Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1912-03-08

the fourteenth floor, Robert Under. !
wood sat before the fire putting ner-
vously at strong cigar. All around
him was litter of objets dart, such
as would have filled the heart of any
connoisseur with joy. Oil paintings
in heavy gilt frames, of every period
and school, Rembrandts, Cuyps, Ruys-
daels, Reynoldses. Corots, Henners.
some on easels, some resting on the
floor; handsome French bronzes,
dainty china on Japanese lockwood
tables, antique furniture. gold en-
broidered clerical vestments, hand
painted screens, costly oriental rugs,
rare ceramics-all were confusedly
jumbled together. On grand piano
in a corner of the room stood two tall
cloisonne, vases of almost inestimable
value. On a desk close by were piled
miniatures and rare worries. The
walls were covered with tapestries,
armor, and trophies of arms. More
like museum than sitting room, 1t
was the home of man who made a
business of art or made of art busi
ness.
Underwood stared moodily at the
glowing logs In the open chimney
place. His face was pale and de-
termined. 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 sound reached up
from the noisy Broadway below. Un-
derwood liked the quiet so that he
could think, and he was thinking hard.
On the fat desk at his elbow stood
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
moment. Crushed in his left hand
was 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?
Had he reached the end of his rope?
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
him. This was the last straw. While
he was still able to boast of the
friendship and patronage Of the aris-
tocratic Mrs. Howard Jeffries he