Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-24
coSvrioht, 1918. by Public LEDGER Co.
kHAPTER XXXV Continued

2zHAPTER XXXV Continued, !,
YHEN. minute later. two doctors
A;3<U appeared on the scene they found
" q Robinson and Buckingham bending
the couch in the inner office, on
l1ch the limp figure of Jerry Archer
stretched. Quickly the men of medi-
end surgery went about their task,
working with restoratives, the other
lcerning himself with the wound,
sle breathless crowd OF clerks, which
- the outer office, peered in through
door, looked at each other blankly
4o began to relate in low tones how
E$<ny heard, or saw, or first had their at
tSntion directed to the fact that some
tn!ng unusual was happening on the out
Where is he?" woman's voice.
h nG crying, not shrieking, not raised un-
auly, but with surely the most pa
tnetic note of inquiry In II that ever
freiGhted human tones. came floating
past the ears of all. It was the voice
Kept in town during these hot days
Of summer by her war work, she had
spent the whole steaming day at Red
Cross headquarters, and then, having
sent her own car off to League Island
on a patriotic errand of some sort. was
walking to the Buckingham offices. eX-
pecting to ride home with her father.
The sight of the crowd and the sound
alarmed her, and some nasty word Of in
qufry had brought her the story. Burst
ing through the Gordon of police that
already surrounded the counting room.
offices and stood for a moment frozen
to the threshold, her white. startled
face turned this way and that. as IL
bewildered and not recognizing sur
rOundings that were very familiar TO
her.
"Father." she exclaimed. where is
he?"
startled at the apparition-like appear
with him You must not go in" he ad-
jured in kindly tones. at the same
to the trembling figure.
Not go in? why. father The
girls expression was compounded of
Ing taller and steadier for. a moment,
she passed her father as IL he had been
piece of statuary. but, with her hand
upon the door-frame in front Of her.
moving as If praying for strength to
face what she might find within.
when she entered her father followed
close. Robinson was there already.
4 for he had never moved from his friends
side, except TO make room for the doc
tors. Ruth dropped down at Jerry's
head without a word. but he seemed
Instantly to feel her presence. The pale
face lighted with a smile and the blue
eyes opened.
Jerry she exclaimed Are you
alive? s ..o.,,.
unable even in crisis like this, to sup
press his inclination to humor.
''You must be ! You must live, Jerry
For me For Philadelphia !!
Jerry pressed the soft hand which had
found his instinctively and promptly
faded out of consciousness.
For a moment Ruth trembled and
reele1 upon her knees. then let her eyes
wandef to where the physicians were
at work, and shuddered at the sight of
20 much blood.
There is--hope! :" exclaimed the older
Then you must save my husband for
..Your husband - expostulated Will
liam Buckingham in an outraged whis-
per as he reached to lift his daughter
from her knees.
Ruth. but somewhat witheringly that in
such moment any one should be ma
-terial enough tO make distinction be-
piished. Releasing her fathers hand,
Ruth was down on her knees again.
stroking back the tousled auburn hair
eyes with her lips. But when presently
one of the physicians touched her on
the arm she rose obediently.
I'VE will do all that can be done" he
centrated attention to help us"
"I.ive. Jerry, live.'' she whispered
passionately into his ear.
Though consciousness has apparently
not yet returned, it did seem as if he
heard her and nodded. Standing mo-
ment looking down at the beloved face,
Ruth felt a sudden rain Gf tears upon
her cheeks and turned away quickly.
careful to suppress every sound of her
emotion that might disturb or distress
the dying man, and allowing her father
to lead her with trembling knees into
the outer office, which had now been
cleared of its throng of curious
'"How did 1t happen?' she asked as
soon as she could speak.
He took blow that was meant for
me-" expla ined her father, pale and emo
tional in his utterance.
And who struck it, demanded Ruth.
Il haven't an idea" confessed Buck
"Aurentsky :" said Victor tersely.
.'Aurentsky? = Jacob Aurentsky?-l
and Ruth had another fit OF crying.
When able to speak again she turned
upon her father with tones of the gentlest
yet the most penetrating reproach. and
"And ysu, father. you and men like
yeu made Aurentsky what he was"
Buckingham's expression was not
easily described. This came as the most
unkindest cut of all; Jerry Archer, half
an hour before had been making intima
had done the same, after the madman's
act; but that now his own daughter
should do II surprised him hardly more
than IL she had taken up the paper knife
from the desk and tried also to stab
him.
.You and men like you." reiterated
the girl to the interrogation in her
fathers tone and glance, "who have used
kopf great political power to fasten upon
~ city a system Of government so cor
y1hpt that II makes haters Of all govern
lent out of victims like Aurentsky."
Ruth J" Buckingham's voice was full
of sharp rebuke now.
"Oh, know" exclaimed the girl. lit
sounds unfilial but | know also that 1t
is true. Yet / have been slow TO speak. |
For long time | tried to be neutral, |
listening while Jerry poured facts into
one ear and you poured prejudices into
the other. How | have held that dear
fellow at arms length for months and
"CAP STUBBS-WhO S,