CHAPTER 13
"Must it be? Must we then Render back to God again This, His broken work, this thing For His man that once did sing?" --Josephine Prestor Peabody.
"And listen! I declare to you that if all is as you say--and I do not doubt it--you have never ceased to be virtuous in the sight of God!"--Victor Hugo.
THE REBEL PROVES THAT HE IS LOST TO GOOD FORM AND RESPECTABILITY BYSTEPPING BETWEEN A SINNER AND THE WAGES OF SIN, THUS EVIDENCING TO THEPILLARS OF SOCIETY HIS COMPLETE DEGENERATION
Part 1
Sam Miller came into Jeff's office one night as he was looking over theeditorials. Farnum nodded abstractedly to him.
"Take a chair, Sam. Be through in a minute."
Presently Jeff pushed the galley proof to one side and looked at hisfriend. "Well, Sam?" Almost at once he added: "What's the matter?"
There were queer white patches on Miller's fat face. He looked like aman in hell. A lump rose in his throat. Two or three times he swallowedhard.
"It's--it's Nellie."
"Nellie Anderson?"
He nodded.
Jeff felt as if his heart had been drenched in icy water. "What abouther?"
"She's--gone."
"Gone where?"
"We don't know. She left Friday. There was a note for her mother. Itsaid to forget her, because she was a disgrace to her name."
"You mean--" Jeff did not finish his question. He knew what the answerwas, and in his soul lay a reflection of the mortal sickness he saw inhis friend's face.
Miller nodded, unable to speak. Presently his words came brokenly."She's been acting strangely for a long time. Her mother noticed it....So did I. Like as if she wasn't happy. We've been worried. I...I..." Heburied his face in his arm on the table. "My God, I love her, Jeff. Ihave for years. If I'd only known... if she'd only told me."
Jeff was white as the galley proof that lay before him with theunprinted side up. "Tell me all about it, Sam."
Miller looked up. "That's all. We don't know where she's gone. She hadno money to speak of."
"And the man?" Jeff almost whispered.
"We don't know who he is. Might be any one of the clerks at the VerdenDry Goods Company. Maybe it's none of them. If I knew I'd cut his heartout."
The clock on the wall ticked ten times before Jeff spoke. "Did she goalone?"
"We don't know. None of the clerks are missing from the store where sheworked. I checked up with the manager yesterday."
Another long silence. "They may have rooms in town here."
"Not likely." Presently Miller added miserably: "She's--going to be amother soon. We found the doctor she went to see."
"You're sure she hasn't been married? Of course you've looked over themarriage licenses for the past year."
"Yes. Her name isn't on the list."
"Did she have money?"
"About fifteen dollars, we figure."
"That wouldn't take her far--unless the man gave her some. Have you beento a detective agency?"
"Yes."
"We'll put blind ads in all the papers telling her to come home. We'llrake the city and the state with a fine tooth comb. We're bound to hearof her."
"She's desperate, Jeff. If she's alone she'll think she has no friends.We've got to find her in time or--"
Jeff guessed the alternative. She might take the easy way out, the onewhich offered an escape from all her earthly troubles. Girls of her typeoften did. Nellie was made for laughter and for happiness. He had knownher innocent as a sunbeam and as glad. Now that she was in the pit,facing disgrace and disillusionment and despair, the horror and thedread of existence to her would be a millstone round her neck.
The damnable unfairness of it took. Jeff by the throat. Was it her faultthat she had inherited a temperament where passions lurked unsuspectedlike a banked fire? Was she to blame because her mother had brought herup without warning, because she had believed in the love and the honorof a villain? Her very faith and trust had betrayed her. Every honestinstinct in him cried out against the world's verdict, that she must paywith salt tears to the end of her life while the scoundrel who had ledher into trouble walked gaily to fresh conquests.
Cogged dice! She had gone forth smiling to play the game of life withthem, never dreaming that the cubes were loaded. He remembered how onceher every motion sang softly to him like music, with what dear abandonshe had given herself to his kisses. Her fondness had been a thing tocherish, her innocence had called for protection. And her chivalrouslover had struck the lightness forever from her soul.
For long he never thought of her without an icy sinking of the heart.
Part 2
Weeks passed. Sam Miller gave his whole time to the search for themissing girl. Jeff supplied the means; in every way he could heencouraged him and the broken mother. For a thousand miles south andeast the police had her description and her photograph. But no traceof her could be found. False clews there were aplenty. A dozen haggardstreetwalkers were arrested in mistake for her. Patiently Sam ran downevery story, followed every possibility to its hopeless end.
The weeks ran into months. Mrs. Anderson still hoped drearily. Everynight the light in the hall burned now till daybreak. And every nightshe wept herself to sleep for that her one ewe lamb was lost in aravenous world.
Tears were for the night. Wan smiles for the day, when she and Sam,drawn close by a common grief, met to understand each other with fewwords. He was back again at his work as curator of the museum at theState House, a place Jeff had secured for him after the election.
Outside of Nellie's mother the one friend to whom Sam turned now wasJeff. He came for comfort, to sit long hours in the office while Farnumdid his night work. Sometimes he would read; more often sit broodingwith his chin in his hands. When the midnight rush was past and Jeff wasfree they would go together to a restaurant.
Afterwards they would separate at the door of the block where Jeff hadhis rooms.
Part 3
Yet when Jeff found her it was not Sam who was with him, but Marchant.They had been to see Sobieski about a place Captain Chunn had securedfor him as a night watchman of the shipbuilding plant of which ClintonRogers was part owner. The Pole had mounted his hobby and it had beenlate when they got away from his cabin under the viaduct.
Just before they turned into lower Powers Avenue from the deadline belowYarnell Way, Marchant clutched at the sleeve of his friend.
"See that woman's face?" he asked sharply.
"No."
Jeff was interested at once. For during the past months he had falleninto a habit of scanning the countenance of any woman who might be theone they sought.
"She knew you. I could see fear jump to her eyes."
"We'll go back," Jeff decided instantly.
"She's in deep water. Death is written on her face."
Already Jeff was swinging back, almost on the run. But she had goneswallowed up in the darkness of the night. They listened, but could hearonly the steady splashing of the rain. While they stood hesitating thefigure of a woman showed at the other end of the alley and was lost atonce down Pacific Avenue.
Jeff ran toward the lights of the other avenue, but before he reached itshe had again disappeared. Marchant joined him a few moments later. Thelittle socialist leaned against the wall to steady himself against thefit of coughing that racked him.
"Nuisance... this... being a lunger... What's it all... about, Jeff?"
"I know her. We'll cover the waterfront. Take from Coffee Street up.Don't miss a wharf or a boathouse. And if you find the girl don't lether get away."
The editor crossed to the Pacific & Alaska dock, his glance sweepingevery dark nook and cranny that might conceal a huddled form. Out of asodden sky rain pelted in a black night.
He was turning away when an empty banana crate behind him crashed downfrom a pyramid of them. Jeff whirled, was upon her in an instant beforeshe could escape.
She was shrinking against the wall of the wareho
use, her face a tragicmask in its haggard pallor, a white outline clenched hard against thedriving rain. One hand was at her heart, the other beat against the airto hold him back.
"Nellie!" he cried.
"What do you want? Let me alone! Let me alone!" She was panting likea spent deer, and in her wild eyes he saw the hunted look of a forestcreature at bay.
"We've looked everywhere for you. I've come to take you home."
"Home!" Her strange laughter mocked the word. "There's no home for folkslike me in this world."
"Your mother is breaking her heart for you. She thinks of nothing else.All night she keeps a light burning to let you know."
She broke into a sob. "I've seen it. To-night I saw it--for the lasttime."
"It is pitiful how she waits and waits," he went on quietly. "She takesout your dresses and airs them. All the playthings you used when youwere a little girl she keeps near her. She--"
"Don't! Don't!" she begged.
"Your place is set at the table every day, so that when you come in itmay be ready."
At that she leaned against the crates and broke down utterly. Jeff knewthat for the moment the battle was won. He slipped out of his rain coatand made her put it on, coaxing her gently while the sobs shook her. Heled her by the hand back to Pacific Avenue, talking cheerfully as if itwere a matter of course.
Here Marchant met them.
"I want a cab, Oscar," Jeff told him.
While he was gone they waited in the entrance to a store that shelteredthem from the rain.
Suddenly the girl turned to Jeff. "I--I was going to do it to-night,"she whispered.
He nodded. "That's all past now. Don't think of it. There are good daysahead--happy days. It will be new life to your mother to see you. We'veall been frightfully anxious."
She shivered, beginning to sob once more. Not for an instant had hewithdrawn the hand to which she clung so desperately.
"It's all right, Nellie...All right at last. You're going home to thosethat love you."
"Not to-night--not while I'm looking like this. Don't take me hometo-night," she begged. "I can't stand it yet. Give me to-night, please.I..."
She trembled like an aspen. Jeff could see she was exhausted, in deadlyfear, ready to give way to any wild impulse that might seize her. Toreason with her would do no good and might do much harm. He must humorher fancy about not going home at once. But he could not take her to arooming house and leave her alone while her mind was in this condition.She must be watched, protected against herself. Otherwise in the morningshe might be gone.
"All right. You may have my rooms. Here's the cab."
Jeff helped her in, thanked Marchant with a word, got in himself,and shut the door. They were driven through streets shining with rainbeneath the light clusters. Nellie crouched in a corner and wept. Asthey swung down Powers Avenue they passed motor car after motor carfilled with gay parties returning from the theaters. He glimpsed youngwomen in furs, wrapped from the cruelty of life by the caste system inwhich wealth had incased them. Once a ripple of merry laughter floatedto him across the gulf that separated this girl from them.
A year ago her laughter had been light as theirs. Life had been a thingbeautiful, full of color. She had come to it eagerly, like a lover, gladbecause it was so good.
But it had not been good to her. By the cluster lights he could see howfearfully it had mauled her, how cruelly its irony had kissed hollows inher young cheeks. All the bloom of her was gone, all the brave pride andjoy of youth--gone beyond hope of resurrection. Why must such thingsbe? Why so much to the few, so little to the many? And why should thatlittle be taken away? He saw as in a vision the infinite procession ofher hopeless sisters who had traveled the same road, saw them firstas sweet and carefree children bubbling with joy, and again, afterthe _World_ had misused them for its pleasure, haggard, tawdry, withdragging steps trailing toward the oblivion that awaited them. Good God,how long must life be so terribly wasted? How long a bruised and brokenthing instead of the fine, brave adventure for which it was meant?
Across his mind flashed Realf's words:
"Amen!" I have cried in battle-time, When my beautiful heroes perished; The earth of the Lord shall bloom sublime By the blood of his martyrs nourished. "Amen!" I have said, when limbs were hewn And our wounds were blue and ghastly The flesh of a man may fail and swoon But God shall conquer lastly.
Part 4
As Jeff helped her from the cab in front of the block where he lived alimousine flashed past. It caught his glance for an instant, long enoughfor him to recognize his Cousin James, Mrs. Van Tyle and Alice Frome.The arm which supported Nellie did not loosen from her waist, though heknew they had seen him and would probably draw conclusions.
The young woman was trembling violently.
"My rooms are in the second story. Can you walk? Or shall I carry you?"Farnum asked.
"I can walk," she told him almost in a whisper.
He got her upstairs and into the big armchair in front of the gas log.Now that she had slipped out of his rain coat he saw that she was wetto the skin. From his bedroom he brought a bathrobe, pajamas, woolenslippers, anything he could find that was warm and soft. In front of herhe dumped them all.
"I'm going down to the drug store to get you something that will warmyou, Nellie. While I'm away change your clothes and get into thesethings," he told her.
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "You're good."
A lump rose in his heart. He thought of those evenings before the gratealone with her and of the desperate fight he had had with his passions.Good! He accused himself bitterly for the harm that he had done her. Butbefore her his smile was bright and cheerful.
"We're all going to be so good to you that you'll not know us. Haven'twe been waiting two months for a chance to spoil you?"
"Do you... know?" she whispered, color for an instant in her wan face.
"I know things aren't half so bad as they seem to you. Dear girl, weare your friends. We've not done right by you. Even your mother hasbeen careless and let you get hurt. But we're going to make it up to younow."
A man on the other side of the street watched Jeff come down and crossto the drug store. Billie Gray, ballot box stuffer, detective, andgeneral handy man for Big Tim O'Brien, had been lurking in that entrywhen Jeff came home. He had sneaked up the stairs after them and hadseen the editor disappear into his rooms with one whom he took to be awoman of the street. Already a second plain clothes man was doing sentryduty. The policeman whose beat it was sat in the drug store and kept aneye open from that quarter.
To the officer Jeff nodded casually. "Bad weather to be out all nightin, Nolan."
"Right you are, Mr. Farnum."
The editor ordered a bottle of whiskey and while it was being put uppassed into the telephone booth and closed the door behind him. Hecalled up Olive 431.
Central rang again and again.
"Can't get your party," she told him at last.
"You'll waken him presently. Keep at it, please. It's very important."
At last Sam Miller's voice answered. "Hello! Hello! What is it?"
"I've found Nellie.... Just in time. thank God...She's at my rooms....Have Mrs. Anderson bring an entire change of clothing for her.... Yes,she's very much exhausted. I'll tell you all about it later.... Comequietly. She may be asleep when you get here."
Jeff hung up the receiver, paid for the whiskey, and returned tohis rooms. He did not know that he had left three good and competentwitnesses who were ready to take oath that he had brought to his roomsat midnight a woman of the half world and that he had later boughtliquor and returned with it to his apartment.
Billie Gray thumped his fist into his open palm. "We've got him. We'vegot him right. He can't get away from it. By Gad, we've got him atlast!"
Jeff found Nellie wrapped in his bathrobe in the big chair before thegas log. Her own wet clothes were out of sight behind a screen.
"You locked the door
when you went out," she charged.
"Some of my friends might have dropped in to see me," he explained withhis disarming smile.
But he could see in her eyes the unreasoning fear of a child that hasbeen badly hurt. He had locked the door on the outside. She was going tobe dragged home whether she wanted to go or not. Dread of that hour washeavy on her soul. Jeff knew the choice must be hers, not his. He spokequietly.
"You're not a prisoner, of course. You may go whenever you like. I wouldhave no right to keep you. But you will hurt me very much if you gobefore morning."
"Where will you stay?" she asked.
"I'll sleep on the lounge in this room," he answered in his most matterof fact voice.
While he busied himself preparing a toddy for her she began to tellbrokenly, by snatches, the story of her wanderings. She had gone toPortland and had found work in a department store at the notion counter.After three weeks she had lost her place. Days of tramping the streetslooking for a job brought her at last to an overall factory where shefound employment. The foreman had discharged her at the end of the thirdday. Once she had been engaged at an agency as a servant by a man, butas soon as his wife saw her Nellie was told she would not do. Bitterhumiliating experiences had befallen her. Twice she had been turned outof rooming houses. Jeff read between the lines that as her time drewnear some overmastering impulse had drawn her back to Verden. Alreadyshe was harboring the thought of death, but she could not die in astrange place so far from home. Only that morning she had reached town.
After she had retired to the bedroom Jeff sat down in the chair shehad vacated. He heard her moving about for a short time. Presently camesilence.
It must have been an hour and a half later that Sam and Mrs. Andersonknocked gently on the door.
"Cars stopped running. Had to 'phone for a taxi," Miller whispered.
The agitation of the mother was affecting. Her fingers twitched withnervousness. Her eyes strayed twenty times in five minutes toward thedoor behind which her daughter slept. Every little while she wouldtip-toe to it and listen breathlessly. In whispers Jeff told them thestory, answering a hundred eager trembling questions.
Slowly the clock ticked out the seconds of the endless night. Gray daybegan to sift into the room. Mrs. Anderson's excursions to the bedroomdoor grew more frequent. Sometimes she opened it an inch or two. On oneof these occasions she went in quickly and shut the door behind her.
"Good enough. They don't need us here, Sam. We'll go out and have somebreakfast," Jeff proposed.
On the street they met Billie Gray. He greeted the editor with a knowinggrin. "Good morning, Mr. Farnum. How's everything? Fine and dandy, eh?"
Jeff looked at him sharply. "What the mischief is he doing here?" heasked Miller by way of comment.
All through breakfast that sinister little figure shadowed his thoughts.Gray was like a stormy petrel. He was surely there for no good, barringthe chance of its being an accident. Both of them kept their eyes openon their way back, but they met nobody except a policeman swinging hisclub as he leaned against a lamp post and whistled the Merry Widow waltz.
But Farnum was not satisfied. He cautioned both Sam and Mrs. Andersonto say nothing, above all to give no names or explanation to anybody. Awhisper of the truth would bring reporters down on them in shoals.
"You had better stay here quietly to-day," their host advised. "I'll seeyou're not disturbed by the help. Sam will bring your meals in from arestaurant. I'd say stay here as long as you like, but it can't be donewithout arousing curiosity, the one thing we don't want."
"No, better leave late to-night in a taxi," Sam proposed.
"Better still, I'll bring around Captain Chunn's car and Sam can driveyou home. We can't be too careful."
So it was arranged. Mrs. Anderson left it to them and went back into thebedroom where her wounded lamb lay.
About midnight Jeff stopped a car in front of the stairway. The twoveiled women emerged, accompanied by Sam. They were helped into thetonneau and Miller took the driver's seat. Just as the machine began tomove a little man ran across the street toward them.
Jeff's forearm went up suddenly and caught him under the chin. BillieGray's head went back and his heels came up. Farnum was on him in aninstant, ostensibly to help him up, but really to see he did not getup too quickly. As soon as the automobile swung round the corner Jefflifted him to his feet.
"Sorry. Hope I didn't hurt you," he smiled.
"Smart trick, wasn't it?" snarled the detective. "Never mind, Mr.Farnum. We've got your goat right."
"Again?" Jeff asked with pleasant impudence.
"Got you dead to rights this trip." Gray fired another shot as he turnedaway. "And we'll find out yet who your lady friends are. Don't youforget it."
But Billie had overlooked a bet. He had been in the back of the drugstore getting a drink when Sam and Mrs. Anderson arrived. The policemanon guard had not connected the coming of these with Jeff. None of thewatchers knew that Jeff had not been alone with the girl all night.
Part 5
Sam called on Jeff two days later.
"I want you to come round to-night at seven-fifteen. We're going to bemarried," he explained.
The newspaper man's eye met his in a swift surprise. "You and Nellie?"
"Yes." Miller's jaw set. "Why not? YOU'RE not going to spring thatdamned cant about--"
"I thought you knew me better," his friend interrupted.
Miller's face worked. "I'll ask your pardon for that, Jeff. You've beenthe best friend she has. Well, we've thrashed it all out. She fought hermother and me two days; didn't think it right to let me give my name toher, even though she admits she has come to care for me. You can see howshe would be torn two ways. It's the only road out for her and the babythat is on the way, but she couldn't bring herself to sacrifice me, asshe calls it. I've hammered and hammered at her that it's no sacrifice.She can't see it; just cries and cries."
"Of course she would be unusually sensitive; Her nerves must be all bareso that she shrinks as one does when a wound is touched."
"That's it. She keeps speaking of herself as if she were a lost soul.At last we fairly wore her out. After we are married her mother and shewill take the eight o'clock for Kenton. Nobody there knows them, andshe'll have a chance to forget."
"You're a white man, Sam," Jeff nodded lightly. But his eyes wereshining.
"I'm the man that loves her. I couldn't do less, could I?"
"Some men would do a good deal less."
"Not if they looked at it the way I do. She's the same Nellie I'vealways known. What difference does it make to me that she stumbled inthe dark and hurt herself--except that my heart is so much more tenderto her it aches?"
"If you hold to that belief she'll live to see the day when she is ahappy woman again," the journalist prophesied.
"I'm going to teach her to think of it all as only a bad nightmare she'sbeen through." His jaw clinched again so that the muscles stood outon his cheeks. "Do you know she won't say a word--not even to hermother--about who the villain is that betrayed her? I'd wring his cowardneck off for him," he finished with a savage oath.
"Better the way it is, Sam. Let her keep her secret.. The least said andthought about it the better."
Miller looked at his watch. "Perhaps you're right. I've got to go towork. Remember, seven-fifteen sharp. We need you as a witness. Just yourbusiness suit, you understand. No present, of course."
The wedding took place in the room where Jeff had been used to drinkingchocolate with his little friend only a year before. It was the firsttime he had been here since that night when the danger signal hadflashed so suddenly before his eyes. The whole thing came back to himpoignantly.
It was a pitiful little wedding, with the bride and her mother in tearsfrom the start. The ceremony was performed by their friend Mifflin, theyoung clergyman who had a mission for sailors on the waterfront. Nobodyelse was present except Marchant, the second witness.
As soon as the ceremony was fi
nished Sam put Nellie and her mother intoa cab to take them to their train. The other three walked back downtown.
As Jeff sat before his desk four hours later, busy with a tax levystory, Miller came in and took a seat. Jeff waved a hand at him andpromptly forgot he was on earth until he rose and put on his coat anhour later.
"Well! Did they get off all right?" he asked.
Miller nodded absently. Ten minutes later he let out what he wasthinking about.
"I wish to God I knew the man," he exploded.
Jeff looked at him quietly. "I'm glad you don't. Adding murder to itwouldn't help the situation one little bit, my friend."