Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-13
The Tyi-WeekLy Journals O0en Serial
The Only Thing That Counts
4 Mystery Romance of Modern Bohemia
BY the Famous Novelist
Carolyn Beecher

Copyright, 1920

| bell and asked to see Miss Westfeld
Mrs. Cook, thinking he was after
| manuscript or on some business, err
| rand, had admitted him without Ques-
| ton.
You see, I came to you because
| want to be on the square. But I've
| got to have money, and If you won't
give it to me IN go to that fellow
Lansing. He'll pay me for what I've
got to tell him about that night you
stayed all night, or most all night,
with Sloane alone in his studio"
Helen was no coward, but this
threat coming after her unhappiness
of the past twenty-four hours I'M
nerved her. She knew only too well
that such a story would damn her in
any mans eyes. She had learned to
know more Of Sloane's reputation
and OF what was said Of women who
visited his studio
parleyGd.
81 took you down in the elevator.
Your dress was all mussed and torn,
and you didn't have no hat on"
You are the man who has been
hanging about the street. buying
flowers. You have been watching
me-" She finished with conviction.
you've guessed It,"
"How much do you think such
triiing secret is worth?" she spoke
sarcastically. She would pretend
she wasn't afraid Of him.
Its worth more'n you can pay.
But Til take a couple of hundred and
keep my mouth shut. Or I'll go to
Lansing and get more"
"You would get nothing from him
Porbably he'd have you arrested. Mr..
Lansing has no interest in me or my
affairs
You'd just as soon he'd know you
spent the night in Sloane's studio,
wouldn't you?" with insolent perspi-
cacity.
Lansing know of that disgraceful
incident-in her mind she always had
called it disgraceful-she would do
anything. II will give you the two
hundred but you must agree not to
ask for more. I can i'll afford this.
am a poor working woman and earn
IL I have"
mo one would believe that if they
new about Sloane" he sneered.
Take it and go!' Helen had ex-
racted the money from her desk
lrawer. The check for her last story.
he had cashed only that morning.
But remember it Is all you Will get
all I have"
AS he shuffed from the room,
Ielen sank weakly into chair.
"Blackmail!
The very sound Of the word made
er shudder. Then she trembled as
,he thought of Kirk Lansing, the
nan she now realized she loved,
earring that strengthening it with
he construction the elevator man
would put upon it. Had this man
come to her before she realized SIZE
loved Kirk Lansing she would hFFe
defied him But now
"I can't help it! He must never
know. I can't marry him, but [ can
and will keep his respect. Oh, why
did L go to that studio? Why didn't
I come home when found the others
were not coming?" She moaned. But
regrets were useless. Even Adele
',ad said no woman could go to
loans studio, be alone with him,
I'd keep a shred of reputation. And
re, the woman man like Kirk
ansing loved, had been alone with
i'm until almost daylight That she
as innocent of any wrong comfort
d her not at all.
1T thought I had been punished
enough for all I had done, but it
seems I must have all the experiences
that one can have" Then she re-
heated the word: "Blackmail" be-
fore once again giving way to per-
feet storm of grief and repentance.
st might as well have been the
guilticst woman on earth as far as
suffering gces!' she cried in her dis
ITO BE CONTINUED