The Topeka state journal., 1919-04-12

the itnch, and the boxes. and sweaters
) and Georges camera and everything,
there seemed to be no room for a man
of JOS bulk So that eliminated the
Sunday dinners.
4 Just drop In any time during the
week." Stell said for dinner. Except
ednesday-that's our bridge night
J and Saturday. And, Of course. Thurs
! day. Cook is out that night. Don't
wait for me to phone"
And so Jo drifted into that sad-eyed.
dyspept!c family made up of those you
see dining in a second-rate restaurant.
And then came the War. The war
that spelled death and destruction to
millions. The war that brought for
tune to 10 Hertz. and transformed him
over night, from a baggy-kneed old
, bachelor. whose business was a failure.
: to a prosperous manufacturer whose
: only trouble was a shortage in hides
for the making of his product-leatherI
The armies of EuroRe called for ft.
Harnessesi More harnesses. Gtrapsl
Millions Of straps. More! Mere
: The musty old harness business over
! on Lake street was magicaily changed
r from dust-eovered. dead-aliye con-
j Germ to an orderly hive that hummed
; and giittered with success. Orders
poured in. 10 Hertz had inside infor-
nation on the War. He knew about
btreops and horses. He talked with
7 French and English and Italian buy
ers-noblemen, many Of them-cem-
missiened by their countries to get
American made supplies. And now,
iwhen he said to Ben or George 'sTake
f'rinstanee your raw hides and leath-
ers,p they listened wita respectful at
teatien.
And then began The gay=dag busi-
ness in the life of Jo Hertz. He devel-
oped into a Loop hound, ever keen on
the scent of fresh pleasure. That side
of 10 Hertz which had been repressed
and crushed and ignored began to
bloom. unhealthy. At first he spent
money on his rather contemptuous
nieces. He sent them gorgeous fans,
and watch bracelets, and velvet bags.
He took two expensive rooms at q
down town hotel and there was some
thing more tear-compelling than gro
tesaue about the way he gloated over
| the luxury of a separate ice-water tap
in the bathroom. He explained it.
Just turn 1t on Ice-water! Any
hour of the day or night.r
He bought a eaF. Naturally. A
glittering affair; in color a bright blue,
with pale blue leather straps and a
great deal Of gold fittings. and ware
wheels, Eva said it wa, the kind Of
thing q segbrette would use. rather
than an elderly business man.
And he was lonesome. He was very
lonesome. So he searched about in his
mind and brought fFem the dim past
the memory of the lHxuFiously furnish
ed establishment of which he used to
| dream in the evenings when he dazed
lover his paper in the old house on
GalqmetA So he rented an apartment,
many -rpamed and expensive. with q
n1an-servant in charge. and furnished
it in stylesA and periods ranging
through all the Lauises.
The War went on. and on, and on.
And the money continued to roll in
in town on shopping bent. entered a
small, exclusive and expensive shop
on Michigan avenue. Exclusive. that
is. in price. The room was becomingly
rose-illun1inated and somewhat dim. So
that some minutes had passed before
she realized that a man seated on a
raspberry brocade settee not five feet
away-a nan with a walking stick, and
yellow gloves. and tan spats. and g
check suit-was her brother 10. From
him Eva's wild-eyed glance Ieaped to
| the woman. who was trying on hats
before one Of the many long mirrors.
Eve turned sharply ana encountered
her own sales-woman returning. hat
laden. NOT today" she gasped. I'm
feeling III. Suddenly" And almost
ran from the room
The next time it vas steil who saw
them In a restaurant She said It
spoiled her evening And the tSird
time it was Ethel. She was one OF the
guests at a theatre party given BY
Nicky Overton II. You know. The
North Shore 0vertons. Lake Forest
They came In late. and occupied the
formance of Believe 1Iel" And Ethel
was Nicky's partner. She was glowing
! like a rose When the lights went mp
after the first act Ethel saw that her
uncle 10 was seated Just ahead Of her
n | with what she afterwasd described as
. a blonde. Then her uncle had turned
: around, ard seeing her. had been SUR
prised into a smile that spread ben-
d tally ali over his plump ane rubieund
face. The he had turned t, face feF-
ward again. quickly
who's the old bird?" Nieky had
asked Ethel had pretended not 70
= hear, so he had asked again.
= saMy~ Uncle Ethel answered. and
4 | flushed all over her delicat3 face. and
: down to her throat. II spoiled Etbets
: evening More than that, as she told
her mother of it later. weeping, she
declared it had spoiled her life.
ri Eva talked II over with her husband
I in that intimate. kimonoed hour that
!. proceeds bedtime She gssticulated
E heatedly with her hair brush
/ There exists strange and loyal kin
I ship among men. well / don't know."
Ben said now, and even grinned lit
a tie. Il suppose a boys got to SOW his
!, wild oats some time"
ri eAll right" Eva retorted IF you're
rot man enough to stop It I'll baye to,
= that's all I'm going up there with
SteI this week"
vi They did not notify 10 Of their COM
o ing. Eva teiephoned his apartment