The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-03-27

VHlkLF " NtpEtA4A q 3tAlt ~ ~ ~ 80
sonloIsse1f Win 3oys on paintings
inSheaTy Fit ffauleS. 6f sfety. period
and school .Rsmht aldta; cpyps5 Ruys-
daeis. Reyncld corptss Henners,
some ION eassls. some resting on the
aoor;a .hapdsone French htonZes.
dainty china on Japanese tearWopd
tables, antique furniture. gold en-
broidered clerical yestmepts hand
painted screens - tIys. oriental rugs,
rare ceramics all 4 were eolfusedly
Iumbled together: ON q grand piano
ina corner % the room stood two tall
clolsonne vases yof almost inestlmable
value. on.a desk close by were piled.
miniatures and rare iyories. The
walls were covered with tapestries,
9rmor, and trophies OF arm. More
Ike a museum than 4 sitting room. 1t
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-
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 likelyto disturb him. Ferris.
his man servant. had taken his usual
Sunday on and would not return until
midnight, The apartment was still as
the grave. i was so high, above the
street that not sound reached up
from the noisy broadway below I'm
derwood liked the quiet so that ne
could think, and he was thinking hard'
On the fat desk at his elbow STOOD q
dainty demi-tasse 81 black cofee-7an-
tasted. There were glasses and de'
canters of whisky and cordial. out
the stimulants did not tempt MIN.
He wondered IL Alicia would ignore
bis letter or II she would come to
him. Surely she could not be 50 heart
less as TO throw him oyer at such q
moment. Crushed in his left hand
was a copy ofthep New York Herald
containing an elaborate account Of the
brilliant reception and musicale given
the previous evening at her home.
With an explanations Of impotence 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?
lie 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
jact, he experienced a sudden shock
Is be recalled the things that were
missing. How could be explain their
absence? The art dealers we're 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 ip full. he was
In the position tq do neither, Inc
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 io1e to whom ne
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
irlendship and patronage Of the aris-
toCratic Mrs. Howard Jefries ne
could still hold his head high in the
world. No one would dare question
bis 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 fght-suiclde was
the only way out!
He stopped Iq front OF a mirror,
startled at what he saw there. IT
was the face Of a man not yet 80, but
apparently much older. The features
we're drawn and haggardi and his dark
hair was plentifully streaked with
gray. lie. 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 a madhouse' He
wondered IL men looked like that when
49,, r,-ara about IN no aYaeiIted Was