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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1916)
8 .THE SUNDAY FICTION MAGAZINE, MAY 21. 1916. A fSeart and Its . liardemm Continued from Page 5) can't get any satisfaction out of it any more. It disgusts me,"' he says. I felt awful sorry for him." You know, after he begun to dry out, he wasn't a half bad sort of a kid In his own helpless way, and it did seem a shame for a man her. ' She's an actress, and she's a regular take it from me! Say, she wilted like a girlso behave." leaf of lettuce in a skillet of hot grease. "Why, certainly," Freddie says. "I The tiling went on like that for several would treat any friend of yours wlth'the days more. Then, one afternoon, Freddie greatest respect." See He was a real polite little skate, as well as harmless. So I called up Madge who'd seen soused and happy all his life Grady and asked her to come and see me. to be paid with misery for getting sober. Madge was playing with the Fourth Ave- So I saya to him, I says: nue Stock Company, but when I first met "Now, I'll go have a talk with her, and her she was chauffeur on a telephone come to me, fizzing like a bottle of cham pagne. He says to me, he says: "Come on out with Madge and me this afternoon," he says. "We got a surprise for you." "Well," I says, "I can't get off just now; I won't be through until 3." voice come back, but the guidingigh beat me to -it. She let out a screech streaked across the stage, and decorated Freddie with her slim person. . vt "Oh," she says, "that I should hair driven you to this! But it isn't too late,' she says. "Come back, and all will be for given!" .s: Then she backed off and fainted wher she thought Freddie's arms were; but tb floor got her. So then I come to and wen aee if I can't put her to sleep again; and If I do," I says, "for the love of Cupid don't drop any more confessions and wake her up again. I'll go talk hearts and flow ers to her, and when she ,snores I'll give you the tip." ' So I went up. She was in bed, all propped up with perfumed pillows and ringed around with empty chocolate boxes and novels, and what are you laughing at? Oh, well, she lay there looking like a set piece of immortelles at a lodge mem ber's funeral. "Listen," I says, 'way down dep and slow, like I was saying my prayers where somebody could hear. "Listen. Would you have the boy's blood on your hands?" I says. "He's frantic with grief, and if you don't forgive him I shudder to think of what may become of him." -I made no hit in the part. "Don't apeak His name," she says. "That odious beast! And after all I did for him! I wish never to see him again!" "But," I says, "he's played cards your way since you took him up, and you knew what he had been when you first met him." "Ah, but I didn't," she says. "And he never told me until after he had led me on to care for him; and now my whole life is ruined," she says. "But who's going to understand him now?" I says. "What soul's going to be a guiding light to lead him from the dark ness into the light, and all that stuff? You wouldn't ditch the poor boy and let him wander on alone, lost and hopeless, would you?" "I cast my pearls before swine," she says. "1 wish never to see him again!" I begun to get sore. Freddie'd never pestered' anybody but himself, and I knew that she's netted him in the first place with malice of forethought; so I got up, and I says: "Well," I says, "if you keep your eyes to the front when you're out maybe you won't be in much danger of seeing him," I says. "You know Freddie don't make everybody sick since he quit drinking, and switchboard, same as myself; and just be cause life was hard, and she got to be an actress, I dldn't-look down on her. I was friends with her just the same as if noth ing had happened. So she come down, and I told her about Freddie. "For you I'll do it," she says when I'd explained the thing. "But if he's as bad as you paint him, it's going to be hard la bor. But I'm strong," she says, "so trot out the calamity, and I won't shiver." It's a cinch Freddie didn't exhibit any symptoms of abomination when I intro duced him. Madge was no blemish. They got busy right away, and when Miss Marsh came in they were cuckooing over In a corner of the lobby too quiet to be heard. I saw her lips shrink up like some body had dropped alum dust on them, and her head snapped back like she didn't 'Well," he saya, "We're going to have over and lifted her head, and I says: a blowout on the stage up at the theater. When '"you're through," he says, "come up. Now, don't fail me, will you?" "No," I says. "Sure. I'll be there." About halfpast 2 the manager come to me. "You can get off now," he says. "Miss Marsh says she wants to see you up In her room." She'd crumpled. When I went in, she got down on her knees. "Oh," she says, "can't something be done?" , 'What do you meaiff' I says. i "Oh," she says, "he must be saved from that horrible creature! She has utterly be witched him. My cruelty has driven him to this," she says. "Can't something be done?" "Well," I says, "if harsh words drove care; but she did. Buh-lieve me! They him away, kind smiles ought to bring him didn't have to do any sleuth work to Io- back." cate her after she got that initial peep; she managed to be in eye-shot of their bliss most of the time, and she enjoyed it all like a case of the smallpox. f After a few days her pride got leg weary, and she came to me. "I see," she saya to me, with a double reverse curve like a letter 8 on her mus tache lip, "I see that Mr. Van Sicklen has found balm for his wounds. Your solici tude for him was as unwarranted as my interest in him. He seems quite foolishly happy with that-hat brazen creature. "Ain't that lovely?" I says. "It pleases us both, don't It, and takes a lot off our minds? We was so worried for fear he'd do himself some harm on account of your losing him wasn't we?" I says. She didn't seem to exactly agree with me. - ( "Who is that degraded person he's con stantly seen with?" she says. "Why." I says. Til try to find out for you. Next time I see Freddie I'll tell him you want to know." "You'll oblige me by doing nothing of the sort." she says. Tm not in the least there's many a queen would rather marry interested in Mr. Van Sicklen and "his him like he is now than work for a liv ing," I says. "He's love-sick all right, but you know you ain't the only prescription ever put up for that ailment," I says. That eot beyond her fifth row. She lights-o'-love," she says, and made her getaway. So later I seen Madge antTtold her may be her sentence was pretty neaV served. "What do you think?" I asks her. "Is tried to register "Home, James." but the now the tim'b for him to giv himself back to her, or should he play a while longer?" "WTiy, It's nothing to me," she says. "Nothing at all! You'd better consult Mr. Van Sicklen." "Well, say," I says to her, "I don't know best she did was jealous rage. She or dered me out, and I went; but I took an idea with me. " m. ISTEN." I says to Freddie. "She's I says, "you're all through. She can see Just what you look like, and she don't like I-know," she says; "that was my the ory. I have smiled and smiled," she says, "and heever notices me. I can't seek him out." she says. "That wouldn't be maidenly, would it?" "Well, maybe not." I says, "but it might be efficient. What do you think I can do for you?" I says. "Oh," she' says, "you know him well. He sent you to me in the first place. Go," she says, "and tell him that I forgive him."" "Are you willing to sacrifice your, pride?" I saya. "Are you willing to prove to the poor boy that you forgive him, and that you are sincere?" "Yes," she says. "Ill do anything anything to save him from the clutches of that horrible creature my cruelty drove him to," she says. Ain't it the limit? She, couldn't even own up to herself, then that she wanted him. She still had to make believe she was a life-line. "Listen," I says. "I know where he is to be found. He is in the company of that awful woman at this minute," I saysT "If you want to prove your sincerity, come with me," I says, "and rescue him from her yourself." "Oh, anything!" she says. 'Anything t&vsave him from that dreadful woman!" "Weil," I says, "you be dressed at ten minutes of S, and stand for the taxi fare, and we'll go tear him loose from the ten tacles of shame and degradation," I says, "Oh, anything!" she says. "Anything!" rv. Listen," I says. "Don't weaken now You're in tlme I says. "He's all yourt Wako up and enjoy him." Then I begun to suffer. My old fries Madge give me a look like I waa a gerrl that had bit some of her folks. "What do you mean," she saya, b bringing that madwoman to our" wee ....... i ding?" , V-J Now, what would have been a nice ar swer to that, do you think? I sure couldu find any apt replies on me Just then. . ' , Freddie come to my rescue. Tea.' did, just like an athlete .shoving a crlpp off a cliff. He grabbed Madge and klsse her a couple of times, and he says: .I'Take no notice of her, sweetheart," says. "I think she's in that woman' pa You know," he says, "ahe has done even thing in her power to induce me to retur to her. It's a nasty conspiracy," he aayi "but don't fear, sweetheart! "A She didn't. She waa too busy hating tr to fear anything just then. "And I thought Her a friend!" ahe say1 "What treachery!" Just about then Miss Marsh got her se! bnd wind. She got on her feet all by be self and talked. Her remarks were ad dressed to me. There was no doubt aboi that. She used some words that went v my bead, but I knew it was me she mean "So you were in 'his pay!" she say Gee, I was getting double pay and dldri know it! "You were in his pay, and yd brought me here just to humiliate me. see it all now," she says. "I have beo tricKea, Detrayea. But never fear.,, yd shall pay!" she says, and went away.' "Well," Freddie says to me. like a dy peptic judge talking to a wife-beater, "t you think you have made enough troub for Madge and me on our wedding day he saya "I think the ceremony can a concluded, without you." I think he was asking me to leave, dor you? Maybe "telling" would be a bett way or putting it. so I come away ai left them with their new-found happines and when I got back the boas says: . mou re a nne diplomat! ' he say "WTat have you been doing to Mij Marsh?" i . - "I haveVt been doing," I says. '1 bJ done, on both sides." I says, "and Ti crisp around the edges. Don't ask H wnat happened," I saya "I wish youl find somebody that knows, anil get the to tell me." - t "Well," he says, "she told me I'd. eith have to discharge you or she'd leave tlf Said you'd 1 J WASN'T I cute? You see, I had it all figured out. We'd go up to this wVl af VlOf Wkll V" ws in v V. 3 V. 1.1. - Vlnnrnl1 K A mil rk ACTA 1 wrn n V yv aI a-m i. 1 - LISTEN, i says xo rTeaaie. one s " j uni, j um wtuu uy uio uv iiiici , w no. 10 ci , yv a.o, uuici xajluvi ruw usUiuuig. got insomnia. As a beautiful dream," sweat of your feelings or not," I says, and make a'scene and a lot of trouble, and suited her. Did your you don t act like it was so awful tough then she never could say it wasn't her "Listen." I says. "I've been on a brf helping spend Freddie's money. Can you own fault I "thought maybe she and I've been soused to the heartstrings J what she sees. The only way to make her look at him and keep your appetite, may- Freddie might get married somehow in other people's troubles, and mixing ti think you're worth having around is to be?" I asks her. . the excitement and never feel it. brands. I don't know what I ''done,' aive her the idea that you've jumped her "Don't be absurd!" she says. She came down on time, and we went says; "but if you'U overlook It this timl pasture forever and found the grazing She talks that way sometimes now, out and put a taxi cab around us and; I'll never do it again. sweeter elsewhere. Now you pick out since she got to be an actress. When she joyed up to the stage entrance of the And he did. But I will. Oh, I know i some woman that can listen to you talk w& sowing telephone-plugs and reaping Fourth Avenue Theater. There was a lot and look as if she liked it, and let this harsh words, she'd have said: of, actors and some people going In, and I guiding light of yours that's gone out see "Can that stuff!" says to the doorman, I says: You can't get away from environment. you together a lot. When she sees some other beacon lighting up the wilderness for you, I think she'll shine again," "But who will I get?" Freddie says. ' "I've seen you with a lot of them, I saya "They haven't all died, have they?" "No." he saya "But I ain't drinking now. You don't jxpect me to sit with one of those' silly frills sober, do you?" See? He wasn't so werse, was he? 1m nara-neartea now. if I saw a mi liooaire stealing pennies out of a bill! man's cup, I wouldn't call a cop; rd J halves with him. But I'll fall. Some can you? So she called Freddie, and .Fred die says: "Well," he says, "we ll let her bake a while longer. We might as well make a good job of it while we're about it." - And they certainly did. They- was to gether all the time; out to dances and "We was expected." He let us in Just as if we was, and we these days the tears win rise to my ey went in on the stage. BeUeve me, death at the thought of some poor bewilder! made an awful strong bid for me fight : woman who can't keep her servants witl there. There stood Madge and Freddie, out paying them, and then I'll know f holding hands and looking like a couple of due again condemned spies with a wall back of them Is there some of them German doctor and the sun coming up. About two paces do you thinkf have ever discovered ar down to the cafe; out joy riding half the in front of them was a ministerial nring , utue anunai savage enougn to go dow night. It seemed to me they got kind of squad of one, all togged out with side- into the depths of your blood and tl Or am X hopeless? "Well," I says, 'Til hire you a lady for careless as to whether they played their burns and a frock coat, and with a deter- sympathy germs? the part. She's a friend of mlne,so don't parts where the sweet soul could see them mined look in his eye, dunno. ' 'St-''"i let your tongue stumble when you're with or not; but shs saw enough of them oh, I would have yelled myself when my Copyright by The Frank A. Uantey Co.J
