Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 1917)
1 r THE SUNDAY -FICTION MAGAZINE. . 23.1.1917 By EMILY CALVIN BLAKE lUustraicd by Bet BetheU . u -rr-nirii-ii n iifr wn . if liii . - ..giffM Mifsa -ri u lift mil iivs W& Bk - SSI SSI SSI SSI SB ."-, SSI SSI SB ' ' . SSI BM . SSI BB1 Bft S B MU m em SSI SB SSI mm -SB. I SB H M K - A SB SB SB SB . SB BB SB SB H H BB B MW Bi SB H H BSk M H V. ADAM HAT. h was called. At the time of which'!, write she was quite SO, but she looked : like a straight, till' ; unbend able old . bickorjr ' tree. No storm. it seemed. IS fx&, (ft could more than shake her. She was rated as rery rich, and she lived in a great house built Ins, part of the city almost completely siren over to business. The gay life of a mag niflcent hotel went on about, her on the -right ; and to the left a twenty-story of flee building reared its white head, - Madam Ray had a fainting spell-one day, and the pale daughter-in-law, Mrs. Jesse Ray,: who made her home with Madam Ray, called in the family physi cian. He Installed me as nurse for an In definite period. 'Not that Madam Ray was confined to her bed, but the doctor , felt she must have a constant trained at tendant. Ten years, he thought, would - see her weakening toward the end. Care ful supervision would ' make those ten years more free from physical mishap. -From the time'Z first entered Madam Ray's service I quite admired her, per haps because she was extraordinarily generous. TrNie, she was very much of ' her class. Inclined to patronize those' whom she considered beneath her; seem ing to haye been shielded by .means of her wealth from contact with any part of an unsavory world, yet holding un shakable views on ' any question that might come up for discussion; and ruling all about her with an iron hand. There must be one exception made to the rule of Iron. Madam Ray's grand daughter evaded that "rule. Perhaps be cause she was so' much like her grand mother. , One could hardly believe .Rena to be the daughter of the pale and depre cating Mrs. Jesse Ray, for the girl was high spirited, willful and very beauti ful, with brilliant eyes, sea-colored, and a mass of black hair that she arranged to follow smoothly the shape of her regal little head. I - Rena at this" time was engaged in some business of her own, and Madam Ray was quite aware of, this business, and disapproved of It. Rena tried one day to make a statement regarding her inter esting affairs, but refrained, stopped' by an imploring glance from her mother. The business of Rena's came out one day when I saw her approaching the house with a tall, blond young man with a swagger in his walk and a worship in the glance he rested on Rena. I recog nized him at once, for too often his dare devil doings had made Interesting tid bits for Sunday supplement readers. He was Glen Keith, heir of an old and im poverished family. To .his intimates he was known as "Fearless Keith," a right good name, since he looked as if he feared nothing on the earth. But from the first Madam Ray was dead set against young Keith. She pas sionately worshiped her grandchild, and she thought young Keith not In the least degree,, despite his family, good enough for Rena. , At any rate she set her face ; against the match, and pale little Mrs. Ray spent hours begging Rena to yield to her grandmother's wishes, as though that proud girl would brook any inter ference In her affairs. Besides, it was to be seen thatShe had given her whole heart to the reprobate. One - afternoon when I was with Madam Ray in her own old-fashioned, high cellinged room manipulating the soft violet "ray ordered by the doctor Rena entered like a whirlwind. When she sawher grandmother lying back Inert on her bed Rena was for hur 1 rying away as precipitously as she had - entered. But something in the girl's eyes : - arrested Madam Ray's v attention and peremptorily she bade her return to her side. . ' j- ' "Now, the truth!" she demanded. The girl grew rosier. "Have I, not always . told you the truth?" she cried. 1 "You've been out with Glen Keith?" Tes,". said Rena. head held high, "and we're' going to Wmarriedl"; - - ; , . "Without my consent?" " "If necessary, said Rena. - : " " . : Madam Ray rose- up in her bed. - "I forbid you mentioning that scala - wag's name again!" she cried. . "ery well, said - Rena - quietly, s i "We've both 'asked your consent te our marriage. Now the consequences are on your own head," J ; - '-. And with- no other word she went - . away, every fiber of her young and vigor . t ous body breathing defiance, ; -, . A spirited girl,- said Madam Ray to me; a spirited girl,' but not quite fool-" , hardy enough to disobey me!" - ? Actually she was rejoicing In Rena's valor, so honestly come by. . ' But Madam, Ray reckoned wrong con cerning Rena's foolhardiness. ' The Tory , next day Tthe papers flaunted the elope- - . ment of young Rena Ray, noted heiress, -T and ' Glen Keith, wide and unfavorably . known as Fearless Keith," ' ; - .'Mrs. Jesse Ray then" promptly 'took to. her bed, but Madam Ray-remained un- - daunted. - Only dally she took to watch- lag for the postman. But no' letter came - - from Rena. Only the papers occasionally; watt it .;'. s X' I. J." W : KWMi 9- i . i. - . chronicled the young pair's peripatetlo movements, and that horrid, scurrileus society sheet, "Subtle Gleanings, when the marriage was about three months old, carried an innuendo that' "Fearless Keith" was as fearless as ever In his pur suit of pleasures that should now be past dead fruits to him. And after a time many of 'the more respectable papers took to coupling the Initials of a well-known actress with the name of Keith "M. G-," as the world . well knew, was Malde Gresham, the comedienne, and if the world had a sense , of humor it knew, too, that Glen Keith running true to form, using no orig inal material. Y All these items I saw old Madam. Ray cut outsof the papers and carefully pre serve.' And she had me call up her law yer, when she' gave him vigilant direc tions to keep a careful and constant eye ' on young Keith and report all his move ments to her. I think she foresaw the Inevitable breaking up of the marriage- , Mrs. Jesse Ray, who was terribly apol ogetic ever since her daughter's mlsde- ' meanor, moved about the .old lady, giving unasked her advice In a soft-footed, half pleading way that sometimes stirred Madam Ray to quick-cutting speech. . -"My son must have found your lack of backbone anything but Invigorating!" she cried one day. Mrs. Ray's hands trembled, her face lost its color. She found courage, howw ever, to answer: . "Jesse needed Nothing from me, mother." "He needed a great deal that you never ' gave him," Madam' Ray retorted vigor ously. "A strong hand, for one thing." " Mrs: Ray was now on the verge of tears. But she was goaded by the ele- -ment of criticism in Madam Ray's voice to ask a question. - "Do you blame, me for Jesse's being where he is?! "In the sanitarium? Come, speak out; since , the subject Is broacTfed; ; don't -- mince your worda" " Mra Ray cast a glance at me. Madam Ray knew its significance. , t "You may speak frankly before , this " young woman. She has been In at a few , of our family skeletons as it la. Since . the matter has come up, let us have it ; out; I think a firmer hand over my son ' might have saved him!"'",:."-Y;''- V: -' "Jesse resembled neither his father nor ', me," Madam Ray went on. ,r "He was - weaker in fiber, more pleasure loving. I -hoped much from his marriage." : ' ' -. -t "His weaknesses were his strengths," - murmured Mrs. Ray in a broken voice. - - Well. let us leave the matter," said Madam Ray. "At 'least two weaklings managed to produce a high-spirited crea- ture-'3.:v;vi"; ' . . She . said this a little proudly. . and dramatically at ' this moment ' Rena, aa rT though Invoked,' entered the room." V: r ' Madam. Kay, after. the flrst shock of - the girl's appearance, sat perfectly still, ; .for the first time in her strong old life. v unable to speak. Her eyes stared' from r her withered face Into that of her grand ill! ' if '(im1?, fir i Fit iv ' ' 't ii .a nv i ii ' . . u . lxi i.'m J.'j W, f '.wuiijx ji l'i it Mil mm U's i:' ' ' . 'a iTlX Mr Tci," gafrf ena, Aeaf fteM ftfA, - - chlM. and so for a fun moment -the tab leau remained. . - At last Rena moved forward, did not stop till she reached her mother side. . She stooped and placed an ardent kiss on her mother's frightened cheek. 'Aren't you glad to see me, mother?" she asked In her rich young voice. . Mrs. Ray nodded a bare assent, cast ing as she did one- of her appealing looks at her mother-in-law. But Madam Ray was stin regarding Rena with her old hawklike eyes, never once wavering in their direct glance. Rena, finding her grandmother did not mean to open the conversation, walked to the high mantel." lifted a small marble' figure, examined It as closely as though she had never before seen It, and then put It gently down again. At last, with a quick little turn of her head, she looked at Madam Ray and In a clear tone made her announcement: "I have left Glen!" she said. Madam Ray spoke at last in an icy voice: 1 am not modern, my dear young granddaughter. So perhaps you will ex plain yourself. Do you mean divorce?" - "I have left Glen; that Is all at pres ent," Rena replied. A flame shot lto Madam Ray's eyes. "X should be glad If you will deign an explanation of this decision? Women of your family do not play fast and looser' however bad a bargain they contracted!" An answering flame came to Rena's eyes. "Women of my family have borne more than they should. X shall have all or nothing from any man!" . "Knowing your sweet temper, my dear granddaughter," said Madam Ray. Tve -"no doubt you tried your husband fa the limit." ' - ' "Possibly I did." said Rena Indiffer ently. ."At least he found In me an able "antagonist.", " , ."Your scenes must have been very edifying." said Madam Ray. "May X say ' now that X was a prophet and foresaw ' that two such natures would set one an other aspark!" - ' . : To thia taunt- Rena gave no answer. - And Madam Ray continued: -x "I,resamably.yo are entitled to your J" own manner of thought. However why return to me. -whose Judgment you flout- -. ed?.' Remember, there has been, no pub- . lie disgrace In our family, my young- and ' - - ardent ' relative. , We women have suf-r , fered ad borne In silence!" ."But not I!" cried Rena proudly.' "I have left the man who has grown ab- ' ; horrent-tome that Is afl!" ' A flash of ; triumph ' " passed M over . ' Madam Ray's face.' She' sat a moment In ; a reflective silence, then she' spoke slowly and with amphaslsf , -- -.- You will not return to Glen Keith?" ; "Never!" said Rena, and yet her pride ' was shot through' with pam, shall Clever.- return' to him. grandnlother." . "Very well,- said Madam Ray. fun catlsfaetlon In her manner, "lathers any-1 " it ' thing more to be settled?" ' . J ;' - ' ..." a- . y . , . . . i 5 ? 1 1 1 "and w're going to be married!" Now Rena looked a full moment into Ray's face. A flood of color came . and went up to her forehead. When she spoke her tones were low. "X should like," she said; "X should like your great-grandson to be born in the old blue chamber where my father was born, and where, too, X first saw day!" For a moment Madam Ray stood. A quiver like the wind passing over waters crossed her face. Then at once she put out her hand and touched a low-hanging tassel on the walL In a moment a serv ant appeared. "See that the blue chamber Is made ready at .once for my granddaughter," she said. She looked at no one In the room as she gave her order, but returned to her chair and sat down, picking up a large purple bound book and turning its pages In an isolation that cut her off completely. Glen Keith put In an appearance on the third day of Rena's return to her own home, and I was the one delegated to go down and ten him that Rena would not see him. This after the Intimidated but ler had twice reported that the young man refused to take his message. "I have come to say that Mra Keith Is engaged at present, and therefore " He Interrupted me unceremoniously. "X wish to see my wife at once; and if that old vixen 'of a grandmother Is keep- lngfher against her will He stopped. to finish: "I want to explain to Rena." He was very likable as he stood there, and for the moment I really felt sorry for "him. But X answered: "Madam Ray Is not keeping your wife . against her wUL' Mra Keith requested me to say that her last words to you were final!" ' He stood perfectly still then, and hi boyish face lost an its light- X wondered how Rena could find It In her heart to de sert him. X suppose that wta part of his fascination for women, his dare-deviltry combined with his boyish appeal. - New he said: "Win you tell Mrs. Keith, please, that U shall not trouble her again!" . ... There was both menace and threat in his tones, but these I tried not to convey . to Rena when X repeated his words. Yet she stood ' a . moment, all 'the color . , quenched from her face, and for the first . time X saw Madam Ray evince outwardly. . the great love she had far .the girl who m had defied her. She put out "her hand and touched Rena's shoulder lightly, but she spoke no worda" '; - . -Only there remained still the triumph- - ant expression 'on her face, and later X . . found her conning the damning evidence against Glen Keith, to be used against V him in some not very far day. .. ' '. - During this period Rena's father died at last In his sanitarium, and the women " -. went Into a sort of monastery of mourn- -, Ins. ' Now more than ever Rena and her grandmother were thrown together, and ; the soft webs the old woman wove grew ", : ' - tighter' and- tighter -1 ' 1 . 'i'. V- " - J :, ' 1- ' f ' y. '.. . . r Mil l I 8 tf "Your son," said Madam Ray on day -out of a clear sky, "otherwise a pauper, shall be my heir, Rena!" "Thank you. grandmother." she said,' and then: "Hell need all you and X can' give him." Rena's son was perfect. At 4 o'clock In the morning, after a night spent by Madam Ray in lyi&g down, sitting up and walking about, despite an X could do, the white-capped, starched nurse brought the little baby In for Inspection. I a ban never forget Madam Ray's glad cry as she stood up to recelfthe Infant. Her great-grandson, only male repre sentative now of her Una Her firm lips quivered. The nurse took the child away again to Its mother, and I got Madam Ray back to bed. With her rare recuperative powers she recovered from the lon strain of waiting and was about again in a few day a Up In Rena's room, a purified Rena, with white face and great, dark-ringed yes, Madam Ray sat as long as ah was allowed by the nurses. Whenever she could she held the little child. "Just we three," she said once In one of her rare manifestations of love; "Just we three now!" And Rena, probably too weary to an swer, basely nodded. Rena was her accustomed self, ap parently, tn a month. Such wonderful days with ttar new little son. Madam Ray actually took a new leas of life. Shew telegraphed her agent In Florida and had a house prepared and ready for the an nual flitting. She showered Rena with gifts, bought regal outfit for the baby, even turned a more just fac to Mrs. Ray. And then, bit by bit, perfectly plain to the trained eye. Rena began to fad a The doctor gave her a Vnlc, advised the hasty removal to Florida, and all prep-' aratlons were pushed. One day X found Madam Ray alone tn her own room, wide awake after her nan, ; Eh spok directly to me. . r "Doe Mrs. Keith seem d to you?" she aaked. - . ; V- fShe.does not seem to gain' as Jsh should." X answered. ";.. "What is the trouble?" ah asked. 1 neattated. but her straight gaze com--palled a straight answer.''. -. "She's unhappy," X said. "Why should she not be happy?" ah , . asked with hauteur, ' - . - "She's pining 'for something, som ele . ment gone out of her life." I answered. .- A week later Madam, Ray called for " " her great-grandson and sat with him on -'-her Up looking' down' with worshiping . C eyes Into his clear young features. Sud denly she rang for his nurse, called to me, and Issued her orders In a definite. -'"crisp vole: ,''".',- V- - "" ." ' '" : "Be ready at midnight to accompany . m m an errand," ah said, .. . -Eh, gased almost fiercely at cne, as .. ' though to dare my thwarting her tntea- tion, but knowing her well. I merely re- . "Very well at midnight." - V During the afternoon she Jn fisted .gain on being alone, and keeping within short can, X heard her, using the tel . phone, one call after another, till sudden ly her activities ceased and ah allowed - me to prepare her for her nap. But at midnight ah was ready, garbed and strong.' At midnight we went out Into the dark night. Sounds of merri ment came from, the gay, hotel en en side, the deserted oOc building ' roe gaunt and pal on the other, and In be tween nestled -th great old house that . . had sheltered many generations. . " A carriage waited at th curb,' Into this we entered after a sharp ' of direction to. the driver from Madaai Ray. She satt In one corner, staring ; straight before her. We drove .for an hour, then topped before a building set wen back from th road. XJghts streamed out her and there, but It looked discreetly secretive. W left the carriage, and Madam Ray . leading the way, we went down a narrow -path, up a few steps, and Madam Ray -. pressed a belL A uniformed man loune- . dlately opened th door and called an ' other uniformed man. In a moment then we were both being ushered up a broad pair of stairs, down a hall, and then th man with no ceremony flung open the door to a room, and a sudden burst of brilliant light cams' upon ua . For a moment the light was blinding, then the room took shape, with its occu pant. It was a large, exquisitely fur nished room, with a table set with silver and glass In th center beneath a crystal chandelier. And at the table sat Glen Keith, and opposite him. glittering tn green sequins, .bar shoulders and many, diamonds, the actress, Malxle Gresham. Beside her on' a email chair was a tiny ' . monkey, shivering in nervousness be neath Its meshed coat of gold, with small, glittering sapphlrea . Madam Ray stood in silence. Surely In all her well ordered days she bad never been In such a room nor come In such . personal contact with a woman of Malzie Gresham's clasa And Indeed. Miss Gres ham might not have existed for all the notice Madam Ray deigned to -.bestow -upon her. With her back superbly straight and turned in almost vocal dis dain upon the actress and her monkey, . Madam Ray faced Glen 'Keith. - "Your wife, my granddaughter, wishes to see you." she said. Glen Keith flushed a deep crimson, and ,111s eyes gased steadily back at Madam Ray. But even yet he was with out words. . , "Your son " Madam Ray began launching hervbomb, and at this he start 4 forward, galvanized into sudden Ufa "My son!" he cried. Tour son was born six weeks ago .to day at 4 o'clock in my home," ahe said, -and waited. . : "But ;" he began; and then stopped to repeat incredulously, "My son!" , ' "Your son," she said again;, "which may explain many things!"- This statement he did not answer, only continued to star at Madam Ray with wide eyea ' "I haves made the child my heir," ah went on; "X have given him my guar dianship in one vent." V" "And that?" he asked. ' " "That you relinquish all claim to Mm f" she cried. "Why. then." he said; "why, then, does my wife wiah to" see me?" . The gray look that spelled renuncia tion stole over Madam Ray's face, but ahe continued calmly enough: ; : z "That you mar give your consent in her 'presence' to make th whole rnitfr . legal and to sign th necessary papers," He bent his head, but said nothing. ' She continued: . ' .' V .. " - "In the event of your signing; the paper and so relinquishing S ifm -upon your wife and sou. I bar ready for you a check for-1100,000!" , She men tioned the sum very distinctly. ; - T There ensued for a moment a dead si lence, during whose Interval Maizl Greew ' ham looked at young Keith wJth wld and greedy eyea But a cloud black as ' thunder had ' gathered on his face. At length t - - . "I uppos X deserve this!" h cried. . And then: "X win go now to my wife, but you may tear up your rotten little check!" .7 : ' . - . I - Madam Ray Inclined her head, and with th look of a great lady wanted past ' Malxle Gresham and out of th door. ' When we had entered the carriage Gles ' Keith caught up with us, took his plac ' and sat down opposite f-n Raj, -" , ' We Vent Into th dark house, up th ' ' velvet stairs, and an three paused . at " Rena's door. A light cam softly over ' the transom, and Madam Ray with steady hand knocked softly, then' pushed th ' v door open. .-.--C- ..".: ''' : "You win find your wife in there wUfc your son." sh said. ' " " . " ' Sh stood a moment when h had dl' appeared within. ' " V;',"-' "t"" : - "So, he murmured "not an black!" Then ah recovered herself. ' v .' ' "I am Very tired." she aid, "X rftf-Tg Z trta go to bed."-' -' ' - - ' - v iccrrf-xM, mr, fc? s. EeurX ' : " i