Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-10-20

lie refused to let the idea Of the next
step form in his mind. But he knew
very well what it would be. In the
backwards of bis understanding 1t
lurked--a gray. grisly. shameful
shadow.
The elevator kept him waiting a
moment or two, Just round the corner
from the grillroom door. whence came
sound OF voices talking and laughing.
Whitaker heard what was being said
without, ut .rSt, compromising
heard and afterwards remembered in
vivid detail.
"Secns to be the open season for
runuways," Hamilton WAS saying. ITS
only few days since Thurlow Lads
las duughtcr--what's her nnme?-
Mury-toOk the bit between her teeth
ana boltcd with the old mans chauf-
fcur."
Somebody asked: GLOW far did
they get before old Ladislas caught
up?'
HE didn't give chase. He's not that
kind. If he was put TO it, old Thur
low could play the unforglving parent
in mclodrnma without any makeup
Whnt"ver."
Hes just like that" said HamIl-
ton "RcmPmbcr his other daughter,
Grace, clipping with young Petit Il few
years ago? Old LadislAs had n down
on Fettit--who's n decent enough Kid,
notwithstnnding--s Grace was
promptly disowned, and they've no
hope of ever touching n penny of the
IudislQs CON-
But what became of them-Mary
and the stokerpersont'
"NoboGy knows, except possibly
themselves"
"Whats she like, this Mary quite
contrary?' inquired George Brenton's
voice.
"Oh, nothing but kid" said little
Fiske.
"Not over eighteen"
The elevator was waiting by this
slime. but Whitaker paused an instant
before taking it. chiefly because the
sound of his own name. uttered by
Hamilton, had reused him out of the
abstraction in which he had overheard
the preceding conversation.
"Anyhow, I'm sorry for Hugh Whit
aker. He's going to take this hard,
mighty hard"
George Brcnton asked. as If sur
priscd: "What? l didn't know he
was interested in that quarter"
"You must be blind. Alice Carstars
has had him going for year. Every
body thought she was only waiting for
him to make some big money-he as
much as anybody. fancy"
Brenton added the last straw.
"Thats tough" he said sobcrly. "Whit-
akcr's n white man, and Alice Car
stairs didn't deserve him. But I
wouldn't blame any man for feeling
cut-up to be thrown over for an out
and-out rotter like Percy Grim
Whitaker heard no more. At the
stairs he had snatched her letter from
his pocket and wns reading. Nobody
will ever know just what Alice Car
stairs saw fit to write to Hugh Whit
akcr. The blood ebhed from his face
and left 1t CHASTITY, and when he had
torn the paper to shreds and let them
tluttcr about his feet, he swayed per-
Ccptibly--So much so that one of the
pages took alarm and jumped to his
side.
"Beg pardon, Mr.. Whitaker-lid you
call mc?"
Whitaker stcndlcd himself and
stared until he recognized the boy.
"No," he said thickly, but want you.
Give me bar order"
The boy produced the printed form
and Whitaker hastily scrubbed his or
der on il. Bring that up to the H.
brary," he said, "and be quick about
it,"
lie stumbled into the elevator, and
presently found himself in the library.
There was no one else about. and
Whitaker was as glad of that as it was
in him to be glad of anything just
then. He dropped heavily into big
armchair and waited, his brain whrl-
ing and Scething, his nerves on edge
and Scrccching. In this state Peter
Stark found him.
(TO be cOntinued)