Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-21

like puppets on a stage OF his own set.
ting move the followers OF the Great
Creed. that were numbered in their mil
lions. at his will It was only over the
few outcasts, the unbelievers, that he
held no sway. But he could afford to
ignore the minority! Was he not indeed
q god?
And It had cost him nothing. Only
the pawning Of his soul; and. like
Faustus, the day Of settlement was afar
off. Only the signing of bond that
postulated denial Of what he had
already beforehand held in light esteem
"a code Of canting morals. 1t was
we'll such things were out OF the way
Life stretched the fuller, the roster,
the more rec. .blooded before him on that
account. He was we'll content. The
future lured him. Nor was It money
alone. There was the spice Of adyen-
ture, the battle Of wits, hardly inau-
gurated yet. between himself and those se
whose underground methods were the
raison d'etre of his own magicnlly en-
HANGED circumstances.
pocket abruptly, and frowned. That
was something, from still another stand
point, which he could not afford to lose
sight Of. He had to justify his job.
Gilbert Larmon had stated that he was
not philanthropist, and it was written
| In the bond that Harmon could termi..
nate the agreement at will. Yes, and
that was queer, too! What kind OF
man was Larmon? He knew Larmon,
as Larmon specifically subjected him.
self to inspection and speculation but
he was fully aware that he did not know
Larmon the man. There seemed some.
| ~ ,:.kn s,, lku
that Larmon should Mt one and the same
time reserve the right to terminate that
bond at; will while his very signature
upon it furnished weapon which, II
he, John Bruce. chose to use It,, placed
the other at his mercy. What kind of
man was Larmon? No fool, no weak
Iiing-that was certain. And yet at
word he, John Bruce, could tear the
other from the pseudo righteous pedestal
Iupon which he posed, strip the other
naked of the garments that clothed his
criminal activities, and destroy utterly
the carefully reared structure OF re-
spectability that I.armon had pulit uI
around himself. It might be very true
that he. John Bruce, would never use
such a weapon, even under provocation
but Larmon could not be sure Of that.
How then did Larmon reconcile his
reservation to terminate the contract
at will and yet furnish his co.signatory
with the means Of blackmailing him
into q continuance Of it? What kind
Of q man was Harmon? What would
! he be like with his back to the wall
What other reservation had been ir
Lannon'S mind when he had drawn that
bond?
And then a queer and bitter smile
came to John Bruce's lips, The goo
of money! Was he SO sure that he wa
the god and not the worshiper? Wn'
that it? Was that what !Aarmor
. counted upon?-that only fool woult
a that had been thrust into his hands
/ and that only q fool but would devo.
body and soul to Lannon's Interest,"
D under the circumstances!
I The smile grew whimsical. It wa
G complimentary In n sense. 1t was basGt
$ on the premise that he, John Bruce
h was not fool. He shrugged his shoul
r ders. Well, therein Harmon was right
Q It would not be his, John Bruces, faul
. II anything short. of death terminate
t the bond which had originated tina
}, tropic night on the moon-lit beach u
. Samoa three months ago!
e lie looked at his watch. 1t was
J, O'Clock. It was still carly for play
Z out IL WdS NV % curly tnut H's "ANa
: in the New York "branch," where h
4 had been a constant visitor for tn
8 last four nights. could possibly arous
e any suspicion, and ones opportunitic
O for inside observation were very muc
better when the play was desultory an
J, but few present than in the crowde
q rooms Of the later hours.
I. "If I were in England now,' sal
d John Bruce. addressing the chandelier
Il as he put on q light coat over his eye
n ming clothes. II couldn't get away wit
n this without a man to valet mean
at times, though ho might be useful, b
n might be awkward. Damned awkward
a But in America you do, or you don't
as you please-and I don't"