Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1922-12-16
A Chance In Life

When Malcolm Starmount said
II I'M through" Nadia Courteney
looked at him for a moment uncer-
tainly and then her eyes wandered
out toward the porch where someone
was singing a queer old Irish air.
$50 that is why you are throughP
she shrilled. "Well, I'll have the
purity society down here immediate.
| ly. That girl is just child"
Starmount started toward her with
his hand appraised.
Ted Parker slipped between them.
'I would not talk like that, Miss
Courteney," he said gently. miss
Devlin is here with her mother and
her brother under the protection of
her guardian, Mr.. Starmount, and
myself, the executor of her estate. I"
"Oh, all right All right! Execu-
tor of her estate, indeedl Why that
rgirl didn't have any more than
enough clothes on her back to cover
her nakedness when she came down
here. That sounds fine, but, of
course, you know it don't go with
me-
81 am afraid it will have to go
with you, Miss Courteney, and it
will have to 60 with everyone, for
it is the truth. As Mr.. Starmount's
ward, Miss Devlin, of course you
realize, is heir to quite an estate.
Shall | escort you to your carR'
Ted Parker opened the door and
stood deferentially to let her pass,
81 don't know what you are try
ing to do, but 1 know something's
crooked and I want you to know
this: Malcolm Starmount can t pass
me up, the way he has all the other
women he's known. I'm going to
make him pay"
eff it comes to that, Miss Courte-
ney, l think he has paid and paid
we'll"
''That will be for the courts to
decide, Mr.. Parker" The lady floun-
ced through the door and entered
her car.
''She is going to be your enemy
for life, Nal" commented Parker as
he came back.
"Well, we will soon find out just
what she can do, wish something
would happen quick. | don It like this
"It always has seemed to me, Nal,
that it is the uncertainty of life
and living that makes all the trou-
Bile. l am going to forget it a bit |
and try to get a little sleep"
"All right; am going to see
Mary and her mother"
Parker watched Starmount for a
minute as he strobe down the hall
and remarked the fact that already
his friends shoulders were set at
more decided angle since they had
real responsibility resting upon them
Here is Mr.. Starmount, Ma"
Mary announced as she opened the
door to Maleolm's light knock.
Mrs. Devlin tried to lift her head
from the pillow, but found she lack
ID the strength and contented her
self by extending slender, blue
veined work-worn hand.
"You have been more than good
% us, sir. cannot realize yet that
am here in this beautiful place
md that my children are with me-"
81 hope, Mrs. Devlin, that you
viii regard this as one Of your homes
IS long as you live. l am going to
end you up in the Adirondacks to-
borrow, however, to see if you can
ot get rid of that cough and get
ONE strength back"
II almost feel as though I'd rath-
r stay here, sir. 1t is the first time
4 my life that l have been able
. rest in comfort
"You viii be just as comfortable
p there. / am sending your nurse .
18th you and you win have every {
omfort on the way. Besides, the 9
octors say that both Mary and Ed
10 have weak lungs, but they think :
short stay up there with the open
II regime will cure them y
1t was with envy that Malcolm
w the change that instantly came 4
'er the woman on the bed. She r
emed endowed with a surprising 4
Iergy. This time she rose to a sit
ng posture and put her hands out
Starmount. b
'T'n 60. IN do anything if the Il
ildren can be made healthy and
ppy.'' b
She was taken with a violept fit ID,
coughing but after the nurse had il
nistered to her and it had sub b,
led a little, she whispered weakly. P,
'ou see, sir, it does not matter e