Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1917 — Page 2

Whitbeck’s Dilemma

By ALICE E. IVES

(Copyright, 1917, by "W. G. Chapman.) Whitbeck had just experienced two shocks. He sat back in his office a trifle- paralyzed from the effects, and endeavored to'caSlect himself in order to meet the situation. Mary Warren, his stenographer, .the most reliable, painstaking and capable one he had ever had was not at her post. Instead he found a letter mailed the night before, in which she regretted she had —tn Wye at sfteh short nor uce, but she had unexpectedly been called out of town, and would he engage someone else as she might not re'turn. He looked at the pile of unopened letters to which she had been wont to attend with such businesslike dispatch, and sighed. Then he found that he was thinking of the pretty brown head of shining hair, the white neck, and neat blouse that were always bent over those letters. In fact all the correspondence on that, desk seemed to have faded into nothingness in comparison to the awful void left by the vanished figure who" had sat there. Somehow her presence-had lifted the office out of the sordid commonplace into which it now relapsed. It w‘as at this point that Whitbeck experienced his second shock Why was he letting such thoughts take possession of him unless —great heavens! He had never suspected it!, But it was true! He loved her! He wanted her 1. He was going to bring her back if he could. He set the telephone going; but no one at the rooming house where she had lived knevtt where she had gone. She had left nd address; Whitbeck remembered Miss Warren had a brother in New York. But that was like looking for the proverbial needle in a hay mow. Neverftieless he tried inserting “personals” in the metropolitan papers, which met with no response. Then Whitbeck set to

They Were Mostly Letters

teripusly disappeared. No matter how lie fought against it, he had finally to force himself -to* believe there must have been a man in the case, one whom she loved, or held over her some power which she could not resist. It was either that or—but that she had gone any evil way was unthinkable. Gradually he was effacing her from his mind. The new stenographer’s - slight _ attempts at being flirtatious Were frowned upon, and J. P. Whitbeck, attorney, attended strictly to business. One day in the Grand Central station in New York, where be had just left his train, he set down his valise in a crowd near a news stand, while he bought a paper. Hurriedly picking up the valise he rushed through the jostling crowd to catch a subway train to Brooklyn. He had business there which would keep him several days, and after settling himself in his hotel, he took out a key to open his valise. The key did not fit. Horrors I It was not his valise ! He had picked up the wrong baggage in the station. He at •once telephoned the “lost and found” department the “information bureau” and everything of which he could think, to restore the property, and get on the track of his own. Nothing coming of this he called in a locksmith to fita key to the lock, concluding there might be something in the contents that wmuld lead to finding the owner. Some old clothes packed around two suspicious-looking boxes and some papers were inside. Whitbeck set the boxes carefully aside. They might contain bombs, and he didn't care to investigate. He began to examine the papers. They' were mostly letters, all typewritten, and signed F. B. They seemed trivial, almost nonsensical till it'dawned on Whitbeck they were undoubtedly in cipher, whereat he gave the two boxes Tt still winter berth. nothing In the shape of an address, and Whitbeck considerably nonplussed, ahd feeling that he had unwittingly become a factor in an anarchist plot, concluded to consult the police. * * He went down to get some informa-

tion from the hotel clerk. , When hfc ’ heard around an angle of the desk a‘ woman Speaking. “Is there anyone here by the name of Whitley?” she askeA The clerk assured her there was no such name on the register. - “Why that is strange,” she persisted. “They said at the station that was the name given over the telephone.” “People don’t always speak plainly over the ’phone,” laughed the clerk. Whitbeck wheeled, and faced the girl.' It was Mary Warren! She gasped, caught at the desk, and her face went white. The clerk stared from one to the other. “It was a mistake in the name, Miss Warren. I presume you came about the lost valise?” Whitbeck said Fnjffie most matter of fact way in order to shield the girl. “I did surprise you, didn’tl?” ~ 7— a--She stammered out that he had, and allowed herself to be led into a secluded corner of a reception room. He looked at .her question!ngly, but she did no# speak. The terror in her eyes was that of an animal at bay.

Finally he said: “Does that valise belong to you?” “What difference does that make?” she asked. “Just give it to me.” “Not till you answer me.” “It is not mine.” “It belongs to some man,” he ventured. A coward who lets you come in his place.” “No! not a-coward!” she blazed out. “I made him let me come. You have opened it!” “Yes. Who is he?” “I won’t tell. Now do with, me what you like.” “I don’t mean to do anything unless you make me. But you must confide in me. I only want to help you.” Something in his tone swept .away the barriers, and she told him her story. While in his office she became aware that a man w’hose welfare' was very dear to her had become involved in something dangerods. She went at once to him to try to dissuade him from it. But she found him too deeply involved to listen to her persuasions. —— —■—

“You see,” she said, “he had been a long time out of work. He became very bitter against the existing state of things. He. believes that something better must come for the working man, or the whole social fabric will be shattered by an awful war.” L “It is trite,something bottermust come. Both labor and capital must be enlightened. But the bomb is not the way. 1 *" 'V". ' —— “No,” she agreed. “But can you make these poor creatures believe it?” “Will you let me talk to him?” he asked. “Will you promise not to—” He broke in -on her appeal. “Haven’t I already promised? Take me to him. I will get the valise.” “No! no!” she protested. “I must first find out if he will see you. I will call you up at seven and tell you.” And not waiting for further-words she rose and left the place. Whitbeck was torn with conflicting emotions. He was about to try to save the man she loved, no doubt a creature in no way worthy of such a woman. When the time drew near he stayed in his room, watching for the ring of the telephone, but the minutes ticked on till eight o’clock was passed. He gave a start when it rang. She had not been able till then to persuade hrm to let Whitbeck come. She would meet ..lum._a.t_.the uptownside of the Fulton, street subway station, at nine o’clock. True to her word she was there when Whitbeck appeared with the . valise. She took hlnL Soverat 'bTocks away to

mh ulii house, and 1 lettimr herself in with a latch-key, they were soon in a room at the back. A young man with a set defiant face met them. “If you’ve confe to preach to me,” he said, “it’s no use.” “I’ve not come for that I want to help you. Prove me." I mean it.” “Mary said you were that kind. She’s a good sister, and —’’ “Sister 1” broke in Whitbeck. “Yes, she was afraid to tell you, because —” Whitbeck was too excited to listen. Being so excited it is not easy to chronicle how he asked her to be bis wife, how she consented, and how the brother-in-law became quite as valuable in the office as she had been.

Debutantes Old-Fashioned as Wakes.

Writing of American “society” as a woman-controlled caste, Elsie dews Parsons says in the New liepublic that it is growing out-of-date. “In early societies changes in life are met with ceremonials —with maternity, birth, adolescence, mating and death rites. In modern life this crisis -ceremonialism is passing, much of It has passed. Coming-out parties are ‘society events,’ weddings are described as ‘fashionable,’ funerals as years, however, debutante entertainments have been considered rather ridiculous affairs, and fashionable weddings a little vulgar. Funeral rings and scarfs and gloves are no longer presented to the mourners, friends are even asked not to send flowers. It will not be long before a wedding breakfast Will be as bourgeois as throwing rice in a railway station or as 5 funeral feast, and standing up’ all afternoon w ith a ‘bud’ as antiquated as; sitting up all night with a corpse.”

Of Course Not.

She —A man and his wife are never on equal terms, I don’t care what you say. Of course they’re not, for while a woman Will contest a man’s will a. man never opposes a woman’s won’t.

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. IND.

The Gates of Egypt

IT IS significant to note how, when the world is at war, history repeats itself. A trenchant example of this occurred in the threatened Invasion, of Egypt. Onee again, to the course of history, the landward gate, the Asiatic approach to the Nile valley? was about to be forced by Invaders. Once more the oldest road listened to the tramp of armed hosts and watched nations at death-grips for the mastery 'of that fertile strip of land. Through(Hit the ages, at periodical times, this same drama has been enacted. That attractive" the earliest civilizations matured — that “land of peculiar, felicity”—has been the goal of every conqueror .who has set out to win the world; it has been the desire of every merchant and the envy of all nations. In such a war as this, it would have been strange had the world’s oldest' warpath been left untrod. The road used by Assyrian, Persian,. Israelite, Greek and Roman, the desert difficulties surmounted successfully by Alexander the Great and by Napoleon were essayed by Turk and Teuton. Separating Africa from Asia, Egypt from Palestine, is the peninsula of Sinai and the desert of Et Tih. In the south it is a rugged region of sandstone era gs; north wards it shelves into a featureless limestone desert, finally melting into the lowlying sand dunes that border the Mediterranean, says Douglas Carruthers, writing in Country Life. This is the barrier that has stood throughout time, as Egypt’s eastern frontier and is so full of reminiscences. In early- days all wh<F“went down to Egypt” used this desert route. The now-deserted track was once the scene of busy traffic and great enterprise. An immense trade passed and repassed across the desert. Constant Intercourse, both political and commercial, must have been kept up between those two great centers of the then known-

.vorld, the Nile and the Euphrates. - ■ftrmtes-of the ancients i uoved“ to “ft fid fr o ftTO h g without in"convenience. The Egyptians fought in Syriaandlhe Babyloninnkingswarred •ffggfnst Egypt.” Many a migrating horde of noftiads has swept across Sinai, swarming in aimless, restless movements from Asia and Africa. Abraham and Jacob must have known it well in their frequent journeys between the Land of Goshen and Beersheba.

Once a Great World Highway. Whole volumes, indeed, could be written on the ancient history of this junction of two continents. This would not concern us, except for the fact that the conditions have altered, and aglanee back may Berve as a comparison. That this zone of country which is today stricken with barrenness, scarcely inhabited, rarely passed over and actually forming a problem__for_ an army to tackle successfully, was once the great highway of the world shows the change that must have taken place. There were not merely one or two desert tracts, but many ; reat roads running across that belt between Palestine and Egypt. Along these routes were .situated towns, reservoirs, guard stations, caravanserais and emporiums for the receipt and dispatch of merchandise. Not only was there much traffic, but the region itself was of greater fertility than it is now. Consequently, it wa s ■ com para t i vol y well populated. Where a few half-starved Bedouins wander dwelt the powerful and numerous Amalekites. The existence of many an ancient town of from 5,000 to 10,000 Inhabitants is todfty only disclosed by fallen colonnades, ruined churches and castles. In the days when the lands of Moab and Edom were flourishing districts characterized, at different periods, by fine cities, renowned temples, Persian palaces and Christian churches; when the great trunk road ran from Damascus southwards through Bosra, Jerash and JEgfißL...to AKaba, to the Mediterranean, to. Egypt and to Arabia ; in those days Sinai could have -presented no difficulties ,to..the travel*, er, it must have been a popular and much-used highway. The rise and fall of Petra, the ro-

1 mantic, rock-hewn city of the Naba- ■ teans, also indicates the varying fortunes of this country. Petra was situated at the junction of several importantroads to Egypt from the north. ! It owed its existence entirely to comi merce which passed through it. It I Was a great warehouse —an emporium —supported by a numerous shifting population. The size of the city attests its ancient wealth and importance, while its celebrity as a capital shows but directly on one of the most important lines of communication of its day. Yet, where is the glory of Petra? No ancient city has so thoroughly verified the curse passed upon it; it is forsaken by man and has become the abode of the owl and the _fox. Ruins and Sterile Sand. All the region to the south of Petra is marked with ruins which stage the great road to Akaba. Akaba itself, where Solomon established a naval base and maintained a busy port, which Egyptian, Roman and Greek struggled for and held In turn is now reduced to a group of mud houses and the remains of a fort. Gaza, on the Mediterranean side of the desert, used to be considered the key. to. the approach to Palestine. It was much in evidence in early days. Gaza had the presumption to hold out against the invincible hosts of Alexander, and actually withstood a two-months’ siege. Nowadays, the sterility of the country forbids ordinary intercourse between Egypt and Palestine. of pilgrims make organized crossings of the desert, and occasional camel dealers come this way. But the great roods have fallen Into bbllvlon. Only two recognized tracks remain in use, namely, the pilgrim route between Akaba and Suez and the coastal road which runs from Gaza, through Rafa and El Arish, to El Kantara on the Suez. The area between these roads

is a howling wilderness"; withdut reliuble water supply. —. . approaches to Egypt are of interest. Generally speaking, the northern portion of the area is open, but sandy; the central Is hard but poorly watered, while the southern is difficult rock country. The choice falls between the central and the northern. In the old days, a favorite road must have been the hard and direct route running from Akaba to Suez, across the heart of the peninsula. Even now there are serious obstacles on this road; the surface is hard, not sandy; the altitude is for the most part high, and i therefore the atmosphere is cool. Indeed. considering the proximity of the Hedjaz railway, which passes at a, distance of 60 miles from Akaba, it might be supposed that this route would be used by an invading force. The possibility of rynning a light railway from Malan or Akabatesh-Shamie to Akaba and thence a cross the peninsula is seriously affected by the fact that Akaba-is under the control of the power that commands the sea. There is also that sharp escarpment to the west of Akaba which is not easily negotiated. The coast road is the one that leads direct to Egypt, and in spite of the dunes and bad lands of that unhealthy maritime belt of swamp and sand, it was sure to be used. Gaza and Beersheba are the points at w’hieh troops could be concentrated for the venture. The old Homan roftd led from Gaza close along"the seashore to Peluslmn—now a flooded marsh. The modern track runs parallel to this, but about two to three miles inland. At Zaca, halfway to El Arish, the true desert commences, but the “going” is not troublesome until Arish is approached. At El Arish water Is procurable in considerable quantity. Napoleon considered ft sufficient to supply the needs of 20.000 men. Beyond Arish is the critical stage, waterless and sandy for G 5 miles. In fact, it is probable that from Arish onwards all wells have been rendered useless, and that Tor - HlO mihyk the. must be self-supporting- #

Thirty years ago there war only two Protestant churches of Chili. NOW there are 70, -

Spring Styles Not Determined

Fashion Seems to Hesitate Between the Directoire Period dnd the Panel Skirt. ■» TUNIC MAY BE DISCARDED Would Naturally Be In Conflict With the Directoire Effect—Collar Not _ Much in Evidence—Apparel for the Street—Wide Variety in Belts. New York. —There are conflicting rumors coming from France, each of which has a set of American, experts to accept it. One rumor is that the directoire' period will come back for spring, followed by the first-empire fashions for summer. Another rumor is that the Jupe tonneau, or barrel skirt, which Callot put out a year ago and which we wore ten years before that, is to be revived. To guess which of these two prophecies will come true is as futile as guessing what is to be the outcome of the great war. It is quite probable that the directoire will be greeted with a bit more enthusiasm by Americans than the barrel skirt. There .is nothing new- about the latter. It provides the same extended circumference between the hips and kaees that we got ’so familiar with last winter, and its only claim to a departure from the commonplace is its narrow hem. It may be that the introduction of this barrel skirt as' a forerunner of the spring openings is really to emphasize the determination of the French designers to make the skirts longer and much narrower at the hem. It will also be remembered in connection with this fashion that there is a certain type of directoire skirt wihch is high-waisted, has folds that fall outward at the hips to increase the circumference there, and, then shapes downward to the very ankles, where it is so narrow that can scarcely walk. First-Empire Skirt. Four years ago this skirt - was launched for the evening by a few smart designers and was called a flrst-einpTre skirt. Mark is a grace about euch a skirt, and not the ugliness which the stiff barrel exploits. If we are to wear narrow skirts, and everything points toward that fact, then it is much better to have the kind of skirt known as the first-empire. This has'jptiitts at the high waist line, which, in their downward sweep, keep the material of the

Gown Wtth Belt Only at Back: New kind of medieval frock which has a straight front and a gold band and bucklo holding in the back; it Is of chestnut-colored satin trimmed with bands of gold embroidery. ,

skirt from girding in the figure at the end of the corsets across the back, •which provides one of the ugliest lines known in the history of dress. Such a skirt is admirably portrayed in that wonderful picture by Zuloaga of Mlle. Marcelle Souty, which is on exhibition in America and which has been widely -copied and printed throughout this continent. The barrel skirt as it is seen in its present form, arriving from the house of Callot and a few of her imitators, has little to recommend it; If it is merely an indication of something else to come, a shadow that foretells the loosening of the waist, line and the tiglifbntng of the roikic fine, their It should be gladly greeted. There are Jew women who look well In extra full skirts, especi ally "whfefr their fullness Is added to by vague and useless drapery, by horizontal bands of orna-

mentation and by taffeta petticoats that hold the hems far away from' the ankle and display the feet in an ugly manner. Will the Tunic Go Out? Even the best advices from Paris differ as to whether or not the chemise, or twelfth-century, tunic will be ‘entirely ousted by the hew spring fashions. Surely,. one cannot be medieval and later directoire at the same time, but fashion can keep both styles going as it did Victorianism and Louis Quinze. There are,enough women to dress one way or the other, and it is a relief to the reporter, the artist and the dressmaker when the.

White and Red Sports Suit: It is of gray silk jersey, with hem of skirt turned up and faced with white, the deep collar is. also white, but the buttons and tie are cherry red.

whole world does not take up one silhouetted, one fabric and one style of ornamentation. The high-standing organdy collars with which the continent was flooded last summer and autumn, have not only given way to other things, but the new line which Is being aceeptedmOfe commonly every day, threatens to relieve all garments of collars. Young women are wearing their new coats with only a neckband, slightly elongated at the shoulders and finished With an Egyptian or-Peruvian design in silk floss or bullion threads. Street Apparel. Regarding street apparel, it may be true that the one-piece sandwich gown will become second in choice to others, but it is more than probable that the shortened tunic made of satin and embroidered in a primitive design that could easily be used as a stage setting for-Alda, will remain high in favor. This is all'that can so far be said” wkh -any-authority to help -1 hose wh" - a're thtnking' oiity o^-freshentng—up-" their winter wardrobe in order to make it last until spring. There are the gowns and suits that we have, for there is no doubt that the accessories have changed since September 'and that remarkably good and new touches have been put into the . field of fashion to stimulate new fruit. It may be that these will make instructive reading, for one can always rely on the fact that a large mass of women prefer to know the small touches rathehr than the broad general outline of dress, except at' the moment of the sharply changing seasons. : ; .. '.. .. __ J J .. New Touches That Count. Suppose, let us say, that you have taken an Inventory of the clothes* that hang in the wardrobe and have made up your mind, wisely, an expert would say, not to buy anything new unless you are tripping to a fashionable southern resort.

Human nature is quite capable of almost any endurance that it puts upon itself, and it can steel itself to wearing clothes from the first of October to the first of May in exactly the same condition as when they werd first worn; but human nature likes diversion, and diversion is good for It, and the weariness of the clothes we have abolished and our senses are stimulated by_ doing something, we care not what, to the garmefits we have. - Variations in Belts. If there Is no belt on your coat, it is wiser to put one on. The sandwich gown has also taken on a belt, and Paris is* running the scale In these girdles. They are as narrow as that worn by Marie Antoinette, and as wide as that worn by a Russian peasant. They are Chinese ’in coloring, Montenegrin in embroidery, Serbian in the matter of applied fabrics in bold designs, and Japanese, because Frarice has gone quite crazy about Japanese accessories during the winter," K no on your winter clothes, at least see to it that they have a gay piece of material that goes around the waist or at the hip& ; ;.. • * . (Copyright, 1917, by the. McClure per Syndicate.)