Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1919 — The Thirteenth Commandment [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Thirteenth Commandment

By RUPERT HUGHES

OeyyrUM by Harper * Brothers

CHAPTER XXlll—Continued. —ls— Romilly flni.-hed her wholesale order and wheezed out like a grand nld antnmnhfle of »«n eaiAy model -> When they were alone the partners gazed at Daphne’s list and then at each other. “What on earth made yon take it?” Mrs. Chivvisexclaimed. “You know we can’t fill it.” • “We're going to fill it.” “But how?” “Darned if I know, hut— Well, we’ll have to get a lot of sewing-women in and sit up nights." "But the material. We can't buy those things on credit." “Then DI borrow cash and pay for it." “Borrow where? ' Yon said you wouldn’t t rotibl e vou rbToth< ; r •T'tn not responsible for what I have said or may say. Besides. 1 don't mind going to Bayard, now that I can go with success. I'll call on him in a business way and offer him interest and all that. 1 guess Mrs, Romilly'sname is good enough collateral." All unconscious of Daphne’s affairs, Bayard was approaching his office

with the brisk manner of a triumphant capitalist. But that was bluff for outward effect. He was actually dizzy ' with loss of bearings and control. Bayard had carried heavier burdens .. than Clay, and under the sting of lA*ila's whip had taken greater risks for higher prizes. The crash in the street had found him so extended that he .could not recover without additional help. That very morning one of his brokers had called on him for a renewal of margins. He had to have jttve thousand dollars or he wouhbiose fifty: -- TT .had gone io Wetherell’s mys’terious sort —of? place ■—surrounded by guards and secret service men to ward off the menace of spies, real and imaginary. ? Bayard had unusual difficulty in

passing the lines. The reason he soon heard. A hew man was in charge in Wethereli's place, a retired-British of--fleer -whose natural and affected gruffness was\tg£i>ivated by the unpleasant nature of his tasks. He hgd only one eye. ■ - ? He made Bayard describe who and what he was and what he wanted. Only Bayard's desperation gave him strength to ask this old Cyclops for an advance on new contracts. Bayard went away in a stupor, lie had intelligencejenaugb to feet that he could less safely. -.attack-WeilierelL noW than before. He would seem to be implicated in the fellow's malfeasance. Tie would onl yad ver ti se t o hi s creditors that his vaunted cons tacts w’ere worthless. Business men will endure much to escape such publication of their wrongs. • - . "Bayard kept hiS head high till he reached his own office. Then he fell into- his chair and propped his elbows on his desk and gripped his hot brows in fils hands as if he were holding his skiill together. It is.the business man's attitude of prayer. “7 It was thus that Daphne found him when she opened the door narrowly and closed it behind her as softly as Tosca. She was beaming with affection and importance, and wljen at her mischievous “Ahem 1” Bayard looked up she was so pretty that he forgot himself long enough to smile and rush forward to embrace her. She. was wondering how to state her errand when the, telephone rang. It startled Bayard strangely. He caught it to his lips as'a tnper lifts a glass. He pressed the receiver to his ear and evidently recognized the voice thatj. .*:aid ‘Hello” from somewhere. He answered in monosyllables of the least importance, but ' -Daphne heard gloom in them. ,

Bayard hung up the receiver, pushed the telephone away as a bitter cup, and laughed sheepishly. "Gn*nt convenience, the telephone! that I've dropped w-4. money than 1 ever hoped to have. ‘For want of a nail the shoe was lost.’ Oh well, it saves me from spending it foolishly. But If I'd had -five thousand dollars— My God! if I’d had five thousand dollars.” Daphne could think of nothing more helpful to say than a casual, “How’s Leila?" a ask me!" Bayard smiled. “Tell me. What c'an I do for you. honey, before I go to take some nasty medicine from the president.” "Nothing dear. I had to come downtown on an errand, so I thought I'd run in and say ‘hello.’ ” "Well, hello!” He kisstwl her and patted her hack with doleful tenderness and she went out of his'office into the elevator. Its iron-barred door and . its clanking chains gave it a congenial prison feeling. and the bottomless pit it dropped TntyseemeiFeven more appropriate.

CHAPTER XXIV. Daphne wanted to run away from lier thoughts and she walked for a mile or two up the deep ravine of Broadway. She dared not go back to Mix. ('hiv vis just yet with her bad nex he thought of asking Clay for a loan. She swept the appalling idea from her brain with a puff of derision, lieshies, he was out of town, Bayard had said. She thought of asking Tom Duane for it. She tried to blow that idea from her mind, but it kept drifting back like a Bit of stubborn thistledown. She could not outwalk it. At length she grew so desperate that she stopped at a telephone booth and brazenly called up Duane’s number. He chanced to be at home. When he heard her voice he cried: "Oh Lord, it's good to hear you. Sing again, sing again, nightingale!” “I’m no nightingale. I’m a business xwman. offering you an investment.” She told him the whole story. The name of Mrs. Romilly made him whistle. s "OldTjdfgtm Zola,” he called her, and added, "You’re a made woman.” "But the clothes aren’t made, and I can't make 'em till 1 get some money. Would you—could you advance me a little on the most excellent security?” "How much do you want? Where shall I bring it?” "Mail two —er —five hundred dollars to the shop, will you? And I can never thank you enough.’* “Hush. It's me that thanks you. Don't you want more?” "No, thanks.”

‘•lt will be there in the early mail and I may call round later to put a mortgage or something on the place.” “Good-by.” she chuckled, and hung up the receiver. She was crying softly as she stole from the blessed booth, and she looked less like a successful -business wonia n 111 an ever. Something made'her think of AVetherell. She stopped off at, Bayard's floor--ami riing-lhe<--heLL--Lcila-sriew~ -hprlor admitted her w-ith-pomp. Daphne walked past him into the drawingroom. Leila and Wetherell were standing there in heavy coats. They seemed to be a little shocked at seeing Daphne. She. was horribly hurt at seeing them, but she chirruped: '•Just come in?” “Just .going out,” Leila answered, kissing Daphne nervously, . “Where?” Daphne .asked, with intrepidity. as she shook hands with Wetherell— a prize-fighter's prelimi-' nary handshake it was. ‘■Oh- er---just—motoring—about —fly bit.” “Thanks—l'd love it.” Daphne dared to say. almost as much amazed as they were at hearing her accept the invitation that had not been given. She was quite shameless from their point of view.' but she felt that it would be unpardonable to let, her

brother's wife go tliirebtiked * or lit least unaided and unchaperoned-on a v ruise so' perilous to reputation if not to character. While she was at the miserable business she decided to make a good job of it. When they went down to the car she squeezed in between Leila and Wetherell. Leila blanched with jealousy and cold rage. They dined at Long Beach and watched the dancers, in sullen mood. Wetherell ordered nauch champagne and would not,listen to Leila's pleas that he let it alone. He frightened her a little by his reckless mood, and Daphne began to dread the journey home in the dark with champagned bands on the steering wheel. After Daphne and he rf had executed a funeral dance Leila was emboldened to step out with him. They talked very earnestly and he seemed to horrify her by what he said*’to her. Daphne could- not imagine what it was.. Bayard had not<old her of Wetherell’s downfall from power. Wetherell confessed his disgrace to Leila in the dance, and Leila.was sickened with the sordid outcome of her romance. She had played with fire and got soot on her hands. She quit the dance and asked to be taken home.

Wetherell felt that she had turned against him and he reached for the last of the wine to fling it flown his throat. Leila grimly took it from his fi-irers and emptied It ’ j n tb<? ioe bucket. “Chauffeurs and champagne are a bad combination,” she laughed, but there was a sneer on her lips. “Oh, very well!" Wetherell sneered in turn. He paid for the dinner and tipped the waiter with the lavishness of a bankrupt. He tipped lavishly the man who guarded his car, and swung out into the road with an Instant speed that would have been prettier if there had been less danger. Daphne and Leila were good sports, but I hey were not merry. Wetherell furnished all the merriment, and his was from wine and despair. It was the wine that brought out the truth. He had to tell Daphne what he had told I.eila, of his misfortune with his bally old government. He asked Daphne to explain to Bayard bow sorry he was that he was involved in the crash. —————- “Your broth’ Bayard’s axv'fly nice fel’. Miss Skip. He’s got nicest li’T wife in wort*. Perf’ly good HT girl. Straight as a string—straight as they ’em. No nonsense about liT Loll’. I just love her—perf’ly honor’ble love. I'd do anything in worl’ for Leil'—or 11'1’ Miss Daffy—or ol’ broth’ Bay’d. Tell him 'at, will you, like a goo’ liT girl? Tell Bay’ ’at. will-ll?"

Daphne grew furious. She felt now that she had justified her presence here. She held Leila fast in her’embrace and commanded Wetherell. “Slow down at once! Do you hear? Slow down this car!” Wetherell laughed: "Bless liT heart. I’-m goin’ take you home. Y’ou’re quite shafe with me —quite. Man that’s born to be hanged never drown or get automokilled —that’s good word —automokilled —eh, what?” They whipped rounds comber jut in the road, and his searchlight painted instantly in white outlines against the black world a wagonload of sleepy children returning from some village church affair. They were singing, drowsily, “Merrilee we ro-la-long-ro-la-long.” Daphne and Leila seemed to die at once. Wetherell groaned, “Oh, my God, the 11'1’ chli’ren!” There was nothing for Wetherell to do but what he did. He spun his wheel and drove his thunderbolt into an open concrete culvert. There, vvasa furious racket. The car turned a somersault and crumpled in a shuddering lAass.' Wetherell, pinioned under the wheel, was knocked this way and that and his beautiful head cracked on the concrete like a china doll’s. Leila was snatched from the ear as if invisible hands had caught her exquisite body for a lash to flog a tele-

phone pole with, then threw her into a ditch. Daphne was flung and—batrtered and thrust under the car when it turned over. And then the gasolinespilled from the shattered tank and; caught fire.

CHAPTER XXV- . i ' **, Underneath the machine lay the relics of Wetherell, who would suffer no more. here. Close by was Daphne Kip, whom_a brief unconsciousness gave a short furlough from torture.. She was not alive enough to be afraid of the long, lean .flames about the gasoline tank, though they kept springing at her like wolfhounds held in a weakening leash. They, had not yet quite reached her, but they missed her less and less. V A small distance Off, Leila lay still, in almost her first ungraceful attitude, 'oblivious fora few moments of the

outrages the blind forges of momentum had wreaked on hW with the fury of a Bill Sikes trying to beat The chauffeurs and passengers of cars that drew up in lengthening queues ran to the scene of Wetherell’s disaster. At first they could not see Wetherell, but they saw ,Daphne—and- her peril, and they set frantically to work to drag her free. But she was so caught that they could not release her until they should remove the car. They piilled and heaved, blit it was jammed into theiculvert and the ditch so tight that they could notbudgelt. though they took risk enough and suffered blistered hands and charred clothes. At last one chauffeur fastened a chain to the rear axle of Wetherell’s ear'and-to-Gie front axle 1 of his,- audp by alternate backing and swerving, dragged and hoisted Wetherell’s car upward and rearward while other men snatched Daphne from beneath and away from the flames just? as they were nibbling at her skirts. At the same time they disclosed the body of Wetherell and with huge difficulty fetched it forth. Still others found Leila in a heap, a toy with broken joints. The last thing Daphne had known was the sensation of being shaken to death, a helpless mouse in a terrier’s mouth. The next she knew was that sire was seated on the edge of a ditch and leaning against the shoulder of a kneeling woman in evening dress. A number of shadowy men and women wavered against the searing glare of the gasoline. They arrived at last at a hospital. Daphne was lifted, out and delivered into the possession of two curt 'young internes. She was stretched on a lit-ter,-carried feet foremost into an elevator, down a corridor to a room, and rolled out on a bed. . Two nurses proceeded to undress her and bathe her. then an older doctor came in and examined her injuries. She blazed with shame, one complete blush; but to him she was hardly more than a car brought to a garage. He nodded cheerfully and said: “Not a bone broken, young -lady, and no internal derangements that I can discover. A few burns, that’s all, and a big shock.” “Is Leila hurt much?” Daphne mumbled.

“She is hurt a trifle worse than you. But she’ll come round air right.” “I don’t believe you!" said Daphne, and sighed, “Poor-Bayard !” “Who is Bayard?” “My brother —her husband.” “Aty, the young man who was — The other young man was not your husband, then?” Daphne shook her head. “He is no relation —a friend.” “Perhaps we’d better notify Bayard? What’s his last name? Has he a telephone?” Daphne muttered his name and number. Then her head was lifted, a capsule placed in her mouth, and a glass of water held to her lips. When she was restored to her pillow a sedative was within her to subdue the riot of her thoughts. She wondered what Duane would think of her now. She remembered the money she had asked him to lend her. It would be in the morning’s mail. But she would not be there to open it. Mrs. Chivvis might not dare to. ——

All her acquaintance Began to march past Daphne's brain in review. Thoughts and half-thoughts and whimsies danced through her mind in a carnival of stupor -and frenzy, while to the eyes of the nurses she lay still and slept. ing -and—figlitiHg;- whimpering ttml moaning, a torn gazelle under the claws and fangs of tigerish pain. Abruptly there came a lethal silence also from her. They had succeeded in drugging her*at last. * * ♦ • Daphne had left Bayard Jn the afternoon she had found that he was depressed, but not how deeply. She supposed that his money doss was only a failure of expected profits, or the .mishap of an investment. She did not dream that he was crippled financially. L___J—.. . Bayard was so forlorn, so profoundly ashamed of his bad guesswork, that he could not bear to show his face at any of his clubs that night. He had boasted there too often of having bought heavily of the stock. He had persuaded too many of his friends. toinvestinit. ; . ;„.So he went Vhere busy men go when other places are closed to them. He went’ home. When he reached his apartment he found that Leila had given the servants a night out. Leila had left no word of her own plans. After a forlorn delay Bayard called for Daphne. She was gone, too, with no word of her return.. _ At last the telephone rang. z A man’s voice spoke and explained tliat—it spoke from the hospital. . “Is Mr. Kip there? Is this Mr. Kip? Mr. Bayard Kip? Your wife is here, and your sister, and your friend Wetherell —automobile accident —out here on Long Island —pretty bad smash. Your wife’s not very well —better come out- —as soon as you can.” The world reeled. Bayard seized his hat, played a tattoo on the elevator bell, darted into* the street, yelled at a fhxiciib with ferocity, got in, ordered the, driver to>go like hell.” He kept putting his* head out to howl at him. At the hospital he questioned the interne -fiercely about Leila and Daphne, and had evasive answers. He did not ask about Wetherell, bus tlie interne volunteered the he was dead. [■ That made the ultimate difference. I Bayard stopped short in awe, his fore-

bead cold us if .a clammy hand had been laid on It. Death was at work. Where would hestop? In the chill white aisle of the corridor his frenzy gave place to a sense of bitter cold. A chill white nurse led him past doors and doors to a rdomwhere in a white bed lay a chill white ■thing, a cylinder of cotton. -t— - Leila’s face was almost invisible in bandages; her whole body crisscrossed and swaddled. She was an Egyptian princess mummied. For a moment her - soul came out of the drug at his gasp of pity. It ran abotdjnside its cocoon trying to find a nerve to pull or a muscle to signal to him outside. The mere lifting of her hand brought from her a moan of such woe as canceled all Bayard's grievances against her. Once Bayard’s resentments and ■jealousies were fcwept fromTils mind, his old love came back throbbing and

leaping. His very soul bled and he dropped to his knees, his arm thrown across that bundle of wreckage which had been his choice among the world’s beauties. He was soon dragged from his communion with his once-more unconscious bride by the young doctor, who lifted him up with the unpractised diplomacy of internes and led him aside, grumbling: “Say, what you trying to do? Kill her? She’s weak and her heart’s fluttering. Cheer her up if you can. If you can’t, you can’t stay. Better not stay, anyway.” Bayard apologized cravenly and promised (better behavior, and was permitted to steal back to Leila. He took her one undamaged hand; it was as beautiful as the severed hand of a Greek statue, and as marblish white and cold. The interne led him at length out into the corridor. And now Bayard remembered that he had also a sister, an only sister, in this same tavern of pain. His heart went out to her. He remembered, too, that they had a father and a mother to tell or deceive. The interne assumed him that Daphne’s injuries were slight. She looked sad enough when he peered in at her, though she was far from the dreary estate of Leila. She was asleep, but she woke at the sound of his step, and, turning her head with effort, opened her eyes and smiled at him feebly'and whispered his name, and befßonefi to him with one weak finger. Daphne’s heart ached out to him; she hugged him as hard as her weak arms would let her. She setarched her mind for comfort. She could think of nothing so comforting just now as a hearty, reassuring lie. She whispered: “ft’s all my fault, honey. You see, Mr. WethereU was taking me out for a ride. I met Leila. She told me you telephoned yoti weren’t coming home for dinner. She looked so lonely that I asked .her to come along and chaperon us". I’m to blame for it all." Can you ever forgive me?” f He was so grateful, so eager to be deceived, that he forgot her state and clenched her hand hard and kissed it in gratitude for a priceless boon. The nurse, returning, saw the deed and smllcdy not-knowlug what Joy~ Bayard was taking in absolving Leila of suspicion and loading hi inself with blame. At such * a time we love to bow our own heads in shame and cast ashes upon our hair. The taste of ashes in the mouth is good at such a time. Daphne’s first visitor after Bayard was Mrs. Chivvis. . v “Oh, my dear!” she murmured. “I read in the papers about your misfortune. Such a night as I had spent! I was so afraid for you! And to think that you were lying here in such pain 1 And I might have helped you.” Daphne smiled, and they clasped hands like the two splendid little business women they were. “How’s the shop?” Daphne asked. “I haven’t been there.” 11 “It Isn’t open, then?” “No, indeed. With you here?” (TO BE CONTINUED.)

Mrs. Romilly Finished Her Wholesale Order and Came Wheezing Out Like a Grand Old Automobile of an Early Model.

Wetherell Furnished All the Merriment and His Was From Wine and Despair.

He Was So Grateful, So Eager to Be Deceived That He Forgot Her State and Clutched Her Hand Hard and Kissed It in Gratitude.