Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
Quitting the gay life, she follows him to Land of Free. Finds him about
to marry his sweetheart of childhood, a New York society girl worth
uncounted millions but just middling looking. Prompt bust-up of
childhood sweetheart's romance. Abandonment of social position, wealth,
everything by Schuyler, who declares he will make the stranger his
bride--accompanying subtitle, "What should we care what the world may
say? For after all, love is all!" Discovery on day before marriage of
papers proving that Lolita--that's the lady apache's name--is really
Schuyler's half sister, due to carryings-on of Schuyler's late father as
a young art student in Paris with Lolita's mother, a famous gypsy model.
Renunciation by Lolita of Schuyler. Her suicide by imbibing poison from
secret receptacle in ring. Schuyler, after registering copious grief,
reenters American Army under assumed name as a private in the ranks.
Returns to battlefield in time to take part in decisive action of the
war. All the officers in his brigade above the rank of corporal having
apparently been killed by one devastating blast of high explosive, he
assumes command and leads dauntless charge of the heavy artillery
through the Hindenburg Line. Is made a colonel on the spot. Rides up
Fifth Avenue alongside of Pershing in grand triumphant parade of
home-coming First Division, carrying a large flag and occasionally
chatting pleasantly with Pershing. On eve of marriage to childhood's
sweetheart, who remains faithful, he goes to lonely spot where Lolita
lies buried and places upon the silent mound her favorite flower, a
single long-stemmed tiger lily. Fade out--finish!
Artistically, picturesquely, from the standpoint of timeliness, from the
standpoint of vampirishness, from any standpoint at all, it satisfied
fully every demand. It was one succession of thrilling, gripping,
heart-lifting scenes set amid vividly contrasting surroundings--the
lowest dive in all Paris; the citadel at Verdun; grand ballroom of the
Schuyler mansion at Newport; the Place Vendome on a day when it was
entirely unoccupied except by moving-picture actors; Fifth Avenue on its
most gala occasion--these were but a few samples. The subtitles fairly
hissed to the sibilant swishing of such words as traitress, temptress,
tigress and sorceress. And the name of it--you'd never guess--the name
of it was The She-Demon's Doom! When Mr. Lobel spoke those words
inspired he literally took them up in his arms and fondled them and
kissed them on the temples. And why not? They were his own brain
children.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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