Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1909 — The Man From Home [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Man From Home

A Novelization of the Play of the Same Name

By BOOTH TARKINGTON

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. H—Ethel Granger-Simpson and her brother Horace, have become anglomanlacs 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, Almeric St. Aubyn, and Comtesse de Champigny, 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. Hl—The Russian Grand Duke Vasili is shortly to arrive at the same hotel Incognito as Herr von Grollerhagen. IV—The Earl of 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 Ivanoft. Almeric tells his father Ethel has accepted him. Vl—Horace agrees to persuade his sister Ethel to settle $750,000 on Almeric. 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 disgusted with hey term the “American manners” °f 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 as her guardian to her settling $750,000 on and Ethel ,s enraged at him. ■A.I —The_. Russian refugee meets Pike, and the latter shows him a place to hide from the Italian police. Von Grollerhagen aids Pike to do this. CHAPTER XII. THE NIHILIST. WITH a hasty glance about th* garden to make sure he was not observed, the refugee approached Von Grollerhagea and Daniel and spread out his tends. As he stepped forward there was a movement of the window curtains in the casement above the doorway to the hotel, and he turned; but, whatever had caused it, the movement had ceased and there was nothing apparent. "The Italian journals call me a brigand," said the Russian, “and in this they are inspired by the Russian legation at Rome. 1 am known as Ivanoff Ivanovitch, and 1 have spent nine years in Siberia, nine years of hell. It is ten years ago since 1 was condemned in St. Petersburg, and you. who know nothing of the horrors of Russian prisons, cannot understand what I have suffered, my friends. 1 was a professor of languages, a translator in the bureau of the minister of finance, and I was trusted.” For a moment he paused and pressed his scarred hands to his lined forehead, then sighed and went on; “I was also a member of the Blue Fifty, a Constitutionalist, and as such was able to do a little for the cause, the cause, the same, my friend”—he turned to Pike—“for which your forbears suffered and fought—the cause of liberty. I could do but little, though I tried. At last I transferred th» funds of the government to the Society of the Blue Fifty. It; was a small thing. It was for the cause—not one ruble for myself. I swear it!” Von Grollerhagen started back, with a gesture of repulsion, and Ivanovitch held out his hands. “Not one ruble for myself!” he repeated. “It was for Russia’s sake, not mine!” He paused and went on wearily: “But I committed the great Russian crime. I was caught, and through treachery. There was an Englishman who lived in Petersburg. He had contracts with the government. I thought he was my friend—my best friend. I had married in my student days in Paris. Ah, it is the old story!” he cried bitterly. “I knew the Englishman admired my wife, but I trusted her, and I trusted him, and he made my bouse his home. So many have done that thing. I had 50,000" rubles in my desk —the funds I had transferred—to be delivered to my society. One day the police came to search, and they found only me—not my wife, not my English friend, not the 50,000 rubles. I went to Siberia. Now 1 search for those two.” He leaned against the automobile and pressed his hands over his face, while Pike and Von Grollerhagen glanced at each other sorrowfully. Finally the latter asked: “It was they who sent the police?” And Ivanovitch replied vigorously: “After they had taken the money and were beyond the frontier themselves. That is all I have against them.” For a moment the hunted look left his eyes, and Into them came the ravenous gleam of the hunting, starving wolf. His fingers clasped and unclasped themselves spasmodically, and there was a set look about his jaws that spoke 111 for the guilty pair should they ever meet this man with the man acles off his hands. The lawyer shuddered slightly as he gazed at him, and he laughed a short, hard laugh. “Looks to me as if that would be about enough .to have, against them,” he said. Von Grollerhagen stood combine his wlrv beard with strong fingers

and evidently studying the case. At last he spoke. “Then by your own confession you are an embezzler and a revolutionist," he said, and at Ivanovitch’s start of

“Not one ruble for myself. [ swear It /** abject misery and contrition Pike stepped forward and laid his hand on the German’s arm.

“The man’s down,” he said gently. “You wouldn’t go back on him now?” He waited an instant and then chuckled grimly in a thin, humorous way. “Besides, you’ve made yourself one of bls confederates, doc,” he finished. As he spoke Von Grollerhagen glanced at him quickly, and his eyes took on a tinge of surprise. “Upon my soul, but I have, my friend!” Then he laughed outright. “Ah, from the first sight of you in the hotel at Napoli I saw that you were a great man.” Daniel looked at him and grinned In his face. “What you doing, doc—running for congress?” he asked, and the German joined him in the humor of the situation and then turned gravely to the Russian. “I fear the carabinieri did not depart without suspicion.’* “Suspicion!” echoed Ivanovitch bitterly. “They will watch every exit from the hotel and grounds. What can I do until dark?” Pike interrupted him quickly and motioned to the hotel. “Why. doc. he’s got the whole lower floor of this wing. You’re his chauffeur”— “I was about to suggest it.” interrupted Von Grollerhagen, in his turn, with some grimness of manner. “I have a room that can well be spared for Professor Ivanovitch.” “How can I ever thank you? God bless you both!” said the Russian, g> Ing toward them with outstretched hands. “Huh! Don’t waste time talking about it,” said Pike. “I shouldn’t be surprised if you were hungry.” He took the refugee by the arm and steered him in the direction of the hotel, and as the three entered the wide door the curtains above the entrance

were agitated violently and the head of Lady Creech popped out of the casement with the suddenness of a Punch. From the keen look on her face one might have Imagined that had it not been for her deafness she might have heard every word of the conversation that had gone on below her. As it was, after gazing anxiously in the direction of the road she withdrew her head sharply and within a minute came out of the door of the hotel Just in time to encounter Horace and Mme. de Champlgny coming In from the grove. She approached them at once. “Have you seen my brother?” she demanded excitedly. “Where is Lord Sawcastle?” Horace looked at her with surprise. “On the other side of the garden, Lady Creech,” he answered, “down there on the terrace,” and watched, with some amusement, the speedy efforts of the grim old lady as she hurried off. The amusement, however, rapidly gave place to a more interesting pastime, for, summoning all his callow courage, he set himself vigorously to hint at a possible union between himself and the noble countess. It was evident from the first word' that the lady was prepared for him and that, while she Intended to offer him every bit of encouragement in her power, she would npt be satisfied with anything short of a definite proposal and more likely before witnesses if possible. He made his initial move with some gayety. She returned his banter with a mock seriousness and in answer to his challenge on her somber mood replied: \ “But I cannot believe you are always serious, my friend.” "Try me,” he demanded eagerly. '.'Set me some task to prove how seri-

ous I am.” She smiled at him. “Gladly,” she said. “Complete this odious settlement Overcome the resistance of this bad man who so troubles your sweet sister." Horace took her hand and murmured:

“You promise me that when it is settled I may speak to you”— “Yes. You may speak to me—when you please.” And at the words be kissed her hand rapturously. In the meantime the suddenly rejuvenated Lady Creech had found her brother-in-law and had imparted to him words of the utmost Importance. She had temporarily forgotten her deafness, or else the agitation that possessed her had removed it, for she was bordering upon “a state of mind.” She walked him back to the hotel when she found him and talked continuously all the way, and as she talked his excitement grew to match her own. As they approached the garden Lady Creech said to him: “I couldn’t hear distinctly, for they mumbled their words,' but upon my soul, Hawcastle, even if I couldn’t hear well, I saw enough." (To be Continued.)

He kissed her hand rapturously.