The Auction Block
sible way in which she or the writer himself could be connected discreditably with Jarvis Ha
o let him off, wouldn't they? Two millionaires out with two showgirls! Hilarious foursome
pay to keep his nam
d he will-fo
't let
hy? He's rich. He would
w Mr. Hammon to be
re enough for me to protect me f
that make me think you don't care for him at all; then again you seem
han FOR him. He asked me to marry him if his wife gets a
pose i
ust as they did. A woman must look out for herself-no man will ever
ang false; but just what that some
see the story made p
ural
him at any price, but I-hope I'm not
olish to let him escape from this just to save a few dollars, for the notoriety will injure you, where it benefits me. It's no
ything," protested Lorelei
make him
ense! I don't care fo
reason why
you don't get something out of him. Just wait and see wha
she could see no reason for grave apprehension. Publicity of the kind threatened woul
ame necessary to use force. He seemed sufficiently drunk to execute his threat, and his invitation to supper was couched this time more in the terms of a command. At last he borrowed a stool from the Judge, who by now was his willing vassal, and planted himself in the hallway, where he remained throughout t
ould talk without disturbing their father. Lorelei made her accusation boldly, p
fter Hammon for a long time, and he's been got-yes, and got good. Take a flash at THE CHORUS-GIRL'S
typed head-lines of the Hammon scandal. John Merkle
hast. "They promise
urphy himself cou
e ran her eye swif
thousand dollars for alienation of Lilas's affections. Joke, eh?
rs. Ha
ady-dates, places, photographs, ev
t part did you have in it, Jim? Were you helping Mr. Melcher in his blackmail scheme,
prejudice, Jim lied pr
ourse. I had a chance t
ook
aw that it was quite in harmony with the general tone and policy of the paper which catered to the jaded throngs of the Te
irl good. You've got to make people talk about you, Sis, and this'll bring a gang of high
tely had she observed the full measure of the change in him. He was no longer the country boy, the playmate and confidant of her youth, but a man, sophi
rdly know what to make of you. Has the city
k you'd play dead or jump through whenever she snapped her finger, but-you're getting tough-bitted. You're getting sanctimoni
IM
'm wondering-how lo
do you
ntend to marry a
t it? I've been raised fo
on't worry over what happens. Nobody along Broadway pays any attention to this rot." He indica
ed. "Oh-no! No
ll right, and he
to-urge him. The proposition sounds all right in the abstract-marriage, money, c
little bit. Pa could be cured, ma'd be happy.
a drun
grab a divinity student, do yo
Mr. Wharton is getting nasty, and-
you could
on-" She shuddered for a second time. "If Mr. Wharton is serious this scandal will scare him off, or else he'll become-
but on hearing his sister's account of the young millionaire's de
lf, and we'll whip over
th a wan smile, "and I'll know that you are
either. Melcher is in the right, for Hammon cut him out with Lilas. He's after Merkle, too; so you'll have to stand
n the following morning he broached the subj
tory," he said. "We had
, and I'm not sure i
rriage-understand? Outraged motherhood, ruined daughter, blasted career-that's yours. I'll be the brothe
lawyer, when it's our affair and we can ha
the Hammon money, Max is entitled to his bit of this. Gee! If she'd only told us she was going out with
city; they never do,"
T a family-and Lorelei won't back us up
t he mar
lace, she wouldn't have him.
odness knows what we're
e times she'll fall for some rummy. If she ever does lose her head she'll skid for the ditch, and we can kiss ourselves good-by. She'll be as
ith any of that crowd.
shook her he
d for five hundred bucks and never stand a pinch. I'd merely tip one of Maxey's gunmen, and some night Old Dyspepsia Dick would wake up with a harp in his hand. They'd get him coming out of his bank or going to his club or leaving the theater; and nobody would dr
hat's murder." Mrs. Kni
terrible
ing, too. Did you read about the two old guys at the King William Hotel last month? Well, Max laid 'em against two squabs, friends of Tony's. He got the girls into the hotel,
nd this isn't honest. I wish she
night. Maybe he'll join us. But meanwhile we've got Merkle for some quick money
sed for the street, he ga
when she wakes up. It'll ma
isibly upset by the story
tragically. "Instead of that you two were off in the country together al
a fib. But there
n't show it to Peter-it would kill him. What EVER possessed you, after the w
It was too bad, of course
d to rob Mrs. Knight of speech; she stare
orelei defended. "He'll regret
nnocent girl's career and drag her name i
f the sort," said he
t to mar
he career of a show-girl is something of a joke." Lorelei
y discouraged." Mrs. Knight began to weep in a weak, heart-broken manner, expecting Lorelei to melt, as usual; but, seeing something in her daughter's expression that warned her not to carry her reproaches too far, she broke out: "You're SO hard, SO unreasonable. Don't you see I'm frantic with worry? You're all we have, and
care about myself." Lorelei sighed in hopeless weariness of spirit, for variations of th
Mr. M
him-and there's no reason whatever why he should be held responsible for my notoriety." She turned away
rned southward involuntarily, and set off t
lly, preparatory to a journey into the Wall Street section o
op-a spotless place with white interior and tiled walls. Six Italians in stiff duck coats practised their arts at a row of well-equipped chairs. A wasp-waisted girl sat at the manicure-table
handled with tongs; the nickel-plated steamer in which they were heated to an unbearable temperature seemed to puff its cheeks with a consciousness of painful and almost offensive cleanliness. The men who worked here had hard, blac
shampoo, nodded at Jim, and from
ar of the shop. In the third chair Jim recognized Max Melcher, alt
laws had reduced from affluence to comparative penury; another, a tall, pallid youth with bulging eyes. The third occupant of the room was an ex-lightweight champion of
til the book-maker yawned, rose, and we
laimed the pugilist. "I th
et therefrom and crushed it; the powder he held in the indentation between the base of his closed thumb and first finger, known a
but Young Sull
ews?" the lat
ther and I will call on Merkle at t
MIGHT fall, but I doubt it.
's square, and we can't
en famed in vaudeville for dancing, but the drug habit had destroyed his endurance, and with it h
room. His white hair was arranged with scrupulous nicety; his pink fa
I'm the pay-c
gh, eh?" Sullivan
ed. Quick sales and small
d he go?" quer
s you get yours? Photography is a payi
carelessly accepted the roll of currency which
urtain for us," Jim
rest is Lila
man fall AGAIN?"
r!" The three others st
lcher. "She's got a s
t lost the last car ye
ed somewhere. There's a lot more in her head tha
lucky to shake him down for a few thousand.
his voice was rou
stand for him-i
as been done; but, of course, it's all up to the girl. Anyhow,
ooked up coldly. "If he marries her, that ends i
him, with a square dame li
the way, he's a gambler, too, isn't he? Bring him
idly riffling the cards. "Gee! Money comes easy to some