ABB Author of “THE MAN HIGHER UP.” “HIS RISE TO POWER,” Etc. » SYNOPSIS. Mark Truitt, by hin sweet heart, Unity native town, 'ruitt tells his dream encouraged Martin, leaves Bethel, to seek his fortune, Simon Mark that it long has to see a steel nt and asks the son to return and one if he ever gets rich wpplies to Thomas Henley, head of the Quinby works, for a fob ar is sent to struction gang iis success in that wins him a pi Tr to Andzrejzski, p naceman, hex v bos ‘ loman's home in his studies the con Omes Kazia, an gratitude Mark's interest the Intense Mark to him Mark and tells place 1 nde in =m CHAPTER X. Wounded on the Field, often would be turned into the cinder pit be broken without delay. Not seldom the water would be conveyed under the crust, come into contact with the still molten slag and be converted sud denly into steam. Then would be an explosion Men ously injured, or even there killed, of the employment. It happened when Mark had been following his straight road ahead for more than five Five years during which he success, substantial if not years. had won brilliant! disputed by those few who knew sundry labor-saving devices installed in the Quinby mills during this period were of his invention When Henley heard of dent he frowned; Henley detested ac cidents, which inefficiency somewhere But i tion was added the open-hearth b the injured, he sal in person at and and through ti the b the acci- spoke of that among and hospi aone called once his own physician by tele ies command ecered ii and care for that val The conclave Mark's sh his death and did that, steps into would knowing f pain, Thomas hould be paid. nightly faded m of the was an awkwi: who would sit never form under the Mark began taking did body lowly assed out I even al lowed to talk and to be talked t tle. But in the of his visitors calloused i of immediate danger: he was » a lit manner of the nurses from Bethe doctors, l, even of the a grave gen exultation to be expected after triumph over death He felt it, He put What are yy me’ y 1 tleness, an absence of the fo Keeping his father they question his back with walk 8 crutch, did he try to evade lie. “Ye'll Ye'll have a4 cane, always “It's my hip?” “Yes.” “Is that all?” “Ye were hurt innardly to be careful always. No in the mills.” Mark closed his eyes, uttering no complaint. But within was a turmoil of protest and rebellion. A cripple, a partial Invalid for life! Half a man! So had ended the dreamed cam- paign of conquest, Tears of futile rage seeped out through his closed eyelids. His recovery was slow and very painful; six years of driving ahead at top speed had left him but little re- serve vitality for the emergency. The mood of rebellion died down from sheer exhaustion. He accepted his misfortune; but sullenly, with no swell- ing heroic resolve to defy untoward circumstance, There was no conscious desire to never to 4 easy again leastways more work been banished, They were too much the object of his smoldering ment just then. ¢# the betrayed toward the traitor, “I think,” he said once to Simon and left the city, “I'll go back to Bethel.” “It will be a good place to recuper ate,” sald the preacher. “But 1 mean to stay.” “We shall be glad to have you back.” the memory of Umity Martin, Mark found a certain grim humor in recollection, He bad had his period of tragic re. morse for Kazia., He had not, how. ever, let conscience push to the ex treme of disturbing the fixed desting just mentioned. Nor was he in sttaining a comparative pea ung ing Not met Piotr, who conveyed the news that married Whiting. of narration implied Whiting was a poor had been fortunate to He seemed disappointed his auditor showed no deep emotion Mark's letters Unity had Soon her manner though Kazia refuge, escape contin re fo had the way of sent-a letter that answer l, leaving love affair suspended, so to Une length; in they never to lose And then he to at ak, rare and m BPs of Simon's 18- spelled missives informed was, in the, phrase Bethel yj slocu any prosperous young the vi ity. This may poetic retribution few days’ f secret reli hare regarded indignation ons not can has paid a price Kazia married iim, keeping Hil in sheer *1 - ' =iocum had naa he dram farce do well, con cluded, as too * * ed one day of a quick un tread in the corridor n and into Hey had Ming by “T'll see that you don't steal this” Mark responded ungraciously. *“Be- cause, when you pay for it, you've got to pay for this, too.” He put a hand on the injured hip. “That is, if I ever put the idea in shape.” Henley waved a hand to Intimate that allowance must be made for an invalld’'s humors. "Of course, wa ex pect you to be business-like, Just what do you mean by that ‘if'?” “I mean I'm through with the mills.” “Who,” Henley's glance swept Simon and Richard Courtney sharply, “who has been putting fool ideas into your “You, for one, when you come here I'm a valuable man, not be- cause I'm a man, Would you come to see me if 1 hadn't a new invention in mind?" “Nonsense! You're sick, that's all.” Henley smiled kindly but confidently “I've seen men in your before, You think you won't come back. But Why? Because you're a val stick to that, You've a Case uable man-I how men and sense youve got a on. Most men would think themselves lucky if they had any one it mean? That course And when kind of life, he away than molten steel What does here, of those x i ny ¢ you fit in of fits a man into any 3 "¢s } en no more Keep something the there's that you'll find it so siness gets into of a man Hy abruptl; ne and blood looked ri (1 ILC ANG ross I'il rutch, nd,” i“ a I] i sald gentiy I'm sorry. makes a difference, OUrse It is possible that Henley was value wo not mercial ved NE S6are lous patient leaned forward a a commanding ut a hand ingly do ana ngl) a crutch, do ngth that Mark re PHB 8 amazement sald Henley He nodded ydded toward Simon neces introduc BATY Pleased fis son to meet onship “I'm Going Back-—Home.” will grow I am finishing your job, Doctor Courtney.” He turned to Mark. Simon and Courtney pushed their chairs back from the bedside, that the great man might hold the stage. “When,” Henley asked, “do you ex. pect to come back to ust” Mark winced and returned to the sullenness that was becoming his habit. “I'm going back-—-home.” The pause and the slight emphasis on the last word were not lost on Hen ley; a suspicion as to their import stirred. But: “Exactly right!” he exclaimed heart. “Stay as long as necessary to get together, You're too valuable a man to take chances. Your By the way, about that new charging machine you spoke of before fhe accident: 1 sup- pose the plans aren't where we can lay our hands on them?” “No,” answered Mark, "you can't lay your hands on them. They're in my “An excellent place to keep ‘em,” Henley agreed. “Suppose then, when you're feeling up to it, | send one of our engineers after you to go over the If there's anything in the idea, we ought to install the ma chines before winter . “You can send him, if you want to Fut t go over the ' discouraged the sugges in * CHAPTER XI, The Measure of a Man. wu yy ifn Dis 1e¢ day with him He had his w appeared a b IERY lazy neavy-looted Dorse « for woms« the buggy Mark white shirtwaist before the Even h for recogniti near enough Knew assenger for Unity A slight tre the the p him. To a shadow by Ited-——or cast mildly mor passed over embodiment of been Jilted 7—i8 at one has n has l ng A slight t to stop that horse Unity!” fell short ex “Hello, of the dramatic gor “Oh! How do do? swered coloriessly There was a moment of silence dur ing which, without seeming to do so, they inspected each other. Mark had a twinge of disappoint. ment, This was not the Unity he had loved so boyishly-—and so briefly. She was as preity as ever, in a way even prettier; but ome could hardly have thought of her as spirituelle. Her face was fuller, its color deeper, and there was a healthy roundness in the line of shoulder and breast of the ankle that protruded from under the dust robe. Not that she was fat! But her daintiness was gone, In the item of dress she would have suffered from comparison with the young ladies of his boarding house, Her hair was done carelessly. And vivacity had gone the way of daintiness, She had the air of having settled into the habit of Bethel, of having accepted its narrow outlook. A faint vertical line between her eyes hinted that she might not have accepted it with complacency. Therefore he said: "You look the same as ever, Unity.” She brightened a little. “You think so?’ There was something almost pitiful to him in the way she caught ut the remark, She became spiritless again "But, of course, that isn't true But, of course, it 1s.” she laughed unpleasantly. “Your wouldn't think so, If you saw the way reat me here now.” be men? Surely not!" i hrugged her shoulders The Lh. you she an “No ana they don’t giggle benina my back. And when they haven't anything else I'm settling into an old maid.” “Isn't that what the rhetorics used to call hyperbole? It should be spar ingly used, a beau” "Oh! him!" With another shrug. “He's afraid I'm not a good cook.’ lover! Especially,” he laughed self. for him lashed at him. of course!" “I've had pleasanter he sald dryly, “ my last letter, Unity?” “It broke your heart, well have a little too done ‘For one thing, even | little pride It easy to see you'd got tired of me that I Those cared! boy-and-girl af- He Was Still Resting on His Grassy Bank When the Slow-Going Vehicle Reappeard fairs always « Was another He se's head is hand air » world is mine haven't shaken waved bh hands? Oh, Her tone importance to the he haven't we? at omission Nevertheless, when stood aside and laid a limp hand in Mark's Algo,” continued, haven't said you're sorry that 1 was hurt” “Oh! repeated, with perfune- he “you '«ghe | He laughed again mind now, You'll chances before long.” “Meaning?” have plenty tongues a chance to clack once more.” She drew the reins taut, “A real philanthropy,” he assented, grinning, as the horse lumberingly re Mark swung slowly along homeward. He smiled pityingly. He had ~-that of the condemned prisoner who He was sorry for her And pity have it from the poets——is love's poor relation, we Mark regained a measure of strength He discarded crutch and each day to take a few steps experi with but a cdne y beautiful idle one no support gpent many alone or with Richard Courtney ing his new horse among the hills Sometimes Unity Tongues clacked often was with him on these drives according to prophecy not And Unity did not care Mark fell placidly and easily in love care At t. the while Al leas 1 t decided ity again, protesting, he hat it must to the public, isn't it? of buying a new horse son why we shouldu’t be good friends, is there?” “People will talk.” He paraphrased a classic formula “Unity,” he sald earnestly, “drat the people!” . “You can say that, to stay here.” “But I'm going to stay here.” “Not for good?” “For good.” “Why? Mark laughed shortly. “When you're put out of the race, you don't want to stay where you have to watch the others still running.” She inspected him again, more closely, He thought he was sincere. But he did not know that despite the crutches and his drawn white face he had not the resigned dispirited air of the man who has accepted a perma nent seat on the shelf, “look as long as you want to,” he suggested at last, “In the meantime will yqp set the dogs on me when | drive down your way?" “Oh, well!” She tried unsuccess fully to return to indifference. “If you really want to come--! It's been a dull season. | suppose it would be a You don’t have Hut ws 3 wanted to the Are yo Bethel? a4 brown added qui y take her iched little ball I think 1 do’ thinks she phized the night I have Tomorrow, right after dinner, I'm go- ing to drive down here for you. Unity, let's have the Sunday over again in every particular” Again she was silent “You don't agree?” “I<I'm not sure.” “That you love me?” She shook her head to marry you.” She does! “That 1 want ’ kissed her, she did not resist. “Wait,” he whispered fatuously, “until tomor row. Then you will be convinced.” Although what virtue the morrow would hold he did not say. He prob ably did not guess, Unity did not scruple to change the current of another's life; she saw no occasion for scruples. She thought she foved Mark. But she did not believe his expressed resolve to stay in Bethel was, could be, genuine; or, if genuine, that its execution would be good for him. And, principally-—-she knew ex. actly what she wanted, Next day they drove over much the same road they had taken seven years before. They chatted in lighter vein, with intervals of eloquent silence. On a tilitop whence they could see only other hills and the sinking sun they ate the lunch put up by the thoughtful Susan. Then they waited to watch the sunset. “Unity, what must 1 do to convince you?” “Nothing,” she murmured. He considered his happiness, And after a while she said: “Tell me about your life in the city. You've never sald much about it” Innocent demand! Not in vain is the trap set in the sight of a young | man in love, He began to describe the mills to her, And as he went on, into his words crept the unconscious elo- quence of a real enthusiasm. His face became cager. Before he had ended, he was on his feet declaiming to her, who was a very idience, He what he described “Ah!” she breathed, as he lod itBve attentive a Baw reached Vi hat a iife! And you i? forget, put out of it Bhe leaned forward s her hand on Mark iid “You co iddenly, rest ing the one that held the x y x £ ks 5 + W i ¢ 3 i VaCK CHAPTER XII. A Man and His Wife. ¢ aQown At the Door a Crippled Beggar Ae costed Them. He knew men who would have question his accounts. “Make out Mr. Truitt's check.” he directed the secretary, who withdrew and promptly returned Henley signed the check and deliw The latter receipted the accompanying voucher. “I've another thing in mind,” Hene ley suggested. “Care to go in?™ Mark hesitated, his brow suddenly wrinkling. “I think not.” he said at last, The note of irritation did not escape Henley. “I've my eye on a new house.” “l thought you fortably fixed.” Mark shrugged his shoulders. "It seems the neighborhood leaves some thing to be desired.” “Yes? 1 see” Henley indicated Mark's heavy furred overcoat, “you're driving out. You can take me home ~-yunless you're in a hurry to reach that delinquent neighborhood?” A quarter of an hour Ister the two men emerged from the corridor of the Quinby building. At the door a erip- pled beggar accosted them. Henley ignored him. Mark slyly gave him a coin, A beautifully matched team of blacks harnessed to a light sleigh awaited him. Evidently Mark had not forgot. ten his early knowledge of horse flesh, Only a man whom fortune had kissed could have afforded such horses. For Mark-with his “leg and a half” —they were hardly an extravagance, almost a necessity. (TO BE CONTINUED. were pretty come
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