THE SEMI-WEEKLY ROBESONIAN.
Tfie THIRD
In DEGREE
cA Narrative
cTWetropolitan
Life
By CHARLES KLEIN and
ARTHUR HORNBLOW
I ILLUSTRATIONS BY RAT WALTERS
SYNOFSIS.
CHAPTER I. Howard Jeffries, hir
er's snn. under the evil Influence of r. h
ert Underwood, fellow-student at Yulf.
leads a life of dissipation, marries the
daughter of a gambler who died in pri
son, and is disowned by his father.
. Forced to leave college, he tries to get
work and fails. His wife, Annie, is
straight as a die, and has a heart of
Cold. A former college chum makes a
business proposition to Howard which
requires $2,000 cash, and Howard Is broke.
CHAPTER II. Robert Underwood, who
had made love to Annia. in his coHpsc
days and was repulsed, and was once en
gaged to Howard's stepmother. Alicia. Is
a welcome visitor at the Jeffries home.
Underwood has apartments in the As
irurla, an exclusive apartment house.
Howard recalls a $250 loan to Underwood
that remains unpaid and decides to asl
him for the $2,000 he needs.
CHAPTER III. Mrs. Jeffries. Sr.. fool
ishly encourages a dangerous Intimacy
with Underwood which the latter takes
advantage of until he becomes a sort of
social highwayman. Discovering his true
character, Mrs. Jeffries denies him the
'house.
CHAPTER VI.
The door tlammed, and Underwood
returned to the sitting room. Taking
no notice of Howard, he walked over
to the desk, slowly selected a cigar
and lighted it. Howard looked up at
him foolishly, not knowing what to
ay. His frequent libations had so
befuddled him that he had almost for
gotten the object of his visit
"Excuse my butting In, old chap,"
he stammered, "but "
Underwood made no answer. How
ard stared at him in comic surprise.
He was not so drunk as not to be
able to notice that something was
wrong.
"Say, old fellow," he gurgled;
"you're a regular Jim Dumps. Why
so chopf alien, so T My! what a long
face! Is that the way you greet a
classmate, a fellow frat? Wait till
you hear my hard-luck story. That'll
cheer you up. Who was it said:
'There's nothing cheers us up so much
as other people's money?'" Reaching
for the whisky bottle, he went on:
"First I'll pour out another drink.
You see, I need courage, old man.
I've got a favor to ask. I want some
money. I not only want it I need it."
Underwood laughed, a hollow, mock
ing laugh of derision. His old class
mate had certainly chosen a good time
to come and ask him for money. How
ard mistook the cynical gayety for
good humor.
"I said I'd cheer you up," he went
on. "I don't want to remind you of
that little matter of two hundred and
fifty bucks which you borrowed from
me two years ago. I suppose you've
forgotten It, but"
A look of annoyance came over Un
derwood's face.
"Well, what of It?" he snapped.
Howard took another drink before
he continued.
"I wouldn't remind you of the loan,
old chap; but I'm up against it. When
the family kicked me out for marry
ing the finest girl that ever lived, my
father cut me off with a piking allow
ance which I told him to put In the
church plate. I told him I preferred
Independence. Well," he went on
with serio-comic gravity, "I got my In
dependence, but I'm I'm dead broke.
Tou might as well understand the situ
ation plainly. I can't find any busi
ness that Tm fitted for, and Annie
threatens to go back to work. Now,
you know I can't stand anything like
that. I'm too much of a man to be
supported by any woman."
He looked toward Underwood in a
stupid kind of way, as if looking for
some sign of approval, but he was dis
appointed. Underwood's face was a
study of supreme indifference. He did
not even appear to be listening. Some
what disconcerted, Howard again
raised the glass to his lips, and thus
refreshed, went on:
'Then I thought of you, old chap.
You've made a rousing success of it
got a big name as art collector made
lost of money and all that "
Underwood Impatiently Interrupted
him.
"It's impossible, Jeffries. Things are
a little hard with me, too, just now.
You'll have to wait for that $250."
Howard grinned.
" 'Taint the $250, old man, I didn't
want that. I want a couple of thou
sand." Underwood could not help laughing.
"A couple of thousand? Why not
make it a million?"
Howard's demand struck him as be-
Blamed a Good Worker.
"I blamed my heart for severe dis
tress in my left side for two years,"
writes W. Evans. Danville, Va., "but
I know now it was indigestion, as Dr.
King's New Life Pills completely curtd
me." Best for stomach, liver and
kidney troubles, constipation, headache
or debility. 25c at ail druggists.
Subscribe for The Robesonian.
lng so humorous that he tat down con
vulsed with laughter.
Looking at him stupidly, Howard
helped himself to another drink.
"It seems I'm a hit," he said ..with a
grin.
Underwood by this time had recov
ered his composure.
"So you've done nothing since you
left college?" he said.
"No," answered Howard. "I don't
seem to get down to anything. My
on uV"-
Sank Slespily Back Among the Soft
Divan Pillows.
ideas won't stay in one place. I got a
Job as time-keeper, but I didn't keep
It down a week. I kept the time all
right, but it wasn't the right time."
Again raising the glass to his Hps, he
added: "They're so beastly particu
lar." "You keep pretty good time with
that," laughed Underwood, pointing to
the whisky.
Howard grinned in drunken fasnion.
"It's the one thing I do punctually."
he hiccoughed, "i can row, swim.
xityennik8!; football,- glt anl -polo, as
well as anybody, but I'll be damned if
I can do anything quite as well as I
can do this."
"What do you want $2,000 for?" de
manded Underwood.
'"I've got an opportunity to go Into
business. I want $2,000 and I want
It deuced quick."
Underwood shrugged his shoulders.
"Why don't you go home and ask
your father?" he demanded.
His visitor seemed offended at the
suggestion.
"What!" he exclaimed, with comic
surprise, "after being turned out like a
dog with a young wife on my hands!
Not much no. I've injured their
pride. You know father married a
second time, loaded me down with a
stepmother. She's all right, but she's
so confoundedly aristocratic. You
know her. Say, didn't you and she
wasn't there some sort of an engage
ment once? Seems to me I "
Underwood rose to his feet and ab
ruptly turned his back.
"I'd rather you wouldn't get person
al," he said curtly. Sitting down at a
desk, he began to rummage with some
papers and, turning impatiently to
Howard, he said:
"Say, old man, I'm very busy now.
You'll have to excuse me."
If Howard had been sober, he would
have understood that this was a pret
ty strong hint for him to be gone, but
in his besotted condition, he did not
propose to be disposed of so easily.
Turning to Underwood, he burst out
with an air of offended dignity:
"Underwood, you wouldn't go back
on me now. I'm an outcast, a pariah,
a derelict on the ocean of life, as one
of my highly respectable uncles wrote
me. His grandfather was an iron pud
dler." With a drunken laugh he went
on: "Doesn't it make you sick? I'm
no good because I married the girl. If
I had ruined her life I'd still be a
decent member of society."
He helped himself to another drink,
his hand shaking so that he could
hardly hold the decanter. He was
fast approaching the state of complete
intoxication. Underwood made no at
tempt to Interfere. Why should he
care if the young fool made a sot of
himself? The sooner he drank him
self Insensible the quicker be would
get rid of him.
"No, Howard," he said ; "you'd never
make a decent member of society."
"P'r'aps not," hiccoughed Howard.
"How does Annie take her social
ostracism?" inquired Underwood.
"Like a brick. She's a thorough
bred, all right. She's all to the good."
"All the same, I'm sorry 1 ever in
troduced you to her," replied Under
wood. "I never thought you'd make
such a fool of yourself as to marry "
Howard shook his head In a maud
lin manner, as he replied:
"I don't know whether I made a
fool of myself or not, but she's all
right. She's got in her the makings
of a great woman very crude, but
still the makings. The only thing I
object to is, she insists on going back
to work, just as if I'd permit such a
thing. Do you know what I said on
our wedding day? 'Mrs. Howard Jeff
ries, you are entering one of the old
est families In America. Nature' has
fitted you for social leadership. You'll
be a petted, pampered member of that
select few called the "400," and now,
damn it all, how can I ask her to go
back to work? But if you'll let me
have that $2,000 "
By this time Howard was beginning
to get drowsy. Lying back on the
sofa, he proceeded to make himself
comfortable.
"Two thousand dollars!" laughed
Underwood. "WThy, man, I'm in debt
p to my eyes."
As far as his condition enabled him,
Howard gave a start of surprise.
"Hard up!" he exclaimed. Pointing
around the room, he said: "What's
all this a bluff?"
Underwood nodded.
"A bluff, that's it. Not a picture,
not a vase, not a stick belongs to
me. You'll have to go to your fa
ther." "Never." said Howard despondently.
The suggestion was evidently too
much for him, because he stretched
out his hand for his whisky glass. "Fa
ther's done with me," he said dole
fully. "He'll relent," suggested Under
wood. Howard shook his head drowsily.
Touching his brow, he said:
"Tof much brains, too much up
here." Placing his hand on his heart,
he went on: "Too little down here.
Once he gets an idea, he never lets it
go, he holds on. Obstinate. One
idea stick to it. Gee, but I've made
a mess of things, haven't I?"
Underwood looked at him with con
tempt. "You've made a mess of your life,"
he said bitterly, "yet you've had some
measure of happiness. You, at least,
married the woman you love. Drunk
en beast as you are, I envy you. The
woman I wanted married some one
else, damn her!"
Howard was so drowsy from the
effects of th whisky that he was al
most asleep. As he lay back on the
sofa, he gurgled:
"Say, old man; I didn't come here
to listen to biirrt-luci stories. I came
to tell one."
In maudlin fashion he began to sing,
"Oh, listen to my tale of woe," while
Underwood sat glaring at him, won
dering how he could put him out.
As he reached the last verse his
head began to nod. The words came
thicvkly from his lips and he sank
sleepily back among the soft divan
pillows.
Just at that moment the telephone
bell rang. Underwood quickly picked
up the receiver.
"Who's that?" he asked. As he
heard the answer his lace lit up and
be replied eng.'rly: "Mrs. Jeffries
" ,, r.-l.
yes. I'll come down. No, tell her to
come up."
Hanging up the receiver, he hastily
went over to the divan and shoo!
Howard.
"Howard, wake up! confound you!
You've got to get out there's some
body coming."
He shook him roughly, but his old
classmate made no attempt to move.
"Quick, do you hear!" exclaimed
Underwood impatiently. "Wake up
some one's coming."
Howard sleepily half opened his
eyes. He had forgotten entirely
where he was and believed he was
on the train, for he answered:
"Sure, I'm sleepy. Say porter,
make up my bed."
His patience exhausted, Underwood
was about to pull him from the sofa
by force, when there was a ring at
the front door.
Bending quickly over his compan
ion, Underwook saw that he was fast
asleep. There was no time to awaken
him and get him out of the way, so,
quickly, he took a big screen and ar
ranged it around the divan so that
Howard could not be seen. Then he
hurried to the front door and
opened it.
Alicia entered.
CHAPTER VII.
For a few moments Underwood was
too much overcome by emotion to
speak. Alicia brushed by in haughty
silence, not deigning to look at him.
All he heard was the soft rustle of
her clinging silk gown as it swept
alone the floor. She was incensed
with him, of course, but she had
come. That was all he asked. She
had come in time to save him. He
would talk to her and explain every
thing and she would understand.
She would help him in this crisis as
she had in the past. Their long
friendship, all these years of intimacy,
could not end like this. There was
still hope for him. The situation was
not as desperate as he feared. He
might yet avert the shameful end of
the suicide. Advancing toward her,
he said in a hoarse whisper:
"Oh, this la good of you, you've
come this Is the answer to my let
ter." r
Alicia ignored his extended hand
and took a seat Then, turning on
him, 6he exclaimed Indignantly:
"The answer should be a horse
whip. How dare you send me such
a message?" Drawing from her bag
the letter received from him that
evening, she demanded:
"What do you expect to gain by
this threat?"
"Don't be angry, Alicia."
Underwood spoke soothingly, trying
to conciliate her. Well he knew the
seductive power of his voice. Often
he had used it and not in vain, but
fo-night it fell on cold, indifferent
ears.
"Don't call me by that name," she
snapped.
Underwood made no answer. He
turned slightly paler and, folding his
arms, just looked at her, in silence.
There was an awkward pause.
At last she said:
"I hope you understand that every
thing's over between us. Our ac
quaintance is at an end."
"My feelings toward you can never
change," replied Underwood earnest
ly. "I love you I shall always love
you."
Alicia gave a little shrug of her
shoulders, expressive of utter indiffer
ence. "Love!" she exclaimed mockingly.
"You love no one but yourself."
Underwood advanced nearer to her
and there was a tremor in his voice
as he said:
"You have no right to say that. You
remember what we once were. Whose
fault is it that I am where I am to
day? When you broke our engage
ment and married old Jeffries to grati
fy your social ambition, you ruined my
life. You di.in't destroy my love you
couldn't kill that. You may forbid me
everythingto see you to speak to
you even to think of you, but I can
never forget that you are the only
woman I ever cared for. If you had
married rce, I might have been a dif
ferent man. And now. Just when I
want you most, you deny me even your
friendship. What have I done to de
serve such treatment? Is it fair? Is
it just?"
Alicia had listened with growing im
patience. It was only with difficulty
that she contained herself. Now she
Interrupted him hotly:
"I broke my fngsgcraent with you
because I found that you were deceiv
ing me Just as you deceived others."
"It's a lie!" broke in Underwood. "I
may have trifled with others, but I
never deceived yo.i."
Alicia rosp and, crossing the room,
carelessly inspected one of the pic
tures on the wall, a ;tudy of the nude
by Houguereau.
"We need not go into that," she said
haughtily. "That is all over now. I
came to ask you what this letter this
threat means. What do you expect
to gain by taking your life unless I
continue to be your friend? How can
I be a friend to a man like you? You
know what your friendship for a wom
an means. It means that you would
drag her down to your own level and
diagice her as well as yourself.
TjfiankGod, my eyes are now opened
to your true character. No self-respecting
woman could afford to allow
her name to be associated with yours.
You are as incapable of disinterested
friendship as you are of common hon
esty." Coldly she added: "I hope you
-ulte understand that henceforth my
house Is closed to yoj. If we happen
to meet in put lie, It must be as stran
gers." Underwood did no: s;er.k. Words
eemeil to fail bin:, ills face was set
and wlii?. A n i v w t- Itching about
.the. mouth showed tl:- r.'ri tie mental
strain which the man was under! In
the excitement he had forgotten about
Howard's presence on the divan be
hind the screen. A listener might have
detected the heavy breathing of the
sleeper, but even Alicia herself was
too preoccupied to notice It. Under
wood extended his arms pleadingly:
"Alicia for the sake of auld lang
syne!"
"Auld lang syne," she retorted. "I
want to forget the past. The old mem
ories are distasteful. My only object
in coming here to-night was to make
the situation plain to you and to ask
you to promise me not to carry out
your threat to kill yourself. Why
should you kill yourself? Only cowards
do that. Because you are in trouble?
That is the coward's way out. Leave
New York. Go where you are not
known. You are still young. Begin
life over again, somewhere else." Ad
vanclng toward him, she went on:
"If you will do this I will help you
I never want to see you again, but I'll
What Was the Good of RegretsT
try not to think of you unslndly. But
you must promise me solemnly not to
make any attempt against your life."
"I promise nothing," muttered Un
derwood doggedly.
"But you must," she insisted. "It
would be a terrible crime, not only
against yourself, but against others
You must give me your word."
Underwood shook his head.
"I promise nothing."
"But you must," persisted Alicia. "I
won't stir from here until I have your
promise."
He looked at her curiously.
"If my life has no interest for you,
why should you care?" he asked.
There was a note of scorn in his
voice which aroused his visitor's
wrath. Crumpling up his letter In her
hand, she confronted him angrily.
"Shall I tell you why I care?'' she
cried. "Because you accuse me in this
letter of being the cause of your death
I, who have been your friend In
spite of your dishonesty. Oh! it's des
picable, contemptible! Above all, it's
a He"
Underwood shrugged his shoulders.
Cynically he replied:
"So it wasn't so much concern for
me as for yourself that brought you
here."
Alicia's eyes flashed as she an
swered: "Yes, I wished to spare myself this
Indignity, the shame of being asso
ciated in any way with a suicide. I
was afraid you meant what you said."
"Afraid," interrupted Underwood
bitterly, "that some of the scandal
might reach as far as the aristocratic
Mrs. Howard Jeffries, Sr.!"
Her face flushed with anger, Alicia
paced up and down the room. The
man's taunts stung her to the quick.
In a way, she felt that he was right
She ought to have guessed his charac
ter long ago and had nothing to do
with , him. He seemed desperate
enough to do anything, yet she doubt
Ml
mil m m m m i
ed If he had the courage to kill him
self. She thought she would try more
conciliatory methoaa, so, stopping
short, she said more gently:
"You know my huaband has suffered
through the wretched marriage of his
only son. You know how deeply we
both feel this disgrace, and yet you
would add " '
I'nderwood laughed mockingly.
"Why should I consider your hus
band's feelings0" he cried. "He didn't
consider mlrr" when h" married you."
Suddenly bending forward. every
nerve tense, he continued hoarsely:
"Alicia, tell you I'm desperate. I'm
hemmed in on all sides by creditors.
You know what vo'ir friendship your
patronage trierm-' If you drop me
now. your friends will folio tney're
a lot of sheep led ty yta und wm
my creditors hear of me they'll be
down on me like a flock of wolves
I'm not able to r.i.tke a settlement
Prison stares me in the face."
Glancing around at the handson
fiirnishirgs, Alicia replied carelessly:
"I'm not responsible for your wrong'
doing. I want to protect my Mends.
If they are a lot of sheep, as you say.
that Is precisely why I should warn
them. They have implicit conHd. (
In me. You have Ion-owed their nioii
ey, cheated them at cards, stolen frt.n,
them. Your acquaintance with me hrv
given them the opportunity. Hut no
I've found you out. I refuse any Iodk
er to Facrif.cf my friends, my selT-re
anprt, my s'-nse of decency." Anrl'v
the continued: "Yo-i thought you cru-.f
bluff me. You've adopted this row
ard's way of forc'ng mo to r".!v
you against my will. Well, jh'.i'v
failed. 1 will not sanction ytv.:r rol
b'.ng my friends. I will not allow ye
to sell them any more of your Mr1
priced rubbish, or permit you to (hea:
them at cards."
Underwood listened In silence
stood motionless, v ;;?rhln her fl
face as she hipej r' pionhes o- ';
She was practlculiv -.:-o:;o-- '
death sentence, ycl hi- c .''.
'thinking how pretty -shek n1- ' . .
.' ' ' .'
she had finished he said nothing, but
going to his desk, he opened a small
drawer and took out a revolver.
Alicia recoiled, frightened.
"What are you going to do?" she
cried.
Underwood smiled bitterly.
"Oh, don't be afraid. I wouldn't do
it while you are here. In spite of all
you've said to me, I still think too
much of you for that." Replacing the
pistol in the drawer, he added: "Alicia,
if you desert me now, you'll be sorry
to the day of your death."
His visitor looked at him In silence.
Then, contemptuously, she said:
"I don't believe you Intend to carry
out your threat. I should have known
from the first that your object was to
frighten me. The pistol display was
highly theatrical, but It was only a
bluff. You've no more Idea of taking
your life than I have of taking mine,
I was foolish to come here. I might
have spared myself the humiliation of
this clandestine interview. Good
night!"
She went toward the door. Under
wood made no attempt to follow her.
In a hard, strange voice, which he
scarcely recognized as his own, he
merely said:
"Is that all yoa have to say?"
"Yes," replied Alicia, as she turned
at the door. "Let it be thoroughly un
derstood that your presence at my
house is not desired. If you force
yourself upon me In any way, yo
must take the consequences."
Underwood bowed, and was silent
She did not see the deathly pallor of
his face. Opening the door of the
apartment which led to the hall, she
again turned.
"Tell me, before I go you didn't
mean what you said in your letter, did
you?"
"I'll tell you nothing,"- replied Un
derwood doggedly.
She tossed her head scornfully.
"I don't believe that a man who Is
coward enough to write a letter like
this has the courage to carry out his
threat." Stuffing the letter back Into
her bag, she added: "I should have
thrown it in the waste-paper basket,
but on second thoughts, I think I'll
keep it. flood-night."
"Oood-night," echoed Underwood
mechanically.
He watched her go down the long
hallway and disappear in the elevator.
Then, shutting the door, he came
slowly back into the room and sat
down at his desk. For ten minutes he
sat there motionless, his head bent
forward, every limb relaxed. There
was deep filence, broken only by How
ard's regular breathing and the loud
ticking of the clock.
"It's all up," he muttered to himself.
"It's no use battling against the tide.
The strongest swimmer must go under
some time. I've played my last card
and I've lost. Death Is better than
going to jail. What good Is life any
way without money? Just a moment's
nerve and it will all be over."
Opening the drawer In the desk, he
took out the revolver again. He turned
it over in his hand and regarded fear
fully the polished surface of the in
strument that bridged life and death.
He had completely forgotten Howard's
presence In the room. On the thresh
old of a terrible deed, his thoughts
were leagues away. Like a man who
is drowning, and close to death, he
saw with surprising distinctness a
kaleidoscopic view of his past life. He
saw himself an Innocent, impulsive
school boy, the pride of a devoted
mother, the happy home where he
spent his childhood. Then came the
association with bad companions, the
first step in wrongdoing, stealing out
of a comrade's pocket in school, the
death of his mother, leaving home
with downward progress until he grad
ually drifted into "his present dishon
est way of living. What was the good
of regrets? He could not recall bii
CATARRH
OF THE
STOMACH
Could Hardly Eal Gradually
Grew Wcrss. Restev&d by
Peruna.
Mr. A. M.
I
Il.er.l. Ir,x 21.
V r. t V. u r
linTton, Iowa,
writes :
" I bad ra
ta rrh of the
stomach and
small intea
tlnp3 f.jr J
Mttm'i tii j r.i h e. r of
'X Yoart. I went
'Hi
to a r..::.ibcr
of doctors and
got no relief,
and finally
one of my
doctors sent
me to Chi
cago, and I
met the same
fate. They
1
j
9 p. 1 A they
could do noth
ing for me;
said I had
Mr. A. M. Ikerd.
cancer of the
stomach and there was no cure. I al
most thought the same, for my breath
was offensive and I could not eat any
thing without preat misery, and I grad
ually grew' worse.
"Finally I concluded to try Peruna,
and I found relief and a cure for that
dreadful disease, catarrh. I took five
bottles of Peruna and two of Manalln,
and I now feel like a new man. There
la nothing better than Peruna, and I
keep a bottle of It in my i.Sum at! 'the
time."
Ask Your Druggist for a Free
Pet una Almanac for 1912
mother to life. He could never rehab
ilitate himself among decent men and
women. The world had suddenly be
come too small for him. He must go,
and quickly.
fingering the pistol nervously, he
sat before the mirror and placed it
against his temple. The cold steel
gave him a sudden shock. He won
dered If it would hurt, and If there
would be Instant oblivion. The glare
of the electric light in the room dis
concerted him. It occurred to him
that it would be easier in the dark.
Reaching out his arm, he turned the
electric button, and the room was im
mediately plunged Into darkness, ex
cept for the moonlight which entered
through the windows. Imparting a
ghostly aspect to the scene. On the
other side of the room, behind the
screen, a red glow from the open fire
fell on the sleeping form of Howard
Jeffries.
Slowly, deliberately, Underwood
raised the pistol to his temple and
fired.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
GREATEST MEDICINE ON EARTH
A prominent citizen of Evanaville,
Ind., writes: "I was ill for five
months with a pulmonary trouble, and
had the best of doctorB. I had hemor
rhages and was in a very bad way.
Through the advlca of a friend I tried
Vinol, and I feel that it saved my life.
It is all you recommend it to be. I
believe it is the greatest medicine on
earth. I have advised others to try
Vinol, and they have had the same
results." (Name furnished on re
quest.) We want every one in this vicinity
who Is troubled with chronic colda,
coughs, or pulmonary troubles, to
come and get a bottle of Vinol.
If it does not go to the seat of trou
ble, heal the Inflammation and stop
the cough, we will cheerfully return
every cent paid us for it. This shows
our faith, and proves that you take
no chances.
J. D. McMillan & Son, Druggists,
Lumberton, N. C.
DID YOU EVER NOTICE
what a big difference there is in
the way in which the mercantile
business is conducted? There is
such a marked difference that it
is well worth while to give this
subject serious thought, and then
give your patronage where you
will get the best returns. We are
not only willing to stand the
test, but ask it as a favor because
we have confidence in the result.
John T. Biggs Co.
n-9-tt
LEY KIDNEY PILLS
1