Show M r 7 W sf t f i ii 8 gl SYNOPSIS james jam es lambert tries in vain to dissuade his beautiful be a foster daughter leonora irom marrying marry ing don mason young rolling roll tog sta stone whom he likes but of homi he disapproves PP according to his conventional businessman business man standards standa ads he tens tells her unless a rouse bous Is founded upon a rock it UI not survive wf leonora suspects the influence 0 of f her hall half brother ned always jealous of the girl gi since the day his h a father brought her home hed from the deathbed deathbed death of her mother abandoned by her italian baritone lover don arrives in the midst ot of the argument CHAPTER I 1 continued 2 ive a clean bill of health sir when I 1 was a kid of nineteen and carried a message from a wonderful english girl who had stayed at home because she was going to have a baby to her husband stationed in china a man by the way whom have been proud to introduce to nora and found the fellow living with well I 1 wont go into details but it gave me a jolt which easy to forget ive rubbed elbows with a lot sordid mr lambert but ive hurt no woman balance that please 1 i against my depleted bank account well daddy nora prodded after a moment this is all very well responded james all very commendable but jt it change the financial aspect af pf the case suppose he said turning to don suppose you persuade this girl of mine to marry you what assurance can you give me that unless I 1 continue to support her she wont during the next ten years or so know poverty and hardship only this said don and held up two strong browned fists it was an argument more eloquent than words but the older man refused to see it for a moment there was a silence so profound that one was conscious of the crackling fire and rain beating against a window at the far end of the big room then james said quickly as if to get it over 1 I suppose you know that nora is not my daughter I 1 should say my legal daughter don nodded what he means don explained nora throwing a perfectly amicable glance to james is that im not entitled to one penny of the lambert fortune so if youve that in mind darling dads giving you a tactful chance to vamoose gracefully im still here said don his eyes smiling at her watching the young people james stirred uneasily nora misunderstood me he went on she often does though I 1 think she knows I 1 be unjust to her if at my death her brother inherits more than she does its not because I 1 adopted him legally when I 1 married his mother but because hes helped build up the business I 1 started as a youngster what I 1 referred to was see here nora suppose you leave me alone with this young pan man A laugh of merriment bubbled from leonora poor father you cant get used to this generation can you were so outspoken don knows the whole story darling how when you went at the call of my poor dying deserted mother and found me a gangling six year old whose birth record named you as my father you took me home and treated me exactly as if I 1 were your own though you knew with no shadow of a doubt that I 1 was the child of af 1 I leonora she raised her head meeting his shocked eyes gravely well dad its true it I 1 had bad to tell him don knows what an angel youve been to me and that id do anything on earth for you short of giving him up you really ask me to do t that hat you know not when I 1 believe its for your own happiness asked james then as the girl shook her head he added well clear out both of you ive got to think things over clear out CHAPTER 11 II it was long past midnight when james limbert lambert went upstairs thinking things over had been a devastating process that led him back to his first amazing glimpse of leonora her thin little legs dangling forlornly from a straight backed uncomfortable chair beside a bed on an which lay the body of her mother he had come in answer to a frantic telegram the first word iris had vouchsafed him since the note he had found after she went away but he was too late she had been dead almost three hours and ever since the woman who ran the froomin rooming 9 house said afterwards the child ahll d had sat there refusing to move to eat to cry holding tight in one small clenched fist a scrap of nr n r which she had promised her mother to give to the dear kind father w who ho was coming tor for her and to no one else james never forgot the shock of noras presence in that silent room while he stood below on a sagging littered porch the landlady had told him that his wife was gone poor soul but because he was expected the body had not been removed and added remembering the th e little gi girl lf 1 ashes in the fourth floor back mister and it if you dont mind I 1 w wont ont go up my hearts not good and them stairs is something awful james did not want her to go 90 up he was about to look upon the face of his dead wife the woman who had betrayed him but whom he had never forgotten nor ceased to love he was vastly stirred stirred and horrified that she had been living in so sordid a place he had pictured her sharing a life of luxury with her italian lover had even attended the mans concerts in the futile hope of catching a glimpse of his beloved amid the audience it was plain now that the fellow had deserted lier her damn himl left her to die in poverty and among strangers Ascer ascending dinv those steep and narrow stairs james lamberts heart pounded with indignation his whole form trembled as he stepped into the gloomy room out of deference to the dead a shade at its one small window had been partly lowered and closing the door he stood fo for r a long moment with his back against it breathing heavily so this was where his adored iris had lived and died the mans sad eyes dragged slowly around the place avoiding instinctively the bed where lay all that was left of something he had cherished god what a the dim light could not hide what seemed to james its dreadful poverty the broken window stuffed with an old skirt the sagging lagging bureau propped with a block of wood the shabby rug a small mute pair of shoes beside a chair his stricken glance came to the bed at last and seeing that rigid form beneath a sheet hard tears that had been suppressed for s seven even years suddenly blinded him more shaken than seemed possible after so long a time he took one dazed step forward then dashing the mist out of his eyes with an impatient hand he saw nora wholly unprepared for her presence even for her existence james was for the moment without speech but something about the patient drooping figure the soft gold hair like that of his lost iris gripped him strangely he came still nearer staring down at the child with pitying eyes whose whose little girl are you he questioned though he knew the answer mammas Mar rimas said nora she looked up wearily are you my father the dear kind father chos going to take me home she told yott you that he asked and his voice trembled yes said the child then quite without warning her mouth worked pitifully dreadfully her small cold hand extended the crumpled paper she she gave me this for you I 1 id like to go home now please if you dont mind its bedtime it im pretty tired and then her strange calm breaking she wailed suddenly 1 I want mammal I 1 I 1 want mamma her tears were the best thing that could have happened for both of them in comforting nora james himself found comfort for those painfully scrawled words on the scrap of paper tore his heart deserted only a month before her baby was too proud to appeal to the husband she had wronged so grievously yet giving the child his name because she had no other iris had at the last turned to him asking protection for her little nora nor did she ask in vain from the moment when james lifted the heartbroken lonely child into his arms leonora had never lacked a father indeed the knowledge that iris had known he would not tail fail her was the mans greatest comfort nora was barely six years old at the time she grew into a happy sweet tempered little girl who accepted the good things which came to her without question and often without thanks they were a part of life the bare cold room where here she had kept her idline vigil became at last only a vague memory a memory dimly painful of something she must have dreamed not until a tragic day when she was thirteen did james lambert realize that the child had accepted him literally as her own father he returned from business late one afternoon to find her sitting alone in the twilight this was unusual for nora loved gaiety and young comp companions a anions he asked puzzled and a bit worried the matter dear not sick are you answered 1 I iwas was trying to to remember her voice was husky and still troubled james cam came nearer remember w what harv things said nora things about about my she hesitated looked up at him and it seemed to her foster father that the girl had left childhood far behind in the few ew hours since they had last met tell me she said wr wa mamma really a a bad woman arent you my father Is that why ned hates me mea dont I 1 belong to anyone anyone in the whole world my godl cried james profoundly shocked you belong to mel me where did you hear then as upon that other day of tragedy noras self control gave way ana the story was sobbed out in those loving fatherly arms that had never failed her the old old story of hearing the tale from some spiteful playmate perhaps james pondered as he held her close perhaps nora had been growing a trifle arrogant ned had complained on more than one occasion that his little sister put on airs his father had thought the comment mere jealousy on the boys part for despite the ten years difference in their ages ned was jealous of leonora ri A k 41 2 T 4 r MO i she gave me this for you the two had never understood each other nor got along well he sighed the time had come when his girl must learn the truth though it would hurt them both so as tenderly as such truth can be told james told her nora had gone to boarding school after that then to college where she majored in music then came europe a gorgeous colorful six months to nora a lonely dragging time to james and on the way home because her companion insisted on taking a one class boat she met don mason who ever since james lambert told himself had been eternally hanging around the house that is when he trailing oft off to some outlandish place where no one in his senses would consider going even during his absences the fellow had written every day and leonora who took a pullman chair for an hours journey was thrilled by his adventures in towns where there even a clean hotel it is james had confessed to ned the day before an infatuation beyond my understanding and if she marries him ned predicted be slIp supporting porting em au all their lives dad don mason is no good he hes s a rolling stone it would have been some satisfaction to the girl in question had she known that james told her brother brusquely to mind his own business that he would look after leonora it was seldom indeed that his much loved son caused this somewhat fiery man to lose his temper but now he was worried and neds well aimed criticism touched a tender spot so the younger man had gone home rather disgruntled to tell corinne that nora was pulling the wool over dads eyes well james pondered perhaps tie he had spoiled leonora he closed his eyes as from the roo room m beyond dr drilled ift the tender haunting strains 0 of f a chopin nocturne nora was playing ing and much as james loved to listen this gift of her musician father subtly disturbed him it was late when he be went to bed and in the morning mornin cr he gave nora his ultimatum if im to consider your happiness my dear theres but one way out ill give that boy a job I 1 dont say that he must keep it for a lifetime but he must prove that hes got the stability to stick at something that will support you A year ought to show that nora and youre both young if at the end of that time he has saved money and shown himself even fairly efficient ill say no more even if he throws up the job next day asked leonora her father looked at her his eyes a trifle hard you think he would 1 I think she an answered speaking thoughtfully that a year in an office especially in neds office will finish don father you feel then that my proposal is unfair nora glanced up a wistful smile lighting her face as she responded not as you view things daddy but to don it will be well a year out of life what would you do I 1 wonder if I 1 ran away with him 1 I should disinherit you said james and meant it then as she remained silent Is that what youre considering my dear don accepted james lamberts offer 1 I fear I 1 wont make a successful office worker sir but I 1 can try he said and james responded with unfeigned heartiness all I 1 ask to nora the young man was more explicit remove that worried frown at once he told her stern sternly ay your fathers right of course th that at is right from his own viewpoint if I 1 cant serve a year for you nora im no good well make a game of it beloved mark off each day on a calendar and when the time is is up well forge our chains and sail away together into the sunsets turquoise marge to fairyland hesperides over the hills and far away 1 he kissed her and lifting her chin to look into her eyes saw with satisfaction that the smiles which had vanished from them were back again his girl to know don vowed the jail sentence that year ahead appeared to him she to realize that his only reason for submitting was to save her the sorrow that any trouble with james lambert would have meant for in his wildest imagination this young man could not see himself a part of the hustling throng which jammed the subway every morning the thought of joining it turned him a little sick and there was ned if anyone had accused ned lambert of being inconsiderate of his sisters lover he would have scoffed at the idea not until years later when life had somewhat tempered neds cocksureness did he suspect that his habit of pausing beside dons desk to observe his work much as a teacher keeps an eye on the progress of a stupid pupil was gall and wormwood to the younger man he did not guess that his meticulous ti suggestions drove don mad that when an occasional error did occur it seemed to the harassed youth that noras brother took ironic pleasure in detecting it TO BE CONTINUED |