Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / Dec. 22, 1916, edition 1 / Page 3
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AUGflON REX BEA 3YN0PSIS. 10 Peter Knight, defeated for political of fice In bU town, decides to venture New Tork In order that the family fortunes jalgbt benefit by the expectad rise of his charming daughter, Lorelei. A well iknown critic Interviews Irelet Knlgrht, aow stage beauty with Bergman's Revue, for a special article. Her coin-hunting mother outlines Lorelei's ambitions, but ;81osson. the press agent, later adds his Information. Lorelei attends Millionaire Hammon's gorgeous entertainment. She meets Merkle, a wealthy dyspeptic. Bob Wharton comes uninvited. Lorelei dis--Msovers a blackmail plot against Hammon. In which her mother la Involved. Merkle nd Lorelei have an auto wreck. The Blackmailers besmirch her good name, pLorelel learns her mother ts an unacru 'pulous plotter. She finds in Adoree Dora--orent a real friend, and finds Bob Whar Hon la likable. Lorelei leaves her family uand goes to live alone. Lorelei and drun jken Bob Wharton are tricked into mar irtage. . Lllas shoots and wounds Ham enoo seriously. Adoree Demorest, the dancer, nd Campbell Pope, the critic, once mere. He is the man who told all New York through hie dramatic column that ahe was the most shameless woman on the stage. Really a good girl, she naturally despises him for thus besmirching her. Well, they meet at dinner. How the bar rier between them is broken and how they begin a friendship is told In delightful manner In this installment. Hammon has been shot. The prob lem is to get him home unseen. Bob "Wharton rents a hack and drives it ttfmself. CHAPTER XV Continued. Bob reined in and leaped from his box. Merkle had the cab door opea and was hoisting Hammon from bis eat "Have you got the key?" Bob asked, ewiftly. "Yea. Help me! He's fainted, I think." They lifted the naif-conscious man "0tt then with him between them strug gled np the steps; but Hammon's feet dragged; he hung very heavy in their arras. Merkle was not a strong man; he was panting, and his hands shook as fee fumbled with the lock. The key -escaped him and tinkled upon the tone. "Hurry! Here comes the watch . man." Bob was gazing over bis shoul der at the slowly approaching figure. A second but briefer delay, and they stood in the gloom of the marble foyer ball. Then they shuffled across the floor to the great, curving stairway. Hammon had assured them that there would be no one in the house except Orson, his man, and some of the kitch en servants, the others having followed their mistress to the country; neverthe less the rescuers' nerves were painfully taut, and they tried to go as silently as burglars; when they finally gained the library, they were drenched with perspiration. Merkle switched on the lights; they deposited the wounded man on a couch and bent over hiui. Hammon was not dead. Merkle felt Lis way into the darkened regions at the rear and returned with a glass of spirits. Under his and Bob's ministra tions the uuconscious man opened his eyes. "You got me here, didn't you?" he whispered, as he took in his surround ings. "Now go everything Is all right." "We're not going to leave you," Merkle said, positively. "No!" echoed Bob. "I'll wake up Or on while John telephones the doctor." But Hammon forbade Bob's move ment with a frown. It was plain that despite his weakness his mind re mained clear. "Listen to me," he ordered. "Prop me up put me in that chair. I'm choking." They did as he directed. 'That's better. Now, you mustn't be een here either of you. We can't explain." He checked Merkle. "I know best. Go home; It's only two blocks I'll telephone." "You'll ring for Orson quick?" Hammon nodded. "Rotten way to leave a man," Bob mumbled. "I'd rather stick it out and face the music." "Go, go! You're wasting time." Hammon's brow was wrinkled with pain and anger. "You've been good; now hurry." Merkle's thin face was marked with deep feeling. "Yes," he agreed. Theie's nothing else for us to do; but tell Orson to 'phone me quick. I'll be Ifcack here in five minutes." Then he and Bob stole out of the house as qui etly as thy had stolen in. i They got into the cab and drove away without exciting suspicion. iMerkle alighted two blocks up the ave nue and sped to his own house; Bob turned his Jaded nag westward through the sunken road that led toward the ;ElegancIa and Lorelei, j The owner of the equipage was wait Hug patiently, and there still lacked Uomethlng of the allotted hour when s exchanged garments had been transferred to their respective owners. Bob walked toward the Elegancla with a feeling of extreme fatigue in his limbs, for the effort to conquer his In toxication had left him weak; he dimly realized also that he was still far from sober. There was no answer when be rang at Lilas Lynn's apartment; the ball boy volunteered the information that the occupant had just gone out with a gentleman. Miss Knight? Yes, she was upstairs, he supposed. Bob was surprised at his wife's apparent self control wheu she let him in. Except for the slim hand pressed to her bosom and the anxiety luring In her deep blue eyes, she might have Just come from, the theater. Those eyes, he not ed, were very dark, almost black, un der this emotional stress; they ques tioned him. mutely. "We got him home all right," he told her, when they stood facing each other iu the tiny living room. "Will he live?" "Oh. yes. He says he's not badly hurt, and Merkle agrees. Lord! We'd never left him alone If we'd thought " "I'm glad. When you rang I thought It was the police." "There, there!" he said, comfortingly, seeing her tremble. "I won't let any body hurt you.. I was terribly drunk things are swimming yet but all the way across town I couldn't think of anything, anybody except you and what it would mean to you if It got out." "It will get out, I'm sure. Such things always do." He eyed her gravely, kindly, with an expression she had never seen upon his face. "Then we'll face it together," he said. After a moment her glance drooped, a faiut color tinged her cheeks. "I wouldn't dare face It alone. I couldn't, but you're tired sick." He nodded. "You must lie down and sleep, and get to be yourself again We can't tell what may happen now at any mo ment." "It's the reaction, I suppose. I'm all in. And you?" She shook her head. "I couldn't sleep If I tried. I feel as if I'd never be able to sleep again. I I'll sit and watch and wait." CHAPTER XVI. That afternoon Mrs. Knight, In a great, flutter of excitement, arrived with Jim at the Elegancla. Embracing her daughter In tremulous, almost tear ful delight, she burst forth: "You dear! You darling! Jhn came home not an hour ago and told me ev erything. I thought I should swoon." "Told you everything?" Lorelei flashed a glance at her brother, who made a quick sign of reassurance. What with Lorelei's good fortune and Lilas catastrophe Mrs. Knight was well-nigh delirious. She was still rv joicing garrulously when Lorelei burst into one of her rare passions of weep ing and buried her face In her hands. "Child alive!" cried her astonished mother. "Vhat ails you?" Instantly Jim's suspicions caught fire. "Say! Has Bob welched?" he de manded, harshly. The amber head shook iu negation. "Isn't he nice to you?" quavered Mrs. Knight. "Yes. But I'm sorry I did it. He was drinking; he didn't know what he was doing " "Hush!" Mrs. Knight cast a fearful glance over her shoulder. "It was all straight and aboveboard, and he knew perfectly well what be was about. Jim would swear to it." Lorelei lifted a tragic, tear-stained face. "I ought to be banged," she said. Jim laughed with relief. "There's gratitude for you! If I had your share of the Wharton coin I'd let 'em bang me for a while." As mother and son were leaving, Jim managed to get a word in private with his sister. "Don't weaken," he cautioned her. "Lynn's gone, and it's all over. We've got the whip-hand on all of 'em Ham mon, Merkle, Bob, Lllas everybody. We've got 'em all, understand? We've landed big!" When she was alone Lorelei gave a sigh of relief, which changed to a sob as the sense of her helplessness surged over her again. She bad deliberately sold herself; she wearily wondered where the new road led surely not to happiness. Toward evening Adoree Demorest telephoned, and with many anticipa tory exclamations of pleasure Invited Lorelei to dine. "I can't," answered Lorelei, faintly. "Bother your engagements!" Miss Demorest's disappointment was keen. "I can't even explain, unless you'll come here." "To dinner?" Lorelei decided swiftly. She dreaded to be alone with Bob; her constraint in his presence was painful, and he also, before going out, had appeared very ill at ease. He had nt even made plans for the evening meai. In view of all this she answered: "Yes, to dinner. Please, please come." Lorelei was not quite sure that Bob would consent to dine in the modest little home, but under the circum stances idleness was maddening, so she fell to work. This was very different from what she had expected, but everything was different. Once the marriage had become known to Bob's people and he had thoroughly sobered down, once she had withdrawn from the cast of the Revue, their real life would begin. Bob was pale and a bit unsteady when he arrived, but Lorelei saw that he suffered only from the effects of bis previous debauch. He was extremely self-conscious and uneasy in her pres ence, though he kissed her with a brave show of confidence. "I galloped Into the bank Just as they slammed the doors," he explained, "but my bookkeeping Is rotten." "Are you trying to tell me tlat you have overdrawn?" "Exactly. But I drew against the old gentleman, as usual, so on with the dance. What's the er idea of the apron?" "It's nearly dinner time." Bob's eyes opened with surprise. "Why, we're going to Delmouico's." "I'd rather do this if you don't mind." She eyed bim appeal ingly. "I don't feel equal to going out tonight. I'm afraid." His glance brightened with admira tion. "Well, you look stunning in that get-up, and I'd hate to see you change It. Do you mean to say you can cook?" "Not well, but I can fry almost any thing. Mother has a maid. I couldn't afford two." "I love fried things," he assured her, with a twinkle. "And to think, you're going to cook for me! That's an ex perience for both of us. Let's have some fried roast beef and fried corn on the cob with fried salad and cheese." "Don't tease," she begged, uncertain ly. "I hardly know what I'm doing, and I thought this would keep me busy until theater time." He extended a hand timidly and patted her arm, saying with unexpect ed gentleness: "Please don't worry. It was a ter rible night for all of us. When I think of It I'm sure It must have been a dream. I saw Merkle. He got back to Hammon's house ahead of the doc tor, and nwbody suspects the truth. But the Street Is in chaos, and all of Ham mon's companies are feeling the strain." "Shouldn't you have been at busi ness on such a day?" Bob shrugged carelessly. "I'm only a 'joke' broker. The governor thinks a firm name looks well on my cards. I hope he doesn't lose more than a mil lion in this Hurry it won't improve his disposition. But wait till he learns I've married a girl who can fry things By the way " Bob paused. "I invited a friend to dine with us to night." Lorelei was less dismayed than he had expected. "So have I," she said. "I thought it might , be pleasanter for you," he explained, a bit awkward ly, "inasmuch as we're not very well acquainted. I saw before I went out that you were er embarrassed aud and " He flushed boyishly, scarce ly conscious of the delicacy that had "Don't Weaken," He Cautioned Her. prompted his action. "Anyhow, he's gone home to put on a clean sweater." "You don't mean you asked ?" "Campbell Tope; yes. I met hlra, and he looked hungry. He's coming here at six." For almost the first time in Bob's society Lorelei laughed out clearly. "And I asked Adoree Demorest," she said. Bob grinned and then laughed with her. "Fine!" he cried. "Both mem bers of this club. Really, this ought to make the best finish fight seen in New York for many a day." Adoree's surprise at finding Robert Wharton In her friend's apartment was intense, and when she learned the truth she was for once In her life speechless. She could only stare from one to the other, wavering between consternation and delight. Finally she sat down limply. "I I'd have brought a present if I'd known," she managed to say. "Are you going to wish us luck?" Bob inquired. "T,nck! You've both got it. She's the best girl in the world, and you're " Adoree hesitated, and continued to stare, round-eyed. "I didn't think you'd I didn't think she'd I don't know wliat I thought or didn't think. But Jimminy! Married!" When Lore lei led her into the bedroom to lay off her wraps the thunderstruck young woman hud more nearly recovered her self. "Why, he's worth millions," she exclaimed, in a whisper "billions! I don't know how to talk to him or you, for that matter. Shall I call you 'my lady' or 'your honor,' or I didn't dress for dinner either; I suppose I should have worn the crown jools." "You're going to wear an apron and help me scorch the dinner," Lorelei laughed. As Lorelei explained the reasons for tonight's program, Adoree saw for the first time the weariness in her friend's eyes, the pallor of her cheeks, the trem- "That Viper?" She Cried. ulous droop of her lower, lip. Seizing Lorelei by the shoulders, she held her off as the target for a searching gaze. "Tell me, did they make you marry him?" she inquired, fiercely. It was plain to whom she referred. "No!" "Whew! I'm glad to hear that. You love him, don't you?" The answer came readily enough, and the blue eyes did not flinch, but the smile wa a trifle fixed and the cheeks remained colorless. "Why, of course. He's very nice." "Lorelei!" Miss Demorest's fingers tightened; her voice was tragic, but she had no chance to say more, for Bob called just then from the living room: "Hurry back, girls. There's some thing burning, and I can't find the emergency brake." When Adoree finally came forth In one of Lorelei's aprons really a fetch ing garment, more like a house dress than an apron Bob told her whom they were expecting as the other guest. She paused with a bread-knife up raised. "That viper?" she cried. "Campbell isn't a viper; he's a cricket a dramatic cricket," declared Bob. Adoree began to undo the buttons at her back, but Bob seized her hands. "Let go. I'll blow up If I see that creature," she exclaimed, in a kind of subdued shout. Argument proved vain until Lorelei told her firmly: "You owe It to your self, dear. And we won't let you go." The dancer ceased her struggles, her brows puckered. "Seriously, now, Lorelei has told me everything, and I want Campbell to acknowledge his mistake," said Bob. "The public has swallowed that royalty hoax, but there's no use deceiving him." Despite her show of bravery Adoree was panic-stricken when the bell rang and Bob went to the door to explain the change of plan and Invite Pope in. He entered the living room with a hand extended and a smile upon his lips, then halted as if frozen. By the time he had been introduced to Adoree he had burst Into a gentle perspiration. As for Miss Demorest, she took a grim delight in his discomfort, and pre pared to blast bim with sarcasm, to wither him with her contempt when the moment came. Meanwhile she lis tened as the two men talked, turning up her nose when Pope scored Broad way with his usual bitterness. "He thinks that's smart," she re flected; but she, too, detested the Great Trite Way, and his words expressed her own distaste so aptly that she could think of no argument sufficiently biting to confound bim. She delib erately framed a stinging reference to his pose in Oie matter of dress, though In frankness she had to admit that he wore his gray sweater vest with an air of genuine comfort and unconscious ness. Pope was noticeably ill at ease. He was conscious of Miss Demorest's hos tile eyes, and the pointed manner in which she Ignored his presence was dis quieting. Bob appeared to enjoy his lack of repose, and offered no relief. At last Pope turned to the piano and flut tered through the stack of sheet music he found there. "Do you play?" Inquired Bob. "Yes. Why?" "You look as if you did you're kind of badly nourished. Know any rag time?" The musician groaned. After a mo ment he murmured, "I improvise a good deal." The Instrument, perhaps for the flrst time in its life, began to vibrate and ring to something besides the claptrap musio of the day. Once ' he bad found a means of occupying ' imself, Pope surrendered to his im pulse and in a meusure forgot his sur roundings. A short time later Lorelei turned from the kitchenette to find Adoree Demorest poised, a salad-bowl in one hand, a wooden spoon gripped in the ether, on her face a rapt expression of beatitude. "Have you rubbed the dish with gar lic?" inquired Lorelei. , Adoree roused herself slowly. "Lordy!" she whispered. "I'd give both legs to the knee and one eye If I could play like that. The mean little shrimp!" The embers of her resentment were still glowing wAen the four finally seat ed themselves f.t the table. A furtive glance In Popv' direction showed that he was studhxisly avoiding her eyes; she prepared once more to. begin the process of flaying him. "You've been away for some time, haven't you?" Bob was asking. Pope nodded. "I hate New York. I went as far away as I could get, and I managed to return just two Jumps ahead of the sheriff. It will take me six months to pay my debts. I'm a grand little business man." "What was it this time? Mining?" "No. Poultry." Adoree pricked up her ears. "You went West, eh?" pursued Bob. "No. East Long Island. I saw a great opportunity to make money; so I found a farm on a lake, bought it, and went to raising ducks." "Ducks!" breathlessly exclaimed Miss Demorest; but Ler interruption went unnoticed. Campbell' Tope's featuia shone with the gentle light of a pleasurable re membrance. "It was lovely and quiet out there. The local Inhabitants were shy but friendly; they did me no harm. But It was no place for ducks; they swam all over the pond. They swam all their fat off, and I had the pond dredged and never found an egg." Miss Demorest giggled audibly; she had lost all interest In her food; she was tingling with. excitement. "Why didn't you fence them In?" she asked. Pope eyed her for a fleeting instant, then his gaze wavered. "I fenced In the whole pond to begin with. It nearly broke me." "A duck shouldn't have much water. What kind were they?" "Plymouth Rocks, or HolsteIn3, or Jersey Lilies anyhow they were white." "White reklns!" The critic frowned argunientatively. "What Is a duck for if he Isn't to swim? What is his object? We had six on my father's farm, and they swam all the time. Of course, six isn't many, but " "Naturally they didn't do well " Bob Wharton signaled frantically to his wife, but there was no stopping the discussion that had begun to rage back and forth. It lasted until the conclu sion of the meal, and it was only with an effort that Adoree tore herself away. She was in her element, and in a little time had won the critic's undivided at tention; he listened with absorption; he even made occasional notes. As the two girls dressed hurriedly for the theater, Adoree confessed: "Golly! I'm glad I stayed. He's not bright; he's perfectly silly about some things, and yet he's the most Interest ing talker I ever heard. And can't he play a piano?" CHAPTER XVII. Hannibal Wharton arrived in New York at five o'clock and went directly to Merkle's bank. At eight o'clock Jarvls Hammon died. During the afternoon and evening other financiers, summoned hurriedly from New Eng land shores and Adirondack camps,; were busied in preparations for the struggle they expected on the morrow. During the closing hours of the market prices had slumped to an alarming de grce; a terrific raid on metal stocks had begun, and conditions were ripe for a panic. Hammon had bulked large in the steel world, and his position In circles of high finance had become prominent; but alive he could never have worked one-half the havoc caused by his sud den death. That persistent rumor of suicide argued, in the public mind, the existence of serious money troubles, and gave significance to the rumor that for some time past had disturbed the Street. Hammon's enemies summoned their forces for a crushing assault. In this emergency Bob's father found himself the real head of those vast en terprises in which he had been an as sociate, and until a late hour that night he was forced to remain in consultation with men who came and went with consternation written upon their faces. The amazing transformation which followed the birth of the giant stee! trust had raised many men from we!! to-do obscurity into prominence and undreamed-of wealth. Since then the older members of the original clique had withdrawn one by one from active affairs, and of the younger men only Wharton and Hammon had remained. Equally these two had figured in what was perhaps the most remarkable chap ter of American financial history. Both had been vigorous, self-made, practical men. But the outcome had affected them quite differently. Riches had turned Jarvis Hammon's mind into new channels; they had opened strange pathways and projected him Into a life that was lr every way foreign to his early teachings. His duties kept him in New York, while Wharton's had held him iu his old home. Hammon had become a great financier; Whnrton had remained the practical operating expert, and, owing to the exactions of his position, he had become linked more closely than ever to business detail. At ttw same time he bad become morf ant more unapproachable. Unlimited power had forced him Into the peculiar isola tion of a chief executive; he had grown hard, suspicious, arbitrary. Even to his son he had been for years a remote being. It was not until the last conference had broken up, not until the last forces Uad been disposed for the coming bat tle, that he spoke to Merkle of Bob's marriage. Merkle told him what he cnew, and the old man listened silent ly. Then he drove to the Elegancla. Bob and Lorelei had just returned from the theater, much, be it said, against the bridegroom's wishes. Bob had been eager to begin the celebration of his marriage in a fitting manner, and it had required the shock of Hammon's death added to Lorelei's entreaties to dissuade him from a uight of hilarity. He was flushed with drink, and in con sequence more than a little resentful when she Insisted upon spending an )ther night In the modest little huue. "Say! I'm not used to this kind of a place," be argued. "I'm not a cave dweller. It's a lovely flat for a mur der but It's no place to live." "Don't be silly," she told him. "We acted on impulse; we can't change everything at a moment's notice." "But people take trips when they . get married." "I can't quit the show without two weeks' notice." "Two weeks?" He was aghast. "Two minutes. Two seconds. I won't have you dodging around stage doort." "Bergman won't let me go; it wouldn't be right to ask bim." But Bob was insistent. "I intend to cure you of the work habit. You must iearn to scorn It. Look at me. I'm an example of the unearned increment. We'll kiss this dinky fiat a fond fare well it's impossible, really I refuse to share such a dark secret with you. Tomorrow we leave it for the third and last time. What d'you say to the snnnjr side of the Rltz until we decide where we want to travel?" Just then the apartment bell rang. Bob went to the door. He returned, with his father at his heels. Mr. Whar ton tramped in grimly, nodded at hi daughter-in-law, who bad risen at the flrst sound of his voice, then ran bis eyes swiftly over the surroundings. "I hear you've made a fool of your self again," he began, showing hie teeth in a faint smile. "Have you given up your apartment at the Charle voix?" "Not yet," said Bob. "We're consid ering a suite at the Ritz for a few days." "Indeed. You're going back to the Charlevoix tonight." Lorelei started. She bad expected opposition, but was unprepared for anything so blunt and businesslike. "I think 'you and Bob can talk more free ly if I leave you alone," she said. Hannibal Wharton replied shortly: "No. don't leave. I'll talk freer with you here." It appeared, however, that Robert stood in no awe of his father's anger; he said lightly: '"They never come back, dad. I'm regular married man. Lorelei is my royal consort, my yoke-mate, my rib. We'll have to scratch the Charlevoix." This levity left the caller unmoved; to Lorelei he explained: "I want no notoriety, so all we need talk about is terms. You'll fare better "You're Going Back to the Charlevoix Tonight.' by dealing directly w.th me thaa through lawyers I'll fight a lawsuit so let's get down to bu&iness. You should realize, however, that these set tlements are never as large as they're advertised. I'll pay you ten thousand dollars and stand the costs q the di vorce proceedings." "You are making a mistake," she told him, quietly. Not at all! Not at all!" Mr. Whar ton exclaimed, irritably. "I know real sentiment when I see it, and I'll feet the bill for this counterfeit, but I'm toe tired to argue." c Do you believe that Lorelei X can be bought off for any sum m of money? Would she consent J to a divorce? Has Bob won her regard? mmmm ITO BE CONTIVXIXJ
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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Dec. 22, 1916, edition 1
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