Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 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—lntroduces 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 unhappiness. Mrs. Brooks reminds her husband of his breach of hospitality, and he apoilgizes 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 110, but he declines. Brooks extracts <lO from a roll of money collected for the company. Vll—Smith prevents a strike. Vlll—Williams and Smith go to South America, and Brooks’ prospects Improve. Brooks tells his wife that he has been promoted and money Is plentiful. The couple move Into an expensive apartment hotel, and Mrs. Harris ceases to reproach them for their poverty. IX— Smith makes his appearance suddenly and Informs Brooks that Williams knows of his dishonesty and that the going to South America was only a scheme to entrap him and that he Is shadowed by detectives. X and Xl—Smith tries to prepare Mrs. Brooks for the exposure by telling a story. 'Williams enters, and Emma thanks him for the change In their circumstances. He looks amazed, and Smith tries to avoid a climax. The captain takes the cue and holds his peace. Brooks enters suddenly and is terrified. Williams goes, and Smith tries to keep up the delusion, but Brooks breaks down and confesses all to his wife. She asks Smith to leave them.

CHAPTER XH. WHEN Jimsy Smith had told Emma and Joe that Captain Williams lived In a little south sea island nook moved into his flat and that it was filrty the description had done justice to the place in a general way. It was In a hotel not far from that in which the Brookses had so recently taken up their residence, and the living room was a curious combination of natural history museum and ship’s cabin. A wooden capstan in the center did duty for a round table, and on It, In addition to an electric reading lamp, an untidy litter of papers and magaalnes, some writing paper, envelopes, pens and Ink, were a huge tin box of tobacco and a rack containing pipes of wood and meerschaum of all sizes. Shapes and colors. Remarkable among the few chairs of rattan or rush was one, a large rocking chair, partially constructed of two small anchors, the flukes forming the rockers. In a corner over a comfortable lounge Was a canopy made of a piece of sail canvas supported by south sea island spears and decorated with leather Shields, warclubs, boomerangs and other native weapons, together with necklaces and various ornaments of sharks’ teeth. Covering the walls were stuffed fishes of weird shape. Over the entrance door was a ship’s wheel and on the mantel a model of an old time trading schooner with al) sails set Among other objects on the mantel also was a faded daguerreotype showing Captain Williams as a young man. in uniform. On each side of the capstan was a dirty cuspidor. The carpet also was dirty and spotted, and dust had settled thickly everywhere. In this queer abode Wllllami lived alone, save for Sato, a Japanese valet, who had served him for manj years.

The massive form of the captain himself, minus his coat, might have been descried in the light of the lamp through the cloud of tobncco smoke that enveloped him as he sat reading a magazine some time after his departure from the home of Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. He was rather annoyed when the telephone bell rang and had s he not been expecting Smith would not have troubled to answer it As It was. he swore a little and rose lazily to respond. * “Hello! Yes, this is Captain Williams,” he said In his usual stentorian Voice. “What Brooks? 1 won’t talk With you over the phone-no—what? Mrs. Brooks? What, here? Well, well! Yes, I’m at home—yes. Right •way. you say? Yes, I’ll wait” Willlama could hardly believe what he bad heard. He turned it over in his mind for fully three minutes figuring oat just what it could mean. “Going to send his wife here! What • skunk he is!” be grunted. He ambled to the telephone again and Instructed the hotel clerk that If any visitors called to see him they were to be shown right up. From there he went to the door of an adjoining room und roared for bls valet. “Any beer on ice?" be demanded When the Japanese, who evidently had

been asleep, presented hlasself. -Yes, sear.” “Got limes and rum —the kind I brought up from the West Indies?" “Yes. soar." “Plenty Ice?" “Yes, saar." “That’s all.” He could not get over the wonder Brooks’ telephone communication bad caused him. “Told her he’d got a raise of pay, eh? What a skunk he is! And what a fine girl she Is!” He gazed abstractedly at the model of the schooner on the mantel opposite to him and became burled In thought so deep that he actually stopped smoking and let bis pipe go out Presently be roused himself, fished a sheet of writing paper from among the reading matter on the capstan table and wrote something upon It after which he folded the paper carefully and hid it between the leaves of a magazine. Then he shouted again for his valet “Sato,” he ordered, “bring my slippers and smoking jacket. There’s a lady coming to see me.” The man grinned knowingly. “You might as well take a walk, Sato.” ' "Yes, saar.” “And you needn’t come back right away.” “No, saar.” “Here’s a couple of dollars for you. Take ’em and get to blazes out of here. Sabe?” “Yes, saar.” “And stay out," he recommended as the Japanese prepared to obey. When the valet had vanished the captain took a survey of bis domain rather anxiously. “It’s a little dirty—a little dirty—but it’ll have to do.” he muttered. There was a knock at the door. Williams wreathed his physiognomy in the most amiable smile of which it was capable, felt his tie to assure himself that it had not slipped round toward bls left ear, as it had a bad habit of doing when not hauled taut and clamped In place, and went to let his visitor in. The caller, however, was only Smith. “Come in, but make your business short,” was Williams’ blunt greeting. “I’m expecting an Important visitor.” “All right, captain,” responded Smith tranquilly, entering and helping himself to a chair. “Have a pipe?” Invited the host, pushing the tobacco tin toward him. “Too hot,” was the laconic declination. “Well, how did you leave the Brooks family?” “She knows.” "You tell her?” “No; Joe did.” “Didn’t think he had the nerve." “He hasn’t.” “How’s that?” “It was because he lost It that he told her. Busted right out the moment the door was closed on you.” “Did they have a row?” “Don’t know. She took It like a major and asked ' me to leave ’em alone.” “That’s natural.” “Have you got the exact figures?” “What figures?” “Of how much he took.” “I guess so—to the penny,” said Williams, reaching for a memorandum book and consulting IL “It was just $16,850 three days ago." “Any more now?” “Not that I know of. Guess that covers It" Smith shook his head moodily. “That’s too bad—too bad,” he murmured. “That’s right, it is too bad,” agreed the captain. Smith thought for a minute, looked straight at the captain, who was regarding him curiously and said firmly and more quickly than his employer had ever heard him speak before: “Williams, I don’t think It’ll take three minutes for you and me to come to an understanding about Brooks.” “What about him?" “I want to square this thing for him." “Where do you come In, Smith?” “In plain words, Williams, that’s my business. But I want to square It” “How do you think you can square it, Smith?” As Jimsy prepared to answer the question he fell back Into his old familiar drawl. “Well, Williams,” he said, “you ain’t got any callous on your fingers from banding out coin to the folks who’ve worked for you, but I’ve always been treated about right.” “You were always worth treating right. Smith.” "Thanks.” "Always found you a fair man—doing things you said you’d do In a fair way.” “I ain’t never been much of a spendthrift, Williams. I’ve saved and been a little lucky In Investing the little I’ve had. I can raise about $14,000 by noon tomorrow, and I’ll give you my note for the rest, with security—l mean collateral.” “So It ain’t none of my business why yon do this?” "Exactly." “Smith, I don’t think you can square this little matter for Brooks.” “Don’t think my note’s good, eh?” " 'Taln’L that You couldn’t square this. Smith, if you had a million right In your clothes this minute.” “Why not?” “To tel) the truth. I’m going to open negotiations with another party.” “That so?” “Mrs. Brooke." “How?” “She’s coming up here to see me soon. Maybe she and me can come to some mutually pleasant arrangement that will keep Brooks out of jail.” "When Is she coming?” The captain puffed at his pipe and scrutinized Smith’s face closely as he replied: “Expect her any moment”

*— - “How do you know?" "Telephoned.” If Williams expected to see any sign in his visitor of the utter amazement the profound consternation, the imparting of this information caused, he was doomed to disappointment Smith remained as unreadable as the sphinx But It was sixty seconds before hf spoke. “I suppose that’s a hint for me to ba on my way?” “That’s about the meaning I meant tp convey,” admitted the captain, without circumlocution. Jimsy rose slowly, took bls hat and went toward the door. Before he reached it he turned. “Willlam a” he said, “you know I’ve known Emma—Mrs. Brooks —ever since she was lu short clothes and used to <>n>e down to the office to go home Hh her Caddy.” "S<> I've beard.” •“’lie’s always been able to look Into :iv fee with them big blue eyes and .!<• Some time—some day—ls 1 get k - I’m going to make it my busiio s<. her ” .”.'.ll right ” ■‘.’.nd if she shouldn’t happen to look up Into my face and smile l*m going to find you. Williams, and I’m coming heeled ” The captain puffed his pipe placidly. “What style heels might you be wearing now. Smith?” he Inquired, with great deliberation. “Well,” answered the always deliberate Jimsy. “if you should consult the particular shoemaker who furnishes them he'd describe that heel as of 45 caliber.” “Good night. Smith,” said the captain dryly. « Smith did not reply. Williams gazed in the direction of the door after his superintendent had closed it. There was an enigmatical smile on his face. It slowly died away, and his pugnacious underjaw protruded ominously. Reaching round to his hip pocket, he brought out a re-

volver. It was a formidable looking weapon, with a long barrel. He broke the breach, examined the cartridges and replaced it in his pocket “Darned If he wouldn’t do it too,” he muttered. (To be Continued.)

“He’d describe that heel at of 45 caliber. “