm. "It was purely accidental, I aaaure )0U," ho atatiimered. "Your nrrlal was announced In tho JJerlln papcra " anld Jessie, coldly I learned Ihla morning that joii bribed tny aervanta. and realised that an Interview In-terview with joii was Inevitable, hut I did not think you would presume to Intrude )our prencnce during my papa dtar but you must nut worry In the leant nter me I have money, imps lulu aim hits of nmni y I have saved nearl) two thiuiKand dollars out of in) alio mice We si all git along fainousl).' That evening, In the modest apartments apart-ments he had rented, tli neral Carden told Jessie the story of his downfall. ' Itandotph Morris was his prtnrlpal , creditor and negotiations were then la progress by which he hoped to J transfer his 1.. A- U stock to Mr. Mor i rls, In consideration of a loan which would enable him to settle with his minor creditors ' If Mr Morris ivfimes to extend this accommodation I shall lx In lasting disgrace." faltered (leneral Carden. Jesslo Carden had llaleneri quietly. Until that day she hud git en little thought to the priibUm which ver confronts the great mass of mankind how shall we Ihe. wherewithal shall we be fed, clothed and housed? The little room in which they sat looked mean and want haunted. The faded carpet, the cheap wallpaper, the tawdry taw-dry decorations, the low and marred celling, the wnlllng of a sick child through the thin partition, tho odor of n kitchen, the rumble of truffle mor n cobblestone pnt-emenl surely this 'was n dream from which she would awaken to find herself In tho stately mansion on the great boulevard. Yet It was not a dream. At the sound of tho name of Arthur Morrla the ait nnd the present Mood before her In glaring colors She must bo hrato, she would be brave. With that superb Inslgnt which nature gtten to woman, the plot devised by Arthur Morris lay bare before her eyes. Her father was enmeshed In the net which hnd been set for her To release him mutt the be cniulit In the tolls? The lllshops had purchased a residence resi-dence In New ork and there was waiting for Jnle n letter (mm her 1 aunt Inviting lur to mm ml April nnd IlHjrt'LiJ-?o3C -, &T vw 70EU ttudy houra. You take an nnfalr ad-vantago ad-vantago of an accidental acquaintance That acquaintance waa terminated last summer by jour acts and conduct, and I havo no dealro to rcnow It. You havo had tho education and opportunities oppor-tunities of a gentleman, and must respect re-spect my wlahea." Hho turned and entered tho gallery. Morris stood as If rhcted to tho floor dared, allien faced and speechless. Obeying a wild Impulse, ho rushed after her, but halted nt tho door. With a smothered oath ho retraced his steps, and hailing his coachman, drovo through Untcr der Linden. Kor tho second tlmo In his llfo the fact had been forced upon him that thcro wcro ambitions beyond tho reach of his monoy. Tho thought envenomed him. Again ho made a vow that Jesslo Carden should bo his. Ills heavy lips parted In a sullen smlla as ho pictured her surrender. Tho longer It was delayed de-layed tho sweeter would bo Ills triumph. tri-umph. The morning train for l'arls had Arthur Morris for n passenger. It was months before ho returned to Now York to becomo n Junior partner In tho firm of Ilnndolp Morris & Company. Com-pany. CHAPTER XVIII. Diplomacy. After an absence of two years Jesslo Carden looked forward with pleasuro to a homo-coming. Bho hnd bidden her Instructors and friends adlou, and was about leaving Ilcrlln for a brief visit to Paris, when she received a cablegram from General Carden, requesting re-questing her to return homo at onco. Tbo message was so worded that Joaalo was mystified, but not alarmed After n stormy voyago, tho liner steamed Into Iloston harbor, and General Gen-eral Carden clasped his daughter In tils arms. At first glance, sho hardly recognised him. His faco was drawn, nnd tho dark hair and beard had turnod to silver gray. "You will bo brave, my pet," he said, lila voice choked with emotion. "I have sad now a for you, Jessie." "There can be no very sad news, papa dear, so long as you nro allvo." said jomIc. With a woman's Intuition tho guested the truth. "I am ruined, Jessie! My bank has failed, and ray fortune Is swept away. That Is not all. Our old homo Is In the hands of creditors and I am n bankrupt a bankrupt at the age of Jessie smllod bravely through hor tears. "I am dlstraitad on your account, May with them In tho metropolis, and to bo their guest In Illngham during tho summer. General Carden advised her to accept ac-cept tho Invitation, but Jesslo had at first declared that her placo was with him, and would not listen to his nrgumenta. "I havo chanced my mind about aunt Helen's Invitation," alio aald, later In tho evening. "I havo do-elded do-elded to go to Now York for a few weeks at least. I bollovo I can sell somo ot my sketches and paintings there, and and well, I think It best to go." "You nro a wlio llttlo girl, Jessie," snld General Carden, "I shall bo In Now York nearly as much as In Iloston, Ilos-ton, nnd joii will bo much happier thcro," A week later Jesslo waa fondly greeted by her mint. Thnmaa Illshop belonged to an old Now York family, and was proud tn Introduce his beautiful beau-tiful niece to tho excluslvo society circles In which tho Illihops bad been welcomed. It was at tho Cregler reception that sho again met Arthur Morris. Kor a moment Morris was iinnbla to speak, and gaioil nt her blankly, first at Josslo and then at Mrs. Crcglor. Tleally why, really why why, don't you know, Mrs. Creglcr, Mlts Carden and I hnva met before-!" ho exclaimed. "In fact why, In fact wo aro old acquaintances; uro wo not, Mlsa Carden!" "I recall having met Mr. Morris," said Jessie, addressing her hostess. It was a trying moment for Jesslo Carden. Ileforo her stood tho man sho hatod. Why had fato cstt htm at a rcptllo ever crawling across hor path? She longed to crush tho serpent's ser-pent's head with her tiny heel, yet sho know that tho snako had cunning; cun-ning; sho knew that her father waa caught In his cotla. Never until that moment did aho reallio tho damning power of money, or sound the depths of a woman's hatred. "May I say something to you, Miss Carden?" ventured Morris. "l'vo wished to talk to you for a long time, or rather to write something, bt but let's get out of this crush so I can explain myself," "I do not care to listen tn yon, air." "I beg of you, hear mo for n moment! mo-ment! " pleaded Morris, as Jessie turned haughtily from him. "Since you seem determined to create cre-ate a scene In which I am to bo Involved, In-volved, I prefer the lest conspicuous disgrace of listening to jou," she said, bitterly. "Hero Is a quiet earner. What have you to say to me, slrf" "I want to apnlriglte Mr what I did In llertln or rather for oomlng to Ilerlon," he began "I was wrong nnd I lM-g jour pardon ' That Is not the oltenee for which Mill should i rave forgiveness," said Ji mle t'arden Scorn wk In her vote and a warning Dash In her eye. iur Intrusion In llerlln was Insolent Inso-lent but it was In harmony with a Krister affront which preen led It. be guilt) if you have nothing moto appropriate to say leave me, slrll" "I have, 1 have'" cried Morris, cow erlng b fore her gaxe ' lTay be sealed. seal-ed. Miss Carden. and and giro me a chance'" I should not,' she raid coldly. I know the time you mean, Mls Carden " Ills fare flushed a deeper red and he looked at her with appealing ap-pealing eyes You imin that affair at thi clambake I was Intoxicated, Miss Carden It a hard word, but I m going to le honest nnd throw my self on your mere) I am very, very sorry, really I am. Miss Carden, and I want to lie )uur -your friend," She longed to spurn his prayers and tu ask him lo lake back the whllo locks from nboto her father's brow and remote the stain ot disgrace She realised that the man who bad crushed her father waa now In her power, and felt that triumphant joy which only a woman can know. Hut It woundod and tortured her prldo to think that Alorrls dared aspire lo her love. She charged the sacrlflco sho was nbout to make against tho account ac-count of n future revenge, nnd turned to him with n stiller light In her eyos. 'I should nut forgive jou," she said. "When n man who pretends to Jour liosltlon so far forgets himself, ' ho should llrst olilnln his own pardon. Ho should l lieu seek to redress tho wrung caused by his offenso. Aro jou prepared 'n do that, Mr. Morris?" "I don't exactly understand what you mean, Mlsa Cardin" ' I will make myself plain," said Jessie, "t'oti attempted to murder n young man who resented jour Insults In-sults In n public place, and In the encounter en-counter you were Injured. For jeara jou hne had n standing rewnrd fur the arrest of this innocent man Aro jou willing to take atepa to absolve blm John Hurt has been tho greater victim ot your conduct' Hut my dear Mlsa Carden, 1 haven't the slightest notion of whero bo la, don t jou know,' said Morris with a puttied expression " 'Ton my word, I don't. Wo had a beastly row In which I got shut, and all tho fellow who were with mo say I started It, and that tho pistol went oft In tny own hand I assure jou that 1 don't ro-member ro-member a thing about It. Tbo gov emor offered the reward. I can get lila to withdraw It, and put a notlca I In tho pnpers promising that no prosecution pros-ecution shall bo made I'll do anything any-thing you say, Miss Carden." "Publicly announce tho wlthdrfwall ot tho reward aid itato that ho will not bo prosecute',!." said Jessie, as 1 tho matter was merely ono of abstract ab-stract Justice "And If you aro confident con-fident that I shall not again bo embarrassed em-barrassed by your Indiscretions I will try to overlook tho paat." "You aro very good!" ho exclaimed, effusively. "It's mora than I deserve, but you will not regret It, Miss Car den. My governor and yours aro mixed up In business, and It's a beastly beast-ly shame, don't you Know, that wo should bo at oddt. Ily tbo way, I'm awfully sorry about tho general's financial finan-cial troubles, llopo ho pulls out of them all right, and think ha will. I'm trying now to msko a deal which will help him out. And you'ro not nngrr with mo now, aro you, Miss Carden? Let's shako hands and call It square?" Morrla extended a clammy hand, and Jessie, with an Inward shudder, permitted him to clasp hcr'a for a moment. mo-ment. Tho summer season waa at hand, nnd Josslo was looking forward with pleasuro to n sojourn In Illngham. Arthur Morris had been dovoted In his attentions, and Jesslo felt a thrilling thril-ling wickedness at tho tacit encouragement encour-agement sho had given Mm. (To bo continued.) |
