Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-02-12
Bv BOOTH TARKINGTON,


favored bars, reached by devious ways.
where quavering voices offered song
and were harshly checked. And through
the burdened air Of this Canaan wan
dered heavy smells Of musk like that
upon Happy Fears wife. who must
now be so pale beneath her rouge And
above all this and for all this and be-
cause of all this was that one resort to
which Joe now made his way-that
haven whose lights burn all night long.
whose doors are never closed, but are
open from dawn until dawn-the Jail.
There in that desolate refuge lay
Happy Fear, surrendered sturdily by
himself ut Joes word The picture OF
the little man was clear and fresh in
Ariels eyes, and, though she had seen
him when he was newly come from
thing so terrible that she could not re-
alize it as fact, she felt only an over
whelming pity for him. She was not
even horror stricken, though she had
shuddered. The pathos Of the shabby
little figure crossing the street toward
the lighted doors had touched her.
Something about him had appealed to
her, for he had not seemed wicked. His
face was not cruel, though 1t was des-
perate. Perhaps 1t was partly his very
desperation which had moved her. She
had understood Joe when he told her
that this man was his friend and COM
pretended his great fear when he said:
T've got to clear him! promised
him."
Over and over Joe had reiterated:
give got to save him! I've got to-!
She had answered gently, Eyes, Joe"
hurrying to keep up with him. Hes
q good man." he said. Give known
few better, given his chances. And
none Of this would have happened ex-
cept for his old time friendship for
me. 1t was his loyalty-oh, the rarest
and absurdest loyalty!-tha made the
first trouble between him and the
man he shot. I've got to clear him."
Twill 1t be hard?'
''rhey may make it so. can only
see part of it surely. When his wife
left the office she met Cory on the
street. You saw what pitiful kind
of fool she was. irresponsible and help
less and feather Drained. There are
thousands Of women like that every
where-some of them are court beau
ties,' dare say-and they always mix
things up, but they are most danger
Gus when they're like Claudine. be-
cause then they live among men OF
action like Cory and Fear. Cory was
artful. He spent the day about town
telling people that he had always hk-
ed Happy; that his i'll feeling of yes
terday was all gone. He wanted to
find him and shake his hand, bury past
troubles and be friends. l think he
told Claudine the same thing when
they met and convinced the tiny brain
let Of his sincerity. Cory was man
who had a way with him. and l can
see Claudine fattered at the idea of
being peacemaker between two such
nice gentlemen as Mr.. Cory and Mr..
Fear Her commonest asseverat ton
quite genuine. tools that she doesn't
like to have the gentlemen making
trouble about her. So the poor i'm
beetle led him to where her husband
was waiting. All that Happy knew Of
this was In her cry afterward. He
was sitting alone, when Cory threw
open the door and said, I've got you
this time, Happy! His pistol was
raised, but never fred. He waited too
long, meaning to establish his case Of
self Defense and Fear is the quick
est man l know Cory fell just inside
the door. Claudine stumbled upon
him as she came running after him,
crying out to her husband that she
never meant no trouble;' that Cory
had sworn to her that he only wanted
to shake hands and make up Other
people heard the shot and broke into
the room, but they did not try to stop
Fear. He warned them of and walk
ed out without hindrance and came
to me. I've got to clear him."
Ariel knew what he meant. She real
lied the actual thing as it was and.
though possessed by strange feeling
that 1t must all be medieval and not
possibly Of today, understood that he
would have to fight to keep his friend
from being killed; that the unhappy
creature who had run into the Office
out of the dark stood in high danger OF
having his neck broken unless Joe
could help him. He made it clear to
her that the state would kill Happy It
it could; that it would be point OF
pride with certain deliberate men hold
ing office to take the life of the little
man; that if they did secure his death
it would be set down to their efficiency
and was even competent as campaign
material. II wish to point out" Joe
had heard q candidate for reelection
vehemently crate, "that in addition to
the other successful convictions have
named l and my assistants have
achieved the sending of three men to
tho oollo1vs during NV term of officer