Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-03
By LOUIS TRACY

God help me! l don't even know
what ! shall say when he comes"
John realized vaguely that love,
making or consolation was not to be
thought OF just then, He felt, too
that Mary must be left to work Out
her own salvation, and there was a
grim satisfaction in the notion thai
while the girl was batting toSprotect
all that woman holds most sacred
he would assist her materially by
smashing Evan Parker's face to =
pulp
The two stricken people were made
aware by hilarious sounds beneath
that the Irrepressibles had returned
Unexpectedly Somehow, the boys
harmless mirth grated at that in
slant, and John went out, lodging
into his own room until he could be
certain that his friends would not see
him crossing the landing. Then he
crept downstairs, meaning to seek
Parker in the artists luxurious
studio.
In his rage against Parker he did
not guess that his own visit to Mary
might have a disastrous sequel. In
fact, it lnerved the girl to make up
her mind, once and for ALL She could
endure the struggle no longer. Screw
ing her resolution to the pitch of sac
rifice, she lifted the clay model of her
statuette carefully in her arms, car
ried it into the disheveled living
rooms where the three lrrepressibles
were sprawled in as much ease as their
ramshackle furniture would permit.
and. sweeping aside some cooking
utensils on the table, deposited there
her one precious gift.
II am gong away, dear bows" she
sobbed, needless of the amazed
silence which greeted this dramatic
entry Of their stained idol. Il
am going far, far away. You'll never
see me again, and ! want you to keep
this-in observation-disclosures
Mary
She rushed out without another
word. and three pipes fell with one
accord from three wide-open mouths.
Whats bitten Maryi" growled
Reggie Burke, who was the first to
recover the power of speech.
"She's not been herself for some
time" muttered Pierce. Haven't you
fellows noticed
Tom Delaney, for all his good hui
NOR and lightheartedness, was the
shrewdest OF the trio.
"TelI you what he said gravely
I've sort Of notion that Evan Park
,er isn't playin' the game. Mary has
gone to his studio a good deal Of late.
| think she's posing for that mural
picture of his"
Il kind O thought that John Bur-
ton was gone on her., said Reggie.
Il wish to the Lord she'd marry
him." and Delancey's tone was very
emphatic. Hes one of the best, and
do believe Mary would inspire
him with ambition. He's just the
type of working man who ends up as
the head of a trust or something
equally high and mighty"
Where is he now?" inquired
Pierce.
Tom crossed the landing and
peeped into Johns room. But John
was out. As matter of fact, at that
instant. he was confronting Marys
tempter and urging the man in the
most solemn way to abandon his pur-
suit of girl who deserved better
treatment at his hands.
Parker's handsome face flushed
with anger when he learned the ma
ture of Johns errand.
Il shall be obliged to you, my good
fellow, if you will mind your own
business" he said icily. people of
your class don't grasp these things.
Miss Ames and / are blessed, or
cursed, with the artistic temperament,
and it is mere piece of impertinence
on your part to even try to under
stand US"
Johns lips set tightly and his fists
clenched.
"If can't convince you by the
spoken word" he said sternly, "1'll
try another style of argument. You
are man, suppose, but / tell you
straight you have the soul of dog,
and not well-bred dog at that. Still,
the veriest cur will show its teeth
when attacked, and now I'm going to
lick you into obedience
Parker was so angry already that
he was nothing loath to accept the
challenge. He was well-set-up man
and something of an athlete, so the
two were fairly well matched.
They fought like couple Of bulls,
raising such racket in the respecta-
bic neighborhood which harbored the
ARTISTS studio that servants came