Eagle Valley news., January 10, 1918, Image 2

H THE DESTR
0.
SYNOPSIS.
Touns Hush Whltaker's doctors trll
him he has but a few months to live, and
lit sweetheart Jilts him. Ills frleiul. Peter
Stark. tlnJs him ills.-ousolato and proposes
a sea voynse.
Can you imagine a more tragic '
I figure than a young girl deserted .
In a ratty hotel by the man with
I whom 6he eloped, and given no-
tlce that her people have cast J
I her out of their lives and she
must shift for herself? One lit. J
, tie maiden In such a plight
' thought there were but two J
courses ahead for her. One was
I dishonorable. So she emptied a
. little black bottle Into a glass of
J water and well what happens
is told in this installment with '
t j i
dramatic effect.
CHAPTER II
"Mrs. Morten."
It was three In the morning before
Peter Stnrk, having to the best of his
endurance ami Judgment tired Whit
aker out with talking, took his hat and
his departure from Whltnker's bach
elor rooms. Whltaker shut the hall
door and turned back wearily Into his
living-room. It was three In the morn
ing; his body ached with fatigue, yet
he made no move toward his bedcham
ber. Picking his way across a floor lit
tered with atlases, charts, maps and
guide-books, he went to the bathroom
and took a bottle of chloral from the
medicine closet.
What he took brought him three
hours of oblivion, lie rose at eight,
ordered his breakfast up by telephone,
bathed and dressed. When the tray
came up, his mall came with It. Among
others there was one letter In which
he read:
Dear Hugh: I can call you that, now,
because you're Peter's dearest friend and
therefore mine, and the proof ot that Is
that I'm telling you first of all of our
great happiness. Peter and I found out
that we loved one another only yesterday,
so we're going to be married the first o!
June and . . ."
Whltaker read no more. He could
guess the rest, and for the moment
he felt too sick a man to go through
to the end. Indeed, the words were
blurring and running together beneath
his gaze.
After a long time he put the letter
aside, absent-mindedly swallowed a
cup of lukewarm coffee and rose from
an otherwise untusted meal.
'That settles that, of course," he
said quietly. "And It means I've got
to hustle to get ahead of Peter."
Whltaker packed a hand-bag with a
few essentials, not forgetting the bottle
of chloral. He was not yet quite sure
what he meant to do after he had de
finitely put himself out of Peter Stark's
sphere of Influence, but he hadn't much
doubt that the drug was destined to
play a most Important part in the ulti
mate solution, and would as readily
have thought of leaving it behind as
of going without a toothbrush or rail
way fare.
Leaving the bag In the parcels-room
at the Grand Central Station, he went
down-town to his olllce. Happily his
partner, Drummond, was out of town
for the day. He worked expeditiously,
having no callers until Just before he
was ready to leave. Then he was
obliged to adir.it one who desired to
make a settlement. He took Whltaker's
receipt for the payment In cash, leav
ing behind him fifteen one-hundred-dollar
notes. Whltaker drew his per
sonal check for the right amount and
left It with a memorandum under the
paper-weight on Drummond's desk;
put n match to a shredded pile of per
sonal correspondence In the fireplace;
and caught a train at the Grand Cen
trul at one-three.
Not until the cars wer In motion did
ho experience any sense of security
from Peter Stark, He had been np
prehenslve until that moment of some
unforeseen move on the part of his
friend ; Peter was capable of wide but
sure casts of Intuition on occasion,
especially where his affections were
touched. I!ut now Whltaker felt free,
free to nbandon himself to meditative
despair. Cold horror crawled In his
brain like a delirium horror of him
Belf, of his morbid flesh, of thut mori
bund body unfit to theatho the clean
flro of life.
At about four o'clock the train
stopped to drop tho dinlng-cnr. Wholly
swnyed by blind impulse, Whltaker got
up, took his hand-bag and left tho car.
On tho station platform lie found
himself pelted by a pouring rain. Ho
Imprisoned himself In tho body of an
aged and decrepit four-wheeler, and
as they rocked nnd crawled away, tho
blind windows wept unceasingly, and J
By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
unceasingly tho rain drummed the
long roll on tho roof.
In time thoy stopped before n
rambling structure whoso weather
boarded facade, white with linking
paint, bore the legend: "Commercial
House." Whltaker carried his hand-bag
up the steps and across the rain-swept
voranda Into a dim, cavernous hall.
A eublele fenced off In one corner
funned the olllce proper. Whltaker
waited by the desk, n gaunt, weary
man, hagridden by fear. There was In
his mind a desolate picture of the room
up-stalrs when he his soul : the Im
perishable essence of himself should
have tlnlshed with It. . . .
At his elbow lay the hotel register,
open at a page neatly headed with a
date In red Ink. Whltaker registered;
but two-thirds of his name was all he
entered; when It came to "Whltaker,"
his pen paused and passed on to write
"Philadelphia" In the residence col
umn. The thought came to him that he
must be careful to obliterate all laun
dry marks on his clothing.
In his own good time the clerk ap
peared. His welcome was an Indiffer
ent nod and a glance at the register
which seemed unaccountably to mod
erate his apathy.
"Mr. Morton uh?" be Inquired.
Whltaker nodded without words.
T,he youth shrugged nnd scrawled
n hieroglyph after the name. "Here,
Sammy," he said to the boy "Forty
three." To Whltaker he addressed tho
further remark: "Trunks?"
"No,"
The youth seemed about to expos
tulate, but checked when Whltaker
placed one of his hundred-dollar notes
on the counter.
"I think that'll cover my liability,"
he said with a slgnltlcauce misinter
preted by the other.
"I ain't got enough change "
"That's all right; I'm In no hurry."
Dropped to His Knees Beside the
Woman.
The eyes of tho lout followed him
as he ascended the stairs. On tho
second floor ns Whltaker came Into
view, tho boy thrust open the door,
disappeared for nn Instant, nnd camo
out minus the bag. Whltaker gave
hlrn a coin In passing an nttentlon
which ho acknowledged by pulling the
door to with a bang tho moment tho
guest hnd entered tho room. At tho
same time Whltaker became aware, of
a contretemps.
Tho room was of fair size, and it
wns tenanted by a woman In street
dress. She stood by tho washstnnd,
with her back to tho light, her attltudo
one of tense expectancy; hardly more
than n silhouette of a figure moderote
ly tall nnd very slight, almost nngular
In Its slenderness. She hnd been hold
ing a tumbler In one hand, but as
Whltaker appeared this slipped from
her fingers ; there followed a thud and
n sound of spilt liquid at her feet. Sho
moved forward a paco or two, her
hands fluttering out toward him, then
stopped as though halted by u force
Implacable nnd overpowering.
"I thought," she qunvered In u
stricken voice "I thought. . . you
. . . my husband . . . Mr. Morton
. . . the boy said . . ."
Then her knees buckled under her,
nnd she-plunged forward nnd fell with
u thump that shook tho walls.
"I'm sorry I beg pardon," Whlt
aker stniumered stupidly to ears that
GYING A
couldn't hear. He swore softly with
exasperation, threw his hat to n chair
and dropped to his knees beside the
woman. It seemed as If the high gods
were hardly playing fair, to throw n
fainting woman on his hands Just then,
at a time when be was all preoccupied
with his own absorbing tragedy.
liven while this thought was run
ning through his mind, he was gather
ing the slight young body Into Ills
arms; and he found It really astonish
ingly easy to rise anil bear her to
the bed. Then turning to his hand-bag,
he opened It and produced a small,
leather-bound flask of brandy; a little
of which would go far toward shatter
ing her syncope, he fancied.
It did, In fact ; a few drops between
her half-parted Hps, and she came to
with disconcerting rapidity, opening
dazed eyes In the middle of a spasm of
coughing. He stepped back, stoppering
the flask.
"That's better," he said pleasantly.
"Now lie still while I fetch you a
drink of water."
As he turned to the washstand his
foot struck the tumbler she had
dropped. He stopped short, frowning
down at the great, staring, wot, yel
low stain on the dingy and threadbare
carpet. Together with this discovery
he got n whiff of an acrid-sweet
diluvium that spelled "Oxalic Acid
Poison" as unmistakably as did the
druggist's label on the empty packet
on the washstand.
In another moment ho was buck at
the bedsldu with a clean glass of wa
ter, which he offered to the girl's Hps,
passing his arm beneath her shoulders
and lifting her head so that she might
drink.
She emptied the glass thirstily.
"Look here," he said almost roughly
under the lash of this new fear "you
didn't really drink any of that stuff,
did you?"
Her eyes met his with a look of
negation clouded by fear and bewilder
ment. Then she turned her head away.
Dragging a pillow beneath It, he let
her down again.
"Good," ho said in accents meant to
be enheartenlng; "you'll bo all right
In a moment or two."
Her colorless lips moved In a
whisper he had to bend close to dis
tinguish. "Please . . ."
"Yes?"
"Please don't . . . call anybody. ."
"1 won't. Don't worry."
The lids quivered down over her
eyes, nnd her mouth was wrung with
anguish. He stared, perplexed. He
wanted to go away quickly, but
couldn't gain his own convent to do
so. She huh In no condition to be
left alone, this delicate ami fragile
child, defenceless and beset. A strange
girl, to llml In a plight like hers, he
thought: not pretty, but quite mi
usual; delicate, sensitive, high-strung,
bred to the liner things of life this
last was self-evident In the fine sim
plicity of her severely plain attire.
A variety of Impressions crowded
upon his perceptions In little more
than a glance. For suddenly Nature
took her in hand; she twisted upon her
side, as If to escape his regard, and
covered her face, her palms mullllng
deep tearing sobs while waves of pent
up misery racked her slender llttlo
lody.
Whltaker moved softly away. . . .
Once, pausing by tho centre-table,
he happened to look down. He saw a
llttlo heap of tho hotel writing-paper,
together with envelopes, a pen, a hot
tlo of Ink. Thrco of the envelopes
were sealed and superscribed, and two
were stamped. The unstamped letter
was addressed to the Proprietor of tho
Commercial house.
Of tho others, ono was directed to
a Mr. C. W. Morton In caro of another
person ut a number on lower Sixth
Avenue, New York; nnd from this
Whltaker began to understand tho sin
gular manner of his Introduction to tho
wrong room; there's no great differ
enco between Morton and Morten,
especially when written carelessly.
Hut tho third letter caused his eyes
to widen considerably. It bore tho
name of Thurlow Ladlslas, Iisq., and
a Wall Street address.
Whltaker's mouth shaped a still-born
whistle. Ho was re-calling with sur
prising distinctness tho fragment of
dialogue he had overheard ut his club
tho previous afternoon.
CHAPTER III.
Mrs. Whltaker.
Ho lived through a long, bad quarter
hour, his own tensed nerves twanging
In sympathy with tho girl's sobbing
llko telegraph wires Mnglng In n gnlo
his mind busy with many thought,
strangely now and compelling, wearing
a fresh complexion that lacked alto
gether tho coloring of self-interest.
NGEL :
He mixed n weak draught of brandy
and water and returned to the bedside.
She made an effort to rise. Thu ef
fect was quickly apparent In the color
that came Into her cheeks, faint but
warm. After i moment she asked:
"Please who are you?"
".My name Is Whltaker," he said
"Hugh Morten Whltaker. "I didn't
want to bo known, so registered as
Hugh Morten. They mistook me fur
your husband."
The girl swung to her feet.
"I want to tell you something." Shu
faced him bravely, though ho refused
the challenge of her tormented eyes.
"Won't you listen?"
lie crossed to a window, where ho
stood staring out. "I'd rather not." lie
said softly, "but If you prefer"
"I do prefer," sulil tho voice behind
him. "I I'm Mary Ladlslas."
"Yes," said Whltaker.
"I ... I ran away from home last
week live days ago to get married
to our chauffeur, Charles Morton . . ."
She stammered.
"Please don't go on, If It hurts," ho
bogged without looking around.
"I've got to I've got to get It over
with. . . . We were at Southampton,
at my father's summer home I mean,
that's where I ran away from. He
Charley drove mo over to Groenport
nnd I took the ferry there and camo
hero to wait for him. Ho went to Now
York In the car, promising to Join mo
here as soon as possible. . . ."
"And he didn't come." Whltaker
wound up for her, when she fullered.
"How much money of yours did tu
take with him?"
There was a brief pause of aston
ishment. "What do you know about
that?" she demanded.
"I know a good deal about that typo
of mnn," ho said grimly.
WW WW WWW
What will Whltaker do with
this frail girl on his hands?
What would you do In such clr.
cumstances?
(TO 1110 CONTINUED.)
MAMMOTH LOAVES OF BREAD
Those Qnked by French People Are
From Four to Five, or at Times
Even Sir Feet in Length.
The biggest loaves of bread baked to
lie eaten are those u.ade In Franco
anil Italy. In the ease of the pipe
broad of the latter country, the loaves
are between two and three feet In
length, and ocnslonaI!y even longer;
while tin1 French people make their
loaves In the shape of very long rolls
of bread, ranging from four to live
feet, and In a few Instances even to
six feet III length.
P.rcud In Pails Is distributed almost
exclusively by women. These go to
the MiilniiH bakehouses at S :!W a. m.
and spend about an hour brushing
the long loaves with special brushes.
When their loaf is cleaned of grit and
dust the portcuso de pn!n goes round
to the customers.
Customers who live In flats have
their loaves propped up against the
door of their apartmrut. Shopkcep
ers, restaurateurs and other custom
ers, who have entrances to their prem
ises lit the street, llml their portion of
the staff of life leaning against thu
front door when they take down the
shutters. The wages of these bread
carriers vary from r0 to 00 cents a
day, their work being generally over
at ten or twelve o'clock In the morn
ing. Tests of Patriotism.
Two million of boys, averaging but
nineteen years of age, went Into tho
Civil war to save thu Union. And If
you had nsked them what tho Union
was few could have given a better an
swer than that It was tho thing they
were fighting for, an Idea not to bo
expressed In words symbolized by a
few stripes and stars.
Has thero ever been n (lino when
we did not stand the lest? Tho tlmo
when tho American spirit came near
est to fulling was ICO years ago when
New York would not- Join In signing
the Declaration of Independence and
Ithode IkIuikI refused for so long to
ratify thu Constitution. And when
I rend New York or Ithodo Island pa
pers criticizing miiiio of our western
states for lucking spirit hccmiso thny
uro not yet convinced Hint wo need
inllllury training for our boys, I Just
turn buck to tho old school history
und ask n few dlsugreuhlo questions
about Uio putt. Franklin K. Laue,
Secretary of tho Interior.
Great Food Value of Bananas.
Ono aero planted to huuunun Is sold
to produco nn much fcod vnluo ns 40
acres of potatoes or 133 ucrcs of
wheat
NOT ALL NARROW
Skirts of Comfortablo Width
Soon Dospito Season's Edict.
Women Learning to Express Individ
uallty In Dress Instead of Dllndly
Following "Tho Style;'
Women are learning more and morn
to express Individuality In their dress
and to select styles that are Individual
ly becoming rather than to seek nnd
accept what Is bulletined as "the
style."
Unrly this season fashion announce
ments stated that skirts were to be
longer and narrower.
This In true. KklrtH that are longer
and narrower than for several sea
sons are shown, anil they havo had
the formal approval of fashion. Hut
It also Is true that very short skirts
are worn, and that skirts of comfort
nblo width are seen as often as are.
Hie tight, seinlhobble effects. All this
means Inspiration for stylo designers.
If a uniform width or length Is accept-
Skirt of Comfortable Width.
ed the designers have little encourage
ment to go ahead with new ami dif
ferent things, says the Washington
Star.
The clever little afternoon frock
here shown, which may bo made of
satin or velvet combined with either
chiffon, georgette or net, corrects any
belief that all skirts urn to be extreme
ly narrow. This bus a comfortable
width two and a quarter to two and
a half yards. The touch of fur gives
a pretty Mulshing touch, and altogeth
er It has tin excellent model for dressy
ufternoon wear.
In this fabric combination an excel
lent suggestion for making over a
last season dress Is found.
EASY FOR HOME MILLINER
Wide Range In New Fashions Brings
Joy to Heart of the Woman Who
Makes Her Own Hats.
liven before tho xvnf Inspired sens
ible economy In tho mutter of dress
many women had acquired tho hnblt
of making their own hats, nnd (ho lint
stylos shown this winter should cor
tnlnly Inspire homo talont, says n
fashion authority.
Ocnorous leowny In stylo rulings
innkos "becomlngnoss" practically tho
ono nilo to Iw followed, and great In
dividuality mny thus bo expressed In
one's tnllllnory without breaking ono
of Damo Fashion's rules.
A lint must bo becoming and It must
ho comfortable. With theao rules
obeyed tho home milliner may allow
her fancy full sway.
All black bats aro very good stylo
becauso they really go well with niiy
thing; but colors uro not ut nil (nboo
In fnct, quite Iho contrary. Fow
stiff-looking lints aro shown, and this
also Is n point In favor of tho homo
milliner.
Emplro Effects for Small Tots.
For (ho llttlo tots, omplro effect
contlnuo (o prVsvnll for "best" nnd
evorvdnv wenr. In this rnnirn Mi.
velvets and volvoteons or lustrous
broadcloths In suhdutvl wintrv uin.i,.
for (lie most purt, though now sml then,
a fkfua of brass, canary, fawn br,
milrtfcry Vhald divert ono from the retAJ