The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-01-24

i.i-ioiulCS anu rare worries. nc
walls were covered with tapestries,
armor, and trophies OF arms. More
like museum than a sitting room, 1t
| was the home OF u man who made
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-
| ttrnined. After coming in from the
restaurant he had changed his tux
| edo Tor 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 oil 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. I'm
| derwood liked the quiet so that he
could think and he was thinking hard.
| On the fiat 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 II 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 bis seat. threw the paper
from him. and began to pace the floor.
Was this the end of everything?
Had he reached the end or his roper
He must pay the reckoning, II not to-
day, tomorrow AS his eyes wan
dered around the room and he took
mental inventory of each costly OBJ
ject, he experienced sudden shock
as he recalled the things that were
mis- sing. How could he explain their
absence? The art dealers were al
ready suspicious. They were not to
be put of 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
could still hold his head high in the
world. No one would dare question
his integrity. but now she had aban.
doned HIN 70 h's fctc. people woul1 be.
gin 20 talk. There was 40 use keep
Ing up o hopeless fght--sulclde was
/ the only way out!
lie stopped in front of mirror,
| startled ~ What he saw there. IL
was the face of man not yet 30, but
apparently much older. The features
were drawn and haggard, and his dark
hair was plentifully streaked with
gray. He looked like a man who had
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 madhouse. He
wondered II men looked like that when
they we're about to be executed Was
not his own hour close at hand? He
wondered why the clock was so noisy
| II 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
n loaded revolver
II Alicia would only relent escape
might yet be possible. II he did not
hear from her II must be for tonight
One slight little pressure on the t.ic-
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
jumped forward. startled. His nerves
we're so unstrung that he was ever
apprehensive of danger. With a trem.
ulous hand, he took hold of the re-
I ceiver and placed II to his ear. As he
listened. his already pallid face turned
whittier and the lines about his mouth
tightened. He hesitated moment be.
Tore replying. Then. with an effort,
I he said
: Send him up"
Dropping the receiver, he began to
walk nervously up and down the
room. The crisis had come sooner than
he eXpected-exposure was at hand