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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1915)
EIGHT PAGES DAILY EAST ORKGONIAN. PENDLETON. OREGON, WEDNESDAY. APRTL 14. 1915. PAGE sevi:n jfjm rer Csvyrtchl, 1M, by hrUl PultlcttloB Oorpontto SEVENTH EPISODE . The Tormentors. CHAPTER I. I HE Widow O'Keefe stooped quickly and snatched eomethlng from the floor while Bvt strangers peered Into ever; absurd nook and corner of tbe two rooma and batb which comprised tbe Widow O'Keefea top Boor iult The object waa small snapshot of June. Tbe deserted husband of pretty June Warner waa at tbe ball door with bla baud reached out for tbe knob, and In another Instaut Ned Warner and June would have been face to face! In that instant tbe Widow O'Keefe whipped the snapshot under ber proa, and the vet? swiftness of the motion struck into tbe corner of Ned Warner's restless eyes. He turned, and be and tbe father of June glanced at each other. There was something suspicious in tbe bent and warped and withered Widow O'Kecfe and ber tall slip of a son. Ned came abruptly from tbe door and renewed bis search. At that very moment June, Just outside, bod paused on the third step ' from the bottom to retle tbe bow upon ber saucy little slipper and to give It a vigorous pat to make It behave and stay In place. Slim young Sammy O'Keefe walked to tbe win flow, whistling, and glanced out with an air of great Indifference. On the other side of tbe street stood Officer Toole, snd bla eyes roved anxiously from window to window of the narrow, dlugy allce of louse which waa the Widow O'Keefc'a. At eight of aminy Officer Toole pointed energetically toward the door, lie waved both arms and pointed toward the doorway. annoy then slipped quietly out of the room. June! The listless Sammy used the next quickest method to wireless. With one noiseless spring he straddled the banister rail, whined around tbe cum aai down to June, wbo was halfway op the stairs. Jumped off with a footstep as light as a feather, grabbed the astounded girl by the wrist and dragged her down tbe steps 'at the risk of both tbelr necks. Sammy shoved June iuto'the second floor hall closet . Saniruy locked the door and stuck the key In his perket and aut tbe springs In his thin legs to work snd was sitting laiily on the top step, bored and whistling softly, when Ned Waruer and Mr. and Mrs. John Moore and Hobby and Iris Blethering tamo out, Bobby extremely dejected and Irla ex plaining volubly that it wus all a mistake. June couldn't possibly have been here. But ebe must have been, after all, because- Still, bow could It bef June in tbe dark closet, shut off from all light and souud, stood bewildered, ber eyes distended In tbe darkness, while Ned stood not two feet away from ber. He bad paused before thnt very door, aa If some delicate mugnetl-m bad caught and held blm there. No trace of her anywhere; no trace of Marie, the French-Canadian maid with the high cheek bones; no trace of the mysterious black Vandyked man. whom none of them had cared to mention to the Widow O'Kecfe. Gilbert Blye! Ned clinched his lists, and his brow grew black as his mind filled with tbe luisge of that dark, handsome face with Ita glowlug eyes and suave smile. Thai image bad never been absent from Ned's, mind since the die appearance of bis beautiful bride. Ned became aware of the WJdow 0 Keefe eying him from midway of the stairs. She wus a frail looking old womnn, with her gnarled bands clasped before her, but her bendy little eyes were as sharp aa the unexpected Urea from dull Jewels, ned there waa not one move of Ned'a party which escaped ber. Sammy, still whistling with overnoncbalance, waa ao persistently not gazing at the closet door that It waa a wonder no oue asked for the key. "We're wasting our time," dually said Iris Bleth ering. "We're probably letting them get away." And June'a friend took her husband with her. TbeJ rest of the party followed Meanwhile Marie, disguised in the suffocatlnglyj tight black mourning outfit of the .Widow O'Kecfe.1 waa many blocks out of the danger tone, smothering In a telephone booth and calling up the place where June had gone to work. Mrs. Vlllard was not In her beautiful home up the Utidson, nor was Mis June there. They bad gone into the city, but the maid gave Marie a telephone numlier. Mrs Vlllard answered that call from a gorgeously furnished room where half a doxen stunningly gowned young women sat smoking, and her kindly face showed Im- . mediate concern when she learned that June must , not come borne to the Widow O'Keefe's. jj. "Why?" she naturally wanted to know. "Well, you're a friend of hers, aren't your hesi tated Marie. "Of course." smiled Mrs. Vlllard, and before ber rose the fresh young face of pretty June. "Well, then I'll tell you." Marie threw her thick - black tell over her shoulder for the twentieth time, and a drop of perspl ration trickled down her nose. "I'm ber maid Marie, and she mustn't come home." "But ahe'a already started,'' worried Mrs. Vlllard. "Sbe'e probably there by Ibis time. Why mustn't be come homer "Haa ahcr And the voice of Marie cracked. "Olil Ooodbyl How am I to get her away from there!" "Wait mluutel" This seemed to be no time for asking questions. "I'll come down in my carl" "Oh, yea, dor gasped Marie, nearly pulling the , transmitter off the wall. "Ooodbyl I have to hurry!" "Wait minute! Walt Mnrtel Where am I to corner "Oh, year And Marie gulped "It's the Widow O'Keefe's, at the corner of Deshley street and Duck alley, right across from Tim Ceurky's saloon. Any policeman can tell you the place. Hurry!" And Marie, starting another aeam In the Widow O'Keefe's mourning dress, plunged out of the telephone booth, battling for air. Mrs. Vlllard stood at the phone a moment, with a musing amll arrowing upon her lips; then she gave the number of a magnificent club. The man whom a brasa buttoned page brought through tbe marble corridors from tba leather bang library to answer the call wore a suave a mile and a black Vandyke. Thia la lira. Vlllard, GJberV came tbf low, weet Totce. "I bare something very important to tell yon. June." "Ohr Gilbert Blye stroked bla black Vandyke with his long, lean, white finger. "ID join yon Im mediately wherever you say." "Shall I atop at your clubr "Please." Gilbert Blye walked oat of the tele phone booth, sent for bla hat and eat In the recep tion room near tbe door. The family limousine of tbe Moorea bad no sooner rolled away from tba widow's bouse than Sammy O'Keefe unlocked tbe closet' door In proud self ap probation. "What waa Itr June asked. "Your husband, miss." And the Widow O'Keefe laughed ber cackling triumph and rubbed ber gnarl ed banda over each other. "It's small satisfaction be got out of me and Sammy with bla prytn' and bla lnqulsltlve"- "Medi" cried Jnne, and aba clutched at tbe banis ter rail, "ns waa here!" "Right where you're atandln', mlae. And your fa ther and mother and" "Daddy! Mummy!" The tear gathered. "Don't yon mind, darlln'," encouraged the widow heartily. "They got notbln' out of either Sammy or me. Sammy, I'm proud of yon, boy. I didn't know you could He ao rood, and 111 never believe anything yon tell me again. And there waa a couple of your friends, miss hearty sou of a young wom an that never left off talkln' or laughln' or crytn' or eomethln' one minute after tbe other and ber hus band, a henpecked little fellow that'll be no trouble 1 " - -J fK - V ' i , . t. 4 , t t blye orrzaxo june a trip oh a PRIVATE YACHT" " "- until he geta waked np some day; then watch out for bis kind. My Dan waa that way. . 1 could bully rag that poor devil night and day till I see the glint begin to come In bis eye Why, darlln', wbat'a tbe matter? Sammy, you big simpleton, why don't you get Miss Junle a glaaa of water! And be quick, will you!" Jabbering out all ber pentup excitement not a word of which June bad beard, ahe helped tbe color less half fainting girl up to ber own rooms and mothered around ber with a solicitude which waa fully as lively as ber tongue and far more sincere. June might aa well have been alone for all that she was conscious of the O'Keefe ministrations. jThey had beeu Tier, here In thee very roorus, Ned, ber father and mother! How she longed for them! How ahe wished tbey bad found ber! And a great flood of love surged up In ber She must see them! She must go to tbem at once! She must give up this foolish flight for a romantic Ideal and be Just a girl, and return to ber own people, and be petted and forgiven, and be clasped In Ned's strong arms, never to leave tbem agulu! She rose wltb a wild Impulse to hurry straight afier Ihem. but her knees lieut under ber. She bad not known bow much thia sudden emotion bad taken away her strength. The Widow O'Keefe pressed her tenderly buck In her chair, and Sammy beld a glass to ber Hps and Ispllled a trickle of water on her chin. She smiled at them both, for she was very fond of them: then the widow drove Sammy from the room and put June on the bed, and took off ber little shoes, and drew tbe blinds, and left ber alone to cry It out; Aud the Widow O'Keefe rasped her own eyes wltb lumpy kuuckles as she closed the door June sat suddenly bolt upright and dried ber eyes aud hunted for her shoos How bare everything looked In the room! Why, everything was gouel And where was MnrleT Marie had Just turned the corner of Ofllrcr Powd's post when there came swiftly toward her a family limousine which she remembered with a Jump- In her breast Suddenly there was s loud yelp of Joy from a handsome ml lie silting lieside the driver and Bounc er, who never left Ins teat beu in the city, was halfway to the curb In oue spring. With a shriek Marie beaded for the uearest alley, Bouncer barking happily at her heels Five voices yelled for Jerry to stop, but It was unnecessary That god chauffeur bad used both brakes, and the Moores, the" Blethering and Ned nrner all tried to crowd ont of the door While the agitated Bobby blocked the doorway Ned rtishrd after Marie, but he suddenly found himself breast bone to breastbone with Officer Dowd. "Excuse tne," said Officer Dowdi still breasting hlin. "Was It you or me that's In the rondT "I want to speak to that young woman"' And Ned tried tn pass around Officer Dowd as "thnt young woman " accompanied by the leaping Bonnier, turned sw.ftly Into a narrow alley The Inst fla.-h of her was a red anil white striped stocking. Officer Dowd m at (Ills moment one of the Tost awkward men on the force lie had tried to shove around Ned, and uw they met again. brcati'o:ie to breastbone. "Oct ont of my nay!" yelled Ned "Who you orderin'r retorted Officer Dowd. "She waa a servant of mine," said Moore. "Did abe steal anything V demanded Dowd. "No.". "Then Ifa none of my business." And Officer Dowd looked toward the alley with a twinkle dawn ing in bla aye. Marie knew every turn and twist within ten blocks of tbe Corners. "Go on and apeak to tbe lady." - Tbey went down to tbe alley mouth and looked la There waa a wilderness of crooked byways, and no Marie visible. "Where to, eirr asked Jerry. "Tbe Widow O'Keefe's!" declared Ned. , CHAPTER II. M 'ABIE dashed Into the O'Keefe bouse aa faat aa ber red and white striped legs wonld carry ber. Fast aa she was. Bouncer waa six springs ahead of ber. and abe bad no sooner started to open tbe door than he burst out of ber grasp and waa across tbe floor and np on tbe bed and trampling all over June, barking In her ear. "Bouncer!" sobbed June. "Bouncer!" "Will you be still T screamed Marie to tbe dog. "Miss Jnnle. dear, get up! Mrs. O'Keefe, bide net They're coming!" "Coming!" June wss startled. "I'll hide you," offered Sammy from the doorway. "Come right here!" And be rushed across to tbe aide window. It waa but a few seconds' work to transfer June across the Are eecape platform connecting with tbe McPbereon bouse. Tbe family limousine, contain ing the Moorea. the Bletberlngs and Ned Warner, came aplnnlng around the eornerl 11 i? V "I HAVE MAPE IT TWENTY 1 - "My wife Is beret" declared Ned Warner to Mr. O'Keefe, with conviction. "I ant her!" "Come right In aud get ber," invited the widow, flinging wide tbe door. "If you take her along this time you won t be s nuisance to me any more to day." " But their second search revealed nothing. At last the discouraged party left the bouse of 0 Keefe. - In the meantime Mrs. Vlllard had stopped In front of Gilbert Wye's magnlScent club. A short wide, fat man was leaning agatnst the lampisist, smoking a short, thick cisar, when Mrs. Vlllard's chauffeur Jauuied dow n and ran Into the club, hot he paid lit tle attention until Gllliert Blye came out; then tbe short wide man pulled his slouch bat over one eye. drop)ed his cigar and with remarkable agility beat .both Blye and the chauffeur to tbe ear, where he opened the diKir obsequiously. Blye and Mrs. Vll lard talked in low. quick tones for a moment. "At IMuknam's. then, you think, in half an hour" And to Mrs. Vlllard's nod he lifted his hat. and the car drove away Blye gave the fat uuin a quarter and went back Into his club The fat man stuck the coin Into his pocket, went to a telephone and hoarsely called for a number. A sharp faced woman with a Ions nose aud high arched eyebrows answered that call "Say, this ta Bill Wolf." reported the thick one "Say. I got hlui) Do you know where l'ink mini's Is?" "yes!" unexpectedly shrilled Mrs Blye "Well, your husband's gonna be there In halt an hour and iqeet the iral!" "June Warner?" snapped Mrs. Blye violently "That's the name." said Bill Wolf "I heard him any It half a dosen times" llonorbi was hastily preparlnu to go out when a sudden thought came to her. and she called up Ned Warner IK- had iM arrived ai the lonely apart ments which .tune ami lie had tilted up with sucb care "Well V.t 'Vnrner" came the ps cot like voice of Honoris. "wor i.e U :o u.ect m. liuti.'iiid In the offices of lleiitaniln Tinlinaiu. tn the Bond .Securities building. In half an hour" The coast was quite c'pnr wlrn Mrs Vlllard ar rhed opposite the O'Kecfe hon.-e Sammy cnxie out on the doorstep. Ik, you win re Mrs. O'Kee'e lives? This tv says she bsa.ou!ig ladj f. lend sto pin' there. I'' , rnnrn ilk, affii "la it lira. Vlllard r asked Sammy, and be ex changed a pleaaant smile with the lady. "Tea, Indeed. Ia Miss June at homer "No," be grinned, "but you come right In." The coast was still clear when, a few minute lat er, Mrs. Vlllard and June and Marie and Bouncer and a buge bundle of clothes came ont of the paa sageway between the O'Keefe and McPberson booses and climbed Into the car. In front of one of Jhe tallest of those mighty tow ers wblcb commerce has reared aa monuments to ber Imperious sway Mrs. Vlllard led June through portals of a majesty wblcb would bare graced a cathedral In older days. June, lost In tbe beauty of thla entrance, did not notice a peculiar circumstance. Mrs. Vlllard bsd dismissed ber car, sending Marie and Bouncer borne wltb the clothe. She hurried straight back to tbe elevators with June and shot up to the eleventh floor, where they entered a suit of offices furnished with tbe heavy richness of a club or a millionaire bachelor's quar ters. Mrs. Vlllard on announcing her name waa shown st ouce Into a private reception room. A se vere looking man came out to meet them, a bard man, one with a smlleless face and a metallic look ing nose and chin. "I'll see you In Just a moment Mrs. Vlllard," be said in an unbending voice, and bis chill gray eye, roving to June, speculated appreciatively upon that very pretty young person. There swept Into the reception room a woman wbo almost stopped June's breath. She was startllngly handsome, with a skin like velvet a complexion of exquisite tinting, a facial contour without a flaw. Her nose was perfectly modeled, ber eyes were full snd large and round snd clear aa crystal, and she beld her bead tilted backward at a alight angle wblcb waa tbe perfection of insolence. She waa ex travagantly gowned and glittering wltb jewels, but the most remarkable thing in connection wltb ber waa the transformation in tbe severe man. He bad been changed from metal Into wax, bla eyes bad come to life, and on bis Hps a smile. "Why. my dear," he said, "this is an unexpected pleasure. May I ask you to wait Just a momentr And he glanced apprehensively toward bla private office, where a small. Impatient man, with bis gloved bands clasped on a cane, sat nervously. "I don't think I shall need to wait" And tbe woman glanced around tbe reception room. Her glance swept Just above the bead of Mrs. Vlllard. "71 r-'Vj . " J' -' 'If ;r5: . 1 . . ? . I 1 If 1 CUNNINGHAM PBEW OUT A CHECK BOOK but It swept downward as It came to June. She calmly lifted her pearl handled lorgnette, opened It rlth a snap and surveyed the girl from head to foot" with s cold appraisement of that beautiful young person's charms. She swept her gaze to her beam ing husband. "I shall need some numeyft' she re marked, and there was an additional Insolence In her having made herself oblivious to the fact that there were strangers present "With pleasure, my dear " And Mr Pluknam was as obsequious as if he had been a salesman whom the woman had Just favored with a large order. "How much sluill It he?" "Ten thousand." she said calmly. The Impatient little man leaned forward and start ed to talk ns I'ltiLnam sat down at his desk, but no attention was patd to hi pacer renewal of the Con versation, and he died Into fuinlnc silence while the chock was w ritten Mrs I'inknam stood In disdain ful repose. "I have made It twenty," Mr I'lnknnro observed,' using the liicnittHtlng tones as he tried to smile. "Thank you,' she said and. folding the check, dropped It Into a llltlp eoirl purse as If It were a trine of vulgar tnslsnlnVunre. If the man had thought by his eagerness and generosity to strike from her any spak of gratitude or affivtlon he bad been mistaken, for. ha vim; thanked htm In a man ner a bleb made the ih in';s themselves an Insult she bade blm pwdbv and swept from the office And the man? Tic beamed after her! Mrs Vlllard and June btent bed a slh of relief Tbey were Invited Into a handsome Inner office. The Insolently handsome woman! In M"s I'ltikiiam tie; runaway bride hrd reeonu'red Htmttier and a st:!rt!ln p!i,ie of ber own problem Ih'ie It was u.'.un I'.ic s;:u e. ueu-i ealiin.- coiii!:t!.'U of the man owning an and tbe woman non. of tt nan itvlBf and tbe woman receiving. Suddenly Jon gara a start of mingled aursrtaa and fright In tbe doorway stood tba darkly hand some, auarely smiling Gilbert B!yI CHAPTER lit GILBERT BLYE anavely approached Joa and Mrs. VUlard went into an adjofntaf office to talk wltb Mr. Plnknam. follow ing Blye cam Orin Cunningham, Tommy Thomas and a white haired man wltb bsary lidded tyea. Then June received tbe great abock of ber life Blye offered ber a trip on a private yacht Be had a pboto of It wltb blm. She gasped In amazement and refused it Tben Cunningham drew ont a check book and asked ber bow much money she needed. June'a cheeks paled. She burst into the office wber Mr. Vlllard sat wltb tbe iron Plnknam. "Did yon bring me ber to be tormented by those people?" abe demanded. Ber cheek were flaming, ber eyes snapping. "Did your Insisted June. "If to, I ebatl realgar "Wby, no, child," returned Mr. Vlllard. rising and holding out ber band. "I only want you to do tb things best for you to do." "I'm going!" June suddenly decided. Tbe Iron man bowed. There was no glint In bla metallic eye. no smile on bis unbending Hp June, followed by Mrs. Vlllard, sailed through tbe magnlScent reception room and into tbe ball. Blye and bis companions followed tbem." At that moment Ned Warner's taxtcab drew np In front of tbe Bond Securities building, and close be hind it came the electric of Bonoria Blye. tbat lady driving It herself, bolt upright June darted" into the first elevator, snd ber pur suers crowded in after ber Mrs. Vlllard put an arm around June in a comer of the elevator, and there were tears In ber eyes as she talked to the distract ed girl. It was tbat wblcb brought sympathy to June. It was ber greatest weakness, sympathy, and by the time tbey reached the ground floor ahe half consented to return to Plnknam's with Mrs. VUlard. She would not talk to tbe others, however, aud tbey very wisely held their peace. At they emerged on the main floor, however, Cun ningham turned to ber with twinkling Joviality in his eyes and, leaning over, whispered something Into ber ear Just as she was about to step into the ad Joining upward bound elevator. At that Instant Ned Warner strode into tbe rotunda, closely followed by Honoria Blye. Be saw bis beautiful bride in tbe company of the black Vandyked man. wbo waa watching ber with tbat suave smile upon bis dark, handsome face, while a debonulr white musiached man bent over ber familiarly and w htapered In ber ear. Be saw Juue flush; he saw ber step back; then the lady wltb ber drew ber into the elevator. Blye and the otbera crowded after her. and as Ned raced rengefully through the corridor, wltb tbe shrieking Bonoria behind him, the door closed with a bang, aud the car shot upward. They rushed Into the neit car, Ned black browed and silent and tbe shrill Bonoria Jabbering Inces santly. Tbe car had seaccely started to move when a sudden idea came to Ned. and he turned to Mrs. Blye wltb tbe first words be hud spoken to her. "We might miss tbem." be snapped. "Tbey may have aeen us and not go to the office you named. I'll go back down and wait" Aa they left tbe elevator at the eleventh floor the door of a down car clanged. If Ned had got out at the first atop, wblcb was tbe ninth floor, be would have caught that down car. But more than that He would have come face to face wltb June and tbe one persoo whom of all tbe people In this world he most longed to meet Gilbert Blye. June, who bad burst from her tormentors at the ninth floor, stepped into the down car which Ned two floors above bad Just missed. Mrs. Vlllard, still pleading, followed ber. and Blye's audacious crew laughingly Joined them. Two down cars shot by Ned, and by the time be reached the main floor the faces for which be waa watching were lost tn the throng at the door. Be might even then have distinguished h'.s runaway bride and the man with the black Vandyke bad he looked In that direction, but be did not expect to see them there. Be expected to see tbem coming through the open door of sn elevator, the girl whom he lovid above everything lu the world and the scoundrel whom be intended to strangle to death. Juue meantime b id balled a taxi She saw stand ins In fnuit of the rtmr the Insurious limousine of Gilbert Blye and understood why Mrs VUlard had dismissed ber own car. "So Mr. Blye was to take us homer she botly charged. "Dou't cblldr begged Mrs. VUlard, beginning to be as much distracted as June. "Let's go borne" Aud. stepping In the tail wltb June, she gave a sharp direction to the driver. "Don't you dare fol low r she ordered Blye and his companions. The tormentors laughed and walked forward to Blye's car. t'ptown on busy Broadway sped June and Mr Vlllard. and by tkc time they bad reached Columbus circle June's suspicions of Mrs Vlllard were allayed. Through beautiful Central park with its branches 'Interlaced against the wintry sky. aud now Jun was beglnuiug to feel a little more klndiy toward the vivacious brunette. Tommy Thomas. On Spuyteu Duyvel parkway a luxurious ;imou siue had halted, and as the tail passed It rolled out aud followed In it sat June's determined pursuers, and on the dark, handsome fae of Gilbert Blye wes airitn that suave smile. Juue turned chill with nervous apprehension. Gilbert Blye was enjoying that chase Immenoely' and be watched the weaving, swaying taxi wltb al ways that suave smile. Suddenly Blye leaned forward with an oath, snd there wss a shriek from the vivacious brunette. Something seemed to be wrong with the steering wheel of the tail, for, as It went up the hill ahead of them. It wabbled to and fro uncertainly, danger ously near the crumbling bank which was protected by a flimsy rail, and there waa a curve abeadl There was a cry of horror from them all as the taxi at the curve ran up the embankment, paused st the brink for a moment snd then with It prcl' -js burden Inside crashed through the rail and plungwl duw n tbe hill! to tit cosTi5rrr 1
