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October oltruan! _ SOUL Ei t; m , VICTOR ROUSSEAU V“f ^ & COPYRIGHT by W.6.CHA PMAN V«4ptfc / t r j I *2 i , *! it* the matron 1>y the shoulders and Rushed her back into her room. He turned tlje key in the lock and put it in his pocket. I That’s settled, I reckon,” he said with satisfaction. \ Joan's hand went int# her pocket. Her fingers closed about the revolver handle. But at that moment the sec retary, who had come out of his room, went up to Lancaster. "See here, now,” he began to re monstrate, “have a little sense, doctor. If you're bent on busting everything up, you and I part company.” The other turned on him with so menacing a gesture that Myer.s flung up his hands in despair and went back into his room. Joan stood fac ing the doctor alone. At that moment her decision was nearly ripened, and she felt conscious of no fear of him nt all. If he attempted violence she knew what she would do. But he did not lay hands on her. He stood leaning against the newel post at the foot of the stairs, watching her face.---------- Joan was searching his eyesTor the least sign of the man she had known and he broke off, scowling :frid wincli under tier stare. Above his- word was tiie sound Of the beating rain, tl. lashing/wind; and from within tin: matron’s room Joan heard Mrs. Fra ser crying in prayer: 'O Lord, save her! she wailed. II Save that girl this night! O Lord, from the devil! Save her! Save her, O Lord!” “Maybe I got you wrong," continued the doctor. “But if I did, I ask you, who’s to blame? Didn’t you come to me at my house in Avonmouth and ask for your job back? Weren’t you as sweet as sugar when yon wanted something out of me? And didn’t you agree to come up here to work for me? Well, what’s the inference, then? You can have your job back If you want it. But I can do better by you than that. You’re too pretty • for a nurse's job, and I told you so that day you turned on me in the theater like a wildcat. Now, then! It’s up to you! Your move, partner!” Joan tried to push past him, but he remained at the foot of tiie stairs, blocking her way. “Let me pass, please!” she cried. “I’m going to leave the institute at once.” Without your hat?” he sneered. Lc f iii e p a ss a t on ce l” Well, I reckon I can’t stop you, M he ,rejoined, I. Just one word more, ‘ though. Do you realize your situa tion? Do you know what people will say when you go to them with crazy stories about me? Nobody will think you came dowifhere to the notorious John Lancaster after he’d fired you just because you were such a wonder ful nurse that he couldn’t do without you. What sort of reputation do you expect to have in Avonmouth? You can go, but you won’t go there, Not back to Avonmouth, understand that well. I’ll hound you out of the town, you little double-crosser 1” For the first time Joan felt her spir it begin to shrink from the ordeal. She was cowed, she was almost as helpless as if he had used physical 5 violence toward her. And through the baneful dream she was aware that Myers had come out of his room and was watching the scene from the end of the hall, wearing a smug, compla : cent smile. Myers was getting his way and having his revenge in one. And because the situation was too horrible for belief, Joan could remem ber only the Lancaster of the yester day. She ran to the man and caught him by the arms, and looked Into ids faee with pathetic earnestness. “I'm going to stay, John! ” she cried. M,v faith is stronger than that I remember what you have said to me, and I remember tny promise to you. Some day you will come tv yourself and everything will be clear. I shall call to tiie John Lancaster J know against the man who claims to be he and Is not.” u What do you mean?” shouted Hie other. *’\Vhom do you take me for?" “You are not the John Lancaster wito won ray love,” cried Joan, with an Impassioned gesture, Let your better self hear and uruieritand ine. You asked me-to stay and tight your battle with you, and nothing shall drive me from you till you tell me to go; and not even that; nothing shall make me fuller till I have won you again." Tiie man's eyes blazed. “You're right; you’re dead right there, Joan!” he cried, and caught her in his arms. He pressed Ids lips to iters. She struggled wildly in Ills grasp. “Let, me gol" site punted. But she could not free herself. She screamed. Juan wrenched her arm frefe and struck at the man, but lie pinioned it again. "I’ve got you, Joan!” he cried tri umphantly, “and nothing under heaven shall make me let you go.” Held as she was, Joan got her fingers into her pocket. She grasped the little revolver and pulled it forth. She thrust it upward Into the man’s face. He recoiled with an oath, squinting at the weapon, ids face con vulsed. And in that moment knowl edge came to Joun Wentworth. “You are not John Lancaster!” she cried. As she spoke they heard the sound of halting footsteps on the porch. The door swung slowly open, Joan’s hand dropped to her side, she slid the revolver mechanically Into her pocket; she tried to cry but could not. Upon the threshold of the door, look ing out with a wry, distorted grin on his pale lips, was the naan who had held her. And on the threshold, look ing in, with eyes drug-clouded, sway ing and clutching at the door-pillars ’ to su ppo rt hi mself uprlglit, was the John Lancaster of yesterday, And even Joan, with' all her love and hate, could not have told the one man from the other. •But with a cry she ran to Lancas ter, and caught at him, and felt his arn:s about her. Chapter XI It seemed to Joan, long afterward, like some dreadful picture, the sway ing man upon the threshold, to whom she clung, and his double within; and then the rasping voice of Myers broke the long silence. “Well, well, said the secretary, rubbing his hands together, "here’s a pretty kettle of fish. It will all have to come out now. v» The Lancaster within the door turned his eyes from Joan to Myers; his passion and rage had frozen into malevoleirm.. “Don’t put tiie blame on me,” said Myers acidly, a I warned you to get rid of her.” Strangely, at that moment Joan felt that she, in spite of lie? physical weak ness, was the dominating figure in the play, and the controlling mind as well. John Lancaster advanced into the hail. His double, who had drawn back a pace or two, stood watching his efforts to steady himself, with fi scornful smile. Joan put Jtex.-han4s "oh her lovers arm fit seemed uabear abie that h e should display il ls weak ness for "them to mock at. But then, glancing into his face, she saw that, weak as lie was, and mor phine-ridden, too, it was John Lan caster himself, virile in personality and mind, who had come back. The devil who had been exorcised had re turned into his swept and garnished chamber, but he could claim only the physical domuin. The body was afire with the accursed drug, but the soul of John Lancaster looked from the cloudy eyes, a man’s and not a weak ling’s. And Joan knew that It was througli no fault of his that he had come back enchained, and that her love had borne him throughout the day and kept his spirit whole. Lancaster’s double turned fiercely upon the secretary____ I Yes, it Is a pretty kettle of fish, *» he retorted, "and It's going to be fried. We’ll have this out tonight. Curse you, why didn’t you stay here at yonr post, instead of running to me? Were you afraid of this girl?” i • Who is this man?” Joan asked Lancaster. “My half-brother and my evil spir it,” he answered. ^ "Why don’t you order him to go? Why don’t you order them both to go?” “Because,” replied the other, sneer ing, “John Lancaster sold, roe his birthright for a mess of pottage— morphine pottnge. That's why. Be cause It is I whom the world knows ns John Lancaster, and not that out cast, who has sunk so low that he sold his very name for drugs.” “That Is a lie, said Lancaster. "Yon stole my name. You devil, you have robbed me of my manhood these four years past. “Gentlemen,” cried the secretary, “we’ve got to talk this matter over, and'this Isn’t the place. If the agree ment has worked any injustice to Doctor Lancaster, no doubt it can be readjusted. It Is dear that we've got to come to n sensible understanding. Let’s fn<-e the facts like men. and talk it over’in the doctor's room. And HJ'> girl had better go upstairs,” he added. ■'.4iss Wentworth stays with me,” In cm i. let-. The double find the secretary et changed Ironical glances. It was evi dent Hint ti.rf did not fee) themselves to he in the position of trapped cou got ratora GRIFFIN DAILY NEWS Doctor Lancaster, if yon cannot order them to leave, Ls it necessary that you should he drawn Into a dis cussion now?” Joan asked. Yes, it is necessary,” said Lancas ter. ‘Til fight this thing with Lawson to a finish tonight. "Lawson?” "I believe that I am Lawson," said Lancaster's half-brother, with an iron ical how. “Though I have as good a right to the name as Doctor Lancas ter here. Perhaps I should have in troduced myself before. But now that we are all introduced 1 am ready to accept Mr. Myers’ sensible sugges tion. t> They went tow ard Lancaster's room. Joan perceived now that the doctor's weakness was purely a physical ope; he dragged his limbs slightly, the curious result of the morphine poison ing that she had noted before. But he wag gaining strength rapidly, and his will had never been stronger. This, was the last battle, of which he had so often spoken, to her. This fight must end his captivity. Site went Into the room with him, confident In that belief. Myers closed the door behind them and placed his thickset body in front of it. It was astonishing to see how Lancaster braced himself for the ordeal, He drew himself up, standing erect, and faced the others. "Doctor Lancaster has the floor,” said Lawson mockingly. “At least, I understand that the proposal to revise our agreement comes from him.” “Joan, I owe you an explanation, if said. Lancaster, turning toward the girl. “This morning, after I had op erated, I was called - to the house which people think is mine—which should be mine," lie added with sud den vehemence. "I was told it was an urgent case. I found these men there. They drew me into an argu ment, and in the heat of it Myers plunged a needleful of morphine Into ■ my arm. "To quiet you, because yo u were becoming violent and injuring your self," sneered the secretary. "Yes, I did, and I left you in good hands.” “They left me senseless in the con sulting room, but I managed to force my limbs to obey my will. John Lan caster had still a little more will pow er than they had counted on. And John Lancaster’s name, was enough to conjure up a special train this after noon, though they had robbed him of his money. Joan put her hands on Lancaster’s shoulders. If That is all you need to tell me,” she said quietly. “I knew you had been trapped by them, 1 never doubted you. “Eight years ago,” said Lancaster, "I was a man respected in Avonmouth and everywhere throughout the Soutli Then a domestic trouble overtook me, You know what that was, Joan. Ii broke me down. I could not cope with life. I lost my grip on reality, gave Up my work— “Yes, John, now we’re getting at the truth,” interposed Lawson bitterly “You, the honored head of the South- 7^ 7$ jtm \ , Sir rx A L*-w| 1 vJg&frA Cj at**.* jaffiSP* 6 Became a Common Tramp and Wan derod About tho Country Witi Hoboes. era hospital, became a common tram; and wandered about the country witt hoboes, and I have been living dowr your reputation for you. Go on, John Don’t skip the Interesting parts." “I shall skip nothing. The woninr I was to have married left me Hu evening before, and disappeared will andther man. Had he been free tc marry her she would have had nc need to escape in secrecy. I gave ur my work. 1 hunted them through tin Southern states. MyVimind was oh sessed with the idea of redeeming my honor. If 1 had found them I should have killed him. They knew it, anc they fled before me. I gave them nt rest. For five years I pursued them running down-every clue.” II You’ll permit me to correct yooi memory on that point, John, said Lawson suavely, For five years yor wandered among tramps and hotoes to the scandal of your former friends thinking that you were looking fot your fiancee, but actually doing yont searching In morphine visions Sue? delusions of phenomenal activity art a recognised symptom of your dis ease. D” Qttlneey imagined Hint lie visited every corner of the earth while lying at home In an opium stupor.” “I never touched morphine luir-ii you gave it ip me,” said Lancaster. “That delusion Is part of your dis ease. No, John, you may have searched the suburban districts at Avoaiaouth, but you can't have gone far, because every few months you would turn up at the Institute, looking shabbier r.nd more disreputable on each occasion, iinj more and more inonThine soaked. And every time I tried to set you tip and help you. I was sorry for you, and you knew it and traded upon my pity; I was shamed by you, and you knew that and traded upon uiy shame, Lancaster hung his head; jrtmn laid her hand lightly on his, and after that he continued to return Lawson's gaze steadfastly. “I went to you, Jim Lawson," he said, "because I had placed you In charge of the Institute when I elected to head tiie other branch of the trust fund, the Avonmouth hospital. I had given you the charge here because you were—’’ “Youj Illegitimate half-brother, w said Lawson bluntly. "We are not mincing our words. Because you robbed me of my own birthright as your eider brother, by reason of the fact that my mother was not legally married to our father. Yes, go on. "At last, Joan, I was broken down completely," continued Lancaster. "It was a monomania, that search of mine, as I came to understand after ward, a perverted pride that had eat en into my heart and left no place for other thoughts. But I did not become addicted to morphine until this man urged it upon me, under the guise of medical "care. And even then I could have broken off the habit nt any time, but I had no heart, to, and It gave me relief from thoughts that tortured me.' *« So they all think,” said Lawson. “It was he who told me that I could never break it off, .who urged me to continue the use of it with sophistical arguments which I had not the energy to oppose. I had been five years away from Avonmouth. The people at the Southern hospital believed me dead, and I did not undec eive them. T~eame Jt never meant to return, When here It was always by night, to this man whom I believed to be my friend, to avoid shaming our name in the eyes of Millville. Thus none ever saw us together, and Lawson ami I resembled each other as much as we do today.” “More, I hope, John,” sneered the other. “The life one leads tells as the years go by. i a Nobody in these parts had seen me since I was a boy., I bad left home young, and studied at Johns Hopkins and abroad. Lawson had taken my name. The old neighbors had gone away, and if any of the country folks have long memories, they have close tongues, too. The matron and Jenkins are both newcomers. I had passed out of memory. “This devil saw his chance and grasped at it,” he went on with cud den vehemence. “Here was the fa mous Doctor Lancaster, a broken man. an outcast, and believed in Avonmouth to be long since dead. And here was the Lancaster known to Millville and Lancaster village, nt the head of this institute. Why shouldn’t he get me to take his place here while he went to Avonmouth and claimed to be I? Lawson was nmbitlous. He wanted to be something bigger than the superin tendent of a little hill institute. And he wanted to get liis lingers on the trust fund-at Avonmouth. Do I wrong you?” he demanded, turning fiercely upon the other. ] “Not in.The.....k-ft^; yon timiD’r'me;” said Lawson, with a suave how. “I wanted to take the fund out of your worthless supervision and devote It to proper uses. »» j “This must be stopped!” shouted Myers, with a sudden interposition. “Doctor Lancaster, you are saying things that you will regret tomorrow. You are turning to bite the hand that fed you. Where would you be today save for Doctor Lawson? A dead man in a pauper's grave!” | “He persuaded me, weakened as I jwas by morphine with which he had been dosing me,” Lancaster resumed, without paying the least attention to The secretary. “He was to take uiy place in Avonmouth, while I could as sume charge here, pretend to have an Illness, which would account for any change in my aspect and character. Nobody would know the difference, and nobody has known the difference. Here, he told me, I could be free to brood over my unhappy life, while he, the clever schemer, taking up my past, could adapt it to hla own. He con vinced me.” Joan gasped as she begun to under stand tiie enormity of the crime. And it was true: she could.read that truth in Lawson's face, his.pride In the ex ploit. Lawson was actually smirking, us he had smirked in the operating theater. ,. , “I consented, and he went away,' said Lancaster. “My recollection of tiie months that followed is necessa rily a dim one. I know, however. Hint I was In no stnte to take care of the funds. They disappeared, and 1 was accused of having embezzled them. If 1 1 did that 1 did it In my dreams.” "That’s Just the trouble with you, John,” said Lawson. “You dream too much. The question is, what did you do with them? Bury them? You can’t have spent thirty thousand dollars upon morphine. “I have accepted and home the bur den of tiie guilt," cried Lancaster "Tliis man Myers was plnced in charge. Thereafter lie was ever st my dhow, urging me upon the down ward path. When I would make tut r t» tu-efit; off my habit lie would . 'per to roe I! a* my (if? was rifm -tl lit,' of epdig.t/.lru): ir •Slid he ; !-ci-.«>(j If ever l. returned t> ocniotrb lit would art vise toy it any *tiri^fuejs 1 * ‘V* 4,.,.rtf yell'd the secretary, "You Tie,* anil you know it t". “When you came, Joan. I was nil tint hopeless. I hud, caught at your aid as my lust hope, because flint day you came to me your face looked good, and strong, too. nndsyou spoke so siu ccret.Vt and It was s««»**. since I bad known anyone like you. And you seemed to have been sent to me.” ‘‘Religious hallucination," said Law son, tapping bis forehead significantly Nevertheless. Joan could see that he was growing uneasy as the plot was unraveled. "It was a miracle, that meeting, one of those chances that seem reserved to uncover such conspiracies. For. though this man had stolen my name”—and here a touch of pride was visible on Lancaster's face—"there was one thing lie could not do. He could not perforin the Lancaster op eration, « though he had picked my brains during the weeks In which lie kept me here, a prisoner In one room. And so, from time to time, lie com pelled me to go to Avonmouth, under the charge of Myers. In order to op erate. He laid down the regulations: I was to dress and mask nlone; I was to speak as little ns possible and to leave hastily after 1 had finished my work. And he always sent me there with a full Injection of the drug In my body. 1 was too weak to resist, too much under the thumb of Myers here. “Doctor, won’t you stop this painful recitation of hallucinations?” pleaded the secretary to Lawson. “You know, tomorrow he will retract everything,” “The day came,” continued Lancas ter, “when a committee of visiting surgeons was to witness the opera tion. He thought that lie had learned It. His vanity led him to go to the hospital In person, after he had brought me to Avonmouth. The pa tient died, but he alone was responsi ble for that. And that is where you come Into the case, Joan. I managed lowed you to this Institute, in order to forestall me if possible." “Doctor Lancaster, you did not steal the funds," said Joan calmly. "Do you not see the hold these two men have managed to obtain over you? They stole the funds, and their object in drugging you was to get rid of you the sole evidence of their crime, by your death. And so, not daring U murder you, they plnnned that ybu should commit suicide. •* “You'll answer for that!” shouted the secretary, white with rage. Lancaster shrugged his sholders. "It doesn't matter now, my dear," he said But he had struck Lawson through ids triple hide of vanity at last. “But that isn't all," shouted the man. Admit that there may be n substratum of truth In these morphine dreums of yours, John Lancaster. Ad mit that I was ambitious, and that 1 did take tiie place my half-brother had forfeited In order to be of use to the world, and In order to save yor from a felon’s cell or a maniacs grave. Acknowledge that I did imper sonate you tonight, as before, that 1 came back with Myers in order to get rid of this girl who threatened to dis rupt the institute and put a drug drunkard in the office I hold, Weil, what then? That isn't nil the story. "You. have played your miserable game craftify, John Lancaster, after having made a fair agreement with me. B ut I’ve gone my duty toward you aniTour father’s fund, and if fie were alive he would thank me for it. And as for this girl, she can go. and. If tier ravings receive credence any where, I’ll face a jury and tell the truth fearlessly. "But you haven't explained every thing to yoor poor dupe, John. You haven’t told her where yonr sweet heart Is. You haven’t said that all the while you have been making love to her your fiancee is under this roof, hopelessly Insane, that she came back In her mudness, and Hint you took her Into the Institute and cared for her when her own people had discarded her. because you still loved her. And I'll tell you something, John, 1 brought her back; I was in touch with her from first to last; and I brought her here as an additional lure to you at the institute after I had to Avonmouth. Just tell Miss Went worth who Mrs. Dana Is." Joan’s eyes met Lancaster's, she saw in his tiie supreme moment of his anguish. She braced herself to meet the shock; site told herself that Lancaster no longer cared for his poor charge. She faced Lawson and Myera unflinchingly. But the spring of hope that had been bubbling in her heart seemed to iftve gone dry. Lawson seemed to be animated by some Infernal deviltry. He seemed to he throwing off the mask he had as sumed; lie leaned forward and shook his finger In Lancaster's face. "And there’s another thing. John," he said. "You remember that when we were hoys together I resented th difference between your position and mine. Because of a few writtJn words upon legal document >you, the younger, were the honored heir of John Lancaster, Sr., livid* while In the big unacknowledged house m|^«4ie estate, child, /he I shame was the of my fioor mother, ostincized even by the meaner whit of tiie district Your friends pretended not to know who i was when they rode by.” Lancaster made a gesture of depr* ention as Lawson's voice shook with passion. "Tlisit's true, Jim." he said "hut can you blame me?’ Did I not give you the [insition here?” ”7 bated yon ticcficsp of that, John,” resumed La .con. "1 hated you, and I vowed some day to turn the tables on you. I "anted to be a Surgeon. What a struggle I had, working my a ny thratrob Johns Hopkins, while you PAGE SEVEN were sp. ..ding y-mr father's money there! The struggle soured me, .John. And fyiu-e, do you remember, 1 was opeytning on a rabbit under curare, which had paralyzed the motor nerve* .and left the beast lo suffer? It was tut experiment anyth as had often thought I should like to ntaKe on you, and you flung a vile word at me and killed the creature. I told you theB that 1 would gel even with you some day, The time arrived. I got my own hack, and more, hut there is one thing that I never told you. Yffqr fiancee "•as the victim of n misunderstanding. There was no other man.” John Lancasters deep breathing seemed the only sound in the room; ind, as if galvanized into full strength, lie stood now like a panther, poised for a leap, every munch: grown' taut, and bin eyes gleaming, Joan, para lyzed by the sudden unleashing of lanvson's venomous revenge, could not utter a word. Lancaster spoke, You said you. were In touch with her and brought her here nfter she became insane,” he said. >. How did you do it?” “You have had your full say, John Lancaster,” replied Lawson, “and now I am going to have mine. Under the delusion that your Intention was to eiope with her, on the day before that fixed for the marriage in the parish church—a romantic plan to evade the family and curious neighbors— Miss Reid went to Savannah, to meet yon there. I needn’t go Into details of the trap that your unacknowledged enemy set for you, but when she learned tlAt she had been tricked It was too late to return. Her life was ruined, John; and It was 1, Impersonating you, who sent her there.” (To Be Continued.) The Maiden City Londonderry, in Ireland, Is known as “The Maiden City," in allusion to the fact that, although three times be sie ged B O never conquered. Extreme* in Men Some men are so covetous as If they were to live forever, and other so pro fuse ns If they were to die the next moment.—Aristotle. Praise A man’s praises have very musical and charming accents in the mouth of another, but sound very flat and un tunable in his own.—Xenophon. The birth rate in Paris was 46,800 in 1923, against 48,000 in 1922. ‘THE NAVIGATOR 1? FOR SALE Residence; West Taylor 3t. Residence, South Hill St. Residence, South Sixth St. Several well located V-lots. 100-acre farm, 1% miles out. 24%-acre farm, cfose in. 1 % m illion feet gag-timber— FOR RENT One store building. FIRE INSURANCE We are prepared to help you pro tect your property against loss and if you are thinking of an additional policy consult the undersigned. You will not regret it. e. s. McDowell Real Estate and Insurance WARD’S REXALL STORE FAIR NOTICE Season tickets for Fair can be had at following places: Scales Drug Co. Sibley Clothing Co. Cole Drug Co. Griffin Pharmacy Co. Slaton-Powell Clothing Co. Persons-Hammond Hdw Co. Blue Goose Cafe Chamber of Commerce PRICE: 6 J2.00 for Whole $1.00 for Halves BRUCE MONTGOMERY Secretary