Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 February 1910 — 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 advlsea pad he 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 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 110, but he declines. Brooks extracts *lO from a roll of money collected for the company. VH—Smith prevents a strike. VHl—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 te 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 le; ve them. XII —Emma endeavors to comfort him with her love and sympathy. Maddened by his disgrace and peril, he accuses her of being the cause of his downfall. She declares herself willing to do anything to save him, and he asks he to go alone, late at night as it is, to Williams’ bachelor rpartment and obtain his freedon. He tells her that the captain is fond of her and will do what she asks. When she realizes the baseness of the proposition she is stunned, but finally consents. Brooks arranges the rendezvous by telephone. XIII— While waiting for Mrs. Brooks, Williams has a call from Smith, who offers to pay the amount of Brooks’ stealings in full. Williams refuses, and Smith warns him to be careful in his treatment of the culprit’s wife. awaits his wife’s return in an agony of suspense. Mrs. Harris and her daughter happen in and demand the reason of his wife’s absence. XV—Mrs. Brooks meets Captain Williams and secures her husband’s freedom. XVI and XVII— The wife returns home, Informs Brooks that she has succeeded and tells him that she regards the debt paid in full; that there has been no loss of honor; but that her love for him Is dead. He attempts to shake her resolution to give him up and finally tries to strangle her into submission. She is rescued by Smith and goes home to her mother XVlll—Tells of the further doings of the separted pair.

CHAPTER XIX. DESTINY Is a strange thing. Under many a quiet exterior smolder tires of volcanic passion that never are fanned Into activity because the essential puff of cause has never stirred them, dimay Smith had had conceptions of comfort and life on a large scale that he had never attempted to carry out for the reason that the one thing upon •which they were based, the one Incentive, was lacking—a wife. Given wealth and a woman responsive In the same degree to the profound devotion and large Ideas of which he was capable, Smith might have developed Into a magnificent nabob, a great statesman or a great “captain of Industry,” certainly Into a great and wise philanthropist. Given such a woman as an Inspiration, he might with his strength of mind and self control have won from nothing to a position that would have enabled him to live In some ae cord with the aspirations that once had illumined Ills day dreaming. As it was. he had banished day dreaming from his plan of existence. He .had fixed a rigid line of demarcation between right and wrong for the governance of his own conduct that he never permitted himself to overstep, but the failings of others he was prone to condone and ever was ready to stretch forth a hand and help a weakling to set himself straight. Jimsy occupied two furnished rooms In a small, quiet boarding house. He had lived In the place ever since his arrival In New York, and the only change he had made was to take a private sitting room In addition to his bedroom when his means admitted of it. It was here that Brooks found him when late one evening he called there. Jimsy, cigar In mouth, was working at some plans and figures in the light of a reading lamp when Brooks opened the door. He looked up from the table with no evidence of surprise ae his visitor entered. "Hello, Jimsy!” "Hello!” Smith might have expected him and regarded bls presence as an ordinary thing for all the tone of his response to the salutation Indicated.

-zxxrw nave you Deen all this tlm#»r* "About as usual. How have you been getting on? Take a chair, won’t you?’’ He did not see the hand that Brooks extended for the reason that he was rolling up the plans that had been stretched before him.

Brooks sat down in the only other armchair, on the same side of the table. On entering he had been very nervous. His customary aplomb revived as he found that Smith was apparently the same old Jimsy. “Oh, fine,” he replied. “Thought I’d just drop in on you and see how things were.’’ “Thanks. Have a cigar.” Smith pushed the box toward him, and he helped himself to one and lit it. “I feel like I owe an apology fob keeping out of the way so long. I suppose you wondered what had become of me.” “I have often wondered.” “Well, you see, I was sort of cut up after the way Emma left me. It was enough to make me feel sore. There was no excuse for it. Then I’ve been awfully busy. I got a job in a bank as assistant receiving teller at a real living salary. A fellow isn't ground down there, and there’s a chance to get on. They treat you like a gentleman, not like a lascar cabin boy. I ought to have quit the Latin-American line long ago. I suppose old Williams is still slave driving,” "Williams is still president of the company.” “Well, he’ll get what’s coming to him from somebody one of these days.” Smith made no comment. “Say, Jimsy, you don’t give one the Impression that the world disagrees with you. You look immense.” “There’s never much the matter with me, Brooks.” “ ’Brooks!’ Why ‘Brooks?’ What’s the matter with ‘Joe?’ You needn’t be so darned ceremonious. You haven’t got a grudge against me because I stayed away so long, have you?" “No grudge whatever.” “Oh, well, let It go. How’s the old woman?” “You mean Mrs. Harris?” “Who else would I mean except my saintly mother-in-law?” “She was well at last reports.” There was another pause in the conversation, and Brooks stared hard at the ceiling. “I guess you’re a fixture here. You wouldn’t be happy in any other lodgings,” he went on, looking at Jimsy, who was eying him with his usual calm expression that was neither cold nor kind, yet partook, if anything, of kindness. “You ought to see the cute little quarters I have. They’re in a bachelor apartment house. I want you to come around one of these evenings. You’ll come, won’t you?” “Maybe, one of these odd evenings. We’ve got to provide accommodations for more boats, and I’m a busy man, so you mustn’t bank on me for awhile.”

“All right. If that ain’t a refusal any evening you can dispose of will suit ine. Just let me know you’re coming; that's all.” For the hundredth time his eyes wandered to portraits of himself and his wife In a silver stand on the table. They had presented photographs and stand to Smith soon after their marriage. “You’ve still got that, I see,” he said, indicating It with a nod of the head. “Of course.” “How is she, by the bye?” At last he had brought the conversation round to where he wanted it. “Emma? Ob, she was all right when I last heard about her.” “Heard about her? She's living with her mother, isn’t she?” “Certainly. I haven’t seen them for some time. All the family’s out of town.” Brooks could not conceal his disappointment. “Where are they staying? Is it far from the city?” “Quite some distance,” "Well, where is it? At the seaside? Id the country?” he demanded, exasperated. “W’hy don’t you come out with a straight answer instead of dodging? What do you think I am? What do you think I came here for?” "You said you came to see how I was getting along.” Brooks could have kicked himself for having been betrayed Into losing bls tenqier. it was a bad break for a man having a favor to ask. “Of course I came for that- Jimsy.”

he said, the anger gone from his voice. “But it s only natural I should ask for news of my family. You don’t seem to think I have any rights or feelings. I am still Emma’s husband, and it ain’t because we’ve had a tiff that we’re to be at cat and dog for the rest of our lives, I suppose.” “I haven't forgotten that you’re Emma’s husband, Joe, but the matter of your Tights’ is open to a difference of construction, and I’m entitled to my own opinion. Ido consider It perfectly natural, however, that you should be curious about your family, and I’ve answered every question you’ve put to me except the last. I’m under promise not to disclose their whereabouts to anybody. That’s why.” “Yes, you’ve answered my questions, but you’ve confined yourself to ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ as If you were a witness under cross examination.”

He passed his hand over his eyes and sighed. “It ain’t like you, Jimsy,” he continued. “It ain’t like you a bit. 1 thought you at least wouldn’t turn against me. He’s a good man who never does anything wrong.” “That’s right. I guess there are more men who do wrong and aren’t found out than there are men who do wrong and are discovered, and I ain’t In the business of heaving rocks at any man—certainly net at you.” “I’m glad to hear you say that. Tvs been living on the level ever since, You can believe me, Jimsy—ask th# bank if my accounts ain’t in order--and I’m. going to keep straight too What more can I do, except say I’m sorry? What more does anybody want me to do?” "Nothing, I should think.” "You believe me, Jimsy?” "Joe, I believe you’re speaking the truth, and I hope with all my heart and soul you'll keep right on the way you’re going. And, now you know how I feel about it. come right out and tell me what brought you here.” “I will, then. I want to know about Emma. It's a • now since she—since we and I won’t stand 4t any ten . .mt her to come back to im 1. . ply can’t do without her.” He looked at Smith expectantly, but the phlegmatic .Jimsy made no remark. “You see them often. Do they ever speak about me?” "They have never mentioned you in my presence since the night Emma left you.” ( “I never believed Emma would sulk’ so long. I’ll bet she’s as sick and tired of this business as I am. If she ain’t had enough of the old woman and that stuckup little chit of a Beth by this time I’m no good as*a guesser. I know Emma. They must have baited her to death.” “Maybe, but if they have she hasn’t told me about it, and she doesn’t carry It writ on her countenance so’s you'd notice It.” “Jimsy, I must see her. Tell me where she is.” “You can’t find out from me. I'd tell you willingly enough, but she served an Injunction on me ages before you came here, and I’m not going to put myself in contefnpt of court.” Brooks jumped up and nervously knocked the ash from his cigar on to a tray. “You’ve known Emma and me for over six years, Jimsy,” he said. “And you know all about us and how happy we were together—how I tried to make her happy, risked everything for her. You were always a good friend to both of us. That’s why I’m here—that’s why I’m going to ask you to do me a favor. Will you?” “Joe, I’ll do anything within the bounds of reason.”

"I knew you wouldn’t refuse. I want you to see Emma alone—not with her mother and Beth around; they’d queer everything. I want you to ask her to let bygones be bygones and come back to me. We’ll begin all over again, and this time we’ll begin right. Tell her I’m well fixed. I’m ahead of the game. I’ve got money by—earned and saved It—and a good place. There’ll l>e no more hard pulling like there was In the old time. Tell her I’m more sorry than I can express for our little misunderstanding sorry and miserable. Tell her I love her more than ever and that if she’ will see me she will understand.” Smith nodded assent.

“And, Jimsy, put in a good word for me—plead for me—do it as if it was for yourself. Emma will listen to you whott sbe won’t to any one else. You know she thinks a whole lot of you. Will you do this for me?” “Yes, I’ll do it, Joe.” “Soon?” “Let’s see; this is Tuesday. I’ll see her Sunday—go on purpose.’’ Brooks went to him and seized his hand with both his own. “Jimsy, you are the best ever!” he exclaimed fervently. “I knew I could count on you. I’ll never forget this turn you’re doing me—never! And Emma will appreciate it too. Good night and God bless you.” He wrung Smith’s hand again. At the door he turned with this recommendation: “Don’t forget, Jimsy. Plead with her as if it was for yourself.” Smith sat staring straight before him for an hour. (To be Continued.)

“Hello, Jimsy!"