The Arvada enterprise., 1917-01-25


long incline like soaring bird. Black
wells island slipped under them, m
inky, bOttOmlcss pit Of despair. The
breath Of the Ovcrhcated city changed
as by magic, and the thin-faced suf-
ferer at Lorele!'s side drank II I'm en-.
gery. Even In the dim flash Of the
passing Illuminations she noted how
tired and worn he was, and sudden
pity smote her.
won't you pretend I'm not here.
and drive just as you always do? I
won't mind,' she said.
go home"
mo, no."
"Really?' His eagerness was genu-
inc. Wont your people worry"
Her answer was short, mirthless g
laugh that made him glance at her GU
rlously. ''They know I'm perfectly
safe. It's the other way round: man
Of your standing takes chances by be-
ing alone with n woman of-mlne."
(Which reminds me OF Miss Lynn
and Mr. Harmon. You've decided to
accept my offcri"
"No. | can't be n hired spy"
"You said over the phone that you
had learned something"
81 have. I believe there Is an effort
on foot to get some OF Mr.. Hammon's
money dishonesty. l have u reason
for wishing to prevent It."
sI kpnW 7 ypocp't r,,istnlnp L., ,,a,,
smiled Mcrkle.
"Oh, don't attribute my actions to
any high moral motives! I'm getting
a little rusty on right and wrong. Per
sonally, | have no sympathy with Mr..
Harmon, and I don't imagine he ac-
Quired all OF his tremendous fortune
in n perfectly honorable way. Besides,
he's married man"
''It Isn't alone Jarvis or his family
or their money that is concerned"
Merklc said, gravely. Great financial
institutions sometimes rest on founda-
tions as slight as one mans person
allty-one mans reputation for moral
integrity. A breath OF suspicion OF
any sort at the wrong time may bring
on crash involving innocent people.
"I1ammon at this moment carries a
tremendous top-heavy burden Of re-
sponsibilties; his death would be no
more disastrous than scandal that
would tend to destroy public conf
dcnce in him rs a man."
Doesn't he know that himself?"
perhaps. But his Infatuation over.
took him at an age when man Is n
fool. Young men are always objects
OF suspicion In the financial world, for
their emotions are unruly: but when
old men fall in love they are supcrbly
needless Of the consequences. I prom
lscd to tell you something about Jar
Wis, and I WILL since you spoke OF his
married life. From the time he could
walk he never knew anything. never
heard anything except steel. He be-
came n rolling mill superintendent al
/ most before he was OF age. They say
he never did less than two mems work.
and often more; but he could make
others work, too, and there lay the Sc
crct OF his success. His mill held the
tonnage record for years.
"Whcn the corporation was formed
he played big part In the deal and
got big slice OF the profits. he
went into other things than steel. and
he prospcrcd. He never failed at any
thing. Jarvis had no vices and but
one hobby-at least his vices were neu-
tral, for he had never taken time to
acquire the positive kind. His hobby
was Napoleon Bonapartc. He read ev.
erythlng there was to read about Ma
polcon; he studied his life and pat
termed his own on similar lines. DO
! bore you. Miss KnlchtT
mo; 90 on. I'm tremendously In
tcrcStcd."
We'll, naturally, Iammon began to
consider himself another Napoleon.
and his accomplishments were In a
way quite as wonderful. He even con-
iidcd TO me once that his idol sur.
passed him In only one respect
namely, the power to relax. Jarvis
had never taken time for relaxation.
and he was beginning to wear ont and
so-hc deliberately set about learning
to play. The emperor OF France, SO
history tells us. took his greatest pleas.
urc In the company OF women; there
fore linmmon sought women. lie
doesn't know the taste Of defeat, 40
the result was fprcurdalncd.
But surely he thought something
OF his family" protested Lorclcl
Didn't he consider thcmT"
II fancy he wasn't well acquainted
with hIs family. I'm sure he never en-.
Jpycd any home NE. ~ We understand
H. He lived with n rich old woman
who bore his name but scarcely knew
him; his daughters were grown women
whom he saw on rare occasions ana
whose oNtrnvngnut whIms be grntlAcl
without question. But there was little
real intimacy, little sympathy This
was his first taste OF youth. Rut-hc
wns not Napoleon As you've noticed,
he's quite mad on the Lynn woman
He's no longer himself He has been
lrurrul 10y her charms, nul-now he's
paying the price. wanted you 20
know tho story hrfnrp NO wont nny