Bemorraic Waldpuan,
Bellefonte, Pa., January 30, 1914.
THE
Ne er-Do-Well
By
REX BEACH
Author of
“The Spoilers,” “The Barrier,”
“The Silver Horde,” Etec.
Copyright, 1910, 1911, by Harper &
Brothers.
I Sr EE STRAT,
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SYNOPSIS.
Kirk Anthony, son of a rich man, with
college friends, gets into a fracas in a
New York resort. A detective is hurt.
Jefferson Locke insinuates himself into
the college men’s party.
Locke, aided by Kirk's friend Higgins,
who thinks it a joke, drugs Kirk and puts
him aboard a ship bound for Colon. Kirk
is on the passenger list as Locke. |
“Broke’’ and without baggage, aboard
the ship Kirk makes the acquaintance of :
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Cortlandt. {
[Continued from last week. ]
Once in his own stateroom search
showed Kirk that even his watch was
Zone and that his only asset. evidently
overlooked by the hilarious Higgins
and his co-partner in crime, was a
modest three stone finger ring. He had
neither baggage nor money. He was |
regarding his ring speculatively when |
the purser knocked. then entered at his |
call.
“I've just heard that there's a mis- |
take about your ticket.” the newcomer
began. “It is made out to ‘Mr. Jeffer-
son Locke.” but the doctor says you
insist your name is something else.” |
“That’s right. My name is Anthony.” |
“Then how did | get this ticket?” |
|
“I'm sure 1 don’t know.”
“Have you any baggage?”
“I don’t know.”
“What is your destination?”
“I don’t know. You'll pardon my
Hmited vocabulary?”
“But I don’t understand.” |
“Neither do 1. But I must have some
luggage. 1 need a clean shirt and col-
lar.” :
“If you are not Mr. Locke the ticket
is no good.”
“Hurrah! Put me off.”
“You don’t understand—the ticket is
good, but”—
“Pardon the personal nature of the
question—but—what size shirt do you
wear?”
“Seventeen.”
“Saved! Let me have about six, will
you?”
“Certainly not,” returned the other.
“I need all I have. [I'll have a look
for your baggage. ‘Mr.—Anthony. and
I'll see the captain about this ticket
also. I'll 100k you up later.”
He departed, shaking his head as if
this were a form of insanity he had
never before encountered. A moment |
later Kirk followed him and made a
round of the deck, staring at each man |
he met and mentally estimating the
girth of his neck. Then he made his
way toward the smoking room, deter-
mined to enlist the help of his new
acquaintance, Stein.
Midway aft he paused. A girl had
emerged from the deckhouse:nhead of
him. whose appearance was sufficient- |
Iy striking to divert him. motuentarily
at least. from his quest. She was wel;
above the usual height. quite slender,
yet of an exquisite rounded fullness.
while her snug fitting tailor made gown
showed the marks of taste. Kirk let
his eyes follow her, then retraced his
way around the deck in the hope oi
meeting her face to face.
But when they had met and passed
he went his way vaguely disappointed
Instead of a girl, as the first sight of
her youthful figure had led him to ex-
pect. he had seen a woman of perhaps
forty. She was certainly not so hand.
some as he had imagined from a dis-
tance. Yet the face was attractive.
The eyes were wide set. gray and very
clear, the mouth large enough to be ex-
pressive. Her hair shone in the morn-
ing sun with a delicate bronze luster
Hike that of a turkey’s wing.
He dismissed her from his thoughts
and continued his search for a number
seventeen shirt and collar to match.
But he did not fare well. He found
Mr. Stein in the smoking room, but dis-
covered that his size was fifteen and
a half, and there was no one else to
whom he could apply.
For a second time Stein importuned
him to buy a chance on the ship’s run.
and, failing in this, suggested that they
have a drink together. Had not Kirk
realized in time his inability to recipro-
cate he would have accepted eagerly.
for his recent dissipation had left him
curiously weak and nervous. At the
cost of an effort. however. he refused.
Stein laughed. “Don’t get sore. All
' ships are alike. We have to talk about
something. Sorry 1 can’t help you
with the shirt question. Deuced care
less of them to lose your luggage.”
“Yes. It makes one feel about as
comfortable as a man with a broken
arm and the prickly heat. Something's
got to be done about it, that’s all.” He
glared enviously at the well dressed,
men about the room.
Over in a comer, propped against the
{ that
| wear this collar any longer.”
| yours.
_ some one, he turned his eyes upon her
leather upholstery, was Mr. Cortlandt,
as pale, as reserved and as saturnine
as at breakfast. He was sipping
Scotch and soda, and in all the time
Anthony remained he did not
speak to a soul save the waiter, did
not shift his position save to beckon
for another drink. Something about
his sour, introspective aloofness dis- |
pleased the onlooker. who shortly: re-
turned to the deck.
The day was warming up. and on
the sunny side of the ship the steamer
chairs were filling. Two old men were
casting quoits; a noisy quartet was
playing shuffleboard. After idling back
and forth on deck for a time Kirk se-
lected a chair and stretched himself
out.
“Do you wish this chair for the voy-
age, sir?" asked the deck steward.
“Yes, I think so.”
“I’ll put your name on it."
“Anthony, suit A. third floor front.”
“Very well, sir.” The man wrote out
a card and fitted it to the back of the .
chair, saying. “One dollar, if yon
please.”
*“1 haven't got a dollar.”
The steward laughed, as if to humor
his passenger. "I'm afraid. then, you
can’t have the chair.”
*So 1 must stand up all the way to
Panama, eh?" .
“You are joking, sir.
it myself if you don't.”
“That's right. Make me as uncomfort-
able as possible. By the way, what
size collar do you wear?”
“Sixteen.” |
Kirk sighed. *Send the purser to
me, will you? Ill fix up the chair mat- |
ter with him.”
While he was talking he heard the
rustle of skirts close by and saw the |
woman he had met earlier seating her- |
self next to him. It annoyed the young
man to realize that out of all the chairs |
on deck he had selected the one near- |
i
|
|
|
|
I'll have to pay !
est hers.
Then the purser appeared.
send for me?’ he inquired.
“Yes. There was a strange man |
around just now, and he wanted a dol-
lar for this chair.”
“Well?”
“1 want to establish a line of credit.” :
The purser grunted.
“And. say!" Kirk ran on seriously. |
“I’ve been all over your little ship, but |
the passengers are boys’ size. 1 can’t |
i
|
*Did you .
“And | can't find any baggage of
I’ve seen the captain about |
that ticket matter.” he went on, “and |
he says you must buy another. If you
| are joking you've carried this thing |
far enough. If you are really strap- |
ped. as you say you are, how does it |
happen that you are occupying the
! best suit on the ship?" |
|
“It is a long story.”
“Humph! You will have to give up |
those quarters and go forward.”
“Why? You have your money for
that ticket?" |
“Yes, but you're not Mr. Locke.” !
“Well, sir, now that I come to think |
it over, 1 believe my name is Locke,
after all.” He grinned. ‘*‘Anyhow, 1
love my little room. and I think I'll
keep it. Please don't be peevish. 1
want you to do me a favor.” He re-
moved the ring from his finger and,
handing it to the purser, said: **1 want
you to get me two diamonds’ and a
ruby’s worth of shirts and collars and
also a safety razor.”
The officer managed to say. with
dignity: “You wish to raise money on |
this, 1 presume. Very well, 1 will
see what can be done for you, Mr.
Locke.”
CHAPTER IV.
New Acquaintances.
S he turned away Kirk be-
came conscious that the wo-
man in the next chair had
5 let her beok fall and wae
watching him with amused curiosity.
Feeling a sudden desire to confide in
Et cor os memes a ces
with such a natural, boyish smile that '
she could not take offense and began
quite as if he had known her for some '
time:
“These people are money mad. aren't
they? Worst bunch of gold diggers 1 |
ever saw.” Surprised, she half raised !
her book, but Kirk ran on: *‘1 hope
you don’t mind my speaking to you.
I'm awfully lonesome. My name is
Anthony. Kirk Anthony.”
Her face showed that the name car-
ried no significance.
“l understood you to tell the purser
your name was Locke.” said she in a
very low pitched. well modulated voice.
“I couldn't help overhearing.”
“But it isn’t really; it’s Anthony. I'm
the undignified heir to the stocks and
bonds of an old party by that name
who lives in Albany.”
“Darwin K. Anthony?" questioned
she quickly. “Is he your father?” Her
face lighted with a flash of genuine in-
terest.
Kirk nodded.
“It’s funny, isn’t it, with all his cred-
it that I can't get a shirt until | put
up a diamond ring?"
“You are joking. are you not?”
*No. indeed. 1 didn’t intend to take
this trip. | didn’t even know | had
sailed. When | woke up 1 thought
this was a hotel. [I've got no more
baggage than a robin.”
“Really? How did it happen?”
“Well, to be perfectly honest, I got
drunk—just plain drunk. 1 didn’t think
80 at the time. anderstand. for I'd nev-
er been the least bit that way before.
Hope 1 don’t shock you.”
His new acquaintance shrugged her
shoulders. “1 have seen something of
the world. I'm not easily shocked.”
“Well, I was perfectly sober the last
I remember, and then I woke up on
the Santa Cruz. You see, it was a big
night—football game, supper and all
that. I remember everything up to a
certain point, then—curtain! 1 was
‘out’ for twelve hours and sick. That's
. was
; grumbled with genuine disappoint-
t
the funny part; I'm still sick. What 1
can’t understand is this: It took all my
money to pay for the supper, and yet .
wake up with a first class ticket to
Panama and in possession of one of
the best suits on the ship. It’s a prob-
lem play.”
“You say you were sick afterward?”
Kirk turned his eyes upon the speak-
er mournfully. “My head isn’t right
yet.”
“You were drugged.” said the woman.
“By Jove!" He straightened up in
his chair. “I’m beginning to see. It
“Is he your father?”
was Locke. That's how I got his name.
This is his ticket. Oh! There's going
to be .something doing when | get
back.”
“You did not impress me as a college
student.” said the stranger.
“I'm not. 1 graduated four years
ago. 1 barely made it, but 1 did get
through.”
**And you have never been to the
tropics?”
*Not since 1 had my last row with
the governor. Have you?"
“Many times. It will prove an in-
teresting trip for you. At least you
have that consolation.”
“What is it like?”
Evidently the artless effrontery of
the young man had not offended. for
his neighbor talked freely. and in a
short time the two were conversing as
: easily as old acquaintances.
When at last she rose, after an hour
that had swiftly sped. she was grati-
fled at the look of concern that came
into his eyes. She looked at him with
genuine approval as he bowed and
said:
“Thank you for the pointers about
Panama. 1 hope | may have the
pleasure of talking to you again.”
When she had disappeared he mur-
mured admiringly:
“Jove! She's a corker! And she’s
not so old. after all. | wonder who
she”— He leaned over and read the
card on the back of her steamer chair.
“Mrs. Stephen Cortlandt, Suite B. it
lettered. Straightening up. he
ment: ‘‘Just my blamed luck! She's
married.”
By pledging his one article of jewel-
ry Kirk became possessed that after-
noon of several shirts, collars and
handkerchiefs, likewise a razor. over
which he exercised a sort of leasehold
privilege. The purser made it plain,
however. that he had not sold these
articles, but merely loaned them. hold-
ing the ring as security for their re-
turn. and this arrangement allowed
Kirk no spare cash whatever. Even
with all his necessaries paid for. it sur-
prised him to find how many channels
remained for spending money. He suf-
fered most. perhaps. from the lack of
tobacco, but even in the matter of
cigarettes he could not bring himself
to accept favors that he could not re-
turn.
Kirk was of a peculiarly sanguine
temperament that required much to
ruffle and looked upon the whole mat-
ter as a huge joke. It was this per-
haps that enabled him to make friends
in spite of his unsociable habits, for
the men liked him. As for the wom-
en, he avoided them religiously. with
the exception of Mrs. Cortlandt. whom
he saw for an hour or two morning
and afternoon as well as at meat
times. With her he got on famously.
finding her nearly as entertaining as a
male chum, though he never quite lost
his dislike for her husband. Had she
been unmarried and nearer his own
age their daily intimacy might have
caused him to become self conscious,
but under the circumstances no such
thoughts occurred to him. and he be-
gan to look forward with pleasure to
their hours on deck.
The Santa Cruz was four days out
before Cortlandt joined them. and
when he did he merely nodded casual-
ly to Kirk, then. after exchanging a
polite word or two with his wife, laps-
ed into his customary silence, while
Mrs. Cortlandt continued her conversa-
tion without a second glance in her
husband’s direction.
The man evidently possessed a wide
knowledge of current events, a keen
anderstanding of men and things, yet
fe never opened up. He listened,
spoke rarely and continued to spend
nine-tenths of his time in that isolated
corner of the smoking room. with no
other company than a long glass and a
siphon.
One day when Kirk had begun to
feel that his acquaintance with Mrs.
Cortlandt w:ms well established he said
to her:
“Stein told me today that your hus-
band is in the diplomatic service.”
“Yes,” said she. “He was consul
general to Colombia several years ago,
and since then he has been to France
and to Germany.”
*Are you diplomating now?”
“In a way. We shall be in Panama
for some time. Colonel Jolson will be
interested in you.”
*1 don’t see the point.”
“Your father is one of the most pow-
erful and aggressive railroad men in
the country. Perhaps you know some-
thing about the railroad opposition tc
the canal?”
Kirk smiled. *Well, to tell you the
truth.” said he, “the governor doesn't
consult me about his business as much
as he ought to. He seems to think he
can run it all right without me, and
we've only been speaking over the
telephone lately.”
“One of the strongest forces the gov-
ernment bad to combat in putting
through the canal appropriations was
the railroads. Colonel Jolson has no
reason to love your father.
“By the way. when are you going
into business with him?”
“I? Oh, not for a long time. You
see, work doesn’t really appeal to me,
anyway. 1 suppose if I had to hustle
I could, but what's the use?"
Mrs. Cortlandt let her eyes dwell
upon him curiously for a moment.
Then she said:
“Have you no ambition? Is there no
—girl, for instance? Have you never
been in love?"
“Oh, see here, now!” Anthony blush-
ed in a manner to excite the envy of
any woman. *I don’t like ’em. I'd
rather play football.”
“You lack stimulus. If you should
meet the right woman”— Then, see-
ing the amusement in his face: “Be-
lieve me, I know what 1 am talking
about. I know what a woman can do.
Your life has been too easy and placid.
You need some disturbing element to
make it ferment.”
The Santa Cruz was now rapidly
drawing out of the cold northern winter
and into a tropic warmth. The nights
were perfect, the days divine. The
passengers responded as if to a magic
‘draft. and Kirk acknowledged to a re-
luctant enjoyment of the change and
found himself less eager to go back.
Mrs. Cortlandt joined him as usual
on deck after dinner, and they did a
mile around the promenade, chatting
idly of many things. The evening was
too glorious to permit of early retiring,
and a late hour found them leaning
over the rail, side by side, while An-
thony bewailed the fact that he knew
nothing of the country just beyond the
dark horizon ahead of them. They
talked about the canal
“It is a big task. Mr. Anthony, and
the mere digging of the ditch is the
smallest part. There is a great deal
more to be done. You see, as men at-
tain culture, they require more than
mere food and drink and bedding, and
in the same way, as nations attain to
greatness, they require more than mere
territory—they reach out and absorb
power and prestige. Our decision to
build the Panama canal is like the
landing of another Columbus: the con-
quest is to follow. After that will
come—who knows what? Perhaps
more wars, more pillage, more injus-
tice, just as in the old days of Central
and South America.”
“You talk like a man.” Anthony said
admiringly. *1 bad no idea you looked
at things in such a big way.”
Mrs. Cortlandt hesitated slightly as
she changed the subject. *l heard you
tell the purser the other day about
your financial troubles. and it oc-
curred to me that Mr. Cortlandt might
assist you.”
“Thanks. awfully,” Kirk hastened to
say, feeling himself flush uncomfort-
ably. “But | sha’n’t need anything.
The old gentleman will wire me what-
ever 1 ask for. Does—Mr. Cortlandt
know how | am fixed?”
“No.”
“Please don’t tell him.
bit ashamed of myself.”
Mr. Cortlandt was awaiting his wife
and rose courteously as she entered
their suit.
*Did you send Annette for me?” she
inquired.
“Yes. 1 thought you had forgotten
the hour. We rise at 6.”
“My dear.” she returned coolly, “1
was quite aware of the time. | was
talking to Mr. Anthony.”
“By the way, some of the passengers
are remarking about your friendship
for him.”
Mrs. Cortlandt shrugged. "I expect-
ed that. Does it interest you?”
The man favored her with his wintry
smile. “Not at all.”
“If he should need assistance while
in Panama | should be obliged if yon
would accommodate him.”
“Don’t you think that is going a bit
too far? You know 1 don’t fancy
him.”
Mrs. Cortlandt frewned slightly.
“We won't discuss it,” she said. “I as-
sured him he was at liberty to call on
us for anything. and naturally that
ends the matter.”
“Naturally,” he agreed. but his col-
orless cheeks flushed dully.
When Kirk came on deck early the
following morning he found the Santa
Cruz nosing her way into Colon har-
bor. A land fog obscured his view
somewhat, but through it he beheld a
ow, frregular line of mountains in the
background and close at hand a town.
The ship came to anchor abreast of a
point upon which he descried a squat
little spider legged lighthouse and long
rows of frame dwellings half hidden
[Continued on page 7, Col. 1.]
I—I'm a little
Dry Goods, Etc.
LYON & COMPANY.
White Sale!
This will be the greatest sale we have ever held, —in
variety ; in value, and in volume.
EEE
Undermuslins, Humidor Table Linens and
Napkins; Sheets and Sheetings in Cotton and
Linen; Pillow Cases and Pillow Casing in
Linen and Cotton; Bed Spreads; Towels and
Toweling; White Waists and Waistings; new
Tub Silk. In addition’ to this large White
Sale we are showing the advance styles in
Spring and Summer Dress Goods
in Wool, Silk, Ratine, Crepes and Crinkles.
Rummage Table
Having finished inventory, all odds and ends,
short lengths in Dress Goods in Silk, Wool
and Cotton—a general clean up in every de-
partment—are put on this table, at prices
that must sell them quickly.
All Winter Goods Must Go Now.
All Coats and Suits, Children’s Coats and
Furs sold regardless of cost. Choice always
goes first. Don’t wait; come at once and get
first Choice.
Lyon & Co. .... Bellefonte
Ci
Shoes. Shoes.
Yeager’s Shoe Store
“FITZEZY”
The
Ladies’ Shoe
that
Cures Corns
Sold only at
Yeager’s Shoe Store,
Bush Arcade Building,
58-27
BELLEFONTE, FA.