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About Eagle Valley news. (Richland, Or.) 191?-1919 | View Entire Issue (May 23, 1918)
DESTROYING ANGEL By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE fa CHAPTER XVIII -Continued. 21 She paused agnln. but still tie wna route ami Immobile. "So now you know me what I am. No other man has ever known or ever will. But I had to tell you tho truth. It seems that tho only thing my career bad left uncnlloused was my funda mental sense of honesty. So I had to corae ami tell you." And still he held silence, attentive, but with a set face that betrayed noth ing of the tenor of his thoughts. Almost timidly, with nervously fum bling finger she extracted from her pockctbook a small ticket envelope. "Max was afraid you might upset the performance again, as you did on my last appearance, Hugh," she said; "but I assured him It was Just the shock of recognizing you that bowled me over. So I've brought you a box for tomorrow night. I want you to use It you and Mr. Ember." He broke In with a curt monosyl lable: "Whyr "Why why because because I want you I suppose It's simply my vanity to see me act. Perhaps you'll feel a Ruleless hardly toward me If you sec that I am really a great actress, that I give you up for something bigger than Just love , "What rotl" he said with an odd. short laugh. "Besides, I harbor no resentment." She stared, losing a little color, eyes darkening with apprehension, i "I did hope you'd come," she mur mured. "Oh, I'll come," he said with spirit. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away." "Really, Hugh? And you don't mind? Oh, I'm so gladl" . u . uv.a , ... ...... .aw .-. - with a strange smile. "lJut . . . would you mind excusing me one mo ment? I've forgotten something very Important." "Why, certainly ..." He was already at the telephone In the hallway. Just beyond the llvlng room door. It was Impossible to escape overhearing his words. The woman listened perforce with. In the begin ning, a little visible wonder, then with astonishment ultimately with a con sternation that shook her with violent tremblings. "Hello," said Whitaker; "get me Rector two-two-hundred. ... "Hello? Rector two-two-hundred? North German Lloyd? . . . This Is Mr. H. M. Whitaker. I telephoned you fifteen minutes ago about reser vation on the George Washington, sailing Saturday . . . Yes. . . . Yes. . . . Yes, I promised to call for the ticket before noon, but I now find I sha'n't be able to go. Will you be kind enough to cancel It, If you please. ." . . Thank you. . . . Goodby.". But when he turned backjnto the living room he found awaiting him a quiet and collected woman. "Why did you do that?" she asked evenly. "Because," said Whitaker, "I've had my eyes opened. I've been watching the finest living actress piny a care fully rehearsed role, one that she had given long study and all her heurt to but her Interpretation didn't ring true. Mary, I admit, at first you got mo: I believed you meant what you said. But only my mind believed it; my heart knew better, Just nb it has al ways known better, all through this wretched time of doubt and misery and separation you've subjected us both to. And that was why I couldn't trust myself to answer you; for If I had, I should have laughed for Joy. O Mary, Mary!" he cried, his volco softening, "my dear, dear woman, you can't He to love I You betray yourself In every dear word that would be heartless,' In every adorable gesture that would seem final! And love knows better always. ... Of course I shall be In that box tomorrow night; of course I shall be there to witness your triumph! And ufter you've won It, dear, I shall curry you off with me . . He opened his nnns wide, but with a smothered cry she bucked nwny, placing the table between them. "No J" the protested ; and tho words were almost sobs "No!" f "Yes!" he exclaimed exultantly. "Yes! A thousand times yes! It must be so!" With a Bwlft movement she seized her, mult and scarf from tho cbajr and fled to the door. There, pausing, she turned, her face white and blazing. "If Is not true!" she cried. "You are mistaken. Do you hear me? You nro utterly mistaken. I do not lovo you. You aro mud to think It. I have Just told you I don't love you. I am afraid of you ; I dureu't stay with you for fear of you. I I desplso you I" "I don't believe Itl" ho cried, advancing. ut sine was gone. The hall door s.aiuiucd before hu could reach It. CHAPTER XIX. One Way Out Toward eight In the evening, after a day-long search through all his ac customed haunts, Kmber ran Whita ker to earth In the dining room of tho Primordlul. Thu young matt, alono at table, was lu tin net of topping off au excellent dinner with n still more excellent .cordial and a super excellent cigar. He wore rough tweeds, and they wens damp and baggy; his boots were muddy; bis hair was a trltlo disorder ly. The ensemble made a figure wildly Incongruous to tho soberly splendid and stately dining hall of the Primor dial club, with Its sparse patroungo of members In evening dress. Ember, himself as severely beauti ful In black and white as the ceremo nious livery of today permits a man to be, was wonder-struck at sight of Whitaker In such unconventional guise, at such n time, In such n place. With neither Invitation nor salutation, he slipped Into n chair on tho other side of the table, and stared. WW taker smiled benlgnantly upon him, and called a waiter. Ember, always abstemious, lifted his hand and smiled n negatlvo smile. Whitaker dismissed the waiter. "Well . . ?" ho Inquired cheer fully. ' "Whnt right have you got to look like that?" Ember demanded. "The right of every free-born Amer ican citizen to make an ass of himself according to the dlctntes of his con science. I've been exploring tho dark backwards and abysm of tho Bronx afoot. Got caught In the rain on tho way home. Was Into getting hack, and dropped In here to celebrate." "I've been looking for you every where, since mornlug." "I suspected you would be. That's why I went walking to be lonesomo and thoughtful for once In a wny." Ember stroked his chin with thought ful fingers. "You've heard tho news, then?" "In three ways," Whitaker re turned, with calm. "How's that three ways?" , "Through the newspapers, the bill boards, aud from the lips of my wife." Ember opened his eyes wide. "You've been to see her?" "She called this morning" But Ember .Interrupted, thrusting n ready and generous hand across tho table: "My dear mnn, I am glad !" Whitaker took the proffered hand readily and firmly. "Thank you. . . . I was saying: she called this morning to Inform mo that, though wedded once, we must be strangers now and evermore !" "But you of course you argued that nonsense out of her head." "To the contrary again." "But my dear'man! you said you were celebrating; you permitted mo to congratulate you Just now" "The point Is," said Whitaker, with a bland and confident grin; "I'vo suc ceeded In arguing that nonsense out of my head not hers mine." Ember gave a helpless gesture. "I'm afraid tills Is ono of my stupid nights ..." "I mean that, though Mary ran away from me, wouldn't listen to reuson, I have, In the course ofan ufternoon hard tramping, come to tho conclu sion that there Is nothing under tho sun which binds roe to sit buck and accept whatever treatment jdio pur poses nccordlng mo by courtesy of Jules Max." , Whitaker bent forwnrd, his coun tenance discovering phaso of seri ousness hitherto rous.ked by his twist ed smile. "I mean I'm tired of all thls poppy cock. Unless I'm an Irifntuutcd ass, Mary loves mo with all herjieort. Sho has made up her mind to roiounco mo partly because Mux hns worked upon her feelings by parting some lurid picture of his Imminent artistic and financial damnation ff sho leaves him, partly because she believes, or hus btfen led to believe, In this 'destroy ing angel' moonshine. 'Now sho'5vgot to listen to reason. So,III.owlse, Max." "You're becoming 'rooro human word by word," commented' , Ember with open approval. "Coutluuo; elucldato; I can understand how a fairly resolute lover with tho gift of gab can bulk a weak-minded, fond femalo Into deny ing her pet superstition; buf how you're going to get around Max passes my comprehension. Tho man unques tionably has her under-contract " "But you forgot his god Is Mam mon," Whitaker put In. "Max will do anything In tho world for monoy. Therein resides the kernel of my plan. It's simplicity Itself: I'm going to buy him." "Buy Max I" "Body artistic soul and breeches," Whitaker nlllrmed confidently, "Impossible I" ''You forget how well fixed I ntn. What's tho use of my owning half tho gold In Now Guinea If It won't buy mo what I already own by every moral und legal right?" "Ho won't listen to you; you don't know Max." "I'm willing to lay you n small hot that there will ho no first performance nt tho Theater Max tomorrow night." "You'll never persuade him" Til buy the show outright and my wlfo'a freedom to boot or else Max will begin to accumulate tho local color of n hospital ward." Ember smiled grimly. "You're be ginning to convince oven me. When, may I ask, do you propose to pull off this sporting proposition?" "Do you know whero Mux can la found tonight?" "At tho theater" "Then tho matter will bo arranged at tho theater between this hour and midnight." "I doubt If you succeed In getting tho ear of tho great man before mid night; however, I'm not disposed to qulbblo about n few hours." "But why shouldn't I?" "Becauso Max Is going to bo tho busiest young person In town tonight. And that Is why I've been looking for you. , . . Conforming to his cus tom, bo's been giving an advance glimpse of the production to tho crit ics and a few friends In tho form of a finnl grand dress rehearsal tonight. Again, In conformance with his cus tom, ho has honored mo with a bid. I'vo been chasing you all day to find out If you cared to go" "Eight o'clock and a bit after," Whitaker Interrupted briskly, consul ting his watch. "Here, boy," ho hulled a passage page; "call a taxlcab for me." And then, rising alertly: "Come along; I'vo got to hustle homo; and innko myself look respectable enough for tho occasion; but at that, with luck, I fancy we'll be there before tho first curtain." This mood of fnlth. of self-reliance and assured optimism held unrutlled throughout tho dash homuward, his hurried changa of clothing and tho rldo to tho theater. Nothing that Em ber, purposely pessimistic, could say or do avullcd to diminish tho high buoynncy of his humor. Ho main- "I Am Afraid of You." talncd a serene faith In his star, a spirited temper that refused to recog nize obstacles In tho wuy of his de sire. In tho taxlcab, en route to tho Then ter Max, ho contrived even to distil n good omen from tho driving autumnal downpour Itself. "On such a day ns this," he told his doubting friend, "I won her first; on ,such n day I shall win her anew, final ly und for all time." . . . Ifroin Broadway to Sixth avenue, Forty-sixth street was bright with tho yellow glaro of tho huge sign In front of tho Theater Max. But this night, vnllko that other night whor ho hud approached tho stugo of his wifo's tri umphs, there was no crawling rank of cabs, no eager and curious press of peoplo In tho street; but fow vehicles disputed their way 5 otherwise tho rain und tho hurrying, rnln-conted wayfar ers had tho thoroughfuro to them themselves. . . . And oven this ho choso to consider a favorable omen: there won not now a public to come between him 11 ml his iuvu only Mux and her frightened fnndos. Thu man at tho door recognized Km ber with n cheerful nod; Whltnkur he did not know, "Just In time, Mr. Ember; curtalu'a been up about ten minutes." . . . CHAPTEn XX. Block Out Tho auditorium was In almost total darkness. A single volco was nudlhle from thu stage that confronted It like some tremendous, moonlight canvas In a hugu frame yf tarnished gold. They stole silently round, tho orchestra sent to tho stage-box thu same box that Whitaker had on tho former occnsoln occupied In company with Max. They succeeded In taking possession without attracting attention, either from tho owners of that scanty scat tering of shirt bosoms In thu orchestra tho critical fraternity and thoso In timates bidden by tho manager to tho f first glimpse of his now revelation In stagecraft or from those occupying tho stage. Tho latter wero hut two. Evidently, though tho curtain had been up for some minutes, tho action of tho ptcco had not yet been permitted to begin to unfold. Whitaker Inferred that Max had been dissatisfied with something about tho lighting of thu scene. Thn manager was standing In mld'ag, staring up at tho borders a stout and pomous figure, tenacious to every de tail of that public self which ho had striven so successfully to mako unfor gettably Individual; a llguru quaintly Incongruous In his Impeccable morn ing cont and striped trousers aud flat brimmed silk hat. perched well back on his head, with his malacca stick and lemon-colored gloves and small and excessively glossy patent-leather shoes, posed against thu counterfeit of n moonlit formal garden. (TO Hi: CONT1NUKD.) MR. SMOOTH'S NEAT GETAWAY Insurance Agent With Keen Eye to Butlnets Camo Near "Putting His Foot In It" Slipping on an untenanted banana skin, tho homely young woman, sat on tho pavement with an unmusical splash. With elllclent ptvswco of mind, Eustace Smooth, agent for tho General and Particular Insurance com pany, slipped on another peel and sat down beside her, with two muttered curses. "Accidents will happen on thu best regulated pavements, won't they?" he observed with n snarl. "Oh, well, luckily I happen to hu an Insurance agent, and I can Insure you against slipping on banana peelings or even on u cuku of Ice for the smalt sum of $1-1 a week, and thu first tlmu you slip af ter being Insured, one of our automo biles, with absolutely no advertising matter on tho outside, will tnko you homo for $7.20, or, If you prefer, to any old hospital." "Tho Ideal" scoffed tho enraged woman, "It's too much I" "But think of tho risk wo run," pur--sued Smooth. "Now, other kinds of Insurance, such ns Insurnnco against being bitten by wild beasts, como as low as $11) a month." "I'll tnko ono of them," sho said promptly. "I always was a great one for bargains." Aud shu handed hltn her card, which read: "Mile. Ktitle, Wild Anlmnl Trainer, Lions, Tigers and Leopards a Specialty." "Excuse mo a moment, I gotta sco a man," stammered Eustuco Smooth. Listen to the Upllfter. Wo think rural peoplu nro pretty good-natured, especially when the chautauquu comes to town. There's al ways a man there who comes bn tho platform nnd scolds thu audience. He usually culls himself a community ex pert, or a "town doctor," or something of tho kind. He Is almost as bud as an editor about giving nilvlco, and Isn't half as polite about It. If wo scolded you us frankly us a recent town doctor, that wo happened to hear, scolded his audience, you would probably say, "Stop my paper." Yet tho uudlunco was pnylng tho town doctor for telling them whut misguided mutts thoy wero. Probubly ho told them tho truth, In tho main or whut seemed to bo tho truth and mnybo It was good for tholr souls, as ho .declared. It seems almost pathetic to us, sometimes, this eager ness with which wo benighted country folk will sit at tho feot of tho upllftor, who comes from afar to point out our faults und tell us how to remedy thorn. Yet wo could probably get tho upllfter on a bench und stand up 0F1 thu plat form and roast him Just as delightedly and truthfully us ho has been rousting us, Ordy wo never do It. Tho game Isn't played that way. Farm Lift. CONCRETE ROAD GREAT HELP Farmer Enabled to Double Site Load to Market and Reduces Strain on Horses. of No oxtenslvo road Improvement lu any community can be curried on with out more money than can usually bo raised by direct taxation extending through n short term, It Is unjust to expect thu taxpayers today to as sume the total cost of au Improvement which Is to last Into thu next genera tion, so bonds nro usually Issued to finance the building of roads that will permanently cut down 111alutettu1.ru ex pense and reduce, buttling costs. Thesu bonds aro sold and thus converted In to money. Interest on the bond Is pn Id und the bonds retired by funds obtained from current road tuxes. When the bonds have been paid thu community still has Its coucreto roads lu excellent condition. No community can afford to spend Its money with less caution than a pri vate ludlvldtiul would display. Thu community should do likewise. When you are asked to vote for a bond Issue to build concrete roads you are not rnlhlng public money to spend It, but ifr Invest It. A concrete road mllenjic In a community Is Increased, the bur den of road maintenance decrease, and the saving thus resulting will not only pay Interest on thu bonds, but provide funds .to retire them us they fall due. In' "tlils way borrowing Is mado profHiibJo. Touring? possibilities nt all seasons of the year njd every day In tho yenr go haud-liithand nvlth tho concrete road, "tiitfp.tyrsi" Is real I tod as thu result 'of the 'non-skid surface. Con crete boulevards through tho open Superior Type of Concrete Road. country mako riding pleasurable by do ing away with tho Jar, dust lu dry weather aud mud In wet weather, A smooth surface makes steering easy, reduces tiro cost, lessens fuel con sumption. These are soino of thu ways In which a concrete road benefits thu motorist. t Reduced to simple, terms, a coucreto rond helps tho farmer haul two loads at ono trip Instead of onu load nt two trips; or, It doubles the slr.o of thn loud and cuts In two the tractive pow er necessary to transport farm pro duce. With less capital tied up In horses there Is more cash to put into equipment to produce more cash, Tho concrete road reduces thu strain on horses nnd lengthens their lives. It reduces wear on wagons and harness. Whero motortrucks aro used It les suns tiro and fuel expense, It puts tho armor In a stato of preparedness to reach markets quickly when prices nro best, and hu can take his profits and get homo with more cash than ho could by slow hauling on' 11 bud roud. It ndds to thu ncreagu value of n farm becauso It Increases Its earning possi bilities. A coucreto road makes all of theso advantages permanent, bringing Its toll of profit to tho farmer dally in tho form of time, money and effort saved. BUILDING ROADS IN -FORESTS Co-operative Projects Carried On With Funds From Forest 8ervco and Local Cornmunltlea. In 1017 nearly $'1.10,000, waa avail nblo for roads and brails 'within the national forest bnuudnrloH from tho ton per cont fund derived from re ceipts, Ah In previous ycarH co-op-cnitlvo projects wero carried on with funds contributed by tho forest serv ice nnd by local communities. 1 . . 1 r I