The evening world. Newspaper, February 12, 1916, Page 11

“A New York ‘Werrtadt, 1016,.b7 J, B; Lippincott Co.) iS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS, iF es Ba i i sae CHAPTER XII. (Continued.) The Challenge. i HAT had appeared a calam- ity had become strange good fortune. Mr, Good- win readily satisfied any doubt he might have felt of Tony's identity, Next morning, when he would have gone to his usual place, a clerk stopped him and took him to Mr. Goodwin's private “offloe, where a desk awaited him. “Of course it is all my name, or father my father's,” Adriance said to Elsie that night. ‘There are a score of of ‘or men than I already there « Who will continue, I suppose, plodding + On as they are. Cook is one of them. But I am not altruistic enough to Ahrow away the luck I have been born into, I am afraid. 1 shall take all © Goodwin will give me, and if my father refuses to keep me there, at feast the training will make me more fitted to carn our living in some other »lace.”” “Man, you have not enough vanity ‘to nourish you properly,” Elsie grave- Jy told him. Mr, Goodwin proved a harder task- ‘enaster than Cook or Ransome, He * entered’ upon the education of Tony Adriance with an enthusiastic zest tempered with a conscientious sever- Sty that made. him exacting and meticulous in detail. Adriance was fond enough of the outdoors to mi the motor-truck at times—there wer even hours when he thought wi Tully of Russian Mike; but he learned rapidly under the forced cultivation, Now he saw how superfictal: had "been tho knowledge of the factory on which he had prided himself in the shipping room, and how sbaurdly in- adequate to the management of the t place he would have been had “hig father put it in his hands. But under Mr. Goodwin he becoming in actuality what he once had fancied hhnself to be. Incidentally the teacher and the student grew cordial- . ly attached to one. another; and as t attachment was obvious, as the “ thew man was known in every de- partment where he was’ sent to gather experience as “Mr. Adriance,” and as Mr. Goodwin called him “Tony,” his identity was soon no st- eret in the factory. But the senior Adriance never camo in personal contact with any member of the force except Mr, Goodwin, so this was a matter of indifference. Adriance continued to be entered on the books as a chauffeur, and recetved the corresponding salary. ‘The genuine chauffeurs whose com- rade Andy had beea lgoked curiously themselves when he chanced to pass, although his greetings to them were the same as always. a - Cook dropped the use of “Andy, and said “sir’ if the young man poke ‘to him suddenly, Mr. Goodwin advised his pupil to let such things pass without comment. Hither An- thony's position would be assured and demand such deference, or he would leave the factory altogether; in elther cage protest would only be hypocriti- cal or useless. *. [he time when Anthony should go to his fathor with an account of the effair was indefinitely postponed. Tho more accomplished first the better, Hecretly both he and Goodwin had »° ©ome to dread the possibility that Mr. + Adriance would refuse to continue Anthony in ‘his position, either through resentment or lack of faith in Tony's ability. ‘ Sometimes Anthony felt a ‘sharp misgiving that perhaps thé very prep- ‘aration that fitted him for the place ‘he so much desired would deprive him ‘of it. It was more than possible that Mr. Adriance would keenly ‘resent what was being done without his knowlpdge. Tn @ Sense Anthony. was fortifying himself in his father’s own territory An order to resist the older man’s will in regard to Mrs, Masterson. An- , thopy meyer learned to think with- out vicarious shame and pain of the treachery his father had planned inst Elsie. He could not recon- elle that idea with anything their soryears together had shown him of bis ‘father But he worked on and thrust from his mind what he could not remedy. bad CHAPTER XIII. The Adriances. E weeks ran quietly on, bringing spring as the only visitor to the little red house, Masterson had been invited to come, but he never avatted himself of the invitation, The “Adniances did not speak of him, by tacit agreement feigning to forgot ‘the only painful evening they had » Spent since their marriage. ‘The event that fell lke an explod- ing shell into the tranquil household, eiattering its accustomed life as truly as if by matertal destruction, came quite without warning. It ghose. one of the first evenings of * April, when a delicate, pastel-tinted @unset was concluding the day as @racefully as the envol of ¢ poem. Wisio was making ready for her ‘husband, much as ghe once had de- ecribed to him a wife's employment at this hour, and 0 all unconsciously had cleansed the temple of his heart, thrusting down tie false Idola to make a place for herself. The tablo ‘ed, she herself was daint- {i adtine and mood; the lit- rie Women’s Love for One Man § By Eleanor M. Ing ram 2 TR atier him and whispered among », Story of Two had taught. him « new luxury in this bare school-room. Elsie wag singing as she went about her pleasant tasks with the deft surety and swiftness fo pretty to watch; singing @ lilting, incondequent Creole chanson, velvet-smooth as the sprays of gray pussy-willow she pres- pies began to arrange in a squat, earthen jar, Bhe was happy with a deep, abiding, steadfast conjent, and a faith that admitted no fear, She was listening, through all her occupations, The crackle of Anthony's quick, step on the old gravel walk would have brought her at once to the door. But the sound of an au- tomobile halting before the gate passed unnoticed; many cars trav- elled this road, day and night, Bo, as before, Masterson came unheralded into his friend's house. Only, this time he found the door open and en- tered without knocking. When his shadow darkened across the room, Elsie turned and saw her visitor. Rather, her visitors. carried in the curve diminutive figure clad ‘ duroy from tasselled S. to small leggings. The child's dimpled, ruddy- bright cheek was pressed against the man's worn and sallow young face, the shining baby-gaze looked out from beside the fover-dulled eyes of the other, A chubby arm tightly em- braced Mestorson's neck, “Holly!” Hleie cried, the ywillew- buds slipping through her fingers. “Why—how?—— Oh, how he has grown! Holly, baby, don’t you remem- ber Elsie? He does, truly does—pleage let me have him.” - % Masterson willingly relinqutshed his chatge, putting Holly into the eager arms held out, and stood. watching the ensuing scene of pretty nonsense and affection. He.did not speak or offer interruption. When Elsie finally looked toward hit again, recovering révoliection and curiosity, baby and woman were equally radiant, “But—how did it’ happe: she wondered, “Did—was: the agreement Kept, alter.all? Is Holly to stay witb La now?" te he man met her gaze with a atr: blending of defiance and en- treaty. Now ‘she percoived his con- dition of terrible excitement and that his dumbuess had not been the aputhy she fancied. He was on the verge of a breakdown, perhaps irreparable to Loonie Retggteeg Her question was answered by her own quick ep. tion before he spoke, eh bad “I have stolen him. No! 1 steal him; I took my own, ans in the park—he was with a nurse, and she struck him. She didn’t know me. I had etopped to ‘get a sight of him, Well, that ts all Latciile will ever give him: nurses! She never wanted bim or had .time to trouble about him. She doesn’t like children, He stumbled, fell down and the wom- an slapped him—more than once. She looked at him with a se: helpless inability elther to aid or ¢ demn, Every conscious fibre in her championed his Cause. except . her reason. How could :this sick map hope to keep Holly against the warld? “You?". she temporized, : “I've told you what I did him away from her. “Tell! M terson that Holly has gone fose-hued and father,’ I satd. That was all, { car ried him to my car and drove ggraignt ere, You will keep hin for me? You and Tony? I have got to go to get back and make my Elsie gently set down the She saw what Masterson in ‘his dased and selfish absorption overlooked: thw, she and Anthgny were to be drawn into a-conflict surely evil for them. Mrs. Masterson must resent this, and call on the law to undo the kidnapping. She herself and An- thony would be dragged from their happy obscurity, their long honoy* moon ended, More menacing still, Anthony's position. in his father's factory would be discovered and exploited by ‘the newspapers, with the probable result that Mr. Adriance would end. that situation by dismissing the im- promptu employee. But she never even tooyieht of sending Masterson away, . I hands that grasped her dréés grasped deeper at her heart. Also, this man in need was Anthony's friend and one to whom he owed atonenient for a com- wrong contemplated, {f nat mitted, ‘ "Of course we will keep bt promised, kindly and naturally ye 3 tay, too, You are not well, and must rest for a while—it ts ab; surd to speak of fighting when you can scarcely stand. Sit there, in that” arm-chair, Presently Anthony will come home, then we will have supper cooled his fe string, he relaxed his tenseness of attitude. “I must go,” he repeated, but with- out resolution. For answer she drew forward the chair, He sank into it and lay rather” than sat among its cushions, passive before her firmness, Elsie moved about the matter at hand with her unfailing practicality. She took off Holly's wraps and im- provised a high-chair by means of a dictionary and a pillow, To an ac- companiment of gay chatter she made ready her small guest's evening meal, tied a napkin under the fat chin aud superintended the business of sup- ping. Hunger and sleep were con- tending before the bread and milk and soft-bolled egg were finished, Afterward Elsie carried a very drowsy little boy into her room and made him a nest in her antique shop four-posted bed. Masterson looked on, mutely attentive to every move- ment of the two as if some dramatic interest lay in the simple actions. When Elsie returned from the sleep- ing baby he abruptly spoke: “You know, I only mean you to keep him for to-night, not always, I will come back for him. You know all I planned for him and myself, ‘This has hurried me, but I have money enough, Earned money, I tell you Mr. Adriance, Tony's fath- er, has offered mo @ considerable sum to stop ‘making a mountebank’ of my- If at the restaurant? No? He I fancy her former husband's occupation grates on Lucille.” He laughed, moving his head on tho ishions of the high-backed chair, ‘Well, I refused. “Of course!” knew I would? Then, you The Evening World Daily Magazine e baby, VAM SHAVED, HURRY UP WIFEY HN 1AM NEARLY READY oat me more grace than she did.” fered"— He gianced keenly at her face, then turned his own face aside that it might not guide her groping thought. “L must go,” he said again, jut ke did not move, nor did Elsie, The pause was broken by An- thony's whistle, the elgnal which al- ways advised his wife of his’ return. But to-night it was not the blithe hail of custom. The clear notes were shaken, curtly eloquent of some an- ger of distress, Acutely sensitive to every change or mood of his, Elsie caught both messages, the intentional and the one sent unaware. Dropping upon ‘the table a box of matches she had taken up, she ran to the door. It_ opened before she reached It. Anthony, his facs dark with re- préssed anger, his movements stiff with the constraint he forced upoa them,.appeared outlined against the soft, clear dusk of April twilight. He Jooked behind him and holding open door of his house formally ushered in a gue “My wife, sir,” he briefly Intro- duced to his father the girl who drew “back, amazed, before their entrance. Mr. Adriance showed no less dence of inward. storm than his son. But ‘he stopped and saluted his daughter-in-law with precise cour- ra, Adriance,” he acknowledged .the presentation, his volee better con- trolled than the younger man's. ““Light the amp, Elvie," her hus- band requested, dragging off th clumsy chauffeur’s gloves he had worn “home. “It seems that we are under suspicion of child-steaiing. My father has done us the honor of looking us up to accuse me of con- niving at the kidnapping of Mrs. Masterson’s boy. I have not yet gathered exactly what interest I am supposed to have in the lady or her affaits, or whether I am presumed to be engaged in a bandit enterprise for ransoin, But I understand that there in a detective outside who probably wishes to search the house.” Elsie made no move to obey the command. In the indeterminate light Masterson’s presence had been un- noticed, shadowed as he was by the deep chair in which he sat. She was not afraid or bewildered so far us to conceive keeping him concealed, but she was not yet ready to act. “My son is inexact, as usual,” Mr. Adriance gave her space, aiding her unaware by his irritation, “Mr, Mas- tergon is known to have crossed the Edgewater ferry with tho child, and wo know of no friends he would acek in this place except Tony and you. His brain is hardly strong enough now to plan any extended moves. Surely it needs no explanation that we wish to rescue @ two-year-old child from the hands of a drug-crazed in- competent?" Elale laid her hand over the match box, wondering that the other two did not hear, aa she did, the very audible breathing of the man in the arm chair, “He ts hardly that," she deprecated. “But, if you find him, what will you jor" a “To him? Nothing. We want the child. If he persists in annoying the lady who was his wife, however, he must be put in @ sanitarium.” “Elsie, why do you not way that we know nothing of all this?” Anthony demanded, harsh in his strong im- patience. “Why do you feed suapicion by arguing? I don't say that I would not shelter Holly Masterson, if he were here—in fact, I should! But I do gay that he {fs not here, sir, and I expedt,my word to be taken. Elsie’ You said Mr. Adriance of- {n, IT Witt Soon BE TIME For BREAKFAST His wife put out her hand in a quiet- Kost rq ure. “No I will light the lamp,” she 6tated In her full, calm voice. lly checked, the two angry men st watohing her. The flame- touched wick burned slowly at first, tho circle of radiance crept out and up, warmed by the crimson shade through which {t passed, Tt crept like a bright tide, shining on the figure of the woman who stood behind the table, rising over the noble swell of her bosom, submerging the surved hollow of her throat where a small ebony cross lay against a sur- face of tvory, flooding at face set in generous resolutio: glinting in her gra; eyes. Bhe looked, of the place and situation; P' because of all those present she alone was not thinking of herself. “You see,” she broke the pause, “there was much excuse, ft is al- ways wiser and kinder to laten to the excuse for actions; 1 think usually there is one. Mr, Masterson lo his Uttle son very dearly, and that they have been separated is terrible to him. But he was pationt, he did not interfere until to-day; he saw Holly struck and roughly treated by the nurse. He could not bear that, and just look on. No one could! So Mr, Masterson, obeying his first impulse, snatched up the baby, and he did bring him her It was only a@ little while ago, Anthony; a very little while,” Before either Adriance could speak, the third man lifted himself out of the shadows Into the light. He was laughing slightly, all his reckless, too- feminine beauty somehow restored as he faced them, “Here is your drug-crazed incom- petent, Mr, Adriance,” he mocked, “Have you succeeded so well in train- ing your own son that you want to undertake bringing up mine?" The insult changed the atmosphere to that of crude war. Elste drew back, recognizing this fleld was not for her. Mr. Adriance considered his wntagonist with a deliberation cold and very dangerous, “I think a comparison between my son and yourself is hardly one you can afford to challenge,” he said bit- ingly. “Now, no," Masterson admitted, He laughed again, “But a year ago --who was the best citizen, then? Fred Masterson, with all his short- comings, or Tony Adriance, dangling after Masterson’s wife? Hold on, Tony! I'm not saying this for you; you quit the nasty game as soon us you saw where it was leading. I'm only explaining to your father, here, that the difference between uu and me is chiefly—our wives. Of course, we ought not to lean on our wome: we ought td be strong and inde- pendent, “But I was not born that way, and neither were you, Lucille wanted me down, and I am down; Mrs. Adriance wanted you up, and you're standing up. Be honest, and out with the truth to yourself, if you never speak {t, Tony. As for your father, if our guardians had started us differently, it might not have been this Way with us. I don't know, but that is the chance I am giving Holly, He shall not have to pick up his education on the road, I have brought him here, and here he stays with Mrs, Adriance until I take him away with me, She has given me her protnise." “You forget that the court has given the child to its mother,” Mr, Adriance reminded him, before An- thony eduld reply. “And let me tell you I have nothing except contempt tor a man who foists off ‘his respons!- 1 Lt BE READY IN A MINUTE SOHN Reed anoTueR HAVE. HAT bilities upon a woman's shoulders.” “Neither have 1," retorted Master- son, “Did you ine I had any vanity left, or that my self-respect still breathed? You are dull, Mr. Adriance! But all that ts aside from the case. Holly stays here, unless Anthony turns him out, and then he ee, with me, not with his mother. Jo you think I fail to understand why sho wants him, and you want her to have him? It is because he is a social vindication: her possession of him brands me as the one found lacking tn our partnership. Well, he is not to be sacrificed.” “May I ask how you intend to en- torce this?” “You may, and I will tell you.” He looked return in full measure of the older man's trony and determination. “L can enforce it because you care about the public at large, and I do not; because It would make a beauti- ful sob story; how Holly’s reprobate father rescued him from neglect and ill-treatment, taking him away from a brutal nurse in the Park; and how Mr. Adriance, the Mr. Adriance, pur- sued and recaptured the child. ‘The newspapers would be interested in learning that Mr, Adri had man- aged the whole Masterson divorce case; with his usual tact and suc- cess, They might wonder why he had done it. I have wondered, myself, you know, That is, I might have won- dered, if I had not known how much you onc® approved of Mrs, Master- son 48% @ possible daughter-in-law, before Tony disappointed you by marrying to please himself, You have the reputation of never admitting a defeat: and, after ail, two divorces are an right as one! I beg your par- don, Mra, Adriance.” Flsie uttered w faiut ery, abruptly confronted with the hideous thing Masterson had shown her husband on the night that had changed An- thony from her playfellow to her de fender and fighting man. “Fred! Anthony exglatmed indig- paah rebuke, eprin to the girl's aide, caught his arm flercely, as it ed her, Suddenly she waa one ith the men {n mood, burning with deflance and alert to make war for her own. And Anthony her own, as she was his, Pressing close to her husband she held him. Arrayed to- the three who youth had everything else, But Mr. Adriance had reddened through his fine, gray, slightly with ered skin lke any schoolboy. His ke eyes Nghtened and lordened to on unforgiving grimness of wrath that dwarfed the younger men's pas- sion and made it puerile. "You will restrain yourself in spenking of the lady who had tho misfortune to marry you,” ho signi- fied, with @ clipped precision of speech more menacing than any threat. "Since yesterday she has been my wife,” Of all the possibilities, this most rious one never had occurred to of the three who heard the an- nouncement, The effect held tho group dumb, All thought had to be readjusted, ail recent experience focussed to this new range of vision. In the long pause, Anthony's dog yawned with the ridiculous sigh and snap of happy puvpyhood; ticking clook and singing kettle seemed to fill the room with a swell of common- place, domestic sound derisive of all complicated life. After all, men were simple, and in- volved evil usually a chimera, Plots \and counterplots resolved inte e mess Saturday, —— ase HurRy! RY IS FoR NIGHT You Know Ww natural Reopening thrown into com- panionship with Lucille Masterson b; Anthony's Might, Mr. Adriance fallen in love. Probably at firat he had aided her through sympathy, as Anthony himself bad done. ‘here was no mystery in the rest. ‘The reckless challenge and falso gayety died out of Mastergon’s face, Joaving it dull and bleak as u stage when the play is over and the artificial light and color extinguished, Quite suddenly he looked haggard and ap- pallingly ill. Circles darkened beneath his eyes aa Sf dashed in by the blue crayon of an artist He was con- quered; with his fancied right to re- sentment and contempt he also lost all animation. The fire was quenched, apparently forever. “T apologize, of course,” he said, his lifeless ea: voor effort at hig former inanny “Certainly I) would Deen. ell, less frank, if I had under- stood, Pray convey my congratula- tions to Mrs. Adriance. No doubt you will be happy, since you can buy every~ thing ahe wants, But neither you nor she can cure to keep Holly Masterson fn your house. I want him. After all, 1 am his father, you know, and en- titled to gome direction of his future. No? Come, 1’ Ieave him here, and I will do what I refused to do for money; I will quit public dancing and drop out of sight.” The unexpected offer allured. The wrath in the eyes of Mr. Adriance did not legsen, but speculation crept into his regard, His abhorrence of scandal urged him to grasp at this escape from having his wife's name constanuy linked with the escapades of her first husband, ‘There could be no question of Mas- terson'y genius for spectacular trouble- making. Moreover, Holly would atill bo with the Adriances, so that dignity Was assured. He did not believe that Masterson really intended to burden himself with the child. Lucille Mas- terson had formed his opinion of the other man; he credited him with no intention good or stable. “Of course I must consult Mra, Adriance,” he answered stiffly. “But 1 have no doubt that she will meet your wishes in the matter, since ‘Tony is now the child's step-brother, That is, if my gon and his wife are willing to undertake the charge you thrust upon them.” He turned toward the two as he concluded, For the first time Adri- nee senior and junior really looked each other as man at man, For E Tony” no longer existed, In his place was some one the elder did not Know, Indee und Tony had been merely pleasant acquaintances; bo wid this new man were strangers, “Why, yes,” Authony replied to the indirect question, He had regained his composure aa the others had lost theirs, His cool steadiness and potse contrasted strongly with the strained tension of his guests; he spoke for both himself and Elsie with the as eured tnastertulness she had nygsed to Mfe during these many mofiths, “We will take charge of Holly until his father claims him, unless It is going to be too difficult for me to take care of my own family, As you may fee, sir, we are not ri ‘s that my affair?” t has not been. But it (s going to “Aa @ question of mont Anthony checked the sentence with a gesture, Gently freelng himself fran clasp upon his arm, he dvew from a pocket of his rough coat that notebook which had absorbed so many of his leisure hours, “Let us say @ question of busine he suggested. “Stx months ego L en- tered your employ as # chauffeur. You February 12 IF YOU SHOULD LOSE YOUR JOB— What would you do? It's safe to say you wonldn’t follow the same strange course as did the hero of THE LAIR OF THE SUN DOGS By BERTRAND W. SINCLAIR: THIS WILL BE WEXT WEEK'S COMPLETE NOVEL IN THE EVENING WORLD It Is @ Love-and-Mystery Romance of the Frozen North | will find my record has no marks against it, time of drawing any advantage from the fact that the mill belonged to xous 1 worked exactly as I must have done for any stranger. I was not late or The guther alse wrote “Nerth of Fifty-Three” and “Roaring Bill Wagstaff,” which were se popu- - lar with Evening Werld Readers. ‘ “THE LAIR OF THE SUN DOGS” Is Porkags His Very Best Nove’ It did not think at that bot! absent. I accomplished rather more each day than the average chauffeur agreed. in the crumpled the envelope and fi at ‘Cook and Ransome can tell you asi “Fred Masterson is not | whether I gavo them satiafaction, I under without a fight. 1h rs, only speak of this, sir, because I sanitariums, his love for ly and should like you to understand that [ our help can set him on his feet again, was not until at this work that T began to think of changing my - tion, One day Ransome fell si 1 asked bao Ap I piece 1 ee £ Looe system of checking the shipping ¢! ‘had occurred to me. I was given this at first tentatively, then permanently. In fact, the system worked so suc- ceosafully that—Mr, Goodwin came to seo me, “Now, since it is a matter of busi- ness,” said Mr, Adriance dryly, “what do you want?” “IT want 4 stranger's chance, and your pull,” was the prompt return. Anthony's emile flashed across per!- bm “That is, I want your in- uence to give me Mr. Goodwin's Paves aa manager, and after that ‘am willing to stand on my business value to you. Goodwin is anxious to retire, If I hold his place for E fend and fall to earn his salary, then discharge me gnd I'll not com- Plain, I know this end of your bu: Rene. as you do not, ry You brilliant, a genius of Dig affairs. I have discov in myself a capaci for meticulous attention to detail. . | Will you take thin little book home with you? It contains @ collection of notes jgures for which you would gladly pay an outsid “Mr, Goodwin and I hi found plant i# enormously waaste- that ful; every department contributes tts quota of mismanagement, except the office under his own eye, I want a chance to do this work, to buy a house I like up on the hill here and put delicato Southern wife in a setting suitable for her, Will you let me earn all this?” “T am ing Ai hod that As has been my custom inte; ire wi you,” re. torted Mr. riance. He eyed his son with icy disfavor. “Between you and Mr, Masterson it appears to be established that I am the typical op- eof m and melodrama, Kinaiy Wook at the other side of the shield. IAst autumn you chose to marry both, and leave my house, You did without paying me the trifling court of announcing your inten- tions. knew of no quarrel between us, The rudeness appeared to me quite without warrant, ertheless, I tied all tho loose ends you had left behind. [ kept your marriage from furnishing a sensation to the newspapers, The lady who is now my wife helped me in convincing our friends that your wedding was in no way unusual or unexpected, if @ little sudden, and that you had met the young lady from Louislana at her house, In short, I smothered curt- onity, @ task with which you had not concerned yourself. You chose to enter this place as a truck driver. You did not ask if that were pleasant to me, It was not, but I made no objection. Oh, yes; of course I have known what you wero doing! Why should I not know? Now, you meet me with the air of a man hampered and puraued, Wh “[ was wrong,” admitted Anthony, lt imply. They shook hands. A constraint between them was not to be avoided. The marriage of the older man had thrust them apart. Unforgivable things had been said of Lucille Adri- ance; things that had the biting per- manence of truth. “I will arrange for Goodwin's re- tirement,” Adriance remarked, "You will take his place, and this winter's work may pass ag your whim to study the business from the bottom. I spent an hour discussing your affairs with him, on my way here, to-night. I had called on him to ascertain your exact address. Ho has agreed to remain as your adviser and assistant for o month or two, until you have quite found yourself. And of course I will be at your service, That is enough for this evening; I have already stayed here too long. Come to my office to-morrow.” When ho turned toward the door, Elsie was awaiting him. A moment before sho bad alipped away from the two men. “This is the first time you have been in Anthony's house,” she said, her soft speech very winning. “You aren't going without taking our hos- pitality?” : She held a little round tray on which stood @ cup and plate. The action Was gracious and graceful, quaintly allen as her own legends. Mr. Adriance gazed at her, then bowed ceremoniously, lfted the coffee and drank “T think 4 forgotten to congrat- ulate Tony, regretted, “Allow mo to do #0, most warm! Anthony closed the door behir guest; presently the sound of s {ng motor ruffed the calm hush of the spring evening "T want my supper,” nounced, practl have any more of your cooking, What are you going to do with you idle time-—learn to play bridge? She ran {uto his arms. CHAPTER XIV. The Cornerstone. Anthony an- ally, “I shall HEN they looked for Fred Masterson, he was not there, Elsie remembered, then, that he had gone into Holly's room while An- thony and his father were intent on each other, On the bed where the baby was asleep they found an en- velope upon which was scrawled a message, ‘I'm off for the pr Anthony read, “I'll drop in to-morrow or nex day, when Holly is awake. Thank Mre. Adriance for me i'm gomg io he shall be cured and do all he di of doing. To-morrow I will find ween." ‘ot to-night?” ‘t “Not to-night. Elsie, don’t i understand? He loved his wife, .If I an ee so—if you married some one elee"— She put her small fingers gcross his Mpe, stilling the sacrilege. eae “No! Do not let our little house even hear you say it!” “Nor any houge of ours! ‘mor- row I will buy the house we looked at together, and you shall have an of shopping to furnish it, -Oh, yes, ‘ow shall, and I'll help you. Have lots of dark red things and brown leather {!n that front room where you told me about Alenya of the Sea. —do nurseries have to be pink?” “Of course not, foolish one. We might make ours sunshine-color, ike the satiny inside of a bu a ene honey in a datbaity Kae ORY! mm The rain-gray eyes laughed up at him, demure and daring. “Please, I want a cloak ‘all’ gor- geous without and furry within; @ bimmery, Ey useless brocaded cloak like those in the cloak 4 that restaurant, I—I just want it bed “How do you know?” he wondered at her. “How do you always know the gracious way to delight me most? What a time we are going to ity I'm going to drag Cook out is rut and start ae the ladder, for one thing. If he in’t given me @ chance, Goodwin down to see how I it, who can tell bow much I G missed? I shall bring bere for you to see, before we You won't mind?” it and see,” “And we will spend my first vaca~- tion in Loutsiana! Can't we take a trankful of junk to each - cluding your mother? Let's bribe a publi r to bring out the drama, if it's ever finished. be ime in t Yo ‘voby big 'm go! 0 buy you & ap an the “diamond. advertisements on the back of magazines.” “Anthony!” “Two of them.” “Dear,” she hesitated, “are we goins to have so much money? I lo not quite see"—~ Her husband looked at her and laughed. “You haven't learned to a stand your Fin go erg I ve not mastered that study, myself, but I know some branches. He is not @ half-way man. He will expect Tony and Mrs, Tony to proceed prec! 4 as Tony used to do. And’ we will of- fend and Sioa yes him with our small- mindedness {f we do not take this for granted. When 1 remember the things I allowed Fred to make me believe of him! Elsie, I always could have earned our living 35 think the best news to-night “was ‘that my father 1s as fine as I grew up to believe him. By George, I never told hirm”—— “What, dear?” “Don't you know?” ‘They had almoat fimished thely de- layed supper an hour later, when Adriance set down his cup eS exclamation and. stared ac! ble at bis wife. have just thought of something! Now I understand what Lucille Mas- terson wanted of mo that day in the tea room. She made me give. my word never to tell any one that she had been willing to marry me. -Lowas angry enough that ould auppose such a promise necessary. “But now I can see the reason; she feared I might tell my enough of that affair to prevent falling in love with her, Y¥¢ known him, Elsie. If he Bot wus- pected her attachment to him, was kreed, and that she had been willing to marry either Adriance for the Adriance possessions, he would, have suffered nothing to bring then to- Ho pushed back his chair and took an angry turn across the room, “Fred, and I, and my father—al puppets for her to move about!” “Holly has Mr. Masterson, and © have you," Elste demurred, her mouth curling into @ smile as her glance followed him. “And I do not believe she has your father, Anthony; T think he has her. You know—ex- cuse me, dear—foth you and Fred Masterson were too young and tnex~ perienced, And your father heard, im spite of himself, Mr, Masterson’ story, this evening, I'm going to bor row a sentence from Mike: ‘She's got ver 4 boss.” Let the mills grind; we know what grain we put in! An- thony, did you notice that [ gave your father co cup? It he noticed its flve-cent atrocity, he will ostractze me; and you know who bought tt.” od her hands in his, ver sell this house, anything it, will we? We can come back to it, often, for it ow the beginning , far we 0." yes! Anthony, our © is our cornerstone; on it « to build, build splendidly, itered before the vision, wo looked into each seeing a happiness strongly secured, closing them around like folded wings. HE END, - res i al a i ae