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--f

'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 it

ust as they did. A woman must look out for herself--no man will eve

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

t care for him. He's an old man.

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

me 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 the

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

typed head- lines of the Hammon scandal. John Merkl

hast. "They promise

urphy himself cou

e ran her eye swift

thousand dollars for alienation of Lilas's affections. Joke, eh?

rs. Ha

dy--dates, places, photographs, eve

t part did you have in it, Jim? Were you helping Mr. Melcher in his blackmail scheme,

and convincingly. "Why, Mrs. Hammon, of course. I

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

you'd play dead or jump through whenever she snapped her finger, but--you're getting tough-bitted. You're getting sanctimonio

IM

m wondering--how lon

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! N

ll right, and he

to--urge him. The proposition sounds all right in the abstract--marriage, money, co

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

ton--" 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 broth

lawyer, when it's our affair and we can ha

he Hammon money, Max is entitled to his bit of this. Gee! If she'd only told us she was going out with M

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

at crowd. I'd be terribly afraid." M

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

er." Mrs. Knight was deeply shock

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,

and this isn't honest. I wish sh

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

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

ht to ma

he career of a show-girl is something of a joke." Lorelei

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--

h care about myself." Lorelei sighed in hopeless weariness of spirit, for variations of t

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- tabl

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, black

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?"

tared at him in amazement. "Right!" confirmed

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--

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

iffling the cards. "Gee! Money comes easy to some folks. Don't