THE EUGENE WEEKLY GUARD, THURSDAY, NOV 18, 1909
i
’ --
I
PA
Novelized Krom
Eugene Walters
Great Play
Jv
John W. Harding
”'Tw*( ever tMiaf*
"Hut lb«« 1« yer bop«
Th.d “Paid In Pull'' is a story
of absorbing interest has been
proved by if* phenomenal «in
os»s in dramatic form
Por two
era toas there has
no dim­
inution in f*M> drawing power
of this vital piece of realism.
In its present form it is not less
engrossing.
The features which
made it so powerful as a play
are not less potent tn the serial.
It is the same keen exposition
of human motives put into the
simplest forms of expression
There is no waste of material,
n<> attempt to moralise, no break
tn the continuity. The three men
who are the central figures in
the story stand out tn admirable
distinctness from the very first,
and the one woman whose splen­
did rectitude illuminates it all
lives from the moment of her
appearance.
A ¡though it is cer­
tain to produce frequent thrills,
the story la neither mclodra-
malic nor sensational, Its power
lies in its humanness.
CHAITEIt I
O; I'll not give cm a raine of '<
cent» nil hour nor of n cent
all hour; miry n ritlae. un
dcrstiiiid Aud I don't want
come liete thinking you call
bul doze me. !»•■ uu»e you'll llnil mighty
If any man
mistaken
qul. k you're
y
thinks lie can do limi I want to <«•
Win."
The i words, uttered
bellow, came through
of rhe > president's r<
heard by every employee nnd visitor
In I he main office ot (be lull III Amerl
cim Hteamslilp company. which occu
pint tin entire floor of u big building
In Bowling Green. New York city
Some of the employees smiled uud
pissed the remark that the bo»s "had
•am bad" Hint day. but tlie »mil«
wrie of Hie sickly, apprehensive order,
f.-i Hie fact Hint he was In execrable
tumor was ¡»'rfeillv well known to
eu b uud all. having been Impressed
upon them very forcibly lit Intervals
fr-m tile minute tile great Ilian had
in ide til» up|»'araiiee with his unvary­
ing punctuality ns the clock »truck It
s in. Others »cowled nnd kept their
reflections to themselves
I he voices of the other parties to
the conversation were not audible to
tlie listeners, but that of the president,
«lib its nil iienetratlng roar, burst
forth again:
I don't give n tin whistle wliat you
or lour uulons do, understand. Let
’em strike, strike mid bo d
d I'm
you tell ’em thia from me-that nny
num who's fool enough tw throw up
lili joli does so for gi» d mid nil. lie'll
never work again for Hi
cim Hteatnslilp eompmiv
other port. I'll take
allow 'em who mid v
d n't know.”
The door opimisl. nnd two white
fined. Intlmldnteil men «■merged, cup
in hand. They were rough looking
men. evidently laborer Inured I" the
hardest kind of work They shuffled
quickly pant the neatly dresseil clerks
• nd did not bri'atlie freely until they
found Hieinselves in the cross stremus
of hurrying passersby on Hie street.
There, as they moppe«! their brows
and looked around for n snlisni. some
tiling of the arrogant Insolence with
which they had demiiniletl audience of
the head of the company nnd which
hud been speedily cowed out of them
by that formidable and choleric per-
•»niige returned to them
Meanwhile at the open door of the
room In which they luid been through
......... rdeal of their Interview Captain
Ainos Williams, president mid general
malinger of the line, glared after tils
depiirtlng visitors and round the of­
fice. There wits dead silence, slid ev
erv employee, from the highest to the
Olin e Ixiys. impudent anil Irrepressible
there, iih everywhere else, save when
E'-i'ialn Williams was nigh, became
deeply engrossed In his work
"Call up Mr. Smith and tell him I
v mt to see him at oncejpti'' growled
to no one In particular Then lie re­
entered Ills room and slammed the
door.
In a few minutes, however, bls bell
rang, and a boy responded to It with
an alacrity not customary In nny other
office In all New York
"Tell Mr. Brooks to come here.” was
the order he receive«!.
The boy hurried out and approached
one of the men liehlnd the brass lat­
tice sert-ens
it
"Mr. Brooks, the captain wants you.’
he announced
Mr. Brooks did not reply, but lie got
•I ,vn leisurely nnd with bad grace
from his stool and moved with equal
deiliiernHon to the president's room
"BriMiks. has Fernnndez A Co., that
Pernambuco firm. Iieen heard from
V'-i't” «lemanded bls employer
"Check came today.” wss the !■
conic reply
"Full nmouut?”
J»«kta»
Our Jawpb
hath r«c«M« a rail t« apart lb« «w»
trod "
"How dM b« get X?
EUGENE WALTER.
Author of "Paid In Full" and "The
Easiest Way"
"Yea, four thousand eight hundred
and »evenly five."
"All right That'» all."
Brook» went out. closing the door
behind him. and returned to his desk,
lie was In a bad ieu>|>er himself and
made no effort Io conceal It. for a ■ul-
len »cowl marred hl» handsome and
usually genial face. Not only was
JoHvpIi Br<H>ks handaome. but a rather
d 1st liigu laln-d looking young fellow,
whose clothe» »at well nnd liecomlngly
upon hlin. albeit they were somewhat
»lilny from wear and from Ironing by
lneX|»*rt hands nt home. And If Ills
collars and cuffs also were just a trifle
the worse for wear at least they were
Iminai ulHtelv clean.
"t’hisT Up!" nilnioiilshcd one of his
fellow clerk», noticing bls III huuior.
Brooks' missis were never taken se­
riously. for with him tits of despond
envy alternated with a contagious cor­
diality and nn optimism that knew no
limit. <>t late, however. Ills spells of
ghsimlness had brio me wearisomely
frequent, nnd usually they were ac­
companied by a nervous Irritability
"Cheer up'.'" he amtwered. with some
heat
"I don't see any reason for
cheering tip. and I don't feel like
cheering up Did you bear how the
brute received those delegates of the
Longshoremen's union lasnuse they
asked him to add a little to their star
vatloti f>ay to help them keep skin and
bone together? Why shouldn't he raise
them? Why shouldn't hr raise all of
us? He's reeking with money, doesn't
know what to do with It. yet what
does lie do but grind us down—grind
and grind nnd grind-grind us ns a
grain of wheat Is ground to powder
lietweeu the millstone»—grind us with
Ills heel, squeezing from us the very
sap of brain nnd life that he may add
i
to Ills pile.”
The clerks near him had listened to
this outbreak with amused surprise.
"Well.” said the man who had ad­
dressed him before. "I haven't noticed
you sweating blood to nuy extent un­
der the grinding process."
"Jenkins, you're a—a camel." retort­
ed Brooks. "For n wisp of hay you'd
let yourself tie loaded till the last
straw broke your back, nnd then you'd
lick the hand that crushed you."
"Nure.” said Jenkins enthusiastically.
"Anybody can loud me up that wants
to.”
"And I'll bock bls liquid capacity to
equal that of any camel." chime,! in
another clerk, while every one within
earshot grinned.
_ ____
"Oh. i ",.j
you can laugh." grumbled
Brooks. "but It doesn't alter the truth
y. It’s men like him that
of what I say.
have made oi >ur
­ society today what it
ls, n soulless. heartless, oppressive
civilization In which Croesus« walk
roughshod over the men who are
down and thrust them deeper Into the
slough with one foot ns they climb
higher nnd hither to the power that
the possession of inconceivable wealth
carries with It
What to bto
record*' want na B«»b« l<nnrtag (be
Intrrr npetoo 'Why b« Mart«d oxi I a»
n ««l«r or • »•«’«b Pacific trade,
which In ttv«« days was ih» same as
(»•Ing h plrat«, aud you know and I
know that lila name sua a terror to
»iillormcn from Sun Francisco to Aua
trnlln
He rnude Ills first money by
bullying and III treHtfng other men nnd
killing them, too, on occasion, I fa n
And
mutter of common knowledge
lie's fieen a buccaneer ever aluce
Didn't be bunko mid sandbag my fa
flier In-liiw out of control of this com­
pany? And what lias he done since
then but act the brutal tyrant over
everybody connected with It. beating
uh down to the lowest wage a man
can exist on that he may add to his
dirty heap, running this office with
(1st. boot and rope end as though it
were his lawless ship and we were hla
groveling I .«»car crew I hope t he
longshoremen do strike! They would
tie doing humanity a service if they’d
All him full of bullets."
"There’s a lot of truth In what
Brooks says.” assented a youthful
clerk In low tones, looking around cau
tiously a» be did ao.
"Well, after al). I don’t see that
you're got such a fierce kick coming."
observed Jenkins to the disgruntled
orntor.
"You don't, eb?" sneered Brooks.
“You think $20 a week Is big pay for
an nccounlHnt and collector who’s
linndled half the money of the line for
five years, eh?"
"No; I mean that you are at least
solid with the boss and sure of your
job. which Is more than anybody else
here Is. mid Hint you stand to become
nn officer high up In the company one
of these days. Williams Is n friend of
your family. Isn’t he? You yourself
time bonstisl often thnt he visits you
mnl your wife."
"That's Just It The swine takes ad
vantage of bls relations with my
wife’s people to keep me down and
rub It In. Other people get their sal-
ary raised, but I don't. Do you call
thnt a square deal?"
"It hardly seems so. but perhaps
there’s a reason. He may have some
object that will appear in due course,
ami you'll go up several numbers nt
one sweep In the meantime.” coutln
ued Jenkins, lowering his voice. "I
wouldn't let on like you have this aft­
ernoon If I were you. Joe. It can't do
any good and might do you n deal of
harm, You don't know who might hear
you. and tlie Isiss somehow knows
everything that goes on In the office."
”1 don't care." a (firmed Brooks sul-
Idly •I'd just ns lief tell him to bis
face what I think of him. and. by
gum. I will one of these days, darn
him!”
"All right." laughed Jenkins. "I hope
I'll be around at the time so that 1
can perform for you the last sad rite
of gathering up your scattered re­
mains. Ah. here's Jimmy Smith!”
CHAPTER 11.
AMES SMITH, superintendent oí
the Ijitln- American Steamship
company's docks, had arrived in
response to the president’s sum­
mons. conveyed to tiiin by the tele­
phone. Smith, known to bis familiars
as Jlmsy. was a tall, gaunt, angular
man. bearing all over him the stamp
of westerner. He was. in fact, from
Colorado, where he began Ills active
career by engaging in mining. Scant
success attended his efforts in thia di­
rection. however, and after working
with the dogged determination that
was one of Ills traits until even his
patience was exhausted he finally en­
tered the employ of the steamship
company in whose service he had
risen to his present position, with
headquarters in New York,
There was something about Smith
that caused meh. nnd women also, for
that matter, to take to him on sight.
The unbounded good nature, big heart­
edness and unselfishness beaming in
his blue eyes and In his whimsical
smile were written In every line of his
clean shaven face. Another thing that
made him remarked by all who came
In contact with him was his absolute
Imperturbability. In all his thirty­
seven years of existence he never had
been known to "get a move on." not
even when a premature blast In a
mine had sent the diggers helter skel­
ter for safety nnd carried death and
suffering to many. Smith bad walked
tranquilly away^atnid the rain of rock
and earth until It was all over. Then
he had returned anil organised t-he
work of rescue, his placidity causing
the others instinctively to look to him
for direction. Nor was his speech
more hurried tlmn were Ids move­
ments. He spoke but little, and then
Ills words came In a quiet, even, dis­
tinct drawl. But be “got there” as
quickly ns most men. and a good deal
quicker than some whose nerves were
highly strung nnd wflh whom rapidity
t.f notion was ns necosanryans breath­
ing. for he was possessed of keen pow­
ers of observation nnd common sense,
nn earnestness of purpose that gave
ids utterances weight and nn Integrity
as unshnkable an the r«« k of CHbrtl
tar
A h u filling. iiíiuoh I n<s e»>uiry.
■fl a nature In* was
complement of Mieli
endowed with a Henne of bunior ih.it
added lint u little Io the alt rm lion lie
exercised for I hose who knew Idin
Hiitlli'lenily well to be able io appre­
ciate bi» qualltleM of heart and inliij.
II» took h calm, ad embriwlng survey
of th« ritUce a» tw euierwl looked ovar
to Brooks’ d«ak and «luted bini wHh
a cordial motion of the bn nd and lu
«tnarled a boy to notify ( spaniti WII
'tom« ot Ms arrival
Ha was uaberad
ImtaedtaCMy into the etitofa praaaaos
That worthy who. Uka UH »■»»«>■
taudasii. waa eSsaa ehavaa. was a as tad
at Ma 4eak lu hto ablet »Marea, aad
iba wbata room, da apt la the wMa open
windows, was think from tba small«
from ao oM blackened corncob pipe at
which he was pulDng rigoroualy
He
waa a burly man. and tlie abort, thick
neck, the broad shoulder« the (ower
fui. big jointed fingerà and tlie mus
elea that »lood out In butebe« on tbe
hitlry arms diacloaad by hie rolled np
shirt sleeves denoted that be p *»»»•«•< 1
unusual physical strength, A n ugly
man to get into nn argument with was
Williams. one who. It needed no mind
reader to judge, would tie capable of
following the word with a blow that
would > rush an ordinary opponent,
For years, as Brooks bad intimated.
he had led the roughest life a man
¡•nn lead, hammering by sheer brute
strength a way to wealth by ways in
which scruple had counted for nothing
at all and expediency for a good deal,
and his entrance upon a higher plane
of civilization bad not Imparted much
polish to bls appearance, habits or
speech, which were those of the old
time sailing ship mariner, although of
late years he had striven to conform
more closely to the examples of re
flnement he witnessed in the only po
lite society he cared for. which was
that of the family of his dead friend
Stanley Harris, who was general man­
ager of the Latin-American line when
he obtained control of It He bad a
way of glaring at a person from un­
der his bushy eyebrows with a scru­
tiny that seemed to read through and
up and down him and made him most
III at ease under it.
He made his decisions promptly, au
thorltatlvely. after the manner of a
man accustomed to command nnd to
lie obeyed without question, and he
never changed them, at least in his
business nnd administrative dealings
Add to all this a voice like a foghorn,
the effect of which, when he raised
It. was. as he knew full well, to make
his subordinates quake nnd to tntiml
date others who find to do with him.
nnd it will be realized that he lived up
fully to bis reputation of being a hard
man
For his quiet, unmovable and thor­
oughly capable dock superintendent he
entertained a certain respect. He
knew from experience that the man
was not the least hit afraid or even
disturlied by bls bullying manner and
his tiellowlng nnd that his glare, al-
ways squarely met. hud no more effect
upon him than It would have upon the
bronze statue of Washington which
stands sentinel on the steps of the sub
treasury in Wall street.
Smith lowered himself slowly and
easily Into a big armchair beside the
president’s desk.
"Two delegates front the Longshore
men’s union were here just now." an
nounced the captain "They say the
freight handlers are going to strike."
"Ya-as?" said Smith interrogatively.
“Yes. What do you know about it?"
“Nothing, except that they came to
me with a demand tor higher pay for
the men. 1 referred them to you.”
"Well. I didn’t leave 'em any loop­
hole for doubt ns to my position tn the
matter.”
"You turned them down?"
"Turned 'em down! Of course
What do you think? Suppose I hand
t*d ’em a raise on a silver platter and
bowed 'em out of the door?"
"I don’t suppose anything about it.
I’m asking for Information."
“Them two blatherskites came swag­
gering and blustering in here and said
every last one of the men would quit
tomorrow morning nt 11 o’clock unless
they got 3 cents more nn hour. They
wasn't swaggering when they went
out of here. I tell you. I pretty soon
took the starch out of 'em.”
A faint smile flitted over the superin­
tendent's face, but he ventured no re­
mark.
"I told ’em.” Williams went on. "that
I wouldn't give 'em a cent a century
more and to strike and be d
d. I also
told ’em that any man who did go
out would never get another job with
this company, nnd. by Sam. he won't!”
The captain's voice had risen to a
roar, and he brought his fist down on
the desk with such force that pens nnd
pencils went flying in nil directions
and the ink splashed from the wells in
their solid crystal stand.
"Them labor agitators ain't got
no notion of the fitness of things
They ain't got n grasp on economic
conditions for a cent. They got to do
something to live without working, so
every once In awhile they go to the
men as pays ’em to lie walking dele­
gates. gives ’em some glib talk about
their rights nnd ndvlse^etn to strike
Ç i look around
for more money. Do tlw
nnd try to find out whether an ad­
vance Is warranted by the conditions?
Nary a look. Do any of the men they
hand out their advice to try to fiud
out? Not on your life! They go ahead
like a lot of sheep and strike and
starve nnd blame the result on cap-
its I.”
Smith nodded.
"If they carry out their threat
»lilt.” continued the captain,
will clear all the strikers from the
docks, throw ’em off if necessary,
knock their silly blocks off. but tell
them ns wants to work that full pro­
tectlon will be 'given. I’ll ti rm nge
with police headquarters to have a
sufficient force of bluecoats on hand to
guard our property nnd will also noti­
fy our do >n nt other ports to I»- pre­
pared You will fix up lleeolltniisllltloll»
fur the strike breaker» In the »I xh I s
liere until the trouble is over and
make arrangement» to bring men from
tlie Inland cities. In Dii» matter you
nwd spare no expense Understand?”
“I gue»» ao," replied the aupertn-
teudeut.
'Tb»n k'a
you waut to «•• in»
"Anything
about T'
"Not now Ton
•to any time yee
a boat el»»« rta
Bmttii drew tn Ma long to»a. saiwd
Mnwalf from ««• rltotr and took ■*
hia bat to go
"New l>wr« Bfnltb.” aw id the raptadw,
kia voice rail ng gradually to t’a faer-
»ver ft» sire tbs’ «•*
neater or lu « hi t >
of avnilsble imiii'ii.i
Hum I « it over wtilch Mr» I. inn i
BriMiks presided a» mi'iress mid ln<
lolum.
And Mrs. Bnsiks herself-how sb*
graced It. uliogi i her urn mi« mu«;;.
As the elder of two daughters of Sian
ley Harris, who. while lmt rlcli bait
been well to do. she find l»-eii Brough
up la the comfort of m gi»«1 tmme and
I mk ! enjoyed lh« ndiMiituge ol nn wlu
•atIon at ■ private seminary
Her f»
tb«r. wiMiM cona’ant eom|>anloti sb*
bad b««B »nd w limn neu«e of demi»-
nsey In tb« laaiter of »»MH-iniJon »be
bad to Morl led had adored her. aud
wtaui ao« bad given her liead Io Jo
•«pti Brooks etoi-Hug him from atuung
|
,
'
- '--------
ELEVEN
-------
H I HM
verantfon. and. seeing that he was
uc< upieil ami troubled. »In- ceased to
try Io engage l.is utleutimi.
"I paid tlie gas bill today,” he vouch­
safed at length. "Ninety cents luorb
than last month.”
"Ninety cents more!" »lie commented
with concern. "I'm sure we didn’t
use half us much. And we owe tba
butcher four-sixty.”
"Every month It coats mirre to Uva.
I don't know wbat w« «rv g.dug tn do.
I'm »ur« "
"I'm sorry. Joe.
try to be as wurtoanlcal as I mn.”
*T know. b«t It's all wrong. It*« alt
wrong itiat yve km.il tie sporting
yonr taauda wttti the«« h«Mtly greasy
pana
ITtoy w«r«i't meets for
work. I wtofc w« cooM affnnl a htred
gtrt ”
"Bo do I. but w« cant, ao wkart*« th«
us« of wtabtng? Didn't yna jret tb»
raise you asked (toptsFa 'Yttrtam»
sroM bellow "tt’a nigh on te rwoweorw waraeeous aultora. lixdiiding Janie«
Smith, h« gav« bto r<u>oent to Hieli
rear» store I took my firwt rtassl. the
union against hi» own Judgment and
Hally Moran, om of V rtoe« as sweatee
and owner boo nd for the aowth sea In face of tb« »trenuou» opfualtlon i»i for?" sbe inijutrad
"No.”
Island» to trade, »nd 1'va rtsrmssdwt bto wlfs. wneemlng the girl's nappi
He bung his head and lapsed Into
m.v own ship every minute since and new superior to ail other consider»
gloomy silence She dropped the mor­
held my own against all oorta of lub- ’lotto
Brooks, who had Iieen In the employ ; sel she was raising to her mouth anil
l>era hs would have done me and done
for me If they could. And do you of the I-atin American Steamship com . rose from the table, filled with dis­
think I'm going to be dictated to by pany for one year and had l»-ei I may. her appetite completely gone.
any white llvered gas bag of a crawl brought Into relations with Hie family ( Tears of disappointment followed the
Ing delegate who comes here holding a by virtue of his selection us sevretar realization of what the failure of their
knife to my throat by threatening a to her father, the general iniinager plans meant, for neither bad doubted
turnout without giving me a chance had no means whatever of his own i that bls request would be compiled
and bls salary, then
a month, wii « with, nnd she bad built many castles
a desperately small Income on which to In the air on the strength of it. A few
tiegin housekeeping for a girl reared ns dollars more a week added to their
she had b«ien. But her father helped distressingly small Income would have
them, and the young couple counted meant much to them. But. gazing at
upon his influence to procure the ad her husband sitting there utterly de­
vancement of bis son-in-law to a more jected and crushed, her heart went out
remunerative post.
to him in pity and love, and she moved
Unfortunately for them. however, over to his chair and put her arm con­
Mr. Harris had died a few weeks after solingly round his neck.
"Never mind. Joe, boy.” sbe urged;
their wedding, and they found them-
selves thrown upon their own re­ “don’t look so solemn. We're no worse
sources. Mrs. Harris. a selfish, sbal- off than we were before, and you’ll
low. unfeeling woman with social pre­ win out some day.”
She placed her band under his chin
tension». who regarded her daughter’s
marriage with the young clerk as a and raised bis bead to kiss him. H«
mesalliance and Brooks himself with saw that sbe was smiling at him en­
disdain, left them to shift for them­ couragingly through her tears, but re­
selves and with her other daughter. fused to be comforted.
“I made out the payroll today.” b»
Beth, who was seven years younger
than Emma and shared her mother's said. “Three other men In the oflfic»
views, as she imitated her haughti­ who also asked for a raise last month
ness. settled down to the enjoyment of got it; so did Smith.”
“What, Jlmsy?” she asked.
the modest fortune her busband bad
“I said Smith. There’s only one
left her and the indulgence of the os­
tentation she loved, but which during Smith in the office.” he replied some­
Mr. Harris’ lifetime she had never what surlily.
"Well. I'm glad for Jlmsy's sake he
been able to gratify to the top of her
bent. She did not fer this, however, got what he wanted.”
"I think he told Williams to com»
withdraw altogether from association
with Emma and Brooks and continued across with more money or he'd quit.”
"How much did he ask for?”
on more or less amicable terms with
“Eighteen hundred.”
them. Now and then she condescend­
“Eighteen hundred? My gracious.
ed to call upon them with Beth, but
tmr visits, as a rule, were a good deal Isn't that fine?”
"It means that he'll be getting near­
of a trial to the young couple, for she
regarded Brooks’ failure to get on in ly $5.000 a year now. Great for him,
to meet it if I don't give in to his de­ the steamship company as a vindica­ isn't it?”
"Yes. indeed it is."
mands on the spot? No. sir. not by nn tion of her opinion as to his ability
"1 saw Jimsy today. Asked him to
all fired sight! No. sir. not in a and the judiciousness of their mar­
come to supper. He said be would if
thousand years! I own this outfit riage and was prone to condone with
from keel to main peak, and if I can’t her daughter, assume an exasperating he could."
"1 wonder why he didn’t?”
run it my own way I’ll scuttle It and I-told-you-so attitude and lament what
Her husband did not answer immedi­
go down with it. Understand? And might have been.
ately. When he did he burst out sav­
if any man's looking for a tight with
During the four years of their mar- agely:
me he'll find me quit k enough, and I'll ried life Brooks' salary had been
"Suppose he thought we couldn’t af­
break him. no matter who or what be raised only $20 a month, although In
ford
it. Two don't eat as much as
is. Yes. sir. by Sam. sir. like this!”
addition to bis work as act-ountaut. to
Seizing a thick ruler on the desk, be which be bad been assigned after Mr. three."
"Why. Joe. how absurd!” she laugh­
snapped it without apparent effort, and Harris' death, that of collector had
ed. tieginning to gather up the supper
as he sat glaring there with bls di­ been thrust upon him. It bad been a
plates. “Jimsy knows it's pot luck.”
sheveled hair. Ids pugnacious, massive hard, bitter experience for pretty little
"That’s the trouble. Jimsy knows—
underjaw protruding and his big fists Mrs. Brooks, this unaccustomed drudg­
your mother knows—Williams knows—
tightly clinched on the broken wood, ery of housework, this continuous everybody knows, and they're always
causing ’he muscles of his arms to scouring of greasy pots and pans and
talking about how you've got to work
bulge like knots on a gnarled tree, he washing of dishes, which she loathed;
and slave because you married me and.
presented the embodiment of might this deprivation of comforts and luxu­
all that sort of stuff."
aud ferocity.
ries that she had known all her life:
"Jimsy doesn't.”
"1 don’t know but what you’re right. this privation of many personal things
“Well, he thinks it. and your moth-
Cap'n Williams." drawled the superIn considered Indispensable by the dainty
er's always rubbing it in. harping on
keudent with his unchangeable equa­ woman; this necessity of perpetual
the same old string—that I ain't wop
nimity. "Anyhow, you sure are en rigid economizing, which barely suf­
t hy of you, that it's a shame the way
titled to do what you like with your ficed to make both ends meet. She de­
you have to work and slave, that I
own.”
prives! herself of much needed cloth­ don't seem to get along at all and that
He went out and on his way to the ing. to say nothing of finery, that Joe
you" —
office exit slopped at Brooks' desk.
might go properly clad to his office,
“Oh. don't mind mother; you know
"Well, how's things, boy?” he in but she never tor that reason descend­
quired with nn Interest so kindly that ed to slovenliness, never "let herself her.”
“She never did want us to marry.”
one might have thought there was go.” ns so many women in their own
"But dear old dad did. r.ud he was
nothing else in the world with which households make rhe mistake of doing,
the one I wanted to please—after you,
never
could
his mind was occupied nnd
and never had she allowed one word
have suspected that there lay before of complaint, one indication of regret, Joe. of course. Mother is-Just a bit
peculiar. I'm sure she doesn’t under­
him for immediate solution the prob­ to escape her. Sbe had married Joe
stand me much, and I'm equally sure
lem of preparing for a great strike for love, for better or for worse, anil
that threatened to tie up the business resigned herself bravely and cheerfully that I don’t understand her, so we
won’t bother about her. Just sweep
of one of the most important steam­ to the consequences, however hard to
ship lines In the country, with ramifi­ bear. hoping for the better timei thnt up a bit. will you, while 1 wash th®
cations extending from Boston all were so long in coming and encour- dlslies? Jimsy may drop In by and by.”
Brooks went into the kitchen, donned
around the coast of South America to aging her husband to fight on and
an apron from force of habit instilled
San Francisco.
win.
Into him by his wife, ever careful of
“Ob. so. so.” answered Brooks. "By
Joe. for his part, lacked his wife's
the bye. I’d be awful glad If you'd come grit nnd energy, and constant disap­ his clothes, nnd reappear»«! with a
up to supper tonight. Emma was say­ pointment had undermined his forti­ carpet broom and a dust cloth. He
ing only this morning that we hadn’t tude. He loved Emma. He hardly was laboring under excitement, as was
manifest by the reckless manner in
seen anything of you for a week.”
could have done otherwise, though
"That’s so. I’ve got to square my­ calculation had entered largely into which he used the broom. Finally,
self with Emma, though It hasn't been his courting of her. Chivalrously, with an expression of determination,
be said in a firm voice:
my fault altogether.”
while the sweet bliss of their early
"Emma, you know It will be six
"Then we'll expect you to supper?”
marrl«"d life held him in Its spell, he
"I can't promise, because I've a deal had done as much of the heavier work months or a year before I get another
to do between now and this evening, of the menage as be could to spare chance at a raise—unless, of course, I
quit and get a job somewhere else. 1
but I’ll come if I can.”
her when time and opportunity afford­
was thinking thnt perhaps you're tired
"So long. Jlmsy.”
ed. hut very naturally he had soon
"So loug ”
tired of this—where Is the man who and waat to call it off.”
“Call what off?”
Ard Smith sauntered out to attend does not?—and hy degrees had left as
"Why. everything—the whole busi­
to one of the greatest emergencies be : much of ft as he could to her. except
bad ever been called upon to meet in when his moods of optimism and af- ness. I mean our marriage." be said
bis life.
j fection^t^ solicitude impelled him to desperately.
Her eyes opened wide with Incredu­
! go to her assistance. At such times he
lous astonishment.
CHATTER III.
• wanted to do it all.
“You mean separation?”
was a skillful architect In- | On the evening following his out-
"That's exactly what 1 mean."
deed who first devised the ' burst at the office he was still resent-
"What for—because I'm tired?”
bandbox apartment houses so ; ful and "down in the mouth" when he
"Something like that.”
common now in all parts of : let himself into his little flat, and the
“What an idea! Yon must have th»
New York and must have sat up many I smiles of his wife ns she raised her
nights working out how to extricate | rosebud lips to receive his kiss of blues badly to talk such nonsense as
that. Don't you think it. would be as
the maximum of rent revenue from j greeting failed to dispel hfs gloom.
the area on which be bad to fit the
"You seem out of sorts tonight, well to wait until I complain?”
"You have complained."
| dear.” she said solicitously. “Any-
structure.
"No—at least I can't remember.”
If there were any flats in Harlem of , thing wrong at the office?”
"Not in words, but"—
smaller dimensions than the one of
"Nothing in particular, I’m tired
“But what?”
four rooms occupied by Mr. and Mrs. and hungry after slaving all day in
“Look here.” he said Impatiently,
Joseph Brooks the most experienced i this nwful heat, that's all”
and persistent hunter after a place in
"Never mind, supper’s all ready, so “don't you suppose I have eyes? Don’t
you snppose I have feelings? I’ve seen
which to lodge his family with rein sit down and tuck In "
—I know that you'se sick of this
tire economy nnd some semblance of
“What ditl you i’et?"
drudgery and all the rest—sick of It
comfort would have had the time of
"Chops and potatoes.”
nnd sorry. There’s Smith with his
his or her life finding It. And if other
Joe turned np his nose, but took his
flats there were more luxuriously fit­ seat nt table and began to eat. He five thousand—he wanted you first.
ted up. as easily might have been—in answered hfs wife's questions In mono­ You could have" —
She Interrupted him sharply, h
fact, certainly must hare been—the syllables. His ’honghts. it was plain,
case, at least there was none, what- were not ou his meal ot Emma's con- face flushing
(C'ontiutied next week
H
I