The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-05-23

Ccopyrisht BY W. G. chapman)

NNopyI1knt oJ VIZ. Nuapiu0O
Valley a sharp watch had been set
for the arrival Of the devilchair and
its devllish occupant. He was deter
mined now to brazen out the affair.
Once the confederates had put Haynes
away; they could do it again. He
slipped a pistol into his pocket and
called his stenographer.
Miss Haynesl" he shouted.
She came in Immediately; a pretty,
fair-haired girl, carrying a sheaf Of pa.
pers.
Never mind that, Eleanor" he said,
leerng at her. "Sit down. l want to
talk to you, my dear"
She shot a swift glance at him; she
saw hat he had been drinking again.
On such occasions her fear OF him
would almost overmaster her. She
would have left him long ago-but she
was his ward. She was penniless, help
less, ignorant of the world of business
outside the Grand Valley. Jack Poole
had meant to keep her so.
Come here, my dear" said Poole,
stretching out his arms toward her.
DO you know you are growing into a
deyilishly pretty girl?"
please. Mr.. Poole!" she said i'm
ploringly,
please nothing!" he retorted. See
here, you imp, haven't you any graft
tude in your makeup? Didn't l drag
you out of the gutter and adopt you,
put you to school, and take you into
my office when you left last year? And
when you refused to live in my house
and went to that cheap boarding place
l stood for it, L"
81 left your house, Mr.. Poole, when
your wife left you" she answered with
dignity. 81 could not have stayed IN
der the circumstances; you must know
that" .
well, suppose you did have to o n
ciliate these narrow people in Grand
Valley" he grumbled, sis that any rea-
son why you should refuse to act as
my ward? Amt you the same as a
daughter to me? And haven't you re-
fused to be seen with me in public,
or to have dinner with me-yes, even
at a restaurant"
please, Mr.. Poole"
please, Ms. Poolel" he mimicked.
I'm mighty tired Of this ingratitude,
you" He checked himself upon the
mounting of a vile epithet. 1.-THE
devil! What d'you suppose I've fed
you and clothed you and educated you
| for all these years? Amt you going
to show any sense? Now see here"
he said, rising and staggering toward
her, I'm going to end this nonsense.
You're going to have dinner with me
in a private room at Boards next
Friday evening, at seven, and after
ward-well, I'll tell you what when
we meet there. And If you defy me,
you can look for another job. And let
me tell you this, you won't get one in
Grand Valley. And l suppose you
haven't saved up too much money on
that five dollars a week." he
sneered.
"Now you think it over" he grum-
bled. you needn't show yourself here
again at all. If you act sensible and
meet me at Boards, you'll come back
to my house and live in luxury; if you
don't you'd better get out of town.
And theren be a new s~tenographer in
your place tomorrow"
She had risen, pale and terrified
she moved toward the door. Poole
would have detained her. but into his
d~rink-soaked brain there stole the
shadow of his fears, those fears which
he had forgotten in the excitement Of
his chase. He grunted and turned back
to his desk.
Finally, with a groan, he tore the
kilograms into small pieces and burned
them in his ash-tray. He called across
the partition:
Miss Mills, see that no more news
papers are put on my desk until / tel
you. I'm tired of them-I don't want
to see any more. I'm sick of this devil
chair business" he muttered drunken
ly, as he put on his hat and staggered
into the hall.
He did not notice the crippled mar
who slowly thumped his way, OF
crutches, along the street behind him
II he had done so he would not have
remembered him. But, though the
cripple saw him, he had no concern
with him just then; he was striving
desperately to keep in sight that little
figure that moved dejectedly along
Main street.
How long d'you want a room for?'
asked Mrs. Thompson, of No. 81 Crane
avenue. looking suspiciously upon the
cripple at the door. He was not over
well attired, he had no baggage, anC
under his long overcoat was a bulgtne
package shaped like an enormous
wheel.
"Just for two or three days." sait
the cripple apologetically. I'm a work
ing man." he added. seeing her glance
at the instrument which he was carry
ing, "a wheelwright. I'm on a job il
town and l got separated from my suit
case. But can pay you in advance,
he said, "and l won't want to sit a
your table unless you'd like me-"
"Ltll be four dollars for the week.
rent" snapped Mrs. Thompson. 4"
only rent by the week, and if you sta!
part of a week that counts as a whole
one. And my tables full" She re
ceived a proffered five dollar bill. CAV,
him his change, and conducted him VI
the stairs. a shade more g~raciously
you can have the large room on tn
second" she said ."No, not that me
fers a musical comedy to Tristan ant
Isolde" owns a library edition" o
Guy de Maupassant, bought from