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The Root
of Evil
SYNOPSIS
ftuart, southern lawyer in New York, is
tn love with Nan Primrose. His friend,
Dr. Woodman, who has a young daugh
ter, {8 threatened with the loss of his
drug business by Bivens, whom he be
friended years before. Stuart visite the
Primroses.
Nan wants Stuart to accept a place with
Bivens' chemical trust. He dislikes Blv
ens’ methods and refuses. Bilvens calls
on him.
Bivens is in love with Nan. Stuart re
fuses the offer, and Nan breaks her en
gagement with the lawyer. Bivens asks
Woodman to enter the trust. ]
Woodman will not yield and sues Bivens' |
company. The promoter tells the doctor
he and Nan are engaged. Harriet Wood- l
man is studying music. Stuart takes Nan
for & day in the country.
vemakes the world. | expect to have'
all the money we shall need In the
years to come we shall be rich whether
we seek it or not. But the sweetest
days of all life will be those in which
we fight side by side the first battles of
dife in youth and poverty when we
shall count the pennies and save with |
care for the little ones God may send |
us.”
“But life is short, Jim. 1 can have
things now He has already promised
them—a palace in town, another by
the sea, a great castle in the heart of
the blue southern mountains we used
to watch as children and armies of
servants to do my bidding. 1 can live
now."
“And you call these trappings and
tinsel life?”
“1 want them.” }
“My God., Nan, haven’t yon a soul?
¥lnsn't the life within no meaning for
vou? To me such luxury is sheer in- |
sanity The possibilities of personal
fuxury bave been exhausted thousands
of years ago. It's commonplace, vul
&ar and contemptible. If you wish for
power why choose the lowest of all {ts
forms? The way you are entering ls
worn bare by the feet of millions of
forgotten . fools whose bodies worms
hiave eaten. Not one of them lives
today even in a footnote of history."
“And yet, Jim, you know as well as |
do that money is the sign of success
and power; its abzence. of failure and
wenkness If you make a mistake in
your career you can correct it and be
gin again. Being a woman, I cannot,
for wmarriage is my only 'sreer. A
~istake now would be to me fatnl”
“And you are making the one tragic
amistake no repentance can undo I'he
deliberate choice of evil, knowing it to
He evil. Your heart is mine—mine, |
tell you! Do you deny it?"
Again he seized her hand. gripped it
flercely and looked into her eyes with
tender, searching gaze,
Nan looked awny.
“Oh, Nan, dear, belleve me!" he
pleaded. “You can't deny this voice
within the soul and live. Happiness is
faside, not outside, dear."
The lover paused a moment, over
<come with his emotion, and he knew
Hy the quick rising and falling of the
®irl's breast that a battle was raging.
Quick to see his advantage, he drew
her gently inside.
“See, Nan. there are no cheap imita
tions in here, no vulgar ornaments
which mean nothing. This home will
be a real one because it will have a
woul. There can be no coarse or menial
‘tasks within its walls because its work
shall be glorified by the old immortal
song of love and life.”
Stuart leaned close and spoke in 8
fow tense voice:
“And it will always be beautiful,
Nan, because it 'will be penetrated with
the touch of your hand. Every piece
of furniture will glow with that radl
ance. Gold and precious stones can
fiave no such luster. See. here 1 have
planned to place your piano. There
will be ne music on earth like the
songs those throbbing strings shall
make to my soul when they quiver be
ueath the tonch of your hand.”
The lover slipped his arm gently
around the girl’'s ylelding form. her
tiead drooped on his shoulder, the great
durk eyes blinded with tears. For a
moment he held ber in silence, broken
enly by a deep sob His band touched
fier bhair with the tenderest gesture as
he whispered:
“We can only know a few real
friends in this world, dearest. But one
great love comes to any human soul
and life is all too short to lose a single
dn’ ”
“Hush—hush, Jim!" the girl cried iv
anguish, “Don’t say any more, please.’
“Tell me that it's all right, dear,” he
arged. “You know you cannot leuve
me now. You know that you love me
and that your love is a deathless
<hing.”
“Yes, yes; I kpow.,” -she gasped
-But I'm golng to marry him 1 can't
felp it. The spell of his millions is od
wme, and 1 can’t shake it off."
With a determined effort she drew
herself from his embrace and in hard
<old tones continued:
“No, Jim; you must face the truth
i am going to marry this man. aod
the most horrible thing | ecan say
about myself Is that. deeply us I love
vou. 1 know | shall be content with
the splendid ecareer that will he mine
I shall never regret my marriage.”
The lover looked at her in a dazed
way. as If unable to grasp the mean
ing of her words.
“But you can’t do this vile thing
Since the world began | know the!
1;2
| fl/—%
.
“The spell of his millions is on me.”
vain, weak, Ignorant women have sold
themselves to men they could not love
for money. rank and luxury. But you
are not of that breed, Nan. You are
the typical American girl. You repre
sent women whose hearts have been
pure, whose lives have been clean, who
nave kept burning in the hearts of
men the great faiths of the soul. Re
gpect for women has been one of the
foundations of our moral life, The
woman who sells herself to buy bread
stands higher in the moral world thao !
you"— He hesitated. e
“Go on, Jim; say the worst. And
still I'm going to do it.”
“Knowing full well that no ceremo
ny of church or state. no word of
priest or judge. no pealing of organ or
pomp or pageantry can make this
thing a marriage?”
The lover dropped in silence to the
window seat and buried his face in his
hands in a paroxysm of emotion be
yond control. At length he rose and ‘
looked at the girl he loved long and
tenderly. ;
“God in heaven! It’s inconceivable
when I look into your beautiful face!
Have you no pity in your heart?’
The full iips smiled a cruel little
smile,
“Men are strong. Jim. They can
stand hard ldows. You come of fight
- ing stock. | know thnr.you will sur
vive. I'm sorry to hurt you, Jim, but
I must; it's fute, The Lig world I some
how feel I'm akin to is calling me, aund
I'm going"
“And Bivens is this big world! If
you will tkirow me over for money
can’'t you wait until a real man goes
with it? It wouldn't be so bad if 1
felt vou had chosen one who was my
equal physieally and mentally in cul
ture and breeding—but Bivens!”
“You underestimate his ability. You
may hate him, but he is a man of
genfus.”
“He is everything you loathe and yet
you are going to marry him. You are
giving up too easily. Bivens has only
a couple of millions, and he may lose
them. Don’t hold yourself so cheap.
If you were on the block for sale I'd
give a willion for each dimple in your
cheeks. The smile that plays about
your lips should bring millions. Your
deep dark eyes, | awear, are worth a
million‘each.”
“Hush, Jim, dear, we must go now.
1 can’'t stand any more. There's a
limit.”
“Yes, I know. Forgive me.”
Without another word he led her
from the place, closed the little gate
quietly and returned to her home.
Alone Inside the parlor they stood in
silence a moment, and she took his
“hand in hers.
; “I'm sorry, but it must be goodby
Your love hus been a sweet and won
derful thing in my life"—
“And you throw it aside as a worth
iess rag.” g
“No,” she answered, smiling. it
shall be mine always. Goodby.”
She raised her lips to his in a eold
kiss.
Dazed with anguish, he turned@ and
left. The door closed on his retreat
ing figure, and Nan burst into a flood
of passionate tears.
CHAPTER VI
Despair.
O the very duwn of Nan's wed
ding day Stuart had refused to
give up hope.
The little financier had sent
nim an invitation, and, worst of all,
had called to ask that he act as his
best man. He refused so curtly that
Bivens was deeply wounded.
“But | say. Jim, that's all rot. |
want you to stand by me. ['ve always
taken as much of your friendship as
you would give and been grateful for
it | don’t make new friends easily
I want you. and you've just got to dc
it
Stuart shook his head and firmly set
his jaws. A grim temptation fiashed
through his imagination If be shouid
accept it might be the one thing which
would prevent Nan's betrayal of her
tove at the altar Might he not by the
power of his personality. the hypnotic
force of his yearning pussion and wii
stop the ceremwony? In the momeat of
dew hilike silence which shouid fol'low
the minister's words asking If there
THE LEADER-ENTERPRISE, TUESDAY. NOVEVRER 10 1410
were any cause known why these two
should not be made one, might not a
siugie movement of his body at thin
moment, # groan of pain, a sob, a cry
of agouy in a supreme act of his will,
cause the white tigure to reel and fall
nt his feet? It was possible But it
would be teo cheap. It would be a
worthless victory, a victory of the flesh
without the spirit, and he refused to
take the body without the soul
With a frown he turned to Bivens:
“ilt’s no use talking, Cal., I've made
up my mind. I won't do it.”
*Well, if you won't you won't,” the
little man said with n <igh *“Ar lenst
you’ll come to the church For God's
sake, let e get a glimpse of one friend
Iy face! [l'll be scared to death. You
know, I'm not used to this.”
Stuart smiled:
“All right. I'll be there.”
But when the fatefu! morning came
Stuart was stunned by the feeling of
ineredible despair which c¢rept into his ‘
heirt The day was chill apd damp
Dull. grayish. half black clouds rolled
over the city from the sea—clonds that
hing low and wet over the cold pave
ments without breaking into rain. |
He knew that Nan was as superstt
tious as the old black maminy of the
south who had nursed her. Aunt Saf
lie had come to New York for the wed
ding of her “baby " Stvart thought of
the otd saying, “lappy is the bride the
sun shines on.” As the hour of noon
approached despair slowly <ettled over
his heart
Flow coutd he reconcile himself to
the horrible reality? A marriage sor
did, cold, vulgar to such a mnn—this
little tobacco stained, bead eyed wen
sel.
He rose, breathing hard and brushed
a tear from his eve—a tear that had
come unbidden in spite of his iron
will
His heart fairly shrieked its cry of
despair. He moved mechanically to
ward the church and waked from his
reverie to find himself jammed in a
solid mass of humanity. Never before
had he realized the utter vulgarity of
a public wedding. He forced his way
into the side door and stood waiting
the arrival of the bride and groom
When Bivens cuame the sight of him’
roused the slumbering devil in Stuart.
The excitement of his triumph had
evidently steadied the little man's
perves. Never had his shrimplike fig
ure looked so slippery and plausible.
He extended his slender hand and
touched Stuart’s in passing. To save
his life the lawyer could not repress a
shudder. In that moment he could
have committed murder with joy. The
agony of defeat was on him. He felt
in that moment his kinship with all the
rebels and disinherited of the earth.
At last the bride came and the sur
pliced choir moved slowly and solemn
ly down the aisles thrcugh a sea of
eager faces as the great organ pealed
forth the first bars of the wedding
march from *“Lohengrin.”
Nan was leaning on the arm of a
stranger he had never seen before. an
uncle from the west. She was pale
deathly pale, and walked with a hesi
tating movement as though weak from
illness. Suddenly his heart went out
to her in a flood of pity and tenderness
He tried to make her feel this, but she
passed without a glance. She had not
seen him. o
Stuart listened to the ceremony with
a vague impersonal interest as if it
were something going on in another
world. A single question was burning
itself into his brain—the price of a
woman! “Have we all our price?” he
asked, searching deep into his own
soul. Something pathetic in the white
face of the bride had rouched the deep
est sources of his being.
“Have I, too. my price, oh, boastful
soul?' he eried. *“Would 1 sell my
honor for a milllon? No. For ten.
fifty, a hundred milllons? No—not in
the market place, no—but would I sell
by a compromise of principle in the
secret conclave of my party—at a sale
the world could never know—would |
sell for the presidency of the republic?
Or would 1 sell now to win this wom
an? Would I? If so, I should hoid
her blameless. Have aill men and all
women a price If we but name it?
Answer! Answer? And then from
the depths of his being came the burn
ing words:
“No! I swear it. No!"
He looked up with a start, wonder
ing vaguely if the crowd had heard
this cry.
No; they were intent on the drama
at the altar. The minister was say
ing:
“What God hath joined together let
not man put asunder.”
“sGod!" Surely he didn’t say ‘God,”"
Stuart brooded. *“Does God. the au
gust, mysterious, awful creator of the
universe. work like this? Did not the
God of heaven and earth give this wo
man to him beéneath the sunny skies
of the south while their souls sang for
joy?”
They were moving again down the
aisle, the organ throbbing the reces
sional from Mendelssohn. A wave of
emotion swept the crowd inside, and
they became a mob of vulgar, chatter
ing. gossiping fools, swarming over
the church as if it were the grand
stand of a racecourse. without hesita
tion tearing down and stealing its dec
orations for souvenirs.
By a curmus law of reaction all re.
sentment and anger were gone, and
only a great pity for Nan began to fil!
Stuart's heart
That night Stuart entered one of the
more dignitied and serious theaters just
off Broadway. The pluy was a serious
eifort by a brilliunt young dramatist
of the wodern school of realism. [n
two minutes from the rising of the cur
tain the play had eripped him with re
entless power. " Siowly, reworseless as
fate, be saw ihe purpose of the autbor
oufald iteelf in & series of tense and
terrible scenes. The corzedy over which
I'é ve conunued 1b our nextg issue
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NS 7 N
LY B
Model “KT” Touring Car—Completely Equipped
$ 9 O O Equipment includes: three oil lamps, two gas lamps, Prest-o0- $ 9 O O
lite tank, mohair top with side curtains and top cover, vind
shield, horn, demountable rims with spare rim, tire hollers,
F. 0.8. Detroit tool kit with jack, and tire repair outfit with pump, nickel F. 0.8. Detroit
and black trimmings.
K-ri-tVal d K-r-1-t Servi
-r-i-t Value and K-r-1-t Service Mean
y ® : ®
Profit for Dealer and Owner Alike
K-r-it cars are a great “ buy.”
That statement is good in two directions.
It applies to both the dealer and to the
ultimate purchaser.
K-rit character and the confidence the
public has in K-r-i-t product, gain for the
dealer a position in the trade and a pres
tige that no other car of this class could
win for him. His standing is assured.
His reputation is made.
The K-r-i-t purchaser enjoys a similar for
tune. He gets full value for his money.
He is not paying several profits, because
all the essential parts of the Krit are
made within the K-r-i-t organization,
giving to dealer and buyer the profit that
usually goes to the parts manufacturer
in the assembled cars.
[herefore, if it's a K-r-it the World has
come to understand that it is the biggest
$9OO worth this automobile era has ever
? known. :
The prime factors in this situation are
K-r-i-t Character, K-r-i-t Qualitv and K-r-i-t
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tation and give confidence to the buyer.
A dealer must be identified with cars of
character, else his career is limited. If he
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cars next year as well as this.
That 1s why he finds the K-r-i-t his best
Established Dealers should write or wire to
George A. Crittenden, Sales Manager, care of
K-R-I-T MOTOR CAR COMPANY, DETROIT, MICHIGAN
Or >ur Special Representative— >
J. E. DOUGHERTY,
Piedmont Hotel, Atlanta, Ga.
From the Daily Builetin
On To Their Job
The Cherokee Marble Works
and the Granitoid Company are
making a practical display of
their products at the Fair. Some
gne specimens of sculpture are
on exhibition, products of the
skill of the manager, Mr. Brink.
Charles Hayes, of the Granito.d
Company, besides displaying va
rious kinds of coping, stone arnd
chimney pieces, has laid a sample
of his title sidewalk. We are
proud of the spirit that prompts
these firms to help make the Fair
an an advertisement of what
Fitzgerald can do and other firms
could weil follow these firms with
profit to themselves and a credit
to the city.
Ho ‘ miney
Will Move o the City
The manv friends of Mr.
Dorminey living in itzgerald
will be pleased he' ' in estime
ble gentleman 2 ° v !y has d:-
cided raake Frzoogld gheir
oermanent hom: *° Dormine,
represented Irwi aty in the
Georgia legislati . and has a
host of persvidl s Hvin
in Fitzg rai 3 SN
D. Dorm:ing, is i nar cash
jer of the Kx Natic.
Bank: Two ¢ 8, Wes
dames J. ¥. 1 2l Ao
McLona!l aio ARI rous
in Fitzgeraid Soc i Dot
Wanted 5+ - TR o
3D W. Chattai ooches St 88-3 i
f'rom the Dalv Bolletin |
Hunters And Dogs
PR\ |
fave Right-o’-Way
Atilanta, Nov. 20—The state
from end to énd has resounded tvo
dav with the souna of guns, and
tens of thousands of fat, juicv
birds will fall to make a feast for
thousands.
Advance sale of huating licens
-25 indicate that the pumber issued
tor 1912-13 will practically double
the first year’s operdtion of the
taw, State Gume Warden Mercer
has urged upon all of his deputies
uhiroughout the state unusual vigi
lapce to prevent unscrupulous or
over esger hunters from getting
‘1 fields 10 advance ot the offi
ciab snd legal date for the season
t @yen. birds are reported so
rnuiwerons this season that it has
heen @ great temptation to many
w supout and bag a few of the
t'g rat feliows, Several cases have
b = mwods already against such
o ~ZYesSOrs,
L, cosponse to a widespread
derand for the season to op¢n
earlv wne legislature last summer
«m-rdod the original act su as o
mehids Thanksgiving. Hunters
i £ =vs been accustomed to
¢« oy o tho fields on this holi-
G+ . 2n. they were united in de
imenaine That the date be included
= awic ndment, The law includes
v e period from November
2 1w March 1 as game birds that
viiv he shot, quail, commonly
«wa as Bob White partridges,
d v s, wild turkey gobblers and
vievers, The bag is hmited to 25j
investment. It gives permanence to his ‘
business and ever-increasing profits. It is, |
therefore, the logical car for you—the
only car. \ ®
When you select the K-r-i-t you have a great '
and loyal organization behind you—an
organization that backs u’ll)" every car with
a guarantee for a year. The proposition
is as stable and as stanch as the car itself.
Moreover, back of the car, back of the pur
chaser and the dealer, is the K-r-i-t service
which thousands of satisfied car owners
have tested and proved.
The K-r-i-t motor, clutch and transmission
are a unit. Amon§ the new features are |
a greatly improved oiling-system, with a |
reservoir of a gallon capacity at the ‘
bottom of the crank case, and an efficient |
sight oil feed on the dash.
There are Prest-O-Lite tanks on all models.
At the option of the purchaser we will .
furnish a gas generator and a No. 26
Stewart Speedometer instead of a Prest-
O-Lite tank; or for §lO additional a com
{)lete electric lighting plant, including five
amps and 100-hour storage battery.
On all modeis the bright parts are nickel
and black enamel. '
Other models—*“Kß” Roadster $900; “ KD”
&{ivqry $900; Completely equipped, f.o.b.
Tolt.
KFrom the Daly K venn
Terrell Buried At His
Old Home.
Hundreds of Frienis At
tend Funeral in Baptist
Church at Greenville,
Greeneville, Ga,, Nov. 19
(Spe:ial—The body of Joseph
Meriwether Terrell, former gov
ernor and United States Senator,
who diedin Atlanca Sunday
morning, was buried early toda
in the old cemetery here.
interment was attended by hun
dreds of Georgia s who had
known and honored Mr. Terrell
since his early manhocd and had
watched with love and interest
his rise in life.
The funeral was held in the
Greenviile Baptist church. Rev.
Dr. Perry conducted the cere
mony. Among the paiibearers
and the honorary escort were
many Atlanta friends who ae
companied the body here on the
special from Atlanta.
City Loans.
Immediately after Wilson was
elected, the board of éirectors of
the Calvert Mortgage and Deposit
Company met and lowverad the
rate of interest 2 ver ceni. See
me now for city lcans.
86 tf C. B. TeAL
on gume birds, except s ice and
doves, ot which 40 may be bagged
ina day., Not mo- Ihu; three
deer or three turkey gobblers may
be killed by any ons ‘ndiviiual in
a season.