The evening world. Newspaper, May 20, 1922, Page 14

R _ -ABhe Dancer's peculiarities. three days before the day Maple f was to be placed on the market, the climax came, It was nearly clos- ing time when Donaldson hurried in “Just dropped by to tell you I've lagided the Du Pre Caterers,"’ he said “@ot ‘em signed to-day. Say, Jen- kis will tear his hair when he hears it.5 He's been hounding ‘em to death fo# the order.” Jenkins was a Wiley salesman Dgnaldson breezed out of the office, ring told his news, and Susan and ard faced each other across their ks. Du Pre was a smart French Caterer just opening a big shop. They kelew that Wiley's had been hard affer his account ‘Miss Mende," said Willard inly, *‘we've done it!" "You don't mean just Du Pre?” VNo—Maple Leai. We've put it ever before a quart has appeared on the market! We've got enough cus tomers right now to swing the thing through the first summer, granted jugt average hot weather, If we gn't get another one from now til) Ogtober we can make it. We'll get through the winter all+right without ® question, That is the harvest time for quality ice cream. Wiley's stuff dqpsn't go worth two bits then. If they weren't linked up with the Dal top Creameries they'd shut down in @~ winter altogether and make candy.” je rose in his excitement “We've done it!" he repeated. “If can just hang on to all the cus téfhers we've got now we don't need te worry if we don't get a new one. : . . T say, let's go somewhere to- gether for dinnér and celebrate! Come tT let's! Will you?"” And Susan Alice, the young woman who never mixed her social and busi- Ress life, went. USAN ALICE reached her board- ing house a little after 8, to find a telephone message. She was to cal! South 6297 if she eame in before 8.30. Puzzled, she ealled the number. A crisp, feminine voive answered: ‘‘Just a moment, Miss Meade. Mr. Ledder would like to speak to you.” “IT want to stop hround this eve- Bing for a few minutes and talk to You,” came his big assured voice over the wire. “This is pure business." _iVery well," said Susan. “I'll be efpiad to see you."’ *Once Ledder arrived he went im- Mediately to the purpose of his visit. sol i Ni | me vata ft CHAPTER XIII. (Continued.) and with a murmured apology for her lateness she took her place. resumed conversation t her entrance had SAB Diana's thoughts were in ebnfusion. She felt as if she were im some wild, improbuble dream. Arab Sheik, a French explorer, herself playing the conventional . wie in the midst of lawless un- ghest the “Miss Meade," he said, “we want you in the Wiley Company. I don't know what the Maple Leaf is paying you, but we'll double it." Susan was quite as prompt direct “1 couldn't, Mr, Tedder,’ she said ven if T wished to leave Maple Leaf, Lam under contract for a year." Ledder smiled as a man sniiles at a pretty, amusing child, He drew a card from his pocket, scribbled some thing on the back, and handed it to Susan Here is the address of Mr. Miller, our attorney. You take your contract down to him to-morrow—tell Kis girl I sent you, and he'll see you any time If he can't find five ways for you to break that contract inside of five min- utes, he's no attorney of mine “But I don't want to break my con- tract,” said Susan. “I feel the keen- est loyalty to,Maple Leaf" quite as Ledder leaned back comfortably in her chair. “You have a chance to leave it now,” he outlined, “at double the sal- ary they're paying you. Can you be sure of a8 good an opportunity, say three months from now? You hav 4 year's contract, but the Maple Leaf Ice Cream Company”—he paused im- ‘may not last through the summer. “Just what,” Susan ask ing to happen to the Maple I Lander hesitated a moment said: f gO- nd then “The day that Maple Leal ico cream appears on the market—day af ter to-morrow—every dealer in the city and surrounding towns will be notified that Wiley ice cream is cut 20 cents a gallon. Some of your cus- tomers may last in spite of that, or Maple leaf may be able to cut its price 20 cents, too, though the shoe will pinch—its manufacturing cost will be higher than ours. Suppose they make the cut, though shortly there will be another, W will begin offering ‘their dealers prising discounts, large commissions. How much of this can Maple Leaf meet? Wiley could sell at a loss for a year, if necessary!" There was a brief silence, The part of Susan Alice that was Alice had turned suddenly sick at heart, The part that was Susan asked levelly, after a moment: “And then after Maple Leaf finally gives up, Wiley's would begin # to go back to their original pri “Of course. It would be just an episode for Wiley's. It might be an expensive episode, but Wiley’s can stand the expense, I suppose you know that the huge financial backing ih i fi i i THE MOST TALKED ABOUT STORY. MALL, MAYNARE UC of the Dalton creamerics stands back of Wiley's Susan nodded dully Ledder went on ‘Young Willard--your Maple Leaf president—was with us awhile, ,He should known better than to try to buck Wiley's."” Ledder paused, “T suppose he thought because we never ttention to the little fellows paid any in the field, we'd stand by and see some of our regular business im- periled,* He took a match from his pocket, held it out and then with a smile, snapped the slender stick be- tween thumb and finger Well," he said, “that's Willard.” He tossed yroken bits into a brocaded wastebasket and leaned back n his ¢ r, his arms folded, and looked questioningly at Susan Alice Although Susan returned his look calmly, for the moment she was not seeing him. She was looking across a little table at Willard, exultant, boy- sh, drinking her health in black eof- fee—Willard, who was to be snapped like a mateh in the big fingers of power. She did not speak, and after several minutes Ledder said “Well Susan Alice vose, abruptly ending the interview “T suppose you meant to be kind in making me your offer, 80 T thank you But I don't care to consider it.” Ledder rose too He was not ac- customed to being dismissed, “You don't realize what you're do ing,” he said ° Susan smiled a defiant little smile. “You have made it very clear to m just what 1 am doing, Mr. Ledder, she sald, “I've never been much of a fighter, but when 1 do Tlike to finish on the t into a fight same side 1 start, Good night." HEN Susan reached the red- brick building at half-past eight the next morning, something had gone wrong with one of the motor trucks, and the president of the Maple Leaf Company, whistling, in his shirt-sleeves, was ex perimenting with it himself, He waved a monkey wrench at Susan and raised a jovial face, streaked across one cheek with oil and grime. Willard’s very smilg twisted at her heart; she could havé run across the truck-room and put her arms about him in a vain, shielding, womanly way. Instead she said only: “Just as soon as you have a mo- ment to spare may I speak to you? It is something rather important."’ The truck's engine began to throb CHARACTERS IN THE STORY. HE men were waiting for her, DIANA MAYO, nineteen, beautiful, aristocratic English girl, deter- mines to make an expedition into the Arabian desert from Biskra. Her brother, The sheik and his AUBREY MAYO, by whom she has been brought up, virtually as a boy, tries to dissuade her. So does a ball of the inter- JIM ARBUTHNOT, who loves Diana and wants to marry her. At eel to celebrate her departure she tells him she has none leelings of a woman, has never been kissed and can obey no man. Her expedition into the desert is led by Disturbing signs appear before Diana is captured ee n and MUSTAFA ALI, an Arab with a fine outfit of well-bred horses. the journey is a day old. ventionalism. She looked around SHEIK AHMBD BEN HASSEN and taken a prisoner to his caravan, where she is subjected to his passionate attentions. tent that had become so familiar, dear, It seemed different to-night, ab if the advent of the stranger had troduced a foreign atmosphere, She bis grown so accustomed to the rou- me that had been imposed upon her even the Vicomte’s servant standing behind his master seemed ‘strange. ‘The man's likeness to his twin brother was striking, the only ference being that while Gaston's was clean-shaven, Henri's upper Ip was hidden by a neat, dark mus- thohe. The service was, as always, perfect, silent and quick. $@he glanced at the Sheik covertly. ‘There was a look on his face that she had never seen and a ring in his voice that was different even from the tone had heard when Gaston had come ‘on the night of her flight. That iad been relief and the affection of a man for a valued servant, this was the deep affection of a man for the ‘one chosen friend, the love passing the Wve of women, And the jealousy she felt in the morning welled up un- trollably. She looked from the Grek to the man who was absorb- ‘pg al! his attention, but in his pal lever face, half hdden by the close beard, she saw no trace of the con- geited, smirking egotist she had fimagined, and his voice, as low as the , but more animated, was not elated or fous of himself. And as she her eyes met his. A smile that extrordinarily sweet and half- aaa lit up his face. Is it permitted to admire Madame’s Rorsemanship?” he asked, with a lit- @e bow. 3 Diana colored faintly and twisted the jade necklace round her fingers ously, “It is nothing,” she said, ‘With a shy smile that his sympathetic personality evoked in spite of herself. “With The Dancer it és al) foolishness “mad not vice. One has to hold on very Mightly, It would have been humill- ating to precipitate myself at the feet -ofa stranger. Monseigneur would not have approved of the concession to It is an Mon- eeducation to ride his horse wonr. “It is o strain to the nerves to ride Diana is served GASTON, a young %, an Arab maid and by renchman who has long been attached to’ the Sheik's entourage. Ahmed’s attentions become so distasteful that Diana while out riding with Gaston runs away into the desert. o “"YOU MIGHT HAVE SPARED HER,’ CRIED SAINT HUBIRT,” CONTINUED evenly, and ‘iping hia hands on a piece of wagte, Willara followed Su- san into the offlce All the gayety had iett the man's face long before ahe had finishes. He nodded once or twice. “So that’s their game. That's why they have been keeping so qutet They've simply been waiting to see whether we were going to be worth their while to crush. I suppose it's a sort of compliment that they con worth it.” He laughed consider us worth Mr, Ledder that but for it,’” said practically ad this price-cut- mitted ling, nothing could stop us." “I'm a fool,’ said Willard, ‘not to have forseen this. n Uncle Miles didn't, though—that’s a minor con solation; he's a slick old business man himself, and I've checked up every point as it came along with him."" He sat staring at the edge of Su san's desk in silence. Finally he rose, washed off the grime and donned his coat “If any one needs me,” he told the stenograpr I'm going money I can At the door coming in Dan," he said, “will you go through plant this morning with a fine- ‘I'll be back by noon to how much more he met Dan (Mahoney the tooth comb and see where any pos sible cuts in expense can be made, any doubling, anything that we could pos- sibly ra while on a pinch?" said the surprised Dan © Willard went out after capital, and Dan into the freezer-room to check up on production, Production and capital at work, advertising waiting. As Susan. sat down at her darkwood desk, it seemed suddenly as though she were linked with the whole feminine slant on life waiting for men While she waited, she glanced idly over the proofs that lay on her desk full-page advertisements that were to appear in day after to-morrow's newspapers. There was the one she and Willard had laughed over so proudly only yesterday morning: Your silver bridge-prize bear the ‘sterling’ mark, course. 3 The Maple Leaf frozen in each slice of your ice-cream means the same thing. Then there was the page in the will of | nf, is wil IN. TEN YEARS beside some of them,” replied the Vi- comte pointedly. Diana laughed with pure amuse- ment. The man whose coming she had loathed was making the dreadful ordeal very easy for her. “I sympa- thize, Monsieur. Was Shaitan very vile?" “If Monsieur de Saint Hubert is trying to suggest to you that he suf- fers from nerves, Diane," broke in the Sheik, with a laugh, ‘disabuse your- self at once. He has none." Saint Hubert turned to him with a quick smile. “Et tol, Ahmed, eh? Do you remember?" and he plunged into a flood of reminiscences that lasted until the end of dinner. The Vicomte had brought with him a plle of newspapers and magazines, and Diana curled up on the divan with an armful, hungry for news, but, somehow, as she dipped into the batch of papers her interest waned. After four months of complete isolation it was difficult to pick up the threads of current events, allusions were in- comprehensible, and controversies seemed pointl As they sat talking the contrast be- tween the two men was strongly marked, Beside the Frenchman's thin, spare frame and pale face, which gave him an air of delicacy, the Sheik looked Hke a magnificent ani- mal in superb condition, and his quiet repose accentuated the Vicomte's quick, nervous manner. Gaston en- tered and spoke to the Sheik, who turned to Saint Hubert. “Trouble with one of the horses. Will you come? It may interest you. They went out together, leaving her alone, and she slipped away to the inner room, In half an hour they came back, and fora few minutes longer st chatting, then the Vicomte yawned and held out ‘his watch with a laugh. The Sheik went with him to his tent and sat down on the side of hig guest's camp-bed, The Sheik watched him for a while and then took the cigarette out of his mouth with a faint smile, “Eh, bien! Raoul, say it,” he said quietly. Saint Hubert swung round might have spared her,” he cried “What?” What? Good God, man! Me!" The Sheik flicked the ash from his cigarette with a gesture of indiffer- ence. “Your courler was delayed, he only came this morning, It was too late then to make other arrange- ments.” Saint Hubert took a hasty turn up and down the tent and stopped in front of the Sheik with his hands thrust deep in his pockets and his shoulders hunched up about his ears. ‘It is abominable," he burst out. “You go too far, Ahmed.” ‘The Sheik laughed cynically. ‘What do you expect of a savage? When an Arab sees a woman that he wants he takes her, I only follow the cus- toms of my people." Saint Hubert clicked his tongue im- patiently “Your — people! —which people?” he asked in a low vajce. The Sheik sprang to his feet with “You Gazette, the newspaper which the shop people, the mill workers. This had to advertise the bulk fce-cream, and showed the quaintly dashing counter sign which had been given to every druggist or confectioner serving Maple Leaf. Un- der it appeared the words: A Sweetheart Ter ou see this litte sign when Dally reached i" he takes you in for a soda or a sundae, he is the kind of man who always buys a girl the best. These proofs had looked so inter- esting, so promising to her and Wil- lard only yesterday! Dan Mahoney came back from the freezer-room just then and sat down to his desk, a worried frown on his good-natured Trish face. A bit of Ledder’s con- versation came back to Susan. “Here we are,” she thought bitterly. “Production and Advertising, the little brothers of Business . Business is capital. Mr. Willard is out now after capital; and he won't get it- not enough. Ledder knew last night that he couldn't, or he wouldn't have told me what Wiley’s were going to do.” Willard came in at noon looking drawn and worried. He and Mahoney had a long talk in which there was much shaking of heads. Willard dic- tated two letters to the stenographer. “I may be late this afternoon,” he told her, “but I'll be in to sign them. Just leave them on my desk,” And just as Susan came tn from luncheon he was off again T 5 O'CLOCK promptly the bookkeeper and stenographer cleared their desks and left. Donaldson blew in for a breezy moment, then out again to catch the laké car. Dan had an ap- pointment with his wife, and after waiting uneasily for ten minutes scribbled a note which he left on Wil- lard’s desk, and took a hurried de- parture. One of the trucks =a still out; Susan was alone in the red brick building, She knew with an uncanny femi- nine instinct that Willard would come back beaten. And she did not wish him to come back alone to 2 deserted building. And then, suddenly, coming as Mlustrated by Will B. Johnstone flashing eyes, his hand dropping heavily on Saint Hubert's shoulder. “stop, Raoul! Not even from you!’'—— he cried passionately, and then broke off abruptly, and the anger died out of his face. He sat down again quietly with a little amused laugh. Why this sudden access of morality, mon ami? You know me and the life I lead. You have seen women in my camp before now, “You ask me, me to spare a woman because she is English? My good Raoul, you amuse me," replied the Sheik, with an ugly sneer. The Vicomte turned quickly. ‘You love her?" he shot out, with all the suddenness of an American third de- gree. The Sheik exhaled a long, thin cloud of blue smoke and watched {1 eddying towards the top of the tent “Have I ever loved a woman? And this woman ts English,’ he said in « voice as hard as steel, “If you loved her you would not care for her nationality."’ ‘The Sheik spat the end of his cigar- ette on to the floor contemptuously “By Allah! Her cursed sticks in my throat, But for tha He shrugged his shoulders impatiently and got up from the bed on which he was sitting. “Let her go then, said Saint Hu- THE EVENING WORLD, SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1922, “THE PRESIDENT OF THE MAPLE LEAF COMPANY, WHISTLING, IN HIS SHIRT SLEEVES, WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH IT HIMSELF.’ aiaazingly Way out. She sat staring at the faded hya- cinth, her lips parted, her arms crinkling to the yery fingertips with excitement. For a brief instant she forgot Willard entirely in the thrill of it. The idea was so simple'that she wondered she had not thought of it before, wondered that Willard had not thought of it, or Ledder himself. ‘Willard, of course, might not ap- prove. But she would be ready in vase he did. With a nervous glance at her desk clock, she telephoned the as a miracle, she saw a Journal Carlyle, fortunately, was still there. “Is there still time,” she asked eagerly, ''to add a line to our big ad- vertisement?” There was a little pause while Car- lyle called the composing room. Then: “Plenty,’’ he assured her, “if you can get it in first thing in the morn- ing. I suppose you want the same type?" “Just the same,’ Susan assured bert quickly. to Biskra.’* The Sheik turned to him slowly, a siidden flame of fierce jealousy leap- ing into his eyes. ‘Has she be- witched you, too? Do you want her for yourself, Raoul?'’ His voice was ae low as ever, but there was a dan- serous ring in it. Saint Hubert flung his hands out “I can take her back ‘n @ gesture of despair “‘Abmed! Are you mad?" “Forgive me, Raoul. You know my devilish temper,” muttered the Sheik, and for a moment his hand rested on Saint Hubert's arm. The Vicome shrugged his shoulders, and, going to his suitcase, took from it an English illustrated paper, and opening it at the central page handed it to the @heik silently. Ahmed Ben Hassan moved closer to the hanging lamp so that the light fell directly on the paper in his hands. There were two large full-length pho- tographs of Diana, one in evening dress and the other as the Vicomte had first seen her, in riding breeches and short jacket, her hat and whip lying at her feet, and the bridle of the horse that was standing beside her over her arm Under the photographs was writ- 5 him. ‘And if we Want to mun it, I'll have it ready before eight-thirty to- morrow.’ Then she called the other two news- paper offices. She had just hung up the receiver after having received the third's assurance, when Willard came in. One glance at his face was enough to tell her the truth. ‘Well, I'm licked,"’ he said grimly “IT can get a few thousand—not enough to be a drop in the bucket for a long fight. There's no use going to Uncle Miles—that was our agree- ment: I wasn't to ask for an extra penny; and he's a man who sticks by agreements to the letter.”’ He picked up the notes Mahoney had left on his desk, studied them for a few moments. “We can meet the first cut,’’ he said “and that's all.” He sat down at his desk, staring dully before him. He glanced up sharply as Susan spoke. “I've thought of something,'’ she said. “If there isn't any other way out, it’ might be worth trying.” “What is it?” ten: “Miss Diana Mayo, whose pro- tracted journey in the desert is caus- ing anxiety to a large circle of friends. Miss Mayo left Biskra under the guidante of a reputable caravan leader four months ago, with the in- tention of journeying for four weeks in the desert and returning to Oran. Since the first camp nothing has been heard of Miss Mayo or her ceravan.” For a long time the Sheik studied the photographs silently, then with slow deliberation he tore the page out of the paper and rolled {t up. “Unquestionably. Henri reads all my papers,” replied Saint Hubert, with a touch of impatience. “Then Henri ean hold his tongu said the Sheik nonchalantly, search- ing in the folds of his waist-cloth for his case and lighting another cigar- ette with elaborate carelessness, “What are you going to do?” asked int Hubert pointedly. 2 Nothing! The French author- ties have too many affairs on hand and too high an appreciation of Ahmed Ben Hassan’s horses to prose- cute Inquiries in my direction. Be- sides, they are not responsible. Mademoiselle Mayo was warned of the risks she ran before she left si Biskra. She chose to take the risks, et voila!" “Will nothing ‘make you change “It's just this: don’t let's try to meet Wiley’s price-war at all. Don't let's cut’ Maple Leaf even once. Al! the response we've had so far has been to just one type of advertising— the quality angle. If that advertising has been done well enough, if the women have ibeen really convinced that Maple Leaf is the best ice cream made, the kind of women who would buy it aren't going to be stopped by a difference of twenty cents a gallon, wholesale,” : “But the dealers’—— Willard be- gan dubiously “The dealers will carry any ice cream there is a big:enough demand for. We can't beat Wiley's game anyhow, playing it the same way- let's try playing it just the opposite ‘We are lucky enough to know ahead what they're going todo. This first price-cut takes place the very day Maple Leaf comes out—let’s make a challenge of it. See, this is what | mean.” She passed across the three adver tisements. Across the bottom of the first she had written in large, bold letters a proud, almost insolent de- fiance: “More Expensive Than Ordinary Cream Naturally. For several instants Willard blinked n surprise at the haughty challenge “There's nothing,” Susan said eagerly, ‘nothing that makes a woman so sure she's getting quality, as to have to pay for it.”” Willard nodded. “It makes cheaper creams seem ‘or- dinary’,” Susan went on breathlessly “rt will make Maple Leaf seem ex clusive—exclusive, and yet not so very much more expensive. Oh, that combination gets a woman every time —to be exclusive at a price she can + afford. “Td put it differently in the dif ferent advertisements, of course. Un der the ‘Sweetheart Test,’ I'd say: ‘A man who always buys a girl the best -and doesn’t care what it costs.’ But in one way or another we'd play up the price everywhere—make it a talk ing point instead of something to bw hidden and explained away. Ol: don't you believe it might work Susan Alice's eyes were starry wil eagerness; she leaned across her dest toward Willard. Don't let's try tv sneak under Wiley’s; let's stand rig)! up to the guns. Let Wiley cut!” Willard stood up, his own eyer “Susan Alice,"’ he said with a so emnity which made the profanity bot a prayer and a promise. “I'll gambt Maple Leaf on the feminine slan( Let Wiley cut!"” S a matter of fact, the Wiley Ice Cream Company limite! its fight to one tut. Durin= the month this was in force the new competitor lost two orders |: five it gained. After the thirty da Wiley’s went back to its originu price, a tangible, definite retreat Maple Leaf promptly raised its pr ‘They had begun using the slogan e More Expensive Cream." “And we've got to live up to o boast,” Willard told Susan, “even | it does burden us with outrageo) profits."* at a luncheon of the Adve tising Club in July, after a Fourt whose sheer volume of business all but swamped the new compan that Susan saw Ledder again. “Well, I see you people have put across after all,"’ he said genially Susan smiled her friendliest smile “After all,” she said, “there's room in a city this size for both of us, isn't there?" “It looks,"” said the great Frede ick Ledder, ‘‘as though from now «1 there might have to be.” And as they were finishing thei: dessert: “Well, if you should ever change your mind about staying with Wil! ard,'’ Ledder observed, “come and se+ me. The Wiley offer holds good," “Thank you, but there isn't « chance. I've already agreed to a pe: manent connection with—the Map! Leaf," said Susan Alice—both of hr Copyright—AN rights reserved arrangement with Metropolitan Printed by ‘ewspaper Service, New York. your mind?” “I am not given to changing my You know that. And, be why should I? As I told you before, she is content.” Saint Hubert looked him the face, “Content! Cowed better word, Ahmed.” The Sheik laughed softly. flatter me, Raoul. Do not let us speak any more about it. It ts an unfortunate contretemps, and I regret that it distresses you,” he said light- ly; then with a sudden change of manner he laid his hands on the Vis comte's shoulders, “But this can mak» no difference to our friendship, mon ami! that is too big a thing to brea down over a difference of opinion You are a French nobleman, an: Ii"——— He gave a little bitter laugh “I am an uncivilized Arab, We can not see things in the ame way, “You could, but you will not Ahmed," replied the Viscomte, wit! an accent of regret. “It is not worthy of you." He’ paused and then looked up again with a little crooked smile and a shrug of defeat. “Noth ing can ever make any difference with us, Ahmed. I can disagree witli you, but I can't wipe out the recol- lection of the last twenty years,” (Contidued Monday.) full is the "You