' '.-. -i,i fc fr i i- fi ( m ! ia t ife. IJ . "iij.-- ir.,.,., . - i r - I V Tfimfi& PAWNED" An Unusual Romane, of PeepU Whet Very B.l.f It rMfi te D. the Bidding of Otht'J By FRANK L. PACKARD Auther of "Th, Miratle Man," "Frem New On," He. CaavrteM, tltt, hv rllli Ltictr Cvmni WMEt1. T"' HEGIN TIIK STORY vJS iSA,,,nRMe ,0 threw off his lee of drink, fltW S?-fi!wn hit little methflrlrM diiMghtcr. MS K llre. te his old frlfml. I'aul Venn. E'vll 2l l 1 b, brought up wlltieut titMwIedse of !itr ' SI? hsr.rpal fathnr unill h pin rodeem hla " F S? V i te i mlPdsn bv nvprrftmlnir h s wenknnss und t jrermng mmsir Twenty Jears inisr mine attempt made iv a young- un .known whits mnn te slew away en rmp aaiuns from aaniea Jvl fT " mysterious &JiCM' tranau B.N53..y4unKer man et fjvev auto his atrvlce. V? t astri-t hi-ad of Am &. M' ;w; - r.-y- tA i IS' UAS K 2. r , t!i. Taan-er J ' K7 Jhrlnga him undr the k"n observation kTu "t " mBirniim panmnKrii ivnu uiii a , HID1 a strange contract, whereby the florae te pawn himself i. (lllbert larmen 1' thn imnrla'a ura1thlt rhilln l r Kftmennr houses. The yeunr man, 5- yirta la a Ban KrarHacan or (reed Jam- C UT- w' a mania for R.imbllni. Ii Jehn n Bruce. In the Bambflna- house, which f, Bruce "lslt' as a. secret Inspector, 'ha jlays till ha la broke, und threuzh the ji Jnanatemrnt la glen a chnnc te pkwn W tome atuables. The pawnbroker Is ft t inarxeleusly beautiful alrl. TraUInc her " I Be irets Inte a brawl, und finds' aaneluary ' ' In her home Just as Us keels ner at ths ,j (set of the clrl. Khe rails In Dr Oran. s- brilliant physic an but a druit addict. Jrhe Is In le with her. She repulses la advances, but te aan Urucc's life tirees te marry Crani. Cran robs the af of Ilruca'a money which U'alre na hidden. Ilruce ami her te marry him, let Is aatenlshed at Crana'a grip en her. . Xawklna reveals te Jtruce he Is the Kin's worthless father, llauklns prom ea te reucem mmeeii ny givine up ar'nn, ami i , ' K'- m . )' l , fe ! Pi K' m I I A lift. V"S I&, & rt 'a. - A h . ! I .4 1 Sa W V enlra aKters that I'tnlr,, Hhalt lenrn , wne ner lamer is, hut liawKins re , (uses, pretendlnK he has net been able te F wnquer the habit. As Bruce sits medi tating en the iplsedc. he heards Claire's Jolce In a cry of rilstre-s. Crang 'a trying te force klaies from her. It the ntee that fellows. Ilruce hurls him newnstalrs Ulalre refuses te ee him. nd he gees back te his "work" of Ram bling In Iarmen's heusn te check uff en the employs, hut docs net play. He has taken a dislike ta gambling Dnice It kidnapped by Cranu who threatens m .Kill hint If he refuses te write a letter 'cejlng l.irmnn, the gambling king, Inte Crar.v's blackmailing peer Ven 'lia. j,lck in bed. sends i. Inlre for Ilaic- kins AND IIERK IT CONTINCES VI-' My Hnwkins is upstairs? J- Mrs. IIpiIri1 ttnrpil InrrPililleusly gmJlJlBK!! s? L-jg1 ;LgjeiYBPaW H I K1 te marrr me, and In delnt! se (H h bad the right te my full confidence. Hhe did me In " 8he read en te the end. .' "nut It's net true!" the cried out shnrply. "I don't believe It!" "Of course, It Isn't true!" mid Crtn complacently. "And, of course, "j en don't believe it ! nut Lnrraen will. I've only nhewn you the letter te let you mc what kind of a yellow cur thli would -be lever of yours is. Anything te wive hlmkelf! Hut se long as he wrote the letter, I had no quarrel with him if he wnnted te ftke cxcune for hlintclf that Rftve him a chance of holding his job with Larmen after word. It couldn't be trut true that Jehn Bene had ever written the letter, n inlFerable Judas thing that baited a trap, for one who trusted him, with the geed name of a woman for whom he had nrefchsed te care. It couldn't be true hut the signature was there, and and ft was genuine: "Jehn Hruec Jehn Bruce Jehn Bruce." It reemed te strike nt her with the cruel, ringing blows et a whlp-lnsh: "Jehn Brace JehntBtueei- ; , Jehn " . The words became blurred. It was the Infinite hopelessness of everything that crushed her fortitude, and mocked it, and made of It nt last n beaten thing. A tear fell and splashed upon the page and still another. She kept looking at the letter, though she could only see It through a blinding mist. And there was something ominous, anu nmethlng that added te her fear, that he should Imagine that her tears matle black splashed en the blurred letter a they fell i nnd Sfie heard a sudden startled snarl from Crang, nn'd the letter was snatched up from the table. And then he seemed te laugh wildly, without reason, as a maniac would laugh and with the let ter clutched In his hand rushed from the room. Claire crushed her hands ngnlnst her temples. I'erhap it w herself who had genfe mad. The front deer banged. Te tie continued tomorrow It teutdn't he tni -but the signature was there, genuine: "Jehn Bruce" and and It was ravage, hungry leek enme into Crang's eves. "But you're mine, for nil that! Mine, Claire! Mine! Yeu understand that, eh?" He advanced toward lier. I he uoer landlady thought the police should be notified that the car hud bfen stolen.' "V.. .1 .. -n nlnt.ni. f't(re" Crang grinned ndinlrlngly. "You've get fceme brains -nll there nrc around litre. of the inner room, that for weeks, un ns far as I can make out. You've get til n few dnys agi. had been occupied i It strnlght, all right. Mr. Jehn Bruce, very "tninjfe ! Khe "Thnt's and ran but k Inte lier room and te n rear window. "Loek, MKs l Inlre: Cerne here! Ynu can m'e!" And ns Claire joined her: "The deer of the shed, or the erotic" as lie c.tlK It, is ppen, nnd ou an cp for jmr-clf It's empty. If he's upstairs wlint euld he bnve done with the car? It ain't put in front of the Iieii-p, Is It. nnd bill" She caught Claire's nrm nninuly. There's been nil accident, jeu mean, and he's " "I nm sure lip never left the house," said Clnlre. nnd her voice in Its com posed finality bounded strnnge even In Iter own ears. She was thoroughly frightened new, and her fears were be ginning te take concrete form. There .were net many who would have nny use for that queer old car thnr was se intimately n-soclated with Hawkins! She ceul'd think of only one and of only one reason. She pulled nt Mrs. Hedges' nrm. "Come .ups'nin." she will. . Ijlrs. Hedges reached the deer of Hawkins' room first. "Oh. heavens:" Mrs. Hedges cried et wildly. "He ain't dead, is he?" "Se," said Clnlre in a strained voice, "lie's he's only had tee much te drink. Help mc lift him en the bed." It taxed the strength of thn two Women. "And the earn stele! gained Sirs. W.nVeu fU-hflnt? for her hrenth. ;.'Ye.s," said Claire: "I am afraid) a." 1 "Then we'll get the police at once!" Inneunced Mrs. Hedges. v'.Clnire looked at her for a moment. - "Ne." she said nlewly. shaklne: her Wad. "Yeu mustn't de that. It It will come back." ."Come back?" Mrs. Hedges stared fctlplcsKly. "It ain't n cat! Yeu you nln't quite yourself, are you. MIhs Claire? 1'oer dour, this has upset you. It nin't n fit thing for eung ejes like yours te see. Mc I'm used te it. f- "I ii m (tille m j self." Claire forced "tcalmness fhe was far from feeling into her voice. "Yeu mustn't notify the nellcc, or de a thing, except just leek after Hawkins. It It's fathers car. you knew ; und he'll knew best wliat te de.'' 'nVell. maj he. that's se," ndmitted Mrs. Hedges. ''De ou knew who the men were who were here with Hawkins?" Claire -asked. , , "Ne. I don't," Mrs, Hedges answered excitedly. "The thieving devils, com Ing here and getting Hnwkins off like this! I just knew there were some men tip in his room with him becnuse I heard them tnlking during the evening. and then when I heard th"m go out nnd cct, the inr I thought, of course, that ' Hawkins had gene with them. '(j I see." said Clnlre, striving te speak nnturully. "I I'll go back te father new. I can't leave him nlene yery long, unvhew. I'll tell him whnt baa happened, and nnd he'll decide what te de. You'll leek nfler Haw klnn. won't you. Mrs. Hedges? "Yeu run nleng, dear." said Mrs. Hedges reassuringly. "Who else but me has looked after him these ten vvClnSrc ran from th" room and down the fctnlrs, nnd out te the street. The ene thing left for her te de was te reach home and get te the telephone , gtt the Bayno-Mlley Hetel and Jehn IJrucc. Perhaps she was already tee late. She ran almost blindly along the street. Uvr Intuition, the foreboding tbnt had obsessed her se lieuvlly nil evening, was only tee likely new te! prove ifself far from groundless. What, object, saij one, could nnjbedy have in obtaining posssieii of the trnvellng pawn rhep, and nt the snine time of keeping Hawkins temporarily out of the! Jai1'' , Jt hud neer seemed se far just that I little half bleek and hulfwnv along an-1 ether. It seemed as though she had' wmi un hour In coming that little was when she finally reached her home. Her breath coming in hurd. short gasps, she opened the deer, closed it. und, with no thought but one in her mind, tan across tbe room te the telephone. She re. metnbered the number of the Itajne. jkliley. She ynntchvd the telephone re ceiver from the hook nnd then, as though her nrm had suddenly become Incapable of further movement, the re ceiver remained poised halfway te her ear. We. ('rang was leaning ever the banister, and looking down nt her. With a stilled little cry, Claire re placed the leecm'i-. . Paul Vcniza's, ekc reached her from above. "Is that j fin , Claire?" he called, 1 "Yes. father," she answered. Or. ('rung came down tin stairs. t "I just dropped in a minute age . net piefrliiiiiill.v" a snarl crept into his voice "for I have never been in formed that your father vtui-iH." ' Claire did net leek up. "It -It wasn't terieus," Mie. said. "Se!" Clang smiled a little wicked ly. "I wonder wheie you get the gam Wine spirit from? One of these days you'll lifid out hew serious these at tacks uresj" lie took n step forward. JYeur father tells me seu bac been 5 swr te I law kins' room." JEfevThere was n curious hint of both 'fSCOsllenge nnd perverted humor in his (Kwfflfelte. It set nt rct nny lingering .'FS, ileubt Clnire might have had. tV? - n'J''ev," she said, and faced him new, ?? BtrieycH, nure anu sicuiiy, uru en nm. .Blcally. "Kvtn the be,t of us have vjTV kan vlrei! It chnulil touch US te be &mMirantf .withletliBrsI" ' v ' yATssilalM'ifl1lftTi rrtrni una Tfirlrllr Keeet I' wonder If jeu knew hew much I ;yeui; viie suiu in a icrnse, row MUMsHiii-1..i-Lir;,A'.ji.T-".inAM-,,k .. ' v'.rT .. am, if i. '&. Mtif'siTj'jjmru, i. X&kRM&mm&iSfr v i - Wi. ' MWIIT "' " t .JTj ... ' .. n ( I, by Jehn Bruce, was just behind her, and she retreated through it. He fol lowed her. She did net want te cr.v out the sound Wuld reach the sick room above; and, besides, she dared net show the man that she had any fear. "Don't fellow mc like thai!" she breathed fiercely. turned! "Why net?" he retorted, as he Eseulre. rnmp out of Lavcrgnc's en be ing informed that Hawkins was In bad shape no lie nbefH that! and wnlked into the car without a murmur. Toe bad te bother the police, though the car will have been left in front of Haw kins' deer ngain b new." "Whnt are you going te de with him?" Her voice wns ery low. "The premise thnt I gave jeu was en thn condition that lie lived net only then, switched en the light anil closed the deer. "I've get the right te, even if I hntln t something that I enme ever ' hut new here particularly tonight te tell you Crang laughed outright, about quite privately." i "Oh. don't worry about thnt! He'd She bad put the table between them, never let it get that fnr. He thinks That he made no effort te come nearer I tee much of Mr. Bruce! He has al fnr the moment afforded her a certain ready taken care of himself at another rntfnf hilt tbeen una immntlilnir In flie,. ... MMnnLn " relief, but there wns something In the mile with which he surveyed her new, a cynical, gloating triumph, thnt chilled her. "Well, what N it?' she demanded. "I trapped that damned lever of jeurs tonight!" he announced coolly. Claire felt her face go white. It wat true, then ! She fought madly with herself for self-possession. "If jeu mean Mr. Bruce," she said delibcrately. "I was lust going te try te warn him ever the phone; though, ; Yerk just nt the right moment. And even then, I was afraid I was tee Jlr. Bruce has very kindly consented te "tie. i assist in convincing .Mr. l.nrmen thnt "Ah!" he ekclalmed shnrply. "Yeu I exposure isn't worth the few dollars knew, then?" that would buy him immunity." ( laire shrugged her shoulders. Crane took a letter from his necket 'Oh, j es!" she said contemptuously, i abruptly, and. opening it. laid it in mnn s exnense Clnlre stared numbly. She did net understand. "I'll tell you," said Crang, with brutal viciousness. "He's a profes sional gambler, this supposedly wealthy gentleman of leisure. He works for a man In San Francisce named Larmen, i who really Is wealthy, but who poses I as a pillar of the church, or words te I that eneet. .Never minci new, out Larmen will be here tonight in New "My faith in you where evil is con cerned is limitless. I heard your threitts. I snw Hawkins a few min utes age. He was quite quite help less. Yen . or some of your confeder ates, traded en his weakness, took the key of the then stele front of Claire. "I thought perhaps jeu would like te read It," he said carelessly. Claire rested her elbows en the tabk and cupped her chin In her hands. She stnred nt the letter. At first the words car away from him. and i ran together, nnd she could net mnke the cnr. Ordinary thieves, them out. Then a sentence took form. would net have acted like that." An icj Millie came te her lips His and then another nnd she rend them piteously. " I asked a girl & ether Fleer Coverings RUGS at Sp tend id SMN6S This., Kl N.iU.I rseiui Stare In is hie cities that la the merchandising- power behind the wonderful bar,ralna in aUntUrd f oer coverings we are able te offer you. We sell te you at prices) semetlnfw lower than meat retail stores have te pay at wholesale. Inresag-ate! Yeu can't afford net te. . 31 s&ts Velvet Rugs A ft.98 In exceptionally beantlfel all-ever floral and medallion limited num&r, se rerae early ii you effects. Only want one. 19 $42'50 Seamless U Axminster Rugs c c. Very high pile rlrb Oriental sml P Olie floral effects. Celers and patterns suit- 9x12 ft b,e er "? reqm. Net mere than two te, a customer. Less thin wholesale, at .98 $1.75 GENUINE 1 -INL'AID rtlt frnm full rn1l ntsr rtnninti foaertment of all the mett wan tort pattenm and colorings. LINOLEUM Q ints, 2 yards wide, in a big Mjrr Nqnare Yd. $1.65 Grade Velvet Stair Carpet, New In rich colors Includ Inp plenty et blue. 27" wide superb qual ity, suitable for balls, stairs or runners. s I STORES n ttMJMJfffTtTjTMlUgNAlj i ssisivJvilsVJivissajsfJsSHBIiSH . sanwsOTMsj 98c lis yard $3-50 Axminster Rugs Size 27x54. New ricnutiful mottled effects special let et CO te he disposed of at this substan tially low price. M OCR miNCIPLES Courtesy and Service Assured Satisfaction Guaranteed or Meney 'Cheerfully Refunded Prepaii Stall Orieri rrempHy Pilltd. SlVeVs AutomebUe DeUfery ". i ( i . ft . . ' r-b'i ': M f ki t i asssisi-,j7 t :. & T&xt&i Be Sure Te Buy the Evening Public Ledger 0 Thursday, the 16th Every Weman Will Want the Spring Fashion Review in New Rotogravure WV -af5vV.., t sPsBslsiHsBiMsaMLss ,4 t& -j.i.fyi.t.Vjr'taiify1tea a Special Lenten i Reductions WMRRR ECONOMY RULES" FbR PHILADELPHIA, CAMDEN, READING, LANCASTER' AND VICINITY H New Laid EGGS hi Lewest Price in 9 Years 25 c Dez Fancy Selected in sMBBssMasmsaasssssssssMwsssaBasass r!1" 'N EGGS 3ft in Cartons ' XiJW 'mj00M BUTTER 45 c Lb FANCY CREAMERY BUTTER y i i w i i K i Fine Cane Granulated SUGAR : ' Gorten's Codfish 42: c Save 7 Cents Brick -JkW r j J :hm mKKm Pink Imen Tall Can Save 3 Cents a Can 9C Kraft O Of? Cheese.Yraxr c All Varieties. Save 13 Cents Evaporated MILK Direct from Choicest Milk-Producing Districts 325 Save 8c bmbHssjsVbmb1 9tSI Cracker Specials Rabbits ..... lb 18c Pineapple Cfrkes . . lb Demestic Sardines - c- 5c Wet Shrimp - - - c. i5C Fancy Pea Beans - - gc Miaker Salt - - - 10c France-American Spaghetti Ben Ami c.ue 9c Ben Ami Powjeriec Rinse pi 6c Eagle Condensed Milk - 19c ' - - can 10c .! Coffee Red Circle Coffee A Delightful Blend of Choicest Imported Coffee Our own importation 25 c lb. WE OPENED 38 NEW ECONOMY STORES LAST WEEK THE GREAT .. . ,.,, i Olores fP" ', Philadelphia district Thc'Werlri's !i3!?s,1i, c ,- .. ..w tiiiiiuim ni ATI AilTIP a naaiirin TEA h LHiiiib ck rni. r i. WS&'.mmt&Sa&& mmmmmmmmmamammmmmimmiimmaaimm WA aV'tn " iWm..!- . ....... , . tUl.r.ii, ..... 1SSMZI cw'wbwbwj s?.h?&m?jwrtm
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers