Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1909 — The Man From Home [ARTICLE]

The Man From Home

A Novellzatlon 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 GrangerSi mpson, is to be married abroad te 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, Aimeric 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 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. Aimeric • tells his father Ethel has accepted him. Vl—Horace agrees to persuade his sister Ethel to settle *750.000 on Aimeric. 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 oisgusted 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 as her guardian to her settling *750,000 on Aimeric, and Ethel Is enraged at him. ■Xl—lhe Russian refugee meets Pike, and the latter shows him a place to hide from the Italian police. Von Grol■erhagen aids Pike to do this. XII— The fugitive tells Von Grollerhagen and Pike how he came to be sent to th# Siberian mines. Horace falls in love with „ tae adventuress ths comtesse. Xlll—Pike tells Ethel that he can never forget how she used to sing “Sweet Genevieve” back home in Indiana. 1 **rli?*rj 1 CHAPTER XIV. BLACKMAIL. PIKE was still standing tvlth the letter In his hand, looking after Ethel, when he awoke to the realization of what her words meant to him. She had given her promise, and she did not mean that anything in the world should make Uer revoke It. That promise was sacred to her, just as If It had been spoken before a clergyman. In hls heart Pike knew he would have to give In If he was to make her happy, and yet he knew that In making her temporarily happy he would be making her eternally miserable. If he could have the strength to hold out against her and refuse to sanction the marriage he knew the crew of aristocrats would never accept her without the cash, and that by the terms of John Simpson’s will could never be theirs without hls consent. Of hls own hopes he could see but the faintest glimmering. He had Irretrievably offended the girl, and she would hate him all her life for It, he feared. Hls entrance into her new phase of life had been unfortunate. Hls continuance in It was little else than an Insult, according to her way of thinking. And Jim Cooley, whom he had trusted to find the flaw In the Hawcastle escutcheon that he knew had existed, had failed him miserably. The lawyer felt that he was a long way from home. He sighed and turned

to where the sun" was stoking'in a haze of red across the bay. Then he heard the voice of Horace and chiming wlth .lt the cultured accents of Lord Hawcastle. Apparently they were c’omlng to seek him. She had reiterated his refusal. Wearily he.turned again to the automobile and leaned against it. As he did so he heard Horace say: “But Ethel says Mr. Pike positively refuses.” In return he heard Hawcastle reply: “Leave him to me. In ten minutes he will be as meek as a lamb.” Dumbly Pike wondered what fresh argument the earl had to offer and mentally steeled himself against it. As he looked up he encountered the steady glare of the earl. “My dear Pike,” began the Latter, “there is a certain question”— “I said I would not discuss that with you. I meant what I said,” observed Daniel quietly. “This Is another question,” went on the other, heedless of the warning or at least unaffected by it. “Late this afternoon I developed a great anxiety concerning the penalty prescribed by Italian law for those fortunate and impulsive individuals who connive at the escape or concealment of certain unfortunates who are wanted by the police.” Daniel looked at him, with a smile. “So you’re all worked up about that, are you?” Hawcastle glared at him, but went on. “So deeply that I ascertained the penalty for it. For the person whose kind heart has so betrayed' him the penalty is two years in prison, and Italian prisons,•! am credibly informed, are—unpleasant.” Pike ruminated and folded his letter. “Being in jail ain’t much like an Elks’ carnival,” he observed. “Even a citizen of your admirable country could not escape if hls complicity were proved—ls he were caught in tHe act. I will lie plain with you.” These last words had an ominous note. “Let us imagine that a badly wanted man appeared upon the pergola here and made an appeal to one Of your countrymen who, for the purposes of argument, Is at work upon this car. Say that the too amiable American conceals the fugitive under she automobile and afterward, with the connivance of a friend, deceives the officers of the law and shelters the criminal, say, in a room of that lower VuTt tSere.” '- 10e Tooled about in the growing twilight and pointed dramatically to the window. Pike, now thoroughly Interested and with his pulse beating a rapid tattoo, followed his finger. The earl went on: “Imagine, for instance, that the shadow which appears upon that curtain were that of the wanted man. Would you not agree then to a reasonable request?” Daniel swallowed painfully, for he saw In some manner that that swaying window curtain which had caught hls eye an hour ago had held a distinct menace. It seemed too bad that this should be the end of It all—all the defenses he had raised for the girl of his dead friend should be swept away in an Instant by a bit of folly. “What would be the nature of that request?” he asked. “It would concern a certain alliance —might concern a certain settlement,” the earl replied softly. “If the request were refused, what would the consequences be?” Pike went on, with lowered eyes, for he would not trust himself to meet those of the nobleman. “Two years at least In prison for the American.” “Looks bad for—that American, eh?” Pike inquired whimsically. Lord Hawcastle stepped close to him. “If this fellow countryman of yours were assured that the law would be permitted to take Its course If a favorable answer tq a certain question were

not received In an hour within that hotel, what. In your opinion, would the answer be?” Pike looked up from the letter he was twisting In bis hands,, and his thin shoulders took on a squarer attitude. He looked bis antagonist squarely in the eye, but he did not raise the tone of his voice. “It would depend a good deal on which of my countrymen you caught If it depended on the one I know best he’d tell you he’d see you in hades first" ' For an instant the earl looked fixedly at Daniel, and his face went red and white by turns. There was a dangerous flash In hls eyes, and he stepped a trifle closer and half raised his walking stick. Then, with a muttered oath, he dropped It picked up hls hat from the bench where he had thrown it and walked to the hotel steps. • You have an hour,” he said, menacingly turning. “At the end of that time—we will know what to do.” Daniel must have stood there ten minutes after Hawcastle had gone, and the twilight came down and enveloped him with its softness. As the lights came out here and there he turned and looked over at the windows of Von Grollerhagen’s suit and noted the shadow still on the window blind. “Looks to me like doc’s in this thing and ought to be told,” he murmured. He found his way slowly across the grass and up the steps and in another moment tapped upon the door of the German’s rooms. The door was opened •by Ribiere, who informed him that Von Grollerhagen was dressing. He found his friend adjusting his white cravat before a mirror. Within five minutes he had acquainted the other with all that had passed and had received a smilp in return. Von Grollerhagen refused to take the matter seriously. “Pouf!” he said. “Surely you can trust this Lord Hawcastle not to mention it. He must know that the Consequences for you as well as for me would be, to say the least, disastrous. Surely you made that clear to him.” Daniel smiled gently. “No,” he answered grimly. “He made it clear to me. Two years in Jail, and if I don’t make up my mind in fifty mingtes from now to do what he wants me to d°”— “Wlial is It that he wants you to do?” asked the German. “The young lady’s father trusted me to look after her, and If I won’t promise to let her pay £150,000 for that—well, you've seen it around here, haven’t you?” “I have observed it, if you refer to the son of Lord Hawcastle,” answered Von Grollerhagen gravely. “Well. If I don’t agree to that Ivanoff goes to Siberia and you and I to jail.” Von Grollerhagen looked at him quickly. “He threatens that! What do you intend to do?” “I can’t agree. There wouldn’t be any trouble to it if it was only me. They could land me for two years or twenty. But I can’t do what they want, even to let you and Ivanoff out It ain’t my money. All 1 can do Is to hint that you get out right away. Ivanoff can’t go. They’ve got a ring around this place.” “You could get away, too, my friend,” said the German, watching him softly. “You had not thought of that?” “No, sir, and I’m not going to think of it But you”— “As for me, I shall go,” said Von Grollerhagen, standing up. “Well, that’s part of the load off my mind. I haven’t had the nerve to tell that poor fellow in there, though.” Von Grollerhagen motioned to Ribiere. “Appellez le monsieur la!” he commanded and pointed to the other door of the chamber. The man opened it at once and beckoned to Ivanoff. “Ivanoff, some unexpected difficulties have arisen,” said the German. “The police have discovered your presence here, and persons who wish evil to my friend have threatened to make trouble. He can do nothing further to save you unless he betrays a sacred trust” “It’s the truth, old man,” said Daniel feelingly. “I can’t do it” For a moment the Russian refugee staggered and supported himself with his hand on the table. Then he looked up. “I thank you for what you have tried to do.” Voo Grollerhagen went on: “In the meantime my friend believes Naples a safe place for me. And so auf wiedersehen.” Pike extended his hand, which the German took. “Goodby, doc, and God bless your he said. And Von Grollerhagen squeezed Pike’s fingers. “To onr next meeting,” he said and in a moment was gone. (To’be Continued.)