By REX BEACH
printed by-arrangement with Metro
politan Newspaper Service, New York.
Copynighter, 1922 by Rex Besoii.
BEGIN HERE TODAY
Calvin Gray, sworn enemy of Colonel
Henry Nelson, is living in Dallas at the
most expensive hotel. Gray falls in
love with • Barbara Parker, who buys
land for Nelson. The Briskow family,
friends of Gray, goes to the mountains,
where Allie, the daughter, has a tutor
and a dancing master. Attracted by
her money and her physical charms, the
dancing teacher, kisses Allie. Enraged
at his advances, the girl throws the
professor out of a window. He lands
in a bed of thorns. Mrs. Ring, the
tutor, resolves to resign. Allie is in
love with Gray.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
"She chucked the dancin’ teacher out
of a winder-” he repeated, blankly.
"What for?”
"Goodness knows. Mr. Briskow!
Something he said, or did—I couldn’t
make out precisely. . I found her in a
dreadful state, and I tried to comfort
her. I did really, but—oh! If you could
have heard her! Where she learned
such language I dont know. My ears
burn! But that isn’t the worst; you
should hear what—”
"He must of said something pretty
low down.” Briskow spoke quietly;
his bright blue eyes were hard. ‘T
reckon she’ll tell me.”
"Ton don’t understand.” chattered
the woman. "She flung the man bodily
out of the window and into a bed of
thorns. It nearly killed him; he was
painfully lacerated and bruised and—
Right in the middle of a golf game!
It did something dreadful—I don’t
know what—just as the world's cham
pion caught the ball, or something.”
"If he's crippled I'll get him thdt.
much easier." said Briskow, and at the
purposeful expression upon his weath
er-beaten face Mrs. Ring uttered a
faint bleat of terror. She pawed, at
him as he undertook to pass her.
'"Oh. my heavens! What are you go
ing to do?”
"Depends on what he said to Allie."
The woman wrung her hands. "What
people! What—savages! You’re going
to shoot him, I suppose, just be
ca use—"
" Yes’m!" the father nodded. "You
got it right, motif an’ all. ” ‘Just be
"But it’s murder! You—you can’t
mean it.” Moans issued from the
speaker. “What ever possessed me to
accept this position? It’s unendurable,
and I’ll be involved—”
"I’ve saw your last raise, Miz’ Ring.’t
"Do you think I’d stay after this?
t’s bad enough to be made ridiculous—
the whole hotel is in laughter; laughter
at me. I dare say. as much as at her.
Imagine! Hurling a full-grown man
from a window—”
"I don’t hear nobody laughing.”
Briskow swung his head slowly from
side to side.
Going directly to the desk.'he asked
for the manager, then stood aside, hat
in hand, until the latter made his ap
pearance. The manager began a hasty
and rather mixed apology on behalf of
the hotel for what, had occurred in the
lancing room, but his tone of annoy
ance was an accusation in itself.
"Very—unfortunatei” he lamented.
"We haven’t heard the last of it, by any
means."
“Prob'Iy so,” the father agreed. ‘‘An’
r got something to say' about it. too.
Get that dancin’ perfessor off the place
quirk or I'll kill him."
The manager recoiled; his startled
ayes searched Briskow’s face incredu
lously. "T—beg pardon?.”
"I ain’t heard my kid’s side of the
story y A, but I’m goin’ to see her now,
ao you better get word to that jumping
lack in a hurry. That is, if you want
to save him.”
“He is discharged, of course, for we
loler-ate no rudeness on the part of our
employes—or our guests, for that mat
ter; but. I believe he is suffering some
affects from the shock. I couldn’t well
isk him to go before—”
“It’ll take me prob’ly twenty minutes,
talkin' to my girl. That'll give him
time, if he moves fast. But I may get
through in fifteen."
At the door of his suite Gus Briskow
paused to wipe his countenance clean
pf the expression it had worn for the
ast few minutes, and when he entered
it was with his usual friendly smile.
Allie and her mother were .waiting:
they were white and silent. 'Gus kissed
lis daughter before saying;
"Don’t worry, honey; he won’t bother
you no more."
Allie averted her face. Mrs. Briskow
nquired, “Did you see the skunk?”
"No. I gave him a few minutes to
Hear out.”
"Hadn't we better leave, too?” ven
tured Allie.
“Oh-h!” In Ma’s eyes was such bleak
lismay, such a piteous appeal, that Gus
shook his head.
'What fer? We got nice quarters |
tnd youf^ma likes it here—” 1
"They’re laughing at me. I heard
em hollering.”
Allie related her experience with
Professor Delameter; she told it all up
to the burst of shouting that followed j
ter through the lobby. “You should,
if hear ’em yelling, clapping their
lands—! I”—she choked, her voice
"ailed her, miserably she concluded—
’I wish to God we’d never struck oil!”
"You’re just wore out, dearie,” her
nother said, comfortingly, and Bris
tow agreed. He assured her that all
vould be well.
All was not well, however. The next
norning when Gus Briskow was about
o leave the hotel as usual—Professor
Delameter having departed hurriedly
the evening before with fully four min
ites of his "twenty to spare—he was
stopped by the manager, who requested t
him to give up his rooms. The Texan
! was bewildered; he could not under
stand the reason for such a' request.
"Ain’t I paid my bills?” he queried.
The manager assured him that he
had; he was profoundly regretful, as a
matter of. fact, but it so happened that
the Briskow suite had been reserved
early in the season, and the party who
made the reservation had just wired
that he was arriving that day. He was
a gentleman of importance—it was in
deed unfortunate—the management ap
preciated Mr. Briskow’s patronage—
they hoped he and his family would re
turn to the Notch sometime.
"Mebbe you got some other rooms
that would do us,” Gus, ventured.
It was too bad, but the hotel was
over-crowded. Later, perhaps—
Npw at that very moment the lobby,
was filled with tournament golfers who
were leaving on the morning train,
and Briskow knew it. He studied the
speaker with an expression that
caused the latter extreme discomfort;
it was much the same expression he
had worn the night before when he had
served warning upon Delameter.
It was with a heavy heart and a
heavy tread that Briskow returned to
his room. Ma took the announcement
like a death blow, for It meant the end
of all her dreams, all her joyous games
of “pretend.” Her mountains—those
clean, green, friendly mountains that
she loved with a passion so intense that
she fairly ached—those and her caves,
her waterfalls, her gypsy band, were
to be taken from her. She was to be
banished, exiled.
As for Allie, she told herself that this
was the end. She had tried to make
something of herself and had failed.
She had crucified herself; She had bled
her body and scourged her soul only to
gain ridicule and disgrace. There was
no use of trying further; Gray had been
mistaken in her, and her misery, her
I shame at the realization was intoler
able.’ There was no facing him after
this.
Allie decided to do away with her
self.
CHAPTER XV
| A Friend in Need
| , Gus Briskow was waiting at the
cashier's desk for his bill when the
bustle of incoming guests told him that
the morning train had arrived. Prob
ably it i had brought that “gentleman
of importance” to whom the manager
had referred.
Briskow’s chain of thought was
broken by a slap on the back that
nearly drove him through the cashier’s
window; then by a loud, cheery greet
ing. The next moment he found him
self actually embraced by—Gus could
not believe his eyes—by Calvin Gray!
“Gus! You precious pirate! My, but
I'm glad to see you! Ma and Allie are
well. I know; they couldn't be other
wise here. Great place, isn’t it? Noth
ing in this country or Europe that com
pares with it. and I’ve sent dozens of
my friends here. I came north on busl
1 ness and couldn’t bear to go back,with
out seeing you. Come! Give me a wel
come, for I’ve traveled across ’ three
states to get here.”
The two stood hand in hand. Gray
beamed approvingly. Gus, too, was
smiling, but earnestly he said, “I’m
right glad to see you. Mr. Gray, for
we’re in trouble.
In greater detail. Briskow made
known the facts. When he had fin
ished his halting recital, Calvin Gray's
face was flushed with anger, there was
I a dark frown between his eyes.
[ "We’ll see!” he muttered. Wait here
—or go back and tell Ma to commence
unpacking." Then he was gone.
* For perhaps ten minutes Gus waited
nervously; he was amazed finally to see
Gray approaching arm in arm with the
manager; both were laughing, the hotel
man’s face was radiant with good hu
mor. To the departing guest he said
1 genially;
"You are not going to leave us. after
all, Mr. Briskow. On the contrary, we
are going to keep you at the Notch as
long as you'll stay. Stupid misunder
standing on my part, and I apologize.
I'm going to ask you to move, but into
a better suite—the very best one we
have. And the rate will be the same.
Come! What do you say?”
“Dunno’s I want to stay at all.” Gus
murmured, angrily. "We ain't no betr
ter 'n we was a half hour ago.”
“To be sure, but I’ve made you better
known,” said Gray. “You are too shy;
you didn’t afford my friend here the
pleasure of making your acquaintance,
and I had to tell him the sort of person
you really are, Serves you right, Gus.
for being so exclusive. Gad! I think
I’ll give you a few lessons in democ
racy. Now then, come along! I’m dy
ing to see Ma.”
As the father trotted down the hall
beside his swiftly striding deliverer, he
gasped: “How’d you do it?”
“Nothing simpler. I merely showed
Mr. What's-his-name that he was mak
ing an ass of himself. I've spent a
fortune here; know the owners, too.
Nice chap, that manager, but he has no
business running a hotel, and I so in
formed him.” The speaker laid a
finger upon his lips; his eyes were1
dancing. He knocked sharply at the
Briskow door and cried, "Baggage
ready, ma-am?”
There was a stir from within, the
door was slowly opened by a bent,
pathetic figure of grief. I
“Ma!” Gray cried, and he held out |
his arms.
Perhaps it was his virile personality
radiating confidence, security, or per
haps it was Gus Briskow’s shining
face that told the story; whatever the
fact, Ma Briskoyv uttered a thin, broken
wail, then walked into those open I
arms and laid her head upon Gray’s
breast
“Oh-h-h! We ain't goln’ away!” she
said. “We ain’t—goin’ away!”
“Of course not. Gus misunderstood.
The manager merely. wanted you to
m0Ve—into a larger, finer suite, and
he is positively distressed at the
thought of your leaving. The poor
man is dashing about collecting an
armful of roses for you and Allie. He
wants to come in person and apologize.”
There was another sound and Gray
looked up to see Allie standing in
the doorway to her bedroom; with one
hand she clutched the jamb, the other
was pressed to her bosom; she was
staring at him as at an apparition.
It was several hours later. Ip the
parlor of the new spuite, a spacious,
sunny room, fragrant with flowers and
cheerful with brilliant certonnes, Gray
and Briskow were talking. Allie and
her mother could be seen in theiir bed
rooms putting away the last of their
belongings. Gray's eyes had been
drawn, at frequent intervals, to the^
younger woman, for the change in
her became the more amazing the
more he observed her.
Gray sent the father away on some
pretext, finally; then he called to Allie;
"Come in here and talk to me. I am
a guest and I demand entertainment.”
He observed with silent approval her
carriage as she entered the room and
accepted the chair he offered her. Faint
trace of the nester’s daughter here.
"I want a good chiHlce to look at you.
"Now then, do you like Mrs. Ring?”
Allie nodded. "I like her, but—1
hate her. She makes me feel awful
mad because she can’t understand that
I ain't—I am not mad at her, but at
myself. I don’t hardly know how to
explain it. If I was her I’d hate me,
like I do.”
“Would you! She knows everything,
and she makes me learn. But she
won’t stay. I just found out that she’s
been quitting every few weeks, and
Pa’s been raising her wages. No, the
disgrace, and our being thrown out—”
"My dear girl, let me assure you,
once for all, there is no suggestion of
disgrace about this affair. You be
haved with spirit, and those who have
heard about it admire you. I have
talked with a number of them, and
I know. I had a talk with Mrs. Ring
also, and she will remain if you wish
her to do so. Tell me, what are you
going to do this afternoon?”
"I dunno!” Allie looked blank. "I.
don’t do anything but study. I s’pose
I got to study.”
“Nothing of the sort. You have
circles under your eyes now from over
work, and this is your vacation. I
am a visitor, a restless visitor; I abhor
being asked to make myself at home,
and I never do. I demand amusement.
Do you know what I’d like to do
best of all?” Allie did not know.
I’d like to sit here and smoke while
you show me all your pretty dresses.
You’re dying to show them to me,
aren’t you?”
"Run along and try them on, then
I’ll borrow a pair of puttees and we’ll
go for a ride.”
For the next two hours Allegheny
Briskow was in heaven. Never had
she dreamed of anything like this. To
have Calvin Gray alone, all to her
self—Ma, as usual, had .disappeared—
and to discuss with him exciting ques
tions of dress and good taste that she
could not discuss with her own people;
to meet his occasional hearty approval
—-well, it was enough to make a girl
drunk. with happiness. Gowns that
he liked became precious; she hated
those that he condemned. Her fingers
grew clumsy with haste, her cheeks
burned. He said she wore her clothes
well, that she carried herself well. He
approved of her—liked her! God above!
And to think that she had contemplated
suicide!
"Where is Ma?” Gray inquired, when
the last gown had been paraded and
when Allie appeared in her riding suit.
“Out with the fairies, I suppose. She
won’t tell Pa or me where she goes
or what she does—says it's all foolish
ness.”
"Perhaps she will tell me, for I be
lieve in fairies,” Gray said, seriously.
Allie smiled at him. “I reckon she
will. Folks tell yon 'most anything
you want them to, I reckon.”
This was the busiest llour of the af
ternoon. Gray had purposely order
ed the horses sent around at a time
when he knew that the veranda, the
walks, and the tennis courts would be
filled, for ever since his interview
with the hotel manager a plan had
been shaping in his mind and already
he had dropped a few words, a hint or
two here and there, that were calcu
lated to stimulate interest in Allie
Briskow.
It gratified his craving for the
fUeCA
C$0°“
the secret of
Vitality
YOU, too, may be more at
tractive. It is the blood that
circulates thru your body and
comes to the skin that makes the
“glow.” It is the rich blood that
clears away pimples, skin erup
tions and makes the skin youthful
and clear. It is rich blood that
feeds the flesh and rounds out tho
body naturally.
Then why not use this simple
reasonable way to have more
strength and more vitality and
attractiveness that follows?
S. S. S. is one of the greatest
blood-cell builders, body-build
ers and blood-cleansers of all
time. Its medicinal ingredients
are purely vegetable.
S. S. S., because of its blood
building powers, is a remarkable
builder of firm flesh. It fills out
hollow cheeks and beautifies the
complexion as thousands Of men
and women can testify.
S. S. S. Is sold at all good drug
stores in two si*es._ The larger
size is more economical.
c C She World's Bestf
^loodMedidnej
theatric now to lead thtjjjgirl out before
so many curious eyeji| For himself,
he knew that he cor^nanded atten
tion, and as he noted lines of this
young Juno he could jjnd nothing in
her that needed betteriijent.
Under cover, Gray' iwted Allie’s ef
fect upon her attentive? audience, and
he smiled. If only he Sould make her
a woman to be sought jitter by.some of
the best people. is "
"We’ve been havingf supper in our
rooms lately-,” she told ^im, when they
returned at dark. “You’re going to
eat with us, ain—aren’fst you?”
“I am, to be sure. Kut not in jour
rooms,” he declared, a
“I'd rather—” j|
“You’d rather do exactly what would
please me, now, wouHhi’t you?”
“Yes, sir.” S?
“Then run along an|l put on that
dinner dress that I ltijed best. And
tell Ma to look her preiaiest, too. We’ll
not spoil this day.” &
‘ It was seven-thirty j#-hen Gray, in
evening clothes, appeared at the Brls
kow suite. Allie told herself there had
never been a man so handsome, so dis
tinguished, so Godlike as he.
Allie wore an expensive black lace
dress, sleeveless and sufficiently low
of neck to display her charms. “Plain!
A little too somber,” Gray declared.
“She can afford colors, ornaments.
Jove! I’d like some, time to see her in
something Oriental, something bar
baric. The next time I'm in New York
I’ll select a gown-—"
Mr. Briskow entered at the moment,
greatly flustered and extremely self
conscious, .and here, certainly, was no
lack of ornamentation or of color. Ma
wore all her je'tvelry, and her dress
was an elaborate creation of brilliant
jade green, from one shoulder of which
depended a filmy streamer of green
chiffon. In her desire to gild the lily
she had knotted a Roman scarf about
her waist—a low, of purple, of blue,
of orange—a very spectrum of vivid
stripes, and it utterly ruined her.
"You said to look my nicest,” she
bubbled, ‘^o I done the best I could.”
"You are lovely, both of you, but—
this is my party, isn’t it? X can do
anything- I please?” Gray looked from
one to the other in eager inquiry.
“Then let me fix you my way. Me.
Briskow. your face is to sweet, too
gentle, to be spoiled. Your charm is
in your simplicity. Here, I have it!”
With swift impetuosity he untied the
scarf and whipper it from Ma's waist,
“thatch me now and you’ll see I’m
right.” With his penknife he cut the
threads that held the chiffon streamer
in place and removed it. ’’’Voila! Even
^so little, and we see an adorable,
rhotherly person, richly but unostenta
tiously gowned. Don’t you agree with
me?” ,
Without pausing for an answer, he
wheeled upon the daughter. Around
Allie’s hips he flung the scarf, drew it
snug and smooth, then knotted it.
Next he snatched the length of chiffon
and bound it ’about her head. His touch
was. deft and certain; a moment and it
Rad been fashioned to suit him.
This proved to be an evening when
people really did turn their heads as
the Brlskows -were shown to thelt
table, but for once Allie suffered n«
embarrassment, for she felt sure the?
were looking at Calvin Gray, and iij
the shining glory of his presence she.
knew that she and her parents were
invisible.
It was the sort of situation in which
Gray appeared to best advantage, so
he talked incessantly during the meal,
and in a key that kept his companions
unconscious of their surroundings. On
their way out they passed the entrance
to the ball room and paused to look in.
The beat of the music swayed Allie un
consciously; then, before she knew It,
Gray’s arm was around her out upon
the floor.
About midnight Calvin Gray strolled
outdoors for a breath of fresh air be
fore retiring. He glowed with the
consciousness of a worthy deed well
done. He had come to the Notch ex
pecting to spend one night, but events
of the last few hours had induced him
to change his plans, and he now mads
up his mind to stay several days.
(Continued Next Sunday.)
Yo ho, my lively buccaneers!
Hoist up the Jolly Roger!
Yon sails another prize of Grape
To keep our spirits in good shape.
We’ll grab the captain by his nape
And sink the wily codgerl
"Yo Ho, Another Treasure
of Good-Grape”
_you, too, would scour the seven seas
for this tangy, sparkling beverage
*
CAP’N Grapejack leads a merry
life, scouring the seven seas
S in search of ships laden with treas
: ures of Good-Grape. And when
j: the Cap’n’s binoculars spy one,
the shout goes up from stem to
stem of the bold pirate ship—
^“Yo ho, another treasure of
| Good-Grape.
And the Cap’n’s men—what
| won’t those lads do for a satisfying
j swig of tangy, sparkling Good
! Grape—its rich grape flavor de
j rived, by a new process, from the
j fresh sweet fruit itself There’s
i nothing quite like Good'Grape.
\ There’s nothing quite like the way
[ ■
one drink of this delicious, thirst
1, quenching beverage makes perma
nent friends for it.
' Don’t wait till tomorrow to try
Good-Grape. Don’t wait another
minute. There’s a place in your
life for Good-Grape that no kind
of soft drink has ever filled!
Ice .Cold—Bottles Only
@1923 The Good-Grape Company, Chattanooga, Tana, I