Evening star., 1923-10-28

| tional word of greeting or good-by?
Bertillon, in all except his business.
had become a mechanism. He realized
! it now.
| Il say there is nothing more to be
! said" his wife repeated. THE in
! evitable has come about, and, as for
| me. I have no more youth to give to
any repairs. A woman who has tried
| to find a life in family and cannot
i find it there must just go on doing
her best and playing bridge when it
becomes unpleasant. AaAfor Ted and
Cynthia, we can talk later. I'm worn
| out with contentious and complaints
and criticism. and-Stop drumming"
He had been drumming-tapping the
edge of his empty coffee cup. Empty
cup of life. thought he!
Don't scream he said. I've
stopped"
Are you going out?"
NO. said Bertillon.' mo, Alice
Well" she rose, "if it's any COM
fort to you to know it, I will tell
you again, John" She spoke with an
unpleasant glance over her shoulder
at him. You asked If you were alone
| in the experience. No, my dear, there
are thousands of men who do just
as you have been doing" She was
gone. And then, under the bright
light of this family dinner table, he
/ crossed arms.
! He remained in that posture only
for minute. Something everlasting,
| something partaking Of undefeatable
| courage, seized him. He was the cap
| tain of the ship; he would take the
| wheel even at the moment of the
wreck. He had run them on to the
rocks. He would remain on the ships
| bridge come what might.
| *x x x
lIIE would tell them now. They
| J. would face reality together, all
of them. He would make them stand
! together to the end.
He flung open the portieres and
pushed the doors apart which opened
the wide way into the living room.
The family had reassembled there in
the softer lights and shadows of these
familiar surroundings. Over them all
there appeared to be a blanket Of
! suppression, Of dismay.
| He closed the doors behind him. He
! cleared his throat. II suppose I owe
it to you ALL" he said.
| They stared at him with curious
tense faces.
| IT owe it to you all to tell you the
| truth. I thought tomrrow woufd do.
But find ther9 will be other things
to talk over and adjust tomorrow. I
have no good or happy news. On the
contrary. We have lost everything.
1t will mean absolute poverty for all
Of us. Polar Forge has gone into the
hands Of receiver. and every cent in
the world and all our belongings are
wiped out. I am a ruined man."
| Cynthia covered her face with her
! handkerchief. "A what?" she said.
Her father repeated solemnly: "a
ruined man. .
His words appeared to pull the
| trigger Of some blunderbuss of mirth.
The room suddenly shook with
laughter. He could hear his wife's
contralto. He could SEQ Ted slapping
his own knees. and the younger Alice
| rippled along in boarding-school
soprano.
He stood for moment, nonplused,
gasping.
Whats the matter, dad? Are you
footled?" roared Ted. I'VE knew at
six all about Polar Forge. Your
bleary stenographer. Miss Corliss,
telephoned mother. She thought
mother would be able to put some
sense into you. SO we all had a talk
"And thought we would put up a
little competition to show you what
ruin might look like IL one really
tried" added Cynthia.
He remained Supplied. He felt his
| eyes swimming. He could not see
them all distinctly.
"Polar Forge! Polar Forge" his
wife said near his ear. I'VE are all
SO glad that bogey is dead at last!
It was almost crowding US out, John" !"