Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1909 — The Man From Home [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Man From Home

A Novelization of the Play of the Same Name

By BOOTH TARKINGTON and HARRY LEON WILSON

SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I.—Daniel Voorhees Pike,’ a rising young Kokomo (Ind.) lawyer, hears that his ward, Ethel GrangerSimpson, is to be married abroad to the son of an English earl. Her father was his nearest friend and he has long loved the girl. He goes abroad to arrange with her the business matters connected with her marriage. ll—Ethel Granger-Simpson and her brother ‘Horace, have become anglomaniacs and are spending much Of their late father's fortune in travel and entertaining. They become intimate with Lady Creech, the Earl of Hawcastle, his son. Almerlc St. Aubyn, and Comtesse de Champlgny, an adventuress and associate of the earl's. They are at a hotel at Sorrento. Italy. Ethel promises to marry the son because she craves a title. Ill—The Russian I Grand Duke Vasili is shortly to arrive at the same hotel incognito as Herr I von Grollerhagen. IV—The Earl of i Hawcastle is in need of money and wants his son to get a, huge settlement of money at his marriage to Ethel. An escaped Russian bandit is located at Sorrento. V—For some reason the comtesse fears the alleged bandit is one Ivanoff. Ahweric tells his father Ethel has accepted him. Vl—Horace agrees to persuade hfs sister Ethel to settle $750,000 on Almerlc. Vll—Ethel tells Horace of her delight at the prospect of her coming marriage Into the ancient family of. the St. Aubyns. VIII—Von Grollerhagen arrives with Daniel Voorhees Pike on foot, their auto having broken down. IX—Harold, Ethel and the Hawcastle party are uisgusted with what they’ term the ''American manners” of Pike. She tells Pike of her identity, as he had failed to recognize her in her European clothes and European deportment. x—Pike refuses to consent 1 as her guardian to her settling $750,000, on Almerlc, and Ethel Is enraged at him. CHAPTER XL A CLASH OF WILLS. IT required some minutes for Daniel Voorhees Pike to get over the amazement that possessed him when Ethel fled from him in such evident confusion. His usually alert mind seemed incapable of concerted effort in the proper direction, and the dazed look on his face remained there until Mariano came to tell him that his rooms were ready and that Herr von Grollerhagen was awaiting him. Then for the first time he awoke, and, with a sigh of resignation as he realized the battle he had before him, he gave a curt order that the automobile, which had broken down on the road to the hotel, should' be placed in the entrance garden, for he proposed to do some tinkering upon it. “If that don’t beat”— he muttered to himself and then allowed the remark to remain unfinished, for he could not imagine one thing that the incident could be supposed to have -beaten. It stood alone In a little hollow square by Itself qnd positively refused to surrender to any comparison whatsoever. “And that—that—nine cent imitation of a man,” he growled at last—“that vilification upon the the genus homo!” he finished, with a flash of pride. Then he went off to his rooms and tried to adjust himself to the mat- . ter as he saw It and incidentally to bring some of that astute legal training gleaned from contact with farmers, promoters and other citizens to bear upon the case. Horace in the meanwhile had walked along the cliff, wrestling with the situ atlon as It appeared to him. There was not the faintest doubt in his mind that the noble earl would break off the match because of the humiliation his equally noble family had been subjected to by the incursion of this vulgar guardian. Hot and tired, he returned to the hotel with some of his anguish worked off and sought his sister. She. however, was locked up In her own room and would only insist that he go away. So it was from Lady Creech at last that he gleaned some inkling of what had occurred. It was nearly 6 o’clock when he made up his mind to search out Pike and “have it out with the beggar,” as he put It. and he found the obstacle In the entrance garden. As Horace came upon the scene Pike was pounding cheerfully with a hammer upon a bolthead of the motor car. He was In his shirt sleeves and wore a long workman’s smock close buttoned at the neck. From between his teeth came the unfamiliar strains of “The Blue and the Gray.” With a revulsion of feeling Horace approached him. “Sir. Pike!” he said politely. “One lies down at Appomattox," ; went on the song, and Horace stamped Impatiently upon the turf. “Mr. Pike! Mr. Pike! I wish a 1 word with you!” Horace went on, quite angrily. Pike looked up mildly and , regarded Horace with Interest. “Eh?” he said and moved to the other side of the machine, rubbing his lean chin with the handle of a monkey wrench. 1 “I wished tq say that the surprise of this morning so upset me that I went for a long walk. I have Just returned.” said Horace. He waited expectantly, but Mr. Pike went on abstractedly, “One wore clothes of gray.” and seemed to be absorbed in his work, so that Horace was forced to go on. “I have, been even more upset by what I have Just learned.” “Why, that’s too bad,” answered Pike, fishing for a nut in the bottom I of the tonneau. 1

“It is too bad—absurdly—monstrously bad! Lady Creech tells me that my sister did you the honor to present you to the family with which we are forming an alliance—at least to a portion of it”— “Yes, sir,” answered Pike, “and promised to present me to the whole possetucky of ’em”— “I’ll not listen to you!” cried Horace in a rage. “And I warn you that we shall act without paying the slightest attention to you!” Pike straightened up a trifle. "Your sister kind of hinted in her letter that you think a good deal of this French lady—the widow. I suppose you have made up your mind to take her for richer or poorer, eh? Now, what’s sue going to give you?” Horace stopped short In horrified amazement. “Why, I thought you’d charge her something—Just a little. Ain’t that the way over here?” “It seems impossible for you to understand our motives In trying to lift ourselves above the common herd. You are trying to interfere between us and the fine flower of Europe,” went on Horace excitedly. Pike straightened up and looked him' In the eye quizzically. “I never heard none of the folks around Kokomo speak of your pa as ( a ‘fine flower,’ but we thought a heap of him, and when he married your ma he was glad to get her. and 1 never heard that ne asked .for any settle-

ment When she took him lil watg poor man, but if he’d had $750,000 I’ll bet he’d ’a’ given it for her.” Horace turned short about apd retired from the scene. It was evidently Impossible to argue with this plebeian. As he went toward the gates fie met Almerlc and Lady Creech and informed them eloquently of the ill success of his attempt to reason with the lawyer. Then he went out again to the cliff. Almerlc accompanied him a few steps and then turned off to the village, for he said he simply must take another look at that pup. And Lady Creech announced that she intended to have “forty winks” in her own room. Five minutes later Daniel, looking up from a superb rendition of “Dolly Gray,” saw her glaring at him from her window. Then came the Herr von Grollerhagen from the hotel. He was the same calm, imperturbable individual as ever, and be smoked with the languid abandon of a man born to ease. He approached Daniel with a smile. “You make progress, my friend?” he asked, and Daniel smiled at him. “Your machine’s like a good many people, doc. It’s got sand in its gear bo».” At that moment Mariano hastened out and fumbled nervously with the lock on the big gates. Von Grollerhagen turned instantly. “You are locking us in,” he said. “No, herr,” replied the servant; “I lock some one out—that bandit who have not been captured. The carabinieri warn all to lock the gates for an hour. Soon they will capture that wicked one. M’sieu, this convict is a Russian.” With a~ keen glance, Von Grollerhagen waved the man aside. Daniel smiled. “They’ve got two companies of the tin soldiers. Out my way the town marshal would bare bad him yesterday.” “My friend, you are teaching me to respect your country, not by what you brag, but by what you do.” “How’s that?" asked Pike. “I see how a son of that great democracy can apply himself to a dirty machine while his eyes are full of visions of one of its beautiful daughters.” “Ddc, there’s sand in your gear box!” Then he looked up. “Now, you go down to the kitchen and make signs for some of the help to give you a bunch of nice cleanjags."

For an instant the German drew himself up haughtily. “What is It you ask me to do?” "Get me some more rags,” said Daniel quietly, and Von Grollerhagen bowed low. “I’d go myself, but it wouldn’t be safe to leave the machine." "You fear this famous bandit would steal it?” laughed the German. “No; there’s parties around here might think it was a settlement” “My friend,” Von Grollerhagen said gravely, "I do not understand.” “That’s where we are In the same fix. doc.” said Pike, with a chuckle, and bent over the machine again, while Von Grollerhagen departed on his mission. While Pike worked he thought, and the thoughts finally arrived at the point where he saw’that all he had to do to save the girl he had come so far to see was to sit tight on his refusal. He had accurately gauged the noble earl and his Interesting son and sister-in-law, and he knew that it was a thousand to one that they would not agree to a marriage if there was no money in sight. “They’ll make more’n one bid lor old Simpson’s money,” he assured himself and then looked up quickly, for the leaves on the pergola were rustling in a way that no wind should have caused. As he looked the figure of a man appeared over the top of the vines and a pale face looked into his with im-

ploring eyes. Pike looked at him calmly and knew at once that this was the man the carabinieri were pursuing. “Est ce que irons etes Un homme de bon coeur? Je ne suis pas coupable!” (“Are you a kind hearted man? I am not guilty!”) he began, when Pike cut him off with a shake of the head. “There ain’t any use in the world your talking to me like that,” he said mournfully, and the refugee’s eyes gleamed with hope. “You are an American?” he said, making preparations to descend. “They haven’t made anything else out of me,” answered Daniel, and the refugee climbed down and leaned weakly against the car. “If you give me up I shall not be taken alive! I have no weapon, but I shall find a way to cut my throat!” “Are you the bandit they’re looking for?” asked Daniel, with interest. “They call me that? How close are they?” asked the other, with sudden fright. Pike looked at the gates and heard a clank of sabers off on the road. “There!” he said and stripped off bls blouse. “Did they see you climb that wall?” “I think not,” murmured the man. “Do you know anything about automobiles?” asked Daniel, holding out the coat “Not a thing in the world,” replied the other despairingly. “Then you’re a chauffeur, all right” returned the lawyer, forcing the rough garment on the man. “Here; climb in

under That machine, and don’t you dare unscrew anything. Pretend you are fixing.” He pushed the refugee toward the machine and saw him wriggle beneath it, then heard Mariano’s agitated voice calling in the hotel. An instant later the maitre d’hotel rushed out to the entrance gates and threw them wide open, revealing two carabinieri without, who immediately entered. Then ensued a conversation in Italian that was pure Sanskrit to Pike, who locked on with calm interest. The commandant of the file ajldresseiTflfeTawyer' In a long speech, to which Pike smiled and waved a cigar. "Wishing you many happy returns, colonel,” he said genially, and Mariano hastened forward. "It is the robber of Russia. They think he climb the wall, the assassin. The others, they surround all yonder. These two, they search here. They ask you please, signore, have you seen him climb the wall." “No,” replied Daniel shortly, turning away. “They ask. then, has any one crossed the lawn?” went on the servant "No.” replied Daniel, and as he spoke one of the men pointed his gun beneath the car at the figure in the long blouse. “He ask who that is, signore,” said Mariano excitedly, also pointing. “The new chauffeur for the machine from Paris,” answered Pike casually, and. with a bow, the two went off, one to the right and the other to the left. As they disappeared Von Grollerhagen came walking across the grass with some white rags in his hands and an amused smile upon his face. “Is there a new eruption of Vesuvius?” he asked, waving the cloths. Daniel met him and took the rags. “No.” he said dryly. "It’s an eruption of colonels trying to arrest a high school professor. I’ve got him under your car there, yonder.” The start the German gave would have been ludicrous in any other situation. “My friend," he said, “do you realize the penalty for protecting a criminal from arrest?" “1 told them he was your chauffeur. We’ll be proud of the risk, doc.” He turned to the refugee under the machine. “This man owns the car,” he went on. “You can trust him the same as your own father.” And the German shrugged his shoulders in protest. There was a clatter of arms, and Pike looked up. "Look out!” he said. “The governor’s staff is coming back," And as the carabinieri returned he said casually to Von Grollerhagen: “You’H have to get a new front tire, doc. That one is pretty near gone. Better have Jim here put on the spare one when he gets through.” The German looked at him. “Do you know what you are asking me to do?” “To have a new front tire put on,” answered the lawyer. The police were looking on with interest, and finally Mariano approached. “The carabinieri, with all excuses, beg that you will order the chauffeur to step forth from the machine.” Pike made an exclamation. "No, sir! I worked on that machine myself for three hours. He’s got his bands full of nuts and bolts and screws half fastened. We want to get the Job finished. Tell them to go on up Main street with their Knights of Pythias parade and come around some day when we’re not busy.” Mariano held a hurried consultation with the carabinieri and turned back. “Because the chauffeur have been engage today the carabinieri ask ten thousand pardons, but inquire how long he have been known to his employer.” “How long! Why, he was raised on doc’s father’s farm!” "If that is so”— began Mariano. “So? Of course it’s so. Tell ’em, doc!” The German looked at Mariano gravely. “You have beard my friend say ft.” "I have your permission. Herr von Grollerhagen. to reveal your incognito to the carabinieri?” “Is It necessary?” “Otherwise they will not depart” “Very well; tell them. But I rely upon them to preserve my incognito from all others.” Mariano smiled. “Monseigneur, they depart” and turned to the uniformed men. An instant later these swung through the gate and went their way. Pike looked after them in astonishment. “He must have mesmerized the militia. eh. doc?” and signed to the refugee to come out from the car. He was a pathetic figure as he emerged and held out bis bands. “To you both Lgive thanks”— But Von Grollerhagen cut in: "My American friend has placed himself—and myself—in danger of the penal code of Italy for protecting you. Perhaps you will be good enough to let us know for what we have incriminated ourselves.” (To be Continued.)

"THE CARABINIERI BEG THAT YOU WILL ORDER THE CHAUFFEUR TO STEP FORTH FROM THE MACHINE”

“ You are an Americans"