Evening times-Republican., 1914-02-21

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& HALLI IRr1INII RIVTS sss: Sc s;<aas)
ILLUSTRATED 81 LAUREN STOUT
CHAPTER u.
Vanity valiant.

CHAPTER u.
Vanity Valiant.
Tho witness 10 excused"
In the ripple that stirred across thl
court room at the Examiners abrup
conclusion, John Valiant, who haa
withstood that pitiless hail Of quea
tions, rose, bowed to him and slowl,
crossed the cleared space to his coun
sci. The chairman looked severel!
over his eyeglasses. with his gave
lifted, and Q statuesque girl. In tn,
rear of the room, laid her delicatol,
gloved hand on q companion's AMI
smiled slowly without Withdrawing hel
gaze, and with the faintest tint Of col
or In her face.
Katharine Fargo neither smiled mol
flushed readily. Her smile was au In
dex Of her whole personality. languid
symmetrical exQuisitely perfect. TIT
little group With whom she sat LOOKED
somewhat out Of place In that m1xet
assemblage. Smartly sroomed and
palpsbly members Of Q set to whom
John Valiant was . familiar, they had
had only friendly mods and smiles FOL
the young man 1T whom 80 many thsrs
had gazed with 1aundicsd eyes.
To tho general public which read ii
daily Newspaper perhaps mono Of the
gilded set was better known than
Vanity Valiant" The new Panhard
he drove was the smartest car on the
avenue, and the collar On the white
bulldog that pranced or dozed On lit
leather seat sported diamond buckle
To tho spacewriters Of the social col,
umns, he had been . perennial inspira,
ton. The patterns Of his waistcoats.
and tho splendors Of his latest bache
lors' dinner at Sherry's-with such
items the public had been kept SUN.
ciently familiar To It. he stood Per
feet symbol Of the elder ease and in.
solent display Of inherited wealth.
And the great majority Of those who
had found place in that roony cham,
Der to listen to the ugly tale Of squan-
dered millions, looked to him with
resentment that was sharpened by bis
apparent nonchalance.
Long before the closing session 1t
had been clear that, as far as indict-
ment3 were concerned. the investiga-
ton would be barren of result. OF
individual criminality. tight and sui
eide had been confession, but more
sweeping charges could not be brought
home. The gilded fool had not brought
himself into the embarrassing purview
Of the law.
.
The jostling crowd hocked out into
the square, among them . fresh-faced
girl on the arm Of . gray-bearded man
in black frock coat and picturesque
broad-brtmmed felt hat. She turned
her eyes to his.
so that" she said, rs John Valiant!
I'd almost rather have missed Niagara
Falls. must write Shirley Dandridge
about it. I'm 30 sorry lost that
picture Of him that cut out Of tho
paper"
Il reckon he's not such bad lot"
said her uncle. He hailed a cab.
Grand Central Station he directed.
with q glance at his watch. "and be
quick about 1t. We've just time to
make our train"
.
Some hours later. in an inner ONCE
of q downtown sky-scraper. the newly
appointed receiver of the Valiant Cor
poration. . heavy, thick-set man with
narrow eyes. sat beside . table on
which lay . small black satchel with
q paddock on its handle. whose con-
tents-several bundles Of crisp papers
he had been turning over in his
heavy hands with q look Of incredu-
lous amaxement. A sheet containing
q mass Of figures and memoranda lay
among them.
The shock was still on his face when
. knock came 1t the door, and q man
entered. The newcomer was gray.
haired. slightly stopped and lean.
jowled. with humorous expression on
his lips. He glanced In surprise at
the Uttered table.
Fargo" said the man at the desk.
do you notice anything queer about
me-"
His friend grinned. "No, Buck" he
said judicially, unless it's that neck.
tie. 1t would stop a Dutch clock"
Hang the haberdashery! Read this
from young Valiant" He passed
over . letter.
Fargo read. He looked up. "Secun
ties aggregating three millions!" he
said in hushed voice.. why. unless
I've been misinformed, that represents
practically all his private fortune"
The other nodded. Turned over te
the corporation with his resignation az
. vice-president, and without blessed
string tied to 'em! What do you thinl
Of that?"
Think! It's the most absurd,
idiotic thing I ever met. Two weel
ago. before the Investigation
but now. when it's perfectly certain
they can bring nothing homo to him
He paused. "of course l suppose It'll
save the corporation, eh? But It ma,
be ten years before it, securities pa,
dividends. And this IL real money
Where tho devil does he come T.
meanwhile?"
The receiver pursed his lips. g.
knew his father" he said. HE hat
the same crasy .Quixotic streak"
He gathered the scattered docu