Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1912-03-07

y
dress and show. Perhaps If he had
been less honorable and not married
her. his father would have thought
more highly of him. II he'd ruined
the girl. no doubt he would have been
welcomed home with open arms.
Fshaw! He might be 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 it's
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 of
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 well 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
txrlo 1at
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 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 manageable daughters. con-
sidering him an eligible young bach
elor, FASTENED to invite him to their
homes, none of them conscious of the
danger of letting the wolf slip into the
lambs fold.
What a strange power of fascina-
ton, unused Howard as the train
logged along, men of Underwood 8
bold and reckless type WELD, espe-
cially over women. Their very daring
and unscrupulousness seems to render
| them more attractive. He himself at
| college had fallen entirely under the
mans SPELL There was no doubt that
he was responsible for all his trou-
| OlCos OhoCi WOOo POooCooOQ thC uA-
| canny gift of being able to bend peo-
pie to his will. What fool he
| had made of him at the university I!
| He had been his evil genius, there
| was no question of that. But for
meeting Underwood he might have ap-
| piled himself to serious study, left the
university with honors and be now q
respectable member of the community
He remembered with smile that II
was through Underwood that he had
met his wife. Some of the fellows
limited that Underwood had known
her more intimately than he had pre-.
tended and had only passed her on to
him because he was tired of her. He
had nailed that as lie. Annie, he
| could swear, was as good a girl as
ever breathed.
He couldn't explain Underwood
influence over him. He had done with
him what he chose. He wondered why
he had not tried to resist. The truth
was Underwood exercised a strange
| subtle power over him. He had the
power to make him do everything he
wanted him to do. no matter how fool
ish or unreasonable the request. Every
one at college used to talk about it
One night Underwood invited all his
classmates to his rooms and made him
cut up all kinds of capers. He at frs
i refused, point blank-but Underwood
got up and, standing directly in from
of him, gazed steadily into his eyes
Again he commanded him to do these
ridiculous. degrading things. Howard