EIGHT PAGE3
DAILY EAST ORKGONIAN. PENDLETON. OREGON. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 21. 1915.
PAGE SEVEN
OwrlfM, Uls, ky lrUl Fublletthm OorpsnUs.
EIGHTH EPISODE
Ber Husband's Enemies.
CHAPTER I.
TnE beautiful runaway bride opened ber tree
In dated bewilderment, to And herself gaa
log op Into (be dark, handsome face of the
black Vandyked man I She wae In his armal
She felt another claap about her tbe man with the
while mustache. Gilbert Blye gently released bit
bold of ber, and tbe white mustached man turned
to carry ber op the hill iter eyet closed again,
Gilbert Blye, freed of bla beautiful burden, bur
ned op tbe embankment to where bli luxurious
limousine stood by the aide of the broken rail. A
be Jumped Into tbe driver's teat and pot bit foot on
tbe clutch and bit band on the brake be glanced
down at tbe tcene of tbe accident Tbe tail leaned
against a sturdy tree, which bad stopped It from a
ratal tumble. HI jet chauffeur, the wide featured
8catti, wtt bringing up the unconscious driver of
tbe UjL Tbe vivacious brunette and the bear;
man with the thick lidded eyes were helping Mrs.
Vlllard. That gentle faced woman bad lnalated
upon walking, but the came with a painful limp,
and ber face waa drawn and white. Blye started
tbe car forward with a Jerk, turned It dexterously
In the narrow road and, Jumping down, arranged
(be cushlona with a swiftly certain band. s
When June again opened ber eyet Blye wat brush
ing back ber tort brown hair from ber pale fore- '
bead, but he wat not holding ber. She wat in the
luxurious limousine, with her bead pillowed on the
ohnulder of tbe white mustached man, Orln Cun
ningham, and bis arm wat about her. She straight
neJ at the became aware of that claap, and Blye.
us Mack eyet glowing down upon ber, smiled reas-
.iingly. Tbe car started, and aha turned to look
t Mm Vlllard, who aat beside her with compressed
- The Injured taxi driver was op In front, sup
, ...d by the heavy Udded man. The runaway
' ' 'e cloned ber eyet again and sank back Into the
,ilort which she so much detested.
liiyel How much be bad been In her life since
'lie had run away from Ned! And little did June
know (bat Ned, through bit detective, bad obtained
the number of the auto In which abe had driven
Hint day. The number wat M607707.
Ilonoiia Blye received a telephone message from
BUI Wolf a few hours after the time of the anto
accident
"You husband bet gone to hla club," be said
huskily.
Tbe wife drove hastily to tbe club entrance. She
met Wolf, who pointed to the chauffeur Statu,
aylng:
"Tbere't your husband's driver."
Ilonoiia taw Srattl standing beside her busband'a
limousine.
"I'd like to make yoo a little present," said Hono
ris In augared accents, and, fumbling In her pocket
book, abe produced a bill
Scattl turned to ber with alacrity, and every Una
In hit broad, low face widened.
"Now you'll tell me where Mr. Blye wat thla
evening, won't your tbe wheedled.
The smile faded from ScatU'a lines.
"Aren't yon going to tell me?" And the voice rose
another notch.
No answer.
"Give me back that money 1" she screamed.
There were thirty-seven llghtt to be counted be
fore the perspective merged In a blur. Scattl calmly
Inspected them all In deep absorption, but during
the entire time that one narrow silt of an eye bad
a dancing glenm In It
Ilonoiia scowled back at the Imposing entrance to
the club. The doors stood wide open, inside the
tessellated vestibule were stiffly uniformed attend
Hula. Beyond waa a marble columned hall, and at
i he end of that, through an arched opening, was a
paneled screen.
Suddenly Hnnoria dashed up the steps which no
woman bad ever trod and before any one could atop
her bad rounded the paneled screen and stood In
the grill room, amid a wildcrnesa of oaken tables,
at nearly all of which snt men busy sending curling
wreaths of Incense toward the high glided celling.
There were glasses before most of the men, and a
dense and painful alienee pervaded the place, al
though as Honoris bad rushed through the hall ahe
had beard the loud babble of animated conversation.
The men In that club were turned to speechless
clay at tbe eight of this fuming apparition.
"There you art!" she screamed, and as her gaze
settled' from lit twlft roving Into a fixed direction
one msn came to life and rose the blnck Vandyked
Gilbert Blye. "There you are!" she screamed again,
and the ttarted to twist ber way among the tnblet
toward ber long lost mate. "You will alay away
from home, ehl Too will run around with other
women I You will"
A door In the corner oened and closed, and Gil
bert Blye wat on the other side of It I A fat man
laughed. Honoria Blye turned on them all and be
gan to tell them Just what ahe thought of their
dab. A balf dozen attendants regained conscious
ness and crowded round ber. One of them. Indulg
ing In toothing talk, accidentally laid hla hand on
ber aleeve, and ahe left four red lines on his face.
For the first time In Its dignified history that club
resounded with the shrill echoes of a confirmed
ccold. The chuckling fat man achieved an Inspira
tion. Ha came np and said confidentially:
"Tour husband is slipping out of the basement"
When Honoria reached the Imposing entrance she
si as Just In time to tee Scattl slamming the door of
1'ie luxurious limousine, and as that brilliantly light-
d car tped down the street with Gilbert Blye re-
n'ng comfortably amid the soft cushions a pen I
'Milliliter filled the blnck.
'onoria sprang Into her electric coupe and, turn
i on all the "Juice," wheeled down the street In
i d pursuit But at last she gave up the chnse
and went home.
A norse with pink cheeks awakened Jnne in the
morning, and aa the patient opened ber eyet the
two pretty glrlt tmlled their. appreciation of each
other.
"How are yon this morning J" asked tbe nurse,
preparing to put a thermometer between June'a red
Hps.
"Perfectly well, thank yon," laughed June, tossing
ier waving brown hair back from ber shoulders at
abe raised op. "How It Mrs. VUlsrdT
"A flight tpraln," explained the nurse brightly.
"She will be able to go home In time for dinner tblt
evening. My, but you folks bad a lucky accident!
Ton mutt He down nntll tbe doctor comet."
"I'm going to get np," announced June.
"Against orders. My dear, you must stay In bed
ontll Dr. Remert tays you may get up."
"It be the one with the funny red sideburns?' and
June looked down over the plain coarse white
nightgown in which she bad been put to bed.
"Where are my clothes?"
"Tou're not ready for them," and the pretty nurse
tmlled In triumph. "Come Inl"
Thla last was In answer to a knock on tbe door,
but before It could open June had hopped back Into
bed with one spring. She and tbe pretty nurse were
laughing at each other In tbe tbeer light hearted
nest of youth when tbe doctor with tbe funny red
sideburns came In.
He was a Jovial doctor, and a very nice doctor In
deed. He felt Jane's pulse, and looked at ber
tongue, and prodded ber a few times, and examined
her bones, talking to her all tbe while at If the were
a little girl about ten years old.
"Now I am going to get np," proclaimed June at
toon as tbe doctor had gone away, and she twung
her pink feet out of bed again. "Where are my
clothes r
"I'll get them for yoo." And the pretty nurse
turned cheerfully to go.
"Ob, no; wait a minuter June's big eyes were
sparkling. "Please let me try on one of your uni
forms." Tbe pretty nurse dimpled at the admired her pa-
Sirfl , .i p t T-jy . I ...in II.I.I..I.1P.M. h.jhui, i i.j) iirnlii in in . ii i Vt
INSIDE WERE UNIFORMED ATTEflDAMTV rl'kA XA ' J'J il l
tlent June would look "fetching" In nurse's cloth
ing. There could be no question of .that but the
shook ber bead.
"I'm afraid It wouldn't be permitted."
"Just to try it on," begged June. "Left ask the
head nurse."
It teemed a tremendously dating thing to do.
"I wouldn't risk it" And the pretty nurse puck
ered her brows. Suddenly ber face cleared. It waa
as If tbe sun bad popped out on a rainy day. "Yet,
I can! Mrs. Wade Is on duty this morning. For a
minute I thought It was Miss Simmons."
Mrs. Wade was a smiling woman smiling lips,
smiling eyes, and It seemed as if ber hair smiled
but she was dubious about tbe uniform.
"It would be a radical infraction of the rules," abe
declared, with an absurd attempt at severity, "but
we'll ask Dr. Kcuiert not to tell."
They all three laughed at that and within a few
minutes June was In a stiff white uniform, with a
prim little cap on her head, and was walking se
dately Into Mrs. Villard's room. She paused on tbe
threshold. Gilbert Blye was there! As be caught
sight of ber June saw the glow of admiration leap
Into bla black eyes. She balf turned to go In ber
embarrassment but Mrs. Vlllard stopped her.
"Come here, you pretty thing!" she called, and as
June shyly enme to the bedside Mrs. Vlllard laugh
ed, and Blye Joined ber.
Dr. Bemert came In and expressed bla profound
astonishment at bow grownup June looked In a
uniform and tweaked the pink ear lobe which peeped
from beneath the trim little cap. Tbe bead nurse
and the nurse with tbe pink cheeks snd tbe phe
nomenally thin nurse crowded in to admire June;
then Dr. Remert scattered them, so that Mrs. Vll
lard should have some rest before her next bandag
ing, snd he took June with him for a round of the
wards. He gave her a thermometer to carry, so
she should look useful as well as ornamental.
She came back from that round of the wards rath
er thoughtfully. She bad seen so much pain and
sorrow and suffering, wan children and wan moth
ers and wnn men who should have been strong, and
in the light of all their woes ber own problem
seemed foolish and Insignificant
In Mrs. Vlllnrd's room as June approached tbe
door she heard voices, among them Orln Cunning
ham's. She turned away and went across the ball
to the room where the Injured chauffeur lay. He
was In considerable pnin, the pretty nurse siilrt, but
he lay there smiling, with great cheerfulness upon
bis roughly molded countenance.
"I guess I'll be laid up for a week or ten days, "J
be stated, with a grin.
"Tbnt's a long time to be confined In a narrow
little room," sympathized June.
The head nurse brought her bit of sunshine Into
the room.
"How ere you feeling?" she asked.
"nully!"
"Then you can probably stand ple:innt sur
prise." smiled Mrs. Wade "You hsve a visitor."
"Oh!" The sunshine U'ft the roughly molded fnce,
but the grin was back In a minute, "iir. tell nor
(he doctor says I nlu't to be talked tn long Ami
ciiii'l one of yon nurses stay here to make It strong?".
Ills grin was so coiinMing that the livid nn no
grinned back at him. She wat a woman of much
experience.
"Of coarse yoa must not be talked to very long,"
the agreed. "And yoa should have a nurse with
you to take care of you." She looked at June a
moment; tbea ber eyet twinkled. "I tblnk I'll leave
thit one."
"Much obliged." And tbe man turned bis cheerful
grin to June, who aat down primly tt tbe bead of
tbe bed.
Tbe man ssnk back when tbe head nurse left and
looked as feeble at ha could. Hit nurse wat smooth
ing the pillows when tbe door opened, end there
came in a large, heavy Jawed woman, with a long
ostrich festber on ber bat naif a dozen cheap rings
on ber fingers and two buttons banging loosely on
ber coat one by a single thread.
"Well, well, Joel" ahe said In a heavy voice, and
she stared at June. "Didn't I always tell yon yoo'd
get ltr She bent over and kissed ber husband as
a matter or propriety. "Hurt you much?"
"Something fierce!" huskily murmured Joe and
half closed his eyes.
"Tough luck!" said the woman. "Ton wouldn't
take out that accident insurance I wanted yon to,
and now I auppose I can starve."
"Oh, well, yoo ain't done it yet!" objected the
man, his tone losing some of Its feebleness. "I guest
yoo can get' along till I can get out of this. I give
yon every cent I ever make."
"I guest tbat't a lott" And tbe woman tat down
with a thump.
"Thirty dollars last week."
"And bow much tbe week before 7
"Well, It was a rotten week." And the man turned
bis eyes toward June, who looked steadfastly out of
tbe window. There being no belp from that quar-'
ter, be proceeded In helping himself. "Ton got
enough to ran yoa for ten days. Too know yon
have. Come on, Allcq, be sociable."
"Oh, I can come on ail right and I can be sociable
all right, bnt suppose yon don't get out of here In
ten daytt Tben what do I do? Starve, I guese!
Say, how do yon come to be In a private room?"
I ;! THE TAXI LEANED AGAIH5T A TREE
f- 4 I I..
111 ir'V.jK Iaz l i- v - -
SHE WAS Ifl HIS ARMS
She looked at June and sniffed.
vate nurse!"
"The good sport that picked us up put me here."
The woman surveyed the bare little room. There
were no curtains at the windows, no upholstering,
no softening graces of any kind on the white enam
eled fittings, but It bad an Immense superiority, tbe
cause of which she could not fathom. It was abso
lutely clean, and she paid an unconscious tribute to
. that phenomenon.
"Why, It's better than I got it at home!" she com
plained. Tbe man turned bis bead over aud back
again, but be said nothing.
"Say," the woman went on, "the fellow that
spent the money for this room and the private nurse
would have done better to let you go In the public
ward and give you tbe money for your wire!"
June, at tbe window, moved Impatiently.
"Nurse," said the man, 'tan you get me my
pants?"
June opened the door of the tiny white enameled
wardrobe In the corner and brought out the man's
trousers, handing them down with the tips of ber
thumb and forefinger. The woman took them and
deftly ran her hauda into tbe pockets.
"Seven fifty-five," she reported and clicked tbe
money Into her purse. She hung the trousers in
tbe wardrobe and shut the door. "That'll belp a
little. Did you get your pay for tbls driver
"Not yet, Alice." And his head rolled restlessly.
"Well, yon tell me who It was. and i ll go after
ItP She had turned from the wardrobe and waa
regarding a tray which stood on Its folding stand by
the wall. She lifted tbe napkin. "My God!" she
exploded. "A hothouse peach! And yon didn't ent
It sll st that! You know what I had for my break
fast? Coffee and sinkers and basbt And here you
are living on the fat of the land!"
"IxMiky here, Alice!" The man had raised up In
bed, and there was t twitch of pain at the corners
of his lips as be stretched out an oil blackened fore
fin cer.
June whirled from the window with a snap of
her big eve. She still carried the thermometer
which Dr. Bonier! had ulveu. her Now she thrii-t
It In the man's mouth, put a hand at the back of his
neck and gently forced him down.
'The time It np," she crisply told the woman. Her
voice wat low and toft and the visitor puzxled aft
erward at to bow it could be to effective without
shouting. June went to tbe door and opened it
aware that the eyes of Joe were fixed on ber in
undying gratitude.
The woman looked doubtfully at her husband, but
tbe figure it the door wat to Inflexible that the
tuccumbed to discipline.
"Well, so long, Joe," she said. "See If yon can't
get your money for that drive by tbe time I come
again." She waved a wifely band at him and stalk
ed out She turned to June In tbe ball. "If the
fellow that's putting up for this room will give Joe
tbe money instead we'll be a lot better off." ,
June was so shocked at tbe cold callousness of
this speech that she could only dumbly nod ber
bead, and abe walked down to the nurses' little
desk at the end of tbe ball, leaving tbe woman to
find ber way out alone. Joe, the chauffeur, lay,
cheerfully grinning, with the thermometer In bis
mouth.
Again tbe everlasting problem the man, tbe wom
an and the money 1 The runaway bride sat In the
vacant chair at tbe little desk and pondered It all
out Thit person who nagged, who followed her
busband even to the hospital to nag, and whose
husband welcomed the hospital because It was a
relief from nagging this woman was tbe outcome
of the custom by which the man, earning, possessed
all, and the money be gave to bis wife was as a
gift A selfish woman and one without delicacy,
such as this nagger, made it ber business to get all
she could, and the pursuit bad become a passion
with ber. She waa like those beggars who continue
to beg after they have become rich by It begging
from the force of bablt and from tbe love of the
art of making people give and from the sordid de
sire to possess. It was wrong, all wrong, some
where! - June shuddered as she remembered this
wife going through ber husband's pockets, and then
she recalled her dream of herself standing before
Ned as a piteous pan per, holding out ber band for
alms. She bad been right ahe decided, as she had
decided time and again. She had acted wisely In
running away before she bad committed herself to
charity and before any barriers had been set be
tween their love. She must earn her own way
Mercy! June sprang from her chair and ran to
"And with a ori- 1 V
0 ? '. i
JUMEWAS IN A STIFF WHITE UfllFOKM
tbe room of the chauffeur with a sudden violent
wrench of her conscience. Joe lay there quite cheer
fully with the thermometer still In his mouth, and
he grinned as well as he could after twenty min
utes of this exercise. When June removed the ther
mometer that side of his face remained twisted and
puckered for some time, aud It ached, but lie was
perfectly happy. He could be alone for twenty four
hours!
CHAPTER II.
T
HERE was a consultation In Mrs. VlMard'a
room. Tommy Thomas sat at the head or
Mrs. Villard's bed. T. J. Edwards, the
heavy man with the thick lidded eves, sat
on the other side In stolid silence. Cunningham
leaned negligently on the foot of the bed. Before
Mrs. Vlllard lay a picture of June clipped from a
Brynport paper on the day of ber marriage to Ned
Warner. Tommy Thomas had Just found it and had
brought It with her. Cunningham picked up the
picture and looked at It with twinkling eyes, smooth
ing his white mustache complacently. Gilbert Blye.
sitting in the far corner on the window sill, with his
Vandyke in hit long. lean, white hand, suddenly
rose and, walking over to Cunningham, took the pic
ture from him and laid It on the bed.
The pretty nurse th the pink cheeks opened the
door presently and heard these words lu Ulyes
suave but forceful tones:
"Tbe thing to do Is to gain her confidence. There
must lie a con:pY;e chan-e of :;ie:h d "
The voice stopped abruptly. Edwards, Cnnalng
bam. Tommy Tbomaa and Mra. VUIard were all
listening Intently. Mrs. Vlllard seemed troubled.
Tommy Tbomaa, with deviltry In her eyet, waa
laughing at Cunningham, who seemed uncomforta
ble. Tbe round beaded Edwards sat slowly nodding
as be looked at Blye. Mra Vlllard reached quietly
forward and turned the piece of paper on tbe bed
face downward. Sbe seemed even sad.
"Beg pardon," said the pretty nurse, noting tbe
sudden silence, snd. slipping In, sbe put ber bsnd
under tbe sheet and felt of Mrs. Villard's ankle.
Tbe entire group was motionless, snd there waa a
strained tension In the room until the nurse went
out She saw Mrs. Vlllard reaching forward for
the piece of puer as she closed the door, and as
she walked away sbe beard Blye's smooth, even
voice again.
When June came Into Mrs. Villard's room the con
versation again stopped abruptly, but tbe group
moved Immediately.
"Oh, see tbe pretty nursle.'" hailed Cunningham
And June glanced down in embarrassment
In that moment of her downcast eyes Tommy
Thomas and Mrs. Vlllard. Blye and Edwards, all
glared at Cunningham. He flushed and walked
nervously over to the window.
''.tally the costume is quite be niuing to you." be
added In a tone he had never used to ber before,
one of extravagant respei t
"Indevd It Is, dear." said Tommy Thomns. She
sllpiu'd an arm around Junes waist proiertitigly.
and Mrs. Vlllard ejlanced up at ber companion wltb
moist eyes.
- "Well, we'll see yon later." said T. J. Edwards,
with a clumsy attempt at heartiness, and. rising, tie
bowed to the ladled. "If there's anything I can do
let me know." His small eyes roved to June, but
there was no patronizingly fatherly glance lu them
and no disposition to pat ber en tbe shoulder.
June was puzzled. There seemed to be a dlstiuct
(hange in the attitude of sll these people toward
ber. Yesterday they had pursued her with a mock
ing certainty In which there was an underlying in
solence, but now they seemed to have liwt Hint
note of overfumillarity, and she liked the change.
Only Blye was the same. His black eyes glowed
when they rested upon ber, and be still wore his
suave smile, though somehow be seemed more
frank. June found herself suddenly liking this
black' Vandyked man As she turned to smooth
Mrs. Villard's pillows tbe three men exchanged
glances, and the suavely smiling Gilbert Blye stroked
his black Vandyke. They turned their eyes as by
one accord to the beautiful runaway bride.
Ned Warner at the very moment in which Blye
and his crowd bad changed their tactics toward
June was, after Interminable red tape, sc-urtng tbe
address of the owner of car No. MGO7707, and. that
secured, be hurried out to tbe beautiful home or
Mrs. Vlllard np the nudson. He came to It by tbe
lower road, and as be approached tbe house he saw
Marie In the sloping hillside gardeu. He stepped In
the shelter of the wall to consider. A few days ago
his first impulse would hove been to rush up to
Marie and seize ber and compel ber to teli what
the knew, but Marie had proved herself to be a
slippery customer. Sbe bad denied knowing Ned
on his first meeting with ber after the runaway:
she bad denied knowing earnest and eager and
black Aunt Debby when that faithful servant of
June's mother bad happened upon Marie In tbe mar
ket, and only yesterday Marie bad run away from
the entire family, taking June's collie. Bouncer, with
her. There was little to be gained from Marie, ir
Ned were able to force himself In and search the
bouse June would tie hidden by some one or be
helped to escape, as had happened yesterday at the
Widow O'Kecfe's and also at the Bond Securities
building and everywhere else. So there was but
one thing to do to conceal himself about the grounds
ontll June herself should appear He adopted that
course, and the weary hours dragged on, noon, aft
ernoon, evening.
With the dusk the luxurious HmouMne of Gilbert
Blye left the hospital, and in Its brilliantly lighted
comfort sat the precious June and Mrs. Vlllard.
Tommy Thomas, Orin Cunningham and Gilbert Rlye.
Strange what a difference this day had made lu
Juue's feeling toward the-e people. They liked her.
If their views of life were not her views she could
keep ber own. They seemed to have discovered that
she meant to retaiu her ways of thinking and living,
and It was so much nicer since they had npparut!y
acknowledge.! this. Now her work as companion to
Mrs. Vlllard would be much more pleasant They
were chatting In gay comradeship tt they drew
tear the Vlllard home.
Ned Warner as the shades of n!ght drew In ven
tured Into the Vlllard garden and nearer the house.
As be crept up toward the back porch the door
opened, and June's collie came bounding out foran
evening run. Bouncer had no sooner hit the open
than he gave a loud yelp mid came tearing straight
In Ned's direction He Jumped mad circles around
Ned. leaped npou lilm. barking his loudest welcome,
ran halfway up to the hou.se. ran back to bark his
Joy at Ned again and started to bring Marie!
He had ti" need to go all the way Marie had
come out on the rear porch to see what was the
nutter with Ml .lure s pet. and the lights from the
house glistened on her high cheek bones and ber
lllieral supply of gums.
Ned had stepped back among the bushes with the
hope of edging himself over to the wall before Ma
rie could arrive. To his surprise, however, Marie,
though she looked down lu that direction, did not
come. She called Bouncer, and together they weut
Into the bouse. Ned t.x.k advantage of Marie's In
difference and of Bouncers confinement to slip clos
er aud lix'k In nt the windows, front, side and rear.
The lower floor was brightly Illuminated, snd the
front porch light was lit. as If some one were ex
pected.' June! Some Instinct told Ned that she wts
coming, lie concealed himself behind the shrubbery
near the porte-cochere and waited.
Suddenly he Involuntarily tened himself. Wheat
were approaching Then a brilliantly lighted llmou.
sine sped Into si-lit. and as II turned the curve Ke4
saw In It his beautiful runaway bride. Over he
was Umi ling the dark, handsome fce of the blsek
Vandyked Gilbert Blye. his eyes glowing and on bla
llp th it despl -able smile.
With an oath Ned stepped forward. At last hla
moment had arched. Within another Instant aa
Gillvrt Blye helped June frnrn 'the limousine 54
Would have the scoundrel by th I! -rot.
to nic ". i im - i