Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-09-29

Eousiy al strong cigar All aroma
aim was litter Of objets Dart snsA
As would have filed the heart Of an,
eonholsseur with Joy Oil painting:
III neaFy gilt frames, OF every periof
anu school Rembrandts, Cuyps. Ruys
oaeis, Reynoldses, Corots Henners
some on easels, some resting on the
moor handsome French bronzes
uainty china on Japanese teakwooc
taoles' antique furniture, gold EN-
Oroldered clerical vestments. hand
painted screens, costly oriental rugs
rare ceramics-all were confusedly
Iuinoled together On a grand piano
IN corner of the room stood two tall
clolsonne vases of almost inestimable
value. On desk close by were piled
miniatures and rare worries. The
walls were covered with tapestries
armor, and trophies of arms. More
IKE museum than sitting room. II
was the home of a man who made a
business OF art or made of art a bust
ness.
underwood stared moodily at the
glowing logs in the open chimney.
place His face was pale and de.
termlned. After coming in from the
restaurant he had changed his tux.
edo for the more comfortable house
coat. Nothing called him away that
particular Sunday evening, and no
one was likely to disturb him. Ferris,
his man servant, had taken his usual
Sunday off and would not return until
midnight. The apartment was still as
the grave. 1t was so high above the
street that not a sound reached ND
from the noisy Broadway below. I'm
derWood liked the quiet so that he
could think and he was thinking hard.
On the fiat desk at his elbow stood a
dainty demi-tasse of black coffee-un-
tasted There were glasses and de-
canters of whisky and cordial, but
the stimulants did not tempt him.
He wondered if Alicia would ignore
his letter or if she would come to
him. Surely she could not be so heart
less as to throw him over at such a
moment. Crushed in his left hand
was a copy of the New York Herald
containing an elaborate account of the
brilliant reception and musicale given
the previous evening at her home
With an exclamation of impatience he
rose from his seat, threw the paper
from him. and began to pace the floor
Was this the end of everything?
He must pay the reckoning, if not to.
day, tomorrow. AS his eyes wan
dered around the room and he took
mental inventory of each costly OBJ
ject, he experienced a sudden shock
as he recalled the things that were
missing How could he explain their
absence? The art dealers were al
ready suspicious. They were not to
be put off any longer with excuses.
Any moment they might insist either
on the immediate return of their prop
erty or on payment in full, He was
in the position to do neither. The
articles had been sold and the money
lost gambling. Curse the luck! Every
thing had gone against him of late.
The dealers would begin criminal pro-
ceedings, disgrace and prison stripes
would follow. There was no way out
of 1t. He had no one to whom he
could turn in this crisis.
And now even Alicia had deserted
10 10
he was still able to boast of the
and patronage of the aris-
tocratic Mrs. Howard Jeffries he
could still hold his head high in the
world. No one would dare question
his integrity, but now she had aban-
doned him to his fate, people would be-
gin to talk There was no use keep
ing up a hopeless fight-suicide was
the only way out!
He stopped in front of a mirror,
startled at what he saw there. 1t
was the face of a man not yet 80, but
apparently much older. The features
were drawn and haggard, and his dark
hair was plentifully streaked with
gray. lie IOOhCu Inc q ihaA WHO Htu
lived two lives in one. Tonight his
face frightened him. His eyes had a
fixed stare like those of a man he
had once seen in a madhouse. He
wondered If men looked like that when
they were about to be executed. Was
not his own hour close at hand? He
wondered why the clock was so noisy;
1t seemed to him that the ticks were
louder than usual He started sud-
denly and looked around fearfully. He
thought he had heard a sound outside.
He shuddered as he glared toward the
little drawer on the right-hand side Of
his desk, in which he knew there was
a loaded revolver.
II Alicia would only reient escape
might yet be possible. If he did not
hear from her it must be for tonight.
One slight little pressure on the trig-
ger and all would be over.
Suddenly the bell of the telephone
connecting the apartment with the
main hall downstairs rang violently
Interrupted thus abruptly in the
midst of his reflections, Underwood
.,,,,,,od forward StartIed His nerves