Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 June 1907 — THE CONQUEST of CANAAN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE CONQUEST of CANAAN

By BOOTH TARKINGTON.

Author .of “Cherry." “Monsieur Besucaire." Etc. MaMMMBMeRMnaBSBamMSSMSIIiRHaSMMMnMMnMMMa

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. Chapter Bantry. a Canaan (Ind.,) young man, who lias been east to college, returns home and astounds the natives by the frorgeouaness of bis raiment Hit stepbrother, Joe Loudln, Is characterized by the aged male gossip* who daily assemble at the National House for argument as the good for nothing associate of doubtful characters. II Engene’t appearance has a pronounced effect upon Mamie Pike, whose father, Judge Pike, is the wealthiest and most prominent citizen of Canaan. Joe worships Mamie from afar. Eugene interferes In a snow tight between Joe and hts holdcnlth and very poor girl friend, Ariel Taber, who is worsted. Ariel hotly resents the Interference and slaps Eugene, who sends her home. Ill—Ariel, unbecomingly attired, attends Mamie Pike's ball. IV—Joe, concealed behind some plants on the Pike veranda, watches hungrily for a glimpse of Minnie. Ariel Is ignored by moat of the guests. Ariel discovers Joe, aut shortly afterward, learning that her uncle, Jonas Tabor, has died suddenly, leaves. The Daily Tocsin oi the next day tells of Joe's discovery on the Pike veranda and of his pursuit and escape therefrom. It also refers to wounds In the head of himself and of Norbert Flitcroft, who detected him. Jos retires to the “ileach,” a low resort kept by his friend, Mike Sheehan, w’ho dresses his wound. VI Joe leaves Mike's place. He vistti Ariel Tabor, who, by the death of her Unole Jonas, has become rich. She wishes Joe to accompany her and her grandfather to Paris. Joe refuses snd leaves Canaan to avoid arreat for the trouble at Judge Pike’a. Vll—Joe is beard from two years later as a ticket seller for a side show, Eugene Bantry also meets him seven years later in a low resort in New York, but wisely refrains from advertising It. VIII—Joe returns to Canaan a full-Hedged lawyer. Even his father ignores kirn, and he la refused accommodations at the National house. IX—Joe la welcomed at the “Beach,” and “Happy Fear." one of Joe's admirers, aeriously assualts Nashville Cory, a detractor. At the end of Happy'a term in prison he visits Joe, who now has a law office on the square, with a living room adjoining. Joe has a large practice, principally among the lowerclaases, and la frequently attacked by the Tocsin. Joe begins, in bis lonllness, to yield to the seductions of the bottle. Bantry’s engagment to Mamie Pike ia announced. Bantry la now associate editor of the Tocaln, owned by . Judge Pike. X—Joe awaken* after a “bad night" with the word*, “Remember, across the Main street bridge at noon," ringing In bis ,ear». He goes there and la presently joined by the most beautifully dressed girl he has ever aeen. Xl—She turns out to be Ariel Tabor, arrived In Canaan the night before from her long sojourn In Paris. She has seen Joe as alighted from the train and, realizing hi* condition, had escorted him home after exacting from him a promise to meet her the next day (Sunday) across the Maiu street bridge at noon. Joe learns that Ariel ia stopping at Judge Pike’s home, the judge having entire charge of her money, etc. XII— Eugene Bantry, although engaged to Mamie, la-muchsmitten with Ariel's charms. Judge Pike tries hia usual blustering tactics with Ariel, but subside* When she tells him that she shall atk him to turn over the care of her estate to Joe Louden. Xlll—Ariel bolds a sort es Informal reception at Judge Plke’sand learns that the “tough element" Is talking of tunning Joe for maior. XlV—Happy Fear and Nashville more trouble. Joe corners Happy anSWends Claudine (Mrs. Fear) to meet him. XV—Ariel visits Joe’s office to put her affairs In his hands. While there Happy Fear rushes In and announces that be has killed Nashville Cory in self defense. Joe make* Happy give himself np. XVI— Mamie Pike admits to Ariel that ahe, too. has begun to believe in Joe Louden, XVII— TheTocaln makes virulent attacks on Joe Louden and Happy Fear. Mike Shee- , ban hint* that he may shortly have some interesting srcrets to divulge in connection with Judge Pike’s affair*. XVIII-The Tocsin continues its attacks. Judge Pike Informs Ariel that her .supposed fortune consists of valueless securities. XlX—Aged Esfcew Arp. one of the band of National House gossips and erstwhile traducera of Joe, rescues Joe's dog from a miserable death at the hands of the townspeople and then collapses. XX. Arp Ib carried In Judge Pike’s carriage to Ariel's house. With him are Artel, Mamie Pike and Joe Louden. Arp compels several of his National House cronies who call to shake hands with Joe Louden. CHAPTER XXI. THERE was meat for gossip a-plenty In Canaan that afternoon and evening. There were - rumors that ran from kitchen to parlor, and rumors that ran from parlor to kitchen; speculations that detained housewives In talk across frpnt gates, wonderlngs that held cooks In converse over shadeless back fences In spite of the heat and canards that brought Main street clerks running to toe shop doors to stare up and down the sidewalks. "Out of the confusion of report the Judicious were able by evenfall to extract a fair history of this (lay of revolution. There remained no doubt that Joe Louden was In attendance at the deathbed of Eskew Arp, and somehow it came to be known that Colonel Flitcroft, Squire Buckalew and Peter Bradbury had shaken hands with Joe and declared themselves his friends. There were those, particularly among toe relatives of the hoary trio, who expressed the oplulon that the colonel and his comrades were too old to be responsible and a commission ought to ait on them. Nevertheless some echoes of Eskew’s last “argument” to the conclave had sounded in the town and were not wholly without effect. Everywhere there was a uippiug curiosity to learn how Judge I’ike had ‘Taken” the strange performance of his daughter, and the eager were much disappointed when It was truthfully reported that he had done and said very little. He had pierely discharges! both Sain Warden and Sam’s wife from his - aervioe, the mild manner of the dismissal almost unnerving Mr. Warden, although he was fully prepared for bird shot, gnd the (ouplc had found Immediate employment la the service of Ariel Tabor. Those who humanly felt the Judge’s behavior to be a trifle flat and uusensatlonal were recompensed late in the afternoon when It became known that Eugene Bantry had resigned his position on the Tocsin. His reason for Fevering his connection was dumfoundlng. He had written a formal letter to toe Judge and repeated the gist of It to his associates in the office and ae- £ «juaintances upon the street He deI' dared that he no longer sympathized p With the attitude of the Tocsin toward bis stepbrother and regretted that be hod previously assisted in emphasizing the paper's hostility to Joe, particularly In the matter of the approaching murder trial. This being the case, be felt that bis effectiveness in the

service of the paper had ceased, and he must In Justice to the owner resign. ; “Well, I’m cursed!”*was the simple e mmient of the elder Louden when his stepson sought him out at the factory , ml repeated this statement to him. “So am I, I think,” said Eugene wan ly. “Goodby. I’m going now to seo mother,’ but I’ll be gone before you collie home.” “Gone where?” “Just away. I don’t know where,” Eugene answered from the door. “I couldn't live here any longer. I” “You’ve been drinking,” said Mr. Louden, inspired. "You’d better not let Mamie Pike see you.” Eugene laughed desolately. “I don’t mean to. I shall write to her. Goodby,” he said and was gone before Mr. Louden could restore enough order out of the chaos In his mind to stop him. Thus Mrs. Louden's long wait at the window was tragically rewarded, and she became} an unhappy actor In Canaan’s drama of that day. Other ladles attended at other windows or near their front doors throughout the afternoon—the families of the three patriarchs awaiting their return as the time drew on with something akin to frenzy. Mrs. Flitcroft, a lady of temper, whose rheumatism confined her to a chair, had her grandson wheel her out upon the porch, and as the dusk fell and she finally saw her husband coming at a laggard pace, leaning upon his cane, his chin sunk on his breast, she frankly toldf Norbert that although she had lived with that man fifty-seven years she would never be able to understand him. She repeated this with genuine symptoms of hysteria when she discovered that the colonel had not come straight from the Tabor house, but had stopped two hours at Peter Bradbury’s to “talk It over.” One Item of bis recital, white sufficiently startling to his wife, had a remarkable effect upon his grandson. This was the Information that Ariel Tabor's fortune no longer existed. “What’s that?” cried Norbert, start* ing to his feet. “What are you talking about?” “It's true,” said the colonel deliberately. “She told me so herself. Eskew had dropped off Into a sort of dozemore like a stupor perhdps—and we all went Into Roger’s old studio, except Louden and the doctor, and while we were there talkin’ one of Pike’s clerks came with a basket full of tin boxes and packages of papers and talked to Miss Tabor at the door and went away. Then old Peter blundered out and asked her point blank what it was, and she said it was her estate—almost everything she had, except the house. Buckalew, tryln’ to make a Joke, said he’d be willin’ to swap his house and lot for the basket, and she laughed and told him she thought he’d be sorry; that all there was, to speak of, was a pile of distillery stock’’— “What?” repeated Norbert Incredulously.

“Yes. It was toe truth,” said the coiouel solemnly. * “I saw It myself. Blocks and blocks of stock in that distillery trust that went up higher ’n a kite lust year. Roger had put all of Jonas’ good money”— * “Not into that!” shouted Norbert, uncontrollably excited. “Yes, he did. I tell you,l saw it!” “I tell you he didn’t. He owned Granger gas, worth more today than It ever was! Pike was Roger’s attorney In fact and bought It for him before the old man died. The check went through my hands. You don’t think I'd forget as big a check as that, do you, even if it was more than a year ago? Or how it was signed and who made out to? It was Martin Pike that got caught with distillery stock. He speculated once too often!” “No, you’re wrong,” persisted the colonel. “I tell you I saw it myself.” . “Then you’re blind,” returned ’ hts grandson disrespectfully; “you’re blind or else—or else”— He paused, open mouthed, a look of wonder struggling its way to expression upon him, gradually conquering every knobby outpost of his countenance. He struck his fat hands together. “Where’s Joe Louden?” he asked sharply. “I want to see him. Did you leave him at Miss Tabor’s?”

“He’s goin' to sit up with Eskew. What do you want of him?” “I should say you better ask that!” Mrs, Flitcroft began shrilly. “It’s enough, I guess, for one of this family to go runnin’ after him and shakin’ hands with him and heaven knows what not! Norbert Flitcroft!” But Norbert Jumped from the porch, ruthlessly crossed his grandmother’s geranium bed and, making off at as sharp a pace as his architecture permitted, within ten minutes Opened Ariel’s gate. Sam Warden came forward to meet him. “Don’t ring’ please, suh,” said Sam. “Dey sot me out heah to tell Inquirin’ frlen’s dat po’ ole Mist’ Arp mighty low.” , “I want to see Mr. Louden,” returned Norbert. “I want to see him immediately.” “I don’ reckon he kin come out ylt,” Sam said Id a low tone. “But I kin go in an’ ast ’im.”

He stepped softly within, leaving Norbert waiting, and went to toe door of the sickroom. The door was open, the room brightly lighted, as E*i*w had commanded when, a little earlier, he awoke. Joe and Ariel were alone with him, leaning toward him with such white anxiety that the colored man needed no warning to make him remain silent in the hallway. The veteran w*a speaking, and his voice was very weak, seeming to come from a great distance. “It’s mighty funny, but I feel like I used to when I was a little boy. I reckon I’m kind of scared—after all. Alrie Tabor—ire you—here?" “Yes, Mr. Arp.” “I thought—so—but I—l don’t see very well—lately. I—wanted—to- know—to know”— “Yea—to know?” She knelt close beside him. “It’s kind of—foolish,” he whispered. “I Just—wanted to know if you was still here. It—don’t seem so lonesome now that I know.” She put her arm lightly about him, and he smiled and was silent for a time; then he struggled to rise upon his elbow, and they lifted him a little. “It’s hard to breathe,” gasped the old man. “I’m pretty near—the big road. Joe Louden”— “Yes?” “You’d have been—willing—willing to change places with me—Just now—when Alrie”— Joe laid his hand on his, and Eskew smiled again. “I thought so! And Joe”“Yes?” “You always—always had the—the best of that Joke between us. Do you

—you suppose they charge admission—up there?” His eyes were lifted., “Do you suppose you’ve got to—to show your good deeds to git in?” The answering whisper was almost as faint as the old man’s. “No,” panted Eskew, “nobody knows. But I hope—l do hope—they’ll have some,free seats. It’s a—mighty poor show—we’ll —all have—if they—don’t.” He sighed peacefully, his head grew heavier on Joe’s arm, and the young man set his hand gently upon the unseeing eyes. Ariel did not rise from she knelt, but looked up at him when, a little later, he lifted his hand. “Yes,” said Joe, “you can cry now.” fro BK COKTINUXD.I

“It's hard to breathe ,"gasped the old man.