THE WAYNESVLLLE MOUNTAINEER
Page 2
rs--r T
! CHAPTER XII
The Stock Exchange firm of
Chalaire incorporated was indeed
in a bad way. Mrs. Jeremy Chal
aire had scarceriy been laid away
to rest when the blow fell. It
eeemed that Jeremy Chalaire had
beaded the pool manipulating the
liquor stock which crashed deplora
ably. Four hundred thousand
dollars must be raised at once, to
meet the stock deliveries before the
closing of the market at three
o'clock otherwise the firm would
be suspended from the Exchange!
The banks refused any more
loans. Jeremy Chalaire was fran
tic. His son dashed home to his
Park Avenue apartment to take
the family jewels and put them
up as collateral. I he Duller in
formed him that his wife had gone
to lunch at a famous speakeasy in
the Fifties. The jewels were not
in Zita's room. Carter dashed at
top speed for already it was al
most half past one.
He found Zita in the bar with
another woman and two notorious
women-chasers. It was with the
greatest difficulty that he dragged
her away from them, even though
he insisted that his news was im
portant. She stared at him coldly,
when he told her that she must
give up the jewels. Nor would
she say anything until he had
driven her back to their apartment
in his car, when she.sneeringly in
formed him that the jewels were
not there!
"Good Lord! You dared to waste
this time! Zita, don't you realize
that every second i;
alreadv after two!
precious? It's
The Exchange
closes at three! And that'll be our
finish!" i
"I teli you the jewels aren't in
this apartment! And even if they
were you wouldn't get them, for
without them what would be left to
me?" she jibbed. "With the firm
gone broke, all I'd get out of my
marriage would be a handsome
penniless husband! No, thanks! I
itick to the jewels! They're mine!"
"They're not! You've only got
custody of them ! My mother didn't
leave a will. And even if she had
they belong to the family. Where
are they, Zita?"
She declined flatly to tell him.
For fifteen frantic : minutes they
argued. Then Carter lost control of
himself. He rushed at her, catch
ing her by the throat. He shouted :
"You'd see us ruined for a few
baubles, you "
She struggled with him. She was
terrified now. She panted: "They're
in the bank down-town, in the safe
deposit vault" But when he let her
go, demanding that she give htm
the key, she moaned that she had
no idea where it was, that he
had better go to the bank, himself.
But now it was too late! Car
ter flung himself frantically into
bis car, and ignoring lights and
possible "tickets," sped down town.
But despite his haste, the traffic
held him up several time. He was
zooming down Fourth Avenue
when the big clock that tops City
Hall ponderously struck three
times!
Eight minutes later he drew up
outside the building on Wall Street
where Chalaire incorporated had
its offices. Directly in front of
him at the curb was an ambulance.
A little knot vi people had col-
Eyes Examined
Glasses Fitted
CONSULT
DR. R. KING HARPE
OPTOMETRIST
125 Main Street
Wells
TEACH
YOUR CHILDREN THE
IMPORTANCE OF A
NEAT APPEARANCE
Safeguard the health of
your children by having
their clothes thoroughly
cleaned.
Phone One, One, Three
IT PLEASES US
Park Lunch Shop
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
Plate Lunches Sandwiches Cold Drinks
Homemade Ice Cream
NEXT TO PARK THEATRE
w-irnnrm T"YI
lected. Carter leapt from his car.
The door-keeper, looking very
scared, stopped him as he entered
the building.
"Mr. Chalaire, sir, , . bad pews,
sir. . . . your father . . ." the man
stuttered He broke off, staring at
the ambulance,
"Good, Lord. For him, . .
A frightened little officeoy was
guarding the door of Jeremy Cba
laire's private sanctum. There was
a sound of voices inside. Carter
thrust his way past the boy.
A white-clad ambulance-attendant
and a doctor were stooping
over the body, which lay on a
leather-covered couch in a corner.
Jeremy's secretary, an efficient girl
who had been there for years, was
sobbing quietly. After the report
of the gun, she had been the first
to find him slumped on his desk.
Some clerks and customers' men
were near the door, inside the
room. They made w-ay for the son
of their boss.
"Oh, Mr. Carter, I was in the
outer room! It was just as the
clock struck three on City Hall . . .
the shot came! . . . ."
Carter thrust the girl aside.
A blood-soaked bandage was
about his father's head. Yet,
strangely enough, there was a
peaceful look on his face as he lay
there in the couch. ...
"Dad! Good Lord! Oh, why Oid
you do it? Why, . ." Like a tor
rent,, memory of the long years of
his father's kindness and patience
with him swept over Carter. As
he stooped over that silent figure,
tears coursed down his cheeks, and
it seemed as though his very heart
was wrenched asunder. . . .
The white-coated doctor had his
instrument and got up.
"You his son?"
Carter nodded, speechless.
"It's all over. He was dead
when we got here."
After the necessary and painful
formalities had been gone through
Carter returned to his home on
Park Avenue.
His father was gone, Wild-eyed,
he told himself that his wife, Zita,
was the murderer. ...
"Madam left a note for you, sir,"
said the butler.
With futile rage in his heart, he
read the curt missive. It inform
ed him that bis wife was leaving
him, as she could not stand such
treatment as he had just exposed
her to!
He glanced at the clock. It was
five. Still time to call the bank
and if she had removed the jewels
from the safe-deposit vault. . . ,
She had. He telephoned Cruiks,
the family lawyer, immediately, in
structing him to institute proceed
ings for the recovery of the jawels,
then to sell them, and pay the
creditors in full.
Lucinda read of the tragedy in
the newspapers. Also the more or
less caustic comments in the social
columns about Zita leaving her
husband. ...
Zita had gone to Reno, where
one could now get a divorce in six
weeks!
Greatly daring, Lucinda penned
a kind little note of sympathy to
Carter, in the swift passing of his
father and mother.
She sat at home every night,
praying that by some miracle the
bell might ring, and Carter the
For Appointment
Telephone 2483
Bldg.
Canton, N. C.
CENTRAL
CLEANERS
iMain Street
Phone 113
TO PLEASE YOU
nv, MAY-
old Carter she had loved so terri
bly might be on the doorstep. .
But nights were lonely. If Car
ter had received ber note, be save
no sign.
"I say, the bally old blighter is
drinking terribly, she was inform
ed by Bertie Spriggs, who had
taken to dropping in uninvited at
Luncinda's little apartment. "And
I can jolly well understand it, too.
for his business is gone, his family
crone and that rat of a Zita has
jolly well left the sinking ship!"
Bertie, who seemed to be avery-
where, these days of warm Septem
ber, had a further blow to unfold.
"I say. I just heard thar most
ghastly bit of news in the Yale
Club from that blighter who dined
at the Chalaires' house the night
the old lady died he told me that
Carter has been hitting it up ter
ribly in liquor, and now he's in a
hospital somewhere or other, stone
blind, from some bad booze he
picked up!"
Later she was to read that the
Chalairep country house or
rather, the entre contents thereof
were to be sold at auction.
The sale was on a Saturday
afternoon. Wantng to take a last
look at the room where her love
for Carter had its birth, and per
haps planning to purchase some
little trifle as a memento of her
great romance, Lucinda took a
train to Hewlett, and the auction.
Down in her subconscious mind
she had the hope HE might be
there? No matter what had hap
pened ... no matter how he had
treated her in the past, or what
their misunderstandings might
have been . .. she still loved him.
' It was the iCcnt of jasmin in
her hair or perhaps her little
stifled sob-that Carter found
'her in the garden.
They had been standing quite
close. She had smiled timidly at
him, her heart thundering.
But he had turned his head
away, giving her a direct cut. .
It was then that Lucinda had
given vent to the sound that was
like some tiny animal in pain. . ,
"Good Lord! Is it Lucinda?" he
had whispered.
The sale was over, the crowd had
thinned out. His fine dark eyes
looked just the same but with a
terrible shock she realized that
Bertie had been right he Was
blind. He could not see her!
"For richer, for poorer, for bet
ter or worse I" Carter was beside
her, and in Lucinda's ears were
the grave, sweet words of the mar
riage ceremony.
There would be no honeymoon, in
the travel sense. Carter was an
invalid. He had no money now.
Their haven would be the little
apartment on West 98th St ret.
"Rich or poor, blind or seeing,
I'll never leave you, Carter!" Lu
cinda was saying, in a choking
voice, tears running down her face
as she kissed her husband.
the sale of the Chalaire family
jewels . . . reluctanly wrung from
predatory Zita. . . . had even in
these hard times realized $70,000.
There had been much less owing
to the creditors than Carter had
imagined. After everything was
paid, there would be a sum of $15,
000 left for the young couple.
. But the best news of all came
from the eye specialist! Day by
day, Carter had gradually been
learning to distinguish objects. .
Came the time when he could
really see the lovely vision that was
his wife, Lucinda, in the blue satin
gown and brocade wraD he imrl
given her in the hot-headed days of
"t-u LMlip. . . .
ve re going to the Ritz to cele-
uiaie. vv e ve been married exactly
two weeks today," Lucinda told
him blithely.
She didn't even have to help him
down the stairs and into the taxi.
Wonder of wonders! It was Carter
who guided her new!
"You look belauffifiil T.noi
You're 'true blue! We'll forget the
nastt Wo'll ... fc .
ii7 . "WM r own way!
We ve everything in front, of .. !
He grinned at her boyishly, there
m me restaurant of the Ritz-Xlarl-ton.
He ordered evervthinsr exten
sive on the menu, in his old lordly
--J. nai was a sure sign of his
physical and spiritual recovery she
told herself.
She smiled at him
Deal?"
'The New
He said: "You betcha, Lucinda'"
(The End.) ;
Plan 3-Year Boat
Trip Without Cash
LOS ANGELES Mr. and Mrs.
Ray Wood left for Fl Pom t..
this week to launch upon the Rio
Grande a 16-foot "combination
sailboat, canoe and kayak" which
they hope to take on a three-year
voyage into the Gulf of Mexico,
to Florida and up the Atlantic
coast. ,
Said Wood:
"We are going to prove it is pos
sible to live off th products of the
sea and land. We are takinir no
Haywood Well Represented Among
Directors Of New W. N. C. Fair
Haywood county has furnished
more directors and associate di
rectors of the WTestern North Car
olina Agricultural and Industrial
Fair association than any other
single county in the entire region
and officers of the association said
this week that the large number
was due to the prominent position
occupied by the county in both
the agricultural end industrial life
of Western North Carolina.
Officials of the association said
at headquarters in Hendersonville
that indications were that both
agricultural and industrial inter
est in Haywood county would par
ticipate actively in the fair and
I J
L . - - '
1
The Champion Papei
that both groups already had giv
en the newly created institution
strong support.
The fair will be held next month
for the first time, opening Sep
tember 16 and lasting through
September 21.
Construction of the fair grounds
have been started near Henderson
ville and G. R. Lewis, general
manager, said it was assured that
the work on the ground would
be completed prior to the opening
date.
The interests of the fair in
Waynesville and Haywood county
are being handled by a group of
LABOR DAY
The great satisfaction in life comes
from honest toil, a task well done, a duty
well performed.
The sentinel on duty to guard civiliza
tion and guide it onward and upward to
newer comforts and greater joys in liv
ing is labor.
The men and women who toil in shop,
mill, store, home, woods, and on the farm.
Those who work everywhere. We salute
them on this day.
And Fibre Co.
Canton Division
nice directors and thirty associates.
The directors are: Arthur Osborne,
of Canton, R. N. Barber, James A.
G. Davey, R. L. Boyd and William
Medford, Jr., of Waynesville, D.
Reeves Noland, bf Clyde, mem
ber of the state board of agricul
ture; Glenn Palmer, of Clyde, A.
J. McCracken, of near Clyde and
R. L, Prevost, Sr., of Hazelwood.
The associate directors are: C.
E. Smith, Fred Peden, L A. McLain,
Dr. J. L. Westmoreland, W. F.
Hipps, George C. Haynes, Miss
Florence Osborne and A. J. Hutch
ins, of Canton, J. C. Brown, George
E. Plott. Jams L. Palmer. George
A. Brown, Jr., A. Howell, Lenoir
Gwyn, Henry Francis, J. C. Lynn,
George A. Brown, Mary Marga
ret Smith, W. G. Byers, Mrs. Edith
Alley, Miss Sarah Elmore and Jack
Bride, 68, To
Town First
KANSAS
" 7 sutit
the fint trip 0f v -yond
Great
She,r
"venry-eight1
homo in rv "
npo,.
O'Brien, Charle,;
naynes, m. B. Ro f
and Ril D,JM)fen4
' ""wr.ofCtJ
Read The J
sup , r b
17
money,"