The evening world. Newspaper, September 15, 1914, Page 15

Wopserubi 115, vy Lows Joseph Vance.) CEVING CHAPTERS, ist uy ber father becaee going on the stage, Hat midnigh: 1® bad SIs Ob UK & sounk actor with bin in CHAPTER V. EVER had any of her diffi- culties been adjusted in @ manner more satisfactory to Joan. She rose at once from an abyss of discour- agement to sunlit peaks of happiness. Installing a rented typewriting ma- @hine in the room adjoining her own (temporarily without a tenant and willingly loaned by Mme. Duprat), she tapped away industriously from @arty morning till late at night, eedu- fously transcribing into clean type- @oript the mangled manuacripts given ber by Matthias. Refusing an offer of public stenos- rapher rates, she had asked for $10 ® week. This Matthias paid her, under protest that the work wa: worth more to him. The arsangemont a fortunate one; for Joan earned more than sof "The Jade God” had started she was seldom able to give more than two or three bours a day to the copying. ‘These rehearsals furnished her with impressions vastly different from those garnered through her experl- ence with “The Convict's Return.” ‘The company assembied for the first time on a mid-August morning, -fm the author's study. There were Present eight mon, de from Mat- thias and the manager, his producing @irector and his press agent, and four women, including Joan, After brief Introductions, the gathering disposed itself to attention, and Matthias, rocking nervously in his revolving desk chair, read the play aloud, To most of those present the work was new and unfamiliar; they listened with intense interest, keenly alive to the possibilities of the various parts for which they had been cast. Rideout, the man financially re- @ponsibie for the production, was an “English actor of reputation and con- eliderable ability, The prducing man- ager, Wilbrow, was a short, lean- bodied American, with lantern jaws, large intent eyes and nervour n. Joan was impressed with the aloof pleasantness of his man- mer; she was to know him better. ’ Whe reading over, the company was dismissed with Instructions to report at 10 the next morning at an ebscure dance ball masquerading un- @er the name of an opera house, situ- ate in the immediate neighborhood, between Eighth and Ninth avenues. Beveral lingered to affix signatures to contracts—Joan of their number, and when these were gone there re- mained in conference the star, the Jeading woman, Matthias, Rideout and Wilbrow. Going out to dinner that night Joan passed Matthias bidding good- by to the ieading woman in the hall- way. He seemed tired and wore & Warassed look; and later, when the girl delivered the outcome of her day's copying, he had a manner new to ber, of weary brusquencss. ‘The first rehearsal proper was held in a stuffy and ill-ventilated room, so dark that it wae necessary to use the electric lights even at noon, The day ‘was fortunately cool, otherwise the place pad been insufferable. There was fittle attempt at acti The company devoted itself, un: wil- brow’s direction, to blocking in the action. Thoy had yo stage—simply that bare, four-square room. Half a dozen chairs and a few long benches were dragged about to Indicate en- trances and properties. Nobody pre- tended to know his part—not even Joan, who knew bi perfectly. The example of the others, who merely mumbled from the manuscripts ip thelr hands, made the girl fear to be- tray amateurishness by discovering too great an initial familiarity witb her iines. So she too carried her ‘script’ and read from it. When not thus engaged she sut watching and noting down what was going op with eager uttention. But she took away with her a de- pressing sense of having engaged in something, formless and Incoherent. But succeeding rebearsals—begin- ning with the second—corrected this misapprehension, That afternoon de- veloped Wilbrow suddenly Into a “miki-munnered, semi-apologetic and humorous tyrant. He discovered an Individual compyehension of what was revuired for the right develop- ment 0! the play and an Invincible determination to get It, He never Jost eitue: tems or of patience, neither ewore vor lifted his voice; but have fg indicated his desire, wrought pa- tiently with ity subject, sometimy for ay tong as an hour, until he had Buccesded in satisfying It. He worked contleas, with his long black hair straggling dow. over his fore- Joan Thursday * DD FDOOOT FODOOODOOSE head and across his glasses; an in- credibly thin, energetic and efficient figure, dominated by a penetrating and masterful intelligence. Not in- frequently, taking t! from the hands of one of his pup- pets, ho would himself give a vivid sketch of its requirements through the medium of intonation, gesture et. and action. And to Joan, at least, the effects he created by these means were as striking in the feminine roles as in the masculine. Utterly devoid of self-conactousness, he had the fac- ulty of seeming for the moment actu- ally to be what he sought to sug- } one forgot the man, saw only what be had tn mind. Joan was hardly happy im her en- deavor to please, Having unwisely formed her own premature confep- tion of her part, and lacking totally the technical ability to express it, she Tan constantly afoul of Wilbrow’s no- tions. She was called upon first to erase her own personality, mext to forget the personality which he had to delineate, and finally to sub- atitute for both thers one which Wilbrow alone seemed able to aco and understand. She strove patient. ly and without complaint, but in a stupefying welter of confusion. After plodding through her first scene one day, Joan was about to go off when Wilbrow called her. "he sald, quietly, has got to hap- either you'll follow my in- or you'll quit, or I will. I've told you what I want so many times that I'm tired repeating myself. Now we're going to go over* that scene again and again, if it takes all afternoon to get what I'm after. But, before wo start, I will ask you to bear one thing in mind; this Isn't an ingenue part; there's no excuse for acting it like a petulant achool girl. Even pretty stenographers are busi- ness-like in real life—sometimes— and we're trying to secure some sem- blance of real life in this production. In other words, I want you to forget Billie Burke und try to act like a human being who's a tittle sore on her job and her employer, but not sore enough to chuck !t just yet. Now, !f you please—begin right at the beginning.” For an instant Joan stood hesitant on the verge of refusing. There seemed to be no satisfying this man; he either didn’t or wouldn't under- stand; she tried desperately to please him—and her sole reward wag to be help up to the derision of thg entire company! It was intoleral And of @ sudden she hated Wilbrow with every atom of her being. But if she were to talk back or refuse to go on, Matthias would be forfeited from her life, She choked down her chagrin, re- sisted the temptation to wither Wil- brow with a glare, and sulkily re- sumed hor place in the chair beside another chair that was politely pre- sumed to be her typewriter desk. She rattled through the scene with the manner of a youthful termagant. When she had finished, Wilbrow sald nothing beyond: “Again, please.” The demand served only to deepen her resentment, and the second repe- tition differed not materially from the first. Ceasing to speak she flounced away, but Wilbrow'’s voice brought her back. “Very good, Miss Thursda: seid mildly—"very good indeed, But why— in the name of Mike!—if you could do it—why wouldn't you until now?” “Because,” Joan stammered—"“be- didn't dare say what she wished to, and checked her tongue in fit of sulks more eloquent than any words she could have found. Wilbrow waited an Instant, then laughed quite cheerfully. “The usual reason, eh? I might have guessed you had a sure-'nough one concealed about you. . . . That's all for to-day, To-morrow at Privately pondering this experience, Joan surprised its secret, and drew from it a conclusion that was to have an Important influence upon her professional future: In order to act convincingly she must herself feel the emotions accredited to her part. As applied to her individual tempera. ment, at that stage of its develop- ment, this rule had all the tnflex!- bility of an axiom, Others might—as others do—act in obedience to the ad- monitions of their intelligence; Joan could at that stage act only accord- ing to the promptings of her emo- tional self. During the third week it was nounced that ‘The Jade God” would open in Altoona on the following Monday. And at the same time Joan discovered that she was expected to provide her own costume, a simple affair, but unhappily beyong the re- sources of either her wardrobe or her pocketbook, In despair she took the adivice of Mrs. Arnold, a sweet- faced lady of fifty, whom Joan counted her only friend in the com- pany, and approached Rideout's per- sonal representative, Druggett, with @ demand for an advanc With PODIOTCPOHOS. STH HDGHOGDODOOM considerable reluctance Druggett sur- rendered $15, and promised ber as much more on Monday, toward ex- penses on the road. And, avain on the advice and introduction of Mrs. Arnold, the girl succeeded in satis- ‘tying her needs at an instalment- plan clothing house, paying $8 down on a bill of about $40, and agreeing to remit the balance at the rate of #4 each week. ‘The fina! dress rehearsal was called for Saturday morning. They were to leave New York Sunday night. But on Friday afternoon a sense of uneasiness and uncertainty invaded the temper of the organization. At 10 o'clock tho next morning—a litde late—Joan, with her costume in the dilapidated wicker suit-case, hur- ried into the theatre to find the com- poses various! dejection. “Ladies and gentlemen!" said Wil- suggestive of restless brow sharply; and waited until he had all their attention. “There'll be Ro rehearsal to-day, and—and unless something quite unexpected happens, ‘We won't open Monday, The truth ts, there isn’t money enough behind this show to finance it beyond Altoona. Moran can't collect on his scenery, and won't deliver. Mr. Matthias has offered to fix Moran up if we agree to go out, but I can't see it that way. Mr, Rideout's proposition is that we go on the road and run our chances of making expenses—but I don't have to tell you people what a swell show we'd have of breaking even on a tank route at this season of the year—hot weather still with us, and all that, We might—but that's about all you ean say, And I don’t think any of us want to count ties from Altoona, “Mr. Druggett thinks that Mr. Rideout will be able to make a deal with another firm of producers, but I doubt it. Just now they're all tied up with thelr own productions and have no time to waste on a gambling rigk like this. Of course, if [I'm wrong, you'll all be notifie But I wouldn't, {f I were you, pass up an- other engagement on the off-chance of this thing panning out, after all” “I'm sorry about this—we're all natually, We all lose. Mr, M..tthias here los as much as any of us—the rights in a valuable prop- y for several] months, at the in- I'm out fifteen hundred dollars Twas to get f.. putting the show on. And Rideout's out the two thousand Teal coin hi invested in expectation of backing which failed to material- {ze, Personally I refused to shoulder the responsibility of letting you go out in Ignorance of the real state of affairs. That's all.” By twos and threes they gathered up their belongings and straggled off upon their various ways, a sorry, Philosophic crew. Within ten min- utes thelr dissociation was @nal and absolute, had resided tn the author's anxiety to save his play) betook himself to an out-of-the-way CHAPTER VI. ATE in the evening, Matthias gave it up, and shaking off Rideout (whose only hope to sake Good f restaurant to idle with a tasteless meal. He was at once dog-weary and heart-sick. The net outcome of some ten hours of runnings to and froe, of meetings and schemings, of conferences by telephone and of communications by telegraph with those who bad prom- feed financial support to Rideout's Project, wi n empty assurance, in- differently by @ firm of pro- ducers, to the effect that, if nothing happened to make them think other- wise, they might possibly be prepared to consider the advieability of pro- ducing “The Jade God” about the first of January, Matthias belic’ed in the play with all his heart. During the last three weeks he bad watched it come to life and assume the form he had dreamed for it, colured with the rich hues of bis imagination and quick with the breath of living drama. And because he possesse: in some measure that rare faculty of being able to weigh justly the work of his own hand, and had looked upon this and seen that it was good, he had counted on it to win ttim that recognitica which, more than money, Mis pride craved—partly by way of some compensation for what it had recently suffered at the hands of a woman. The woman w. Venetia Tankerville, to whom he had been engaged, and who, on the eve of her marriage to him, had eloped with Vincent Marb..dge, &@ man- about-town whom Matthias detested. He was still sore with the burt of that experience, Privately he coubt- éd whether he would ever wholly re- cover from it; but the doubt was a very private one, never discovered even to his most sympathetic friends, not even to his aunt, Helena Tan- kerville, whose scorn of her sister- in-law, Venetia, remained immeas- urable. He could not easily endure the thought of Venetia’s lowering herself to use him to further her love affair with Marbridge; of Venetia going from his arms and lips to the lips and arms of that inavient animal, Marbridge; the one amused by her successiul cunning, the other con- temptuous Jn his conquest. Coming home, Matthias found Joan waiting on the stoop, @ silent and vigilant figure, aloof from the other lodgers—a woman and two or three men lounging on the steps, And as these moved aside to give Matthias way Joan rose and slipped quietly indoors, where in the hall she turned back with a gesture that too clearly betrayed the strain and tensity of ber emotions; but, to bis gratification, she was dry of eye and outwardly com- posed, “You were waiting for me?” he asked; and taking assent for granted rattled on with a show of cheerful contrition: “Sorry I'm late, There were ten dozen stones we bad to tura, you know.” Her eyes questioned, He siniled, apologetic: “No use; Rideout simply can't swing I “I've finished — typewriting book," she announced obliquely. “Have you? That's splendid! Will you bring it tome? And then we can have a little talk.” * She nodded—"I'll go fetch it right that § Me A Complete N Novel Each Week in The Evening World The Story of a New York tiri’s Straggles s an Aciress. away"—and scurried hastily up the stairs as he went on to his room, To the sound of a light tap on his open door the girl herself entered. She put down the manuscript before acknowledging his silent and intent regard. “That's the last,” oho sald quietly, indicating the manuscript. “I finished up thia evening,” she added, super- flously yet without any evidence ef consctousness., “Thask you. I'm glad to get it.” Ransacking bis pockets, Matthias found money“and paid her for the week. “L suppose that'll be all?” she asked steadily. “I mean you won't want any more typewriting done for a while?” “1 don't know,” he sald slowty. “Well have to © ° © talk things over, (T y has obanged every- thing? © °° “All the same, I don’t want you to ‘ Mes ik I don't appreciate how good e been to me—and Ment, and an that. 1 am grateful—honest—bdut I'm not as dumb as you think I yknow when I'm in the way, all right!” ‘But you entirely misunderstand me'— “© no, I don't! You've made your- self plain enough, if you didn’t think I had sense enough to see. It doesn’t take brains to see through a maa who's only trying to be polite and kind—all the time bored"—— “But, Miss Thureaay"— She turned toward the door, “I don't quite know what to say to you,” he answered patiently, “when you insist on putting thoughts into my head that never were there, I've really wanted to help you”—— “why? ‘The monosyllable brought him up startled and staring. “Why? I hard- ly know” * * ° “Didn't you know better?” “J don’t understand you"—— Her eyes were wide and dark to his; all trace of petulance had faded from her manner, “You ought to. You ought to know,” she tnsisted quietly, “that a man Iike you can’t be just kind to a girl like me without, © © © Oh!" she cried, “I suppose it would've been different if the show had gone out—and everythiag—but now with that hope gone—and nothing more to do for you—with mo prospects but to lose you—the only friend I've got in the world!"—— Her voice broke at a high pitgh, and she fell allent, turning away to stare with swimming eyes down at the table, He saw her trembling violent- ly, her pa quivering. His amazement was extraordinary and bewildering. He heard his voice, as it might have been another's, saying: “Does it really mean so much to you?” “Oh, can't you eee!” ‘With a Iittle, helpless motion of her hands, ahe lifted quickly to him a face of flushed and tear-dimmed loveliness. Another man might have been numb to its appeal; to Matthias it proved irresistible, coming sharp upon the shock of comprehending that she of- fered him her love, herself. In a stride, hardly knowing what he did, he folded the girl in his arms. She lay therein for an tnstant as though bewitched by the exquisite wonder of this consummation of her fondest, maddest dreams; then in a breath became a woman reanimate and wild with love, clinging to him with all her strength, in an ecstasy of impassioned tenderness, Bending his head, Matthias found her lips, “My dear, dear girl!” “Oh, she breathed, you always—alwa; “If I had only known, if I had only guensed!"—— “How could you? I didn't know —not till a little while ago. And even then, I couldn't have told you—only the thought of losing you—my dear, my dear!” sh suessed”— “You're not sorry? angry with me?"—— “Angry? 1 adore you!” “You will love me always?” “Always and forever.” “And never scnd me away from your” “You shall your own will.” “I think I was going mad with the thought of losing you!" “My beloved girl” ¢ * © ‘The dusky stillness of the room was murmurous with whispers, sighs, terms of endearment half smothered and all but inaudible, To these @ forelgn and alarming sound—a rapping at the door. Matthias lifted bis head, wincing fromf the interruption. The gir in his arms moved feebly, ag If to engage. He held her for a mon still more close. Her heart soun soncrously against bis bosom. “Husb!" he sald in a low and warn- ing voice, And then the rapping was repeated. At once he released her. She moved away, blushing and dishevelled, the fragrant freshness of her starched linen waist a crumpled dinorder, her hair in disarray, her crimson face one of many evidences of the tumult of her senses, 9 murmured, have loved You're not ver leave me but of NETH VIOD HOON? SOOCOSTE 766 OOOTOHOIOOOSOMN In the hallway a man's voice sald “Ho must be in, There's a light A woman answered impatiently: “Of course he’s in; but the chances are he's asl She called in a louder tone: “Jack—Jack Matthias!” Recognizing the voice of hi aunt, Helena = Tankerville, that person groaned aloud, “O Lord” atole a glance at Joan, hesitated, shrugged, as if to say: There’ oe help for it! joor. Helena swept in with o swirl of at skirts, “Good heavens!" she crie ‘What alle you, Jackie? We inocked half @ dozen times. Were you?” — Her glance encountering Joan, tho words dt..d op her lips. ‘Tankerville, at ber heels, jerked a motor gauntlet from his fat band in order to erasp that of Matthias Matthias laughed @ little while, tly; no good trying to carry off this situation; by many a clue, aside from Joan's confusion, thoy were be- trayed. save caught us,” be sald, cheer- fully. “We may as well own up. Helena, this is Joan—Miss Thure- day—my flan... And Joan, this ts my aunt, Mrs. Tankervilie—and ber husband.” And immediately he was c nscious of the necessity of bridging the pause that would inevitably bold theee three confounded, pending adjust- ment to his amazing anouncement. ‘We had intended to keep It quiet for a while,” be pursued evenly, shut- ting the door, © * © “Helena, let me help you with that cloak. © * © But since you'r declared yourselves in, we can only ask you tu hold your peace until we're ready. I'm eure we can count on you both.” Tankerville puffed an explosive: “Oh, certainly!” Helena gtanced shrewdly from Joan to Matthies, With a bright nod to him, she turned back to Joa., drew slowly near to her; dropped kindly hands upon the shoulders of the girl. “But, my dear!” sbe exclaimed in a tone expostulation, “you are beautiful! I herself more deeply in love than she ha@ dreamed she could be. Matthias, too, forgot Veni tla and forgot all else save the beau- tiful girl to whom he had so sud> denly engaged himself. Then came news that he must go soon to Los Angeles to supervise the production of “The Jade God” by @ Pacific stock company. And on the heels of this came @ week-end invitation for him- self and Joan from Helena Tanker- ville, Matthias broached the sub- Ject to Joan: “What is it?” Joan inquired indit- ferently. “What 4o you say to running down ad Tanglewood over Sunday?” ‘anglewood?" ay Aunt Helena'’s home—down at Port Madison, Long Island, you know, She has just written, asking us. It would be rather fun. Would you like to go?” A blunt negative was barely sup- pressed. Curiosity made Joan hest- tate, and temporarily to forego fur- ther retulance, “I've nothing to wear,” uncertainly, “Rot; you don’t need anything but shirtwalste and skirts. There won't be anybody but you, Helena, George Tankerville and myself.” Matthias leaned over the back of her chair and caught her face between his hands. “IU be @ splendid holiday for us, b fore I start. Say yes—esweetheart!" Joan turned up her face to his, \fting her arms to encircle his neck, She nodded consent as he bent bis lips to hers. ‘That day they lunched together, as usual, After luncheon, Matthias fum- bled in one of his waistcoat pockets, produced a small leather-covered case, and passed it across the table. “I'd meant to keep this til! we got home,", he said with an awkward smile, “But I don’t think I can wait.” Joan opened the box—and drew the longest breath of Ser life. He heart seemed to ler’ and then stand stock still for & rull minute before she grasped the magnificence of his pre- went: her engagement ring! Then and there the girl lost all touch with the tough verities of life; and throughout the day and until she lost consciousness in bed that night, sensual enchantment held dominion over all her being. Neat day they went to Tanglewood. As they sat on the terrace that Sun- lay afternoon, @ car whizzed up the drive and stopped out of sight in front of ‘fie house, Helena moved a few paces toward the house, paused, waited. A wom- an's laugh with an accent of cheerful excitement came to them. Joan saw Helena start and noticed Matthias break off @ sentence in the middle and swing around in his chair, Im- mediately a woman ran through the doorway to the terrace, a light dust- CHAPTER VII. HES next few weeks were & fool's paradise seasen for the two lovers. Joan found whe doubted "By -Louis Joseph Vance C DOGDOGHHOOOIOSGOIC * DGD E HE HO Hy $HEIONOSIFAOO|BOSISS wrap streaming from her shoulders. A man followed, but at the time Jo hardly noticed him. The woman ab- sorbed all her interest, even though it waa an interest compounded of Jealousy and hostility. She was un- Questionably the loveliest creature Joan had ever seen. Without mov- ing, but staring, the girl sat tran fixed with distrust and poignant envy. With @ cry of wonder—"Veuetial” —Helena ran to greet these unpre- eaged guests. Meeting, the two women indulged In an embrace almost theatrically perfunctory.. The commonplaces of such situations were breathlessly ex- changed. Then Helena, disengaging, turned to the man and extended a hand. “Well, Mr. Marbridge * ¢ ° 1" whe eried with a light mote of semi- reproof tm her laughter. At thia, with a brightening smile, Marbridge bent over her hand, eay- ing something indistinguishable to Joan, She was watching the meeting be- tween Matthias and Venetia Mar- bridge. He held both her Rands, and she permitted him to retain them for a longer moment of silent greeting than Joan thought necessary, But this cir- eumstance alone betrayed whatever constraint was felt by either. A amile, vague and perhaps not lacking @ thought of tender sadness, touched the lips and eyes of Venetia, Matthias returned his twisted and indefinitely apologetic grin. “More than ever charming, Ve- netia!™ “Thank you, Jack.” If there were any hint of challenge in her tone or her straightforward eyes John didn’t detect it. George Tankerville auymitted with open resignation to the embrace of his sister, “L suppose I've got to stand for this,” he observed with philosophy. “Do you mean me to infer that you're humble and contrite?” “Not in the least,” torted defiantly. “Oh, very well,"*sald be. “That being the cage, I extend to you my belated blessing.” Venetia became openly aware of Joan, Matthias interposed. “Misa Thureday—my Aancee. Joan, thie is Mrs, Marbridge.” “Truly?” ‘The shock told; she had been play- ing off very deftly a painful contre- temps, but this announcement dashed Venetian. Momentarily she hesitated, scarlet lips apart but in- articulate, widening eyes of violet @ shade darker, with—if possible—a pallor deeper even than that most striking attribute of her beauty. But the check could have been apparent only to the initiate or to a strongly intuitive Intelligence. “I am so glad!" she cried with sincerity—"so glad for both of you!” Impulsively she caught Joan's hands, drew the girl to her—"May I, my dear? We're to be great friends, you know!"—kissed hei then swinging Venetia aoe round—"Vincent!” ashe called gaily. “Such news! Do come here imme- diately!” Marbridge showed a face strongly marked with the inquiry of bis heavy, lifting eyebrows. His glance comprehended Joan witb kindling interest. With Helena he approach- ed, his heavy body rolling a little in spite of the elasticity of hia stride. “My husband, Vincent Marbridge. Vincent, this ta Joan Thursday, She's engaged to Jack Matthias, Isn't it wonderful? And aren't they both fortunate? And isn't she pretty?” Marbridge’s unctuous and intimate smile accompanied his reply: “Yea to all—twice yes to your last ques- tion.” His warm strong hand closed over Joan's diMdent fingers. “My heartiest congratulations to you both." And for the rest of his brief call, w, he openly monopolized Joan, Suddenly Joan saw the face of Venetia, set and hard, with « scorn- ful Up for ber husband. shifting to view the object of bis admiration, it showed no change of expression, Her volee cut Incisively through his lasy, drawling accents. “This is quite impossible,” she said coolly, consulting a jewelled wateh on her slender, gloved wrist. “If we stay another instant we shall be unfor- givably late. But’—to Helena— “thank you so much, dear, for want- ing ustostop, . . . Vincent,Il am going.” She moved slowly toward the house. Marbridge kept his seat, “Nonsense!” he expostulated, “Plen- ty of time, Tea’s Just coming. And I'm dying the death of a dog with thirst.” “lL am going,’ Venetia repeated in an uninfected voice, Hie dark face darkening, Marbridge glanced to Helena, to Tankerville, ig- nored Matthias, looked back to Joan, gaining as little encouragement from her, as from his bost and hostess, "ft since she dared not again meet his gaze. With a movement of his heavy Sis shoulders and @ chuckle he beaved Mimaelf out of the chair, “On, all right,” he called indulgent- ly to his wife, “coming! . au ea bs | CODON DOOOOTT TTD women are eras: yhow,” he ms fided to the others, “AU revotr, Miss Thursday © © Tho girl was unconscious of the proffered hand. Her eyes murmured a good night. His smile broadenin turned to) Matthias; him a look that was as bic: ane kick, ave back @ grin of giaceieus effrontery; and swinging, Nuhed afibe 7 with Tai ville, ‘J “Come along, George—take a jook oe at our new car, She's a wonder!” Civilly playing bis part, Tankerville submitted, They disappeared—Marbridge gab bling cheerfully—into the house, Joan tui uncurtained her eyes. Her lover, with) @ face of thunder, was looking toward his aunt, who made a slight negative motion of her head with an admotle tory Gutter of one hand; a servalit with a tray was drawing ned, Matthias amewered her with age ture of controlled wrath, turned te the balustrade and stood there atar- ing straight into the angry eunset slow. “ Throughout the remainder of Joaa’s visit the Incident waa mot once te ferred to. But it had had its curiae = and disturbing effect upon tl She remembered it all very reviewed it with insatiable f From this she derived a i whieh she resented, of having witnessed @ scene fraught with sig- nificance undecipherable to her. CHAPTER VIII. LITTLE after the hour ¢ /4 on Monday afternech Joan emerged from that riotous meander of bideows Passages, sheds and vast caves of gloom, which tn those encumbered the site of the new Graad Central Station, and with @ long breath of relief turned westward on Forty-second street. She had within five minutes ea’? goodby to her betrothed; her lpr were yet warm with their baer her eyes still moirt—and so, the bewitching—with the faclie per through which she had watehed his train draw out of the station. He was not to be back from Cal!- fornia within a month; more probaly hia return would not occur within five or six weeks, © © ¢& by Bhe was contrarily possessed By’ | two opposed humors; one a| mately saturated with an Prats melancholy and @ sense of beréle emotions adequately experienced: and the other, of freedom uatram- melled by restrictions of any sort. Overruling her faint-hearted gee- tests, Matthias had left her the etm % of six weeks’ allowance in advanee, ‘os by way of provision against emergen- t oles and delays, ‘ Though she had dimguised tt from | him, and even in some measure frem < herself, she knew that love had act quenched, but had quickened her am- bition for the stage. To be desired by one man only stimuated her leng- ing to be desired inaccessibly—be- yond the impregnable barrier of feet- lghte—by all men, i She wondered how far her strength ~ and constancy would serve her to re- f sint, were opportunity to come Ser : way during the absence of Matthias, when distance should have the strength of his influesce ang Iineas had lent an accent te her need for occupation and cam; Furtively she closed Ber left band = until @he could i-al the diamond ia A his ring, turned in toward the palm beneath her glove, as if it were a talisman, © ¢ © Turning north on Broadway, ee breasted the full current of the late afternoon promenade, And there, within five minutes, sne came face te face with Quard. “Well!” he cried heartily, “T alwaye # lucky guy! I've been thinking abolit you all day—wondering whagé become of you.” Joan smiled and shook hands. “9 guess it wasn't worrying you much,” z she retorted. “If you'd wanted te, you knew where to find me.” Quard needed no more encourage ment. Promptly ranging alengeide and falling into step: “That's just it," he argued; “I knew where ti start looking for you, all right, But + was kinda afraid you might be i» when I called, and didn’t sknen whether you'd snap my head off . not. “Well,” said Joan indifferentiy, *) wucay it's none of my busine you're such a rummy you caai » onto a job. Only, of course, 1 4 have to stand for that ishness more than once,” “You said something chen Quard approved huain.s ‘an't blame you for fotos. thet oe ouut it, But le me tell yuu st fact: I ain't touched a drop anything stronger'n buttermilk tin: thal Lge ” 3 ls that so?” Joan asked, pausin. gofaitety on the corner at Forty G reek, relieve me, Joan, I hate the atuff: stake are Eee, a Oi ett dad. "Well, good afters (To Be Continued) Next Week’s Complete Novel in THE EVENING WORLD MISS WEALTHY, Deputy Sheriff, ° @ @ ® 6 A STORY OF LAW, LOVE AND A dake Rs @ @ @® @ ELIZABETH NEF —— Stands Will Cost You $1.25 You Get It for 6 Cente