Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-11-23

nrknees found Bob huddled in his
eirs Renting for his senses, but as
aquor died In him terrible fancies
u ame to life. A frightened maid began
parations for his dinner, but he
4; ex0ered her away. Then when she
y him tray, anger at the
Sn0n8ht that his own comfort should
" p considered Of consequence made
nm refuse to touch 1t. 8
AZ length his inactivity became I'M
Dearable, and, feeling the desperate
I ned Of sane counsel. he telephoned
John Merkie. Bob was too deeply agl.
sated to more than note the bankers
etement that Mr.. and Mrs. Hannibal
'ss wharton were In the city, but recall.
Ing i later, he experienced stab OF
4 te9ret that his mother was not here to
comfort LOrelei In the first great crisis
\ ot her womanhood. It had been Lore
lelss wish that her own mother be kept
~ ignorance Of the truth, and now,
therefore the girl had no one to lean
1 uDon except an impractical stage
& woman and drunken husband. In
4 Bob's mind the pity of 1t grew as the
time crept on.
Ss But Adoree Demorest was wonder
eui. Despite her inexperience, she was
calm, capable, sympathetic, and, best
ssfeG Al her normality afforded sup
port upon which both the husband and
~ wife could rest. When she finally
4 made herself ready for the street Bob
4 cried piteously:
s You're not going to leave us?"
must It's nearly theater-time.'
ehe told him. cts one Of the penal
stieS Of this business that nothing must
bold the curtain; but I'll be back the
minute the show Is over.
zorelei needs you"
1; Adoree nodded; her eyes met Bob's
gAQuarely, and he saw that they were
vet. Her face was tender, and she
appeared very simple and womanly at
this moment. Her absurd theatrical
+ Ism was gone: she was natural, unaf-
fected young woman.
wish could do something to
hall" YEARLY continued Bob, but
,1Adoree shook her head SO violently that
the barbaric beaded festoon beneath
her chin clicked and ratified. 4
She knows you're close by; that's
enough. This is a poor time to preach,
lbut-it seems to me If you've got bit
OF real manhood in you, Bob, you'll
{ never drink again. The shock of See
ing you like this when she needed
didn't help her any,
know! known The words were
wrung from him like a groan. "But
the thing Is bigger and stronger than
lam. It takes both of US together to
light Il. II she should-leave me, I'd
never pull through and-I wouldn't
want to-
Never until she left Lorelei's house
and turned toward the white lights of
Broadway did Adoree Demorest fully
tealixe whittier her theatrical career
i had carried her. Adoree knew herself
\ 10 be pure. But the world considered
her evil, and evil in its eyes she would
remain. At this moment she would
gladly have changed places with that
other girl whose life hung in the scales.
John Merkle had never lost interest
70 Lorelei, nor forgotten her refusal
s0f his well-meant offer of assistance.
It pleased him to read into her char
acter beauties and nobilities of which
s1he was utterly unconscious IL not ac-
atually devoid. Soon after his talk with
Bob he telephoned Hannibal Wharton,
making known the situation in the
most disagreeable and biting manner.
FOf which he was capable. Strange to
ray, Wharton heard him through, then
thanked him before ringing off.
4! When Hannibal had repeated the
news to his wife, she moved slowly to
10 window and stood there staring down
Into the glittering chasm of Fifth ave-
niue. Bob's mother was a frail, erect,
slmpassive woman, wearied and sad
sdeled with the weight of her husbands
millions. There had been time when
society knew her, but of late years
she saw few people, and her name was
seldom mentioned except in connection
With her benefactio Hannibal Whar-
ton was serenely conscious of her COM
plete accord with his every action, and.
In reporting Merkle's conversation he
spoke musingly, rs a man speaks to
himself.
John loves to be caustic; he likes
10 v0calize his dyspepsia" the old man
muttered. Mrs. Wharton did not stir;
there was something uncompromising
IN the rigid lines of her back and in
her stifily poised head. "People of her
iefnA aIwaya have children he con-
Fffnued, land that's what told Bob. I
told him he was laying up trouble fop
himself =
ssBob had more to him than we
thought" irrelevantly murmured the
mother.
4 More than we thought?'' Hanni-
;bal shook his head. Not more than
4 thought. ! knew he had IT in him;
..you were the one
Ne, not We both doubted. Perhaps.
HIS girl read him."
stsure she read him. snorted the
father. She read his bank book. But
i fooled her"
ssDo you remember when Bob was
#born7 The doctors thought"
ssOf course rememberv her hus,
band broke In. Those doctors said
you'd never come through 1t. 2
Yes; wasn't strong
But yOu did. was with you. / 1
.16peht for you. wouldn't let you die.
Remember it9' The speaker moistened !
Ids lips why, I never forgot"
ssH101A II exreripncin0 something like |