Children of the Whirlwind

he cot and the rough-and-ready furnishings of the studio were grotesquely short of the luxury of those sunny days when Larry had had plenty of easy money and had been free to gratify his

s bluff, outspoken, autocratic painter, and was curious about him. And then the way his grandmother had spoken, the gleam in her old eyes, had stirred an affection for her that he had

d house in this dingy old street wa

d by the little tailor down the street, and while a laundress, driven by the Duchess, was preparing the rest of his outfit for his debut. In his capacity of maid, with a basket on his arm, he went out into the little street, where in his shabby clothes he was recognized by none and leane

pped meat and a package of macaroni, and to be counting Hunt's pennies-remembering those days when he had been a personage to head wai

t him, and kidded him; and Larry came back at him with the same kind of verbal horseplay, after the fashion o

e of the Italian mother throned on the curb nursing her child, "if I were dolled up

rted Hunt. "It's too good. Sell it!

ey and a moderate willingness to listen. I've sold pictures of an oil derrick on a stock certifica

ou shu

t, as a business man, as a promoter of your own stock, the suckling infant

hat noise like

t the Ritzmore. She gave Hunt a pleasant "good-morning," the pleasantness purposely stressed in order to make more emphatic her curt nod to Larry and the cold hostility of her eye. During the hour s

in at the Ritzmore for a cup of tea, and letting me buy some cigarettes and t

talk!" she snapped, and head high and dark

lammed behind her, he remarked dryl

eem wildly enthusiastic ab

rtainly

That's a common trait of her whole trib

egard the painter searchingly. "You seem to know what it is. Don't mean to butt

ered. "She didn't believe in me-didn't believe I could paint-didn't believe in the thi

querie

er gods there be, I am the captain of my soul!' Oh, she's all rig

mised that this woman in the background of Hunt's life meant a great deal more to the painter than Hunt tried to indi

he style of which Barney's were the extreme expression-Larry passed Maggie on the stairway with a smile, who gave him no smile in return, and started forth upon h

. He found this article in an institute whose black-faced headline in its advertisements was, "We Make You a $50,000 Executive"; and the article which he found, by payment of a special fee, was an old man who had been the manager of a big brokerage concern until his

usiness. By day he fairly consumed old Bronson; he read dry books far into the night. Thus he rapidly filled the holes in the walls of his knowledge, and strengthened its rather sketchy foundation. Of course he realized t

at house you're with!" he proudly declared. Larry had not seen it as needful to tell the truth about himself; h

d interested, but he did not yet have to face the constant suspicion and hostility which are usually the disheartening

ich had gleamed in her briefly when Larry had announced his new plan; but bent and silent went like an oddly revivified mummy about her affairs. And during these days he

urage, and capacity for sympathy and affection; she had head, heart, and beauty, the makings of an unusual woman, if only she could be swung into a different attitude of mind. But he realized that there was small chance i

d given her in which crime was a matter of course. In this connection one matter that had previously interested him began to engage his speculation more and more. All her life, until recently, Old Jimmie had apparently shown little more concern over Maggi

value to him of Maggie as a business propositi

er in which he had refused her offered and long-dreamed-of partnership, would not permit her pride and self-confidence to consider any justification f

do, she was going to go the brilli

ely in the right. This was a world where strength and cunning were the qualities that counted, and every one was trying to outwit his neighbor; and all who acted otherwise were either weak-witted fools or else pretenders who saw in their hypocrisy the keenest game of all.

she liked the after-theater crowd, for then only evening wear was permitted in the supper-room and the people were at their liveliest. She liked to watch the famous professional couple do their specialties on the glistening central space with the agile spot-lights always bathing them; and then wat

ended Maggie's day of work, or rather her day of intensive schooling for her greater life. On the night of his return from Chicago, which was a week after his break with Larry, Barney reported to take Maggie home. He was in swagger evening clothes and he asked

rry Brainard?" he asked when

never his mind reverted to Larry. Maggie reserved to herself the privilege of thinking of Larry just

t voice. "His prison clothes were bad, but now that he's dressed right I think he

talking to you?" Bar

. In fact he said quite a lot

did he

ight, but"-in her provocative, teasing vo

aid!" demanded Barney, his wrath sud

an had been the actuality. Also she censored the scene by omitting her own opposition to Larry's det

to me, Maggie: What I said to Larry's face that night at the Duchess's still stands. I think h

to watch him, Barney. La

u, Maggie-why, you talk as though you

ll-and I did li

for him? You're not going to

ing any such thing come to pass; but she

l make me do? He's cleve

r fiercely. "Maggie-are yo

I know

elp you? He can't! And it will be your finish-the finish of all the big things we've talked about. Listen: since Larry threw us down, I've taken hold of things and will soon be ready to sp

street and had paused before the Duchess's

u know I'm dippy about you....And, Maggie, I don't even want you to go back in there

metimes they were married and sometimes they were not. It was something else, something of which she was not definitely conscious:

"Let me go!" She struggled fier

u?" panted Barney. "Y

alone! I'm goi

eterminedly that to have held her would have meant nothing better than ripping the sleeve

ierce jealousy. "It's not Larry, after all? Yo

er poise, and she r

I tell what he's g

n clenched teeth; but she could not see how his fi

is never going to be able to mak

rney; good-night,"

the door and left Barney tr