Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1912-02-09

ND. idle society girl who had no
thought for anything save money,
dress and show. Perhaps If he had
been less honorable and not married
her, his father would have thought
more highly of him. If he'd ruined
the girl. no doubt he would have been
welcomed home with open arms.
Pshaw! He might be a poor, weak
fool, but thank God, they couldn't re-
proach him with that. Annie had been
loyal to him throughout He'd stick
to her through thick and thin.
As the train swept round the curve
at Fifty-third street and started on its
long, straight run up the West side,
his mind reverted to Robert Under
wood. He had seen his old associate
only once since leaving college. He
ran across him one day on Fifth ave-
nue.. Underwood was coming out II
a curio shop. He explained hurriedly
that he had left Yale, and when asked
about his future plans talked vaguely
of going in for art His matter was
frigid and nervous-the attitude of
the man who fears he may be ap-
preached for a small loan. He was
evidently we'll aware Of the change in
his old associates fortunes, and hav-
ing squeezed all he could out of him,
had no further use for him. 1t was
only when he had disappeared that
Howard suddenly remembered loan
of $3.50 which Underwood had never
repaid. Some time later Howard
learned that he occupied apartments
at the exclusive and expensive AS
truria, where he was living in great
style. He went there determined to
see him and demand his money, but
the card always came back mot at
home"
Underwood had always been a mys-
terry to Howard He knew him to be
an inveterate gambler and a man en-
tirely without principle. No one knew
who his family were or where he
came from His source of income,
too, was always a puzzle. At college
he was always hard up. borrowing
right and left and forgetting to pay,
yet he always succeeded in living on
the fat of the land His apartments
in the Astruria cost a small fortune;
he dressed WELL drove smart turn
out and entertained lavishly. He was
not identified with any particular bust,
ness or profession. On leaving col.
lege he became interested in art. He
frequented the important art sales
and soon got his name in the news
papers as an authority on art matters
His apartment was literally museum
of European and oriental art. On all
sides were paintings by old masters
beautiful rugs, priceless tapestries
rare ceramics, enamels. statuary
antique furniture, bronzes, etc. He
passed for a man OF wealth, and moth
; ers with marriageable daughters, con
, sidering him an eligible young bach
elor, hastened to invite him to thei
:. homes, none of them conscious of tn
, danger of letting the wolf slip into tn
, lambs fold.
What a strange power of fascina
i ton, mused Howard as the trail
logged along, men Of Underwood
bold and reckless type WELD, espe
q cially over women. Their very DARN
and unscrupulousness seems to rende
them more attractive. He himself q
college had fallen entirely under tn
. mans spell. There was no doubt tina
!, he was responsible for all his trol
=. bles Underwood possessed the III
= canny gift of being able to bend pet
. ple to his will. What q fool h
= had made of him at the university
!, He had been his evil genius, ther
was no question Of that. But fC
! meeting Underwood he might have a.
\ piled himself to serious study, left tn
II university with honors and be now
= respectable member Of the communit
He remembered with smile that
;, was through Underwood that he ha
- met his wife. Some of the fellow
hinted that Underwood had know
. her more intimately than he had pr
- tended and had only passed her on
him because he was tired Of her. +
had nailed that as lie. Annie,
y, could swear, was as good girl {
ever breathed.
"A He couldn't explain Underwood
10 influence over him. He had done vii
a. him what he chose. He wondered wi
h he had not tried to resist. The trut
40 was Underwood exercised strang
a subtle power over him. He had Il
Iv power to make him do everything
Iv wanted him to do, no matter how foo
~ ish or unreasonable the request. Eve
yn one at college used to talk about
One night Underwood invited all h
\ classmates to his rooms and made hi
ut cut up all kinds of capers. He at fir
No refused, point blank-but Underwo'
Ie got up and, standing directly in fro
or of him, gazed steadily into his eye
Acotr 10 on,, ondad him m dn the