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By
HENRY RUSSELL MILLER
B8YNOPSIS.
Mark Truitt, encouraged by his sweet-
heart, Unity Martin, leaves Bethel, his
native town, to seek his fortune. Simon
Truitt tells Mark that {t long has been
his dream to see a steel plant at Bethel
and asks the son to return and build
one If he ever geta rich. Mark applies to
Thomas Hanley, head of the Quinby Iron
works, for a Job and ls sent to the con
ptruction gang. His success In that
wins him a place as halper to
Andzrejzski, open-hearth furnaceman, He
ecomes a boarder in Roman's home
masists Plotr, Roman's son, In his studies
Kazia, an adopted daughter, shows her
gratitude in such a manner
Mark's interest in her. Heavy
the intense heat of the furnace
Mark to collapse and Kazia cares
him. Later Roman also succumbs
Mark gets his job Roman resents this
and tells Mark to find another boarding
place. Flve years elapse during which
fark has advanced to the jofemanship
swhile his labor-saving devices have mad
him invaluable to the company. In
meantime Kazia has married one Jim
‘Whiting. Mark meets with an accident
which dooms him to be a cripple for life
He returns to Bethel Intend to stay
there. He finds Unity about t
other man and wi her back t
urges him to return to his work in the
city.
work In
for
@
the
CHAPTER Xli—Continued.
There had been a snow, hard packed
by traffic, and the blacks caught the
sleigh swiftly along through the dusk
When the crowded business section
lay behind them, Henley remarked
casually:
"1 saw
there.”
“He was a cripple.”
“1 see,” Henley nodded.
your greatest asset.”
“What is?”
“Your health.’
“My lack of it, you mean,” Mark an-
aswered grimly. “But 1 don't quite
£et your point of view.”
“It keeps you
of yourself.
stance, a capable
your little charity back
“That's
making
Hare,
drinkir
And H
m prosperity
keep your
from
for in-
1g him-
armon,
means indulgence ‘ou
api
“I have («
etites
“Exactly
blocks Henley app:
over wholly to tl
of brecthing
When he resumed
guessed from his
working toward a
bee's case is wor:
‘Has he—"
“His wife.
with a craze for «
after he made hi
ways nagging hin
carriages,
dress for
to dances and 1
ties
it out
the rolls
been sitting for his
him until
scrupulously
ager to get into socie
her i
months beating
me to send my
her. Queer,
will let a
him around by the
“Damned queer!
“1 suppose
same case, can't
Henley, Mark tho
understand it very
A few minutes more brought
dashing up to a stop under the porte
cochere of Henley's big b
“Much obliged said
Henley as he sprang out of the sleigh
He added casually, "Er-—by the way, |
think I heard my wife say she was
planning to call on Mrs ruitt in the
near future.”
Despite a
at him steadily,
a parable?”
“By no means, Henley returned
blandly. “It seems they have met at
St. Swithin's and were-—mutually in-
terested.” He paused, but as no reply
came from Mark, continued in the im-
personal tone of one who philosophizes
generally, “After all, there's a Higs-
bee in all of us. We affect to jeer at
this society thing. But we want our
wives to have the best, It's more com-
fortable, too. And besides, when a man
has a charming wife, he can’t hide her
light under a bushel. Good night”
“Good night Especially,” Mark
muttered to himself, “when she pro-
poses to let it shine.
reins an angry jerk. The horses leaped
and raced down the driveway and into
the street, The music of the sleigh
bells rang merrily on the keen air.
Once he laughed aloud, sneeringly
“Complaisant toady!"”
fer to Henley.
self In mind. One can not well openly
resent the insolent If friendly inter.
when 30
used to.”
on he's
As a
passes for
to call
how talented
pretty useless woman
ears!
said Mark.
aren't
we who in
them
ouse
for the lift"
1
quick flush, Mark looked
“Higsbee, then, was
“"
Author of
“THE MAN HIGHER UP,” “HIS RISE
TO POWER," Etc.
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Mark, leaning hard om his cane,
lHmped stiffly up the terrace steps tol
the porch. The parlor—Unity was |
beginning to refer to it, not easily, as
the drawing room-—was lighted, the |
shades were not drawn,
Unity was reclining in graceful atti. |
tude—she could be relied upon to pre- |
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big
soft,
of some |
became |
of her
coiffure
that
easy chair, Her gown,
pale green stuff vastly
and, as did every detail
from the carefully achieved
to the black velvet
peeped out from beneath her skirt,
avouched the that [nity had
mastered more than the rudiments of
the art
He
heavy
drawing
slippers
fact
of personal decoration
doffed his
into
went into the house,
overcoat and limped
room. Unity did not
much as a glance around distu
graceful pose until he was at her side
Then she languidly held up a hand to
him,
a
the
by so
rb her
He brushed it with his li You're
He went
admiring pat
ps
80 far as to give a brief
to her hair.
She
You'll
He dropped her hand. "That
ildn’t it
He sat down near her, Shi
The
moved petulantly. Don't!
muss my hair.”
would
be a shame, wou
sighed
hought
have tl}
was
gigh, one might
of alarm and YeCcause
vd
“No, Thanks! | Might Acquire
Taste.”
for three
tried hard
win.”
ship 1 have
years to
“Then she came up to the plans and
specifications?”
“She's a dear So sweet and re
fined! So intelligent and ambitious!
It's no wonder a man with such a wife
has got as far as Mr. Henley has
Though 1 suppose he would never give
her credit.”
“1 fancy Henley does her justice,”
Mark ventured
“That is more,”
a0
Unity's tone was
of the man whose eccentric favor spells
prosperity. Still it stings, especially
when It argues a shrewd guess as to
the fact,
tendent Truitt's domestic estate, like
the neighborhood in which he lived,
left something to be desired.
He stopped at a brick house that
differed from its neighbors only In that
the lot was wide enough to allow for
a driveway to the little stable in the
rear. A groom, who had come to the
front in answer to the summons of the
bells, took the team.
some people I know do for their
wives.”
Habit put a seal on his lips
From lesser beginnings the Truitts
had found, in the earlier years of thelr
rels--nasty quarrels in which tempers |
and that invariably had the same issue
the husband, humiliated by the sor
didness of it, suing for peace. But
that stage had passed. Now, at the
first sign of hostilities, he promptly
hung out a white flag.
She eyed him covertly for a little
“1 was so nghamed this afternoon,”
she murmured at last pathetically,
He opened his eyes with a start; he
had almost slept. “Ashamed? Oh,
yes-—Mra. Henley, What did you do?" |
“1 did nothing. It was this house, |
could see her looking around #@t all
his au ng to hide her » nuserrant
over it. Though she was careful not
to take too much pains to hide it.”
“But, for a friend, isn't that—"
“Oh, you can't understand. Or
won't,” she amended bitterly. “You've
no conception of the pride a woman
likes to have in her home. Of course,
she looked down on this, Anybody
would.”
“We used to think it mighty fine, In
Bethel we never dreamed of anything
80 good.”
“You didn't, But I 414,” she re-
torted, “Besides, we aren't in Bethel
We're here and growing rich.
And we ought to live like the rest of
our kind.”
“Just what is our kind, Unity?”
“If you didn't have me to give you
ambition, we'd still be homely dowdy
nobodies.”
“Then we are somebodies?”
“We can be. We're going to be.
She sat up suddenly, her thin
tightening.
ply must-—move,
know.”
“Yes, can do it" He
gesture of resignation. “But it will
clean me out of ready cash.”
“You can make more,” sald Unity
negligently, “You're so clever at that,
And besides, what's the use of having
money if it doesn't buy the things we
want?"
“For one thing"
“1 can't
been
widows penniless
an evident
over all this a hundred times. 1
Yielding was in his volce
we
m
have
their
he smiled kr
get insurance, and men
die and
However,” he
effort,
known to leave
with “we've gone
11 "
ii Bee
languid grace
gave him her
ain
She fell back into her
ful pose She e
sweetest smile, which
ingly gr
only triumph
“You can
purred “I'm
now you'd better hurr)
¥
meant
ir
she
He saw
n lov ateful
be such a dear!”
80
y and dress
the Higsbees are co
dinner.”
Know
He “I'd forgot.
limped heavily f
repressed an oath
ten.” And he
room
own room !
ding for a
and
pride
urie
weakness
was nis
four
before
never
others
He descended ba
nity in greetis
He did not
iQ
« tnd rood
which ¢ruds
Unity
gusp
he
had
icior what
Henley's call
a gift from Henley
smoked, slowly and very
i cigar
| Higabee had consumed the
a mild which
e, untact
to send his
ife aro
Mark
didn’t get him to
-
resented the question
incred-
stand
get a
Higsbee looked a bit
certainly do
you
Well, you
well with him day, if
chance, I wis}
that
“I'm afraid,
ley isn’t a man
t kindly
drop him a hint
we'd be glad wave her call
ul Hen
sort
Mark sald coldly,
that f
to take of
a hin
“1 wish
would,
ia crazy for |
you Higsbee urged
‘Mrs. H And 1 reckon.”
be laughed lumberingly, “the best way
is get a woman what she wants
It's comfortablest, anyhow.”
“I haven't found it 80,” Mark lied,
adopting Unity's tactics, and promptly
changed the subject,
But at last the Higsbees left
“Thank heaven!” exclaimed Mark
“And to think that that man is one
of the best labor handlers in the coun-
try!”
lourgeois!”
and a nod to
guests
“Spell it.”
Unity complied.
“Hmm!
means.”
admiration
You've got
to
Unity gave a shrug
include the departed
He gave her a look of mock
the nerve
But Unity was too well pleased with
reminder, “Don’t you see why 1 am
are
“1 can see,” he sald, “I shall have
to give In.”
She went to him with a little eud-
dling movement, locking both hands
up at him She made a pretty ploture.
A mirror over the mantle reflected It
for him
“Oh, Mark, you make me so happy!
that we've got so far--and that we're
going so much farther?”
“You insist upon the truth?’ He
looked thoughtfully at the reflection.
“Well, 1 suppose I must be. Other
wise you couldn't force me to buy the
capable bully-—"
“Bully!”
“Exactly. Only,” he continued, “I
still have a sense of proportion. We
are rather absurd, you and I, Unity.”
She laughed contentedly, “1 know
you. It's like you to growl when you're
doing a specially nice thing.” She
held up her lips to him.
“And is this my reward? Magnifi-
cent!” But he did not kiss her. He
looked curiously at her. Long ago ne
had been undeceived. He
the shallow tenderness and admiration
summoned by her sweetness of flesh
and perfect grooming were not
“No,
taste
thanks! 1
And it's too He
expensive
examine a book that the
plano
iay on
gentle
don’t
alr of re
you
assumed an
Mark,
She
proach.
that?"
She did not
his laugh
‘Oh. no!
Oh, mean
He returned
CHAPTER XIII.
Trophies.
was the word most often
Truitt's rise, It was
A CAreer pf nly in his
industry and at that time when, no
matter fast
new
"Meteoric’
used to describe
sible « chosen
piants w
adopted, tI
with th
how multi
ere
ri lt . i
plied and
output
world's
devices
keep pace
demand fc
of several ot
Ines
in his
months he
grocess
fs 3
orid
/ 3 + Vy
to which
je OTe
age BOY
¥ » 8
there is nd
But
species so readily
Content
gan to complain of the heavy
ordering so t
her
LOing our
adapts itself as to
Unity be
labor of
resumed
Mark, finding fault
3
dress ais
luxury dissolved
ig a house, She
criticisms of
fashion
habits and his
seized with
amusement
evening
guests and demanding that Mark per
form his duties host Other
nings she dragged him to the theater,
he detested When he, ren-
dered peevish by late hours and bore
dom suggested that there mat.
inees, i an injured air that
was frritating to him than out
right distemper
Other men are glad to go out with
their wives.”
Other men don't have to work so
hard as 1 do.”
“You think of nothing but money.”
“Devilish lucky for you,” he was
indiscreet &nough to retort; and she
did not emerge from her sulks for
several days
But at last the gnawing canker was
disclosed, One evening so stormy that
no guests had come, Unity went up
to his study where he was making the
most of this respite. She talked ram-
man
neglect
She w
as
iia for
almost
house
every
As eve
which
were
she put on
more
“Well, Unity, out with it!”
utes. “What do you want? As you
see, I've got a great deal to do.”
Mrs. Henley?"
“You ought to know, You see her
oft>n enough, don’t you?”
“Yes, I see her—-at church!
call,
I svonder why?”
“Probably because she doesn’t want
us.”
Unity looked her protest at this
But she did not aban-
don hér project.
“Now you can stop right there,” he
“I'm pretty
soft, but there's one thing | draw the
line at. Ana that's ‘manaying’ ta get
flat!”
And on that he was firm,
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But in due time and without man-
agement a dinner invitation came; on
Henley nor his wife has ever disclosed
Hence we may not speak surely
to the accuracy of certain
that Unity drew.
“You see!” she cried, showing the
note to Mark. Her manner sald plainly,
“lI alone did it, in spite of the indif-
ference of my husband.”
“1 eee,” he responded dryly.
you going?’
She treated this question to the con-
temptuous silence it deserved
And as Mark stood in the hall
inferences
“Are
and
she made a fair—oh, a very
“Why,” he wondered, “did the
in it?” This seems
that he had been pretty effectually
nothing to prove
dis-
illusioned.
However careless he mi; affect to
be, he was himself
keenly elated over
the Often he 1 hin
event had i
Henley, sc
had never let down
asked
self why friendly in
jars before his
And as he unted
toward the
home the steps
openir
repress the thrill
He had
exul
“Why,” He Wondered, “Did Al
mighty Make So Pretty a Shell and
ft
the
Put Nothing in
had called
been listenl
her
think
more
sl youd
Mr. Hare ths
oyYer you
How
Oh
sweetly 1 quite
think she's adorable. 8
80 much yrirait
the one that hangs in
“But I don't know
the Louvre
Oh! 1 thought everybody had been
there
“You
anybody.”
You would say that, of course
hears
“But it's quite true. To prove it,
I've never been east of this city. In
the time | came to this
house-—-not so very long ago—1 peeked
through the window at the party. Hen
ley caught me.” He grinned wryly
“The next day 1 got a job handling
pick and shovel.”
“How very romantic!’
“You wouldn't
you'd been in Houlahan's gang
“And then, of course,” Mrs
me
of that px you know,
Louvre
I've never been
the
in
gee, Mre. Saunders, I'm not
One
first
’
princess?’
“The princess?
1 suppose so.”
“She has always lived in the city,
hasn't she?”
“You'd think so, wouldn't you?”
Mark glanced critically at Unity. “But
she hasn't. Eight years ago she was
living in Bethel. And Bethel, Mrs.
Saunders, you'll never find on the
map.”
*Oh!"
Oh! my wife. Yes,
Mrs. Sannders said inno
cently, “I had inferred-—but that per
fect manner! Ske must have ao
quired it at her finishing school?”
Mark chuckled. "Finishing school!
1 wish you could see Migs Smith's
seminary for young ladies. It isn't
even a starter”
Mrs. Baunders laughed admiringly
‘How very clever! | must tell your
wife”
Bhe leaned forward a little toward
Unity, “Oh, Mrs. Truitt—""
Unity gave ear,
“1 must tell you the
your husband just sald
your school
seminary, wasn't it?
a finishing school And Mr. Truitt
sald”"-—-Mrs. Baunders’ volce carried
well——"1t isn't a starter. Awlly
good, 1 think.” A faint titter ran
down the table. “Ah-—where is Miss
Smith's seminary, Mra Truitt?”
It was Henley himself, strange to re-
late, who came to Unity's rescue
“Never, Mrs Saunders,”
marked, with an edge to his voice that
men recognized, ‘never
the past-—here, at least Only the
other day Baunders was telling me
he often wakes up in a cold sweat, be-
eard in his dreams, ‘Dig
clever thing
We were talk-
Mise Bmith's
And 1 called it
even
he ré-
uncover
in, ye tarrier!
n all laughed
Mrs
smiles
Saunders exchang
sete
ven tenor
Mark grimly
OW
I've
i let mvsel
ny
rv
anger wae
through
hat had been
fering in-
nity, like all
He was,
capable of
ol menace in his
ke down mis
ger in which
interview, she
a frightened
ng-#
ward
her
ose br
g the rin
tha
with
with a careless lift
and a curt, “Good
® * * *
eat be
ring despondently into
rkroom he
dancing
fool,” gy |
led
he said
Now 1 will
have been
ugh
Il as he couid, he tried to keep
to himself
INTINUED)
Test for Mental Deficiency.
physician, Doctor De
making observations
on the capacity of different people
for judging which of weights is
the heavier, and has satisfied himself
that, while ordinary people, especially
children, fail to appreciate a small dif
erence, the reverse is the case with
the imbecile, idiotic and half-witted
He prepared two bottles, differing in
Belgian
moor, hag been
A
two
over with black
equal In weight
covered all
exactly
eral but
from six to fifteen years of age. Of
The other ten sald the twe
were the same weight. These ten chib
How the Boy Scouts Help.
A story Hluetrating the helpfulness
of Boy Scouts to those on the road is
related by a correspondent,
“1 had a puncture near Farnborough,
Kent, a few days ago,” he sald, “and }
was busily mending it when a troop of
scouts came along and, to my sun
prise, the scoutmaster ordered them
to halt
“‘Can we help you, sir?” he sald
‘We have motoring experts in the
troup.’
“Two very small scoute—who had
proficiency badges for ‘motor repain
ing’ and ‘puncture mending'-—stepped
forward and saluted. 1 am sorry | did
not need help"--fondon Mirror.