Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 November 1909 — PAID IN FULL [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PAID IN FULL

Novelized From Eugene Walter’s Great Play

...by... JOHN W. HARDING

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. CHAPTER I—lntroduce! Captain Amos Williams, president of the Latin-Ameri-can Steamship company, in very bad humor over a threatened strike of his dock laborers. Joseph Brooks, underpaid accountant and collector for Williams, Expresses his sympathy for the strikers and is ridiculed by his fellow clerks. ll—The president sends for James Smith, superintendent of the company's docks, and Instructs him to spare no expense in crushing the strikers. Smith advises pacific measures, but is overruled and prepares to obey orders. Ill—Mrs. Emma Brooks, the handsome young wife of the discontented clerk, tries to encourage him on his return to their bandbox apartment, but he is bitter against his employer and also against his wife’s mother and sister, who dislike him on account of his inability to gain position. In his desperation he turns on his wife and suggests that she must regret her choice of him when she might have had Smith, who had offered himself. IV—Smith, who is the intimate friend of the family, makes his appearance on the scene, and Brooks continues his bitter arraignment of his employer and violent protest against his own impoverished condition. The discussion becomes rather personal, and Brooks takes his hat and leaves the premises. V—Accompanied by Captain Williams, who is an old friend of the family, Mrs. Harris and daughter Beth, mother and sister of Mrs. Brooks, enter the room, During the visit Brooks returns and makes a scene, accusing Williams of being the cause of his unhapClness. Mrs. Brooks reminds her husand of his breach of hospitality, and he apollgizes and leaves the house. VI When Brooks returns he astonishes his wife and Smith by inviting them to go to the theater. Smith offers to lend him $lO, but he declines. Brooks extracts $lO from a roll. of money collected for the company.

CHAPTER VL WHEN the door had closed behind the visitors Mrs. Brooks and Smith sat down and gazed at each other in silence for some minutes. “Well?” exclaimed Emma, interrogatively, at last "Well,” he replied, "between you and me, Joe came as near getting skinned alive as any one I ever saw.” "It was terrible!” "It was terribly true. You saved him” "I know." “The captain must like you. I never did think he could like anybody.” "I hate him!” she declared, with a grimace of disgust “Ugh, what a beast!” Smith reflected. "Maybe, and maybe not,” he mused. "I can’t just make him out” At this juncture the front door opened and Brooks entered. "I saw them drive off,” he said, dropping into a chair. “I hope they will stay away in future. That mother and sister of yours make me tired! I Can't stand for them, and, what’s more. I Won’t! They’d drive a saint todrlnk, and I’m no saint and don’t purpose to be, either.” His wife began to reproach him for his attack upon Captain Williams and for his general ill humor during the evening, but he cut her short sharply: “We won’t talk about that! Not a word, you understand? Not from you or any one else. That’s Anal!” “Very well; It’s dropped.” she said and, angry at last In turn, rose and went to her room. Indifferently he watched her go, then turned to Smith. "Got anything to smoke, Jlmsy?" he demanded. "No,” he replied, fumbling In his pockets, “as usual, I’m just out, but I’ll run around to the corner store and get some cigars.” Left alone, Brooks began to give way to the uneasiness and apprehension that had followed upon his scene with Captain Williams. “I wonder If Williams will fire me,” he muttered. “If he doesn't it’s on account of Emma. He acted as if he’d go a long ways for Emma.”

He was anxious to know what had happened after his brusque departure. He went into the bedroom and found his wife in tears. “Don’t cry, Emma,” he said soothingly, going to her and taking her in bls arms. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I know I’ve got a fierce grouch on tonight, but I can’t help it So would you have one if you’d had to put up with what I have today.” Mrs. Brooks was one of those sweet natured women who could not sulk for more than five minutes if they tried. It needed but his caress and apparent contrition to dispel her resentment. “You certainly have had cause to worry, dear,” she assented. “After what’s happened tonight I’ll have to bunt another job.” he said. “But I don’t care. I’m glad I told the beast what I thought of him. Some day somebody ’ll tell him what they think of him and plug him, too, as sure as he’s born.” “You’ll not have to hunt for another job yet awhile,” she told him. “The captain said be would overlook it and that it wouldn’t make any difference.” Her husband looked at her in astonishment. half incredulous. “He said that?" “Yes. and I’m glad it’s turned out a* It has, for how we’d manage if you were out of work just now goodness knows. 1 don’tl” “Just bow did he put it?” “He said he was almighty sorry for what had occurred, that he knew he bad been bard at times and tbut us far as your place and we were con-

cerned there would be do change." Brooks’ relief showed in his face. “Well, that knocks me," he commented. “Nobody else ever bucked up against him and got off scot free. I can’t understand it Did your, mother put tn a word for met* “No.” “Then it’s you who must have a pull. He died right down when you spoke to him. 1 never would have believed such a thing. If you had been a man standing there in front of him he’d have smashed you. Darn it, 1 wonder who’s ringing now? Can’t be Jlmsy; he hasn’t had time to get to the street at the gait he goes." He went to the head of the stairs and met a messenger boy who was bearing a letter and had received instructions to wait for an answer. “Sure!” he exclaimed joyfully as he perused the missive. “Tickled to death! Go and get your things on, Emma. It’s from Beatrice Langley and Willie Ferguson. Willie’s giving a sort of theater party, and they want us to go with them. There’s going to be a little supper afterward." She shook her bead. “Tell them we can’t go." “Can’t go! Why not?" "I simply can’t” ’ -sx. “I don’t see why.” “Well, then, 1 won’t; so there! You’d better make some excuse.” “Write it yourself, then,” he said, Irritated and deeply disappointed. “I’m not going to He to them.” Without another word she fetched some writing material, indited the note and sent it off by the messenger. “What’s the matter? Are you sore over what happened tonight?” he demanded sulkily. “No, I’m not sore, Joe.” "Then why can’t you go?” “Because I can’t That’s all!”

“I think you might If you didn’t want to go yourself you might have accepted for my sake. I never get any amusement and you’re always complaining.” "When do I complain, and of what?" “It’s the selfish way you act I mean, for, isnce we get a chance to go and see a uecent show and afterward have a supper party, you get sore. You simply don’t want to go. You haven’t any consideration for me.” Burning with indignation, she went up to him aad forced him to look her in the face. “You say I have no consideration for you!” she said. “You know as well as Ido why I can’t go. I haven’t had a new dress In a year. My gloves are all worn out I’ve skimped and struggled and economized until I can’t de any more. I'd go to the theater if I could go alone or with you or with Jlmsy and hide somewhere in the corner, but do you think I want to go to n party looking like a kitchen maid? My shoes are cracked. Everything Is secondhand and old and ugly. And look at me! Do you know what’s happened to me? I’ve grown common and coarse and cheap. Sometimes when I look at myself in the glass it seems as though I could see the dirt and the grease and the horrid nastiness of it all staring me right in the face. Why don’t I go? I’m ashamed, that’s all. And you make it harder. It has almost reached my limit of endurance.”

She turned from him, tears of vexation and humiliation in her eyes. As she did so Smith, the peacemaker, entered. He bad arrived in time to hear the last part of the confession that had been forced from her by her husband’s injustice and selfishness. “Emma,” be said soothingly, “there ain’t no use in making Joe feel worse than he does. He works like the devil, but somehow Joe wasn’t built exactly lucky. He is one of those fellows like I used to know in Colorado who spend all their lives looking for a gold mine and never quite find one. But Joe’s all right, and just to make this eventful sort of evening end up nicely I’m going to hike to the best show in town, and you two are going to hit my trail while I dig up the necessary spondulics to defray any and all expense Incurred, Including a slight and select grub stake - after the entertainment Now, what do you think of that?" Brooks, who had been listening to his wife and friend sullenly, was filled with a sudden resolve.

"No, you won’t!” he said tempestuously. “I ain’t going to be an object of charity. I’m as sick and tired of this whole business as she Is. Emma, you put on the best dress you’ve got and fix yourelf up the best you can. and I’ll take you to a show, and if Jlmsy wants to come he can come as my guest. I’m still a man, and it’s just as right I should take care of my wife and let her have a little fun as it is for the Astors and Vanderbilts and all of them to spend money on their families. I’m going to do it, and 1 don’t care whether I can afford it or not. I can find a way all right Hurry up, Emma!” Mrs. Brooks would much rather have stayed at home. She was worn out with the constant quarreling and exciting happenings of the evening, but she did not want to be accused of contrariness. So she said: “If you think we can really afford it I'd like to go. I haven't seen a show in nearly a year. Do you think I’d better go, Jlmsy?" “Why, surely, my girl,” was Smith’s reply. “There’s no use of sticking Sound here all the time and getting to more rows. Go ahead!” "Then I’ll burry and get ready,” she said, hastening to her room. Brooks had seated himself and was gazing before him with a determined expression, bis hands clasped between his knees. Smith went to him and tendered a bill to him. "Joe,” he said kindly, “you’d better let me slip you the ten that will be hecessnry to pay for this business. You know Emma don't need to know, and yon ain't got the coin to blow in”

“Yes. 1 asserted, pushing the note from him. “and Hl pay for it myself.” “All right, Joe. But, take my tip, when you go into the. borrowing business you’d better borrow from the fellow who knows he’s giving it to you and ain’t in a hurry to get it back.” “Look . here. Jlmsy!” exclaimed Brooks hotly, jumping up. "Don’t you butt Into my business! It’s none of your affair! And, by the way, it might be just as well to remind you that Emma’s my wife— my wife, you hear? She married me, no one else—just me—although I’ve been told she had other chances at the time.” Smith gazed at him without any trace of offense, but with a look of pain in bis eyes. “I’m sorry you said that, Joe,” he answered in his slow, -quiet voice. “Yes, I know Emma’s your wife and that she chose you after I asked her to be mine, and it is just because I

do know that that I don’t want you to go wrong, and for just that same reason 1 want you to understand that If you ever get Into a tight hole you can gamble on me for help, and I I ain’t always been a spendthrift Good night!” “You’re not going, then?” inquired Brooks as his friend moved toward the hall, but there was nothing in the tone of the query designed to encourage the great hearted fellow to accompany them. “No; you two had better go together,” he replied as he passed out. When he had gone Brooks drew quickly from the Inside pocket of bls waistcoat the pocketbook containing the collections in checks and bills that he had not had time to turn in to the company, extracted a bill of $lO and returned the wad to Its hiding place. Emma emerged from the bedroom with her hat and jacket on. “Why, where’s Jlmsy?” she asked. “He went home. He said he guessed he’d better not come, as he wanted to get up early, or something or other,” lied Brooks. “1 wonder why he changed his mind so suddenly,” she said. It was 9 o’clock when they found themselves in the street, and Brooks decided on a vaudeville show as being the only possible place of entertainment they could go to at that hour. It had been so long since they had permitted themselves the extravagance of a night out that Mrs. Brooks enjoyed the change to the full. Watching the actors and laughing at their jokes and antics, she forgot for the time her worries, and the painful impression of the early evening was completely dispelled. As the performance progressed Brooks also underwent a change of mood, and by the time the curtain fell he had softened to something of his old self and was tender and attentive. When they found themselves outside again she was for going straight home. “No,” he said gayly, squeezing her arm that she bad passed under his and patting her hand affectionately; “we are out for a good time for once, and we’re going to have it." She demurred feebly, wanting to go, but feeling that scruple on the ground of expense which, from the necessity of exercising strict and unrelenting economy, entered Into all her household expenditures, but he brushed aside her cautious calculations, and soon they were seated in a restaurant of quite Imposing aspect, and he was ordering broiled lobsters and wine with the air of a man to whom money was no object. He was in rare high spirits and gallant with a tenderness he had not manifested toward her In many a moon. He chattered and chat tend, and his animation communicated itself to her, so that her eyes spar kled, her pretty face was wreathed in happy smiles, and she returned bis glances of love and admiration as in the happy days of their early married life, when they were all in all to each other and there was none so handsome and so noble minded as he in all the world. (To be Continued-)

“I’m sorry you said that. Joe."