Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-12-24
xxxIv (contInued)

N~ER&eNAFt eoA4N 50 WAC
eQuaily impossible to refuse to
ala IN the hunt for that damnable
Janet when her distracted father
ana his own intimate friend took
MS cooperation as a matter Of
course And even If he had re-
NAMED at home, no doubt she
would have wiggled her way in
before he could shut the door in
ner face. Then there would have
neen the devil to pay, for she
would have seen to it that he was
nopelessly compromised. No doubt
she would have run out on the bal
cony and screamed for help. Her
FAILURE was the one saving grace
IN the whole wretched night.
But she had planted her stings.
He was in a fine frame of mind
to make love to a woman. He had
pictured that scene as one of the
great moments of life, so subtly
beautiful and dramatic, so exalted
and exulting, so perfect in its very
incompetence, that not a lifetime
of suffering and disappointment
could blur it. And be felt exactly
like the fat tire of Janets distin-
gnished vernacular. Even his body
was worn out, fol- he had had but
nine hours sleep in two nights.
What dead cinch the playwrights
had A man might as we'll try TO
breathe without oxygen on Mount
Everest as attempt 70 give his own
life the proper dramatic values.
lie was a cursed puppel and Life
itself was curse
lie excorated himself for his
susceptibility to mere words; he
f.ho juggled in words. and often
quite iasncerely when II suited his
purpose . But that rejiiyenated old
dame, and that old zattiany wo-
nan" crawled like reeking yapors
across some fair landscape man
had spent his life seeking, biotting
N0ut its loneliness. turning it to a
noisome morass.
He had used equally caustic
phrases when sesass psoang man he
knew had married woman only
ten years older than himself, and
when old men had taken to them
selves young wives. And meant
them, for he was fundamentally as
conventional and conservative as
all men. But he cared less
that he would be the laughing
stock Of New York than that his
own soul felt like boiling pitch and
that he was ashamed of himself.
He looked at the clock 1t was
twenty minutes to four. There
was neither love nor desire in him
and he would have liked to throw
himself on the diyan and sleep.
But he set his teeth and got to his
feet He would go through it, play
up, somehow.
He felt better in the nipping air
ANA soon began to walk briskly.
And then as he crossed Park Ave-
rue and entered her street he saw
TWO men coming down her steps.
q,hev were Mr. Dinwiddie, and the
extremely good.looking young man
whom Osborne had brought to the
box on Monday night. The young
man was smiling fatuously.
4 wave of rage and jealousy
swent CIavering from head to foot.
sbo at least, could have kept these
hours sacred, and she had not only
received this grinning ape, but evil
dentlv given him delectable NOR
sel to chew on. He could have
tnocksd beth men down, but he
was nots even permitted to pass
them by with a scowling nod An
other contretemps. II
Dinwiddie hailed him delighted
acood old Lee! Haven't sew
vou in an age. N'bere've you keH
',onrsef? Know Vance, Motto
IA friend Of Mary's. He's ~
ovor like the rest of us Who 9
We don't live in the age of
cles?" ,,o. ~,
vering's ocular faculty was en-
saabIsd but it came to the rescue.
r. uos staring at Vane. Evident
~ tbis young man was unim-
n,asssd by soaring phrases and he
l go. nave heard several, for, if he
,aSo sn,bered Alright, Polly Vane"
Itch aber head like billiard ball,
Nh, M awore wig for decener
VIZ lad been one Of the nc
) ssn t,,, women at the r.
Tor = moment he had !"
preston that his sta -,
mints6ed until the tor lead
hini s ioTel with this young
seoou u,aisteoat. ha theA he shot
m TO seven feet. Something naa
. up ~ over inside him and yom-
, surSe eortb the pitch and its Vapors.
,eea ~ ~ 9TH felt angry and jealous.
f na' managed ~ to reply however;
he maze must be getting on.
n ,,n,' N - a day or two Din" He
YOU n Young Vane and in an