Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 24, Number 174, Decatur, Adams County, 24 July 1926 — Page 3

-^=77^-..-—- ■' ' 1 Tfie GIRL in the MIRROR Elizabeth Jordan ® WNUM«rvk'«

the story CHAPTER I—Barbara Davon’s wad..fftd d.gsrtur. “ n h,r t , uD *’ rmo<jD <*»» ana o » . ljkurl ,," auccaaibut aumawhat Indlntd wUbout bar ra.tr.inln. HU theatrical MMCUtaa, to K..P an aye on him. CHAPTER IE — Laurie, who I. _," tM , r.tu.ea to aattla down to announcing hl. intention of restJi .nd •*••““» 'adventure. From Ilf window in New York ho »oe» the fiUtlvn of a beautiful UH in a mlrjer In the home opposite. IHIIT to <lo ? Laurie proceeded with hl» toilet, uistng the dressing-ease and carefully avoiding the long mirror. He experienced un odd unwillingness M look into that mirror this morning, tised partly on delicacy—he rememtered the nightdress—but more on the »eir of disappointment. If be saw t.er, it would be an Immense relief, if be didn't, he’d fancy ail sorts of things, for now his imagination was maoing away with him. When he was fully dressed he creaaed the room In three strides and atopped before the mirror with a suddenwss that checked him halfway In the fourth. Miss Mayo’s window was open. He could see that. He could see more than that, and what he saw sent him rushing through the study and out into hall of the big apartment build tog. where he furiously rang the eleTttor bell. He had not stopped for his hat and coat, but he had caught a vision of Bangs’ astonished face and half of his startled exclamation, “What the dev—” The elevator came and Laurie leaped Into it. "Down,” he said briefly. The operator was on his way up to the twelfth floor, but something in th. expression of his passenger made htoi change hla plans. Also it accelerated bls movements. The car depended briskly to the ground floor, from which point the operator was privileged to watch the progress of the temperamental Mr. Devon, who had plunged through the main entrance of th. building and across the square without a word to the hall attendants, or a backward giance. As he reached the studio building Laurie recalled himself to a memory of the conventions. He entered without undue haste, end sought the door ot the waiting lift. It was noon, and U operator he had not »een before was on duty. <* ee *«* , stepped Thio the car. —toe operaiOi hesitated. He did not remember this tenant, but he must belong to the house, as he wore no hat or coat. Probably he was a newcomer, and had run downstairs to mall an Important letter, as the old building held no mall chute. While these reflections passed slowly through hfs mind, hts rar rose as slowly. To the mentally fuming young man at his side its progress was Intolerably deliberate. He held himself In, however, and even went through the pantomime of pausing In the top-floor hall to search a pocket as if for a latchkey. Satisfied, the attendant started the elevator on Its descent, and as It sank from sight Laurie looked around him f"t Number Twenty-nine. He discovered It in an eye-flash, on the door at the right. The next Instant he had reached this door and was softly turnfol’ the knob. The door did not yield. He had hot expected It to give, and he knew exactly what he meant to do. He ’tepped back a few feet, then with a rush hurled his shoulder against the •"°d with the full force of his foot"all training in the effort. The lock yielded, and under the force of his n *n momentum the visitor shot into ' e room. Then, recovering hfs equlhrlum, he pushed the door Into place •Pd stood with his back against ft, ■vathlng heavily and feeling rather foolish. He was staring at the girl before _ ■ who had risen at his entrance. I * r expression was so full of aston*’hed resentment, and so lacking In •by other emotion, that for a sickens Moment he believed he had made •6 idiot of himself, that lie had not 2»Hy seen what he thought he had W( n in the glass. A small table sep"•»d him from the girl. Still staring Mr, In the long seconds that •Med before either spoke, he saw vul’? 16 *’ a<s ewept her right hand beMr »» r ’ >aclf ’ ln a instinctive “ ort to hide what it held. His selfreturned. He had not been ■jJJJJMii. He smiled at her apologetbog your pardon," he said. “I’m I frightened you." ® n d,<l ” Sb® spoke tensely, the t of overstrained nerves reveal•aJiieLf jn tiMilojy vf> | C e. "What do

you rueun by It? What are you 3olrig here?" Laurie's brilliant eyes were on here as she spoke, and held them steadily, Under hfs expression, one that few had seen on his face, her look of antagonism softened a little. He advanced slowly to the table between them. / 1 "It will take a few minutes to explain," he said. Then, as she waited, he suddenly formed hts plan, and followed the good old Devon principle of going straight to the point. "I live diagonally across the square," he said quietly, "and I can see Into your window from one of mine. So It happened that ,lu«t now I—l saw what you were going to do." For an Instant she stood very still, looking at him, as If not quite taking In the meaning of his words. In the next her face and even her neck crimsoned darkly ns If under the rush of a wave of angry humiliation. When she spoke her voice shook. “You forget," she said, “that you have no right either to look Into my room or to Interfere with wbat you see there.” "I know," he told her, humbly, “and I beg your pardon again. The looking In was an accident, the merest chance, which I will explain to you later. The Interference —well, I won’t apologize for that. Surely you realize that it's—friendly." x For the first time her eyes left his. She looked around the room as If uncertain what to do or say. ‘Terhaps you mean It so,” she muttered at last. “But I consider It—lmpertinent.” A change was taking place In her. The Are that had flamed up at his entrance was dying out. leaving her with the look of one who Is cowed and almost beaten. Even her last words lacked assurance. Watching her In puzzled sympathy. I.aurie for the first time wished himself older and wiser than he was. How could he handle a situation like this? Neither then or later did he ask himself how he would have handled it on the stage. For a moment the two young things gazed at each other. In helplessness and Irresolution on ixls side. In rcaeaxful questioning on hers. Even In nte high tension of the moment Laurie subconsciously took In the picture made as she stood there, defying him, with her back to the wall of life. She was very lovely, more lovely than In the mirror; for now he was getting the full effect of her splendid coloring, set off by the gewr. she wore, a thing of rich hut somber shades, lit * hung aimc't tu her knr-es. I'es, the girl was a picture against the unforgetable background of that tragic situation. But what lie admired most of all was the dignity that shone through her panic and her despair. She was up In arms against him. And yet, if he had not come. If that vision had not flashed into bls mirror five minutes ago, she might now have been lying a huddled, lifeless thing on the very spot where she stood so proudly. At the thought his heart shook. The right words came to him at last “I've had —Impulses—like yours," he said. ‘Tve had them twice. Fortunately, both times there was some one around to talk me out of them." He had caught her attention. She showed that by the way she looked at hftn. “The argument that Impressed me most,” he went on, “was that It a quitting the game. You don’t look ns If you were a quitter," he ended, thoughtfully. The girl’s eyes blazed. He had aroused her once more, and he was glad of It. He didn’t know at all what to do or say, but he dimly felt that almost any emotion In her would he | better than the lethargy she had just revealed. "I’m not a quitter!” she cried. “But Fve got dignity enough to leave n place where I’m not wanted, even it . that place happens to be the world. I Go away!” she added fiercely. "Go away and leave me alone!” Resting one hand on the table between them, he held out the other. “Come, let me have that," he suggested, imperturbably. "Then we'll talk | things over. I'll try to make you rentIze what I was made to realize myself —that we were both on the wrong track. I'll tell you what others think who are wiser than we are." As she did not move, be added, more lightly: "You see, what we were going to do Isn’t done much nowadays. It's all out of date. Come," he re-j peated, gently, “let me have It." With a movement of Irritation the girl swept her hand forward and tossed on the table between them the small revolver she had been holding. “Take It." she gafd. almoatJndiffer- — -— — — | I

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT, SATURDAY, JULY 24, 1926.

i entiy ’And »he a’StJc'®, "Xfilhti TUbJi will de as well." He picked up the little weapon and put It Into bls pocket "There isn t going to be nay stbsn time," he predicted buofaotly. “Wuw, slip into a coat while I run screw tb« street and get tuy hat aad coat anti order a taxicab We’re going eat tJ luncheon, and to tell each otter tha stories of our lives, wkb all the grltj and gory details.” ' “I don't know yon." nattered the girl. She had dropped lato a cbalr beside the table, and was Sitting with her chia In her hand, in wbat seemed a characteristic attitude, watching him with an expression he could not analyze. Laurie seemed surprised. “Why, so you don'tl" he agreed. "But you're going to. now. We're going to know each other awfully well before we get through. In the meantime, you can see by the merest glapce at me bow young and harmless I am. Where's the coat?” He turned and began a vagu*. masculine search for It. Th# girl wavered. His rising spirits word contagious, and It was clear that she dreaded being left alone. "I warn you,” she said at last, “that If you have anything to do with ma you will be sorry for it.” Laurie stopped his search, and, turning, gave her one of his straight looks. "Why?” he demanded. "Because I'm in a net." she said. "And every one who tries to help me gets caught In It, too. Oh, don’t smile I You won’t smile afterward.” He picked up a coat he discovered In a corner, and held It for her to slip Into. “I like nets," he remarked lightly, "especially If they're bright-colored, large, roomy, comfortable nets. Well have some great times in ours. Come She shrugged her shoulders, aad In the gesture slipped into the garment. ‘T'll go." she said. La a low voice. "But don’t forget that I warned you!” CHAPTER IV A Pair of Gray Eyes On their way to the restaurant Laurie had selected he chatted to bls companion in his buoyant, irresponsible fashion, but he had put through the details of the epfAode with tact and delicacy. He kntw that In front of a club two doors away from the, studio building a shoft line of taxicabs was always waiting, with the vast patience of their kind. A gesture brought one of these to the door, and when It had squawked Its way around the corner, the girl remained In Its shelter until Laurie had briefly, re-entered his own building and emerged again, wearing his coat and hat. They drove to a quiet place where the food and service were excellent, while the prices were an effective barrier against a crowd. When he and his companion were Seated on opposite sides of a table In an isolated corner, Laurie confided his order to the waiter, urged that willing Individual to special haste, and smiled i apologetically at the lady. "I’m hungry,” he said briskly. "I haven't had any breakfast this morning. Don’t be surprised If I seem to absorb most of the nourishment In the place " He studied her as Be spoke. It was ensv to do co .almost. YWBave r mS ami Surroundings. She sat drooping forward a little In her pet attitude, with her elbows on the table, and her chin in her hand, staring threugh the window with the look he had seen in the mirror. The lethargy Be dreaded again enveloped her like a garment. His heart sank. Here was something more than the ffetim of a mad but temporary impulse. Here was a victim of a sick soul, or of a burden greater than she ctiuld bear, or perhaps of both. He decided that whatever her trouble might be, it was no new or passing thing. Every curve In her despondent figdrs every line In her worn. lovely face, suggested a vast weariness of flesh and spirit. In this moment of realization he almost forgot the girl’s beauty, though, Indeed. It was not easy to forget, it seemed enhanced rtfther than dimmed by the haze of melancholy that hung over It, and certainly there was nothing dim In the superb red-gold coloring of her hair. Her eyes seemed redgold, too, for they were reddish-brown with flecks of yellow light in them, quite wonderful eyes. He told hintI self that he had never seen any just I like them. Certainly he had rarely • seen anything to equal the somber misery of their expression. There was a remoteness In them which repelled sympathy, and which was Intensified by the haughty curve of the girl's I short upper Up. She was proud, proud 'ns the devil, Laurie told himself. Again, and very humbly, he wondered how he was to handle a situation and a personality so outside hts own experience. In truth, he was ' afraid. | When the food ceme. her expression I ' changed. She shot a quick look atj him, a glance at oneo furtive and sub-, | plclous, which he itaw but ignored.’ | He had dismissed tirt waiter and was> | serving her himself, in the simple , boyish friendliness >A his manner she ] evidently found reassurance, for she i suddenly sat up and began her break- | fast. i Laurie exhaled the breath he had) ‘ been holding. Up fill the last mo-| I ment he had feared that she might j see through his subterfuge In taklnifi ■ her there, and even now refuse thn| | food he offered. But If in that fleet- i ing Instant she felt doubt, It had died j ias It was born. Bhe drank her cqffes l ■ I' ' "

i'«reiMy-nra m bf?'»fpTnTi«sni;' I deliberately, but her cbaracterUtic air of iDteuse preoccupation bad departed. She looked at her cotupanleu as; If she really saw bitn Also, sbe apparently felt the stirring of seffiei sense of obligation and need of response to this friendly straflger. Sbs| wat answering bits now, and ones st least she almost stalled. Watching the little twitch of her, prqud and perfect upper lip, fell bl* heart beats quicken. She was a wonder, this girl: and with his de-1 light in her beauty and her pride cams another feeling, almost as new as bis humility—an overwhelming sympathy for and a desire to help another. These sentiments served as needed balance to his spirits, which, as always. mounted dangerously when ba was Interested. He held himself down .with dlttlculty. (TO BE CONTiNLKD) Child Eats Poisoned Meat Intended For Dog Peoria, HL, July 24—(United Press) —"Planting" poisoned meat for dogs is risky business especially where there is a child in the vicinity, according to Lewis Mallngas. Malingas charged in a warrant that George Golden put out poisoned meat for his dog and that a son of Malingas ate part of it making the child deathly ill. Evansvuie.—a .ghted match, used in a search so bed bugs, set fire to * mattress and burned Aaron Bender wuo oau app.ied liquid vermin exterminator to the mattress and lit the match to watch the results.

1 £ I [ I' Is Wfo* I i ML J I OkwihW Mak' Ik » Look! Another Arrow-head! * In the crowded city traffic or on the open country road, in the lines of cars ' along the curb or in the crowded spaces of a garage, this flash of color—this red arrou’-head of OLD TRAILS —meets you on every side. ANOTHER arrow-head! Another motor- that might arise from any motoring mishap. Ejl ist with OLD TRAILS protection, hav- OLD TRAILS acts promptly in every iring at his command a friendly service and a emerpgncv. n’roSble- a TRAILS hS broad^”in- J safeguard against the dangers and worries of surance protection at lower rates. Its cover- aS ( motoring. a g es are so reasonably priced that thousands Hl ypj Another arrow-head! The emblem of protec- now carry complete protection where before tion and distinction placed on the radiator of they had only fire and theft. Its policy has no tfi IE your automobile —an emblem that stands equalforsimplicity.clearnessandconciseness. for OLD TRAILS—the most complete and Rea d an OLD TRAILS policy yourself.Ccm- £ y* most reasonable motor car insurance ob- pare it with any other in physical form and . tainable. wording. See how easily every word is under- 35 L£j j OLD TRAILS is a home organization, whose stood and how clearly every agreement is officers and directors are men you know and made. There’s no mistaking an OLD TRAILS * 1C have confidence in. OLD TRAILS is soundly policy. It’s a plain, straight-forward policy X financed and carefully man- that all can understand. Jfi i aged. When you have its full in.ure your c»r with the "sign of the Red OLD TRAILS claims are protection you are free of all settled promptly and fairly S Lfi legal and financial worries ■hold trails .nvurome. —ask any policyholder. i OFFICERS DIRECTORS A3 H.M GLOSSBRENNER Fret, and Gen. Mgr. FRANK C. WILLIAMS Director IE SAMUEL O. DUNGAN Vica-Pra.ident ■ a I KX a’Kj 4 aW 1 I ... Engliah Hotel Co. IF Preaiden* Polk Sanitary Milk Co. ■IBS iSS U 4 W k jSt HARR Y R. DeWOLF Director zTI - . HIIRSBIIf ll ESI ■ K#* J President DeWolf New. Co. fIJ! JI F. N. DANIEL Vice-Pre.ldent H i M LVAA I B ALBERT J. PFEIFFER Director Ml p| THEODORE E. MYERS Trea.uxer City Sale. Mgr. Van Camp Hdw. and Iron Co. If Sec.-Treas. and Gen. Mgr. The Speedway UV fl DR. J. T. HOOPING ARNER Director □n VICTOR C. GORTCN Secretary FRANK H BLACKLEDCE Gen. Countel H" | I | Leo “Dutch” Ehinger H. M. Giilig | £ Lenhart & Heller Office American Security Co. g ||| Office Phone 2-tol Home Phone 1112 Office Phone 172 Home Phone 791 | OLD TRAILS | | Automobile Insurance Ass’n | S Home Office: Indianapolis, Indiana S

Governor To Appoint Tax Board Member Soon Indianapolis, July 24. — , Cnltsil I Press.l — Much interest nas been evidenced by members of the state tax board as whether Philip Zoercher. democratic member of the hoard will be appointed to succeed hlnuelf or Governor Jackson wlh se fit Io name another democrat to the position. Zoerchei’s term does not expre until Jan. 7, 1827, but John J Brown chairman of the board and t'ommissloner William Hough are said to have conferred with Governor Jack son regarding the appointment. Hough Is said to f*vor the reappointment while the Governor is believed disposed to listen to the recommendation of the democratic state organization. Q Armour, Though Junk, Sells Fpr SIOO,OOO ( London, (United tl’ress). Russian I armour, formerly classed hy the Sovi 1 regime as “junk”, is rapidly changing hands here at as high as SIOO,OOO. I The collection was formerly part of that belonging to a Russian Prince j and was taken fiom his castle during the revolution. It had been there since the 16th Century. Among other recent an es of antiquitaries here were, a 16th Century German suit of bright steel, $5,000; a German reinforcing breasiplate of gio

hose form. $5,000 and a 16th Century Herman pageant breastplate, $7,000. A pair of puffed sleeves for the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of New Yotk were recently purchased here for $25,0110. The sleeves are wHld to be of the best German workmanship - —o ——— Government Thermometer Broken By Excessive Heat McCook, Neh., July 24. — (United Press) —When the mercury soared above the 102 degree mark here It broke the official government thermometer and only unofficial heat records can be kepi until a new thermometer is provided by the government weather bureau. Q. , Wabash Guy Winebrenner believes he js the champion wheat cutter of this vicinity after his feat of cutting an entire six acre field in exactly ninety minutes.

ANNUAL EXCURSION To Walbridge Park, Toledo, Ohio WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4 via NICKEL PLATE RAILROAD Under auspices of Methodist Sunday School of Decatur, Ind. Tickets on sale at J. T. Myers store, F. V. Mills grocery, ! C. L. Walters office and Beavers & Fryback store in Decatur, at Nickel Plate ticket office in Decatur, Pleasant Mills and Willshire. I ROUND TRIP FARE—SI.SO for adults and 75 cents children. , .

Peru Dairy Fanners To Make Tour To Wisconsin Fond du Lac, Wis., July 24. —(Unit* c<l Press.) .- Seeking Information of cattle raising, farmers from the vicinity around Peru. Ind., are contemplating a tour of the principal dairy cent era of Wisconsin, according to word received by the secretary ot the Fond du i.ac association of Commerce. The tour, according to premature plans, will last four days and will include the principal farms in regions famous for dairying activities. Starting from Chicago the automobile tour probably will be conducted through the Pabst farm at Oconomowoc, then to Fond du l«ac, Rosendale, Ripon. Kilbourn, Madison, Elkhorn. and then back ti Chicago and Pern. The Dally Democrat—Your Home Pager

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