The Southern herald., 1914-07-03
CHAPTER v.
The Forfeit Of the Bond.


The telephone in Enoch Wentworth's
room rang insistently. He had gone
to bed three hours before, and he
struggled to shake off sheer, stupid
drowsiness. He rushed to the tele-
phone. Its ring had become per-
emptory.
"Hullo," he called briskly.
"Hullo, old chap" Merry answered
him gaily. "The top o. the morning to
you"
Good morning." Wentworth's alert
ness died in a second. Something
flashed back to his mind, something
unpleasant, and an ugly frown CORFU
gated his brow.
"Grouchy this morning" cried
Merry with a laugh. "Or say, did
wake you from your beauty sleep?"
"You certainly did"
"Old man, I'm sorry, blamed sorry.
Some day I'll show you I'm grateful.
couldn't sleep last night, lay think
ing of something can do for you
when my production begins to pay.
I'm going to drag you away from the
everlasting grind. Well go to Switzer-
land next summer and carry out your
dream. Well sit on mountain tops,
crane our necks over the edge of a
crevasse, and skid down a glacier"
I'D rather go back to bed" growled
Wentworth.
"You lazy old duffer, you may go in
second, only l want to talk to you
about the lucklest sort Of accident
Last night ran across a fellow who's
rolling in money. He's crazy to get in
on theatrical venture. We can catch
him, know. l want you to have a
big share, to manage the thing and
make all you can out Of it."
"Did you tell him it was-your
play?" Enoch's tone was brusQue.
mo, thought I'd break that gently.
He thinks now I'm devil Of an actor;
he might imagine couldn't have SO
much versatility; that my play might
be of the brand some actors turn out"
Good" cried Enoch, warmly. "You
have more sense than ], gave you credit
for"
Really Now, old pal, go back to
bed. But tell me first when l can see
you. l want long talk with you"
Make it four, I've a pile of work
to do before that time"
"All right, four o'clock. Good-by."
Wentworth hung up the receiver and
passed a hand across his forehead; It
was cold and damp. He did not re-
turn to bed, but dressed hurriedly,
pausing once or twice to stare at him.
self In the mirror His face looked un.
familiar. It seemed to have aged.
There were lines about the clean
shaven mouth he had never noticed
before.
At four o'clock Enoch sat in his
library. He was so absorbed that he
did not hear step In the hall. When
he lifted his eyes Merry stood before
him. Wentworth stared for a second
before he took the outstretched hand.
Merry had changed. He looked
young, handsome and vivacious-he
was better groomed. A few stems of
Roman hyacinths sat jauntily in his
buttonhole. His trimness seemed odd
in contrast to the old whimsical care
lessness, as II he had already achieved
fame and was living up to It, dressing
up to It. These were the thoughts
that flashed through Wentworth's mind
while Merry took his hands affection
ately between his own. Andrew was
only a few years younger than Enoch,
but occasionally he fell into fond, dem
ways which were boyish.
Wentworth drew his hand away sud
denly and pointed to the low chair op-
poslte. His friend sat down half per-
picked. half anxious.
"Say, old man, aren't you well? You
look groggy."
'T'm wen enough"
you're working too hard, you al
ways didl"
wentworth did not answer, His eyes