LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 DAVIS 
 
THE PAWNS OF FATE 
 
The PAWNS of FATE 
 
 By 
 PAUL E. BOWERS 
 
 THE CORNHILL COMPANY 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 DAVIS 
 
Copyright, 1918 
 
 by 
 THE CORNHILL COMPANY 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Chapter Page 
 
 I. A CHANCE MEETING 3 
 
 II. A NEW DISCLOSURE 13 
 
 III. PRECEPTOR AND PUPIL IN CRIME ... 25 
 
 IV. THE CITY ELECTION 37 
 
 V. A DARING ROBBERY 51 
 
 VI. SLUMS OF THE CITY AND LOVE'S AWAK 
 ENING 64 
 
 VII. BREAKERS AHEAD 76 
 
 VIII. CAPTURED 87 
 
 IX. JENNIE'S PROTEG^ Ill 
 
 X. ASSAULT ON KENNINGTON 121 
 
 XI. THE NOOSE TIGHTENS 141 
 
 XII. SANDERSON INTERVIEWS Miss GERARD . 154 
 
 XIII. NEMESIS 164 
 
 XIV. JERE'S IDENTITY REVEALED .... 178 
 XV. A PAWN OF FATE 189 
 
 XVI. KENNINGTON'S REWARD 202 
 
 EPILOGUE 208 
 
THE PAWNS OF FATE 
 
' Heaven from all creatures hides the look of fate, 
 Att but the page prescribed their present state" 
 
 POPE. 
 
THE 
 
 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 A CHANCE MEETING 
 
 A bareheaded, wildly-excited young man raced 
 across the Bedford Boulevard, hi front of speeding 
 automobiles, defying death almost, in his zigzag 
 course from one side of the avenue to the other. 
 Behind him, on the sidewalk, were two stalwart, 
 blue-coated officers, puffing and blowing like wind- 
 broken horses, from the violent exercise of chasing 
 this pickpocket a city block in their determined 
 effort to make a record for themselves by catching 
 the young thief. 
 
 For just an instant the chase was interrupted by 
 the line of automobiles passing down the city's great 
 artery of trade; when the men had dashed through 
 the congestion in safety, their prey had eluded them; 
 disgusted, tired, hot and uncomfortable they re 
 traced their steps to their regular beats. 
 
 Still fearful of pursuit and unconscious of the fact 
 that the policemen had given up the chase the young 
 man sped on breathlessly for a square or two, then he 
 turned up a side street, gradually slowing his pace 
 till he came to a walk; now and then he quickly cast 
 glances behind to make sure justice would not over 
 take him. As he looked for some haven of safety 
 he read a big, faded sign, printed in brick red letters, 
 
4 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 " SALVATION ARMY." He then said to himself, 
 " I'll just beat it in there for a while and be safe, for 
 the bulls won't look for a guy in there; and if they 
 do, I've got a good alibi." 
 
 The hall was narrow, but it was about sixty feet 
 long; it was dusty and dingy. The walls were cov 
 ered by a cheap, flowered paper, and here and there 
 were hung religious mottoes. Wonderingly, the 
 young man read," SALVATION IS FREE " and 
 " RETURN TO THE LORD." In the rear of the 
 room was a little platform, raised about eight inches 
 from the floor; on this stood a small sagging table 
 bearing a cracked pitcher and a dusty Bible. A cen 
 tral aisle separated rows of dusty and scarred chairs. 
 
 This was the citadel of the " Army of the Lord " 
 where salvation was promised to all, even to that 
 great submerged tenth of human derelicts who have 
 made a shipwreck of life; but our fugitive gave no 
 thought to this building or to its purpose. All that 
 concerned him was his temporary safety, and this 
 room afforded it. 
 
 Casting a shifting eye about, to make certain that 
 he was not watched, he drew from his pocket an ele 
 gant, silver chatelaine purse, the outside of which he 
 examined very carefully by turning it over slowly in 
 his hand. This examination proved very satis 
 factory. Possessing the keenest desire to open it 
 at once, to discover its contents, he still uneasily 
 turned round and cast furtive glances at the windows 
 and the door, fearing he might be observed. Reas 
 suring himself, he opened the pocket book and found 
 that it contained five silver dollars, a small chamois 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 5 
 
 skin, a mirror and calling cards bearing the name 
 and address of a young woman whose home was on 
 the aristocratic Irvington Drive. He quickly emp 
 tied the purse, placed the money in his pocket and 
 tore up the cards, save one, saying to himself: "I'll 
 just keep this one for good luck. A feller can't never 
 tell what's goin' to happen! " 
 
 He threw the mirror, chamois skin and torn cards 
 into the rusty red stove which was employed in heat 
 ing the room. How to dispose of the purse was now 
 the question that arose in his mind; had it been 
 worthless he would have dropped it while running. 
 He recalled to memory a certain pawnshop on the 
 west side, kept by a little hunchback, swarthy- 
 skinned, Russian Jew, who was very considerate of 
 his customers' feelings; he never asked questions. 
 
 While he was debating whether or not he should 
 promptly go to this " fence," for such this type of 
 pawn-shop keeper is called, he was given a violent 
 start. The dilapidated, old door in the rear of the 
 hall slowly opened, accompanied by harsh, creaking 
 sounds from its old, rusty hinges. Emerging from 
 a dark, squalid room beyond, was a man upon whom 
 the hand of time had heavily weighed. His hair was 
 very gray, almost fading into white; his form was 
 stooped; his face wore a hardened look, and yet there 
 was a merry twinkle in his eye. Wrinkles and deep 
 furrows accentuated the sunken cheeks and high 
 cheek bones; the marks of many vices were evident. 
 The right arm was somewhat bent and twisted and 
 three fingers of the hand were missing. This physi 
 cal disfigurement was the mute telltale of his last 
 
6 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 safe-blowing act eight years before. Through an 
 overcharge of nitroglycerine the safe door had been 
 torn from its hinges and thrown upon him, breaking 
 the arm and contusing the hand. From this injury 
 he recovered very slowly, and the resulting deformity 
 finally led to his arrest and conviction. 
 
 To allay the severe pains he suffered at the time of 
 his injury he resorted to the use of morphine, to which 
 habit he had become a slave. The insatiable cravings 
 for the juice of the poppy weakened his nerves, 
 robbed him of his ambition and made him a total 
 wreck, unworthy of trust, to be ostracised by his 
 former confederates in crime. 
 
 Thus he had been compelled to seek light employ 
 ment wherever he could. Simulating reformation, he 
 had wheedled himself into the good graces of the 
 Major of the Salvation Army and became the janitor 
 of their hall. 
 
 His coat, a faded, greenish black, bore evidence of 
 an aristocratic, if departed glory. His pants were 
 bagged at the knees and frayed; a threadbare fringe 
 was apparent at the bottom which skirted the tops 
 of his rough, heavy, ill-fitting shoes. 
 
 The young man picked up the chair which he had 
 stumbled against and upset in his sudden fright, ad 
 justed his coat, took a cap from his hip pocket and 
 tried to assume an air of calmness as he turned to face 
 the disturber of his guilty safety. 
 
 :< What do you want in here, young feller, this time 
 o' day? You oughter know gospel is only dished 
 out here at the preachin' time in the evenin." 
 
 Being addressed in this manner the culprit re- 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 7 
 
 gained some of his self-possession and hesitatingly 
 inquired about the address of a fictitious personage. 
 Before answering the youth, the old man inspected 
 him from head to foot. He noticed that the chap 
 was dressed in tawdry, flashy clothing of the latest 
 cut, and on his red necktie there glistened an im 
 mense imitation diamond. His whole appearance 
 suggested a caricature of gentility. The examiner's 
 eyes did not fail to discover the silver chain dangling 
 from the pocket into which the thief had hurriedly 
 thrust the purse. Eyeing this bit of incriminating 
 evidence the old man inquired, " What you got there 
 in your pocket? " 
 
 " Nothin' at all," was the rejoinder. 
 * Yes, you have. Come clean, you young rascal. 
 What are you doin' packin' around young ladies' 
 silverware? " 
 
 This remark so upset the intruder that he was hard 
 ly able to answer his inquisitor. In his fear and ex 
 citement he blurted out, " You'se ain't goin' to 
 squeal on me, air ye? I had a bit of bad luck last night 
 and lost all I had in a game, and jess had to do some- 
 thin' to get a little " cush " from somewhere. You look 
 like a good pal to me, so I'll tell you the truth about it. 
 I swiped it from a swell-looking young skirt jess as 
 she was climin' on a street car. From the looks of 
 her glad rags she'll never miss it. The poor Jane 
 was so skeert and hollered so loud that two bulls who 
 was leanin' agin' a lamp post half asleep got 'roused 
 an' begun chasin' me. I sprints down the Av, gets 
 away from them and then I cuts up a side street till 
 I see this here joint; an' I beats it in. That's the 
 
8 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 whole truth. You'se ain't a goin' to turn me up now 
 fer tellin' ye the truth, air ye? " 
 
 Before replying the old man carefully closed the 
 door leading to the street, and the one from which he 
 had emerged also; this from precaution and from 
 force of habit. Then nervously brushing about with 
 his old, worn-out feather duster, he approached his 
 visitor and in low tones asked: " What's your name, 
 kid?" "Jere Patton," was the answer. "Well, 
 Jere, I am the janitor of this here salvation retreat. 
 Did you ever hear of Toledo Red? I'm the guy; jess 
 out of the stir in Joliet where I did a bit of seven 
 years straight. I'm through wid de game though; 
 I'm all broke up an' it takes a husky man now-a-days 
 to blow a jug. Major Jones gave me a job dustin' 
 an' takin' care of dis dump; an', as I ain't much good 
 for anythin' else, for I'm a dead one, I think I struck 
 a cinch. Fer three meals a day, a good bed to bunk 
 in an' a shower bath ain't bad fer a feller what's all in, 
 down and out." Winking his eye, he added whisper 
 ing, " I'm reformed, you know, me lad; ha, ha! Say, 
 Jere, I'm jess a little shy o' change and if you will 
 split de pot wid me we'll step around through the 
 back alley to Dinty's place, a good, quiet booze joint, 
 and have a drink. It's a big schooner ye gits there 
 for a jitney, an' plenty of free lunch to grab on the 
 side." 
 
 Jere began to breathe easier after this display of 
 confidence and friendship. He knew that this once 
 famous member of the underground fraternity had 
 been one of the best cracksmen in the country, and 
 had robbed more banks between Toledo and Kansas 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 9 
 
 City than any other yeggman. He had been a source 
 of worry and constant vigilance to the police and the 
 detectives. Jere had read in the papers glowing ac 
 counts of daring feats of robbery performed by the 
 fellow. He was no common thief; but belonged to 
 the aristocracy of crookdom. 
 
 Of course Jere did not relish the suggestion to di 
 vide equally, but a feeling of patronizing sympathy, 
 the thought of safety and the goodfellowship of the 
 old crook prompted him to accept the proposal, and he 
 replied: " All right, Red; but the dame didn't have 
 as much coin in this here bank of hern as I hoped she 
 would. Only five plunks and some cards an' things 
 to make herself purty with. Come on; I'm sorter 
 dry meself after the run I've had. I'll get some 
 change an' give you half, but fer God's sake let's get 
 out easy so's no one will see us." Thus they de 
 parted for Dinty's. 
 
 Dinty's place was located in a narrow alley in the 
 wholesale district. It was obscure and out of the 
 way among the shadows of the gigantic buildings in 
 this part of the city. Indeed, its presence would 
 never be suspected by the ordinary citizen passing 
 through this section. Except to a very few, it was 
 practically unknown save to the denizens of the 
 underworld, who knew it well as the rendezvous 
 of the criminal fraternity of the city. Its exterior 
 was uninviting, rough, without paint, and stained by 
 the accumulation of dust and dirt from the narrow 
 alley. The customary signs of the ordinary saloon 
 were absent; and if one set out deliberately to find 
 the place, except he be guided by definite description, 
 
10 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 the task would be akin to that of looking for the tra 
 ditional needle in a hay-stack. The windows were 
 shaded by heavy, green curtains, the worse for wear, 
 but they served their purpose nevertheless, for they 
 kept out the gaze of such honest persons as chanced 
 to pass by. The interior was dimly lighted by a 
 single electric lamp which hung over the mahogany 
 bar which was worn by constant scrubbing, and which 
 bore the imprints of the many schooners that had 
 traveled across its surface. A musty odor met the 
 nostrils as one came in from the outside air. The 
 place was seldom visited by the police, and then usu 
 ally by some knowing and unreliable member of the 
 Order of Hermandad who graciously received the 
 cigars that were offered with an understanding smile; 
 and who, when no one was about, would take a little 
 social drink. 
 
 The bartender was of strong Celtic type. His 
 jaw was square, denoting the tenacity of a bulldog. 
 He was red-headed; and from beneath the bushy 
 eyebrows gleamed his deep-set, hazel-blue eyes which 
 ever cast glances about, taking in a world of detail 
 concerning his surroundings, but never mirroring a 
 single thought. He was, as a rule, noncommunica- 
 tive; speaking but seldom, and then in a laconic 
 way. 
 
 When the two newly-made friends, Jere and 
 Toledo Red, arrived at the saloon they sat down at a 
 table in the rear; they motioned to the waiter, which 
 worthy wiped the moist top of the table with the 
 end of his apron and took their order for " Two 
 steins o' suds." In a few minutes this order was re- 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 11 
 
 peated; and, under the exhilarating influence of the 
 hop infusions they grew loquacious and friendly. 
 Jere related that he was practically a child of the 
 gutter; that his mother had died with the " bleedin'o' 
 the lungs" when he was only eight years old, and that 
 the last he heard of his father was that he had been 
 sent to a home for drunkards. Of his parents' ante 
 cedents he knew absolutely nothing. From the date 
 of his mother's death he had shifted for himself and 
 gained, as best he could, his limited knowledge, in the 
 school of the streets. Vices of all kinds, both gilded 
 and unmasked, had passed before him in endless pro 
 cession throughout the period of his adolescence 
 until the present time; daily and intimate contact 
 with moral corruption had left its imprint on his 
 youthful mind. The scars of bitter experience and 
 of general unfairness of the world had seared deeply 
 into his soul, leaving him cynical and morose. 
 
 Glad indeed was the listening, decrepit old veteran 
 in criminality to find in his new-found companion and 
 friend, a spirit of antagonism to the law, a nucleus 
 of anti-social proclivities. He saw in this spirit of 
 social rebellion an opportunity to satisfy his ever- 
 gnawing desire for revenge upon society for the 
 wrongs, imagined and real, which it had inflicted 
 upon him. As he contemplated this opportunity he 
 resolved at once not to let it slip by; but to gain the 
 young man's complete confidence, and to control 
 him; and thus, if possible, to utilize Jere as a casti 
 gating instrument against the public at large. 
 
 Before making a bid for Jere's partnership in his 
 cherished schemes he ordered another drink, knowing 
 
12 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 only too well that the effect of alcohol would enmesh 
 the unwary youth and lend a rich color to the persua 
 sion of his words. In a paternal manner the old 
 man archly suggested: " Jere, we should be pals and 
 work together in our trades; we've got the game 
 sized up jess about right. If we steals a loaf of 
 bread or a door mat and gets caught it's a thief and a 
 bit for us; but if one of them church deacons swin 
 dles a widow woman out of her home in a real estate 
 deal they call him an awful smart business man and 
 run him for alderman at the next 'lection and have 
 us simple guys go out and scare up votes for him." 
 
 In a semi-intoxicated manner Jere listened to the 
 overtures of this criminal Nestor, and heartily agreed 
 with him. Whereupon they sealed their compact 
 with one more foamy libation and made their way 
 back to the Salvation Army hall to finish the cleaning 
 and dusting preparatory to the evening services. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 A NEW DISCLOSURE 
 
 After cleaning the hall in a slipshod manner, Tole 
 do Red took from the drawer of the table on the plat 
 form a grimy, fly-specked cardboard on which was 
 printed in big black letters this mute, but powerful 
 appeal: 
 
 HOT COFFEE AND SANDWICHES SERVED 
 
 HERE TONIGHT AFTER THE MEETING. 
 
 EVERYBODY WELCOME. 
 
 As he placed it in the window he sarcastically mut 
 tered to his companion: " This'll fetch 'em if nothin' 
 else will." 
 
 Then he repaired to a little room in the rear which 
 was equipped with a gasolene stove, a large, black 
 coffee-urn, the silent veteran of many fires; a cup 
 board of ancient date, filled with heavy mugs; a 
 three-legged table propped up against the wall; a 
 small stool; and, in the corner, a cot bed; here was 
 the living abode of the janitor. 
 
 Here the refreshments of the evening were to be 
 prepared; and, calling Jere to this assistance, the 
 man began to make sandwiches from the material 
 that had been given to the mission by some philan 
 thropic grocer. The bread may have been stale, the 
 ham a little hard, and the coffee of cheap variety; 
 nevertheless the lunch would be dispatched with great 
 
14 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 avidity by that portion of the army of the street who 
 desired physical as well as spiritual blessings at the 
 services of the mission. 
 
 When the sandwiches were made, they were piled 
 high on a tin platter and covered with a none too 
 clean, damp towel to keep them moist, or to make 
 them so. After finishing this task the old man 
 looked at his watch. 
 
 " Say, kid," he exclaimed, "the big show '11 begin 
 som'er' round seven-thirty an' we've jess got time to 
 slip over to Dinty's an' get a pint o' beer an' snatch 
 some lunch. We've got to be back on time or I'll 
 lose me job. Come on; let's dig out, and get a 
 
 move on us." 
 
 They hurried out and in less than twenty min 
 utes they returned to find, when lighting the smoky, 
 smelling coal oil lamps, that several of the faith 
 ful worshipers had already arrived. Finishing the 
 task of illuminating the Army Hall, George, for 
 that was Toledo Red's name, turned to Jere and 
 said: " If you never attended one o' these meetin's 
 before you'll see somethin' if you stick 'round. Sit 
 back there in the corner and keep your mouth shet 
 and your glimmers open. Say nothin' 'less I punch 
 you. I'll sit by you till it's time to make the Java 
 fer this here gang what plays the religious game to git 
 a handout. 'Course I ain't sayin' they's all hyper- 
 crites, me boy, but lots o' them is. Some swell rich 
 folks will, no doubt, blow in this evenin' to give us a 
 talk. Look at 'em close; it might be well to remem 
 ber their faces." 
 
 The little hall began to fill with the flotsam and 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 15 
 
 jetsam of the city's streets. Most of the people were 
 poorly dressed and had rough countenances, which 
 were made more uncouth and repellent by their un 
 tidy and wretched clothing. Here and there were 
 scattered a few women, many of them, perhaps, cap 
 able of becoming regenerate Magdalenes but now dis 
 figured by the continued influence of vices. In one 
 corner, with a small baby in her arms, sat a tubercu 
 lar looking young woman, hectic flushes surmount 
 ing her pallid cheeks. For her the religious service 
 held a real charm and benefit; giving her, no doubt, 
 a ray of hope in her otherwise cheerless life. Then, 
 too, the after service luncheon was indeed most ac 
 ceptable. 
 
 Promptly at seven-thirty, to the beating of drums 
 and the swinging of tambourines, the little army band 
 of the barracks came into the hall followed by a num 
 ber of people whom they had attracted at a near-by 
 street corner. In their wake came two young fel 
 lows, smartly but gaudily dressed. " Jiminy! Kid," 
 George whispered, " Pike off those two dips comin' 
 in here; there's no leathers in this bunch worth 
 goin' to jail fer. I wonder what they's doin' 'round 
 here?" 
 
 Before Jere had a chance to reply there came the 
 sound of the brakes on a limousine in front of the 
 door, and there came in two women past middle-age, 
 and a third young woman who was about twenty- 
 five years old. They were escorted to the platform 
 by the genial Major, a typical Salvation Army 
 officer. 
 
 The two matrons felt ill at ease and uncomfortable 
 
16 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 under the multitude of surreptitious glances that were 
 cast upon them by the motley crowd. They seemed 
 thankful to be safely removed from a personal con 
 tact with the audience. Gingerly they took their 
 chairs, which, as a matter of precaution, they first 
 inspected very closely. 
 
 " Just as I told Jennie before we started; this is 
 what we'd find," Mrs. Gerard remarked to her com 
 panion; " but the child would come; and I suppose 
 we'll have to go through this ordeal once any way." 
 
 " But, mother," the young woman interrupted, 
 " these people are good at heart even if they do be 
 long to the despised of the world. Did not Christ 
 meet and associate with the publicans and sinners? " 
 
 " Yes, yes, my dear; but times have changed since 
 then; and don't forget the Scriptures likewise say 
 for us not to cast pearls before swine." 
 
 While this conversation took place George noticed 
 that Jere appeared to be very much agitated from 
 some cause or other, and asked: " What's eatin' ye, 
 Kid? Did youse never see any swell Janes before? 
 They's the real stuff, not common trash." 
 
 ' Whereupon Jere replied, " I believe I'll step out 
 for awhile and have a few whiffs at a coffin nail; I'm 
 
 some nervous." 
 
 " Sit right tight where you are, you young fool; 
 this ain't no time to be goin'; the meetin' '11 begin 
 soon; besides everybody will guy you if you vamoose 
 
 now." 
 
 ' Yes, I know that's so; but I want to go," Jere 
 stammered. 
 " No thin' doin'; you can't go; you're goin' to stay 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 17 
 
 right here; and you'd better, too; " he added with a 
 knowing look. 
 
 This retort silenced all objections. The Major 
 arose, and called out the title of the song for the 
 opening of the meeting, stating that after the sing 
 ing of " Rescue the Perishing, " Miss Jennie Gerard 
 would address the audience. He then requested the 
 assembly to bow their heads in prayer while he in 
 voked the divine blessing in a short and stormy sup 
 plication. 
 
 An anaemic wisp of a girl accompanied the singing 
 of the song on a squeaky, asthmatic organ. Miss 
 Gerard was then introduced by the Major in flowery 
 words, full of mixed metaphors and similes he re 
 peatedly referred to her as the " Patron Angel of the 
 Mission," and the " Mainspring of Its Existence." 
 
 The young lady, with but little embarrassment, 
 briefly acknowledged her introduction and began to 
 speak in a distinct manner, giving at once ample 
 proof of her refinement and culture. 
 
 Miss Gerard was of medium stature and a bru 
 nette of marked type; her features were regular 
 and of Grecian mold; she had a slender, girlish figure, 
 and was dressed unostentatiously in a gray tailored 
 suit. 
 
 Her physical beauty, combined with the beauty of 
 character, exerted a mesmeric influence, an uncon 
 scious power on her part, to hold the audience. 
 She was a graduate of the University of X. While 
 there she became interested in practical sociology. 
 According to her mother's opinion she had too many 
 radical ideas concerning the submerged tenth. Jen- 
 
18 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 me was filled with a burning desire to really do some 
 thing for the down-trodden; so she had become, while 
 still a student, a college settlement worker. 
 
 Her studies had taught her that the serious strug 
 gle between capital and labor has a disastrous effect 
 on the poor; that their strength is undermined and 
 devitalized by the fierce struggle for existence. The 
 sweatshops systems which employ women and chil 
 dren and pay hardly sufficient wage to buy food and 
 clothing were, to her, one of the many examples of 
 our faulty industrial systems. She believed that 
 many of the children of the extemely poor are born 
 into the world defective in mind and body and are 
 received into the environments of poverty to be 
 surrounded by ignorance and crime. Even the be 
 nign influences of proper food and clothing are 
 denied them. Their opportunities for mental and 
 moral education are destroyed in their struggles 
 against the fierce greed of commercialism. These 
 facts were so indelibly impressed upon her conscience 
 that she was determined to ameliorate, as far as she 
 could, these conditions which produce social as 
 phyxia. She was not possessed of Pharisaical, hypo 
 critical pretenses, the characteristic of a few social 
 workers and reformers. 
 
 Miss Gerard's extreme interest in the poor almost 
 distracted her fashionable mother who was entirely 
 out of sympathy with the daughter's ideas. Mrs. 
 Gerard was a devout communicant of St. Paul's 
 Cathedral and rarely failed to attend divine services. 
 The beautiful church, its grand altars, the vested 
 choir, the solemn ritual, the precision and order of 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 19 
 
 of the entire service made a powerful appeal to her 
 esthetic temperament. The sordid and low condi 
 tions of life, induced by poverty, did not in the least 
 arouse sympathy within her. 
 
 Jennie Gerard's words were of real hope and en 
 couragement; and, though she made no attempt at a 
 sermon, she admonished her hearers in a gentle and 
 persuasive way to strive to rise above the impeding 
 and hope-destroying circumstances of their lives. 
 She deplored the fact that a great many of the lower 
 strata of society were handicapped from their birth 
 and early childhood by adverse environments and 
 oppressive economic conditions. 
 
 In connection with these remarks she related the 
 incident of the robbery which Jere had committed 
 that afternoon. In reciting the episode she stated 
 that she was really sorry for the young man, as she 
 was sure he did not belong to the so-called criminal 
 class. He was, no doubt, a misguided youth whom 
 fate and misfortune had robbed of a proper home and 
 a good training. The loss of the purse and its con 
 tents was not a source of regret to her so much as the 
 fact that, by his successful theft, the youthful thief 
 might be tempted to keep on his downward road of 
 crime and eventually come to a bitter end. She 
 added that she would actually be glad if she could 
 find the culprit; not from a spirit of retaliation or 
 even to regain her loss; but that she might talk to 
 him, and, if possible, convince him of the danger of 
 the path he had begun to pursue. 
 
 During the recital of the story of the theft Jere 
 was extremely uncomfortable; his cheeks were al- 
 
20 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 most guilty of a blush of shame as he thought of the 
 purse-snatching, the low, sordid, mean act he had 
 committed, and the extreme fright and shock which 
 he had given this kind-hearted social missionary of 
 the city's slums. His regrets, however real, were not 
 greater than his fears that she might recognize him. 
 The vision of the jail yawning for its prey passed 
 before him; he saw the wheels of justice grinding 
 swiftly and pictured himself a convicted thief pay 
 ing the penalty for his crime. He shuddered so per 
 ceptibly that his companion noticed him and asked: 
 " What's the matter wid ye? Got the ager? The 
 hot coffee which I'll dish out shortly will warm ye 
 up, pal." 
 
 It seemed to Jere that while Miss Gerard was 
 speaking she was continuously looking at him and 
 through him; and that she read his guilty conscience. 
 He was glad indeed when she had finished. 
 
 After a few commendatory remarks upon the able 
 address the Major invited those so inclined to give 
 their testimony as to their various reformations 
 which had been effected by the work of the Mission. 
 After two or three minutes of painful silence a shab 
 bily dressed, unkempt, middle-aged man arose. 
 In a thick raucous voice he related how he had been 
 turned to honesty from a life of inebriety and crim 
 inality of the most dangerous variety. Several of 
 the crowd cleared their throats and a faint but audi 
 ble murmur ran through the assembly. As he sat 
 down a fervent " God bless you! " was rewarded him 
 by the Major and his staff. 
 
 " Listen to that old hypocrite ! " George whispered 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 21 
 
 to Jere, " he's tryin' to make them society ladies 
 believe he's been a bad man and sure-enough bur 
 glar, when he's only a common sneak-thief. His own 
 shadder could chase him down the alley. Our gang 
 would not let him come round them, for he was only 
 a good-fer-nuthin' stool-pigeon. He hangs around 
 here only to git somethin' to eat, and when they quits 
 givin' out this here free lunch he'll be as scarce as a 
 frost in July." 
 
 Another " living testimony " to a saving power 
 rose, and in monotone speech recited how he, too, had 
 once trod the path of sin and had been a terror to the 
 law-abiding community. He recounted numerous, 
 notorious robberies ostensibly committed by him, 
 closing his story by saying: " Thank the Lord, I'm 
 on my way to heaven now." His efforts were ac 
 knowledged by several " Amens " from the members 
 of the army, and one of them in a shrill, strained 
 voice, began to sing, " Just as I am without one plea." 
 
 George again nudged Jere and said, " If this 
 don't beat all; that gink never swiped anything more 
 than a jitney bag of peanuts in his life, and then gits 
 up and palms hisself off as a fust-class peterman. 
 I am goin' to go an' get the eats ready. Now don't 
 blow away while I'm gone; you'll stay here with me 
 tonight; I'll fix it up all right wid de big boss." 
 
 A sickly, faded and jaded looking female, a former 
 habitue of the red light district, arose and in semi- 
 audible, staccato speech asserted : " I was saved in 
 this very mission hall seven months, seven days and 
 seventeen hours ago, and am glad to testify that I 
 am still standing on the rock of salvation." 
 
22 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 After a few words the Major closed the meeting, 
 inviting all to stay for the free lunch. Of course, 
 the distinguished guests of the evening departed 
 at once, the Major gallantly escorting them to their 
 waiting machine. When all the remaining souls, or 
 rather, hungry stomachs had been fed they, one by 
 one, passed out into the night Whither? 
 
 George took the Major aside and stated that he 
 had seen Jere pass early in the evening, and that he 
 had noticed the worn and worried look on the boy's 
 face. " I found that he was on his uppers with no 
 place to flop and nuthin' to eat; so I invited him in 
 here, knowin' you wouldn't care, Major, for it might 
 be the savin' of the poor lad's soul," he shrewdly 
 added, fully realizing the value of this bit of moral 
 bait. In truth, the Major was delighted with this 
 display of the man's humanity to man, coming from 
 one who himself had once been a menace to the 
 peace of society. Jere was heartily welcomed by the 
 Major and bidden to make himself fully at home; he 
 added that perhaps in the next few days some suitable 
 employment could be found. With a friendly 
 " Good night " the Major departed. No sooner had 
 the last echoes of his retreating footsteps died away 
 than George threw off his holiness mask, and taking 
 off his coat also, asked Jere: "Have you got the 
 makin's, Kid? I'm actually hungry for an inhale or 
 two meself. Say, what made you want to go out 
 and take a smoke so bad when the meetin' started? 
 You acted queer all evenin'; come, clean. You 
 know I'm square; may be I can steer you right if 
 you are on the wrong track." 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 23 
 
 Jere tossed his host a small pouch of tobacco and 
 fumbled in his pockets for some cigarette papers. 
 
 " Well, Red, le'me tell ye, I've had a close shave 
 tonight." 
 
 " Gee! you doan mean gittin' religion, does you? " 
 George interrupted, squinting at him from under 
 neath his bushy, gray eye-brows. 
 
 " Naw! go 'long! I doan mean that at all. Ain't 
 you next? I'm the guy what robbed that young Jane 
 what spoke tonight and told all about me ' moll- 
 buzzin' ' her. Every time she put her lamps on me I 
 thought the stuff was off, bo. What if she really had 
 tumbled that it was me? Wonder if that nice talk, 
 jess wan tin' to save my soul would have held true, 
 or would the old mother-hen that was with her have 
 yelled fer a copper. Lord! I'm glad they're gone. 
 Gimme a cup of that black drip to warm up; I'm 
 really chilled all over." 
 
 " Well, I'll be damned," George ejaculated. " If 
 that ain't the limit, me name ain't Toledo Red what's 
 known from the old burg Toledo on the Maumee to 
 Kansas City as the best soup handler that ever 
 cracked a jug; an' that ain't no brags either, only I 
 don't gets up in prayer-meetin's to tell folks about 
 it. Well, Kid, put 'er here," he said, extending his 
 maimed hand; " * The Devil is good to his own,' 
 they says, an' I b'lieve there's some truth in it. 
 But, look here, don't let your jaw drop on the floor 
 now; the fire's out. She didn't pike you off, an' she 
 can afford to lose that bit o' change. They's more 
 where that come from. Don't I know her dad well? 
 Well, I reckon; he's the boss of the 13th ward, an' a 
 
24 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 hell-cat of a gink he is. Big church member on Sun 
 days, an' durin' the week, O Lord! We is angels 
 compared to him. He owns the leaky shanty next 
 door an' several dumps in the tenderloin district. He 
 never looks where the money comes from. All he 
 wants is for it to come, the more the merrier, an' he 
 don't give a dang how it was got either. 
 
 " I'm really sorry fer the gal," he added, after a 
 moment of thought, " for she's got a good heart and 
 would be a good sort if she belonged to our class; but 
 she is the victim of the wrong system. Want another 
 cup of Java? No? Well, Kid, you jess can thank 
 your lucky stars that you blowed in here today; it's 
 goin' to be the makin' of ye; mind what I says. If 
 any one can put you hip to the world and its funny 
 ways, old George kin, you betcher life. You's ain't 
 sleepy, air ye? Well, let me tell you a bit of me life 
 an' you'll see that you've run up agin the right party 
 to put you wise, me boy, to some money-gettin' 
 stunts." 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 PRECEPTOR AND PUPIL IN CRIME 
 
 The campaign between the reform and wet ele 
 ment of the city was sizzling hot and the heat of the 
 contest waxed even hotter as the election day ap 
 proached. As a consummating blow to the liberal 
 party a new revelation of graft and wickedness in 
 high places again stirred the city and the daily papers 
 aired the latest sensational scandal of police corrup 
 tion. In flaring headlines there was printed: 
 
 ANOTHER THIEF UNMASKED! 
 
 GUNMEN CHARGED FOR PROTECTION TO 
 
 WORK THEIR NEFARIOUS CRIMES ON 
 
 THE LONG SUFFERING PUBLIC! 
 
 Again the police department came into the public 
 limelight. A long trusted member of the city's de 
 tective force, Patrick Ryan, had been killed in the 
 tenderloin district. The circumstances attending the 
 crime conclusively proved that the deceased had been 
 a most unprincipled, double-dealing police officer 
 and an ex-convict, whose past record of crimes was 
 sufficient to stamp him as one of the most daring and 
 desperate bank robbers the country had ever known. 
 He was no less than Big Riley, the "peterman" 
 (bank robber), whose name was once familiar to all 
 the police headquarters of the metropolitan cities in 
 the United States and even in some parts of Europe. 
 
26 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 It had been his practice, in the jargon of the under 
 world, "to shake down " the crooks, meaning to 
 extort a heavy percentage of their profits from thiev 
 eries and hold-ups, for protection. Those who dared 
 to refuse him found it urgently necessary to leave the 
 city or find themselves in the toils of the law. 
 
 While under the influence of liquor, Ryan demanded 
 of a former " pal," a bank robber, an unusually large 
 tribute. The old companion and accomplice re 
 fused to pay the money and thereupon followed a 
 physical struggle, resulting in the death of the officer. 
 The sympathy of the criminal fraternity was with 
 the slayer, since he had been used unfairly by his one 
 time confederate. 
 
 Editorials of a sarcastic nature concerning this 
 episode were printed in the daily papers. The graft 
 of the police officials was denounced in bitter terms 
 in the homes, the clubs and churches. A new im 
 petus was given to the better citizens to strive the 
 harder to eliminate the wickedness that threatened 
 their fair city. Likewise the startling disclosure re 
 ceived its full discussion and attention by the pariahs 
 and human wolves of the city. 
 
 That Friday evening, while George and Jere were 
 partaking of the liquid cheer and lunch at Dinty's 
 club, Fred Sanderson, some time called " Lone Wolf," 
 came in. This title was given him by the followers 
 of Ali Baba for the reason that he always worked 
 alone and never mingled with the pack in his treas 
 ure-seeking escapades. As he advanced toward the 
 table at which the pair was seated, he intently eyed 
 Jere from head to foot with a cold, steely stare, under 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 27 
 
 which our youthful thief squirmed uneasily. George 
 drew a neighboring chair to their table and invited 
 Sanderson to join them. He then introduced Jere. 
 
 " Here's a new pal; he's on the square and wants 
 to learn the game. He's pulled off enough stunts in 
 the last two weeks to prove that he's all right and can 
 be fully trusted." 
 
 Jere's face beamed with joy under this profuse 
 praise and compliment and he inwardly swelled with 
 pride that he should become the acquaintance of 
 such an luminary of the criminal world. While 
 Sanderson trusted George, a friend to whom he owed 
 his life and an eternal debt of gratitude, his suspicions 
 were still not fully allayed, for he was the least bit 
 fearful that the young man might be a "mouthpiece" 
 for the detective force. But since he had little to say 
 that might be of incriminating nature or of any serv 
 ice to a stool pigeon to transmit farther, Sanderson 
 freely spoke his mind. 
 
 In turn, Sanderson was the object of superficial in 
 spection by Jere, who failed to perceive the intimate 
 characteristics of this prince of thieves. He was a 
 tall, close-knit, well-muscled individual. His jet 
 black hair, slightly curled, was here and there 
 sprinkled with streaks of gray which were especially 
 prominent at the temples. His forehead was high; 
 his nose slightly aquiline; his mouth small and well 
 formed; regular teeth were in evidence when his thin 
 bloodless lips were parted in a cynical smile. Then, 
 too, there was a clean cut jaw, indicative of perti 
 nacity and steadfastness of purpose. A careful ob 
 server would have noted, as Sanderson approached 
 
28 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 the pair at the table, that his carriage was erect, his 
 step elastic and quick, that might well become a mili 
 tary officer. His broad, well-developed shoulders 
 were covered by the snugly fitting coat of his fash 
 ionable, tailor-made suit. 
 
 As Sanderson toyed with his whiskey glass, for it 
 was this beverage that he occasionally drank, his 
 slender, shapely, carefully manicured hands stood 
 out in marked contrast to those of the other two men. 
 Indeed, he was proud of them, and their beauty did 
 not at all indicate weakness for in a physical en 
 counter they could easily be transformed into a vice 
 of steel. Sanderson was a graduate of an Eastern 
 University; he had been surrounded with every ad 
 vantage and social opportunity from childhood. 
 His crimes could not be charged to an evil heredity 
 or to poverty, but only to a willful prodigality and 
 viciousness. While at the University he was given 
 to gambling, debauchery and only through the earn 
 est efforts of his father, a man prominent in financial 
 circles, was he permitted to finish his college career. 
 
 From petty crimes, step by step, he became a pro 
 fessional criminal. He belonged to the elite of the 
 criminal plutocracy; all his depredations were based 
 upon skillfully and subtly laid plans. They were 
 always full of definite purpose. The quick acquisi 
 tion of wealth was the goal and motive of all his 
 crimes. 
 
 His habits were luxurious and extravagant. Fre 
 quently he visited grand opera; was a patron of art 
 and literature; and an ardent admirer of Poe. 
 
 He keenly enjoyed Moliere's Misanthrope; the 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 29 
 
 writings of cynical and morbid authors were his de 
 light. He wrote satires upon the follies of society; 
 he contributed, under a nom de plume, weird poems 
 and essays to critical and iconoclastic magazines and 
 periodicals, devoted to the non-constructive criti 
 cism of the times and people. He could have been 
 styled with propriety a literary Bohemian. Versa 
 tility was the prominent attribute of his personality. 
 He found it easily possible to adjust himself to all 
 conditions and classes. He oscillated from the very 
 dregs of society to the company of distinguished 
 members of the metropolitan clubs. His keen, vig 
 orous, criminal mind enabled him to cover his heart 
 less rascalities with a cloak of respectability; when 
 ever he found it profitable, he conformed in a nega 
 tive manner to the conventions of society, but re 
 garding the marriage law he held the most cynical 
 views; lacking in altruistic qualities he performed acts 
 of apparent charity to the lesser lights of the under 
 world for the hold it gave him over them. 
 
 When a second round of drinks was ordered, San 
 derson remarked to George, " I suppose you have 
 become acquainted with the tragedy of last evening. 
 While murder is to be deplored at any time, De 
 tective Ryan received his just deserts. He's not 
 been on the square for some time, he has given us the 
 double cross and his taxes were too heavy for the 
 average 'gun' to pay. I knew sooner or later it was 
 coming to him. I do not wonder that he asked so 
 much for protection since he was able to get it, and 
 was he not upheld by the chief of police himself? I 
 tell you, George, the world's crooked from the top to 
 
30 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 the bottom of society. I know, for I have lived at all 
 levels. There are just as many "unmugged" crooks 
 as there are "mugged" ones. The world may know 
 these unphotographed grafters as political bosses; for 
 instance, as a mayor, a chief of police, a warden of a 
 penitentiary, a city contractor, a member of the 
 legislature, a judge in the courts, but we so-called 
 anti-social devils know them as they are, for haven't 
 we bought them at their price when we had the money 
 and when we didn't have it, they were saints and 
 deaf to our pleas." 
 
 To all this George silently acquiesced, nodding his 
 head in assenting approval, while Jere was inspired 
 by this contemptuous attitude toward the foibles of 
 mankind, which he only half understood, and ardent 
 ly replied: 
 
 " I always felt jess like you says, but did not know 
 how to say it." 
 
 George quickly telegraphed a look of approbation 
 to Sanderson, as much as to say that the young fellow 
 was of promising proclivities. 
 
 " A man may slave and save in this so-called hon 
 est pursuit of daily hard work," Sanderson resumed, 
 ** but never accumulate a competency." 
 
 " You're right, I tried it once," George inter 
 jected. 
 
 ' Yes, after years of hard work nothing is left; life 
 has been barren of pleasure and the little hoard, 
 saved up for a rainy day, dwindles rapidly away 
 under the pressure of poverty or misfortune. I pre 
 fer to make my money quickly. There is, of course, 
 a risk involved in our profession and so there is in all 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 31 
 
 professions and vocations of life. A carpenter may 
 fall from the roof, that's his lookout. We may feel 
 the clink of the iron bracelet about our wrists, if so, 
 our stupidity deserves it. There has been implanted 
 in some of us an impulse to steal, and in the breasts 
 of others there is the desire to capture and imprison 
 us. 
 
 :< The robbers of the bourse, the thieves of the 
 watered stock, fleece the unwary, and the capitalists 
 think there is law only for the rich and none for the 
 poor. If I forge a check, steal a suit of clothes to 
 ward off the winter's chilly blasts, I am a thief; but 
 if I sell a bit of worthless real estate or valueless se 
 curity I am become a master of big business. But 
 if our friend Jere holds up a man at the point of a 
 gun and takes away his money, he is locked up in 
 prison as a menace to society. If you steal the ac 
 cumulation of a lifetime from a laboring man by 
 misrepresentation of facts, they want to make you a 
 deacon in the church, and the banks are ready to 
 lend you money even without a note. Dodge all 
 your taxes, even if you will by barefaced perjury, 
 and a minister will gladly take your tainted coin and 
 bless it at the communion table. 
 
 " There are more grafters outside of prison than 
 there are on the inside. A capitalist, by hiring a good 
 corporation lawyer, can sail through the rocks and 
 shoals of financial laws into a calm sea of social aris 
 tocracy and big influence. There are enough crimes, 
 committed under the name of big business that, if the 
 perpetrators were caught and prosecuted, their 
 number would more than fill the penitentiaries of the 
 
32 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 state. Our society breeds its criminals, if they must 
 be called such; it puts the poor in want, and shadows 
 them with a cloud of starvation, and yet the phari- 
 sees and hypocrites wonder why there are criminals. 
 I may rob the rich of a few trifles, but they rob the 
 poor vastly more. I steal a diamond from a wealthy 
 man and I am a crook, but society says if I bankrupt 
 him in a slump of stocks I am a genius." Excuse 
 me, boys," Sanderson said, as he paused in his solilo 
 quy, " I was just thinking. It makes my blood boil 
 as I ponder over these things. I guess I am growing 
 pessimistic." 
 
 " As far as I could understand those big words, 
 that's a better sermon than the Major could preach. 
 It sounds good to me! " George approvingly an 
 swered with a wink. 
 
 Sanderson resumed, " What's new in the old town? 
 I've been away for a week on a little private business 
 and only returned yesterday. The exigencies of our 
 profession sometimes make it rather difficult to 
 keep abreast with the times, especially when one is 
 hiding behind a sheltering cloud; circumstances com 
 pel us to make retreats occasionally which are more 
 solitary than those of a convent." 
 
 George replied, " There is nothing new except, that 
 this here reform gang is makin' such a holler in de 
 papers dat it is hard fer a guy what's on the level to 
 make a decent livin'. It's harder to git protection 
 than it used to be an' these fly cops wants to shake a 
 fellow down before he has had a chance to make any 
 money at all. 
 
 " Crippled as I am in me right wing, I'd have a 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 33 
 
 hard time of it if it weren't for the Major, who gave 
 me a job; then Jere here, has made a few good clean 
 ups moll-muzzin', an' that keeps us in spendin' 
 money. But the kid's too good a boy to keep work- 
 in' at dat game; there ain't enough dough in it for 
 the chances that a feller takes in goin' after it." 
 
 Here Jere interrupted, " Gee, I wish I could git in 
 on a big job with you fellers once! " 
 
 " Maybe you can sometime, just be patient, 
 there's a lot to learn about this business," Sanderson 
 condescendingly replied. 
 
 "By the way, Fred," George stated, " I nearly 
 forgot to tell you about the fancy charity ball what's 
 comin' off a week tonight at the house of Banker 
 Stratton on Ashland Boulevard. The money what 
 they makes at that blow out, they're goin' to give to 
 the Major for the remodeling of the mission. He 
 gets all mushy about this business, and knowing that 
 I'm a Christian he up an' gives me all the dope about 
 it, fer he knows I wouldn't tell an' really I ain't, fer 
 the papers done got hold of it already an' have big 
 write-ups 'bout this here sweet charity game. An', 
 believe me, dat's all gaff, fer the folks what goes 
 there gets every bit of fun out o' dat business fer 
 every darn nickel de puts into it." 
 
 " Correct you are, old pal, I know all about the 
 affair, though as yet they have not sent me an em 
 bossed invitation, but I know they will, they're al 
 ways so careful not to hurt my feelings," Sanderson 
 ironically responded. 
 
 "The big Four Hundred will be there and it is ru 
 mored that the famous pearl necklace, valued at 
 
34 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 twenty-five thousand dollars will be worn by a Miss 
 Darrell. I saw it at Tiffany's one week after its ar 
 rival from Paris. It's a real beauty and a little job 
 like that would be worth any man's while. You 
 may be sure, George, I'll attend." 
 
 With this last remark he left his companions some 
 what abruptly. He made his home in an exclusive 
 section of the city, maintaining an elegant suite of 
 rooms in an apartment house. This was located in 
 the high rent district, where neighbors fraternized 
 only in evening dress at social gatherings. Thus 
 living in the midst of this highly conservative com 
 munity, where he was reputed to be a first-class trav 
 eling man, seldom at home, it was easy for him to 
 elude the scrutiny of the police department, which 
 would not look for an offender in such quarters. 
 When the sleuths were endeavoring to locate thieves 
 and other law breakers, Sanderson remained quietly 
 in his apartments. After the excitement of police 
 activity had subsided he would emerge serenely from 
 his self-appointed retirement, ready for a new crim 
 inal campaign. 
 
 After leaving the squalor of Dinty's he quickly 
 walked down the alley and, entering a main thorough 
 fare, looked about for a public conveyance. Luck 
 favored him, a taxi came into sight and he hailed it. 
 Giving the chauffeur his address he carelessly leaned 
 back on the cushions and lit a cigarette. Shortly he 
 ascended the brown marble steps leading to the Al 
 gonquin Apartments and selecting an odd key from 
 an unusually well-filled ring, he let himself quietly 
 into the building. Entering his quarters he pressed 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 35 
 
 a button and the room became flooded with a mellow 
 light. The lamp that was most conspicuous was 
 shaded by a heavy red lambrequin of gilt-braided 
 damask silk, the pedestal of the lamp representing a 
 nude figure of a Moorish girl swinging a torch. 
 
 Beside the massive library table stood a revolving 
 book case, well filled with elegantly leather bound 
 and gilt-edged books. The walls were decorated with 
 beautiful copper plate etchings; in one corner stood a 
 cellarette, made from the finest of Circassian walnut. 
 This piece of art furniture was filled with wines of 
 the 1854 vintage and liquors and cordials of the rar 
 est and most expensive kind. 
 
 The exceptionally thick, brocaded curtains, ex 
 cluding the light from without, gave the room the 
 stamp of rare elegance and exquisite taste. Sander 
 son stepped into the adjoining room, which was also 
 richly furnished, and made himself comfortable by 
 donning a superb silk-lined smoking jacket and, re 
 moving his street shoes, he put on a pair of fine Persian 
 slippers. On returning to the living room he took 
 from the table a heavily engraved silver cigarette 
 case; selecting one of the perfumed cigarettes he 
 slowly puffed wreaths of smoke to the ceiling. He 
 then walked over to one of the pictures on the wall 
 and pressed an invisible button, the location of 
 which he only knew, opened a panel and a small wall 
 safe was disclosed. With deft fingers he manipu 
 lated the combination and the miniature vault was 
 open. From its depths he withdrew a necklace 
 made of imitation pearls, so perfectly wrought that 
 the deception was discernible to a connoisseur alone. 
 
36 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 He held it up to the light, then let it fall gently upon 
 the sleeve of his purple velvet coat, and finally with 
 out a comment he replaced the bauble, effacing all 
 evidence of its existence as well as its hiding place. 
 With a sigh of complete satisfaction he dropped him 
 self into a near-by chair and lighting a fresh cigarette 
 gave himself over to musings and dreams as hazy and 
 indefinite as the blue wreaths of smoke emanating 
 from the smouldering roll of paper between this 
 fingers. 
 
 Finally, he murmured to himself, " Well, I'm glad 
 I had that New York jeweler make me an imitation 
 model of that pearl necklace; I knew it would come 
 in handy some time. Here's your chance, old top, 
 to increase your exchequer, and what fun it will be 
 to have everybody stand aghast when the desperate 
 robbery is discovered. Pouring himself out a stiff 
 glass of brandy from a silver mounted decanter on 
 the polished top of the cellarette, he poised the thin 
 glass in mid-air and with one of his sinister smiles he 
 said: " My compliments, Miss Darrell." 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 THE CITY ELECTION 
 
 The telephone on the flat top of the highly polished 
 mahogany desk rang impatiently. Joseph Gerard 
 yawned and cast a glance at the beautiful mission 
 clock which stood in the corner of his office. The 
 hands were pointing to half -past ten. Gerard was 
 tired and sleepy; a dull headache reminded him of 
 the preceding night's political meeting, at which the 
 thirsty throats of the politicians had been liberally 
 cooled by sparkling icy drinks. Vigorously the bell 
 rang again and a husky voice coming over the wire 
 inquired. 
 
 " Have you arranged that matter? " 
 
 : < Not yet." 
 
 " If you don't get at it at once, Blake will have to 
 run. We sat up all night and you promised us you 
 would attend to it." 
 
 " Give me two hours' time and I'll find you the best 
 
 attorney in X , who'll be glad to get on our 
 
 slate and one who is anxious to rise in the world." 
 
 With this last remark to the Mayor of the city, 
 Gerard wearily hung up the telephone receiver and 
 settled back in his heavy, leather-covered chair. 
 
 The following half hour was given over to reverie 
 and contemplation. Name after name of possible 
 candidates for the office of city attorney passed 
 through his mind, and to every one there seemed to 
 
38 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 be some objection or obstacle. This lawyer was too 
 honest and clean, that one too crooked, the third 
 without talent, a fifth one was lacking in experience 
 and capacity. Gerard had promised the Mayor to 
 find a suitable attorney to complete the slate they 
 were to present to the wide-open element of the town. 
 
 The present Mayor was the squarest man who had 
 ever held the office. Not to the public, but to the 
 general mass of crooks and yeggmen. The city of 
 
 X had become a veritable home, a Zoar, for 
 
 the denizens of the underworld and, unless their 
 crimes were of the most desperate character, the 
 money they paid for protection always guaranteed a 
 liberal bath of immunity and whitewash. The pres 
 ent city attorney was too much of a rascal; by that 
 is meant, he was too clumsy in the performance of 
 his crookedness and was ever a continual source of 
 worry and criticism for the administration. The 
 corruptions of his office were so crude as to invite 
 constant scandalous airings in the city newspapers 
 and clubs. 
 
 While he was no worse than the ring that sought to 
 oust him, they saw in his candidacy a possible defeat. 
 
 The long, tiresome meeting of the night before had 
 been given up to the discussion of this subject, and 
 just about daybreak it was agreed upon by the 
 politicians of the liberal party that Blake, for that 
 was the city attorney's name, must be retired into 
 oblivion and that a man who would be supple and 
 pliant in the hands of the machine must be found to 
 take his place on the party ticket for the coming 
 election. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 39 
 
 The friends of Blake had fought hard against this 
 proposed change, but the wisdom born of political 
 experience finally convinced them of the folly of al 
 lowing personal friendship to stand in the way of 
 victory at the polls. 
 
 Joseph Gerard, who had the welfare of his party 
 at heart, volunteered to secure a capable young man 
 who would be willing to run for the office; one 
 whose character was still unblemished, who could 
 lend, if possible, a moral tone to their more or less 
 besmirched ticket. He had promised the Mayor to 
 furnish the name of the desired candidate by ten 
 o'clock the next morning. But the late hours he 
 had kept the night before made slumber sweet and 
 long, and when the appointed time had arrived he 
 had not even begun the search for the young barris 
 ter upon whom he was going to thrust this question 
 able honor. 
 
 The musical chimes of the clock striking the hour 
 of eleven startled Gerard from the musings. 
 
 He rose from his chair, put on his hat and, reaching 
 for his ebony cane, he strode through the outer door 
 of his office into the hall toward the elevator shaft, 
 not knowing exactly where he was going, but pos 
 sessed with the single idea to secure the much-needed 
 candidate. He had but one hour in which to keep 
 his promise and he realized that he must act quickly. 
 As the elevator shot past the third floor in its down 
 ward flight he caught a brief glance at the name of a 
 young lawyer on the Florentine glass of one of the 
 office windows. The idea flashed in his mind that 
 possibly this man might well serve as a candidate for 
 
40 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 the machine organization. He signaled the car to 
 stop at the second floor and by the stairway returned 
 to the floor above. He recalled that he had been 
 introduced to the young barrister at the city's Com 
 mercial Club and the first impression of him had been 
 pleasing. 
 
 Little did Gerard realize as he read the name, 
 Arthur Kennington, that this person would play a 
 most eventful part in his future career. Had he 
 known it, he would have turned back at once and 
 thus he would have saved himself the ignominy of 
 exposure. Confidently he walked into the reception 
 room, which was meagerly furnished and not filled 
 with waiting clients. 
 
 Just as he was taking a seat he was welcomed 
 into the private office by a cheery " Good morning." 
 Kennington advanced to meet him and, as their hands 
 met in cordial clasp, the elder man measured his 
 companion from head to foot, noting the clean cut, 
 cultured appearance, which indicated considerable 
 reserve strength and power. Inwardly Gerard said 
 to himself, " Here is just the man; I will not need to 
 go farther." The young man's attitude suggested 
 decision, firmness and strength, and Gerard did not 
 fail to observe these indications of character. On 
 the other hand, this legal tyro, without experience in 
 the world of politics, might easily fall a victim to de 
 ceitful wiles, for would not ambition and the desire 
 for power outweigh the decrees of Kennington 's 
 judgments? Upon these human vanities Gerard 
 made his appeal to the young attorney. The idea 
 had no sooner crossed his mind than he resolved 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 41 
 
 to act upon it, and he began the conversation by 
 saying: 
 
 " Mr. Kennington, I have been appointed as a 
 committee of one by our party to lay an important 
 proposition before you, and it must be acted upon at 
 once." 
 
 Without betraying his surprise, Kennington asked, 
 " What do you wish of me? " 
 
 " I regret that we have not had an opportunity to 
 explain this matter to you heretofore, but I know it 
 will meet with your approval." 
 
 ' Yes, yes, please state the message you have for 
 me and explanations may follow later." 
 
 ' Well, since you force me with such deliberate 
 frankness I will come to the crux of the matter at 
 once. The honorable Mayor and his private ad 
 visors have decided to place your name as a candi 
 date for city attorney upon our ticket. It is a win 
 ning ticket and you cannot afford to let this great op 
 portunity go by, as it opens the door for you to pub 
 lic life, for achievement and success in your chosen 
 profession." 
 
 Arthur Kennington was indeed astounded at this 
 proposition. He had dreamed pardonable dreams of 
 political success, of clean statesmanship; but little 
 did he hope in his obscurity and practical poverty, that 
 the avenue to his fondest ambitions should suddenly 
 be opened to him without slow, painful toil. Before 
 he had recovered himself sufficiently to speak, Gerard 
 graciously demanded an answer and patronizingly 
 patted him on the back, remarking: " You're not 
 going to stand in your own light, are you? " 
 
42 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 " Just give me a little time to think." 
 
 " There's no need for any lengthy deliberation; 
 will you accept the honor that has been offered to 
 you, or will you not?" 
 
 As abrupt as this last remark seemed, Gerard had 
 not the slightest idea to withdraw his offer, even 
 though some argument might be necessary to ac 
 complish his mission. 
 
 " Indeed, Mr. Gerard, I feel it to be an exceed 
 ingly great honor to be asked to submit my name 
 at the coming election; and, before answering you, 
 let me inquire what conditions and stipulations are 
 attached to the acceptance of this unusual and un 
 expected offer?" 
 
 " Why, bless you, none at all, my young man; 
 after hours of careful deliberation we have decided 
 that you are best fitted for the arduous duties of city 
 attorney. This important position requires talent, 
 brain power, LOYALTY, and an ability to distin 
 guish between sentimental gush and practical con 
 ceptions concerning the duties of district attorney, 
 and these qualifications we think you possess to a 
 marked degree." 
 
 Kennington quickly reviewed the whole situation 
 in his mind and he indeed was puzzled to understand 
 the extremely unique offer that had been made to him. 
 He had been pressed for an immediate answer; it 
 was clear to him that the proposition must be turned 
 down at once, or promptly accepted. Time for de 
 liberation and consideration was out of question. 
 
 " Since you have stated that there are no stipula 
 tions or binding agreements to be made, I agree to be 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 43 
 
 a candidate for the office of city attorney," he re 
 marked. 
 
 Gerard was so highly elated over the success of his 
 mission that he could hardly wait to communicate 
 the news to the Mayor's office. He had found an 
 aspirant for political honors, and while practically un 
 known there were no scandals connected with his 
 name. The young lawyer would, no doubt, prove 
 pliant in the hands of the city fathers; and this par 
 ticular quality of character was held to be a great 
 asset for those who served the public. Taking the 
 young man by the hand, he warmly thanked him for 
 the acceptance of the candidacy. Then, handing 
 his card to Kennington, he said: 
 
 " I shall expect to have the pleasure of your com 
 pany tonight at seven o'clock dinner with my wife 
 and daughter. I know you will not disappoint us." 
 With this remark he promptly stepped out of the 
 office, before Kennington had a chance to reply, 
 leaving the young lawyer dumfounded over the 
 whole proceedings. 
 
 The successful termination of Gerard's visit was 
 promptly telephoned to the Mayor's office. 
 
 Kennington was a graduate of the Harvard Law 
 School, the son of a good, but now impoverished 
 family, who had lost their wealth in a slump of the 
 stocks in the market. He was thirty-two years of 
 age. He had taken many prizes at Harvard and 
 was first in his class. He had devoted a great deal 
 of study and attention to criminal law, and thoroughly 
 believed in the vigorous prosecution of criminals. 
 To him protection of society came first, and the wel- 
 
44 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 fare of the criminal second. He was firmly con 
 vinced that punishment, swift and certain, would 
 materially reduce crime and that errors, delays and 
 subterfuges of the law should be eliminated from the 
 court practices. His conception of the penal law 
 demanded that all violators, whether high or low, 
 should serve the penalty for their crimes without fear 
 or favor. Immunity and whitewash were unknown 
 quantities to him. 
 
 The campaign that preceded the election was one 
 of the most bitter the city had ever known. Mud- 
 slinging, ranting and ridicule were more often em 
 ployed in the campaign speeches than were logic, 
 reason and judgment. The grafters, the saloon men, 
 the violators of the liquor law, the bosses of the 
 redlight district and the powers that prey upon the 
 public tax coffers fought a frenzied fight to maintain 
 their ascendency and control in the administration 
 of the city government. To them defeat at the polls 
 spelled ruin. It meant exposure and possibly im 
 prisonment to many. 
 
 For the human vultures who prey on the women of 
 the underworld it presaged an acquaintance with 
 manual toil or a visit to the " rock-pile." The lib 
 eral party determined to win at any cost. To them 
 honor and fairness were empty words to be used 
 in prayer-meeting and churches only, but nowhere 
 else. 
 
 The reform element indeed had the greatest cause 
 for a vigorous, active campaign: the present city 
 officials were corrupt; the dens of vice flourished; the 
 quicksands of iniquity claimed many of the sons and 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 45 
 
 daughters of the city's best families. Crime was 
 rampant. Crooks ruled the police courts. Neither 
 life nor pocketbook were safe. The enmity was in 
 tense and violently partisan; on several occasions the 
 speakers of the conservative element were threatened 
 with physical violence in anonymous letters. 
 
 As Kennington viewed the situation he began to 
 secretly wish that his name might be withdrawn from 
 the ticket. He was actually ashamed to be allied 
 with the corrupt crowd whose company was forced 
 upon him by virtue of his candidacy. But he had 
 " layed his hand on the plow " and he could not turn 
 back; and, since this was the case, he resolved within 
 himself, should he be elected to the office of district 
 attorney, that he would be the master of his own 
 mind and conscience. Strenuous prosecution would 
 be the fate of all evil doers. Whether this resolution 
 led him over rocky paths or not, it mattered little to 
 him. Having once made up his mind he always 
 clung to his decisions with a firmness and tenacity 
 akin to fatalism. 
 
 The election day on Tuesday, November of 
 
 the year 19 , was a gray, bleak, dismal day. The 
 chilly winds from off the rough, white-capped waters 
 of the Lake pierced one to the marrow. The slight, 
 drizzling mist of the early morning was changed into 
 a cold, sprinkling rain. But the atmospheric condi 
 tions did not in the least dampen the ardor of the 
 partisans. The heat of the conflict warmed them. 
 Prejudice and hatred so permeated their beings that 
 the inclemencies of the weather were but matters of 
 little concern. 
 
46 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 In the poor districts of the city there were to be 
 found loafing about the polls the men who, on other 
 than election days, eke out a miserable existence in 
 the rear end of saloons doing small errands and menial 
 chores for an uncertain and meager charity of more 
 or less genial bar-keepers. 
 
 Today, however, they believed themselves to be 
 powerful factors in the selection of the public ser 
 vants, and truly they were. But when the die had 
 been cast, election day over, they were seen to sneak 
 back to their retreats, regretting that elections do 
 not come more frequently. To them, selling their 
 votes was an accomplishment; and he indeed was a 
 poor worker for his party who could not receive at 
 least five prices in one day. 
 
 This was the day for the sluggers and henchmen 
 of Gerard to intimidate the voters who dared think 
 for themselves. These social scavengers, who feed 
 on the husks of political bribery, were instrumental in 
 starting riots in different parts of the city. Many 
 honest voters were slugged, arrested and placed in 
 the city jails until the voting hour was past, thus 
 crippling the strength of the conservative party. 
 Bitter fights and bloodshed occurred in many dis 
 tricts, and yet the police made no arrests. 
 
 Good people clamored at the jails for bondsmen 
 and release. Their appeals were delayed or ignored 
 until the polls were closed, and then angry disgruntled 
 crowds were released from their temporary imprison 
 ment and curtly informed that they were lucky to 
 escape so lightly from the toils of the law for disturb 
 ing the peace and order at the polls. Unfairly as 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 47 
 
 they were treated, they were without redress or 
 justice. 
 
 All day long the saloons had been closed, that is, 
 in front, while in the rear a stream of purchased 
 voters had gone in and out continuously, refreshing 
 themselves at the expense of the party. In several 
 wards corruption ruled supreme, ballots were mu 
 tilated and thrown out, the returns were slow and 
 contested. . . . 
 
 The liberal party had won. The next morning a 
 foreboding gloom prevailed over the city, especially 
 among the good citizens, while the underworld rev 
 elled in orgies, and wanton hilarity abounded because 
 of their fraudulently achieved victory. 
 
 A new era of political depravity had been entered 
 upon. But there was one cog in the newly elected 
 city machinery, in the personality of the prosecuting 
 attorney, Kennington, who was fated to bring about 
 disorder and disaster in the ranks of the victors. 
 
 Gerard believed thoroughly in the old adage, " To 
 the victor belongs the spoils." To him victories 
 were empty honors unless the fruits could be en 
 joyed; and with these ideas in mind he proceeded to 
 the office of the new prosecuting attorney on the first 
 day the latter had assumed the responsibilities of his 
 position. Gerard had carefully laid his plans; he 
 decided he might as well break the ice in the begin 
 ning of the administration as later. Kennington 
 must be made to understand the debt of gratitude he 
 owed the Mayor and his cohorts. They had been 
 schooled in politics and in the affairs of the city gov 
 ernment. This young novice must be taught to 
 
 
48 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 tread the paths that were marked out for him. The 
 lesson was to be given as gently as possible, but 
 knowledge necessarily had to be imparted. With a 
 cordial, " Good morning! " Gerard walked into 
 Kennington's office, where he found the young man 
 pouring over some legal-looking documents. 
 
 " Not on the job already? " 
 
 " Good morning, Mr. Gerard, be seated; I am 
 glad to see you," Kennington replied. 
 
 " My boy, don't start in the work so vigorously; 
 you'll find enough to do before you get through, with 
 out looking for it." 
 
 " Yes, but at least I will enjoy some respite from 
 my duties while you are here," the young attorney 
 pleasantly rejoined. 
 
 " I have just a little information to impart to you 
 and I know you'll not consider me impertinent for 
 doing so. The affairs of this office have always 
 moved along smoothly and quietly and I am satis 
 fied it is your purpose to follow in the steps of your 
 predecessor. Tommyrot nonsense and sentimental 
 ity were not in his makeup. His shrewd mind let 
 him rely upon that sensible old motto, " The easiest 
 way is the best." 
 
 Kennington reddened very perceptibly at these 
 last remarks, and the elder man was not slow to notice 
 this evidence of emotional disturbance, and in a 
 conciliatory tone he continued : 
 
 ' You may be depended upon to do your duties 
 as you see them. But I know that you will not re 
 sent the kindly advice which I came to give you in a 
 fatherly way." 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 49 
 
 Kennington's jaw closed tightly and he turned di 
 rectly to the boss of the thirteenth ward and quietly 
 but firmly said: " I'll be pleased to hear what you 
 have to say, Mr. Gerard." 
 
 The young man's attitude told Gerard that he 
 must proceed cautiously. 
 
 " You know very well by the court docket that 
 those fanatical reformers have had the presumption 
 to have Benson arrested on some petty-fogging 
 charge about the election deal. Now let me tell you 
 he was the most liberal contributor to our campaign 
 fund, and he worked like a Trojan to put our ticket 
 across; and, if it does appear like flattery, I might 
 add that he is extremely interested in you and your 
 future. These prayer-meeting dubs and suffragette 
 ladies' clubs have to know that they can't run things 
 and have the city's respected citizens hauled into 
 court by some private fool-detective. 
 
 Though Kennington readily detected what Gerard 
 was going to demand of him, he played for time by 
 asking: " Well, what is it you wish of me? " 
 
 " Very simple; you're the prosecutor, are you not? 
 Don't bring the case to the attention of the Grand 
 Jury; have Benson released from bond, that's all." 
 
 " Positively not! " Kennington bluntly retorted, 
 looking Gerard squarely in the face. 
 
 " Why? " Gerard roared. 
 
 " For the sake of honesty and justice! No case 
 during my incumbency of this office will be permitted 
 to slip through without having been disposed of in 
 the proper legal manner. Benson, as well as any one 
 else, will not be made an exception." 
 
50 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 Gerard exclaimed, " Don't make a fool of yourself, 
 young man. Don't seek to exploit your personal 
 virtues at the expense of those who elevated you to 
 your present position; at least be grateful for the 
 opportunity which has been given you." 
 
 " I did not seek the office which I now hold; in 
 fact, it has been almost thrust upon me. I will serve 
 the people who elected me, faithfully and honestly 
 without stultifying or silencing the calls of my con 
 science. Let the consequences be what they may. 
 Do you understand that?" 
 
 " Yes, you impudent upstart. I'll teach you to 
 trifle with me. There is more than one way of taking 
 care of such an ingrate as you are," and shaking his 
 fist menacingly in Kennington's face he wheeled sud 
 denly around and left the office. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 A DARING ROBBERY 
 
 It was a fortnight later. The weather even seemed 
 to contribute in making a grand success of the Char 
 ity Ball. The air was delightful and invigorating. 
 The full silver moon of an unusually late autumn 
 night cast a most benevolent mellow light upon the 
 city and the lake. Richly cushioned limousines, 
 one after another, drove up and stopped under the 
 canopied porch of one of the palatial homes on the 
 North side. From each of these elegant convey 
 ances stepped beautifully gowned ladies and the 
 city's fair debutantes. Among them were the Misses 
 Rose Darrell and Jennie Gerard. Miss Darrell, the 
 daughter of a millionaire meat packer, was expected 
 to wear, on this occasion, the famous East Indian 
 pearl necklace, which once was the property of a now 
 impoverished English vice-reine. It would not be 
 unfair to say that some of the guests were as much 
 interested in seeing this renowned bit of personal 
 adornment as they were in the dance affair itself. 
 The room set aside for the dancing presented a scene 
 of gayety and rich color. A Japanese garden effect 
 was carried out, the walls were hung with white 
 lattices entwined with Japanese morning glories 
 in bright colors. The side lights were covered with 
 Japanese shades in yellow and black; huge domes 
 
52 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 in red and white with flowering tassels being used 
 to shade the lights which dropped from the ceiling. 
 Mingling with the guests, in his genial, pleasant 
 way, was the Hon. Joseph Gerard. He was a big, 
 rotund man, of the hail-fellow-well-met type. His 
 was a florid complexion, on which were visible num 
 erous fine hair-like, scarlet, capillary tracings which 
 testified of more than a speaking acquaintance with 
 the wine cup and a continual good living. His weasel- 
 like eyes peeped from beneath heavy, shaggy eye 
 brows, which surmounted the deep orbital sockets. 
 But from them twinkled a merry good nature to his 
 friends; while in anger to his enemies they became 
 beady black orbs, giving off malevolent glances. He 
 was possessed of a large, prominent nose; his jaw 
 was square cut; his mouth was large, with lips thick 
 and pouting. Around his tonsured pate was a ring 
 of closely cropped iron gray hair, which yielded un 
 graciously to the caresses of the comb and brush. 
 In fine, his face suggested a nature that was sensual 
 and selfish, but full of strength and purposeful de 
 termination, which ruthlessly, without counting the 
 cost, cast aside and crushed all obstacles that came 
 in his way. He walked in a rather pompous semi- 
 dignified manner, his head slightly inclined to the 
 side, his general demeanor indicating extreme self- 
 confidence and self-appreciation. He was scrupu 
 lously groomed; his clothes were so carefully con 
 structed and draped by the tailor's art, that they 
 gave him an appearance of gentility, but he was vir 
 tually devoid of the cultural attainments his looks 
 falsely portrayed. There was one quality of his 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 53 
 
 character that saved him from many embarrassments 
 when forced into social functions distasteful to him, 
 namely : his ready wit and his infectious laugh. 
 
 His prominence in the political world made it im 
 possible for him to escape attendance upon social 
 functions such as the one that was being held on this 
 particular evening; and, because of this fact he had 
 received a certain amount of training in the usages of 
 polite society that made it possible for him to be 
 quite comfortable on such occasions. 
 
 It had been his constant practice since he had risen 
 into political prominence to give liberally to churches 
 and charitable organizations whenever he could do 
 so with great ostentation and publicity. He always 
 made it a practice to let his left hand and his 
 neighbor's eye know what his right hand was doing 
 in the way of public philanthropy; this studied 
 charity had the desired effect upon the poor classes. 
 He was in their eyes a hero and a humanitarian. 
 His gifts to the poor were especially liberal just pre 
 ceding election times, and this alms-giving was usu 
 ally successful in securing votes for his party. His 
 popularity with the saloon element could not be 
 denied. He was their apostle and the leader of those 
 who were loud in their demands and cries for per 
 sonal liberty, whose interpretations of liberty meant 
 license and debauchery. He was an honorary mem 
 ber of the Brewers' Association. As former member 
 of the State Legislature, he had a state- wide reputa 
 tion as an astute politician; and when at the last 
 session he was called upon to make a deliberate choice 
 between the demands of the respectable citizens of 
 
54 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 the state and the libertines, for the abatement of the 
 red light district, he harkened to the call of the latter, 
 casting his vote in their favor. For many years he 
 had been a senior vestryman of St. Paul's Cathedral, 
 and an intimate friend of the bishop, also a very 
 important personage and factor in the policies of the 
 church. But owing to irregularities and to the pub 
 lic stand he had taken in certain matters, the ladies of 
 the parish voted against him at the annual church 
 meeting, deposing him from the official position 
 which he had so long undeservingly held. As a re 
 sult of this action, he never attended church again. 
 
 During the course of the evening Jennie Gerard 
 observed that there seemed to be an extreme but 
 polite frigidity and reserve between her father and 
 Arthur Kennington. They actually avoided one an 
 other. Even the guests were aware of the visible 
 coldness the two men plainly displayed. Jennie found 
 herself embarrassed on more than one occasion during 
 the evening, and the pleasure she had anticipated 
 was marred by this unexplainable state of affairs. 
 
 Just before the election her father had spoken of 
 Kennington in the most glowing terms and had pic 
 tured him as one of the brilliant young men of the 
 city, for whom fate held in store a splendid career. 
 Then, too, Kennington had enjoyed the hospitality of 
 her home, which had been marked by the most pro 
 found cordiality on the part of her father. She was 
 at a loss to understand the mystery; she, therefore, 
 determined to solve the problem. 
 
 In a tactful manner, without the least bit of pre- 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 55 
 
 sumption or forwardness on her part, she managed 
 to reserve several dances for Arthur Kennington, 
 hoping that during the course of the evening's pleas 
 ure she might discover the cause of this amazing 
 situation. As they passed out of the ball-room on 
 their way to the conservatory her father watched 
 them suspiciously. 
 
 " This will never do," he muttered to himself. " I'll 
 have to nip this performance in the bud; " and, 
 malignantly he stared at Kennington, who did not 
 fail to see that Mr. Gerard was watching them. 
 Thus instant conflict raged within him. 
 
 Arthur Kennington freely acknowledged to him 
 self that this young lady held for him an unusual at 
 traction; she seemed to be entirely different from 
 the rest of the ladies he had ever met. She was his 
 equal mentally, and her physical charms called for 
 his fullest admiration; he felt himself irresistibly 
 drawn to her. When they had seated themselves on 
 the bench that was almost hidden by two enormous 
 bay trees, which had been placed at either end of the 
 seat, she said : " Allow me to congratulate you on 
 your election. I regret that I have not had the op 
 portunity to do so heretofore. I suppose the duties 
 of your office have been very pressing and that this 
 has been the reason that you have not allowed your 
 well-wishing friends to see you." 
 
 :< Thank you," and before he could reply further 
 she continued: 
 
 ' We all were sorry that you did not attend the 
 little party which father gave at our home to the 
 Mayor and a few of the city officers." 
 
56 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 Kennington winced a little at this last remark; 
 he had not received an invitation and it was evi 
 dent that Jennie was under the impression that he 
 had. 
 
 It was clear to him that Gerard, as he had threat 
 ened, had already begun a subtle warfare upon him. 
 He mused how Fate dealt out happiness and unhappi- 
 ness with one single move of her hands. 
 
 Their conversation branched out into sociology, a 
 topic dear to Miss Gerard's heart. Animatedly, she 
 related how she had given close study and applica 
 tion to the leading questions of the unfortunate 
 classes of humanity. She remarked that she would 
 be glad if he would permit her to become acquainted 
 with the methods of his office in dealing with the de 
 linquents and that in exchange she would be pleased 
 to take him along on one of her weekly tours through 
 the slums of the city. 
 
 Kennington's heart beat rapidly as she was talk 
 ing so interestedly and unaffectedly, and forgetting 
 all about her father, for the time being, he most 
 heartily agreed that they should exchange theories 
 and experiences, when time permitted. 
 
 They decided to go on a slumming trip the fol 
 lowing afternoon, and she was then in turn to attend 
 one of the criminal court's sessions for delinquent 
 youths. Thus, happy in each other's company, the 
 knowledge of being of kindred mind and ideals 
 served as an invisible bond between them. 
 
 They continued to chatter merrily and before they 
 realized how quickly time had fled, a new partner 
 came up and claimed Miss Jennie for the next dance. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 57 
 
 As she walked away, resting her beautifully shaped 
 hand on the arm of her new companion, Kennington 
 experienced a peculiar sensation, the like of which he 
 never felt. While he had no particular reason which 
 would warrant him to do so, he was aware of a tinge 
 of jealousy, or at least of a close relationship with 
 that human passion. 
 
 True to his word, Sanderson attended the Charity 
 Ball. Though he failed to receive a formal invita 
 tion he took care of this oversight on part of the 
 hostess and found himself almost as welcome as the 
 most popular guest who attended the function. 
 
 No one there was better acquainted with the follies 
 and weaknesses of modern society than he. He 
 knew how to take advantage of the selfishness, the 
 desire for notoriety and personal advertisement that 
 were to be found among the leaders of the city's fash 
 ionable circles. 
 
 Arrayed in an evening dress suit of finest broad 
 cloth, he presented himself by sending his hand 
 somely embossed card to Mrs. Stratton. This bit of 
 cardboard purported that its owner was no other 
 than the genial social reporter of the Daily Chronicle. 
 The first step of his enterprise was entirely successful, 
 for his newspaper ruse had promptly gained him 
 admittance. 
 
 The vanity of Mrs. Stratton was gratified and she 
 was indeed flattered that the leading paper should 
 send a special representative to take note of the fete 
 given at her residence. As she welcomed the young 
 man she already had a vision of a whole column in 
 
58 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 the daily news devoted to a complimentary descrip 
 tion of the entertainment and her beautiful home. 
 She could even see some of her social rivals grow 
 green with envy as they read the account. 
 
 She was so determined that the newspaper item 
 should be an unusual one, that she exceeded the cus 
 tomary formal courtesies given newspaper men and 
 deliberately, with what she considered skillful fore 
 thought, introduced our professional crook to those 
 present as a personal friend. The few doubts that 
 existed in her mind as to the propriety and wisdom 
 of such an act were soon dissipated. 
 
 With perfect ease and elegance Sanderson moved 
 among the persons assembled, who represented the 
 cream of the city's elite. He might have been heard 
 discussing the sociological question of the day with 
 Miss Gerard, and the latter was fascinated by the 
 brilliancy and personal charm he evinced. With 
 others he talked entertainingly of art, music and 
 travel, and his graceful dancing excited the admira 
 tion of more than one of the young debutantes. 
 
 In the course of the evening he became the partner 
 of Miss Darrell, and during the waltz, " The Wed 
 ding of the Winds," when his beautiful companion 
 was giving herself over to the fullest enjoyment and 
 abandonment of the sensuous glidings of the dance 
 and the harmonies of the barcarolle, Sanderson keen 
 ly eyed the exquisite necklace of pearls that adorned 
 her clear white throat. Business and not pleasure 
 had brought him to this function. He must secure 
 these jewels; they were within his grasp, yet he 
 dare not take them now. But the battle was half 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 59 
 
 won. He had found them; the rest of the game 
 would be comparatively easy. 
 
 When the dance was finished, Miss Darrell re 
 marked that the ball-room was exceedingly warm 
 and that she felt somewhat fatigued and suggested 
 that they find a quiet place to rest. A more propi 
 tious favor could not have been asked of Sanderson, 
 and without apparent purpose whatsoever, except 
 to please, he escorted her to the adjoining conserva 
 tory. The place he chose was a veritable Cupid's 
 bower, secluded and shaded by the broad leaves of 
 Palmetto palms, which might shield them from the 
 inquisitive glances of curious eyes. 
 
 In the centre of the conservatory an electric foun 
 tain cooled the atmosphere as its waters, tinted with 
 the multi-colored lights, tinkingly splashed and fell 
 from the concha shell supported by a marble mer 
 maid. The air was laden with lotus-like odors of 
 exotic hothouse plants, which almost seemed to in 
 duce a sense of giddiness and anaesthesia. The 
 whole situation was one calculated to produce a riot 
 of emotions and sentiments. 
 
 Under the physical spell of the environments and 
 situation, the restraint and coldness of a formal eti 
 quette were loosened, and their tete-a-tete took on a 
 very personal character. Blushingly she picked off 
 a blossom from a bleeding heart plant near her and 
 coquettishly adjusted it to the lapel of his coat. 
 Emboldened by this act, Sanderson gently pressed 
 her hand. This little innocent familiarity was not 
 resented. For Sanderson the moment was now right 
 to carry out his coolly laid plan. 
 
60 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 Casually he drew from his pocket a silken hand 
 kerchief in which were carefully wrapped several 
 pearls of chloroform, which had been combined with 
 a pungent perfume, the fragrance of hyacinths, to 
 allay the odor of the lethal drug. Suddenly with his 
 right arm, which had rested upon the high back of 
 the settee, he grasped her with a vice-like grip about 
 the shoulders and with his left hand he crunched the 
 pearls in the handkerchief and quickly placed it 
 tightly over her mouth and nose. Unable to scream 
 and terribly frightened by this unexpected assault, 
 Miss Darrell fainted and in a few seconds she be 
 came completely unconscious. While in this help 
 less condition Sanderson deftly removed the neck 
 lace from her throat and replaced this priceless jewel 
 by the spurious strands of pearls he had ordered 
 made in New York, to resemble the original. All 
 this was accomplished in but a few minutes, and to 
 cover his tracks and ward off any possible suspicion 
 he ran quickly to the ball-room and informed the 
 first ladies he encountered, that Miss Darrell had 
 suddenly fainted. 
 
 Miss Darrell was still unconscious from the effect 
 of the chloroform and was hastily carried to a bed 
 room, where she regained consciousness after a very 
 short while. She was so thoroughly frightened that 
 she was unable to make any explanation of the un 
 fortunate occurrence. The sham necklace was care 
 fully removed and laid aside on the dressing table; 
 but as luck would have it, the bottle of smelling salts 
 used in the reviving attempts was tipped over by the 
 careless maid-in-waiting and a few drops of the aro- 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 61 
 
 matic spirits of ammonia splashed upon the counter 
 feit pearls. Almost instantly those coming in con 
 tact with the chemical lost their lustre and color. 
 Slowly they changed into mere sticky worthless 
 beads. 
 
 The frightened maid fearfully informed Miss Dar- 
 rell of the lamentable accident. Immediately she 
 called her mother and they were indeed confounded 
 and chagrined. Some of the ladies present, who were 
 jealously inclined and much given to gossip, whis 
 pered it about that the would-be famous pearls were 
 after all nothing but a fraud. Miss Darrell and her 
 mother realized that they must be the victims of 
 some gross defraudation and fully resolved to go 
 immediately to their jeweler. 
 
 This unexpected happening temporarily marred 
 the pleasure of the evening; but the dancing was re 
 sumed an half hour later. Little did the guests sus 
 pect that a daring robbery had been committed. 
 They only thought the young lady had fainted, and 
 she shed no further light upon the episode, partly 
 because of a guilty feeling of having been too en 
 couragingly familiar with Sanderson, a complete 
 stranger, and partly that she and her mother did not 
 wish the knowledge that the pearls were worthless 
 to become public property. 
 
 Soon Miss Darrell quietly left the crowd. And 
 with distraught and hurt feelings, she and her 
 mother bade the hostess a hasty good-bye. Under 
 the cover of the general excitement of the guests 
 Sanderson stealthily donned his street coat and 
 slipped out of the house entirely unnoticed. It was 
 
62 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 at least an hour later before Mrs. Stratton had 
 missed him and then she ascribed his unannounced 
 departure to the customary haste with which re 
 porters are wont to rush to the city editor's office to 
 get their " write-ups " in shape for the early morning 
 edition of their papers. The morning issue was a 
 great disappointment to Mrs. Stratton, for she failed 
 to find a glowing account of the Annual Charity Ball, 
 which had been given under her direction. 
 
 Mrs. Darrell and her daughter, as planned, paid 
 an early visit to the jeweler and he frankly told 
 them that the necklace which they submitted to him 
 for test was made up of nothing but the rankest imi 
 tation of pearls and that in some manner they had 
 been shamefully fleeced of the priceless necklace he 
 had sold them. 
 
 Miss Darrell spoke but little to her mother on the 
 way home, but on their arrival the strain of the whole 
 affair was so tremendous that she confessed her en 
 tire relationship with Sanderson on the evening be 
 fore. She vividly described how he had suddenly 
 grasped her about the shoulders and pressed a hand 
 kerchief saturated with a pleasant smelling, but 
 powerful, drug against her lips and nostrils until she 
 lost consciousness. Her mother did not stop to re 
 prove her conduct, since the theft of the jewels alone 
 occupied her mind. It did not require the shrewdness 
 of a Pinkerton detective to arrive at the conclusion 
 that Sanderson, the amiable would-be reporter, was 
 the robber. A general alarm for his capture was 
 given the police and detective departments of the 
 city. The family offered a very liberal reward for 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 63 
 
 the recovery of the jewels and the apprehension of the 
 gentleman thief. Omar Khayyam, in his Rubaiyat, 
 asks, " Where are the birds of last year's nests? " 
 As vainly they might have asked for Sanderson's 
 whereabouts. . . . 
 
 On the morning following the daring robbery the 
 Twentieth Century Flyer was rapidly lessening the 
 
 distance between the city of X and New York, 
 
 and in one of the comfortable chairs of the parlor car 
 was seated a very devout priest. He untiringly 
 read his breviary. The conductor, after having once 
 looked at his ticket, never troubled him again. The 
 monk, however, was none other than Sanderson, 
 carrying concealed under his religious garments the 
 valuable necklace, which he was taking to the most 
 conservative " fence " in New York, known only to 
 a few of the most daring and skillful crooks of the 
 country. $$ 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 SLUMS OF THE CITY AND LOVE'S AWAKENING 
 
 For a long time after his return home, Kennington 
 sat beside his book-ladened table, thoughtfully mus 
 ing. He felt extremely restless and his mind was 
 filled with dual emotions. While at Mrs. Stratton's 
 home he had been quick to perceive the icy coldness, 
 the studied incivility and the watchful eagerness with 
 which Gerard's eyes had followed his every move. 
 The insinuations and taunting thrusts which filled 
 Gerard's conversation when Kennington was near, 
 deliberately foretold the open conflict that was to rage 
 later between them. Kennington felt in his soul a 
 growing and bitter antagonism toward " the heeler 
 of the 13th." It was all clear to him now, how 
 Gerard and his henchmen must have, at one time, 
 looked upon him as a person who would make a will 
 ing, conscienceless, pliant tool, a veritable cat's paw 
 to pull the political chestnuts out of the fire. This 
 thought angered him and he said to himself, " Do I 
 look like a puppet and weakling? I must, or they 
 would not have chosen me." 
 
 His irritated feelings were somewhat relieved, when 
 irresistibly, but not unwelcomed, there crowded into 
 his mind the pleasant memories of the evening which 
 were concerned with Miss Gerard. For the first 
 time he began to realize that his feelings toward her 
 were rapidly changing. She was something more to 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 65 
 
 him than a mere passing acquaintance, who hap 
 pened to be interested in life's social problems, the 
 same as he was. What had prompted a slight re 
 sentment toward others, especially the young men 
 who had claimed the pleasure of her company in 
 dance and conversation? This experience was en 
 tirely new to him and with a lawyer's mind he tried 
 to analyze it. This new emotion was not subject to 
 the methods of the court. In matters of the heart, 
 intuition, woman's substitute for reason, served him 
 better. Was it love's awakening? He was uncer 
 tain, for he had never been in love before. He had 
 met Jennie but three times, and was this noble pas 
 sion born of so brief an acquaintance? It does so 
 happen in fiction, but seldom in real life. If it were 
 love, what chances had he to win? Was not her 
 father his virulent enemy, anxious for an opportunity 
 to harm him? How could she ever know of the foul 
 purposes her father had in mind when he selected 
 Kennington to be the city attorney, and that now he 
 was but waiting for the chance to open a vicious and 
 unprincipled fight upon him? If this were love Ken 
 nington would win her in spite of all obstacles which 
 now appeared to be insurmountable. He was not a 
 quitter. He was a fighter. He would overcome the 
 apparently hopeless odds; he would not only clean 
 the city's administration of graft, as Hercules did the 
 Augean stables, but he would win the girl. Eagerly 
 looking forward to the appointment he had with Miss 
 Jennie the following day, his mind filled with 
 thoughts of the pleasantest anticipations, on retir 
 ing he soon fell asleep. 
 
66 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 The next morning the city's court was filled with a 
 motley, shiftless, dissipated, poverty-stricken crowd. 
 There were vagabonds, petty thieves, women of the 
 demi-monde, drunkards and even children under the 
 age of fifteen. All these had been caught in the 
 meshes of the law's net. Some had indulged in 
 drunken fights; some had stolen property; others had 
 disturbed the peace; but why were these children 
 here? True it was, that they were charged with 
 truancy and petty thefts. Unlike other prosecuting 
 attorneys, Kennington's mind went farther back than 
 the docket where their warrants were tabulated. 
 Were these children criminal, and if they were, who 
 was to blame? Where did they live? Where were 
 their parents? . . . And as the court quickly ground 
 out justice, or more correctly, futile, temporary pun 
 ishments, these pertinent questions occupied Ken 
 nington's inquisitive mind. 
 
 When twelve-thirty came for the morning court 
 to adjourn, Kennington's heart was cheered and 
 gladdened by the thought that this was the after 
 noon when he should find himself in company with 
 Miss Gerard. They were to make a tour of the city's 
 slums as students of the existing social conditions. 
 Promptly at one-thirty he descended the steps of the 
 city court-house and walked to the curb; in a few 
 minutes there drove up to him the elegant black 
 electric coupe driven by Miss Gerard. With a cor 
 dial handclasp she invited him to enter. He was 
 glad indeed that it was a coupe instead of a car that 
 might have been driven by a curious chauffeur. 
 
 They soon left behind them the heart of the great 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 67 
 
 city and passed down into the tenement district, a 
 portion of the metropolis where seventy-five thou 
 sand people lived in an area less than a mile square. 
 The streets were narrow, dirty, filthy and unswept. 
 There were no yards, no grass, no trees, not even the 
 slightest vestige of any living green thing. There 
 were rows of dingy, grayish colored tenements, most 
 of them were about four stories high. The front 
 doors opened out upon the steps which stretched in 
 unbroken rows for squares and squares. God's 
 fresh air and sunshine were shut out of these barn- 
 like buildings, which were sparsely supplied with 
 windows. These structures were pervaded with 
 filthy, vile odors; vicious dank miasma lurked in 
 their basements and foundations. They were verit 
 able plague spots. In single rooms of these dismal 
 places of habitation whole families lived without 
 privacy, without decency. Family after family 
 were sheltered one above another, from the basement 
 to the roof, and the tenants were modern cliff dwell 
 ers, but denied the buoyancy of sunshine, fresh air 
 and the freedom that were accorded the ancient in 
 habitants of the cliffs in the deserts of Arizona. 
 
 Why are these dens of sickness permitted to exist? 
 Why does not Christian civilization destroy these 
 breeders of social and economic crimes, sexual im 
 morality, venereal disease and anarchism? The an 
 swer is to be found in the ignorance and carelessness 
 of the good people. In the selfishness and civic un 
 righteousness of society, in the avariciousness of 
 heartless financial and church corporations, which 
 possess these social plague spots for the reason that 
 
68 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 they pay enormous dividends. They support the 
 idle. 
 
 One doleful, gloomy shack in this district which 
 cost less than one thousand dollars to erect, yields 
 an annual income of six hundred dollars. 
 
 In another portion of this municipality some hu 
 man beings were almost surfeited with too much, 
 while here in this section, others almost starved with 
 a little more than nothing. Here could be heard the 
 wailing, piteous cry of half -starved children; while in 
 the distance there was, but unheard, the happy 
 laughter of healthy, care-free children. Here was 
 social asphyxia; there was a riot of wanton abun 
 dance. Here society shrinks from its true responsi 
 bility, and while these evils might be corrected, they 
 are not. 
 
 As they were slowly driving down these lanes of 
 human misery and abject poverty, Kennington won 
 dered if this fair, sweet girl, seated by his side, really 
 knew or could realize the full depth of what these 
 nauseating, frightful, pestilential conditions meant to 
 the ones living in the midst of them. She was ut 
 terly out of place, and did not her position in life 
 make it impossible for her to properly understand 
 how these mortals eked out their existence in their 
 squalid habitations? Did she not view it as one 
 afar off? How could she, reared in affluence and ex 
 travagant plenty, comprehend what it meant to 
 want, to hunger, to be insufficiently clothed and 
 housed, to be ill and not cared for, to live day in, day 
 out in a wretchedness, physical and mental, compared 
 to which death would be a most welcome change? 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 69 
 
 Though he had never experienced this dearth and 
 destitution, he knew, however, what it meant to 
 undergo privations, of which, these upon whom for 
 tune smiled more benignly, never have the slightest 
 idea. Kennington wonderingly inquired of Miss 
 Gerard, " May I ask how you became interested in 
 this social work? I should have believed that it 
 could be only distasteful to you." 
 
 " On the contrary, I find it most absorbing, more 
 so than card parties, dances and pink teas; for those 
 are such inane, stupid affairs," she animatedly re 
 plied. " My attention was most forcibly attracted 
 to these conditions while attending the University. 
 It was on one Thanksgiving day, when with two of 
 my girl classmates, I drove to the University football 
 game. On the way to the grounds our machine un 
 fortunately struck a little girl, about eleven years old, 
 who had thoughtlessly cavorted in front of our car, 
 which was going at a rapid pace. At first we wanted 
 to take her to a hospital, but the poor child begged so 
 piteously to be taken home, which proved to be in 
 the tenement district, that we finally yielded to her 
 wishes, when it was found that she was not seriously 
 hurt, but only thoroughly frightened. Then it was, 
 Mr. Kennington, that I first received a real glimpse 
 of how the other half of the world lives, or rather 
 tries to live. The masterful preface of the famous 
 ' Les Miserables,' was involuntarily recalled to my 
 mind: 
 
 " ' So long as there shall exist, by reason of law 
 and custom, a social condemnation, which, in the face 
 of civilization, artificially creates hells on earth and 
 
70 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 complicates a destiny that is divine with human fa 
 tality; so long as the three problems of the age 
 the degradation of man by poverty, the ruin of wo 
 man by starvation, and the dwarfing of children by 
 physical and spiritual night are not solved; so 
 long as, in certain regions, social asphyxia shall be 
 possible; in other words, and from yet a more ex 
 tended point of view, so long as ignorance and misery 
 remain on earth, books like this cannot be useless.' ' 
 
 During the recital of the long quotation, Kenning- 
 ton's love and admiration for this charming young 
 woman grew so strong that he could hardly restrain 
 himself; he felt impelled to clasp her in his arms and 
 then and there declare his love. He had been closely 
 watching her lovely face, and when she had finished 
 the citation she turned to him and said as she colored 
 under his ardent gaze: " Is not the argument sound? 
 Are not the reasons sufficient? And you as an ac 
 complished lawyer have not a word in retort or 
 rebuttal? " 
 
 " * When wisdom speaks 'tis best to listen,' ' 
 quoted her companion. 
 
 " How humble you are this afternoon, Mr. Prose 
 cutor. I surely would not be afraid were I arraigned 
 before you in the role of a defendant." 
 
 " You never would have to be afraid of me, my 
 dear friend;" he softly replied, but the look he gave 
 her belied his statement, for she plainly perceived 
 that there was imminent danger of being wooed im 
 petuously if she but gave him the slightest oppor 
 tunity. She was not averse, however, to the senti 
 ment displayed by her companion, yet with keen 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 71 
 
 feminine tact she warded off a declaration of love, 
 by driving her machine to the curb and saying: 
 " Here's where we will leave the coupe and now make 
 our visits on foot, as my friends are all within a short 
 walking distance." 
 
 As they stepped from the machine, Miss Gerard 
 was at once accosted by three unwashed and unkempt 
 urchins begging for pennies. Opening her purse she 
 gave each one a small piece of silver. With a most 
 hasty " thank you " these children scampered away 
 gleefully. If it had been any one else but Miss 
 Gerard, Kennington might have remonstrated 
 against this bit of seeming promiscuous charity. 
 He thought to himself, would not this alms-giving 
 teach these little street Arabs to become vagabonds 
 and further encourage them in their mendacity? 
 Innocently, Jennie answered the Judas Iscariot phi 
 losophy, which leads many to strain at gnats and 
 swallow camels, by stating: " I presume some people 
 would criticise me severely for giving money to these 
 poor waifs and say that I was only encouraging them 
 to become professional beggars. But I do not be 
 lieve that this is the case. For they are children, 
 and though poor are entitled to the childish delights 
 other children are enjoying as a matter of course. 
 Therefore, if I can be instrumental in shedding a ray 
 of happiness into their pitiful lives, I am ever ready 
 and willing to do so." 
 
 Kennington reddened at this remark; had she 
 been able to divine the question which had arisen in 
 his mind? And if she had, he knew that she must 
 know, also, that love for her had already awakened 
 
72 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 in his heart. Just as they passed a most sordid, 
 mean-looking tenement apartment, which opened 
 into the street, the dilapidated door was pushed 
 back, and whirling eddies of the city's dust and dirt 
 found their way inside. 
 
 " Here is a terrible state of affairs." 
 
 * Yes, tell me more about it." 
 
 " In this wretched place lives a more wretched 
 family. The father is a drunkard; a boy of thirteen 
 is in the State Reformatory; and the mother you see 
 standing at the window, listlessly gazing into the 
 street, is an epileptic. See the puny little infant 
 huddled in her arms! What is its heritage? A 
 triad of direful contemporaries disease, degeneracy 
 and poverty? How can so-called enlightened so 
 ciety permit these conditions to exist? " 
 
 Kennington shrugged his shoulders thoughtfully, 
 but made no answer. Jennie blushed slightly and 
 continued, stamping her dainty little foot in the ear 
 nestness of her conviction: " I believe in calling a 
 spade a spade, therefore you will please not consider 
 me brazen or bold for expressing my views concerning 
 these conditions, just as I see them. I have thought 
 marriage as it exists today is crudely protected. 
 The matrimonial ceremony itself is many times af 
 fording protection for licentiousness and is permitting 
 the debauchery of the innocent; under its theological 
 cloak the venereally diseased roue is united in holy 
 wedlock with the virgin; the tuberculous are given 
 in marriage; the insane and epileptic are linked to 
 gether; and idiotic, epileptic, blind, tubercular or 
 otherwise diseased children are born of these mar- 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 73 
 
 riages, coming into the world to suffer, to fill our 
 state institutions, to live lives of torture until re 
 lieved by death. These people marry indiscrim 
 inately, rear, children without care, without the 
 ideals of propriety and morality. Many of these 
 children will in the future become paupers; many of 
 them will be charged with crimes and appear in our 
 criminal courts to be tried for acts for which they are 
 not responsible, but which fate, heredity and environ 
 ment have forced upon them. 
 
 Kennington was struck with her marvelous de 
 nunciation and scathing arraignment of society's 
 negligence. 
 
 '* These facts are too true," he answered, " but 
 what is the remedy and how may it be applied? " 
 
 ' There is the difficulty," was the grave rejoinder, 
 " the greatest impediment to the solution of the sit 
 uation is human selfishness." 
 
 What would she have said if she had known that it 
 was her father who owned these crime-breeding 
 buildings in which unfortunates and derelicts of hu 
 manity were housed, in violation of the laws of the 
 city, of hygiene, and of humanity? Kennington did 
 not apprise her of this fact for obvious reasons. 
 This charming young lady, whom he had learned to 
 love so dearly, was actually enjoying pleasures and 
 luxuries that accrued from the rentals of these tene 
 ments. What would she do and say when she dis 
 covered the truth of the matter? 
 
 They visited about a dozen homes, and Kenning 
 ton came face to face with such desolation as he had 
 never seen nor heard. Yet notwithstanding all the 
 
74 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 misery and woe they saw displayed, their spirits 
 were exultant. In fact, Jennie was always highly 
 interested in her settlement work; but she never had 
 felt such an indefinable elation and enthusiasm as on 
 this afternoon. A pink blush graced her cheeks 
 and her eyes were luminous with a happiness not 
 experienced heretofore. As they drove back to the 
 business section of the city, Kennington grew elo 
 quent in his praises, declaring that she had opened 
 up to his vista new fields of activity and that he 
 would be pleased, if she would permit him to enlist 
 in her services, to assist in these weekly visits to the 
 slums. Though he hinted strongly that he desired 
 to join her again on the following Wednesday, she 
 did not exactly bid him do so, and much too soon for 
 Kennington they arrived at the city's temple of 
 justice. 
 
 Just as he stepped from the machine Jennie's 
 father strode down the court-house steps and, totally 
 ignoring Kennington, in a husky voice asked of his 
 daughter: " Going home? " 
 
 Much surprised at this act of open incivility, on 
 the part of her father, she lost momentarily control 
 of her speech and only nodded her head in affirma 
 tion. Gerard closed the coupe door with a slam 
 which bid fair to be disastrous to its glass window. 
 Then after a silence of several squares, Jennie took 
 courage to ask: " What's the matter, daddy? You 
 seem out of humor, did 
 
 " Never mind ' what's the matter '; there's plenty 
 the matter, and you'll find it out shortly. Only this 
 much now, never again let me see or hear of your 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 75 
 
 being in company with that traitor! No, don't an 
 swer back, enough said for the present," and with an 
 odd shrug of his broad shoulders, that expressed more 
 ill-nature than his words, he settled back on the 
 cushion and sulkily glared ahead into the street. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 BREAKERS AHEAD 
 
 During the long three-mile ride home from the city 
 court-house Gerard spoke not a word, wrapped in a 
 moody, disconcerting silence. His daughter was 
 deeply pained at this unusual conduct. With all his 
 faults of political chicanery and hypocrisy, he was a 
 most indulgent parent to his only child, Jennie. He 
 literally worshiped and idolized her. Her every 
 whim was his law; to make her happy, to gratify her 
 every wish with the great wealth of means that he 
 had at his disposal, was his keenest delight. 
 
 It was true he did not altogether approve of his 
 daughter's philanthropic work in the city's slums; 
 but he did not interfere for two reasons: first, be 
 cause of his intense love for his only child; and, sec 
 ond, Jennie's charitable work threw about him a 
 cloak of respectability which more or less hid his in 
 nate rascality. 
 
 Miss Gerard was deeply grieved by her father's 
 mysterious demeanor. The afternoon that she had 
 spent so joyously in the company of Arthur Kenning- 
 ton had terminated dismally. On reaching home she 
 immediately went to her room and threw herself 
 upon the bed in a wretched state of dejection. The 
 calm resourceful reserve of her nature temporarily 
 gave way and she found some relief in a flood of hot, 
 blinding tears. Convulsive sobs shook her frame in 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 77 
 
 the stress of her sorrowful emotions. Lachrymose 
 episodes were very rare occasions in her life. Some 
 thing dreadful must have happened, she argued to 
 herself ; never before had her father treated her in 
 this manner, and she knew no reason why he should 
 do so now. His attitude stifled all attempts at in 
 quiry. The blackness of her father's character was 
 unknown to her. To Jennie he was a loving parent, 
 the acme of all that was virtuous, strong and kind. 
 He was her confidante. He was the repository of hex- 
 hopes and ambitions, and her cherished sociological 
 schemes. His genial warmth and co-operation had 
 developed in her the tenderest and keenest love. 
 And while she dearly loved her fashionable, austere, 
 self -centered mother, a veritable puritanical aris 
 tocrat, Jennie had more than once acknowledged 
 to herself that her father held the greater place in her 
 heart's affection. 
 
 The cry relieved her injured and distraught feel 
 ings greatly and soon she regained her normal com 
 posure. The evening meal was passed in an unusual 
 silence; contrary to his customary joviality, for 
 Gerard generally led in animated conversation, he 
 spoke but very few words to his wife and daughter. 
 The stillness was especially oppressive to Jennie; it 
 seemed to be the ominous calm which so often pre 
 ludes a storm. 
 
 After dinner was finished Gerard went to the living 
 room and helped himself to a strong black cigar from 
 the humidor on the table, lighted it, and vigorously 
 began to puff little grayish-blue ringlets upward to 
 the ceiling. Although almost at the breaking point 
 
78 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 with anxiety to know the cause of her father's state 
 of ill-temper, Jennie was too independent and deter 
 mined to again inquire the reason. Her father had 
 rebuffed her on the way home; she therefore defi 
 nitely decided if any explanation was made of the 
 cause of this very extraordinary action, that her 
 father would have to take the initiative. 
 
 Soon her desire in this direction was gratified. Her 
 father called from the adjoining room and with great 
 expectation she answered the summons. When 
 entering, she observed that her father's wrath had 
 subsided considerably; he greeted her with his old- 
 time pleasant smile and bade her sit on the arm of 
 the chair he was occupying. 
 
 ;< Well, daughter," he began, " you will please for 
 give your old daddy for the gruff, mean way in which 
 he treated you this afternoon." 
 
 : * Why, certainly, father," she answered, patting 
 him gently. 
 
 ' You see, Jennie, it is just like this; I cannot 
 stand to see you in company with that miserable up 
 start, Kennington." 
 
 " Why, father? " she exclaimed, in startled sur 
 prise, " I thought you and he were the best of friends; 
 and you gave him such a royal good time, a short 
 while before the election. What has happened to 
 make it all so different now? " she anxiously inquired. 
 
 " Dearie, you'll excuse me and not make it neces 
 sary for any lengthy explanation. Just trust to your 
 father's judgment and all will be well." 
 
 " I always have; but I know you will pardon me 
 this one time if I press you for the reason why. Mr. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 79 
 
 Kennington seemed so much interested in my slum 
 work this afternoon and even requested that I per 
 mit him to go with me upon my next visit." 
 
 " No doubt he did! He would ingratiate himself 
 in your eyes if he possibly could; just so much more 
 for his double-dyed crookedness! " 
 
 * What do you mean, that he is dishonest? " 
 4 Yes; dishonest and more than that." 
 
 By this time Jennie had become keenly interested. 
 Was she mistaken in her opinion of Arthur Kenning 
 ton? How could he be as her father described him? 
 Yet she dare not question her parent's word. 
 8 Tell me more specifically," she persisted. 
 
 Gerard was somewhat irritated at her earnest in 
 sistence for an explanation and his mind was busy 
 thinking out a reply that would bear inspection and 
 wear a semblance of truth. 
 
 " Just this, Jennie," he spoke slowly: " Kenning 
 ton is an ungrateful, impudent upstart. He would 
 injure me if he could; and, with the duality of his 
 makeup, he would seek to enlist your sympathies 
 against your father." 
 
 " No, no; " she vehemently cried; " those who are 
 your enemies are mine also. No one will ever change 
 my love for you! " 
 
 " There, that's a good girl; just as I knew you 
 would be. But you must concede the fact, your old 
 daddy has seen more of the world and its many, 
 many deceptions and disappointing ways than you 
 have; and, dear, experience is a bitter teacher. 
 Thus, if it is even possible, I'll try to save and spare 
 you any unnecessary unpleasantness." 
 
80 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 " But, daddy, what has that got to do with Mr. 
 Kennington? What did he really do to incur your 
 displeasure, to warrant your speaking of him in such 
 denouncing terms? You know I always wanted to 
 know the why and wherefore of everything; and 
 surely in this instance I am not lacking in curiosity to 
 get the facts in the case. Perhaps there is a mis 
 understanding which if explained can be lifted and 
 
 " No, Jennie, you do not realize what you say. I 
 have positive proofs of the correctness of my asser 
 tions; and I wish you would not press me to tell you 
 the details now; only this for the present, Kenning 
 ton is truly the personified illustration of the ancient 
 proverb: ' The snake bites the hand that feeds it.' ' 
 
 * Why, that's simply awful, father, I never heard 
 you express yourself so forcibly and bitterly before; 
 and please excuse me for saying so, but I can hardly 
 believe it. Mr. Kennington does not in the least 
 impress me as such a character," she loyally added, 
 in defence of her newly made friend. 
 
 This last remark angered Gerard not a little and he 
 had to exert every bit of his will power not to flare 
 up, lest by doing so he would spoil his well-laid plans. 
 He knew his daughter's independence full well, and 
 that with harsh words he would accomplish but very 
 little; hence he reefed his emotional sails and, out 
 wardly calm, he replied: 
 
 " Kennington is certainly very fortunate to pos 
 sess in you such a staunch champion for his cause; 
 but I am afraid, dearest, he is absolutely unworthy 
 of it. He was elected to his present position from an 
 obscure, unprofitable practice, as a poor, battling 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 81 
 
 lawyer, with more bills to pay than briefs to make. 
 No sooner, however, has he become warmed in his 
 new chair, as prosecuting attorney, than he plays to 
 the gallery frequenters, like cheap actors in small 
 vaudeville shows. He forgets who it was that placed 
 him where he is; he uses his office and the power 
 vested in it for personal advertisement and aggran 
 dizement, trampling under foot all usages of political 
 conventions and, not only that, but the common 
 ordinary decency which calls for gratitude toward 
 friends who have helped him. As I have said before, 
 he caters to the silly women's clubs; to the morbid, 
 muck-raking editors of spurious, would-be reform 
 papers; surrounds himself with a halo of self -right 
 eousness, simply causing a riot in the court-house cir 
 cles and deviating entirely from the tactful and 
 shrewd business methods of his predecessor." 
 
 As he paused to take a long pull at his half ex 
 tinguished cigar, Jennie, who had patiently listened 
 to him, interpolated: "But, daddy, Mr. Blake got 
 into disrepute while in office and you yourself said 
 before the election that Mr. Kennington would make 
 a clean, honest, fearless incumbent of the office of 
 city attorney." 
 
 Gerard almost groaned aloud at the recital of his 
 own words, which he too well remembered saying on 
 the night he introduced the young lawyer into his 
 home. After a moment's deliberation he replied: 
 " Yes, I know I did say so; but did you never in your 
 young life learn that one often is compelled to re 
 tract statements made under a false conception, or 
 impression of circumstances? This is an instance of 
 
82 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 that kind; Kennington has bitterly disappointed us 
 all; and not that, only, he cares little about it; on 
 the contrary, is very arrogant. When spoken to, in 
 a most conciliatory and friendly manner that his 
 course is not an advisable one for the good of the city, 
 he bristles up and as good as tells us all to go to 
 smithereens. Take it from me, as gospel truth, 
 Kennington will prove more of a disgrace to the 
 office he so defiantly holds, than Blake ever was or 
 ever could have been. I truly wish now we had put 
 Blake on the ticket again. I dare say we would 
 have pulled him through the shoals of opposition as 
 easily as we did elect that scoundrel Kennington. 
 But come, girlie, enough of this distasteful subject, 
 and in conclusion let me have your promise that you 
 will not associate with that gay deceiver any more; 
 eh?" 
 
 But Jennie, who had closely followed her father's 
 arraignment of Kennington, did not give the desired 
 assurance, and though true to her former statement 
 that no one could alter the love she bore for her 
 father, she did not quite unravel the mystery, and 
 hence did not give in at once. Even though Gerard 
 had grown emphatic and stormy in his speech, at no 
 time did he give any definite and convincing proof 
 of Kennington's alleged dishonesty and unfitness for 
 the prosecutorship. 
 
 She arose still mystified and kissing her father's 
 forehead, she slowly said: 
 
 " I know you mean your best by me and would 
 not wittingly advise me wrongly; but, father, I 
 should be unworthy to be called your daughter if 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 83 
 
 I would give you a promise, even if it pleased you 
 most highly, before I fully realized what I was prom 
 ising. I have found and considered Mr. Kennington 
 a perfect gentleman and I am loath to believe other 
 wise unless I have positive proof that he is not. Do 
 you remember when I went to school, and I came to 
 you for help with my arithmetic problems ; you would 
 invariably say: ' Work them out yourself, my dear; 
 and then you'll understand them better; ' so I am 
 going to work out this problem for myself now, 
 before I give you a definite promise. Good night, 
 daddy! Don't be angry with your daughter, who 
 is, as you so often say, * a chip off the old block '." 
 
 After she left the room Gerard softly swore to him 
 self, " If this don't beat h ! " Proofs she wants; 
 
 all right, Miss Headstrong; proofs you shall have 
 even at the cost of a few tears from those fiery, proud 
 eyes of yours." 
 
 Lighting a fresh cigar he fell to scheming; while 
 Jennie with mixed feelings sought her room and gave 
 herself over to deep thoughts. While making her 
 evening toilet, prior to retiring for the night, Ken 
 nington 's words, actions and looks of the afternoon 
 would ever come to her mind; and though she be 
 lieved in her father, she could not fully put unfalter 
 ing faith into the veracity of the harangue with which 
 he had regaled her. Soon she yielded her tired self 
 to sleep, but again in her slumbers she was on a slum 
 ming tour with Kennington at her side; and though 
 sorrow and woe surrounded them, glorious sunshine 
 shone down from above; for love was within their 
 hearts. 
 
84 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 The following morning, try as he may, Gerard 
 could hardly be civil to his family; the cause for this 
 being that the morning paper which he was reading 
 at the breakfast table, while sipping his cup of coffee, 
 contained headlines and subsequent statements be 
 low which caused him not a little worry. 
 
 :< What's the news, Daddy?" Jennie cheerily asked 
 him. 
 
 " Here, read for yourself," Gerard growled, tossing 
 the paper over to her; and, in so doing, he nearly 
 capsized the silver percolater. 
 
 ' That ought to open your eyes about that mis 
 erable hypocrite and traitor, Kennington, if nothing 
 else will." 
 
 ;< Why, Joseph Gerard, how rude you are this 
 morning," his prim wife remarked, casting a disap 
 proving look at him. 
 
 ' Well, I always said a man could never argue 
 with a woman; and here are two against one; so I 
 am going to the office where at least I am the undis 
 puted boss during the day." And noisily he stalked 
 out of the dining-room to go down town. Jennie 
 then read the following caption: 
 
 PROSECUTOR KENNINGTON HOT ON THE TRAIL OF 
 THE GRAFTERS! SOME MEN PROMINENT 
 IN HIGH CIRCLES To BE UNMASKED 
 AND DENOUNCED! A Civic RE 
 FORM TO SWEEP OVER THE CITY 
 AS NEVER BEFORE 
 KNOWN IN ITS 
 HISTORY ! 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 85 
 
 This was followed by a column and a half of ex 
 planatory statements which Jennie eagerly read. 
 Having done so, she said to her mother, " I do not 
 see what is wrong about this and why papa should 
 worry himself into a frenzy because the prosecutor 
 tries to take up the duties that he has sworn to per 
 form." 
 
 " Oh, child ! Why do you worry me with miser 
 able politics? I get enough of that from your father; 
 I'm not in the least interested in it. Look up the 
 society page and read to me ' who's who.' See if the 
 bazaar of St. Paul's has been announced." 
 
 Jennie complied with her mother's wishes; and, 
 after having satisfied them, Jennie went into the 
 library to write a letter to Kennington. At first she 
 hesitated, thinking it might be unmaidenly and im 
 proper to do so; but upon further consideration she 
 fully resolved to put to him the disagreeable ques 
 tion which distressed her mind, as a friend, which he 
 professed to be, that he might shed light upon this 
 subject. 
 
 She sat at her desk for quite a while buried in pro 
 found study; once a faint smile flitted over her 
 beautiful face, and a slight blush stole across her 
 cheeks when she read the appellation: "My dear 
 Sir." Soon her pen flew over the paper which was 
 adorned in one corner with her monogram " JG." 
 When her writing was finished she read the inquiry 
 carefully over, and then in a bold hand- writing ad 
 dressed the envelop, " Hon. Arthur Kennington, 
 City Attorney, Court-House, City." 
 
 Then she took up some other correspondence and 
 
86 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 for a while the letter to Kennington was forgotten. 
 Two young lady friends came during the course of the 
 morning and before she was aware of it luncheon 
 time had arrived. 
 
 Contrary to his custom Gerard came home, giving 
 as an excuse that he had left some papers in the 
 library which he needed that afternoon. In reality 
 he had returned to offer Jennie some substantial 
 proof of Kennington's unworthiness of her company. 
 After luncheon he followed Jennie into the library 
 and seeing the letter to Kennington on the desk he 
 slyly said: " Ah, you have been taking your young 
 Lochinvar to task, eh? Well, that's the girl for me. 
 Give me the letter and I'll hand it to him in person, 
 as I am going to his office this afternoon." 
 
 " By the by, I heard some hard talk about him 
 this morning, which," - he added hypocritically, - 
 " I hope is not true, for I did not think he was so bad 
 as all that." 
 
 * What do you mean? " his daughter anxiously 
 inquired. 
 
 " Oh, nothing now, dear, wait till you hear from 
 him in answer to your letter; may be it is all talk, 
 and all will be well." 
 
 Grateful for this seeming and unexpected change 
 in her father's disposition toward Kennington, Jennie 
 gave her father a hearty hug and kiss. 
 
 In the blackness of his heart, what must Gerard 
 have felt over this undeserving display of affection! 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 CAPTURED 
 
 In the mean time under the tutelage and guidance 
 of Toledo Red, Jere was becoming quite an accom 
 plished petty thief and pickpocket; but he was lack 
 ing the ability to conceive and plot a crime of any 
 magnitude. Yet with an instinctive and innate fox- 
 like cunningness, led by a teacher, he was able to 
 consummate many thefts that kept him and George 
 supplied in a fair amount of spending money. George 
 had learned many tricks of " the trade " from his 
 own personal experience and he had also gathered 
 much information and knowledge of thievery while 
 serving terms in various prisons. 
 
 He had on many occasions explained to Jere that 
 the members of their profession talk over their ex 
 ploits and accomplishments while in their enforced 
 retreats in the state bastile. Here plans for the fu 
 ture escapades are hatched and devised. The first- 
 time criminal, or novice in crime, is often literally 
 taught and schooled in criminality; he may come 
 out a finished product, unreformed and vindictive 
 against society. The universal rule of silence in 
 penitentiaries cannot prevent conversation and the 
 dissemination of gossip. With the skill of a ven 
 triloquist, one prisoner communicates, by means of 
 " the grape vine telephone," to another the informa 
 tion he has to give. A yeggman, just received in 
 
88 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 prison, tips off to a prisoner who is soon to go out, the 
 location of certain loot and booty which can be 
 turned into money with which to secure the aid of 
 an attorney to have the former's sentence reduced. 
 
 Jere was not slow in absorbing the lessons which 
 George intended for him to receive during the recitals 
 of interesting prison episodes and underworld philoso 
 phy. Jere's ambition to become an accomplished 
 crook fed ravenously upon the criminal pabulum 
 which was daily dished out to him. He was ever on 
 the alert to prove to George and Sanderson that he 
 had profited by the instructions they had imparted 
 to him. Sanderson's successful robbery of the pearls 
 filled Jere's heart with the wildest sort of desire to 
 perform a coup-de-maitre in the art of thieving. He 
 was not content to let well enough alone and was 
 growing somewhat tired of simply snatching pocket- 
 books from unsuspecting females, mostly shopgirls 
 going home on pay nights. He argued to himself 
 that his minor sneak thieveries involved just as great 
 a risk as did a job worth while. 
 
 Soon an opportunity offered itself which gave him 
 a chance to measure his ambition with his abilities. 
 A national convention was held in the City of the 
 Lake and through the good offices of Sanderson, 
 coupled with the necessary aid of two corrupt de 
 tectives, he was given a position as page in the con 
 vention hall. Here he found a fine field to ply his 
 light-fingered trade. Quite a few well-filled wallets 
 were reported as stolen from the delegates, who might 
 not always have been any too sober. The sleuths 
 of the city's debased police force, detailed to watch 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 89 
 
 the hall, loudly and emphatically proclaimed that no 
 such thefts were possible in the assembly room, since 
 the usual force for such gatherings had been trebled. 
 Consequently no arrests were made and Jere was 
 never suspected, as he was able to assume an air of 
 such innocence, bordering even on simpleness, that 
 no one would give him the credit of being able to 
 steal pocketbooks from the political guests of the 
 city. 
 
 Jere was emboldened and his vanity was gratified 
 by his successes ; and, without the least bit of grum 
 bling he cheerfully gave up his tax for protection to 
 the police lieutenant, who collected the tithes for 
 whitewash and immunity in that district. These 
 spasms of prosperity meant sumptuous " feeds," ac 
 companied by the best of liquors which Dinty's cafe 
 could afford. The money had been easily acquired, 
 of course with some risk attached, and it had to be 
 spent in haste. George wore good clothes as signifi 
 cant testimony of Jere's loyalty to him, and the 
 younger crook satisfied his vanity with tailor-made 
 suits; and a real diamond pin even adorned his gay 
 neckties. 
 
 Jere's rise in crookdom brought him flattering in 
 vitations to join various mobs*; but persistently he 
 refused to join them; endeavoring to imitate San 
 derson, the highly proficient gentleman thief, who 
 never had a pal and hence was not compelled to live 
 in fear of an accomplice who, on being caught, might 
 turn state's evidence. But little did Jere know in 
 his arrogance and vanity, brought about by his brief 
 
 * A gang of pickpockets who work together. 
 
90 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 successes, that such would never be the case with 
 him. Sanderson had been endowed with a keen, 
 active brain, the priceless heritage which his pro 
 genitors had bequeathed him. While Jere had fallen 
 heir to a vicious physical endowment transmitted to 
 him by the toxins of disease and degeneracy which 
 had vitiated the blood of his ancestors. 
 
 On the day following the close of the political con 
 vention Jere and George spent the evening at Dinty's 
 retreat, partaking of a light lunch which was sup 
 plemented by several rounds of drinks. Both grew 
 loquacious and boastful. George recounted the suc 
 cessful robberies and burglaries of his youth and 
 prime; and Jere was equally proud of his rascally 
 accomplishments, but he secretly longed to go deeper 
 into criminal work. He was not content to be 
 classed as a pickpocket; he wished for a higher place 
 in the criminal society, which is truly as stratified 
 and full of caste as any other sphere of life. 
 
 While they sat there enjoying the fruits of their 
 anti-social pursuits, the door of the saloon gently 
 opened and in stepped a tall, slim gentleman who 
 wore a slouch hat, the brim of which somewhat ob 
 scured his features. With his eyes cast down he 
 walked straightway to the table where the couple 
 were seated; and when he reached them, he gave 
 George a vigorous slap on the back and extended his 
 hand to Jere, who eagerly grasped it. They were 
 both surprised for the instant, for the personage was 
 no less than Fred Sanderson. 
 
 " Well, gentlemen, how are you? Here I am again, 
 turned up just like a bad penny. I did not have an 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 91 
 
 opportunity to bid you good-bye as I suddenly left 
 the city to attend to urgent business in old Gotham," 
 and he smiled faintly at this remark. Both George 
 and Jere at once surmised that Sanderson's state 
 ment referred to the theft of Miss DarrelPs pearls, 
 but neither dared to express their thoughts, and it 
 was certain Sanderson would not. He was extreme 
 ly reserved and close-mouthed about his personal 
 affairs. After seating himself, Sanderson said, " Jere, 
 you look very prosperous; business must be good. 
 No one evidently has interfered with your pursuits 
 of life, liberty and happiness." 
 
 Whereupon George made quick to reply in Jere's 
 stead, " Yes, Fred, the Kid's been doing fine; he has 
 taught a lot of * big guns ' to be a little more careful 
 of their change in a strange city, hereafter. I was 
 glad to see him do it. You know we had a political 
 convention here this week, 
 
 " Of course I do; didn't I get him the job at the 
 hall? " Sanderson impatiently interposed. 
 
 " Yes, yes, Fred; well as I was sayin', a big bunch 
 of grafters was here tryin' to fool the public as usual 
 and Jere gave them a little taste of their own medi 
 cine. Some of them squealed as loud as a lot of 
 pikers, but it didn't do any good, Lieutenant O'Leary 
 is a clean guy; he charges a feller a high tax; but he 
 don't give a body the double cross as some of the 
 bulls do." 
 
 Brimful of eagerness and suppressed egotism, 
 Jere hastily added: " Yes, I've done fairly well but 
 I would like to tackle something that is worth while." 
 
 " To try your nerve we'll put you on a real re- 
 
92 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 spectable job. It's dead easy to work if you just 
 keep a stiff upper lip. Go at it deliberately and with 
 a determination to win. Now remember, Kid, 
 there's some risk to be run; but there is no profes 
 sion without such. You may be caught and you 
 may not. But if you should be, don't be a baby." 
 
 "That's right," George interpolated, "don't 
 squeal if you gits caught. Keep your mouth shut 
 and say nothin'; a feller will never make a good 
 gun* if he don't learn to do this." 
 
 "I'm no squealer! " Jere answered a little tartly; 
 " and if I get pinched I'll take me medicine like a 
 man; but I don't intend to let a flat-footed copper 
 ketch me either, if I can help it." 
 
 For an hour or two the three chatted gaily, their 
 conversation being punctuated now and then by 
 draughts of lager. It was to be noticed that Sander 
 son did in reality consume but very little of the in 
 toxicating beverages during the evening. He was 
 fully aware that excessive drinking would mater ally 
 interfere with his chosen vocation in life. His deeds 
 of theft required a steadiness of nerves, and he was 
 forced to adhere strictly to the principles of a relative 
 sobriety. Whereas, both George and Jere freely in 
 dulged in drink. The former, on account of his 
 shattered nerves, palsied by the use of morphine, and 
 now having no firm purposes in life, was practically 
 eking out a parasitical existence, depending upon the 
 tainted earnings of his young protege; and, for this 
 reason, he gave himself freely over to indulgence. 
 Jere, lacking the ability to deny the gratification of 
 
 * A crook. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 93 
 
 his physical appetites, devoid of an intelligence 
 which would permit him to reason soundly with logic 
 and foresight, handicapped by an inebriate heredity, 
 often drank himself into states of maudlin intoxica 
 tion, and would have done so on this occasion had not 
 George repeatedly nudged him, indicating that it 
 would not do to drink too heavily in the presence of 
 Sanderson, who had an inveterate aversion for 
 drunken men. 
 
 Sanderson, looking at his beautifully engraved 
 watch, arose and bade his friends good-bye; and as 
 unobtrusively as he entered, he left the place. 
 Reaching the main street he hired a taxi -cab and had 
 himself driven to his fashionable quarters. 
 
 George and Jere remained until the bar-tender 
 quietly informed them that the saloon had to close, 
 in conformity to the law, but if they cared for any more 
 drinks they would have to repair to the rear room 
 used as a makeshift bar during closing hours for the 
 accommodation of thirsty night prowlers. Upon 
 receiving this notice, George, in a heavy, clumsy man 
 ner got on his feet and said to Jere: " Come on, Kid; 
 you've had enough for one evening; let's go home; " 
 and with a shuffling gait of semi-intoxication, they 
 shambled out of the saloon into the darkness of the 
 alley. 
 
 The next morning they were awakened from their 
 heavy slumbers by the bright sunlight piercing 
 through the dirty, besmudged window-panes of their 
 sleeping quarters. Wearily they dressed themselves 
 and prepared for the day's fateful adventure. Jere, 
 in a languid manner, said to George: 
 
94 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 " Let's go to Dinty's and get a bracer; my nerves 
 is all shot to pieces." 
 
 ' Yes," George sighingly replied; " mine are, too; 
 if it were not for that fool Harrison law which put 
 things on the hummer, a feller could take a stiff shot 
 in the arm and get fixed up all right." 
 
 On arriving at the saloon each ordered a glass of 
 liquor and then helped himself to a liberal portion of 
 the free lunch. Half an hour later they emerged 
 from the cafe in a much pleasanter frame of mind, due 
 to the exhilarating stimulation of their " morning's 
 morning." 
 
 '* We've got nearly an hour yet, Kid, before you'se 
 tackle a real job; so let's walk down town and when 
 we get there it will be time for you to show what kind 
 of stuff you're made of," George said; to which sug 
 gestion Jere acquiesced. Slowly they sauntered to 
 the retail and banking district. On the way there 
 they stopped at several saloons, in order to infuse 
 more psuedo-courage and spirit of recklessness into 
 their craven hearts and minds. Reaching the bank 
 upon which they had decided that Jere should make 
 his bold attack, Toledo Red stationed himself just 
 outside the door, surreptitiously he slipped on a pair 
 of blue glasses and folded a bunch of shoestrings in 
 his crippled hand, assuming the role of a semi-blind 
 mendicant, offering to the passer-by his wares in a 
 pitiful, cracked voice. 
 
 When high noon was sounded all over the city by 
 the sonorous tolling clocks and shrill whistles of the 
 manufacturing establishments, Jere briskly walked 
 into the bank and approached the paying teller's 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 95 
 
 window. He handed to that gentleman in waiting a 
 note coming ostensibly from the Major of the Salva 
 tion Army, asking for two blank promissory notes. 
 Keenly the bank official eyed Jere and scrutinized 
 the written order which George, of course, had forged. 
 When the teller turned round to comply with the 
 request, the desired moment for our young crook was 
 at hand. Quickly he thrust his long slim arm under 
 the slight aperture of the wicker-work and grabbed a 
 stack of bills. 
 
 He then ran away, rapidly placing the bundle of 
 notes in his cap; when he reached the outer door, 
 he dropped them both at George's feet and knocked 
 the shoestrings from the old man's hand. With 
 lightning rapidity Toledo Red stooped and picked 
 up the articles dropped. Jere ran up the street as 
 fast as possible. It can be readily guessed from the 
 way this robbery was carried out, that it had been 
 carefully planned; and, thus far, there was not the 
 slightest hitch in the execution of their thieving 
 scheme. But, as was to be expected, the teller, who 
 had been taken so unaware, gave alarm; and when 
 the bank detective rushed out to find Jere he en 
 countered the old shoestring peddler, who deliber 
 ately got in his way under the pretense of selling him 
 some of his wares. Little did the pursuer suspect 
 that the stolen money was actually within his grasp. 
 
 The throng which went back and forth at this hour 
 of the day made it impossible for the officer to follow 
 Jere, and he gave up his chase. 
 
 Jere continued to speed madly up the street avoid 
 ing collision with the hurrying pedestrians, by skill- 
 
96 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 fully dodging them. As he turned the corner of one 
 of the side streets he ran directly against a big traffic 
 policeman with great violence, almost upsetting this 
 officer of the law. The impact threw Jere to the 
 pavement; and, as he attempted to rise, he was 
 roughly collared by the burly, angry policeman, 
 whose huge physical bulk seemed to grow ten times 
 in Jere's bewildered eyes. 
 
 " What the devil you doin'? " the officer blurted 
 out; and, breathless, half -stunned and thoroughly 
 frightened, Jere was unable to answer. The silence, 
 the dishevelled appearance of the young man and the 
 violence of their collision caused the blue-coated 
 Hibernian to think a little more rapidly than usual; 
 and he came to the conclusion that there must be 
 something radically wrong with Jere. He was 
 placed under arrest and sent to headquarters, slated 
 as a " suspicious character." 
 
 Jere was transferred to jail at once. These shelters 
 are often veritable toboggan slides to the criminal 
 cesspools. This one he found to be unclean, full of 
 vermin, ill-ventilated, and foul-smelling. In one 
 corner sat a man, blear-eyed and diseased. Next 
 to him lounged an aenemic, thin-chested fellow, who 
 constantly coughed, and, with every paroxysm, sent 
 a fine spray of tubercular sputum broadcast into the 
 air. In this place of detention were hardened crim 
 inals, first offenders, juvenile prisoners and two 
 hopeless lunatics awaiting transfer to a hospital for 
 the insane. 
 
 In this miserable abode society was conducting a 
 regular school of crime, where physical and moral 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 97 
 
 contagion vied with one another to drag down the 
 innocent with the guilty into a maelstrom of human 
 misery and vice. Jere at once made friends with one 
 of the prisoners who proved to be a recidivist; he 
 had served four prison terms and many jail sentences 
 during his tempestuous life. The old man fell to 
 talking about his exploits and all his stories of crim 
 inal adventure were readily assimilated by Jere. 
 This newly found friend paternally advised him to 
 keep his mouth shut, should he be questioned about 
 himself; whereupon Jere promptly stated that his 
 old pal, Toledo Red, had instructed him similarly. 
 
 " Is Toledo Red still livin'? I thought he was 
 dead; " the other exclaimed. " I know him well; 
 we celled next to each other in Auburn prison fifteen 
 year ago. Old Red's some gun all right, me boy! " 
 
 This declaration further cemented their newly 
 formed friendship. When supper time came, stale, 
 musty bread, sparsely smeared with a pitch black 
 substance bearing the misnomer of molasses, was 
 handed out; the old man generously turned his 
 share over to Jere who was ravenously hungry, hav 
 ing missed his noon-day meal. When passing this 
 would-be supper to the young fellow, the donor 
 sneeringly said: "Don't this beat the devil; the 
 sheriff who runs this dump gits forty-five cents a 
 day fer each of his boarders; and he don't spend a 
 nickel at that to feed us; some graft, eh, me boy? 
 Bad enough fer us fellers what have really separated 
 the public from some of its coin, but it's darn tough 
 on the fellow what's ditched in here innocently. 
 Justice? There ain't no such thing any more! " 
 
98 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 When night spread her sable pinions over the city, 
 the jail seemed to be converted into a regular den of 
 vice, much akin to the ones found in the under 
 world region. If any one had been successful 
 enough to slip in money so carefully hidden as to es 
 cape the usual " frisk," given by the deputy jailer, 
 he could purchase a small bottle of " mountain dew," 
 paying, of course, a double price to the " trustee," 
 who acted as a purchasing agent for those who could 
 pay import duty. 
 
 Jere thought of what Toledo Red in one of his cyn 
 ical dissertations had once said: " This world is 
 nuthin' but a large ocean of grafters; the big fish eat 
 up the little ones." 
 
 Thus even behind the bars, where, so to say, an 
 enforced rectitude might be expected, this preying 
 upon one another rampantly continues. The pur 
 chaser of the liquor, while realizing he is being 
 fleeced, philosophically consoles himself with the uni 
 versal proverbs, that a body cannot possess both the 
 penny and the cake at the same time; or, if one 
 wishes music the piper or the fiddler must be paid 
 their price. 
 
 In one corner, seated on a long bench, was a group 
 of men; judging from their clothes, they occupied a 
 more prosperous station in life than their poorly 
 clad comrades about them. These were gamblers 
 and political offenders who had been caught through 
 the relentless crusade of the new prosecutor, Arthur 
 Kennington. Bail having been refused them, they 
 tried to make their compulsory sojourn as pleasant 
 as possible and indulged in frequent games of poker. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 99 
 
 Match sticks were used in lieu of the customary 
 tri-colored chips. The game became quite animated 
 at times when one or the other accused a fellow gam 
 bler of cheating. In one instance a fist encounter 
 ensued which bid fair to become a " free-for-all." 
 Spittoons were used as missiles, broom-handles and 
 mop-sticks took the place of the Irish shillalahs. 
 The less courageous and peacefully inclined fled to 
 their cells and bunks, while others joined in the bat 
 tle-royal from a sheer lust of combativeness, punch 
 ing and striking right and left, no matter at whom, 
 just so some one came in contact with their fists. 
 
 Peace, or more properly quiet, was finally restored 
 by the " cell-boss," a prisoner of pompous carriage 
 and demeanor. He readily yielded to the urgent re 
 quests of some of the jailbirds, who shouted: " Kan 
 garoo Court! Kangaroo Court! " A mimicry of a 
 regular constituted court at law was carried on as 
 follows : the instigator of all the trouble was grabbed 
 by three self-appointed deputies, who dragged their 
 victim to the sanctum of the cell-boss who was to act 
 as judge. The latter in turn called upon " six honest 
 men " to act as jurors; and espying Jere, who was 
 well dressed, the " Judge " asked him to act attorney 
 for the defendant. Jere felt quite elated and flat 
 tered that he should be picked out among such a 
 large crowd, and, with considerable self-conceit in 
 his ability to do the occasion justice, he proceeded to 
 put up a defense for his client. 
 
 The rules of Blackstone, Webster's Dictionary and 
 Harvey's Grammar were grossly ignored and disre 
 garded; aided, however, by the guffaws and ejacula- 
 
100 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 tion of the audience Jere waded through the per 
 formance fairly well. But His Honor, the cell-boss, 
 who, by the by, was a curbstone lawyer of the shyster 
 variety, was not amenable to argument and reason. 
 *' Tim Dugan was entirely at fault! " he said in his 
 brief, but fiery, address to the " venerable " jury, 
 and demanded a verdict of " guilty," which was 
 forthcoming instanter. Dugan was fined two dollars 
 in cash for he could well afford it, as he had been 
 very successful in raking in several " well-sweetened 
 Jack-pots," while employing his customary tricks of 
 a card shark. In addition, the court imposed a fine 
 of ten strokes for " contempt of court," since Dugan 
 had been so imprudent to remonstrate against the 
 entire proceedings and the subsequent verdict. The 
 fine was extracted from him by force and handed 
 over to the court, to be spent the following day for a 
 fresh supply of " the makin's," - contraband smok 
 ing tobacco. 
 
 Later in the evening a maudlin object was brought 
 in and in less than five minutes he was relieved of his 
 fairly good clothes, hat, socks and shoes; others 
 none too clean and of more inferior quality were sub 
 stituted. 
 
 Calmly the cell-boss stood there smoking his pipe 
 and looked on while this rapid costume changing was 
 enacted. A young chap, with a vestige of decency 
 left within him, remarked about the injustice of the 
 theft, but he was cut short by the cell-boss who 
 snarled at him, saying: " Guess it ain't too late yet 
 to hold another Kangaroo Court and have a certain 
 ' smarty ' learn how to mind his own business. I'm 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 101 
 
 boss here; do you get me? Besides, this gink won't 
 know where he traded clothes. So dry up, 'fore I 
 have about twenty-five paddles imposed upon you." 
 
 The following morning Jere and nine other fellows 
 who had been committed to jail the day before were 
 handcuffed together, two by two; a heavy chain was 
 attached to their bracelets; and, like a bunch of 
 cattle, they were taken over to the police station. 
 Arriving there they were lined up against the wall of 
 the general assembly room of the city detectives. 
 The sleuths then filed in to subject the prisoners to a 
 thorough scrutiny and inspection; this, called " run 
 ning the gauntlet," was done for the purpose of giving 
 the detective department a chance to see if among the 
 captured characters perhaps there might be some 
 wanted for an additional charge, either in this city 
 or another. The officer who had charge of this daily 
 routine performance of examination of prisoners at 
 once recognized Jere, who gave him a knowing look; 
 and because of their former acquaintance at the 
 convention ball, the youthful pickpocket was ex 
 cused from this ordeal and allowed to remain in the 
 corridor of the police-station, while the remainder 
 were put to a most grilling examination. 
 
 The night before, George and Sanderson had met 
 at Dinty's emporium, as was their usual custom, pro 
 vided Fred was in the city. Sanderson was informed 
 of Jere's arrest, but he only smiled cynically and 
 said: "I know all about it, George; never mind; 
 this little experience won't hurt him at all. It will 
 teach him to be more careful in the future in making 
 his get-a-way." Raising his glass to his lips he 
 
102 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 rapidly drained it; then said, " Just remain here 
 until I return," and quickly he left the saloon. In 
 about twenty minutes he came back, and when he 
 had sat down he drew from his pocket a medicine 
 dropper and a one dram vial which seemed to be 
 filled with clear water. 
 
 ;< This little bit of fluid with the assistance of our 
 old friend David Jacobs will readily liberate our boy, 
 Jere," he consolingly said to George. 
 
 Jacobs was a prominent criminal lawyer whose 
 legal skill was never denied, but whose reputation 
 was most unsavory. 
 
 " I don't doubt your word, Fred; Dave is a good 
 fixer, but what on earth has the little bottle and the 
 medicine dropper got to do with it?" 
 
 " Never mind about that, but take both, early in 
 the morning, to Jere and tell him to follow explicitly 
 the directions I will now give you. 
 
 " He must not be frightened and play the baby act; 
 but he must do strictly as he is told; and, as a result, 
 he will be free in a day or so without blemish. 
 
 The old man was extremely curious as to the con 
 tents of the bottle, and he wondered what this inno 
 cent looking fluid could have to do with Jere's 
 release. 
 
 <( Tell Jere to put one drop of this medicine in his 
 eyes every hour until eight drops are used, and by 
 that time he will have to have some one to lead him 
 round. This temporary blindness will soon pass 
 away and his eyes will be as good as before. The boy 
 made a good haul, and a thousand dollars is not a bad 
 job for just a youngster. I've just learned before 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 103 
 
 coming here from Lieutenant O'Leary, that the 
 Bankers' Association is hot on Jere's trail and will 
 try hard to give him a long sentence if they possibly 
 can. The cashier was down at the jail early this 
 evening and was almost certain that he identified 
 our young pal. His hearing has been set for day 
 after tomorrow morning, and this medicine will have 
 had just time enough to do its work, if my advice and 
 directions are followed implicitly." 
 
 " You're a corker, Fred; you always help a feller 
 out when he's up against it, I'll do my part," George 
 ardently replied. 
 
 After George left the jail, Jere went to his poorly 
 lighted cell and sat down on the edge of his bunk, 
 withdrawing from his pocket the wonder-working 
 medicine and the dropper. He was just a little fear 
 ful about putting the solution in his eyes and he 
 asked himself: " What if this should make me blind 
 for keeps? " But a great fear of a long sentence in 
 the penitentiary and the almost blind, implicit trust 
 he put in Sanderson and George soon dissipated his 
 doubts. Surreptitiously, when no one was looking, 
 he placed in each eye a drop of the liberty-giving 
 fluid. He felt no immediate change; his vision re 
 mained unimpaired. Within a half hour, however, 
 he noticed that the objects of the jail corridor and 
 the cell took upon themselves a hazy indistinctness. 
 The features of his fellow prisoners became less plain. 
 The light which fell through the dirty window of the 
 bar-bound hall grew disagreeable and dazzling; with 
 the second drop the symptoms increased. When he 
 
104 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 involuntarily winked his eyes, which act he found 
 himself doing very often, blinding flashes of light 
 passed before him. He sought the darkness and 
 shadow of his cell. Luminous, purple rings attached 
 themselves to the ever-dimming outlines of the sur 
 roundings. The whole jail appeared to be in a state 
 of twilight and the figures of the fellow prisoners be 
 came but shadowy indistinguishable silhouettes. 
 And by the time of the administration of the fifth 
 drop he found himself utterly unable to further con 
 tinue his self -medication. An intense fear seized 
 him. 
 
 " What if this dope is too strong for me? " he mut 
 tered to himself; " I'd rather do ten bits in the pen, 
 than lose me glimmers." But summing up the last 
 vestige of his limited courage he called for his cell 
 mate, the old man, who had treated him so gener 
 ously the evening before. When the latter came to 
 him Jere said: 
 
 " Say, old pal, I has awful bad eye trouble, some 
 times, and it comes on me of a sudden; I got a touch 
 of it this morning. I always carries some dope wid 
 me to use when I has these spells. Take it out of 
 my pocket and put a drop of the stuff in me eyes. 
 These spells sometimes last two or three days, and I 
 gets blind as a bat." 
 
 " It's too bad, Kid; " sympathizingly, the old man 
 replied; and, with a hand unsteadied by dissipation, 
 tremulously complied with Jere's request. When 
 bed time came on Jere found himself almost totally 
 unable to see. Yet it was still possible for him to dis 
 tinguish faintly between light and darkness. He 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 105 
 
 tried to soften the fear and melancholy of the self- 
 inflicted mydriasis of the atropine solution, which 
 brought with it dismal gloom and blackness. 
 
 When his old partner had rolled on his hard cot, 
 Jere sobbed softly to himself. The night was spent 
 in troubled and fitful dreams, filled with phantoms of 
 trials, inquisitions and imprisonment. When he 
 awoke on the day set for his hearing he found him 
 self still unable to see; and he stumbled about while 
 dressing, which would have been well nigh impossible 
 had it not been for the assistance of his cell-mate. 
 The fear which had filled his heart the night before 
 was gone. He seemed possessed with a spirit of un 
 reasonable and daring recklessness. He felt certain 
 that his blindness would pass, for had not his friend 
 told him it would. 
 
 At nine o'clock when the police court convened 
 Jere was escorted to the hearing by the deputy bail 
 iff through the underground passage leading from 
 the jail to the police station. After the first two 
 cases had been disposed of, the police prosecutor 
 called out: "Jere Patton! " whereupon the young 
 crook was led before the judge, and the officer who 
 made the arrest arose to testify against the prisoner. 
 After a lengthy recital of the incident of the arrest, 
 the officer was excused ; but the relentless prosecutor 
 addressed the judge as follows: 
 
 ' Your Honor, this man has been identified by the 
 cashier of the First National Bank as the person 
 who robbed the bank of a bundle of bills, amounting 
 to one thousand dollars. " 
 
 The Judge then bade the cashier take the witness 
 
106 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 stand and, after being sworn in, this bank official re 
 lated the story of the robbery. When questioned if 
 he could positively identify the defendant, the cash 
 ier replied: 
 
 " I am quite certain I can, your Honor." 
 
 "Is he in the court-room? " the Judge queried. 
 
 " Yes, there he stands," the witness answered 
 pointing to Jere. 
 
 !< That is all for the present," the Judge then stated. 
 
 The prosecutor directed Jere to get on the witness 
 stand, but to the amazement of the entire court 
 room he was unable to do so, on account of his tem 
 porary, artificial blindness. At this psychological 
 moment a very eccentric looking individual, whose 
 aquiline nose and embryonic Vandyke gave him a 
 Mephistophelian appearance, stepped before the rail 
 ing of the platform whereon the Judge was seated. 
 This interlocutor wore a shiny Prince Albert coat, 
 a red, flashy necktie which slipped up behind his 
 collar, the latter giving evidence of not having visited 
 a laundry very recently. 
 
 He wore heavy rimmed glasses astride a prominent 
 nose that at once betrayed his Hebraic lineage. His 
 hands were grimy and soiled; unmanicured finger 
 nails bore a rim of ebony; on his third finger was a 
 large diamond ring which seemed sadly out of place. 
 His dress and demeanor showed marked eccentricity, 
 but his beady black eyes, which lay beneath heavy 
 bushy eyebrows suggested cunning and keenness of 
 intellect. With an obsequious bow to the Judge he 
 began to address that august person in a shrill, nasal 
 tone: 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 107 
 
 " May it please your Honor, the good Judge of this 
 court, if I represent this poor boy. I am perhaps 
 more familiar with his lamentable history than any 
 one in the city. He is deserving of your fullest sym 
 pathy, Your Honor, as I will endeavor to explain. 
 Permit me, if you please, to give you, in exact tech 
 nical terms, the facts covering this case. At child 
 birth he was afflicted with that cursed affection 
 ophthalmia neonatorum which produced opacities of 
 the cornea and as a result of this curse of infancy he 
 has been stone blind all his life." 
 
 After having displayed this bit of medical lore he 
 stroked his beard, cautiously waiting for this state 
 ment to have its effect upon the Judge. As it seemed 
 to be kindly received, he proceeded with his manu 
 factured evidence. This barrister had the reputa 
 tion of being able to secure provided the proper 
 retaining fee was in sight any evidence, alibi or 
 testimony that his client might need. 
 
 :< This poor child, your Honor, inherited a nervous 
 affection from his mother and this has further in 
 creased his physical wretchedness. The crime of 
 which this lad is accused, required the best of eye 
 sight. The thief, I hope he is caught, had to 
 find his way to the cashier's window and skillfully 
 steal the money in the manner so accurately described 
 by the last witness." 
 
 He further continued, " To my mind it is unreason 
 able and absurd to believe that this unfortunate boy 
 could possibly be guilty of the crime which he is al 
 leged to have committed ; for its execution would re 
 quire the best of eyesight, as said before, and my 
 
108 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 client is so blind that if you, at this moment, gave 
 him his liberty he would not be able to find his way 
 out of the court-room. You will perceive, sir, that 
 any test for blindness may be applied to prove my 
 statement," and, with these words, he made a motion 
 as if to strike Jere in the face, but Jere remained per 
 fectly impassive and apparently unconscious of what 
 had happened. And at this juncture, to further 
 impress his hearers and the Judge, David Jacobs lit 
 several matches and flashed them before Jere's eyes; 
 but the latter never winked an eyelid, but blankly 
 stared into the flames. 
 
 " Now, your Honor," the lawyer resumed, " how 
 can a person so blind as this steal a bunch of bank 
 notes before the face of the cashier; then success 
 fully find his way out of the bank and deliberately 
 lose himself in the vast throng of pedestrians who are 
 traversing the streets in that busy business section of 
 the city at the hour when the robbery was com 
 mitted? I readily admit that this blind young man 
 had the misfortune to accidentally bump into a 
 policeman, who, by the way, should have been at his 
 post of duty as a traffic officer at the intersection of 
 the streets, and not on the sidewalk conversing with 
 a lady friend. Your Honor, the situation is just 
 this: the arrest of my client was purely an incident 
 of which the officer should be ashamed. A robbery 
 was committed at the bank, we all admit, but be 
 cause the keen-eyed, fleet-footed robber made his get- 
 a-way this poor fellow is taken for a scapegoat. 
 For you know, your Honor, somebody had to be ar 
 rested in such a case; for the dignity of the police 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 109 
 
 department must be upheld; and you'll excuse me if 
 I say so. The reward to be given by the Bankers' 
 Association for the apprehension of the criminal is 
 not without its charms. 
 
 At this point the prosecutor objected; but the ob 
 jection was not sustained, and the legal Shy lock 
 continued : 
 
 " Since when do policemen try to make records for 
 themselves by arresting blind people, innocent of 
 crime, to parade them before the bar of justice be 
 cause they cannot catch the fellows who really do the 
 work? " 
 
 While making this statement he looked squarely 
 at the big, burly officer whose stupid face had even 
 turned a more brilliant turkey red than was its usual 
 color. 
 
 " I would suggest that such record seeking officers 
 direct their attention and over-zealous activities to 
 the County Blind Asylum and make arrests by the 
 wholesale in order to increase their reputation for 
 efficiency, if it is so easy to fix a case upon an innocent 
 blind man! Your Honor, it's a heaven-crying in 
 justice, and pardon me my very personal reference, 
 you who have so nobly filled the position on the 
 bench of this court and are known throughout the 
 city, yes, the county and the state, as the most just 
 Judge ever incumbent in this place, will surely not 
 now permit your grand and well-deserving record to 
 become blighted by pronouncing this poor blind boy 
 guilty of something it is utterly impossible for him 
 to do. I trust, your Honor, the time has not ar 
 rived when cold-hearted corporations in clique with 
 
110 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 conscienceless officers of the law will prey upon the 
 blind to misapply justice. In consequence of this 
 undeniable and undisputable proof I gave you a 
 moment ago of Jere Patton's inability to do the 
 wrong alleged to have been committed by him, I ask 
 your Honor to discharge him as not guilty! " With 
 a pathetic, imploring pose of outstretched hands 
 towards the Judge, the unscrupulous lawyer con 
 cluded his address. 
 
 Silence prevailed for a moment, and even the ever- 
 ready prosecuting attorney failed to rise in protest. 
 Suddenly the Judge summoned Jere to stand in 
 front of his desk. David Jacobs carefully and 
 gently led the young defendant to the stand in the 
 place designated. The Judge looked at Jere for a 
 brief moment, finally reached for his pen, and, in a 
 bold, quick hand wrote across the warrant, " DIS 
 CHARGED." and then informed the smiling and 
 bowing attorney to take his client away to freedom. 
 
 As Jere was led out of the court-room by his de 
 liverer, he said with more gratitude in his heart than 
 he had ever felt before: 
 
 " I'll pay you well for this ! " to which Jacobs curt 
 ly replied: " You may rest assured that I have been 
 already well paid, or I'd never have bothered myself 
 about you." 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 JENNIE'S PROTEGE 
 
 Jennie's weekly visits to the slums led her to form 
 an acquaintance with a boy about fifteen years of 
 age. She was especially interested in him because 
 of his affectionate but wayward disposition. His 
 case afforded her an opportunity to try the real pur 
 pose of her work among the city's poor. On this 
 visit, however, she missed him, but shortly learned 
 the cause of his absence. He had been arrested on 
 the same morning for robbing the cash register of a 
 saloon, where he had been working for over two 
 weeks, cleaning the cuspidors, scrubbing the floors 
 and polishing the brass of the bar. 
 
 The bartender, who was always more or less in a 
 state of semi-intoxication, repeatedly left the cash 
 drawer open, thereby deliberately putting temptation 
 in view of the youth. For his menial services the 
 lad was to receive two dollars a week. When pay 
 day arrived, instead of receiving this small pittance, 
 Charlie was informed that his father had allowed the 
 meager earnings to be credited to his bar-bill. This 
 base trick angered and embittered the boy; sud 
 denly a criminal instinct rose within him and the 
 boy helped himself to the cash register, taking the 
 amount of his pitiful wages. Within an hour he was 
 placed under arrest and sent to jail to await trial. 
 
 When Miss Gerard learned what had happened 
 
112 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 she forthwith went to Mr. Kennington's office to 
 intercede in behalf of Charlie. In fairness to her, it 
 must be mentioned that she felt some diffidence 
 about visiting Kennington, even on a matter of 
 business. She felt keenly hurt, and her pride was 
 injured because Kennington had apparently ignored 
 the communication which she had sent him, some 
 time before. But her devotion to her work caused 
 her to put in abeyance her personal feelings in the 
 matter, and she entered the outer offices of the city 
 attorney with eagerness. 
 
 Luckily for both, Kennington was not busy at that 
 moment and, as she opened the door and came in, a 
 thrill of extreme pleasure passed through him, as he 
 anticipated a delightful visit. Kennington arose to 
 shake hands with her and bade her sit down; she 
 met his cordial advances, however, with a little more 
 formality and reservation than she had shown when 
 last she met him. Kennington was not slow to 
 notice this difference in her demeanor, and vainly 
 wondered why this should be so. With a tone in her 
 voice that bespoke business only, she informed him 
 of the purpose of her visit. 
 
 " I have come to see you about Charlie Quinlan, 
 who was arrested this morning charged with robbing 
 the till of the saloon where he was working. It is 
 true he committed the crime and he does not deny 
 it, but there are, to my mind, some mitigating and 
 extenuating circumstances which the court, and you 
 as prosecutor should know. Understand me; I have 
 no desire to use any undue influence upon you or any 
 one to assist my young friend " 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 113 
 
 " Lucky chap, indeed, to have you as his defend 
 ant," Kennington warmly interpolated. Ignoring 
 this remark, Miss Gerard continued: 
 
 " This boy's father a few years ago was badly in 
 jured in a rolling-mill, losing his right arm and a por 
 tion of his right foot. He was a laborer; and of 
 course this dreadful calamity which had befallen 
 him incapacitated him for further work at the plant. 
 The very next day after his accident the company 
 lawyer called on him at the hospital, and with a 
 wordy show of friendliness beguiled this unfortunate 
 man into signing a paper; in exchange for which, he 
 handed the cripple a paltry sum, saying as he did so: 
 ' This will bridge you over your wants, temporarily." 
 Little did Mr. Quinlan realize that by accepting this 
 beggarly settlement, and affixing his signature to the 
 carefully worded document that he cut off every 
 possible chance for further financial redress. 
 
 ' The necessities of this man's family soon de 
 voured the little money received, and when Charlie's 
 father recovered from the accident he then fully real 
 ized the trick which had been played upon him. 
 From that time on he became morose, cynical and 
 even anarchistic in his feelings towards society, es 
 pecially corporations and persons of wealth. 
 
 " His physical infirmities, burdened with the cynic 
 ism of his character, made it almost impossible for 
 him to secure any employment which paid wages 
 sufficient to provide for himself and family. The 
 proverbial wolf of poverty ever prowled at the door 
 of his miserable home, and the occasional advent of 
 a new mouth to feed and a body to clothe caused this 
 
114 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 man to grow hopelessly indifferent as to the method 
 used to provide for the flock depending on him for 
 support. The consequences being, that crime soon 
 lured him to follow her footsteps, and a perverted 
 interpretation of the universally adopted maxim: 
 * Self-preservation is nature's first law/ induced him 
 to help himself to the property of others indiscrim 
 inately, entirely disregarding the eighth command 
 ment. It is little wonder, then, that Charlie reared 
 in such a stifling moral atmosphere, his childish mind 
 fed upon anarchisms, became little by little an apt 
 and adept follower. And just as the fledglings of 
 the plains and the forests pursue the same course 
 their parent birds have taken, so too this lad, in his 
 tender, plastic years, has started to travel the path 
 way his father has blazoned for him. From his 
 teachers I learned that while irregularly attending 
 school he began to practice small thieveries." 
 
 Interestedly Kennington followed her graphic re 
 cital and answered: 
 
 ' Yes, this is a very sad but true story, and I am 
 beginning to see that our present system of dealing 
 with young delinquents is far from what it should be." 
 
 Jennie then asked, " Mr. Prosecutor, will it not be 
 possible for you to see, if this boy must be tried, that 
 I may be appointed as his probationary officer; and 
 I can assure you that I will be personally responsible 
 for him." 
 
 " Of course, Miss Gerard, I will be delighted to 
 do anything I can for you " whereupon she inter 
 rupted, " I'm not asking for any favor for myself, 
 but I am here solely in the interest of Charlie." 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 115 
 
 " Well, I realize that; but I would like for you to 
 give me some more of your views on the subject of 
 dealing with criminals, young or old; for I've always 
 heretofore dealt with crime from the standpoint of 
 the law only. I will agree with you that Charlie 
 should not be treated as a hardened criminal; but 
 we should not fail to understand that he should be 
 treated as a delinquent child at least. We cannot 
 reform bad boys by petting and coddling them or 
 feeding them on sweetmeats. If the rod were not 
 spared so much now-a-days there would not be so 
 many spoiled children." 
 
 " Yes," she curtly interrupted again, " Mr. Ad 
 vocate of the Lex Talionis, but who was to adminis 
 ter parental discipline in this case, I'd like to know? 
 No one at all." 
 
 Kennington answered, " I'll admit that so far as 
 this case is concerned there was no one. But on the 
 other hand, if the boys fail to receive the proper 
 parental care they must be dealt with as we find them. 
 For instance, the tough gangs of our city streets should 
 be suppressed by the police, and I have endeavored 
 to bring about this reform in police control; but up 
 to the present time I must admit I have not suc 
 ceeded in doing very much. These street gangs are 
 regular hatcheries and schools for criminals; and as 
 long as these vicious cliques are permitted to exist in 
 their lawlessness, the youths of our city will be led 
 into crime, which in time will take them to prison." 
 
 " True enough, Mr. Kennington," Jennie retorted. 
 " I find this to be so when following my settlement 
 work, but, on the other hand, crime will not be sup- 
 
116 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 pressed no matter how harsh the penalties may be. 
 You jurists will fail so long as you continue studying 
 books instead of men, searching in ponderous volumes 
 for citations, resurrecting, as it were, decisions from 
 legal graveyards. You cannot judge crime that 
 springs from disorders of the mind or from perverse 
 social conditions by measuring it with these time- 
 worn and moth-eaten precedents of the dead past." 
 
 Kennington affirmed, " What you say is partially 
 correct; the law must be fixed and supported by tra 
 ditions; not subject to change by the whims and 
 fancy of the theorists who would absolutely unsettle 
 our jurisprudence. The criminal must be sup 
 pressed. 
 
 " But your legal doctrine of Lex Talionis is an un 
 productive one; a measure of punishment cannot 
 balance or remedy an act of crime. The futility of 
 this method has long been demonstrated as ineffec 
 tive for the reduction of crime to the slightest degree. 
 You spoke of endeavoring to suppress the gathering 
 of the street gangs and toughs; why don't you go to 
 the bottom of their origin, the community saloon? 
 On the three corners, where the streets intersect, 
 near Charlie's home, stand saloons, casting their 
 evil, ominous shadows, as it were, upon the lives of 
 the tenement dwellers of that section of the city. 
 They are entirely out of place, if a saloon is ever in 
 place in a residence community. To the serious and 
 earnest student of sociological problems will come 
 the question: how can these tenement folks who 
 have hardly enough wherewith to clothe and feed 
 themselves and to provide for shelter against the in- 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 117 
 
 clemencies of the elements, have money left for some 
 thing which is an absolute luxury, and in fact an evil? 
 It does appear paradoxical that any one should be 
 able to make a living, and a good one at that, as 
 many of these saloon-keepers do from people who 
 themselves have naught whereon to live. But this 
 seems to be the exact curse of the community saloon. 
 It is like a huge suction tube, ever ready to draw 
 toward it the pitiful earnings of the husbands and 
 fathers of the tenement district, starving thereby the 
 wives and children. Not only that, these saloons 
 are institutions of criminality, veritable factories of 
 criminals; here they are made, stamped and pa 
 tented, as it were, and as honest manufacturers stand 
 by and protect their patents, these vicious produc 
 tions of the saloon are protected also. The criminals 
 created by them congregate in them, laying future 
 plots; these gangsters and street toughs concoct all 
 sorts of schemes which they carry out with a heart- 
 lessness akin to none; and then they justify their 
 criminals' activities by claiming that the world owes 
 them a living. The very vitality of the youths is 
 being sucked out, vampire-like in these obnoxious 
 dives. Inebriety stultifies and dulls the brain of the 
 young men, and under the baneful influence of rank 
 liquors their consciences become obsolete mentors. 
 Vice is raised upon the pedestal virtue once occupied, 
 and the crook is regarded as a hero. But not only 
 upon the male population does this modern Moloch 
 make his demands for his bestial appetite, for young 
 women are allured into these dens of iniquity also. 
 All this goes on unpunished, aye, even in a measure 
 
118 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 protected by the laws of the city, county and state. 
 Because for the exchange of a stipulated sum of 
 money, tainted by the wailings of famished children, 
 the moans of heart-broken wives and mothers and, 
 last but not least, the curses of the dying derelicts, 
 the saloonist annually gets his license which gives 
 him the permission and right to carry on his nefari 
 ous traffic upon the bodies and souls of his fellow 
 men. Law, or those who should enforce it, wink an 
 eye at this great dragon of the present times why? 
 Because the revenue accruing from this source is 
 providing the coffers with the necessary funds from 
 which the law makers and enforcers draw their fat 
 salaries. A plain case of one crow not wishing to 
 pick out another crow's eyes. Iniquity goes on, and 
 our youths, both male and female, go down to perdi 
 tion in these congested communities, practically as 
 fast as they are born. 
 
 Kennington was much amazed at her conception 
 of the criminal problem and warmly stated: "You 
 should have been a barrister; you are an incarnate 
 Portia! " 
 
 Miss Gerard slightly flushed with displeasure as 
 she thought Kennington was ridiculing her. 
 
 " Lawyer-like, you resort to ridicule when you are 
 lacking in reasonable argument." There was a 
 slight tinge of resentment, born of sensitiveness, in 
 her voice. 
 
 Kennington made haste to explain his remark by 
 saying: " Be it far from me to make sport of you or 
 any of your statements. I fully meant what I said. 
 The professions are open to both sexes and many 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 119 
 
 are being nobly filled by women, and you would make 
 a valuable addition to the profession of law. I'd be 
 more than happy to have you for my partner." 
 
 This last remark he added with a double meaning. 
 Adroitly he had prolonged the conversation for the 
 sole purpose of having her remain longer in his office. 
 
 " That is nice of you to say as much," was the 
 reply; " but I do not know that you would make a 
 reliable partner since you pay so little attention to 
 your correspondence." 
 
 Kennington stared blankly at her and finally said : 
 :< What do you mean? " 
 
 " Simply this; I sent you a letter two weeks ago 
 concerning an important matter, and you failed to 
 even acknowledge the receipt of it. Such demeanor 
 would hardly inspire confidence in one to take you in 
 as a partner, don't you think so? " Her eyes were 
 wistful. 
 
 Kennington emphatically replied, " I did not re 
 ceive any message from you; and rest assured had I 
 been so fortunate you would have received an im 
 mediate reply; as you must know that I would do 
 anything for y " 
 
 ' Well, it doesn't matter now either way," Jennie 
 quickly interposed, lightly cutting short Kenning- 
 ton's ready declaration of his affection for her. 
 Kennington was very anxious to know what the 
 contents of that letter might have been, but Miss 
 Gerard's reserved demeanor precluded any possible 
 inquiry. 
 
 The following morning when Charlie Quinlan was 
 arraigned in court, Kennington arose and asked the 
 
120 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 Judge to suspend sentence upon the boy; and to 
 have Miss Jennie Gerard appointed as his proba 
 tionary officer. Kennington in a few words told the 
 Court of Miss Gerard's excellent work in the slums, 
 and said that no one was more qualified to take care 
 of the lad. The papers were then made out by the 
 clerk. These she signed and then took her protege 
 with her out of the court-room. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 ASSAULT ON KENNINGTON 
 
 The same afternoon Miss Gerard secured a posi 
 tion for Charlie as an assistant wrapper in the ship 
 ping rooms of one of the wholesale jobber's houses; 
 and, having admonished and encouraged him to do 
 the square thing, she drove at once to her father's 
 office down town. 
 
 Her heart was filled with many misgivings, doubts 
 and fears. Why had not Kennington received the 
 letter which she entrusted to her father to deliver? 
 Could there be some ulterior motive in his mind? 
 But this disagreeable thought was softened by the 
 idea that her father, during the press of his business 
 affairs, had forgotten to deliver the message. It 
 was not unreasonable to suppose that by some chance 
 he had even failed to go to Kennington's office on 
 that day. But whatever the reason for this neglect 
 it temporarily modified her feelings toward Kenning 
 ton somewhat. She had judged him harshly and 
 hastily; now she felt repentant; and she considered 
 it her duty to ask her father about the letter. 
 
 She found him seated at his desk smoking in a 
 nervous, uneasy manner. He excitedly twisted a 
 paper-cutter in his fingers, and the point of the in 
 strument bored small disfiguring holes in the top of 
 his beautiful desk. His countenance was paler than 
 usual. The crowsfeet about his eyes and the wrin- 
 
122 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 kles on his forehead stood out perceptibly ; he seemed 
 to be agitated and depressed ; and, in a manner quite 
 different from his usual vivacity, he called for his 
 daughter to step into his consultation room as she 
 entered the outer office. 
 
 ' What is it, Jennie, that I can do for you? " he 
 bluntly asked. 
 
 " Father, why did you not deliver the letter to Mr. 
 Kennington as you promised to do? " 
 
 " Well, eh-eh." 
 
 " I was dreadfully embarrassed today when I 
 was in Mr. Kennington's office." 
 
 " It's too bad, Jennie; but why have you been to 
 his office again? What business can you possibly 
 have to take you there? Folks will soon be talking 
 about it." 
 
 " Well, what if they do? My acts, will always 
 bear inspection; my social settlement duties took 
 me there and I'll go where they take me as long as I 
 am engaged in this sort of work. Of course my phi 
 lanthropic efforts in these sociological affairs do not 
 interest the social gad-grinds, except to furnish them 
 with subjects for gossip and chatter. But to come 
 back, I had judged Mr. Kennington wrongly and 
 now I have learned that it was not his fault at all. 
 Why were you so forgetful? " 
 
 " Don't bother about trifles, Jennie, don't be 
 foolish; what if I did forget? No harm was done. 
 I was a fool for ever promising that I'd take the letter 
 to him, knowing what kind of a rascal he is." 
 
 " Father, tell me, why do you abuse Mr. Kenning 
 ton so? " 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 123 
 
 " Yes, and why do you defend him? You re 
 member that unpleasant evening we spent some time 
 ago discussing this fellow, and why do you renew 
 this unhappy topic again? I have enough business 
 engrossing my mind without taking up time in conver 
 sation concerning him. Every day I am learning 
 more new things about him, that absolutely prove 
 that he is totally lacking in any qualities that would 
 make him deserving of even our slightest acquaint 
 ance. And, I dare say, before a week is past you 
 will be extremely glad that I forgot to deliver your 
 billet-doux to him. It grieves me to say these un 
 pleasant things, but I know them to be positive 
 truths. Run along, dear; tell mother I'll be home 
 for dinner at six. Then tonight we'll all go to the 
 theater to take in the opera, * II Trovatore,' which 
 will be a change from the unpleasant things in your 
 settlement work." 
 
 Out of deference to her father's wishes and not 
 desirous of repeating the painful interview of little 
 over a week ago, she went away unsatisfied and 
 much disturbed over the whole affair. 
 
 During the week following Jennie's visit to his 
 office, Kennington had the satisfaction to see that 
 his work of freeing the city from the clutch of the 
 grafters was succeeding, in spite of all opposition, 
 open and covert, ominous threats and secret at 
 tempts at blackmail. He even knew that Gerard, 
 father of the girl he secretly loved and to whom he 
 would declare his love when time was propitious, 
 was co-operating with his enemies. He had, so far, 
 been unable to secure any tangible evidence against 
 
124 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 the " boss of the 13th," but he was satisfied that 
 some incriminating circumstances concerning Ger 
 ard would present themselves in the process of his 
 metropolitan house-cleaning. 
 
 There was the rub. He loved the girl, and the girl 
 loved her father. Could she love the man who would 
 disgrace her parent? But he never hesitated one 
 instant in searching for evidence that he absolutely 
 knew would enmesh Gerard and probably bring him 
 face to face with the doors of the penitentiary. 
 
 The next week, much to the dismay of the admin 
 istration and to the gratification of the decent people 
 of the city, two police captains had been indicted 
 for accepting bribes from a disreputable class. The 
 public conscience was awakening and stirring 
 itself from the moral lethargy that had long bound 
 it. Popular opinion was coming to the aid of Ken- 
 nington's efforts, and it assumed gigantic proportions. 
 The Mayor and his council and the heads of the de 
 partments of the city government were fearfully dis 
 tressed and uneasy. The exposed police officers, 
 who were kept in jail without bail, could almost 
 imagine themselves already in prison. Gerard also 
 shared in this state of fearful apprehension and anx 
 iety. The tiny rivulet of reform that Kennington 
 had started was pursuing the relentless course of a 
 wild rushing torrent, sweeping all opposition before 
 it as if it were mere straw. Gerard tried to assume 
 an air of indifference, and even bravado. But those 
 who knew him well easily pierced this insignificant 
 mask that failed to hide the active actual fear and 
 terror that were gnawing at his mind and conscience. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 125 
 
 This exposure of wickedness in high places he knew 
 would finally engulf him. It meant disaster and 
 ruin; he was growing desperate for his own sake and 
 for the social standing of his wife and daughter. The 
 "persecutions" of this fanatical prosecutor had to be 
 stopped. He had selected Kennington for the office 
 of city attorney; it was all his fault that this fateful 
 catastrophe was about to befall him and his cohorts. 
 Since he was responsible, he must do something; 
 and do it quickly. . . . 
 
 A few evenings later Lieut. O'Leary, dressed in 
 plain clothes, paid a visit to Dinty's saloon. As 
 usual, George and Jere were there, seated at one of 
 the tables, engrossed in flippant conversation, so that 
 they did not notice the police officer when he entered, 
 especially since he was clad in other than official uni 
 form. O'Leary ordered a glass of beer, and while 
 slowly drinking the foaming beverage he let his lynx 
 eyes stealthily take in the minutest detail of the place 
 and its frequenters. Keenly did he watch Jere's 
 reflection in the bar mirror, and after a few moments 
 of observation and deliberation he beckoned the 
 waiter to come to him, and in an undertone said: 
 
 " Say, Bill, tell that kid with the brown suit and 
 golf cap on, to come over here; I want to talk to 
 him." 
 
 " All right, Cap.," the obsequious menial replied, 
 and hastened to do as bidden. Jere at once com 
 plied with the request, wondering who it could be 
 that wished to see him. When approaching the 
 officer he smiled in recognition and asked, " What's 
 up now, Lieutenant? " His guilty conscience not 
 
126 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 being quite at ease, lest some of his many mis 
 deeds might have found him out and the officer had 
 come to warn him. 
 
 " Oh, nothing much, have something; " and with 
 a nod to the ever-ready-to-serve bartender he added : 
 " give him what he wants." 
 
 Jere was not slow in naming his favorite brand of 
 liquor. O'Leary waited until the youth had im 
 bibed the whiskey and then giving the bartender a 
 knowing look, he said: " Come, let's go into the 
 rear bar and have a private chat." 
 
 Jere followed dumfounded and yet not fully 
 at ease, though the officer had assured him that 
 nothing was wrong. 
 
 They remained in this " blind tiger " abode twenty 
 minutes or more and then stepped back into the 
 main bar-room. Jere's face was flushed with ex 
 citement and an unusual ominous light emanated 
 from his cat-like eyes. O'Leary ordered a round 
 of drinks for the two friends and himself; and 
 patted George on the back in a friendly manner, while 
 he said to Jere: "Don't forget, Kid, tomorrow 
 night! " The officer left well satisfied with himself 
 and his mission. At the next pay station he slipped 
 into the telephone booth and called up Gerard. The 
 latter answering the phone was gratified to recognize 
 his devotee's voice and to hear: " It's all fixed up for 
 tomorrow night, Joe; count on me to arrange things." 
 
 " Good for you, Michael! " Gerard chucklingly 
 replied. 
 
 The next day Kennington was surprised to receive 
 a telephone message from a woman who was a house- 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 127 
 
 holder in a disreputable district. She explained her 
 unprecedented action by saying: "I see by the 
 papers, and I know from experience, Mr. Kenning- 
 ton, that you are making a crusade upon the grafters 
 and also upon those who are trying to get along as 
 best they can. Well, I won't argue with you as to 
 the latter subject, but if you really want first-hand 
 information about bribery and extortion as prac 
 ticed by your police department and others away up 
 in politics, come and see me and I'll give you facts 
 which I know you will be very glad to have." 
 
 It must be said to Kennington's credit that he did 
 not relish the idea of going down into the immoral 
 infernoes of the city, but information he desired; and 
 since his assistants were loathe to furnish the same 
 for him, he believed that he had no alternative. He 
 courteously replied to this offer and said that he 
 would call on her that same evening about eight 
 o'clock. 
 
 By what stroke of fate it was, that this woman was 
 led to act with duplicity was, at first sight, hard to telL 
 It may be that she saw in Kennington an enemy and 
 a dangerous factor to destroy her questionable meth 
 ods of making a livelihood; and hence, from a spirit 
 of selfishness and self-preservation of personal rights,, 
 she called up Gerard who, by the way, was her land 
 lord, a veritable Shylock at that. Gerard picked 
 up the receiver and bellowed into it, " Hello, who's 
 this? " 
 
 " Now, don't get peeved, Joseph," the woman fa 
 miliarly purred in response; " this is May talking; 
 the prosecutor, Mr. Kennington, just got through 
 
128 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 telephoning to me that he would come down to my 
 place tonight and gather facts about the high rent 
 and the taking of weekly collections, which you fel 
 lows make. I thought you might be interested to 
 know this," she added with a faint imitation of a 
 gurgling laughter. Had Gerard seen the speaker's 
 face at that instant, the laugh would not have sound 
 ed so pleasant. 
 
 " All right, May, thank you for telling me, al 
 though I don't give ad - what that bloodhound 
 of a prosecutor does, he can't hurt me." This last 
 remark was meant more for his own consolation than 
 for the ears of the woman. 
 
 "Say, May, "he quickly continued, "when that low 
 bred sneak comes to your place tonight be as friendly 
 to him as you can; and while talking let the maid 
 come in and pretend to fix the window shade; but in 
 reality let her give it a pull so it will fly up. Do this 
 at eight-thirty sharp - 
 
 * What's that for? " the woman interrupted. 
 
 " Well, by - , can't you wait till I get through 
 talking? " Gerard bawled back. " I want to show 
 him up. I want some one who thinks he is just about 
 it, to see him in your place, Do you get me? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, I do; I guess it is one of your secret 
 flames who thinks Kennington looks better to her 
 than you do," the woman sneeringly rejoined. 
 
 " Cut out that stage stuff, May; it doesn't need 
 make any difference to you who the party is. Do 
 what I tell you, and you'd better, too," he threaten 
 ingly concluded. 
 
 With a sinister smile on her face which resembled 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 129 
 
 a crater of burnt-out passions she responded in fine: 
 " All right, Joseph, I'll do as you wish; but don't 
 think you bullied me into it. I'm past that now; 
 every dog has his day and the underdog once in a 
 while gets on top, too. So long," she flippantly cut 
 off the conversation by hanging up the receiver. 
 
 Beads of cold sweat suddenly burst out on Gerard's 
 forehead and his bovine eyes anxiously surveyed the 
 walls of his elegant office. 
 
 ' ( What did that confounded wench mean by that 
 last remark, anyway? There's something in the 
 wind ! Oh, blame it all. I'm not going to lose cour 
 age just on the eve of winning out." Looking at his 
 watch he muttered half audibly: "But six hours 
 more, my ambitious young cock, and you'll crow no 
 more; I almost feel tempted to send flowers to your 
 fune ," a noise in the outer room caused him to 
 break off his gruesome soliloquy. 
 
 When Kennington had finished his evening meal 
 and hurriedly glanced over the last issue of the paper 
 he went out into the night on his disagreeable, com 
 pulsory visit to the tenderloin district. While riding 
 in the street-car the contrast of the two worlds, so to 
 say, in the city, was forcibly brought before his mind. 
 As he was riding along he passed beautiful homes of 
 happiness and moral integrity; healthy, care-free 
 children were to be seen playing together or eagerly 
 listening tc the recital of some interesting story told 
 either by a loving father or mother. Peace, content 
 ment, happiness and sobriety appeared to be the 
 guardian angels of these cheerful abodes. 
 
130 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 In a short while he entered a section of the city 
 where everything was dark and gloomy; no bright 
 lights were in the windows. Only here and there were 
 hanging over the doorway lurid red lights, illumina 
 ting the assumed name of a proprietress of a den of 
 vice. The windows were all heavily shaded; not a 
 sign of life was visible. Finally he came to the 
 number he was looking for and briskly he ascended 
 the few steps leading to the door. After ringing the 
 bell he was ushered in by a colored maid who eyed 
 him quite boldly; for this servant at once saw that 
 Kennington was not of the ordinary type of visitors 
 frequenting this place. He was shown in the front 
 parlor and after having informed the maid that his 
 business was solely with the madam, he was told to 
 wait. Soon a woman just past middle age, of rather 
 portly stature entered, dressed in a tawdry purple 
 evening gown, with a long train attached to it. 
 She was of medium height; her coiffure carefully 
 gotten up, was adorned with a large pale yellow tea 
 rose. Despite the fact she tried to shake off the 
 idea and appearance that she no longer was the pos 
 sessor of her former youthful charms of years gone 
 by, gray strands of hair were visible about her 
 temples. 
 
 " Ah, Mr. Kennington, I believe," she softly stated 
 extending her more plump than shapely hand. 
 
 " I am glad you came; I've been wanting to meet 
 you for ever so long." This was spoken with a slight, 
 coquettish glance at the young man. Kennington 
 was at a loss how to reply, for he was well aware that 
 all this small talk was only stereotype; and, no 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 131 
 
 doubt, was unmeaningly used to every visitor of the 
 net of this human spider. 
 
 May Carle ton, under which cognomen she was 
 known to the underworld, at once perceived that her 
 alluring artifice would fall short of its mark. Ken- 
 nington precluded further expressions of nonentities 
 by saying: "In accordance with your telephone 
 message this afternoon I came to learn what informa 
 tion you can give me which will assist me in the 
 social reform I am leading against the element which 
 is in bitter opposition to law and order." 
 
 ' Yes, Mr. Prosecutor, I am quite interested from 
 purely selfish motives; I have been following your 
 vigorous and relentless campaign of the last few 
 months, and, as I stated this afternoon over the wire, 
 you are an enemy of mine, too. Well, every one is 
 entitled to his individual opinion and I'm not going 
 to attempt to make you a convert to my views, which 
 I think I would have a hard time doing," she smil 
 ingly remarked. " But, "as I promised, I will give 
 you facts, Mr. Kennington. A saturnine look 
 flitted over her face for a moment and then she said : 
 " Come on, let us sit on this divan; you're not afraid, 
 are you, it's a long story, but it must all be told 
 that you may fully understand the entire situation, 
 and mine especially," she concluded, with an at 
 tempt at sadness. 
 
 With diffidence Kennington followed her invita 
 tion to sit beside her on the luxurious divan, just 
 for two for he did not wish to offend the woman, 
 even though she did belong to an infamous class of 
 moral lepers. Just at that moment the maid came 
 
132 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 in and asked the madam something regarding an 
 order for liquid refreshments to be served in an ad 
 joining parlor; and then, inadvertently, the colored 
 girl stepped to the window, ostensibly trying to 
 arrange the curtains, when suddenly the shade shot 
 upwards. Kennington, in the innocence of his mis 
 sion, was not in the least alarmed by the happening, 
 but the madam gave a little startled cry and im 
 pulsively laid her hand on Kennington's shoulder 
 and let it rest there till the curtain was restored to 
 its former position. Little did Kennington think 
 that the tableau, of which he was an unwitting 
 performer, was viewed by the girl he loved dearer 
 than anything in the world, causing her heart untold 
 grief and agony. 
 
 " Pardon the liberty I took just a moment ago," 
 the woman began, " but I was so frightened by the 
 accident the maid had with the curtain that I for 
 got myself; but, let me tell you my life's history, 
 Mr. Kennington. It is necessary that I do so in 
 order for you to get a clear insight into this world of 
 ours so different from yours. I'll not tire you, I as 
 sure you," and before he could answer she began: 
 
 " I was born and raised in the country; I came 
 from good parentage; my people were honest but 
 poor. The little farm which my dear old dad tried 
 so hard to coax into yielding an income to keep his 
 family, stubbornly refused to respond to his efforts. 
 The result was, as we children grew up to the age 
 where we might be able to earn our own living, we 
 were sent out into the world with only a fervent 
 * God Bless You ! ' I came to this city to work as 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 133 
 
 second maid in one of the fashionable families here. 
 At first all went well and I was quite happy. The 
 city life, with its multitude of diversions and fasci 
 nations was entirely new to me. When the college 
 season came to an end the only son of the family, 
 where I was working, arrived at home, and, at once 
 to my discomfort and displeasure, he paid open 
 court to me. His mother soon saw her son's in 
 fatuation and, instead of telling him what to do, she 
 blamed me for trying to catch her boy, and sum 
 marily dismissed me. What little I had saved up 
 soon went, and I was quite at a loss to know what 
 next to do. Mrs. Pierce would not give me any rec 
 ommendation, and then I was utterly helpless. 
 When I had spent my last dime for a noon-day 
 lunch in one of the cheap restaurants my eyes fell 
 upon the " ad " column of the newspaper lying on 
 the table next to me. I picked it up and eagerly 
 scanned the page; nothing suitable was to be found 
 save one advertisement. I finally, with great hesi 
 tancy, left the place to answer the demand for one 
 or two young girls of comely shape and looks to act 
 as substitutes in a chorus company, called " The 
 Follies of Gotham." The manager treated me very 
 kindly and said he would give me a chance, and so I 
 was employed. You'll pardon me if I say this; in 
 those days I had some beauty and a fairly good 
 voice; I was very apt to pick up the roles given me. 
 Dancing had always been my delight and so I soon 
 learned all those fancy steps which were required of 
 me. I'll pass over the various experiences I was 
 fated to go through and come to the point. One 
 
134 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 evening, after the show, the manager brought a 
 young fellow behind the stage whom he introduced 
 as his personal friend, who had expressed his desire 
 to see " Florentine," which was my stage name. In 
 my foolish, youthful vanity I felt flattered that I 
 should be picked out from the rest of the girls who 
 had been much longer on the stage; and a feeling of 
 dare-devilishness overtook me, especially when I 
 perceived that some of the others were casting side 
 long glances at my new admirer. You can imagine 
 the rest; fully bent upon innocent sport only, I ac 
 cepted this man's invitation to dine with him, and the 
 first few times he treated me as a perfect gentleman 
 should. But I guess that is the way of man with a 
 maid. Soon I really began to learn to love this man, 
 and his flatteries were sweet music to my foolish 
 ears, mistaking them, as I did, for sincere expressions 
 of pure love. Love? Mr. Kennington, I've learned 
 to despise that word; it is a misnomer, a falsehood, 
 a chimera, an impossibility." 
 
 At this point the woman became excited; but no 
 ticing Kennington's discomfiture, she hastened to 
 say : " I sincerely beg your pardon for growing so 
 tragic; but you can't feel as a woman does about 
 things. To continue, Mr. Gerard " 
 
 " Gerard, you say? " Kennington exclaimed. 
 
 " Yes, Gerard. It is for you now to calm yourself 
 and listen to the rest." 
 
 " I will indeed, Madam, I am more than inter 
 ested," Kennington almost apologetically replied. 
 
 " Well, Joseph Gerard told me that he loved me 
 and wanted to marry me, but that he could not do 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 135 
 
 so now on account of an uncle who was about to die 
 and was intending to make him his sole heir; and 
 for that reason Gerard did not dare to offend the old 
 man by marrying any one but a girl from the upper 
 four hundred. So we cooed and billed on, waiting 
 for uncle to die. Love is blind; I presume that is 
 why it so often falls and shatters to pieces. I dearly 
 loved Joseph and in a weak moment yielded to his 
 ardent pleadings to become his common law wife 
 till his relative had passed away and he then could 
 publicly acknowledge me as his own. Those were 
 joyous days! At evening I put all my soul into my 
 work, playing for my so-called husband, who occu 
 pied a box next to the stage. He showered flowers 
 upon me and I became quite popular with the audi 
 ence. But, ah, if our language were made up 
 without the two little, yet, oh! so weighty words, 
 ' But and if ' this would perhaps be a happier world. 
 Gerard soon tired of me, and as quickly as he had 
 picked me up, he dropped me. I was too proud to 
 go down on my knees before him and I became hard 
 ened, and have been so ever since. Through his in 
 famy I lost my position and then, what was left? 
 Hard work I was not able to do. The past two years 
 of comparative luxury and ease which I had learned 
 to enjoy robbed me of my strength. There was noth 
 ing left at which to make a living; thus, like so many 
 before me have done, I chose the easiest way. I 
 know you don't approve of it; I did not at first, but 
 I've become case hardened, and have come to believe 
 that this life is one continuous struggle to get the 
 best of the next person, and so I've been following the 
 
136 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 plan of catering to man's depravity. Fate decreed 
 that Gerard, whom I hate from the bottom of my 
 soul, should become my landlord; no other suitable 
 locality being available for my business. And, think 
 of it, the very hound that ruined me and my life is 
 now drawing large sums of rent from the erstwhile 
 victim of his depraved nature! Is this not a most 
 striking example of the irony of fate? But, Mr. 
 Kennington, I am on the eve of my revenge; and I 
 shall most relentlessly go on with it. I'll be willing 
 to testify on oath in court that Gerard, for the past 
 eighteen years, has owned all these houses from 
 number 412 to 420; five houses all told, and has ex 
 torted blood money for rents; and not only that, but 
 through heartless men, like himself, has innocent 
 girls sent down here. Oh, he is smart; he does not 
 collect the rent himself; but his agents do. Then 
 once in a while the police come around and demand 
 an exorbitant fee for hush-money and safety against 
 raids." 
 
 At this juncture the maid stepped in and said, 
 " Officer to see you, Ma'am." 
 
 In a low whisper the woman said to Kennington, 
 " Excuse me a moment, please." 
 
 Kennington's interest was keyed to the highest 
 pitch. He felt a great feeling of pity for the poor 
 woman who had just bared her both shameful and 
 pitiful life's history to him. Soon he heard the angry 
 voice of the officer exclaim, " Well, you know what's 
 what, May, if you don't come through with the coin, 
 Gerard will either raise your rent or let the police 
 raid you, and you know that the prosecutor will raise 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 137 
 
 The woman was then heard to say, " Wait a min 
 ute, I'll be right back." Quickly she came to Ken- 
 nington and stated, " What shall I do? O'Leary 
 wants one hundred dollars and I can ill afford it; 
 only last week I gave him seventy -five." 
 
 Silently Kennington reached into his inner pocket 
 and from the wallet he extracted a new one hundred 
 dollar bill, which he carefully marked and gave to the 
 astounded woman. 
 
 ' Take this, pay him and send him on his way." 
 
 When she turned her back to go to the officer, 
 Kennington tiptoed to a position behind the curtain, 
 drawing it aside from the door casing, sufficiently to 
 peep through, witnessed the whole transaction. 
 When it was done the woman returned and with a 
 long searching look at Kennington's countenance 
 wreathed in deep thought, she said: "Why did you 
 do that? I am nothing to you. I belong to the 
 despised of the world's society. And with a pas 
 sionate sob she covered her face with her hands. 
 Kennington arose and very tactfully said: " Madam, 
 I am your debtor for what you have divulged to me 
 this evening, and don't let this sum I've handed you, 
 worry you. The information I have secured is very 
 valuable. Eventually your present practice of pro 
 curing a living will be forbidden and cut off; do not 
 lose heart, it is never too late to turn back and go in 
 another direction. Rest assured that I for one will 
 do all I can do to help you get right; but you must 
 be willing to do so unreservedly, and cut all ties which 
 would drag you back." 
 
 Silently the woman shook hands with him; and, 
 
138 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 contrary to her usual custom, escorted him to the 
 door and let him out into the street. When Ken- 
 nington had gone she returned to the room where 
 they had been sitting. A terrible look of hatred and 
 revenge distorted her features. " Joseph Gerard, 
 at last I am revenged," she breathed. 
 
 Then feminine-like, she gave vent to her long pent- 
 up feelings of emotion and sank back upon the divan 
 softly crying to herself, saying repeatedly: "Why 
 could I not have met a real man like this Mr. Ken- 
 nington, instead of that fiend, Gerard? " 
 
 Earlier in the day, having received the message 
 over the telephone from May Carleton, Gerard at 
 once got in communication with Lieut. O'Leary at 
 police headquarters. 
 
 " Here's our opportunity; our young apostate is 
 going to pay a social visit to May Carleton this 
 evening. Here's your chance; do not let it slip by! " 
 Having concluded this brief conversation he also 
 called up his daughter and said to her: "Jennie, 
 though it is extremely painful to me and may like 
 wise hurt your feelings, yet I am duty bound, as your 
 parent, for your future welfare and happiness to take 
 you for a little ride into the degraded portion of the 
 city tonight." 
 
 '* Why, father, how could such a journey be of the 
 least benefit to me? If there is someone whom I could 
 help down there, of course, I'll be glad to go." 
 
 The old man chuckled to himself diabolically that 
 evening as he and his daughter entered their car 
 and drove away. Within a short while they passed 
 from the rows of beautiful houses in the residential 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 139 
 
 district down into the region of the underworld, 
 where, in the poorly lighted street, skulked the shad 
 owy figures of human beings as they slipped in and 
 out of familiar haunts. Shortly the machine was 
 driven up to the curbstone opposite May Carleton's 
 den of infamy. Gerard at once ordered his chauffeur 
 to put out the lights and, turning to Jennie, whis 
 pered: "Keep your eyes open, daughter, and per 
 haps you'll see something that may be of greatest 
 importance to you." 
 
 They sat in perfect silence for a minute or two. 
 To Miss Gerard that period of waiting seemed like 
 ages. Occasionally she could indistinctly hear coarse 
 voices, mingled with shrieks and spasms of hilarity 
 coming from female throats. There was a clatter of 
 feet, suggestive of dancing, and strains of syncopated 
 music grated harshly on her ears, accustomed to and 
 fond of classic music only. Half angrily she mused 
 to herself, " For what possible reason can father 
 want me here? " 
 
 No sooner had this thought passed through her 
 mind than she was given a great start. She per 
 ceived Kennington through the lighted window 
 where a curtain had suddenly been drawn, convers 
 ing in his pleasant, friendly manner with one 
 whose face, even at the distance, bore the marks of 
 vice and dissipation. As she gazed in silent, painful 
 horror, this creature of the demi-monde boldly 
 patted Kennington upon the shoulder. Gerard tri 
 umphantly exclaimed, " See for your self, dear, what 
 kind of a fellow your self -created hero is! Now you 
 know why I hate him." 
 
140 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 With a stifled sob she replied, " Take me home; 
 I have nothing to say." On the way back Gerard 
 spoke to the silent girl at his side, " I have always had 
 a wholesome dislike for would-be reformers. This 
 one is a splendid example of that caliber of people; 
 he is a model of virtue by day and another man by 
 night. It's too bad I did not discover this double- 
 dealing character of his when first I met him." 
 
 To all this tirade Jennie made no reply. She was 
 very glad that it was night, and dark; for had he 
 been able to observe, he might have seen that her 
 face was alternately blanched and suffused with 
 scarlet. Dejectedly she thought of Kennington 
 whom she had raised, in spite of her father's bitter 
 accusations, upon a high pedestal of honor, regarding 
 him as a paragon of manhood. How could he appear 
 to be so interested in the uplift of humanity and at 
 the same time be a habitue of such a place? Her 
 idol seemed shattered; and yet, in her almost broken 
 hearted despair and wounded pride, her intuition 
 seemed vaguely to tell her that there was some mys 
 tery about the whole affair which time alone would 
 make clear. Little did she dream as she was being 
 driven home by her rascally father, that the man 
 whom she loved, but whose character and reputation 
 was now clouded by circumstantial evidence, was 
 lying insensible in a pool of blood on the sidewalk, 
 stealthily shot by the cowardly hand of a would-be 
 assassin, hired by her own father and Lieut. O'Leary. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE NOOSE TIGHTENS 
 
 When Kennington regained consciousness he found 
 himself in a snowy white bed in a dimly lighted 
 room at St. Mark's Hospital. He felt considerable 
 pain in his left limb, and he was unable to move that 
 injured member which had been bound in a case 
 ment of gauze and bandages. The whole situation 
 was indistinct and vague to his bewildered mind. 
 
 While he was endeavoring to rise, a nurse arose 
 from a chair at the head of his bed and, perceiving 
 that he was awake, she said: " Keep quiet, Mr. Ken 
 nington, everything is all right," to which he an 
 swered feebly. " If it is so, why am I here? " 
 
 She made no reply, but by putting a finger to her 
 lips indicated that he must be silent, then dimmed 
 the light and quietly left the room. In the morning, 
 when he awoke, the sun was brightly streaming into 
 his window, and the hands of the little china clock 
 at his bedside table were pointing to the hour of 
 nine. While he was musing to himself, trying to 
 solve the mystery, the house physician came in, clad 
 in a white linen uniform. " I am glad to see you 
 doing so well, Mr. Kennington," he said brightly. 
 
 " Good morning, doctor, I know I am in good 
 hands; but will you please tell me the meaning of 
 all this; and what is the matter with my leg? " 
 
142 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 " Oh, nothing serious so far as getting well is con 
 cerned. Some cowardly gunman shot you in the 
 fleshy part of the thigh last night, while you were 
 walking down the street. The bullet made a nasty, 
 ragged wound in the muscles, and you fainted from 
 the pain and loss of blood. You were found uncon 
 scious by some passer-by, who telephoned to the hos 
 pital, and then you were promptly brought in. The 
 injury is not serious; but it will keep you here, no 
 doubt, for about two weeks." 
 
 " Two weeks? That is a terribly long while, 
 doctor, and I have so much to do at present." 
 
 " Yes, I know that; but you cannot go until you 
 are well." 
 
 Kennington felt extremely impatient and angered 
 that he should have to be in retirement just when his 
 battle for reform was growing exciting and interest 
 ing; but with the wisdom of a philosopher, he gently 
 settled himself back among his pillows determined 
 to make the best of his compulsory retreat. 
 
 The early morning papers announced across their 
 front pages in glaring latters: 
 
 THE CITY PROSECUTOR SHOT BY A WOULD-BE 
 
 ASSASSIN! CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE 
 
 EXTRAORDINARY SHOOTING ENSHROUDED 
 
 WITH CONSIDERABLE MYSTERY! THE 
 
 MURDEROUS ATTEMPT WAS MADE 
 
 IN THE TENDERLOIN DISTRICT 
 
 OF THE CITY! GOSSIP 
 
 AND RUMOR ARE 
 
 RIFE' 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 143 
 
 To Kennington's window, on the third floor, there 
 rose the lusty cries of the newsboys who kept con 
 tinually shouting: 
 
 " Huxtry! Huxtry! All about the big shootinV 
 
 Almost impatiently he pressed the button of his 
 call-bell at the head of his bed, and in a moment or 
 two the nurse appeared. 
 
 : * Will you please get me a morning paper, at once? " 
 
 " I will if the doctor approves of it." 
 
 " Never mind the doctor! " he petulantly replied. 
 ' Very well; I will get you one with the doctor's 
 permission." 
 
 In a few minutes she returned with the morning 
 sheet, and said as she handed it to him; " Here, but 
 do not fret yourself about this affair at all; or else 
 you'll make your wound worse and delay recovery." 
 
 With eager hastiness Kennington's eyes devoured 
 the headlines; but when he came to the part sug 
 gesting that unpleasant rumors were abroad, as to 
 the reason for his presence in the district, his face 
 grew pale; his lips became drawn and blanched at 
 the thought that the paper should so insinuatingly 
 impugn the motives of his excursion to the disreputa 
 ble portion of the city. The thought angered him 
 greatly; and yet he saw how easy it was that the 
 public should misunderstand the situation. As he 
 thought more of the matter he became composed. He 
 was indeed thankful that no mention had been made 
 of his visit to the Carleton house, since that informa 
 tion would have given ground for further disagree 
 able conjectures and surmises. For the reading 
 world is only too ready to lend a credulous ear to 
 
144 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 scandalous stories of those who are in the public 
 eye. 
 
 After carefully reading the newspaper Kennington 
 again summoned the nurse and asked that she at 
 once get in communication with the confidential re 
 porter of the Daily Chronicle and request him to call 
 at the hospital immediately. In the mean time 
 while impatiently waiting for that person's arrival, a 
 card was brought to him by the hospital orderly 
 bearing the name 
 
 Miss MAY CARLETON 
 
 He was greatly surprised that this individual 
 should wish to see him; but since she had supplied 
 him with valuable information the night before, he 
 could not do other than permit her to come in. Ac 
 companied by the nurse, the Carleton woman entered 
 the room. With a display of genuine concern she 
 inquired as to his condition. Kennington thanked 
 and assured her that he was getting along very well. 
 Whereupon his visitor with a covert side-glance at the 
 nurse stated that she had certain news of a strictly 
 private nature to impart to him. Tactfully Ken 
 nington asked the nurse to retire, which the latter 
 did, deeply wondering what possible relationship this 
 woman, whose type and demeanor were of unmis 
 takable stamp, could have with the patient. After 
 the nurse had gone, Miss Carleton carefully closed 
 the door to make sure that the information she had 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 145 
 
 for Kennington could not possibly become the prop 
 erty of other ears than the ones for which it was in 
 tended. She proceeded at once by asking, " Mr. 
 Kennington, do you have any idea who shot you last 
 night? " 
 
 " I suppose some one of my political enemies did: 
 but I could not even surmise who the gunman might 
 have been, since this dastardly act was committed 
 behind my back." Kennington wonderingly replied. 
 
 " Well, I'll tell you," the woman continued; 
 " after you left my house, Mr. Kennington, a young 
 man by the name of Jere Patton came in, and in his 
 usual fool way flashed a roll of bills. He soon got to 
 a point where he began to talk. He told that the 
 money he had was the easiest he had ever made. 
 He declared O'Leary had given it to him for prom 
 ising to shoot you; and then he boasted how he got 
 you. He tendered me the very same one hundred 
 dollar bill you bade me give O'Leary; and I'll keep 
 it to be used as evidence against the miserable coward 
 of a lieutenant." 
 
 Kennington thanked the woman for this unex 
 pected and unsolicited information, and before she 
 could say anything further in stepped the reporter 
 unannounced. With a hasty good-bye May Carle- 
 ton left the room and the newspaper man stared 
 curiously after her. 
 
 " Pardon me for interrupting your conversation. 
 I hurried from the office to answer your call, which 
 the nurse said was urgent, and I did not expect to 
 find company here, or else I would have rapped on 
 the door and waited for your summons." 
 
146 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 " Kennington smiled faintly and replied, No 
 harm done, we were through talking. I am very glad 
 to see you. I wish to give you just a little bit of 
 true information, with which you may allay the pub 
 lic mind. The time is not yet ripe for full details, 
 but those you will receive later. We all know every 
 one is anxious to learn what the next move will be 
 in this game of cleaning out the grafters. Since it 
 appears that there is much question and rumor 
 abroad as to why I happened to be in the district 
 where I was shot you may quote me as saying, that I 
 was strictly attending to my official business. I found 
 it simply impossible to obtain the information that I 
 needed from the police officers of that district, there 
 fore I took the matter in my own hand; went down 
 into the underworld and secured enough evidence to 
 carry out my plan of civic reform. I was shot from 
 the rear by a hired gunman whose identity is known, 
 as well as that of those who hired him. Several ar 
 rests will be made within the next twenty -four hours, 
 and it will not be surprising that some of the ' City 
 Fathers ' will be very much embarrassed before this 
 matter is settled," he concluded his remarks with a 
 determined click of his square cut jaw. The re 
 porter thanked him profusely, delighted over this 
 great scoop for his paper, and wishing him a speedy 
 recovery he departed. 
 
 Somewhat fatigued because of these interviews 
 and his weakened condition owing to the loss of blood 
 the night before, Kennington wearily closed his eyes 
 and with a sigh of relief gave himself over to sleep, 
 nature's sweet restorer. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 147 
 
 The news of Kennington's attempted assassina 
 tion was quite a shock to Jennie. Though she had 
 seen him the evening before in a very compromising 
 situation, she still could not free her mind of him. 
 Several times during the day she called up the hos 
 pital, to inquire how he was getting along, refusing 
 to divulge her identity, each time stating that it was 
 simply a friend who had inquired. As she picked up 
 the evening paper her eyes fell upon the lines: 
 
 " KENNINGTON ISSUES STATEMENT FROM SICK BED 
 IN THE HOSPITAL! " 
 
 Eagerly she devoured the account. During the 
 reading of the item her heart was filled with dual 
 emotions and furtively she wiped away the tears 
 which welled up within her eyes. She was filled with 
 a spirit of self-resentment and chagrin, that she 
 should have so misjudged Kennington the night be 
 fore, when he was only bent upon a mission of duty. 
 The truth of the matter of the whole affair was so 
 entirely different from the construction which her 
 father had put upon Kennington's visit, and from 
 what he was anxious to have her surmise. A tinge 
 of suspicion permeated her mind as she analyzed the 
 details of the occurrence; and she could not help 
 being incensed at her father's apparent duplicity. 
 " How did he know that Mr. Kennington was down 
 in that district, and in that particular place? " With 
 her characteristic firmness and resolution, she at 
 once determined to speak to her parent about it. 
 Gerard did not come home till late that night, but 
 Jennie intercepted him as he passed through the hall 
 to retire to his room at once. 
 
148 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 " Father, did you read Mr. Kennington's state 
 ment about the shooting last night? " 
 
 " Yes, what of it? " 
 
 " I believe it throws a great light upon the visit of 
 which we have judged him so harshly." 
 
 " Tut, tut, what possesses you? Why do you 
 bother me and yourself with that fellow? Of course 
 we all knew he would make a statement in the paper." 
 
 " Well, if you do not believe what he says how 
 would you account for his being shot? " 
 
 " Oh, I suppose he got into a quarrel with some of 
 the frequenters of the district; a fight ensued and he 
 was shot. Had he stayed away from such places he 
 would not be in the hospital now, and as it is, it 
 serves him right," he testily responded. :< Let me 
 go now for I am tired! " 
 
 " Just a minute, father, I have worried so much 
 about the matter all day; and I believe we have 
 been entertaining evil opinions of Mr. Kennington. 
 I feel that it is no more than right that we should 
 discuss this matter at least for a few minutes. Have 
 you any reason to believe that the statement you 
 have just made is correct, or is it merely a supposi 
 tion on your part? " 
 
 " Why do you catechise your father? Do you 
 think that I would wilfully misrepresent things? " 
 
 " No, of course not." 
 
 " Then why are you interested in these sordid, 
 muck-raking things at all?" Gerard, who was grow 
 ing thoroughly impatient by this time, angrily asked, 
 " What is that fellow to you? " 
 
 "Father, you have not answered my question. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 149 
 
 You took such great pains last night to show me 
 what an apparently wicked man Mr. Kennington is. 
 Do you really know the actual purpose of his visit to 
 that house; and how came you to know of it? " 
 
 "I do not care to discuss newspaper scandal 
 further, and common decency forbids me to reply." 
 Whereupon Jennie remarked: 
 
 " I thoroughly believe what Mr. Kennington says; 
 but why should you be so averse to accept his state 
 ment as true? If Kennington was not shot by 
 an assassin, who did shoot him, do you know? " 
 
 " How should I know? " 
 
 " Mr. Kennington was shot in the back by a thief 
 and a pickpocket who was given money to commit 
 this dastardly deed; and I sincerely hope that he will 
 be apprehended as well as his cowardly accomplices." 
 
 "It's a lie!" Gerard shouted, his face turning 
 ashen pale. 
 
 Quietly, Jennie replied, " I am surprised to hear 
 you speak in such ungentlemanly terms, so con 
 trary to your usual way of speaking; but if it is a lie, 
 prove it to be such." 
 
 Gerard sulkily retorted, " I presume you have been 
 visiting Kennington at the hospital and he has filled 
 your mind with wild, unreasonable tales and doubts. 
 He has actually taught you to disbelieve and hate 
 your father. I'll get him for that." 
 
 " I have not visited nor spoken to Mr. Kenning 
 ton since he was taken to the hospital ; but I am only 
 sorry now that I have not. I believe that he has been 
 shamefully treated and wronged. He has tried to 
 carry out the duties of his office, honestly and fear- 
 
150 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 lessly, and as a result he has been hated, hounded and 
 persecuted by crooked politicians." Her eyes flashed 
 brilliantly and her bosom heaved and fell rapidly as 
 she continued: 
 
 " Even the police and detective forces have de 
 liberately refused to do their duty when he sent them 
 upon errands to discover wickedness in high places, 
 to locate persons implicated in taking bribes for 
 carrying on iniquity." 
 
 Gerard scowled, and his face was darkened with 
 anger as he endeavored to interrupt her conversa 
 tion, but she kept on undauntedly : " These would- 
 be officers of the law tried to deceive him and refused 
 to do their duties; and thus it became necessary for 
 Mr. Kennington to visit the disreputable plague 
 spots of our city, which the wicked administration 
 has allowed to remain. Just as he says here in the 
 paper tonight, he has obtained first-hand informa 
 tion against the grafters and because he is a brave 
 man, fearlessly doing his duty, those whose business 
 it is to see that law is enforced, had him shot in the 
 back by an assassin under cover! " 
 
 " Who has told you this pack of lies? " 
 
 " It's the truth, father, it's the truth; and not lies 
 at all ! " She warmly replied, " and I am going to 
 help him, if he will let me, for I love him," she 
 concluded almost hysterically; and then without 
 noticing her father who was leaning heavily against 
 the hall table, trembling with both rage and fear, 
 she quickly turned and left for her room. 
 
 The following morning she sent Kennington a large 
 bouquet of roses with a little note attached, express- 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 151 
 
 ing her hopes for his speedy recovery. This was done 
 partly to assuage her conscience for having censured 
 Kennington wrongly, and partly, as the reader will 
 surmise, as a token of friendship which had changed 
 into deeper affection. When the nurse brought in 
 the flowers and the note, Kennington's joy knew no 
 bounds, and while pressing the roses to his nostrils to 
 inhale their sweet fragrance, he stealthily pressed a 
 kiss upon the soft petals. To the nurse, who se 
 cretly smiling, had watched him he said; " Will you 
 kindly call up Miss Gerard at her residence and ex 
 tend my sincerest thanks for her considerate remem 
 brance and tell her that my pleasure and gratitude 
 for these flowers could only be increased by a per 
 sonal call from her." Boyishly he added, " Be sure 
 and tell me what she says in return. Go now and 
 telephone, like the good young lady that you are." 
 
 With a passing thought of the lines in Whittier's 
 famous " Maud Muller," " It might have been! " 
 the nurse went on her way to do as bidden. 
 
 That afternoon Jennie drove to the hospital in her 
 electric coupe, and alighting from it glanced at the 
 many bright windows of the magnificent structure, 
 secretly wondering which might be the one belonging 
 to Kennington's room. Soon she was taken up in 
 the elevator to the third floor and then brought face 
 to face with the man she loved. Her heart gave a 
 joyful flutter as Kennington greeted her with a 
 bright smile and eyes beaming with delight. The 
 nurse at once saw that she was not needed, and quiet 
 ly disappeared. For a moment there was an awk 
 ward silence, but Jennie soon broke it by seating 
 
152 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 herself at his bedside and saying: " Little did I think 
 when last we parted that I should see you next, lying 
 here in the hospital, Mr. Kennington. It is an out 
 rage, an indescribable shame, really I cannot find 
 words sufficient to express myself concerning this 
 lamentable happening, and I told my father the same, 
 too," she added, with a saucy little shake of her 
 pretty head. Kennington almost felt like blessing 
 his would-be assassin, that his vicious, cowardly act 
 was responsible for bringing the dearest girl in the 
 world to him. 
 
 " I am indeed very thankful to you for coming, 
 Miss Gerard, and feel amply repaid for my incon 
 veniences, since you are so nobly defending me." 
 
 ' You need no defense, Mr. Kennington, in spite 
 of all the unpleasant things that were suggested in 
 yesterday's morning's paper." 
 
 " I can hardly wait until I am well again in order 
 to take up the work and, with you for my ally, I 
 know I will win." 
 
 ' You can count on me to assist you in every 
 way possible." 
 
 " I hope you may always feel like that! " he replied 
 with a meaning look that portrayed his feelings 
 toward her very plainly. A faint blush stole over her 
 cheeks as she perceived the double import of his 
 words. 
 
 " I hope the guilty are quickly caught and brought 
 to justice very speedily, not only the would-be assas 
 sin, but also the police officials and politicians who 
 hired him." 
 
 A feeling of intense pain shot through Kennington's 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 153 
 
 heart at this last remark of the fair girl, for he knew 
 that his visitor did not realize that she was condemn 
 ing her own parent. She would in time learn the 
 painful truth of her father's complicity with Jere 
 Patton's crime. But Kennington dismissed this 
 somber thought and left it for the future to take care 
 of. The golden present was his to enjoy and why 
 should he permit it to be blighted with disagreeable 
 thoughts? Only too soon for Kennington did the 
 time arrive when Miss Gerard had to leave, and as 
 she extended her beautiful, soft, warm hand in fare 
 well, he gave it a hearty pressure which she faintly 
 returned. Though hardly any words were spoken, 
 their eyes and hearts telegraphed to one another the 
 message of love, which their lips did not utter. 
 When she was gone, Kennington worried as to the 
 outcome of affairs. He stood, as it were, at the 
 parting ways of Love and Duty and, though he lit 
 erally adored the girl, his high sense of duty bade him 
 to continue the pathway he had so fearlessly begun 
 to trod. 
 
 Little he dreamed that fate had decreed that Jen 
 nie should, in a most unusual way, be apprised of her 
 father's rascality and dual nature; and that he would 
 after all be spared the painful duty of inflicting the 
 heart-rending knowledge and grief upon the one he so 
 dearly longed to call his own for life. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 SANDERSON INTERVIEWS Miss GERARD 
 
 Though Kennington was confined to his room in 
 the hospital because of his bullet wound he was ex 
 tremely busy preparing for the trial the evidence he 
 had secured against the grafters. With a joy of 
 battle and a lust for conflict filling his mind he out 
 lined carefully worded and comprehensive indict 
 ments that would not leave the slightest loopholes 
 for the escape of those who were to fall into the net 
 that he was setting for them. He did not intend 
 that justice should be delayed; that the penalties 
 of crime should be averted by legal technicalities; 
 by demurers, alibies and appeals. Unlike his con 
 temporary, David Jacobs, who looked upon the law 
 as a bristling hedge behind which malefactors might 
 hide, if they had the price for his services, Kennington 
 regarded the law as an instrument for justice and 
 civic righteousness. Some of his legal friends 
 thought him too dogmatic, too puritanical in his 
 interpretation of civil and criminal statutes. But 
 with these ideals in mind he had inaugurated his bat 
 tle for civic reform. 
 
 On his table, had one been permitted to peruse the 
 papers which lay thereon, were to be found charges 
 of bribery against the chief of police, two captains, 
 one lieutenant, and even Joseph Gerard himself. 
 Kennington's work at the hospital was punctuated 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 155 
 
 now and then by pleasant visits with Jennie. Each 
 time when her card was sent up he busied himself 
 clearing the table of its papers and documents and 
 making hurried preparations to receive her. These 
 short calls were so keenly enjoyed by him that one 
 could almost truthfully have said that the young 
 barrister would be a trifle sorry when he should leave 
 the hospital; because then these delightful visits 
 would cease. 
 
 At Jennie's home conditions were not so pleasant. 
 The very atmosphere of the magnificent residence 
 seemed to be pervaded with a spirit of gloom and 
 foreboding. Ever since the night that Kennington 
 was shot, Gerard was extremely sullen, morose and 
 non-communicative. He spoke little to his wife and 
 daughter at the dining table; he partook of his food 
 hastily and limited his conversation to shortest pos 
 sible answers. The slightest trifles irritated him to 
 a marked degree. He was easily vexed and extreme 
 ly nervous. After coming home from the office in 
 the evening, he spent most of his time before the 
 meal in the library writing. But whatever he wrote 
 no one ever knew; for, it was evident from his man 
 ner, to judge that which he had written displeased 
 him; and after each effort he threw the papers in 
 the grate fire. When dinner was over, each night, 
 he went to his room at once. He tried to read the 
 newspapers and magazines but these would soon fall 
 from his nervous, trembling hands even before a 
 page was half read. He smoked incessantly. His 
 look was haggard, anxious and worried. 
 
 Frequently Jennie would inquire solicitously as to 
 
156 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 his welfare and sympathizingly would ask if she 
 could help him ; but, much to his daughter's distress, 
 this display of filial affection was usually met and 
 repelled in a rough, rude manner. Jennie wisely 
 refrained from saying anything of her frequent visits 
 to Kennington at the hospital; and when the latter 
 returned to his work in the city attorney's office, 
 Gerard came home at an unusually early hour. He 
 was extremely flustrated and seemed to be in a great 
 hurry. He told his family that business interests in 
 the East suddenly required his attention; and since 
 he had not been feeling well for some time he had de 
 cided to combine business with pleasure and to take 
 a few days' rest at some watering place. 
 
 The next day's papers announced that Mr. Gerard 
 had suddenly left the city for an extended trip. To 
 those who could read between the lines it could be 
 easily seen that veiled hints and insinuations were 
 contained in this announcement of his abrupt de 
 parture, since the chief of police and several of his 
 subordinates had been indicted, arrested and placed 
 in jail without the privilege of bail or bond. 
 
 Jennie drove her father to the station on the morn 
 ing he left the city and, as he kissed her good-bye, 
 he said; "You'll always love your old daddy, won't 
 you, dear, no matter what happens? " and before she 
 could answer he quickly mounted the steps of the 
 Pullman, leaving her standing on the platform, con 
 fused, depressed and with tears glistening in her 
 eyes. She then turned and walked slowly out of the 
 depot trying to conjure the meaning of this strange 
 and most unusual remark of her father's. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 157 
 
 On the fourth night after Gerard had gone East 
 Jennie returned from the theater, where she had been 
 with Kennington. Her father's absence from home 
 had made it possible for her to accept the invitation 
 to spend the evening in Kennington's company at 
 the opera. Kennington was secretly glad that her 
 father had left the city, thus sparing him, at that 
 time, the painful duty of prosecuting Jennie's parent; 
 for he had never once wavered in bringing the bribe 
 takers to justice; and Gerard had only just escaped 
 the serving of the warrant by his sudden leave- 
 taking. 
 
 For a while she lingered in the library, gazing into 
 the grate fire, fondly recalling the happenings of the 
 evening, the fascinating conversations carried on be 
 tween acts and the little covert glances, full of happi 
 ness of an unspoken but potent love during the 
 pathetically appealing parts of the opera. She in 
 dulged in dreams of tenderest kind till aroused by the 
 clock striking the hour of midnight. At once she 
 departed for her room and retired for the night. 
 Soon she was encompassed by a healthful sleep. 
 How long she slept she did not know, but she was sud 
 denly startled from her slumbers by a stealthy foot 
 step in the hall adjoining her room. She listened 
 intently; some one seemed to be approaching her 
 chamber. She was thoroughly frightened. No one 
 was at home, save herself, her mother, a maid and a 
 feeble old butler. Breathlessly and with feverish 
 anxiety she waited for developments. Quietly she 
 sat up in bed and, just as she did so, the door to her 
 room, which had been standing ajar, was gently 
 
158 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 opened and a man stepped in, flashing a pocket 
 searchlight in her face. 
 
 " Be quiet, Miss! " he said in a low voice, " I'll not 
 hurt you. I know it is rather unconventional to call 
 on so estimable a young ^ady as you are at this hour 
 of the night." 
 
 Jennie stared at the intruder with a surprise that 
 was equal to her fear. In the mellow moonlight, 
 which stole through the half-raised curtain of her 
 window, she was able to discern that the visitor was 
 a tall, lithe individual, who wore a domino. Step 
 ping over to the little dressing table he pulled the 
 beaded chain of the electric candle; he then closed 
 the door blandly, saying as he did so: 
 
 " Forgive me, for calling on you in your boudoir 
 while you are in dishabille; I know it is not good 
 taste, but we sometimes have to forego the little 
 conventions of society for various reasons." 
 
 Jennie was much frightened at this display of au 
 dacity and familiarity. Heedless of her distress the 
 man continued: " No, do not scream; I assure you 
 as a gentleman, and I am a real one, too, that 
 I'll not harm you." 
 
 Jennie felt her composure returning; for this was 
 the most unheard-of experience; the situation was 
 growing actually novel. 
 
 " I have already examined the contents of the 
 wall-safe down stairs, inspected the bric-a-brac and 
 have taken an inventory of everything that is worth 
 while. You'll pardon me, for my personal reference 
 to your virtues ; while I know that you are not a vain 
 young lady, I do know that you possess some very 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 159 
 
 exquisite jewels. I am both a connoisseur and a col 
 lector of these baubles; and I thought that I might 
 as well add yours to my collections. You wore them 
 when you attended the charity ball. I had a de 
 lightful half hour's conversation with you that 
 evening." 
 
 Miss Gerard was stimulated by this sarcastic ad 
 dress and the thought flashed through her mind: 
 ' This is the so-called reporter who attended the 
 charity ball." 
 
 " So YOU are the gentleman thief who robbed Miss 
 Darrell of her pearls? " 
 
 With a cynical smile he removed the domino and 
 bowing to her he said sarcastically : 
 
 " I am discovered, fair lady! " 
 
 * Yes, it is a wonder that a man of your talents 
 and ability should stoop to such a low, mean occupa 
 tion of robbing defenceless women." 
 
 " Pardon me, that is not my occupation, it is my 
 profession," he retorted. 
 
 '* Why did you select a night when my father is 
 away from home? " 
 
 " Oh, I was not afraid of him; but of course I 
 waited for Mr. Gerard to leave, as I did not care to 
 embarrass him. I was considerate of his feelings." 
 
 '* What do you mean? " she spiritedly answered. 
 
 " I mean it is very well that your father did leave, 
 both for his health and business; and I really believe 
 that some more of us will depart from these regions. 
 Your young friend, Mr. Kennington, with whom I 
 saw you at the theater tonight, this modern 
 Knight of St. George, who is trying to slay the dragon 
 
160 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 of vice, is doing his best to make a torrid climate 
 of this lake region. In fact, your old dad, excuse my 
 familiarity, found it getting too hot for him and for 
 that reason he left." 
 
 Heated with indignation which made her forget 
 the situation she exclaimed: " How dare you insult 
 me in this manner, or use my father's name that 
 way? " 
 
 " Don't speak so loud, Miss Gerard, lest you dis 
 turb the rest of the occupants of the house from their 
 peaceful slumbers. I did not mean to insult you. I 
 am a burglar, an honest burglar, a gentleman, too; 
 but your father is a thief, only he goes by another 
 name. Oh, yes, he is a church vestryman, a stock 
 broker, a former member of the legislature, I know; 
 but a more accomplished, heartless crook never lived." 
 
 Jennie's eyes blazed with anger, but she was power 
 less to reply. 
 
 " Forgive me, dear Miss; it even pains me to 
 grieve you so, but every reformer loves the truth, 
 even though it may be brutal. Prepare yourself for 
 another shock. It was your hypocritical father who 
 hired the young gunman who shot Kennington. I 
 may be low and degraded in the estimation of society, 
 but I do possess at least a little spark of honor. If I 
 wanted to rid myself of some obnoxious enemy, I'd 
 do it myself and not hide behind some one else. 
 Furthermore, are you aware of the fact that your 
 father owns the very tenement houses in which you 
 carry on your noble settlement work? Also, do you 
 know that the ' Honorable Joseph Gerard ' receives 
 tributes from the city's Mary Magdalenes? " 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 161 
 
 :< Why, this is simply terrible; how can you say 
 this? How can it be? I do not believe you, but " 
 
 " No, Miss, I'm going to do the talking tonight, 
 for I do not know when I will be granted the oppor 
 tunity of seeing you again. Listen, you can't help 
 it because your dad is an old rascal; and, if you do 
 not believe me, ask Kennington; he knows it only too 
 well. Don't be alarmed, I know you settlement 
 workers and would-be reformers lay great stress upon 
 the influence of heredity. But, let me tell you, you 
 folks misunderstand this great force of nature. Be 
 cause a man's a criminal does not mean his son is 
 going to become a criminal also, not in the least. 
 My parents are in no way responsible for my crimes, 
 so-called; I received from them a strong vigorous 
 body and an active mind. I chose my own ways of 
 doing. As I said before, your dad is a crook, but he 
 possesses a healthy body and strong mind; you in 
 herited these qualities, no doubt, but he did nor pass 
 on his acquired characteristics. States of mental 
 enfeeblement and insanity are inherited of course, 
 and these conditions when transmitted from the par 
 ent to the offspring make the progeny susceptible to 
 the viciousness of society. In other words, society 
 is busy making criminals of the inferior sort, such as 
 petty sneak thieves, pickpockets like Jere, the poor 
 simple fool who shot Kennington. Of course they 
 do not belong to my sort; I am a crime capitalist. 
 To my class belong bank presidents and cashiers, 
 life insurance presidents, stock brokers and food 
 gamblers. Heredity favored us with enough brains 
 to think, and I am thankful for it. 
 
162 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 " You are trying to do a splendid work in the set 
 tlement; let me tell you a secret. If you will see 
 that the poor get a chance to secure a livelihood, a 
 few rudiments of education and an occasional luxury, 
 I assure you, that your vigorous efforts will be far 
 more effective for the amelioration of the ills of life. 
 But, of course, before you can do that, the hypocrisy 
 and rascality of society must be destroyed. How 
 ever, I did not mean to sermonize; in fact, I have spent 
 already too much time here. Just tell me, are not 
 your jewels in that box there on the little table? " 
 And so saying he quickly went over to the Louis 
 Quinze dressing table and deliberately helped him- 
 slef to the gems; briefly examining them he slipped 
 them into his inside coat pocket. 
 
 " No, no, do not sound the alarm, for, though I 
 promised that no harm should befall you, it might be 
 come painfully necessary for me to use rude methods, 
 should you feel inclined to create a scene." 
 
 Though she was losing her jewels, she was glad that 
 she was escaping without any physical injury or vio 
 lence. She shivered in an agony of fear. 
 
 " Adieu, Miss Gerard! I wish to thank you for the 
 pleasant interview you have so graciously granted 
 me and, believe me, its memory shall linger fondly in 
 my mind when I am abroad enjoying the delightful 
 sunny climate of Italy and southern France. The 
 art galleries and operas are calling me; also the fas 
 cinating games of "rouge et noir" and others at dear 
 old Monte Carlo; and, in parting, let me remind you 
 again that the Hon. Joseph Gerard practices the pro 
 fession of robbing the people, only in a more sordid 
 and despicable manner than I ever did." 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 163 
 
 With a courtly bow he rapidly strode to one of the 
 French windows and noiselessly let himself out into 
 the silent night. 
 
 After Sanderson had gone Jennie, with a moan, 
 sank upon her pillows. Thus she spent the remain 
 der of the night in utter misery. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 NEMESIS 
 
 The prosecuting attorney's return from the hos 
 pital to his office caused a great stir in the city's 
 official circles; and a keen sense of uneasiness per 
 vaded the hearts of the municipal office holders, es- 
 ' pecially those whose performance of public duties 
 had been the least bit suspicious. Even the honest 
 ones shared in this fear, which seemed to spread as a 
 contagion. The larger portion of the public was de 
 lighted; Kennington was commended at the private 
 and public clubs, the city's churches, in fact every 
 where. His name was on every one's lips; he was 
 truly the man of the hour. He received many tele 
 grams, these coming from various points throughout 
 the state. Letters of congratulation for his recov 
 ery poured in upon him, as did communications 
 commending his good work. 
 
 The Mayor's office was the scene of many open 
 and secret consultations held by local politicians 
 who felt their former power rapidly waning. The 
 Mayor had kept in constant communication with 
 Gerard, and every little detail and movement had 
 been sent to the latter. Five days had elapsed since 
 Gerard left the city, when the Mayor sent him a tele 
 gram, reading as follows: "Extend your visit in 
 definitely until you hear from me. Kennington is 
 very busy." 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 165 
 
 This message went to Palm Beach, Fla., instead 
 of New York City; for Gerard had deliberately mis 
 led the public in his announcement in the papers that 
 he was going East. A second admonition to remain 
 where he was, was not needed. He felt safe in his 
 present location and he did not care to return home 
 before the " spasm of civic righteousness/' as he 
 called it, had died down. 
 
 Several of the plain clothes men resigned, as did 
 some of the higher police officials; for they thought 
 it better to give up a fat job than risk the dangerous 
 chances of a trial. A few of them found it quite 
 convenient to visit relatives living in distant states. 
 The vacancies caused by these resignations were 
 filled by new men; and, even though appointed by 
 tl^e Mayor, they knew they dare not follow the path 
 their predecessors had trodden. The new appointees 
 were called into Kennington's private office and a 
 gospel of municipal purity left their ears tingling and 
 burning, as it vigorously and commandingly came 
 from Kennington. He told his plain-clothes men 
 about his would-be assassin; that he was a young 
 pick-pocket by the name Jere Patton, who travelled 
 in company with an old man having a long prison 
 record and who was now supposed to be reformed 
 and serving as a janitor at a Salvation Army Hall 
 on North Jefferson Street. 
 
 After this description was given they were in 
 structed to discover and arrest Jere as soon as possi 
 ble. If this command had been issued to them a 
 year before they would have laughed it to scorn; 
 but now they were only too glad, willing and anxious 
 
166 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 to serve the young prosecuting attorney whose power 
 and popularity were increasing by leaps and bounds. 
 No countermanding orders now-a-days came from 
 the Mayor's office. His rough tactics had failed; 
 sentiment was against him, and his present actions 
 were being governed by the old adage: " The easiest 
 way is the best." He felt chagrined and annoyed; 
 his egotism and pride were wounded, and he was sore 
 that a young man, just in the early thirties, should be 
 able to thwart him, dictate and even command him 
 at every turn. Discretion was the best of his valor 
 and he meekly submitted to the new order of af 
 fairs, hoping thereby to escape with a safe and whole 
 skin himself. 
 
 When Jere had recovered from the debauch in 
 which he had indulged just after the shooting of Ken- 
 nington, he was painfully fearful lest he had given 
 away his secret. Toledo Red had often reminded 
 him that he talked too much when under the influ 
 ence of liquor. Fearing that he had done so in this 
 instance he took some of his money, left from the 
 dissipation, and bought a ticket for Denver. There 
 he remained for about ten days, living in a riotous 
 manner, drinking and gambling. Soon his money 
 was gone. At once he resorted to his light-finger 
 trade and on a Saturday night he picked the pockets 
 of unwary shoppers at the public market. Being 
 successful, from a financial point of view, he again 
 filled up on liquor; and while in state of alcoholic 
 euphoria, he purchased a railroad ticket for the 
 " City of the Lake." 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 167 
 
 He was thorough 1 y sobered when he reached the 
 metropolis, but his nerves were unstrung, his hands 
 trembled, his feet seemed heavy, his knees were 
 wobbly and a feeling of lassitude and exhaustion 
 permeated his whole body. He was less annoyed by 
 the fear of arrest than he was irresistibly anxious to 
 get a vigorous bracer. He went immediately to 
 the Salvation Army Hall where he found George 
 who was very much pleased, though surprised to 
 see him. 
 
 * What you doin' back here now?" he demanded. 
 
 * You'se don't seem glad to see me." 
 
 " I am glad to see you all right; but don't you think 
 you're running a chance? O'Leary's in the cooler 
 with some more o' the brass buttons and they can't 
 gdt out on bail even. The new guy on this beat ain't 
 no good; you can't frame up nothin' with him. Busi 
 ness is on the bum. This town will soon be a dead 
 one; and, by the way, they're lookin' for you, too." 
 ' Who squealed? O'Leary? " 
 
 " No, you bet he didn't; that fellow's on the 
 square. Some of the guys said May Carleton 
 peached, but I don't believe it; she's always been on 
 the level, too." 
 
 '* Well, let's don't waste time talking; let's go to 
 Dinty's; I'm all in." 
 
 " It would be safer for you to duck right away." 
 
 " It may be; but I got to have a drink and a stiff 
 one, too! " 
 
 :< Well, if you'se goin' to run chances, you might 
 as well come on; get what you want, but take an old 
 man's advice, and after that dig out at once." 
 
168 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 Toledo Red was anxious for Jere to escape arrest 
 for two reasons: He did not want to see his young 
 friend go to prison, because he really liked Jere, and 
 they were good friends; then again, the boy had been 
 a successful thief, and had shared his earnings with 
 George with a free hand. Thus, arrest for Jere 
 meant disaster for both of them. The next half hour 
 was spent in drinking and eating. Jere's palsied 
 nerves seemed to demand an unduly large amount of 
 spirituous liquors, and in a short while both men were 
 in a mild state of intoxication. Jere's thought pro 
 cesses became entangled and distorted. The little 
 reasoning power with which nature had endowed 
 him, fled. While thus stupified, and totally oblivious 
 of impending danger, the new officer of the district 
 stepped into the saloon and perceiving Jere he at 
 once placed him under arrest. Whereupon George, 
 in his half drunken manner, arraigned the police 
 man: " Oh, that's the reason why you'se been comin' 
 in the Salvation Hall lately askin' me all kinds o' 
 questions about me work an' if I did it alone now, 
 an' where me young pal had gone to? " To which, 
 however, the officer made no reply; but after tightly 
 securing Jere with a twist-chain around the wrist, 
 he led him out of the place to the nearest patrol box. 
 there to call for and await the wagon from Central 
 Station to take his captive to headquarters. Though 
 drunk, Jere became frightened and whiningly begged 
 the officer: 
 
 " I'll fix it all right with you, if you let me slip 
 away this time; besides I ain't the feller you'se 
 lookin' fer." The answer to this pleading was la 
 conic: " You tell that to the Judge." 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 169 
 
 The next morning about eight o'clock Jere was 
 taken to the prosecutor's office by two plain clothes 
 men. He had a bursting headache; the dissipation 
 of the evening before left him feeling extremely mis 
 erable both in mind and body, and the ever-increas 
 ing fear which further benumbed his liquor-poisoned 
 brain rendered him an easy and helpless subject for 
 the inquisition he was about to undergo. Kenning- 
 ton addressed the officers with a friendly " Good 
 morning, gentlemen! " then looking intently at Jere 
 for a few seconds, which seemed like an eternity to 
 the forlorn culprit, he asked, " What is your name? 
 What are you here for? " 
 
 Jere was unable to answer; and he withered Ke- 
 neath Kennington's look of scrutiny, casting his 
 eyes upon the floor and remaining silent. 
 
 " Since you cannot reply, I'll do it for you," the 
 attorney resumed. 
 
 " You are charged with shooting a man, three 
 weeks ago." Jere paled but made no answer. 
 
 " Fortunately the individual recovered, and lucky 
 for you; for, had he died you would have been 
 charged with murder; as it is you are indicted for 
 assault and battery with intent to kill." 
 
 " It ain't so; they can't prove it." 
 
 ' Yes, it is so; I am the man you shot. How 
 much money did they pay you for this brave 
 act." 
 
 At this statement Jere was on the verge of col 
 lapse; and, had he not been standing between the 
 two officers, he would have fallen to the floor; as it 
 was, they assisted and led him to a chair directly op- 
 
170 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 posite Kennington, who never took his eyes off the 
 young man, but continued, saying: 
 
 " Just make a clean breast of it and do yourself a 
 favor, my young fellow. You did the shooting, of 
 course; you were not mad at me especially and, 
 therefore, did it for no personal reason. You were 
 hired to do it. The fellows who employed you are 
 more guilty than you are. You were only a tool in 
 their hands." 
 
 Jere breathed rapidly; his face alternately paled 
 and reddened and large drops of perspiration stood 
 out on his forehead; nervously he drummed with his 
 fingers on the arm of the chair; but he made no 
 reply; because he was so frightened and overwhelmed 
 by the fact that his guilt had been discovered. Ken 
 nington then opened a drawer in his desk and took 
 out a photograph of a man in the uniform, worn by 
 the lieutenant of the police, and pointing his index 
 finger at the picture he held it before Jere's face and 
 asked: "Do you know this man? Have you ever 
 seen him before? How much did he pay you to 
 shoot me? " 
 
 A huge lump arose in Jere's throat and he seemed 
 to almost choke; an oppressive sense of guilt and ter 
 rible fear engulfed him; and as he sat there, shaking 
 in every limb, the thought slowly passed through his 
 leaden-like brain: " Here is the man I tried to mur 
 der. I am found out, and I can do nothing now but 
 to ask for mercy." 
 
 Falteringly he answered : " Yes, O'Leary prom 
 ised me five hundred dollars to shoot you; but he has 
 paid only half of it so far; " then bursting out into a 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 171 
 
 flood of tears, he added: " Oh, how I wish I hadn't 
 done it; I don't want to go to prison; please, don't 
 send me there; I'll be good if you will give me an 
 other chance!" 
 
 Jere's confession had quickly been taken down 
 by the prosecutor's secretary, who handed the paper 
 to Kennington, and the latter placed it before Jere to 
 subscribe his name. 
 
 " Come on, sign this; it's of no use to put the state 
 to the expense of a jury trial when you admit your 
 guilt, as you have done just now." 
 
 The young would-be gunman affixed his name in a 
 big scrawly, illiterate hand. Jere was taken back to 
 jail to await sentence of the court at a future date. 
 Before leaving the prosecutor's office he pleaded not 
 to be put in the same department of the city's bas 
 tille in which O'Leary was being detained, " for," 
 he fearfully explained, " O'Leary might think that I 
 squealed on him; but I did not, you folks had the 
 goods on me, so what could I say? He's more guilty 
 than I am, anyhow." 
 
 Kennington bade the officers do as their prisoner 
 requested; and, with a freer heart, Jere left the office, 
 willing to trust his future lot with the law rather than 
 with his erstwhile employer. Jere was a creature of 
 selfish instincts only; and, though in the clutch of 
 the law, he was ready to grasp at any thing that might 
 be to his benefit. 
 
 When the door closed behind his would-be assas 
 sin, Kennington turned to his desk and on a small 
 tablet marked down the figure one, and semi-audibly 
 said to himself: " Well, this is case number one of 
 which Nemesis has disposed; who is next? " 
 
172 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 Stepping into the corridor of the court-house to 
 go to the Circuit Court room he was shocked to hear 
 an enterprising young newsboy yell as he ran through 
 the hall: "Poiper! Poiper! All about Joe Gerard's 
 Drownin'!" 
 
 Kennington bought a paper, giving the lad a dime 
 and|. telling him to keep the change. The young 
 Israelitic vendor spat on the coin and put it in his 
 pocket, this peculiar and unclean ceremony being 
 performed for the sake of " good luck " to bring 
 further monetary blessings. With an indescribable 
 feeling of horror, mingled with sorrow, and yet one 
 bordering on relief, Kennington read the brief ac 
 count as follows: " Telegraphic information has been 
 received that the Hon. Joseph Gerard of this city 
 was accidentally drowned while bathing at Palm 
 Beach. Particulars later. He was one of the best- 
 known politicians of the city and the state." 
 
 Involuntarily the words, " Number two," fell 
 from Kennington's lips. He hastened at once to the 
 next telephone booth and called up Miss Gerard to 
 offer her his heart-felt sympathies. It was quite a 
 while before he could reach her over the wire; in a 
 tearful voice she responded to his inquiries. In a 
 few well-chosen words he offered his condolence and 
 also voiced a willingness and a desire to assist her and 
 her mother during the ensuing days. For all of 
 which Jennie thanked him in a quiet manner; yet 
 her heart was relieved with the knowledge that even 
 amid her poignant grief Kennington should so gra 
 ciously offer aid and speak so kindly of her father's 
 demise, knowing him as he really had been. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 173 
 
 Gerard's death was doubly hard for Jennie to bear. 
 His tragic end disclosed conclusively the duality of 
 her father's character. It fell to her lot the day after 
 the funeral to survey the deceased parent's belong 
 ings, for her mother was absolutely helpless in her 
 self-centered sorrow. While performing this last, 
 sad task the poor grief -stricken girl found the tele 
 gram, which the Mayor had sent her father, warning 
 him not to return to the city of X until he re 
 ceived directions to do so. Bitter, briny tears fell 
 upon this incriminating little slip of yellow paper 
 and she mused to herself sadly: " That thief Sander 
 son was right after all, though I doubted him. I am 
 glad that I did not ask Mr. Kennington. How 
 brutal the truth is sometimes, especially to me in 
 this trying hour! " And she said half aloud, " Oh, 
 Arthur, how good you are! How can I face you 
 after this disclosure? " 
 
 Jere waited eight days ere he made his appear 
 ance before the Judge; and, during this interim he 
 was visited several times by his pal, Toledo Red. 
 At one of these visits this old reprobate endeavored 
 to slip Jere, when the jailor's back was turned, some 
 small steel saws and files wherewith he might find his 
 way to liberty. But the best laid plans ofttimes go 
 awry; and they did in this case. A little while later 
 when George was about to leave he felt a heavy hand 
 upon his shoulder and heard a gruff voice inviting 
 him to stay a while and partake of the bounty of 
 the city's free lodging house; and, turning around, 
 he found himself face to face with the deputy sheriff. 
 
174 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 " Now, what's the matter? " George insolently 
 asked. 
 
 " Matter enough," the officer of the law sarcasti 
 cally replied: " I thought you'd quit the game, but 
 I guess, ' once a crook always a crook.' You can 
 explain about those saws and files tomorrow morning 
 in the Court. Aiding and abetting a prisoner to es 
 cape is a serious charge; and, as an * old bird,' you 
 ought to know that." 
 
 Forthwith the old rascal was put under lock and 
 key. Again Nemesis had overtaken another of 
 fender, for fate had decreed that George and Jere 
 should be sentenced in court on the same day. The 
 next morning, as the clock struck the hour of nine, 
 the court bailiff sharply rapped the gavel on his 
 desk and called the room to order. The entire audi 
 ence arose, while the venerable Judge Maxon stepped 
 to his chair. When the ceremony of opening the 
 court was finished an ominous silence prevailed 
 throughout the room; then in a deep, low voice the 
 Judge asked the prosecuting attorney to proceed 
 with the first case on the docket. 
 
 The Judge was a gentleman of the old school and a 
 jurist who had once believed in that penal philosophy 
 which demanded an eye for an eye and a tooth for a 
 tooth. He was always calm and dignified; but on 
 this morning he appeared more sober and austere 
 than usual. He seemed to be the embodiment of an 
 unapproachable dignity, the personification of an 
 abstract pitiless justice. His looks belied his inner 
 feelings, however. The advance of years had soft 
 ened his heart; there was a quality of pity that tern- 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 175 
 
 pered his justice with mercy and was only restrained 
 by the legal statutes that bound him. 
 
 This morning his countenance appeared sterner 
 than usual. His snow-white hair, as it graced the 
 pale skin of his temples, which were blue-penciled by 
 tortuous veins that lay beneath, added to the pal 
 lor of his cheeks. They were furrowed with deep 
 wrinkles, not engraved by the hand of time alone, 
 but by significant and unusual experiences of life. 
 Heavy lines crossed his forehead; his eyes, as they 
 occasionally peered over the rims of his glasses into 
 space, seemed to look down a vista of years which 
 held for him a burden not lightened by the flight of 
 time. 
 
 A feeling akin to pity arose in Kennington's heart 
 as he scrutinized the bent old gentleman whose name 
 was linked with all the leading organizations of the 
 state that worked for society's reform and better 
 ment. This judge was the President of the State 
 Bar Association. There was no enterprise worth 
 mentioning bent upon humanity's uplift in which he 
 was not interested. And as the prosecutor surveyed 
 His Honor more closely than he had ever done before, 
 he could not help but wonder why this worried, de 
 pressed look, which expressed a dread of some haunt 
 ing spectre invisible to all eyes save those of the 
 Judge alone. He quieted his inquisitive mind with 
 the thought that perhaps the daily contact with life's 
 derelicts, the ever-present spectacle of crime and 
 passion, had left its impress upon his countenance. 
 Kennington thought of these things as he stated the 
 facts in Jere's case to Judge Maxon. This youth 
 
176 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 had confessed to assault and battery with intent to 
 kill; and even though the young gunman had made 
 the assault upon the prosecutor himself the latter did 
 not display any spirit of vindictiveness or retaliation, 
 but simply laid a signed confession before the Judge, 
 who carefully read it over, then summoned Jere to 
 rise and stand before him. 
 
 From his chair behind the dull-toned oak desk 
 Judge Maxon looked intently at Jere, an apology of 
 manhood. Limply the defendant was partly stand 
 ing, partly leaning against the railing in front of the 
 the platform where the Judge was seated. As Jere 
 was there in plain view of all he presented a pitiful 
 aspect; poorly nourished, hollow chested, with a 
 low forehead, sunken cheeks colored with a hectic 
 flush; the evidences of disease and dissipation were 
 plainly apparent. He was truly an object of abject 
 misery and terror, barely able to pronounce his own 
 name. The only thing that saved his face from 
 being indescribable was his aquiline nose, a solitary 
 heirloom of the strain of some superior blood of his 
 ancestry. Even to the Judge's unscientific eye, 
 that is from a medical point of view, were noticeable 
 the stigmata of degeneracy in this young offender of 
 the law. After having taken a mental invoice, so to 
 say, of this animated lump of clay, bearing the mis 
 nomer of man, the Judge asked: 
 
 :< Where are your parents? " 
 
 To this Jere replied that he knew little of them. 
 A look of pain passed over the Judge's face; and, after 
 a moment's pause, he began: 
 
 " Is there any reason why sentence should not be 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 177 
 
 pronounced upon you? " The reply being negative, 
 he continued in a voice which seemed to Kennington 
 as if coming from the remote past: 
 
 " Jere Patton, I sentence you to the State's Prison 
 for a period of two to twenty-one years at hard 
 labor." 
 
 Having made the entry in his book, the Judge re 
 sumed speaking to the youth, still standing before 
 him: 
 
 " It grieves me very much to send a young man of 
 your age to prison; but the law must be upheld; 
 and, for the good of society, you must be removed 
 from its midst until you have proven that you are a 
 fit subject to live among men again. That is all, 
 Mr. Prosecutor; next case, please." { 
 
 Jere was led away and a florid, burly policeman 
 brought George to the front. In a few minutes the 
 indictment was read, to which the sinner plead guilty 
 as indifferently as if he had been asked the time of 
 the day. Without further loss of time, hardly giv 
 ing more than a passing look, the Court sentenced 
 Toledo Red to the same number of years that had 
 been received by his young pal. Whether it was 
 irony, or the imbecility of senility, who knows? 
 George said: 
 
 ' Thank ye, yer Honor! Gimme seventy years if 
 you like; it's all the same to me! " and, shamblingly, 
 he followed the officer back to the jail, pending his 
 transfer to the " big house," as he called the State 
 Prison. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 JERE'S IDENTITY REVEALED 
 
 Contrary to the usual order of legal events, the 
 wheels of justice moved very quickly during the week 
 in which George and Jere were sentenced to prison. 
 The deposed Lieutenant O'Leary and four other 
 police-officers, seeing that they had been caught red- 
 handed, so to say, in their civic wickedness, con 
 cluded that it was safer and the part of wisdom to 
 plead guilty to the indictments which had been 
 brought against them, rather than stand trial, lest 
 they thereby involve their brother officers, and pos 
 sibly the Mayor himself. They did possess a certain 
 amount of knavish loyalty, which is said to be the 
 characteristic of the " Subterranean Brotherhood." 
 By casting themselves on the mercy of the court they 
 expected to receive lighter sentences. Their fam 
 ilies were not to suffer for lack of temporal necessities 
 because of the imprisonment and disgrace of these 
 convicted officers; for each one of the men had man 
 aged to make deposits in more than one bank which 
 more than trebled their yearly salaries. They had 
 prepared for a rainy day, and now it had come. 
 
 When they appeared before Judge Maxon to enter 
 their pleas of guilty, he denounced their breach of 
 trust and gave them the limit of the law, expressing 
 his regret that the penalty provided for such offenses 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 179 
 
 was not more severe. A few days later all these 
 men, George and Jere included, were manacled to 
 gether and, in company of four stalwart deputies, 
 taken to the State Prison. A bitter look of malice 
 shot out of O'Leary's eyes when Jere cautiously 
 glanced toward him, and the young fellow felt easier 
 in thinking that he was quite safely removed from the 
 ex-official; he hoped that in prison this respectable 
 distance would still be maintained. Jere knew that 
 his confession had clinched the evidence that had 
 been brought to bear against O'Leary. He also 
 knew that a man of the lieutenant's type would not 
 hesitate to use any means that might come to his 
 hands for revenge. For once in his life the young 
 pickpocket felt that the officers of the law were really 
 his friends, and he kept very close to his legal escort. 
 
 George sat in his seat with an apparent indiffer 
 ence and enjoyed the " stogie " which he had asked 
 one of the deputies to give him. 
 
 " Reckon it will be the last decent tobacco I'll get 
 fer a while," he flippantly remarked, as he contented 
 ly puffed azure-gray rings of smoke against the pane 
 of the car window. 
 
 :< This ain't half bad, Kid! A nice ride down the 
 line and four gents lookin' after us ! Enjoy the scen 
 ery, Kid, as we go along! " 
 
 " I wish I hadn't come back to the city," Jere 
 moaned in reply; " I'd rather ride the bumpers free 
 and easy than be hooked upon the cushions like 
 this." 
 
 " Oh, cut out your cryin', Kid; you'll have plenty 
 of time to think it over; go to it like a man! " 
 
180 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 The young convict vainly tried to assume an air 
 of cheerfulness and vigorously bit his lips in his ef 
 forts to keep back the tears, which more than once 
 had threatened to appear in a briny deluge. His 
 heart sank within him when the great, gray, gloomy 
 walls of the State Penitentiary loomed up in his sight; 
 and he wondered what could be behind them. What 
 did fate hold in store for him? 
 
 George, with a veritable sort of gallows humor, re 
 marked: " Here she is, boys, the old ' stir '*; hasn't 
 stirred a bit from her old place! " and he laughed 
 alone at his own foolish pun. To him the institu 
 tion was a place of refuge; there he would meet 
 friends of his own feather; he knew it would furnish 
 him with the necessities of life, at least, and all his 
 wants would be supplied, except his daily drink of 
 liquor. How he would miss Dinty's saloon with its 
 musty smell and free lunch, and its mute bar-keeper! 
 Widely different were Jere's thoughts. In his child 
 ish imagination, the prison they were approaching 
 was to him a place of terror indescribable, where si 
 lent horrors were enacted. The tales of brutalities 
 and punishments of prison life, which had been jok 
 ingly told him by ex-prisoners, were vividly recalled 
 to his mind. As he passed through the large iron 
 gateway, where a tall handsome turnkey was the 
 jealous monarch of all he surveyed, and, like a Cer 
 berus, was closely watching all that passed in and 
 out, Jere's teeth fairly chattered. He was aroused 
 from his fearful cogitations by the gruff voice of 
 Captain Burns, saying: 
 
 * Slang for prison. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 181 
 
 " Back again, George? This is the fifth time for 
 you." 
 
 " Well, it ain't bad, Cap; not so bad at that. Me 
 health is failin' an' times is hard; I hopes the doctor 
 gives me a good place in the old folks' ward wid de 
 ' Sons o' Rest.' I'll make as good a s Senator ' as 
 any of them. De place owes me a pension. Can't 
 do much work anyhow. Say, Cap, will you put in 
 a good word fer me wid de croaker*? " To which 
 the receiving officer merely grunted in reply. Jere 
 wonderingly listened to all this conversation carried 
 on in such a familiar vein with the Captain, whose 
 actions did not seem so surly, rough and awe-inspir 
 ing as did his thick, gruff voice and his impassive 
 face. Yet the youth's dire apprehensions were not 
 allayed. After the clerk had disposed of the newly 
 arrived men, entering their names in the big book 
 and giving them their respective numbers by which 
 they were to be known from then on, they were taken 
 to the bath-house. George, who had gone through 
 this routine ceremony of entrance many times before, 
 at once began to disrobe and prepare for the bath, 
 while Jere looked around for a private place to dis 
 card his garments. 
 
 "Hurry up, young fellow; what are you waiting 
 on? " Captain Burns growled at him. Tremblingly 
 the young convict undressed; and, having done so he 
 was told by an attending, lynx-eyed prisoner, to 
 " Get under the shower! " When bathed he was be 
 smeared with a greasy, bluish-looking ointment, 
 whose antiseptic qualities made it extremely valuable 
 
 * Slang for doctor. 
 
182 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 in this place where men were received in all condi 
 tions of bodily uncleanliness. This part of initiation 
 finished, the prison clothes were donned. 
 
 ' What a difference," Jere thought, " between this 
 suit and my own; " and when he endeavored to take 
 some articles out of his citizen's clothes, again the 
 captain's voice grated on his ears; " Leave those 
 alone; you're not allowed anything, except a hand 
 kerchief and toothbrush; you can have these two 
 articles, if you own as much." 
 
 By the time the young prisoner was fully ready to 
 enter the doctor's office, where he was taken next, 
 George emanated therefrom with a happy smile on his 
 face. For the prison physician had assigned him to 
 the convalescent ward. This was an easy berth in 
 prison. It freed him from labor in the shops and in 
 the yard, where discipline was rigid; and there he 
 was given the unusual liberties to play games all day 
 with a lot of old derelicts who were beyond physical 
 repair. These men, his future companions, were 
 without ambition and hope; here they found contin 
 ual rest and calm; this was a veritable haven of 
 safety to them, even though it was called prison. 
 
 Jere was ushered into the prison physician's office 
 by the hospital orderly, a prisoner who had been as 
 signed to do this duty. The office was furnished 
 with two desks, the roll-top one belonging to the 
 doctor; and the other, a small typewriting desk, 
 seated at which was the doctor's stenographer, who 
 was busy at his typewriter, his fingers flying rapidly 
 over the keys of the machine. In one corner stood 
 a bookcase full of books which bore the names of 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 183 
 
 medical and psychological subjects. In the other 
 corner was a long shelf filled with rows of immense 
 volumes, which contained the written records of the 
 long mental and physical examinations, also the 
 biographical histories of prisoners received at the 
 institution. Under a glass case were a number of 
 delicate instruments for testing the nervous system 
 of the prison inmates and for measuring their mental 
 reactions and emotions. 
 
 In a short while the prison physician entered the 
 office. He was clad in a spotless white linen suit. 
 He took his chair at the desk and quickly perused the 
 commitment papers in Jere's case; first directing 
 the youth to take a seat in a chair just in front of the 
 desk. Jere's fear had now begun to subside some 
 what. The prison official treated him kindly and 
 addressed his many questions to the new convict in 
 a frank, friendly manner. He commenced his inter 
 rogation by asking the prisoner what he knew about 
 his parents and their antecedents. And when Jere 
 replied that he knew but very little of his father 
 and mother, and nothing at all about his grand 
 parents, the doctor turned to his assistant and said: 
 
 " Make a note of this and I will see if we cannot 
 discover the history of this man's relatives in the 
 State's vital statistics, or in the records of some of 
 our other state institutions." 
 
 This interview was then followed by a detailed, 
 comprehensive examination. Jere was found to be 
 poorly nourished, a rachitic specimen; his heart 
 beats were irregular and too rapid; he was hollow 
 chested and hectic flushes burned on his cheeks; the 
 
184 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 earmarks of inherited physical degeneracy were 
 present everywhere upon his body. The mental 
 survey then followed. Jere's intelligence and emo 
 tions were subjected to the latest tests of psychologi 
 cal science. His chronological age was twenty-one 
 years; he was possessed of the animal passions and 
 desires of an adult man, and yet his mentality equaled 
 only that of a child. It was plainly evident to the 
 examining physician that nature and disease had not 
 permitted the full development of his mentality; and 
 these fateful forces of life had placed him in a state 
 of childhood that was to be perpetual and unhappy. 
 Jere's trial had occupied twenty minutes in the 
 Court of Justice, but no further time had been re 
 quired to establish the fact that he had committed 
 the crime with which he was charged. The honor 
 and dignity of the state and the law had been pre 
 served. He was a depraved wretch; and, under 
 the chaperonage of the country sheriff, he had been 
 hustled off to prison, wearing the steel bracelets 
 which society had designed for those who violate her 
 laws and customs. In the prison Laboratory of 
 Science Jere was examined for more than three hours; 
 his bodily functions had been tested; his nervous 
 system investigated, his mentality measured. His 
 blood had been examined by the methods known to 
 biological chemistry, and by the secret-discovering 
 microscope. His blood was found to be teeming 
 with the toxemia of the wriggling, wiggling, twisting 
 spirilli of the social plague, a disease which had been 
 the evil gift bestowed upon him by his progenitors. 
 In the Court of Science an appeal had been made. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 185 
 
 He was found guilty of a criminal act, but insane 
 and irresponsible. 
 
 Turning to his assistant the prison physician 
 petulantly stated: " This man must suffer, but so 
 ciety has made him what he is! He's not to blame; 
 but who is? " 
 
 Jere was at once transferred to the Hospital for 
 Insane Criminals, there to spend the remainder of his 
 days. He was anti-social, not by choice, but by an 
 inherited disease, which was incurable. So far as 
 society was concerned his book of life had been closed, 
 except that he had become a life-long ward of the 
 state. 
 
 The great, iron gate in the gray walls clanks dis 
 mally behind those who pass from the prison yard 
 into the beautiful grounds of the Hospital for Insane 
 Criminals. The building and its environments are 
 pleasing to the eyes of the visitor, but within the 
 walls are the human derelicts who have made ship 
 wrecks of the voyage of life and have committed 
 physical acts of crime. 
 
 Society must be protected from the criminals. 
 Yet some crimes are purely symptoms of mental 
 maladies with which the poor mortals are suffering. 
 Too often we view crime from one angle only. We 
 compel the unfortunate insane and feeble-minded, 
 who find their way into our courts, to undergo the 
 same punishments as we do the mentally sound. 
 Often retributive, hasty justice overtakes these be 
 nighted offenders; in less than an hah* an hour they 
 are found guilty, sentenced and carried off to prison. 
 
 In one of the wards in this prison was a young man 
 
186 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 swaying to and fro, soliloquizing in a silly, senseless 
 chatter. His hands tremble continually, his eyes 
 are lustreless. 
 
 He is unconscious of the approach of the visitors. 
 This fellow was convicted of forgery. He clumsily 
 raised a check from fifteen to one hundred and 
 fifty dollars; then asked the cashier of the bank if he 
 had done it properly. 
 
 Helpless and demented he had been stigmatized 
 and penalized, his family disgraced; and, to the 
 sorrow of disease, had been added the degradation of 
 crime. 
 
 Another individual is decorated with bits of colored 
 paper. He carries a sack full of all sorts of trash, 
 pebbles, leaves and bits of wood. He, too, is pos 
 sessed of weak features which have been scarred and 
 bruised by the demon of epilepsy. Following each 
 convulsion he becomes an unconscious slave and tool 
 of his baser self. In a state of automatism he ap 
 propriated some garments from a clothes lines, and 
 before he regained his normal consciousness he was 
 caught. Result, again swift, relentless justice 
 stepped in, and society was avenged; the culprit sent 
 to prison. 
 
 Another patient may be found delivering an inco 
 herent speech to an imaginary audience. He belongs 
 to the type that murder our public men. Fate deal 
 ing more kindly with them, they sometimes become 
 leaders of fanatical religious cults. This particular 
 fellow has very keen eyes; his face is irregular in out 
 line. Nature has stamped upon him marks of de 
 generacy, and criminality has claimed him for her 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 187 
 
 own. He murdered a fellowman because the latter 
 refused to acknowledge him as an emissary from 
 God. He is a paranoiac. 
 
 Such was the company in which Jere was to live 
 from now on. A living tomb, from whence there is 
 no resurrection! 
 
 Taking up the thread of our narrative we are ap 
 prised of a startling fact. The prison physician 
 made, as he asserted he would at the time of Jere's 
 examination, some inquiry as to his progenitors; he 
 discovered that Jere Patton, whose real name was Jere 
 Patton Maxon, was none other than the grandson of 
 the distinguished Judge Maxon, who had sentenced 
 him to prison. It became the distressing duty of the 
 doctor to write to the Judge regarding the matter. 
 For two reasons: namely, he knew of the Judge's 
 former efforts to discover the whereabouts of his son, 
 whom he had disinherited; and, though the truth 
 was brutal, the physician felt morally bound to in 
 form Judge Maxon of his investigations. Then, too, 
 it was necessary to verify the findings that the rec 
 ords of the court might be accurate concerning the 
 identity of the young man. The letter written to 
 Judge Maxon read as follows: 
 
 STATE PRISON, 
 
 Hon. Steven Maxon, Office of Physician. 
 
 Judge Circuit Court, 
 City of X . 
 
 My dear Judge Maxon: 
 
 It is with deepest regret that I write you the fol 
 lowing lines. When examining a young prisoner the 
 
188 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 other day it developed that the fellow knew little of 
 his antecedents. Looking up the State's vital rec 
 ords it was found that the prisoner's name in reality 
 is Jere Patton Maxon. Further investigations re 
 vealed that he is a child of your late son, Steven 
 Maxon, Jr. 
 
 Believe me, Judge, that never have I been placed 
 in a more painful position than to be compelled to 
 impart this lamentable news to you. When I ex 
 amined the boy in my laboratory I found him to be 
 both insane and feeble-minded. This mental in 
 firmity being due to an inherited blood disorder. I 
 have placed him in the Hospital for Insane Criminals, 
 where he will receive the best care and attention that 
 I am able to give. The prognosis for recovery is 
 unfavorable. 
 
 You may rest assured that this revelation will be 
 kept strictly confidential. 
 
 Yours sympathizingly, 
 
 E. B. RANSON, M.D. 
 Physician in Charge State Prison Hospital. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 A PAWN OF FATE 
 
 Upon receiving the letter containing the shocking 
 disclosures, written by the prison physician, Judge 
 Maxon left the city the following day. Another 
 judge was appointed to fill the bench during the ab 
 sence of the venerable jurist. It was stated in the 
 court house circles that he would be absent a week on 
 a visit to the state capital. Political gossip ran riot 
 and all kinds of wild surmises were disseminated. 
 Some rumors would have it that the Judge was going 
 to interview the Governor concerning a successor; 
 Kennington quite likely being the favorite; others 
 asserted that Judge Maxon was seeking some higher 
 position for himself. Each, however, fell wide of the 
 mark, for the visit to the capital was made to corrob 
 orate the statement received from Dr. Ranson. 
 
 A week had elapsed, when, one evening, Kenning 
 ton, learning of the Judge's return, called upon his 
 legal friend. Entering the library, into which he had 
 been ushered, he found Judge Maxon sitting before 
 the open fireplace, lost in deep reverie. His head was 
 bowed upon his chest; in his hand, resting upon the 
 broad arm of his chair, was a crumpled sheet of 
 paper. Impishly the firelight illumined his face and 
 snow white hair. He was totally oblivious to all his 
 surroundings, even to Kennington's approach. 
 
190 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 The latter thought to himself as he gazed at the 
 old man: " Here is a beautiful picture of kindly old 
 age, peace and serenity; " and he hesitated to dis 
 turb the old gentleman, when the servant spoke: 
 " Mr. Kennington to see you, Judge." 
 
 The Judge was startled from his contemplation, 
 but welcomed his visitor quite warmly and in his 
 customary hospitable manner. 
 
 " I am indeed glad that you called; I have been 
 wanting to talk to you all day." 
 
 " Yes, Judge, it is a pleasure to have you speak 
 that way, I assure you, but first let me ask, are you 
 ill? " 
 
 Whereupon the other replied: " No, not in body, 
 but in mind. Draw your chair to the fire and read 
 this letter. I do not know how to begin." 
 
 Kennington divined that something must have 
 gone radically wrong with his aged friend and solici 
 tously said: "Better let me call a physician;" to 
 which the Judge made a deprecatory gesture and 
 replied: 
 
 " No, no; a physician could not render any service 
 to me in this case," and in a tone of utter despair he 
 again proffered the letter to the young man for pe 
 rusal. Kennington answered, " Since you insist that 
 no physical attention is needed I'll do as you wish; " 
 and so saying sat down to read the missive, laden 
 with its tragic news. After the reading Kennington 
 was speechless; a sigh from the Judge roused him. 
 Rising he stepped over to the bowed form opposite 
 him and tenderly laid his hands upon the shoulders 
 of the grief-stricken man. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 191 
 
 " All right, my boy; don't say anything; sit 
 down; let me do the talking. Fate has laid a heavy 
 hand on that poor lad Jere Patton, whom I sentenced 
 to prison a little more than two weeks ago. The 
 truth is, however, that I sentenced him beyond the 
 pale of pardon fifty years ago." 
 
 ' What do you mean? " the astonished young 
 laywer exclaimed, thinking to himself that perhaps 
 his friend's mind had suddenly become unbalanced 
 under the stress of this terrible revelation. 
 
 " Have patience with me, Kennington. It is a 
 long story but it must be all told, and told without 
 reserve so that you may understand the moves Fate 
 makes when she plays with men, her pawns on 
 the chess board of life." 
 
 There was a moment of silence, and then the Judge 
 began in a low voice: 
 
 :< The curriculum of 18 had come to its close 
 and an eastern university was ready to open its ivy 
 clad portals to let her graduates go out into the 
 world to put into practice what they had acquired 
 in theory. 
 
 >( The great hall was crowded to overflowing, and 
 with bated breath the audience listened to the bacca 
 laureate address delivered by the oldest living alum 
 nus, the Rev. A. J. Goodall, Doctor of Divinity. 
 
 " Among the terse statements made by the noted 
 divine, one especially was dwelt and enlarged upon: 
 namely, that every one is the architect of his own 
 fortune. It is needless to say that many firm resolu 
 tions were made on that evening to blaze a pathway 
 in the labyrinth of life, leaving a record in the annals 
 
192 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 of history as a proof of the assertions of the well- 
 loved speaker. The next evening the united fra 
 ternities gave their farewell dance to the sororities, 
 and it was an event long to remain a bright spot 
 in the memory of those attending. Nothing was 
 spared or overlooked to make the occasion a most 
 brilliant success; for the youths arranging the pro 
 gram were sons of wealthy and noted families. 
 
 The galaxy of beauty displayed by the members 
 of the sororities could only be rivalled by the im 
 agination of an artist. One certain couple attracted 
 the attention of every eye. They were beyond doubt 
 the most favored among all those present, physically, 
 intellectually and socially. The young man had just 
 finished his literary course, winning nearly all the 
 available scholarships and honors until he was 
 recognized as the finest student of the university and 
 pointed out as a model to be followed. He was a very 
 diligent scholar, endowed with a high sense of honor 
 and his position in life was above reproach, but in 
 his life a Nemesis was ever present. 
 
 " Dark visions rose to cloud his happiness when 
 he recalled the hours spent with reckless companions 
 on a night during his sophomore year. A Greek 
 fraternity, of which he was a member, had given a 
 reception to visiting brothers from a neighboring 
 university. Wine had flowed in profusion and in the 
 early hours of the morning one foolish J rater had sug 
 gested that they visit the Maison D'or, a place often 
 frequented by the young bloods of the day. Here, 
 drunk and worshiping at the shrine of an unchaste 
 Venus, he contracted a loathsome disease. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 193 
 
 " At heart he was a clean boy and when the truth 
 was brought home to him a few days later his mental 
 depression almost amounted to a despair which in 
 vited suicide. 
 
 " Upon saner reflection, however, he consulted a 
 prominent college physician and learned that though 
 his body was filled with the revolting poison of a 
 constitutional disease, he might by a long continued, 
 rigid treatment, eventually be restored to health. 
 Faithfully he followed the strict rules which the doc 
 tor imposed upon him; and yet, though his progress 
 was excellent, he was always haunted by a constant 
 fear that some time or other a second outbreak would 
 drag him down to utter ruin. 
 
 " Fate, however, seemed to be kind; he steadily 
 improved and soon appeared his former self again. 
 Then love came, and though at first he fought hard 
 against it, ever mindful of his secret downfall and its 
 bitter consequences, he finally surrendered to the all- 
 conqueror when assured by his physician that if he 
 continued to live a sober life there would be no danger 
 either for himself or his wife, were he to marry. With 
 a light heart he hastened to declare his love and re 
 ceived her sweetly candid avowal of love requited. 
 Those were halcyon days of happiness supreme, 
 though often the phantom spectre of fear infernal 
 filled his heart and mind, and the burning question 
 recurred to haunt him: what if, notwithstanding 
 the doctor's assurance of immunity, this curse of hu 
 manity, this retributing sin of the fathers visited 
 upon the children's children, should assert itself, 
 and on his son? 
 
194 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 " The engagement of the young couple was ap 
 proved by every one, especially the families of the 
 betrothed. The fraternity dance was their last social 
 appearance at college prior to leaving for home, and 
 quite naturally they sought to be in each other's 
 company as much as possible that evening. She 
 was an excellent young lady of strictly irreproachable 
 character, and he was her first love. She lavished 
 freely upon him all the ardor, fervor and true passion 
 that her heart was capable of giving. 
 
 " As I said before, the dance was all that could be 
 expected of a college affair. There were quiet nooks 
 in secluded spots where between dances the lovers 
 could give themselves over to wanton abandon 
 ment of expressions of affection. Then followed the 
 supper, its fine, fiery wines adding their fuel to the 
 flames." 
 
 Here the narrator stopped for a moment, and then 
 resumed as if talking to himself only. 
 
 " It was after midnight when the lovers started 
 for home; and instead of leaving his betrothed at 
 her door, the enamoured youth followed into the 
 house to remain ' just a little while ' as he 
 consoled his voice of conscience. His resolve of ' only 
 a little while ' was supplanted by the wild desire to 
 remain, to possess what was really his own, only 
 withheld by stupid laws of convention. The prehis 
 toric incident of the eating of the forbidden fruit 
 was repeated; and, like the first man and woman, 
 * they were sore afraid/ 
 
 " The trip to their home town was bereft of the 
 charm it otherwise would have held for them; the 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 195 
 
 constant consciousness of having been weighed and 
 found wanting, having been less strong than their 
 passions, was a never ending source of worry to 
 them. It was doubled for him, as he still dreaded a 
 possible consequence of his secret debauch of several 
 years before. 
 
 " Early in the fall their little world read in the 
 morning papers the announcement of their clandes- 
 ine marriage in New York. Shortly after the Christ 
 mas holidays the many friends of the young couple 
 were shocked to learn that the constant strain of 
 social duties, combined with church work, for they 
 were ardent church workers, had undermined the 
 young wife's constitution to such an extent that ab 
 solute rest and solitude were ordered by her family 
 physician. The real purpose of this exile was simply 
 to forestall any comments upon the prematurely 
 pending accouchement. 
 
 :< The happiness of the anticipated event was 
 clouded by the ever-present painful thoughts of the 
 parents to be; the mother continuously brooding 
 over the shame of their illicit act, and the father in 
 cessantly worried lest the child should be born with 
 a diseased inheritance with all its dread potentiali 
 ties. And the knowledge of his sin hung over his 
 happiness by the thread of its uncertainty as did the 
 sword of Damocles. When the time came and a son 
 was born to them, the young father could hardly 
 wait to draw the attending physician aside and fal- 
 teringly inquire if the little one was normal in every 
 way, a question that was assuringly answered by 
 the doctor. He was much relieved and in the happi- 
 
196 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 ness over the presence of the little household tyrant 
 the young parents were gradually forgetting their 
 folly and the imprudence of an unguarded moment." 
 
 The old Judge halted; and, looking straight at 
 Kennington said: " You, no doubt, have guessed 
 before this who the person is that I have described; 
 if not, I'll tell you, I am the man ! " 
 
 Silently Kennington accepted this self-accusation, 
 only gravely nodding his head in response. 
 
 Judge Maxon continued: "Success attended my 
 efforts; and, as the years rolled by, I became a 
 Judge on the bench. The irony of it, that I should 
 be called a Judge to pass sentence on others! And 
 to atone for the sins of my youth I have endeavored 
 to live a straight, clean, upright life. I even earned 
 the praise and acknowledgment of the public; and 
 now this terrible revelation ; though kept long secret, 
 my sin has found me out. But to resume, I often was 
 depressed by the fear that after all, my son Tracy 
 might be infected with the same horrid disease which 
 once tainted my blood. This worry was a constant 
 threat to my happiness, curtailing my keenest en 
 joyments, and dimming my pleasures. 
 
 Unfortunately my sorrowful anticipations were 
 realized. Tracy was utterly shiftless, would not 
 apply himself in school, and finally, growing unruly 
 and incorrigible, was expelled. I then placed him in 
 a military institution, thinking that the strict disci 
 pline would have a salutary effect; but in vain. 
 From here he was also dismissed in disgrace. I then 
 tried to interest him in the study of law in my office, 
 and for a while he seemed to do well; but again my 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 197 
 
 hopes were dashed to the ground. He was a fine look 
 ing young man, but extremely selfish, precocious, 
 morally anesthetic, inwardly coarse, devoid of pure 
 and noble ideas and ideals. His next escapade was 
 a runaway marriage consummated with a ballet girl, 
 a Lucille Patton of the " Vanity Fair Chorus," for 
 which act, in resentment, I unjustly disinherited 
 him. 
 
 " He passed from my life as though he were dead. 
 I never saw or heard of him again, until this fateful 
 letter came to my hands. I immediately resolved to 
 verify or disprove the statement made herein and 
 thus left the city, as you know, telling no one of the 
 purport of my sudden trip. But it is only too true; 
 that unfortunate puppet of fate, Jere, is, in fact, my 
 grandson. From my investigations I learned that 
 as can easily be imagined the wedded life of my son 
 was an exceedingly stormy one; little wonder, how 
 ever, for two windstorms leashed together will pro 
 duce a cyclone, and " two hard stones will not grind 
 smoothly." 
 
 " An unwelcome visitor in the person of a son 
 came to them, an accident, as it were, of their un 
 bridled passion; and, rather than adding a sense of 
 responsibility to the parents, the child was left to 
 the care of an illiterate nurse girl of the street, while 
 the parents indulged in a mad pursuit of pleasure. 
 The child surely was to be pitied, for he bore a heavy 
 burden of ancestral tyranny which is always relent 
 less and which handicapped him forever. His fate 
 was predestined, his course on life's seas char 
 tered. The world, myself included, has judged him 
 
198 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 harshly; it was not his fault that he entered life 
 warped, mentally and physically. 
 
 ' Tracy soon tiring of them, forsook his wife and 
 child; then his money gave out and he resorted to 
 forgery. He was caught, tried and sentenced to 
 prison. When released he went from bad to worse. 
 The end was suicide. Jere's mother though far from 
 what she should have been, had sufficient of the in 
 stinct of mother love within her to cling to her child 
 and she eked out a questionable living for herself 
 and for him. 
 
 " When Jere was but eight years old she became a 
 victim to tuberculosis and died in a public institu 
 tion. Here is where the information concerning the 
 boy stops; how he grew up, what hardships he was 
 compelled to undergo Heaven alone knows; and yet 
 it is all my fault, all my fault! Just to think that I 
 should finish the tragedy I began, and sentence him 
 to a living grave in prison, where after a thorough 
 examination it has been found advisable for the good 
 of himself and society at large to transfer him to the 
 Colony of Insane Criminals, there among other hu 
 man derelicts to spend the rest of his life! 
 
 " Oh, Kennington, was there ever a case like this? 
 Before you came, my dear young friend, I sat here 
 and let my life pass before me like a panorama, 
 omitting not the smallest instance. Like a hollow 
 mockery from the deep caverns of time the words of 
 that well-remembered baccalaureate address rang 
 through my mind: ' Every one is the architect of 
 his own fortune!' I tell you it is false! It is false! 
 'Tis an abominable lie; what can frail man, the mere 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 199 
 
 pawn of fate, a miserable puppet, do to alter the 
 prescribed course of his destinies? Why in the very 
 morning of earth's existence, at the gates of Eden, 
 from whence Adam and Eve were driven for sinning 
 against God's command, the law of heredity was 
 irrevocably established when the progenitors of man 
 kind were doomed to labor, to love, to suffer and to 
 die. Few natures are strong enough to mould fate 
 against the odds of heredity." 
 
 Waiting a few brief moments the Judge again 
 spoke: 
 
 " How could I and mine ever dare hope to escape 
 that inexorable tentacle of fatality? I now see that 
 many times in my professional experience I have 
 had ample proof of the consequences of heredity; 
 many unfortunates have been brought before me 
 upon whom to pass judgment for transgressions 
 which were in reality attributable to their ancestors 
 then lying in the grave. Defective in mind and body, 
 how could such victims rise above the fateful level 
 of their inheritance? The inmates of various insti 
 tutions of the country are living testimonials to the 
 law of heredity, and man's inhumanity to man is 
 forever flagrantly in evidence. I, myself, have been 
 more than unkind to my son and grandson. The 
 poisons of my own blood have wreaked vengeance 
 on them. 
 
 " The pulpit, which should be the beacon light of 
 virtue and the warning voice against evil, is afraid 
 to fulfill its mission, lest it offend its substantial 
 supporters. Prominent members of the church rent 
 their properties for immoral purposes; parents take 
 
200 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 their children budding into manhood and womanhood 
 to the theatre to view plays which would cause even 
 a lascivious Nero to blush. Under the guise of re 
 spectability dances are given and garments worn 
 which are worthy of the dancing daughter of 
 Herodias. 
 
 4 What the world needs is a physical gospel 
 preached without fear or favor. Man should be 
 taught to lead a sober life, near nature's heart; and 
 the greatest care should be given to the production 
 and bringing up of a healthy, morally clean race. All 
 those unfit for the propagation of healthy offspring 
 should be unsexed or forbidden to marry, thereby 
 making it impossible for children to be born and 
 reared in fetters of direful bondage, the links of 
 which had been forged by polluted ancestors. Oh, 
 how much better had it been, had I never been a 
 father!" 
 
 Exhausted from this sad self-accusatory auto 
 biography, the old Judge leaned back heavily in his 
 chair and closed his eyes. A prolonged silence en 
 sued. 
 
 Kennington was so moved by the dramatic recital 
 that words failed him for expression. While review 
 ing the statements made by his venerable colleague, 
 he became conscious of the regular, heavy breathing 
 of the Judge beside him. Sic transit gloria mundi! 
 came to his mind. Here sat the last of the Maxon 
 family; and to what an inglorious end it had come! 
 
 Nature was kind, however, to let the old man 
 graciously fall into the arms of sleep. 
 
 Quietly Kennington arose, and, as the little tongues 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 201 
 
 of flames, the only light in the room, fantastically 
 flickered and cast their weird shadows upon the 
 walls, he softly stole out of the library, and leaving 
 the Judge to the faithful servant's care, went home. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 KENNINGTON'S REWARD 
 
 One year had elapsed and brought with it quite a 
 few momentous changes. The vigorous campaign 
 against public graft, inaugurated and pursued by 
 Kennington, had come to a glorious and victorious 
 end. All the evil doers in public office who had re 
 mained in the city were dealt with summarily and 
 others who fled, ere they could be apprehended, left 
 never to return. A thorough house-cleaning, as it 
 were, had been made and the City of the Lake en 
 joyed an administration of civic purity. It was no 
 longer the haven of refuge for criminals. Human 
 life was safer, as was public and private property. 
 All this was due to the persistent, fearless efforts of 
 the prosecuting attorney, whom the evil element 
 had selected and elected, thereby sealing its own 
 doom. Only too late did the political gangsters 
 learn their mistake. 
 
 The press, the pulpit, the various organizations 
 and clubs, as well as the members of the many homes, 
 all combined in extolling Kennington's virtues. 
 Little wonder it was, then, that when at the end of 
 the last court session Judge Maxon resigned, the 
 lionized prosecuting attorney was suggested as the 
 successor to his venerable colleague. 
 
 With some trepidation Judge Kennington took 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 203 
 
 his seat on the bench, feeling that he might not fill 
 this highly responsible position creditably (that is, 
 according to his advanced ideas of criminality), and 
 deal out justice as he thought it should be dispensed. 
 In his wide experience with crime, as prosecutor, he 
 had come to the painful realization that much was 
 lacking in the manner with which the criminal is 
 treated and disposed of. He had become fully con 
 vinced that the old retaliative, vindictive dispensa 
 tion of the law was not the kind to be pursued in this 
 present era. He believed the man, not the crime 
 alone, must be thoroughly studied; that Science and 
 Mercy must be the associate Judges, seated on either 
 side of Justice. Science was first to be employed to 
 investigate the physical basis of the social phenome 
 non of crime, and the concomitant, economic or 
 social circumstances which make the individual a 
 criminal. And then Mercy was to follow, pleading 
 in the name of humanity to let the true findings of 
 her associate sister Judge, Science, stay the hand of 
 Justice, lest the blow of the avenging sword fall too 
 heavily and cut too deeply and severely. 
 
 For almost a year Judge Kennington was a fre 
 quent but welcomed visitor at the Gerard residence. 
 To him these hours were delicious rest periods from 
 his strenuous mental labors for he was very conscien 
 tious in his new legal capacity. 
 
 There was ever present in his mind the sad history 
 Judge Maxon had related to him; and, which was 
 known but to the old gentleman, the prison physician 
 and Kennington himself. It was through the young 
 Judge's recommendation and vigorous efforts that a 
 
204 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 psychopathic laboratory was established in the 
 Court. Here each offender of the law was given a 
 thorough examination at the time of his trial, thereby 
 preventing the miscarriage of justice. It was his 
 delight to discuss these matters and the great plans 
 he had in mind for the penology of the future, with 
 the girl he loved so dearly. Her clever and clear 
 conception of all these vital topics and her great 
 interest in the work itself, convinced him all the more 
 that she would be a fit helpmate for him. Often 
 Kennington indulged in day dreams of what it would 
 mean to him to come home at evening to her, as his 
 wife, and there at his own fireside review the ques 
 tions of the day. Equally as often after such fond 
 reveries he firmly resolved to speak to her of his 
 love, but each time it appeared as if he could not 
 muster up courage to do so. Naturally, with her 
 feminine instinct, Jennie divined the secret thought 
 and desire of her admirer; yet not infrequently 
 would she direct the conversation into other chan 
 nels when she saw that there was danger of the sub 
 ject becoming too personal. They were conscious 
 lovers; yet no declaration of love had been made. 
 
 On the evening of his first year's anniversary as 
 Judge, Kennington called at the Gerard's. The 
 weather was ideal, as only the autumn season can be. 
 October had been simply gorgeous, striving to leave 
 no doubt in the minds of the people, that the autumn 
 time, with its wonderful sunshine, its myriads of 
 color effects in gold, brown and red, is the queen of 
 seasons, and triumphantly ushering out the harvest 
 time of the year. 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 205 
 
 A beautiful Indian Summer night was holding 
 sway; and it was upon Jennie's own suggestion that 
 they set out for a stroll in the park along the Lake 
 shore. 
 
 Seated there, with the wide expanse of water before 
 them, watching the thousands of frolicking white- 
 caps, silver-tinted by the serene and mellow light of 
 the harvest moon, Kennington and Jennie sat in 
 rapturous silence. Once in a while, in the distance, 
 black clouds of smoke would arise from huge funnels, 
 bright lights became visible, deep-toned, sonorous 
 sounds floated over the blue main and the silence 
 again. 
 
 " The ships that pass in the night! " Jennie re 
 marked. 
 
 ' Yes, it is a wonderful sight, and yet a sad one; 
 for it illustrates how on life's sea the human vessels, 
 man meeting man pass and go on, never per 
 haps to meet again! " 
 
 ' You are not in a sad mood tonight, Judge, I 
 hope? " Jennie queried, looking him full in the face, 
 her own fair countenance bearing an undisguisable 
 expression of concern. 
 
 " Oh, no, Jennie, I only gave vent to my thoughts 
 which the grand tableau of a few moments ago had 
 called into life. No, I am not sad; why should I be? 
 Fate has been extremely kind to me; I have been 
 permitted today to conclude my first anniversary 
 as an incumbent of the bench. Taking a retrospect, 
 I find that it has been an exceedingly successful 
 year. Science linked hand in hand with Justice, the 
 latter tempered by Mercy, have broadened the 
 
206 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 penology of today and the old Lex Talionis has been 
 pushed into the background. You have given me 
 inspiration and been a great help to me when I came to 
 you with my legal troubles. No doubt many times 
 I've wearied you with my abstract monologues." 
 
 ' Why, no indeed; you never were tiresome, and 
 I was not only glad that you considered me capable 
 of comprehending your statements, but I too have 
 profited. They gave me broader views in my settle 
 ment labors, especially since I had fallen heir to 
 some of the houses in which I had been pursuing 
 my social betterment work. I have closely followed 
 the decisions in your court and new ideas of life have 
 been given me. You say I have been helpful to you; 
 I can hardly believe it; I do not see in what measure, 
 but I am sure that you have been of far more help 
 to me in the past year than I could ever dream to 
 have been to you. No, do not interrupt me," as he 
 turned toward her to speak, " please, don't; I must 
 tell you this, for it is only due you in atonement of 
 what you suffered a little more than a year ago. 
 It is far from my intention to call up every detail 
 of the dead past with its dead; but, Judge, I know 
 all you had to contend with in your brave fight for 
 the city's reform. I know every one of your oppo 
 nents, and," -in a low voice, partly shaken with 
 emotion, - - " I know who sought to stop your efforts 
 by endeavoring to silence you forever. How I found 
 that out does not matter now; perhaps some other 
 time I will disclose it to you; tonight, however, I 
 wanted to tell you, in order that you might under 
 stand my attitude in the matter and how I appre- 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 207 
 
 ciated, beyond expression, your courtesy, notwith 
 standing the odds against me." 
 
 Kennington gently sought her hand, which she 
 unresistingly yielded to him. He held it for a while 
 in silence and then began: 
 
 " Little did I realize or anticipate that you would 
 reveal this to me; but as you say, let the dead past 
 bury its dead. Today is the time in which we live 
 and the Future is knocking at our door, Jennie," he 
 said tenderly, " I love you; I need you; I need your 
 help. Will you assist me to solve life's many prob 
 lems, that thereby we two may jointly, governed and 
 guided by the greatest virtues of all, true, unfaltering 
 love, and united in happiness, be a blessing to our 
 fellowmen, accomplishing something worthwhile for 
 the good of humanity? " 
 
 With sweet frankness, born of her true individual 
 character and self, she replied, laying both her 
 hands in his, and looking at him with eyes over 
 flowing with tender love: 
 
 " Yes, Arthur, I will help you always, for I love you !" 
 
 When heart talks to heart in the language of love 
 words are insufficient and unnecessary. Thus in the 
 happy consciousness of each other's devotion they 
 remained in silence, a song of happiness in their 
 hearts. 
 
 Farther down the lake shore a boat was majesti 
 cally steaming up to the pier, having successfully 
 completed her voyage. 
 
 "Home at last! Safely anchored, dearest," Ken 
 nington whispered. ' * We too have reached the 
 harbor, the harbor of love! " 
 
EPILOGUE 
 
 Several years have gone by. Kennington has be 
 come the Chief Justice of the Municipal Court of the 
 City of the Lake. This honor came to him as a re 
 ward for his honest, meritorious service to the 
 people. His reputation has become nation wide. 
 He has become the pioneer of scientific social justice. 
 It became evident to his keen, critical mind that for 
 years there had been gross miscarriage of justice in 
 the treatment of prisoners, and because of these fail 
 ures of jurisprudence, society was likewise ineffi 
 ciently protected from those who violated the laws. 
 This defective legal procedure had, for years, sent 
 hundreds of insane and feeble-minded persons to 
 prison. 
 
 These same defective statutes unwisely released 
 delinquent criminals, merely because they had 
 served certain specified times in penal institutions, 
 without taking into consideration whether or not 
 the criminal had been cured of his anti-social disease. 
 
 Chief Justice Kennington was the father of the 
 idea that every court in the land should have at 
 tached to it a psychopathic laboratory, where the 
 mentality of criminals is investigated, where, in 
 truth, all the factors that plotted against man for his 
 downfall, are carefully studied. In the court over 
 which he presided the facts of the violation of the 
 
PAWNS OF FATE 209 
 
 law were first carefully determined; then the report 
 of the medical investigation was submitted to the 
 judge before sentence was pronounced; except in 
 those cases where the alleged criminal was so man 
 ifestly insane that he could not in the least compre 
 hend that he was being tried. This information 
 furnished the judge with the knowledge that would 
 enable him to decide whether the individual should 
 have a suspended sentence, be sent to prison, to a 
 hospital for the insane, or placed in the hands of a 
 probationary officer. At first a change in the methods 
 of criminal procedure was met with a storm of protest 
 from the legal fraternity. They argued that such a 
 change was too idealistic and impracticable; they in 
 sisted that this plan would interfere with the func 
 tions of the jury, and that the right of the defendant 
 to employ witnesses would be curtailed; and these 
 objections seemed at first to be valid and logical. 
 But finally wisdom prevailed. 
 
 This great reform gradually spread over the land. 
 The courts of the big cities recognized the value of 
 this judicial reformation, and established similar 
 laboratories. The prisons heard the call. Great 
 changes were being worked out in their adminis 
 tration. The political grafters who had so long held 
 sway were sent about their business, and scientific 
 men were put in their stead. The prisons became 
 schools for the training of the hand, head and heart; 
 they became hospitals also, where all remedial surgi 
 cal and medical defects were taken care of; where 
 prisoners were freed, if possible, of their mental and 
 physical burdens; while those who were found to be 
 
210 PAWNS OF FATE 
 
 incurably defective, no matter what their crimes 
 might be, great or small, were kept in permanent 
 custodial care for their own benefit, and the welfare 
 of society. 
 
 THE END 
 
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