CHAPTER XXXII
The following spring the show-rooms and warehouse were completed,and Lester removed his office to the new building. Heretofore, he hadbeen transacting all his business affairs at the Grand Pacific and theclub. From now on he felt himself to be firmly established inChicago--as if that was to be his future home. A large number ofdetails were thrown upon him--the control of a considerableoffice force, and the handling of various important transactions. Ittook away from him the need of traveling, that duty going to Amy'shusband, under the direction of Robert. The latter was doing his bestto push his personal interests, not only through the influence he wasbringing to bear upon his sisters, but through his reorganization ofthe factory. Several men whom Lester was personally fond of were indanger of elimination. But Lester did not hear of this, and Kanesenior was inclined to give Robert a free hand. Age was telling onhim. He was glad to see some one with a strong policy come up and takecharge. Lester did not seem to mind. Apparently he and Robert were onbetter terms than ever before.
Matters might have gone on smoothly enough were it not for the factthat Lester's private life with Jennie was not a matter which could bepermanently kept under cover. At times he was seen driving with her bypeople who knew him in a social and commercial way. He was forbrazening it out on the ground that he was a single man, and atliberty to associate with anybody he pleased. Jennie might be anyyoung woman of good family in whom he was interested. He did notpropose to introduce her to anybody if he could help it, and he alwaysmade it a point to be a fast traveler in driving, in order that othersmight not attempt to detain and talk to him. At the theater, as hasbeen said, she was simply "Miss Gerhardt."
The trouble was that many of his friends were also keen observersof life. They had no quarrel to pick with Lester's conduct. Only hehad been seen in other cities, in times past, with this same woman.She must be some one whom he was maintaining irregularly. Well, whatof it? Wealth and youthful spirits must have their fling. Rumors cameto Robert, who, however, kept his own counsel. If Lester wanted to dothis sort of thing, well and good. But there must come a time whenthere would be a show-down.
This came about in one form about a year and a half after Lesterand Jennie had been living in the north side apartment. It so happenedthat, during a stretch of inclement weather in the fall, Lester wasseized with a mild form of grip. When he felt the first symptoms hethought that his indisposition would be a matter of short duration,and tried to overcome it by taking a hot bath and a liberal dose ofquinine. But the infection was stronger than he counted on; by morninghe was flat on his back, with a severe fever and a splittingheadache.
His long period of association with Jennie had made him incautious.Policy would have dictated that he should betake himself to his hoteland endure his sickness alone. As a matter of fact, he was very gladto be in the house with her. He had to call up the office to say thathe was indisposed and would not be down for a day or so; then heyielded himself comfortably to her patient ministrations.
Jennie, of course, was delighted to have Lester with her, sick orwell. She persuaded him to see a doctor and have him prescribe. Shebrought him potions of hot lemonade, and bathed his face and hands incold water over and over. Later, when he was recovering, she made himappetizing cups of beef-tea or gruel.
It was during this illness that the first real contretempsoccurred. Lester's sister Louise, who had been visiting friends in St.Paul, and who had written him that she might stop off to see him onher way, decided upon an earlier return than she had originallyplanned. While Lester was sick at his apartment she arrived inChicago. Calling up the office, and finding that he was not there andwould not be down for several days, she asked where he could bereached.
"I think he is at his rooms in the Grand Pacific," said anincautious secretary. "He's not feeling well." Louise, a littledisturbed, telephoned to the Grand Pacific, and was told that Mr. Kanehad not been there for several days--did not, as a matter offact, occupy his rooms more than one or two days a week. Piqued bythis, she telephoned his club.
It so happened that at the club there was a telephone boy who hadcalled up the apartment a number of times for Lester himself. He hadnot been cautioned not to give its number--as a matter of fact,it had never been asked for by any one else. When Louise stated thatshe was Lester's sister, and was anxious to find him, the boy replied,"I think he lives at 19 Schiller Place."
"Whose address is that you're giving?" inquired a passingclerk.
"Mr. Kane's."
"Well, don't be giving out addresses. Don't you know that yet?"
The boy apologized, but Louise had hung up the receiver and wasgone.
About an hour later, curious as to this third residence of herbrother, Louise arrived at Schiller Place. Ascending thesteps--it was a two-apartment house--she saw the name ofKane on the door leading to the second floor. Ringing the bell, shewas opened to by Jennie, who was surprised to see so fashionablyattired a young woman.
"This is Mr. Kane's apartment, I believe," began Louise,condescendingly, as she looked in at the open door behind Jennie. Shewas a little surprised to meet a young woman, but her suspicions wereas yet only vaguely aroused.
"Yes," replied Jennie.
"He's sick, I believe. I'm his sister. May I come in?"
Jennie, had she had time to collect her thoughts, would have triedto make some excuse, but Louise, with the audacity of her birth andstation, swept past before Jennie could say a word. Once inside Louiselooked about her inquiringly. She found herself in the sitting-room,which gave into the bedroom where Lester was lying. Vesta happened tobe playing in one corner of the room, and stood up to eye thenew-comer. The open bedroom showed Lester quite plainly lying in bed,a window to the left of him, his eyes closed.
"Oh, there you are, old fellow!" exclaimed Louise. "What's ailingyou?" she hurried on.
Lester, who at the sound of her voice had opened his eyes, realizedin an instant how things were. He pulled himself up on one elbow, butwords failed him.
"Why, hello, Louise," he finally forced himself to say. "Where didyou come from?"
"St. Paul. I came back sooner than I thought," she answered lamely,a sense of something wrong irritating her. "I had a hard time findingyou, too. Who's your--" she was about to say "prettyhousekeeper," but turned to find Jennie dazedly gathering up certainarticles in the adjoining room and looking dreadfully distraught.
Lester cleared his throat hopelessly.
His sister swept the place with an observing eye. It took in thehome atmosphere, which was both pleasing and suggestive. There was adress of Jennie's lying across a chair, in a familiar way, whichcaused Miss Kane to draw herself up warily. She looked at her brother,who had a rather curious expression in his eyes--he seemedslightly nonplussed, but cool and defiant.
"You shouldn't have come out here," said Lester finally, beforeLouise could give vent to the rising question in her mind.
"Why shouldn't I?" she exclaimed, angered at the brazen confession."You're my brother, aren't you? Why should you have any place that Icouldn't come. Well, I like that--and from you to me."
"Listen, Louise," went on Lester, drawing himself up further on oneelbow. "You know as much about life as I do. There is no need of ourgetting into an argument. I didn't know you were coming, or I wouldhave made other arrangements."
"Other arrangements, indeed," she sneered. "I should think as much.The idea!"
She was greatly irritated to think that she had fallen into thistrap; it was really disgraceful of Lester.
"I wouldn't be so haughty about it," he declared, his color rising."I'm not apologizing to you for my conduct. I'm saying I would havemade other arrangements, which is a very different thing from beggingyour pardon. If you don't want to be civil, you needn't."
"Why, Lester Kane!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flaming. "I thoughtbetter of you, honestly I did. I should think you would be ashamed ofyourself living here in open--" she paused without using theword--"and our friends scattered all over the city.
It'sterrible! I thought you had more sense of decency andconsideration."
"Decency nothing," he flared. "I tell you I'm not apologizing toyou. If you don't like this you know what you can do."
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "This from my own brother! And for the sake ofthat creature! Whose child is that?" she demanded, savagely and yetcuriously.
"Never mind, it's not mine. If it were it wouldn't make anydifference. I wish you wouldn't busy yourself about my affairs."
Jennie, who had been moving about the dining-room beyond thesitting-room, heard the cutting references to herself. She winced withpain.
"Don't flatter yourself. I won't any more," retorted Louise. "Ishould think, though, that you, of all men, would be above anythinglike this--and that with a woman so obviously beneath you. Why, Ithought she was--" she was again going to add "your housekeeper,"but she was interrupted by Lester, who was angry to the point ofbrutality.
"Never mind what you thought she was," he growled. "She's betterthan some who do the so-called superior thinking. I know what youthink. It's neither here nor there, I tell you. I'm doing this, and Idon't care what you think. I have to take the blame. Don't botherabout me."
"Well, I won't, I assure you," she flung back. "It's quite plainthat your family means nothing to you. But if you had any sense ofdecency, Lester Kane, you would never let your sister be trapped intocoming into a place like this. I'm disgusted, that's all, and so willthe others be when they hear of it."
She turned on her heel and walked scornfully out, a withering lookbeing reserved for Jennie, who had unfortunately stepped near the doorof the dining-room. Vesta had disappeared. Jennie came in a littlewhile later and closed the door. She knew of nothing to say. Lester,his thick hair pushed back from his vigorous face, leaned back moodilyon his pillow. "What a devilish trick of fortune," he thought. Now shewould go home and tell it to the family. His father would know, andhis mother. Robert, Imogene, Amy all would hear. He would have noexplanation to make--she had seen. He stared at the wallmeditatively.
Meanwhile Jennie, moving about her duties, also found food forreflection. So this was her real position in another woman's eyes. Nowshe could see what the world thought. This family was as aloof fromher as if it lived on another planet. To his sisters and brothers, hisfather and mother, she was a bad woman, a creature far beneath himsocially, far beneath him mentally and morally, a creature of thestreets. And she had hoped somehow to rehabilitate herself in the eyesof the world. It cut her as nothing before had ever done. The thoughttore a great, gaping wound in her sensibilities. She was really lowand vile in her--Louise's--eyes, in the world's eyes,basically so in Lester's eyes. How could it be otherwise? She wentabout numb and still, but the ache of defeat and disgrace was under itall. Oh, if she could only see some way to make herself right with theworld, to live honorably, to be decent. How could that possibly bebrought about? It ought to be--she knew that. But how?