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About Independence monitor. (Independence, Or.) 1912-19?? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 1914)
THE NE'ER-DO-WELL A Romance of the Panama Canal BY REX BEACH COmiGltT. MM. ltll. W1 HAIFC! u h ny did you keep liim locked up so Imik? Why didn't you try him?" mi id Cortlmidf. "All! For tliHt I shall Inquire also. I bin Inform', 'owever. that the w'at yon call Judge Ih Hck." "We'll look Into that later. We're hero now to arrange for Mr. Anthony's rploiise." "The alenlde will be please to ac- I mysell roinmodate at the parlies'. vluili Bee to It. Tomorrow" ' J'!iTe will In- uo tomorrow about i" Mrs. Cortlumlt 'ixcliiluieri, posi tively. "If you cannot arrange the luiil yoiii'Hflf, my Imelmmt will take ll i the mutter with the zone novum moot, and Colonel JoImou will call upon the president of the republic within an hour. He In waiting word from Uf now." Scnor it.'iinoii Alfa re, been nip awl- (li nly Kitlvnnl.ed. He broke Into effil-! alve upoloKicM for even ho hiiiiiII a delay an li-id iihe.idy occurred. While,' to be sure, no power wan vented In hlui. and hi wtllinjj hands were moxt j miserably tied, iievertheleaa he would no far exceed bin authority an to j promise Inxtant freedom to the prison I er. Me hastened forth to set In mo-! Hon the proer machinery, and while he wag ubnent Kirk told his story. It . left the woman white lipped and ln- coherent, and rouned even the Icy Cort i landt to genuine wrath. "(if course," the latter aald. "Alfare will prove by his men that It'i all lm apliutlou on your part and that yom Injurlea were sustained at the time ol your arrest. He'll assume a riirhteout IncMiniiilloii and atart a SplKttoty lnves tlKatlon. You nee, hla father la the gov ernor of Panama province and one ol the RtronjroHt men In the republic, ac Itnmon will probably make good hit petition. Even bo, you may recovet (Inmagea." I aunt want daman, K'rk re tilled. "I want to get him out alone Rome time." "For heaven's sake, don't think ol It!" Mrs. Coithndt exclaimed. "All th American Inlluence on the iathmui wouldn't help you then. Fifty met, would perjure theiuselvea to convict you." "No. That method doesn't work ln'i'e," her husband agreed. "You'rt lucky to escape no easily. He will ar finite bafl, never fear, and you will probably nut come to trial. He'll nevet forgive you. of course, but that won't ma Iter to you." The tlrst mrt of Mr. Contlandt'a pre dlctlou was soon proved true, for tb sick alcalde recovered sufficiently tc appear ou me scene within hair ai hour. Then, after much signing of otB Wal diK'timeuU and certain other for nullities, Kirk Anthony walked out ol the Colon Jail In enmpanv with kit friends. - In the midst of Kirk's expressions ol gratitude for the timely interceaaion ol Cortlamlt and hla wife, the forinel sun'rlsiHl him by saying In a genuine ly hearty tone: "My wife lias told me all about you Anthony, and I want you to come ovei to Panama as my guest In the hotel until you hear from your father." When Kirk Informed Mm of tht cablegram that had cast him adrift In Panama, Cortlandt replied reassur ingly: "Oh, well, your father doesn't under aland the facta In the rase, that's all You alt down like auuaible penon and write Ulm fully." Seeing a warm second to bis Invlta tlou in Mrs. Cortlandt's eyes. Kirk ac oeptod gracefully, explaining. "You kuow this Ih the Bret time I was evel up airaltiMt bard luck, and I dou't know Jmt how to act" "We've mused the 4:3k, so we will have to return the way we came." aaid Cortlandt "I'd like to stop at Oatuti on a business matter of sotne Import aui e, and If you don't uilud a halt hour's delay we'll do so." They pinni.sl their way to the ata Hon lint here . u unexiwvtod eci barrassiiicut un'se. As they made ready to tnisnl iVlonW Jlsii's motor car !:: -, aut.-yed to 8ad Cii Allan insist,', I on gulnic I. hi He In alsi.-d, ic.r i . :i avcJi traaMn' fSs'i i-n ih r Mt-v t --t' waa moved to say, "For heaven's sake let the poor thing come along." And thereafter the Jamaican boy sat on tht step of the machine. Once more the little automobile took on the dignity of a regular train and sped out of the network of tracks be bind Colon. As It gained speed Mrs Cortlandt, to divert her guest's mind from his recent ordeal, began to ex plain the points of Interest as they passed. She showed him the oh! French workings where a nation' hopes lay buried, the mechanical ruim that hud cost a king's ransom, tht Mount Hope cemetery, whither dull trains had borne the aa'.-rlnVe before science had robbed the fever of its ter rora. "Will they really finish the canal?' he asked, "Won't something happen?' "It Is already dug. The rest Is mere I ly a matter of excavation and concrete The engineering diltlcultics have all been solved, and the big human mil chine has been built up. What is more Important, the country Is livable at lust. Over at Anion hospital there i a quiet, hard working medical man who has made this thing possible. When the two oceans are Joined to- . get her, and the job is finished, his will be the name most highly honored. ; "It must be nice to do something worth while," Anthony mused vaguely "To do anything," his companion ob I served, with a shade of meaning; then "It la amusing to look back on the old Spanish statement that It would be Impious to unite two oceans which the Creator of the world had separated." Aa Kirk dropped asleep that night after the luxuries of a bath, clean clothes and a meal on white linen and china, he reflected contentedly that after all, things have a way of comlnu right In this world for those who ac cept them cheerfully as they come. On the following morning Kirk dls patched a long letter to his father, ex plaining, as well ns he could, how he came to be In Panama and giving detailed account of the events that had befallen him since his arrival. Al though he took this (beans of relievinx hla father's nnxlot.. . lie was far from resigning ht.uscll' io a further delay of his return. On the contrary, be at once began an Inquiry as to Balling dates, discovering, to bis luteuse dis gust, that no ship was scheduled to leave for New York within several days. He planned to borrow the pas age money from his friends when the time came, and accompany his letter northward. Meanwhile lie devoted his time to sight seeing with hts hoHteaa. Edith Cortlandt was a woman very sure of herself in most things. A sit uation that might have proved embar rassing to one less tactful she accepted quite as a matter of course, rather en joying the exercise of her Influence and never doubting her power to keep the friendship on any footing she chose. Kirk's frank, boyish gratitude for the favors he had received made It easy for her to encourage the growth of an Intimacy that she acknowledged charming, while she sincerely believed that he would be helped by It Find ing him ressnsive. she deliberately set herself to please him. She was bo longer brilliant and chilly, but gay, smiling and unaffected. Once In a while Cortlandt went with them, but he was usually uncommuni cative, and they scarcely felt hla pres ence. When he did talk he talked eas ily and well. nelf I'll hdp ;uu face this trouble, olher- j uise don't cait on me for anything. I'm throuwi.. j Kirk reread this amazing epistle sev- j era! titms before iu full significance struck lilin; then, when he realized i what it meant, he felt himself break : into a jtvi-;it of apprehension. That j plain clothes man bad died! The po j lice were looking for him. There cpuld i he no other explanation, else why had ! Ilk-gins and the rest fled the country'' Perhaps he was already Indicted. Kirk saw himself accused of manslaughter r.rrested and tried. What could he do if hl.-i father refused to help? Evident ly the governor believed him guilty. In that case the young man knew that ex planations would be futile. Even the letter he had sent would do no good. When Darwin K. Anthony said he was through he was through. Finding a secluded corner of the ve ruudu, he sat down to think this mat ter out, but the more he reflected on It the more serious It appeared. Of one thing he becume quickly convinced: New York at present was no place for him. He rose quickly and entered the hotel, where he bought all the latest New York papers and found an ac count of Mr. Padden's efforts to dis prove his connection with au nsault upon the person of a detective named Williams, who had come from St Louis. But nowhere was there a word about the present condition of the plain clothes man, nor the slightest hint toward explaining the conduct of the mysterious Jefferson Locke, for tt'lwim Iia h;i1 Iiumi uwl iehlm Wlin flic ! devil was Locke, anyhow? The article did not even state the charge upon which he was to be arrested. In an other paper Kirk found something that relieved bis mind n bit. Evidently Williams had not died prior to the time of going to press, although he was reported In a critical condition. One thing was clear, at least. He could stay here no longer as the Cort- andts' guest he had already Incur red an obligation which he would have dilHculty in discharging. Conquering bis sense of humiliation as best he could, he called up the Cort lamlts' suit. Edith answered saying that her hus band was out. Then, in response to his request, she came down herself. I "What has gone wrong? Why this face of tragedy?" she Inquired aa she j seated herself beside him. "I've received my declaration of in dependence. I've beard from mj dad." He told her everything without reserve, then showed her the lettei and the newspapers in bis hand. She scrutinized them with a quiet serious ness that seemed to make his trouble her own. Turning her bright eyes upon him, she Inquired, "How does It feel to be disinherited?" "Blamed uncomfortable! I must tell Mr. Cortlandt at once." "Let me," she offered, quickly. "I would not show any one that letter. If I were you, nor advertise the fact that you are in danger of arrest It will be quite enough If I tell him that you have quarrelled with your father he Is a peculiar man." Kirk signified bis agreement. "Now whut do you Intend doing?" "I'm going to work." "Good! Good!" She clapped hef hands gleefully. "Oh, I don't want to," he protested, "but the old gentleman thinks I'm no good, and I'd like to show him he's wrong. After I've done that, I intend to loaf again yen, and I'll know how tc (oaf by that time. Of 'irse. 111 have to psy my debts too. I'm going t hunt a !"! this aftemoo i." "Whnt sort?" f "Sonietiiing with big pay and n-i responsibility." j "Those positions are taken bv ' iveuiea iiiotoroont. "TVb- rt ie world didn't you say so "Wei!. I have forgotten most of it," be coiife-sc-l. "I ha;l a railroad of my own. too. when I was twelve years old. I was president." Tnfortunately, the F. It. R. has a president, so we can't start you In where you left off." "Ho might need an assistant." Mrs. Cortlandt laughed lightly "While we are finding that out," she Raid, "I think you had better go ovei the line In daylight and really see what this work Is like. That glimpse you had at Gatun Is only a small part Now, will you trust me to manage this for you, Mr. Anthony?" "I should nay I would." f. ;, .11 an ! i - CHAPTER IX. Th Truth About Mrs. Cortlandt, DITII CORTLANDT was not the sort to permit delay. At lunch she introduced Kirk to the master of transportation army," she laughed. "What can you doT' "I can take an automobile apart" "And put it together again?" "Oh, no! I can sull a boat: I shoot pretty well; I waltx nicely; I row, swim and box indifferently; and I play an atrocious band at poker. Am I hopeless T "Dear, no! Experience Is a , good thing, of course, and ability Is even better, but ueither Is absolutely neces sary in government work, If you have Influence. I am trying to think of the niche into which you would best St." "When a fellow hasn't any of those qualifications, then what? Take me, for instance." "You have at leaat one. Influence." He aliook hla head. "Mv father Several days passed thus, during I wouldn't helD." which Anthony fullv recovered from his exerie!ice at Colon. Then a ship arrived from New York, but before he had summoned courage to ask bis friends for a loan he received a letter forwardi-d from Colon by the Ameri can consul, a periled ef which not only dumfoimdcd him. but entirely altered his plans. It was typewritten on plain station cry: there was neither heading nor sig nature, yet be whom it c:.n,. tHn't eat.!,- ;t: , Co'ice !-!, I . i t- knew quite well frtim It read as follow: the "We'll have no difficulty In finding you a poUtJoa." "Juve! That's good news. I had an idea that I'd be going from d.wr to door." He shook her hand warmly, that be ing the natural outlet fr his gratitude. ; and she s-niled at him. 'i wondet I where I'd Letter start in." he said. "There's not the slightest choice. All paths lend up the mountain, ami if you j go far enough you will reach the top. t It would be quite easy If you knew r-t : :n or the ! VlCvt v asU .cu I cm I a : t- ' r l.ly The o;h. r. .! be t . i r- t won't h,-:;' nl IJ tar r. -v I! tr : 1 but if ci- sometr.i! for i---"Oh. I me ever i-h It : als.ut the railroad business . I'e had t'::it e I w s a i hi.d. s.-s-Ved In It. tcH jri !ir d-i led lntc I grvw up My f.i'liet j U-fore he of the Panama railroad, saying: "Mr. Runnels has offered to take yon out through the cut this afternoon and explain the work to you." Runnels was a straight, well set up serious young man. Anthony was drawn to him Instantly, for there was no affectation about him. "She's wonderful," he remarked a moment later, as he and Kirk descend ed the hotel steps together. "She told Colonel Jolson he'd Just have to find you a position, and I have been dele gated to show you about." "The Cortlandts seem to have consld erable influence for outsiders. I thought I'd have to begin at the bottom. " Runnels glanced at his companion quickly. "Outsiders! You don't cull them out alders? She knows everybody nnd ev erythlng In this country. She's the whole diplomatic service. Take tin Colombian trouble, for instance" Continued on Page . 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