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 CONTENTS
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xv

1 AN INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY

HEALTH EVALUATION 1
Overview of Evaluation 3
Levels of Evaluation 5
Preassessment Evaluations 6
The Participatory Approach to Evaluation 8
The Participatory Model for Evaluation 10
The Precursors to Program Evaluation 12
Cultural Considerations in Evaluation 17
Summary 21
Discussion Questions and Activities 22
Key Terms 22

2 THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT: AN OVERVIEW 23

Theoretical Considerations 26
The Ecological Model 29
Data Collection 31
Data Sources 42
Reviewing the Scientific Literature 49
The Report 50
Stakeholders’ Participation in Community Assessments 52
Summary 53
Discussion Questions and Activities 54
Key Terms 54

3 DEVELOPING INITIATIVES: AN OVERVIEW 55

The Organization’s Mission 58
Planning the Initiative 59
viii Contents

Incorporate Theory 60
Goals and Objectives 64
The Initiative’s Activities 71
Use Existing Evidence-Based Programs 75
The Program’s Theory of Change 77
The Logic Model Depicting the Theory of Change 77
Criteria for Successful Initiatives 81
Stakeholders’ Participation in Planning and Developing Initiatives 82
Summary 82
Discussion Questions and Activities 83
Key Terms 84

4 PLANNING FOR EVALUATION: PURPOSE AND PROCESSES 85

The Timing of the Evaluation 86
The Purpose of Evaluation 87
The Contract for Evaluation 90
The Evaluation Team 91
Evaluation Standards 93
Managing the Evaluation Process 94
Factors That Influence the Evaluation Process 100
Planning for Ethical Program Evaluation 103
Involving Stakeholders 104
Creating and Maintaining Effective Partnerships 105
Summary 109
Discussion Questions and Activities 110
Key Terms 110

5 DESIGNING THE EVALUATION: PART 1: DESCRIBING

THE PROGRAM OR POLICY 111
The Context of the Initiative 114
The Social, Political, and Economic Environment 116
The Organizational Structure and Resources 117
The Initiative and Its Relationship to the Organization 118
The Stage of Development of the Initiative 118
Data Access and Availability 119
 Contents ix

The Program Initiative 119

The Policy Initiatives 125
Summary 131
Discussion Questions and Activities 132
Key Terms 132

6 DESIGNING THE EVALUATION: PART 2A: PROCESS EVALUATION 133

Purposes of Process Evaluation 135
Key Issues in Process Evaluation 137
Selecting Questions for Process Evaluation 146
Resources for Evaluation 152
Measuring Resources, Processes, and Outputs 153
Tools for Process Evaluation 155
Ethical and Cultural Considerations 157
Summary 168
Discussion Questions and Activities 169
Key Terms 169

7 DESIGNING THE EVALUATION:

PART 2B: OUTCOME EVALUATION 171
The Relationship Between Process and Outcome Evaluation 172
Sorting and Selecting Evaluation Questions 176
Summary 191
Discussion Questions and Activities 192
Key Terms 192

8 COLLECTING THE DATA: QUANTITATIVE 193

Quantitative Data 194
Factors Influencing Data Collection 195
Using Surveys 200
Designing Survey Instruments 206
Pilot Testing 209
Triangulation 210
Institutional Review and Ethics Boards 211
The Data Collection Team 212
Managing and Storing Data 213
x Contents

Stakeholder Involvement 213

Summary 214
Discussion Questions and Activities 215
Key Terms 215

9 COLLECTING THE DATA: QUALITATIVE 217

Qualitative Data 218
Ensuring Validity and Reliability 219
Interview-Format Approaches 221
Document and Record Review 231
Observational Approaches 233
Case Reviews 235
Digital Approaches 236
Geographic Information Systems 237
Training Data Collectors 238
Managing and Storing Qualitative Data 239
Stakeholder Involvement 239
The Data Collection Team 240
Summary 241
Discussion Questions and Activities 242
Key Terms 242

10 ANALYZING AND INTERPRETING QUANTITATIVE

AND QUALITATIVE DATA: QUANTITATIVE (PART 1) 243
Analyzing and Reporting Quantitative Data 244
Reaching Conclusions 249
Stakeholder Involvement 250
Summary 257
Discussion Questions and Activities 257

QUALITATIVE (PART 2) 258

Analyzing Qualitative Data 258
Interpreting the Data and Reaching Conclusions 264
The Role of Stakeholders 267
 Contents xi

Summary 268
Discussion Questions and Activities 269
Key Terms 269

11 REPORTING EVALUATION FINDINGS 271

The Content of the Report 274
The Audience for the Report 280
The Timing of the Report 281
The Format of the Report 282
Summary 286
Discussion Questions and Activities 287
Key Terms 287

12 CASE STUDY: THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT 289

Background 289
Establish a Team 289
Determine the Availability of Data 291
Decide on the Data-Collection Approaches and Methods 292
Training 293
Resource Procurement 294
Analysis and Interpretation of the Data 294
Summary of Findings 294
The Intervention 295
Design the Evaluation 298
Collect the Data 306
Analyze and Interpret the Data 310
Report the Results 313
Discussion Questions and Activities 315

13 CASE STUDY: PROCESS EVALUATION 317

Background 317
Theoretical Framework 318
Community Assessment Findings 319
xii Contents

The Evaluation Plan 326

Answering the Evaluation Question 328
Reporting the Results 338
Discussion Questions and Activities 340

A MODEL AGREEMENT BETWEEN EVALUATION CONSULTANT

AND TEAM MEMBERS 341

B MODEL PREAMBLE FOR ADULT INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS 345

C MODEL DEMOGRAPHIC SHEET 347

D MODEL FIELD NOTES REPORT 349

E MODEL INTERVIEW REFUSAL REPORT 351

F DATA COLLECTION TRAINING MANUAL TEMPLATE 353

Conducting the Interview 355

G GUIDELINES FOR COMPLETING AN EVALUATION REPORT 363

Methodology 364

REFERENCES 367

INDEX 373
 PREFACE
You may not know what the term evaluation means, and, like me all those years ago and
many of my students now, you are probably still a little wary of the term and wondering
where this is all leading. No matter where you are in your understanding of program and
policy evaluation, my hope is that whether you are a practitioner, a student, or both, you
will find this book helpful on your journey and on your path to understanding. Just as I did
many years ago, you probably evaluate what you do all the time without giving it a name.
Evaluation is often an unconscious activity that is carried out before choosing among one
or many options, both informally and formally. Informal evaluations range from selecting
a restaurant for dinner to selecting a course of dishes off the menu. All the decisions you
make along the way have implications for the success or failure of the outing. At the end
of the evening, you go over the steps you took and decide whether the trip was worth it.
If it wasn’t, you may decide never to go to that restaurant again. So it is with program
evaluation. We assess the resources and activities that went into a program, and then we
determine whether the program or policy achieved what was intended, was worth it to those
who experienced it and to those who funded it.
Evaluation activities occur in a range of work-related settings including community-
based organizations, coalitions and partnerships, government-funded entities, the phar-
maceutical industry, and the media. Program evaluations assess how an event or activity
was conducted, how well it was conducted, and whether it achieved its goal. Evaluation
determines the merit of a program or policy, and it forms the basis for evidence-based
decision-making.
Evaluation is the cornerstone of program improvement and must be carefully planned
and executed to be effective. It helps make the task of assessing the appropriateness
of a public health intervention or the success of a program or policy explicit by using
appropriate research methods. In evaluation, a plan is developed to assess the achievement
of program objectives. The plan states the standards against which the intervention will
be assessed, the scope of the evaluation, and appropriate tools and approaches for data
collection and analysis.
There are many opportunities to conduct an evaluation during the life of an interven-
tion, and the approaches to conducting the evaluation in each case will differ. The methods
and tools for an evaluation that is conducted during the first few months of a program are
different from those used when the program or participation in the program ends and the
effectiveness of the program or policy is being assessed. In addition, during the life of
the program, evaluation tools and approaches can be used to record program and policy
participation and progress.
This book presents a model for evaluation and describes the approaches and methods
for evaluating community health program and policy interventions. It is aimed at public
xiv Preface

health and community health students as well as practitioners who are new to program
and policy evaluation. This book makes no assumptions of prior knowledge about evalua-
tion. The approach to evaluation that is presented allows for the development of simple or
complex evaluation plans while focusing on practical approaches. It encourages a critical
thinking and reflective approach with the full involvement of multiple stakeholders through-
out the evaluation process. This book provides learners with a systematic, step-by-step
approach to program evaluation.
The book is organized into 13 chapters. It discusses the community assessment and the
development of the public health initiative as the precursors to the four-step participatory
model for evaluation with stakeholders at the center of each component. It frames pro-
gram evaluation in the context of community-based participatory research. This edition also
includes a chapter on process evaluation. Two case studies help the reader experience virtual
evaluations, and mini-case studies and opportunities to “Think About It” allow the reader
to reflect on the material and improve critical thinking skills. Valuable Takeaways provide
simple reminders of important concepts covered in the chapter. An appendix provides some
additional resources for evaluation.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This edition is dedicated to the memory of my father, Dr. Evelyn C. Cummings. My sincere
appreciation for all their support over the years also goes to my mother and all members of
my family in the diaspora. To all the friends who have been a part of my amazing journey and
have inspired me to explore the world and follow my passion, thank you. I have had the plea-
sure of working and teaching in Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, the United Kingdom,
the United States, and most recently, in Ghana as a Fulbright Scholar, from where I draw
much of my inspiration. I would, however, be remiss if I did not also remember the person
who gave me the opportunity to write this book. Sadly, he passed away just as we started
working on this edition. Dad, Andy Pasternak, and all the departed, continue to rest in
perfect peace.
EVALUATING PUBLIC
AND COMMUNITY
HEALTH PROGRAMS
 CHAPTER

1
AN INTRODUCTION TO
PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY
HEALTH EVALUATION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
■ Identify the uses and approaches of evaluation.
■ Describe preassessment evaluation.
■ List the principles of participatory evaluation.
■ Describe the links among community assessment, program implementation, and
program evaluation.
■ Explain the ethical and cultural issues in evaluation.
■ Describe the value and role of stakeholders in evaluation.
2 An Introduction to Public and Community Health Evaluation

Public health may be assessed by the impact it has on improving the quality of life of
people and communities through the elimination or the reduction in the incidence, preva-
lence, and rates of disease and disability. An additional aspect of public health is to create
social and physical environments that promote good health for all. The Healthy People 2020
goal describes health as being produced at multiple levels: households, neighborhoods and
communities. In addition, it describes the importance of social and economic resources
for health with a new focus on the social determinants of health. Its overarching goals
are as follows:
1. Attain high quality, longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and
premature death.
2. Achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups.
3. Create social and physical environments that promote good health for all.
4. Promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across all life
stages. (http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/About-Healthy-People)
Public health, therefore, has an obligation to improve conditions and access to appro-
priate and adequate resources for healthy living for all people, and it includes education,
nutrition, exercise, and social environments. Public health programs and policies may be
instituted at the local, state, national, or international level.
The Committee for the Study of the Future of Public Health defines the mission of
public health as “fulfilling society’s interest in assuring conditions in which people can be
healthy” (Institute of Medicine, 2001, p. 7). Public and community health programs and
initiatives exist in order to “do good” and to address social problems or to improve social
conditions (Rossi, Lipsey, & Freeman, 2004, p. 17). Public health interventions address
social problems or conditions by taking into consideration the underlying factors and core
causes of the problem. Within this context, program evaluation determines whether public
health program and policy initiatives improve health and quality of life.
Evaluation is often referred to as applied research. Using the word applied in the def-
inition lends it certain characteristics that allow it to differ from traditional research in
significant ways.
■ Evaluation is about a particular initiative. It is generally carried out for the purposes
of assessing the initiative, and the results are not generalizable. However, with the
scaling up of programs to reach increasingly large segments of the population, and with
common outcome expectations and common measures, evaluations can increase their
generalizability. Research traditionally aims to produce results that are generalizable
to a whole population, place, or setting in a single experiment.
■ Evaluations are designed to improve an initiative and to provide information for
decision-making at the program or policy level; research aims to prove whether there
is a cause-and-effect relationship between two entities in a controlled situation.
■ Evaluation questions are generally related to understanding why and how well an inter-
vention worked, as well as to determining whether it worked. Research is much more
 Overview of Evaluation 3

focused on the end point, on whether an intervention worked and much less on the
process for achieving the end result.
■ Evaluation questions are identified by the stakeholders in collaboration with the eval-
uators; research questions are usually dictated by the researcher’s agenda.
Some approaches to evaluation, such as those that rely on determining whether goals
and objectives are achieved, assess the effects of a program; the judicial approach asks for
arguments for and against the program, and program accreditations seek ratings of programs
based on a professional judgment of their quality and are usually preceded by a self-study.
Consumer-oriented approaches are responsive to stakeholders and encourage their partic-
ipation. This book focuses on the evaluation of public health programs primarily at the
community and program level.

OVERVIEW OF EVALUATION
Rossi et al. (2004) describe evaluation as “the use of social research methods to systemati-
cally investigate the effectiveness of social intervention programs in ways that are adapted
to their political and organizational environments and are designed to inform social action to
inform social conditions” (p. 16). In addition, these authors caution that evaluation provides
the best information possible under conditions that involve a political process of balancing
interests and reaching decisions (p. 419).
Evaluation is the cornerstone for improving public health programs and is conducted
for the purpose of making a judgment of a program’s worth or value. Evaluation incor-
porates steps that specify and describe the activities and the process of evaluation; the
initiative and why it is being evaluated; the measures needed to assess the inputs, outputs,
and outcomes; and the methodology for collecting the information (data). In addition, an
evaluation analyzes data and disseminates results in ways that ensure that the evaluation
is useful.
This definition of evaluation as adopted by the social sciences and public health
reflects a long tradition of evaluation that takes different approaches to evaluation and are
applied across a wide field of study. Each has its own criteria, and the evaluator chooses
the approach that best suits their field, their inclination, or the purpose for which the
evaluation is being conducted.
The next section provides a brief overview of the most widely used approaches. These
evaluation approaches include the consumer-based, decision-based, goal-free, participa-
tory, expertise-oriented, and objectives-based.

Consumer-Based Approach
In the consumer-based evaluation approach, the needs of the consumer are the primary
focus and the role of the evaluator is to develop or select criteria against which the initiative
or product is judged for its worth. The focus of this evaluation is on the cost, durability, and
performance of the initiative or product being evaluated.
4 An Introduction to Public and Community Health Evaluation

Decision-Based Approach
This approach adopts a framework for conducting evaluation that includes the context,
inputs, process, and product. It is also referred to as the context, input, process, and product
(CIPP) approach. In including the context in the evaluation, this approach considers both
the problem that is being addressed and the intervention that addresses it. In the context of
public health, adopting this model requires understanding the public health problem being
addressed and the program or policy intended to address it. The community or needs assess-
ment forms the basis for developing the intervention. The input components of the evaluation
assess the relationship between the resources available for the program and the activities
identified to address the problem. Process evaluation, which is the third component of
this model, asks the question, “Is the program being implemented as planned?” The last
component, the product, assesses the extent to which goals and objectives have been met.

Goal-Free Approach
A goal-free approach to evaluation is just that. The evaluation does not start out with any
predefined goals or objectives related to the initiative being evaluated. It is expected that
the initiative will have many outcomes that are not necessarily related to the objectives that
may have been crafted when the initiative was initially conceived and started. Therefore,
not having defined objectives allows the evaluator to explore a wide range of options for
evaluation.

Participatory Approach
The participatory approach to evaluation adopts an approach that values and integrates
stakeholders into the process. Stakeholders in this process are the beneficiaries of the ini-
tiative’s interventions. In this case, the evaluator serves as technical advisor allowing the
stakeholders to take responsibility for most aspects of the evaluation process. The aim of
this approach is to transfer skills in a co-learning setting and to empower stakeholders to
become evaluators of their own initiatives.

Expertise-Oriented Approach
The expertise-oriented approach expects the evaluator to be a content expert who draws on
his life experience to judge a program’s worth. It may or not be accompanied by specified
clearly defined and explicit criteria. This approach is often used in judging competitions
and in public health and other fields in accreditation. However, in accreditation, such as the
accreditation of schools of public health, although the institution provides the self-study
narrative based on predefined criteria, the judgment of the program’s merits and the decision
to grant accreditation is made by the accrediting body.

Objectives-Based Approach
The objectives-based evaluation is the most commonly used in public health practice espe-
cially recently as responses to calls for proposals for funding now invariably require the
applicant to include objectives. The objectives for an initiative are developed following the
community assessment, and form the bases on which the initiative is developed focusing
on risk or protective factors that would have an impact on the problem being addressed.
 Levels of Evaluation 5

Additional objectives that may address concerns of the evaluator or the implementing team
may be written as necessary to guide the evaluation and for the framework upon which the
evaluation questions and the evaluation are designed.

LEVELS OF EVALUATION
Evaluation at the Project and Program Level
Evaluation may be conducted at the project or program level. Public health organizations
and agencies may achieve the overall mission of the organization through a number of
stand-alone projects that together make up a program. For example, a local service organi-
zation of an agency may have activities that address many of the determinants of health—for
example, low literacy, access to health insurance, low levels of physical activity and poor
nutrition. Addressing each of these determinants of health may occur in a department of
health promotion, yet each may have an independent set of activities to achieve an overall
goal to improve the health of minority, low-income populations within a jurisdiction. At the
project level, process evaluation may be concerned with how the set of activities is being
implemented and the extent to which each is being implemented according to a previously
established plan. The link between literacy, lack of insurance, healthy nutrition, and phys-
ical activity is fairly well understood, so that, in combination, it is assumed that sets of
activities at the project level will, over a specified time, address common objectives, such
as reduce the percentage of individuals who are diagnosed with heart disease or increase
the number of individuals with diabetes who achieve HbA1c levels of less than 7%. This
evaluation takes place in the context of a carefully selected set of activities based on theo-
retically sound community assessment, which provides the framework for an intervention
designed to achieve a stated set of goals and objectives.

Evaluation at the Organization Level

Evaluation may not only be concerned with the project and programs that are run out of the
organization, but the organization may also have needs for its own development in order
to provide needed services. Evaluating the organization may involve assessing the extent
to which the organization is able to implement its strategic plan, the extent to which it is
achieving its stated mission and reaching the populations it intends to serve. It may also
assess its organizational capacity and relationships with others. Organizational develop-
ment components that may be assessed include the capacity of its staff to address present
and emerging health problems in the community and the extent to which projects and pro-
grams are institutionalized for long-term sustainability. Organizational culture, climate, and
competency to deal effectively with the populations it serves may be the foci of evaluation.
Policy development and implementation that occurs at the organizational level may also
form the basis for evaluation.

Evaluation at the Community Level

Community-level engagement in projects and programs in the community and provision of
services may form part of an evaluation, as well as might the social norms of the community.
Using community organization theory as the basis for the evaluation, the extent to which
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save time I would, if I were you, send a message to-night—now, to
your agent, telling him to close the deal.”
“Just as you say, John. I confess my head is slightly rattled to-night
—it shall be as you suggest,” and he proceeds to write at the table
on the back of the message he had received.
Finally John jumps up.
“There you are, father,” handing him a check. “We will arrange the
minor details to-morrow.”
“It is all right, John—you have saved the old house of Samson
Cereal—God bless you, my boy!”
But it is far from being all right as yet, and Aleck realizes this when
he hears the library door suddenly pushed back.
 CHAPTER XXI.
AN ACCOMMODATING SHERIFF.
Turning his head at hearing the door open Aleck sees one whom he
knows, and a cold chill passes over him as he recognizes the face of
the Colorado colonel.
Bob Rocket steps into the library and closes the door behind him.
This action of course attracts the attention of all concerned, and the
Western sheriff finds himself the cynosure of inquiring eyes.
John’s hand is stayed in the very act of handing the check to his
father—the smile remains on Dorothy’s face, and as for the old
speculator, he looks with displeasure upon the interloper.
“I beg your pardon, gentlemen, ladies,” says the other in his bass
voice, speaking very slowly and methodically, “but a stern sense of
duty compels me to break in upon your family party.”
“Duty, Colonel Rocket!” exclaims the speculator, turning red with
rising wrath.
“That was what I said, sir. Duty with me must always rise even above
the courtesy a guest owes to his host. You were kind enough to
invite me to your house to-night, Mr. Cereal, and it served my
purpose to accept. I have passed a pleasant evening. I thank you for
it. But, sir, that shall not stand in the way of my fulfilling the mission
which brought me to Chicago.”
“Indeed!”
“And has even taken me to this house.”
“Rocket, have you been too often at the sideboard?” asks the great
operator, frowning.
“You see yourself, sir, that I am not under the influence of liquor. My
hand is as steady as a die. I am sorry for you, Mr. Cereal—doubly
sorry for this charming young lady——”
“Hang it, Rocket, why mince matters? What the devil do you want
here?”
“I’m coming to it gradually, sir. Don’t want the shock to be too severe.
In the first place you don’t know, because I failed to tell you, that at
present I am a sheriff out at Denver.”
“A sheriff!” repeats Dorothy uneasily.
“Denver, eh?” says John, arching his eyebrows.
“I have been sent to Chicago on the track of a shrewd young
scoundrel who has absconded with over fifty thousand dollars in
funds.”
“My God!” groans the old operator, for the striking similarity in the
sums causes him to have a sudden horrible suspicion, which he
endeavors to tear loose and cast away.
Aleck darts a quick glance at John, and is surprised to see that the
young man simply flushes a little under the meaning words of the
sheriff.
“The company that was so neatly robbed has offered me five
thousand dollars for the capture of the thief, and double that if I save
the funds. I am here in the interest of the great Hecla Mining
Company.”
At this John changes his tactics—silence, contemptuous silence, he
maintains no longer, but utters an angry exclamation.
“You say the Hecla, of Denver?” he demands.
“Those were my words, young man. It has been kept dark until this
chase could be brought to a successful termination. I had hoped to
lay low until receiving an answer to a message I sent, but
circumstances combine to force my hand. Mr. Cereal, my dear sir, it
pains me to do this thing, but duty leaves me no choice. You cannot
cash that check, sir.”
“Why not?” demands John quietly.
“Because the money it covers is the property of the Hecla Mining
Company.”
“Granted it was once, but is so no longer,” continues this remarkable
young man, and Sheriff Bob secretly confesses that he never before
ran across so collected a customer.
“O John!” cries Dorothy, taking his words for open confession and
defiance.
“My son, explain this thing,” says the operator, again resting his
weight on the table.
“My dear father, be calm. You do not see me at all excited. I am
entirely innocent of this charge, and can afford to laugh at it as a
good joke. I assure you solemnly, there is nothing to fear,” the young
man says, disturbed by the visible agitation of those who are near
and dear to him.
As for Rocket, he merely humps his shoulders, and keeps both
hands behind him under the spiked tails of his dress coat. His
manner is in a measure contemptuous, for he believes in his case,
and that the young man simply plays such a bold game as would be
natural to one who had succeeded in making a clever haul of fifty
thousand.
Turning upon the sheriff, John asks:
“Will you answer a few questions, sir?”
“Oh, yes! provided I can do so in the line of professional duty,”
drawls the deep bass.
“Thank you, sir. Tell me first of all the name of the defaulter.”
“Cheerfully—John Cereal, known in Denver as John Phœnix.”
Again the two near by utter moans of grief, but John, who has more
at stake than anyone else—John, who is thus boldly accused of a
terrible crime—simply smiles and nods.
“I thought so. You don’t know as much about this case as you
supposed, Mr. Rocket. I give you the benefit of the doubt, and
believe your work has been caused by a blunder, and not malice. In
the first place, I am John Cereal. In Denver I have always been
known as John Atherton, because that is my middle name. The
Phœnix you speak of was my confidential secretary, and I am
amazed and grieved to learn that Jack has gone to the bad. There
are men in this city who know me—when the morning comes I shall
have little difficulty in proving, even to your satisfaction, sir, that I am
John Atherton, President and Manager of the Hecla.”
At this Samson Cereal takes courage and raises his head again. He
is just in time to see the sheriff draw something out from his inner
pocket, which he holds up.
“Do you see that? Would you call it a good photograph of one John
Phœnix?” he asks.
“Not much. That is my counterfeit resemblance. I kept it in a drawer
of my desk, and I remember Jack’s was there too. See here, Mr.
Rocket, do you mean to tell me someone in the office sent you that
picture and said it was Phœnix, the defaulter?”
“That’s exactly what was done, sir,” replies the sheriff, not quite so
confident as he was, though keeping a sharp lookout for tricks. He
has a constitutional uneasiness about rogues who are playing big
games.
“It was a miserable blunder, and inexcusable. They could not have
discovered it as yet, or a message would have been sent explaining
matters. Now, my dear colonel, let’s be reasonable in this matter. To
create a disturbance at this time in my father’s house would be
inexcusable—damnable, sir. I am anxious to avoid a scene. When
the guests are gone I will room with you where you will, and when
morning comes it will be my turn to prove my identity, after which an
apology must be in order from you, sir. I am not at all disturbed by
your accusation. In my other coat I have letters, various things to
show you who I am. Look at this ring with the monogram J. A. C.
Then here is my watch marked the same way.”
“The devil! this seems an odd thing, I declare, but I’m a martinet
when it comes to duty, and until you prove your innocence, nothing
remains for me but to believe you guilty. You understand it—this
photograph is my authority; if it proves false, I’ll willingly apologize.
Until then you must be—my prisoner.”
“Very good! We shall laugh at this joke in less than ten hours. Father,
send your message, and depend on me that it’s all right. Were it
twice the sum I could raise it in an hour after the banks open.
Someone down in Denver will have to pay the piper for this
outrageous blunder. That a picture of Phœnix! Why, hang it, we’re as
much opposites as you and I, Colonel Rocket, and in disposition too.
I am quiet, sedate, while I doubt if in all Denver, or the West, you
could find a jollier fellow than Happy Jack.”
Aleck Craig gives a cry.
“What was that name?” he demands hastily.
“We usually called Phœnix Happy Jack, on account of his rollicking
ways,” returns John.
“Wonderful!” murmurs the Canadian.
As for the colonel, his red face glows with a sudden zeal. His manner
reminds one of the setter quivering with excitement, upon scenting
the game close at hand.
“Craig, tell me, wasn’t that the name of the gay young dog who was
with you last night? When you related that adventure a while ago, I’m
dead certain you called him Happy Jack, and that he said he knew
Phœnix?”
“Just so, colonel, and unless he’s flown you’ll find him at the
Sherman House.”
“Good Heavens! was ever a man so beset?”
“What now, Rocket?” asks John, smiling.
“Too much of a good thing. I feel like the poor devil who was
undecided which girl to marry, and who in his dilemma sung: 'How
happy could I be with either, were t’ other dear charmer away.’ I’ve
got my hand on one party, and the other is at the Sherman House. If
I leave one I may lose both, and a bird in the hand’s worth two in the
bush.” John is the coolest, most unconcerned man in the house. He
actually laughs.
“Poor colonel!” he says.
“Perfectly heartless! Young man, what am I to do under these
distressing circumstances?”
“Oh! I’ll accompany you to the Sherman. Perhaps Jack will break
down and confess the truth when he sees me. We can get out
without attracting attention, I reckon.”
“Oh! brother John!”
A rap comes on the door, which Aleck opens.
“Beg pardon—is Colonel Bob Rocket in here?” asks the colored
door-keeper.
“On deck, parson. Has it come?” demands that worthy.
“De messenger boy, sah.”
Rocket snatches the envelope and tears it open. Then he says
something under his breath.
“Mr. Cereal, this explains it—John Atherton, pardon my bothering
you, and kick this ass who signs himself 'Jim,’ when you see him
again, for sending me the wrong picture. Gentlemen—ladies—adieu.
Duty calls me from this realm of bliss—believe me, only that could
tear Bob Rocket away so near supper time. To the Sherman, then,
and Happy Jack! Again I say, au revoir!”
 CHAPTER XXII.
HAPPY JACK!
Thus he bows himself out, this strange Sheriff Bob. For once at least
he has made a serious blunder, and almost precipitated a most
unseemly disturbance. No wonder he is wrathy over the blunder of
the Denver clerk who could so carelessly send a photograph without
examining it, and almost cause the arrest of his own employer.
After he has gone the little party in the library draw together again.
John is good-natured, as he can well afford to be. Conscious of his
innocence, he has at no time felt anything beyond mere annoyance.
As for Aleck, he has a feeling of positive relief that amounts to
delight. The heaviness of spirits is gone. Not only is John what he
has professed to be, but the load that has weighed the old
speculator down is gone. Dorothy smiles through her tears, Dorothy
is happy, and this raises the mercury of Aleck’s thermometer several
degrees.
Samson Cereal is quickly becoming his old self, though perhaps an
inquiring eye might discover that something has occurred to upset
the usually stern and self-possessed king of the wheat pit.
The dramatic scene has shifted the setting of the stage, and the
actors too appear to have a different look. Instead of tears and woe
there are smiles and rejoicing. No one misses Colonel Bob, since his
mission was to uphold the majesty of the law, and they can put him
away from their minds without trouble.
Again they speak of mingling with the guests, as the absence of all
belonging to the household may be noticed and commented upon,
but it seems as though some peculiar fortune persists in interfering
with these plans.
They hear voices outside the door, and Aleck finds his attention
riveted when someone mentions his name.
“I must see Aleck Craig! It is very important.”
“Wait,” says another voice.
Then there is a knock at the door—not a timid rap, but one that
means business. Aleck is closer than any of the others, so he takes
upon himself to open it.
It is Wycherley. Another figure stands behind him which has a
familiar look.
“Ah! my dear boy, here’s a party who wants to see you. Nothing I
could do would put him off. He says it’s very, very particular. The
easiest way to get rid of him was to bring him in, and here he is.”
With that he stands aside, and the man who has kept in the
background steps briskly up. Aleck can hardly believe his eyes.
“Happy Jack!” he exclaims.
Of all the singular happenings of this night it surely takes the lead.
Where did he come from, and what does he want with Craig?
The Canadian recovers himself quickly, as he sees an outstretched
hand before him and hears the young roysterer say:
“Bound to find you, Craig. Heard at the Sherman you were here.
Obstacles no object in my way, and here I am.”
“Come into the library. Such a weighty secret as you carry should not
be bruited around into the curious ears of the public. Closed doors
would be more in keeping for it,” says Aleck.
He has not the remotest idea what the other may be at, but
discretion is a part of his character, and it strikes him that under the
circumstances he had better get the defaulter into the library.
If he has business of importance with him, then the precaution will be
well taken. On the other hand, it may prove that he has followed out
some hair-brained scheme, and considers it a joke to return a pocket
knife or some such article, which Aleck may have lost, and which he
is determined to deliver to the owner. Such jokes appear smart to
men who have looked upon the wine when it is red. They make
much capital out of them.
Under such circumstances as these the Canadian athlete believes
he has a trump card to play. Once the door is shut Happy Jack may
not find it so easy to get out again.
He manages to give Wycherley a wink and a nod which that
individual rightly interprets, and he also enters the room, remaining
with his back against the door, thus serving as a barrier to ingress or
escape.
One thing Aleck notes. John has turned his back upon them the very
instant he heard the name of Happy Jack mentioned; so when that
individual enters the room he does not know, after his sweeping
glance around, who is present.
Happy Jack has one trait that in times past has served him well. This
is assurance that would well become a New York alderman. Nothing
appears to daunt him. Put him down at Her Majesty’s reception, and
he would do his little part after his own way, if not quite to the
Queen’s taste.
He is not clad in a dress suit, but this fact has no weight with him.
Happy Jack Phœnix in his business Scotch cheviot is perfectly at
home even amid the satins and diamonds of the finest reception
Chicago has seen during the season.
“Mr. Craig, you will, I know, pardon my boldness in hunting you
down, when you learn the reason for such a move. Singular man at
all times. When I get my mind set on anything all earth and the lower
regions—beg pardon, young lady—can’t persuade me otherwise,” he
says, as placing both hands on the back of a chair he faces the
Canadian, beyond whom are Cereal and his daughter, both looking
in open-eyed wonder at this uninvited guest.
“That’s so!” mutters John, and he has had good reason in the past to
lament this trait which Jack mentions.
“Eh! did anyone speak? Well, as I was saying, Mr. Craig, I’m set in
my way. I can’t be turned aside. If I was walking along a railroad
track and an engine came at me, there’d be trouble, and two to one it
wouldn’t be me that suffered. That’s my nature. Now, fortune threw in
my way certain information. It concerned a gentleman whose
acquaintance I formed last night. I said to myself, 'Happy Jack, not a
wink of sleep for you until you see him and put a flea in his ear.’ That
is why I am here. I have brought the flea with me.
“You wonder why I go to all this trouble for one almost a stranger. It
pleases me. I’m always doing something for others—expect to
become a philanthropist after sowing the last of my wild oats. Then,
there’s another reason. My friend, the way you sent that rascally
Turk spinning last night won my heart. Something of a gymnast
myself in a small way, a believer in the manly art of self-defense, and
I said to myself: 'The chap who can give a fellow such a whirl takes
my heart.’
“Pardon this long but necessary digression, as the fellow in the novel
says. Now, having made myself solid, I’ll come down to common
horse sense, and talk business.”
“Thank Heaven!” mutters John, still keeping his back toward the
newcomer.
Phœnix glances sharply toward him, as if his ears have caught this
last remark, and then he throws an inquiring look at Craig, who
smiles and touches his forehead in a meaning way which brings a
knowing expression on the other’s face.
“A little off, eh? That’s all right—no offense taken, I assure you. Now
see here, Mr. Craig, when you tossed that copper-colored Turk over
to me last night on the Midway, like a bundle of rags, you thought
that was the end of him—that he was out of the game. I know you
did, but you never made a greater mistake in all your life, sir.
“I have made a study of these vagrants of the Midway. Was a tramp
myself once and can understand their ways, you know. Queer
people, the Turks, and their leading characteristic, sir, is revenge.
Even a lapse of twenty years will not make them forget.”
This may be an accidental thrust, and probably is, but it strikes
home. Samson Cereal starts and looks anxious, feeling that he has
some concern in this game.
“As I wandered about that entrancing region early this evening, my
ear charmed with the sweet music of the never ceasing tom-tom, or
the cry of the bum-bum candy vendor, my eyes feasting on the
beauties of Samoan and Lapland architecture, I chanced to catch a
glimpse of the Turkish nabob. Ever since I had that whirl at him last
night I have been in low spirits. I wanted to repeat it. If no one got in
the way I believed I could even see your throw and go one better.
“So it entered my mind to follow the Turk and watch for a chance.
Gentlemen, behold the working of fate! I dogged his steps. Presently
from the gorgeous Turkish village he sought the classic shades of
Cairo Street, where I was quite at home.”
“I could swear to that!” says John, but having been warned, the
narrator of the Modern Arabian Nights pays no attention to this
interruption beyond a shrug of the shoulders.
“It was a question with me, I assure you, whether I should hire a
donkey and run Mr. Turk down, or mount a camel and chase him the
length of the street, for you see my animosity was aroused. Then I
began to notice that he was holding mysterious confabs. First he met
two fellows just outside the Turkish barber shop and handed over
some money. Then, further down the street, two more turned up.
“By this time I believed a conspiracy was on foot to loot the Midway.
A man could retire for life if he did that. I resolved to save the Fair, no
matter what the loss of time and money was to me; and, gentlemen,
under certain existing circumstances of which you are not aware, I
assure you the former weighed more with me than the latter.”
“Don’t doubt it!” from John.
“Having made up my mind to sacrifice my own interests to those of
suffering humanity, I set to work eavesdropping. Now, my education
as a detective has been woefully scant, but in my peregrinations
before condescending to settle down in Denver I have had some
rough experiences, and they taught me how this thing must be
accomplished.
“Gentlemen, with me it was veni, vidi, vici! for I came and saw and
conquered. Near the group lay an old blanket used on one of the
camels during the wedding procession. Under this dirty cloth of gold I
hid myself, and then edged along until I was close behind the
conspirators. I happen to have remarkable ears—you notice they
stick out like a rabbit’s—they give me the power of catching a
whisper, and these chaps were so earnest in discussing their sweet
plot that they talked right out in meeting.
“Fortune blessed the brave—their delightful conversation was carried
on in English, pigeon English as we men of the border would call it. It
happened that two of those present were not Turks, but Americans,
and that is what saved me from listening to a jargon of heathen talk
that would have been a blank to me.
“Piece by piece I put their sentences together; at first, sir, it was a
puzzle, but as each section filled a gap I finally found I was handling
as masterly and bold a scheme as was ever hatched on American
soil.”
 CHAPTER XXIII.
WHAT THE OLD CAMEL BLANKET CONCEALED.
“Happy Jack” knows enough of dramatic rules of rhetoric to pause
after this climax. He changes his posture, thrusts one hand into the
breast of his coat, à la Napoleon, while the other emphasizes his
words with pointed and quivering finger. Taken in all, he makes a fine
study. Those present, realizing that the fellow really has something
of importance to tell, listen with attention, and this gives him courage
to pose as might a Cicero addressing the Roman courts of old.
“I have not had the pleasure of being introduced, sir, but I take it that
you are the lordly host of the manor, Samson Cereal. Glad to see
you—happy to have been of service to your daughter last night—
delighted to meet you now, for it is against the king of the wheat pit
the Turk’s arrows are directed.
“He’s a good hater, I knew that as soon as I set eyes on him; and it
would make your flesh creep to hear him tell the many things he
would do to wipe out the past, if ever he caught one Samson Cereal
on Turkish soil. That is not to the point, however. They settled down
to business after a while, and we had it all.
“Now pay attention, friends, and I will tell you what is in the wind.
This vendetta of Cairo Street aims to carry out the will of a master
mind. Against two persons the grudge is held, one of them our
Canadian friend, who has interfered with the nabob’s plans in
several ways, the other King Cereal himself.
“I learned that one of the men was in your employ, sir, and you may
recognize him by the name of Anthony, which I heard him called.”
“The rascal, the traitor—and I have done so much for him!” says the
operator angrily.
“Never mind. He is an ungrateful dog, and the Turk’s gold bought
him. I understand that you expect a friend or two here to-morrow,
and have arranged to show them the Midway in the evening, as they
are especially interested in the foreign countries or something in that
line; didn’t bother my head to catch the particulars. Well, sir, these
fellows have got it in for you and Craig. The trap will be set and
baited, and before another day dawns on Chicago, Turkish
vengeance wins.
“This is to be brought about by strategy, gentlemen, in which a
woman figures whom the said Samson Cereal has long believed
dead.”
“Don’t mention her again,” says the operator, turning deathly white,
and thinking of Dorothy, who must hear every word; but although the
sudden warning causes Phœnix to be more guarded in his speech,
what he has already said has aroused a curiosity in the mind of
Dorothy that will grow rapidly, until it brings her in at the grand
climax.
“In palmy days of yore, before I took to tramping in order to see the
undercurrent of life, I used to be a shorthand reporter, and my old
tricks of the trade cling to me still. Under that miserable old camel
blanket, with a gleam of electric light coming in at a hole, I did some
of the tallest scribbling of my experience, jotting down whatever
seemed of importance. Lo, the result, messieurs, of that enterprise!”
He takes from his pocket a notebook, and shows page after page of
scribbling, the strange hieroglyphics of the stenographer. The lines
awry and the characters often faulty, but, considering the peculiar
circumstances under which it was written, the work is rather
creditable to the scribe.
“A little out of practice, I fear, gentlemen, but on the whole I reckon
you can have it easily written out into everyday English. Between
these covers lies a story as thrilling, as weird as any I ever read in
Puck. It will a tale unfold to harrow up your soul and make your blood
run cold.
“This, then, I leave as a legacy. Hire some poor hungry devil of a
shorthand writer to spin the yarn. My word for it, you will be amply
repaid. I would dearly love to undertake the task myself, without
hope of reward, but two things prevent. I always hated rendering into
prosy English the poetic signs of shorthand. Then again my time is
limited in this romantic city by the lakeside. I am uneasy—like the
Wandering Jew I find no rest, but must cross the border to Canada’s
domain. An important engagement necessitates my leaving on the
next train. Hence, you will excuse me if I retire. Aleck, my dear boy,
always remember you with pleasure. Look you up in Montreal if I
settle there. Reckon I’ll make a good Canuck in the end. Mr. Cereal,
yours to command. Young lady, proud to have served one so lovely.
As to you, sir,” addressing the party who still persists in keeping his
back turned, “if you will step outside with me, where we run no
chance of disturbing the elements of this charming gathering, the
question of your right to break upon my narrative with insulting
grunts that are significant of contempt will speedily be settled,” and
with this explosive shot the man from Denver takes a step toward the
door.
“We can settle the whole business right here and now, Phœnix, my
boy,” says John suddenly.
At the sound of that voice, together with the mention of his name,
Happy Jack whirls around, uttering a sharp cry. John’s back is no
longer toward him—they look into each other’s face. Phœnix is
terribly stricken. As if by magic the jaunty air leaves him, his knees
quake, and his whole appearance is that of a man upon whom a
thunderbolt has descended without the slightest warning.
“Good God! John Atherton—here!”
“Why not—my father’s house. The question is what brings you here
—you whose duty lay in faithful service while I was away. Ah, Jack!
your eyes fall. I was terribly mistaken in you. We know all. Colonel
Bob Rocket, a sheriff from Denver, left this house not more than
fifteen minutes ago. He wants you.”
The young man’s appearance has undergone a terrible change.
Sudden fear sets its stamp upon his face. For days he has kept this
panic away from his mind by continual libations, so that he has been
in a hilarious condition. Without warning the mask drops and he finds
himself face to face with the man who has trusted him. All is known.
The end is at hand—the terrible termination that generally winds up
such cases as his. Before his eyes looms up the penitentiary or
perhaps the dreadful fate of a suicide.
Caught!
No wonder his head hangs in shame—no wonder he dares not meet
the eye of the man he so basely deceived.
“Jack, how much of that money have you squandered?” asks the
president firmly.
“Less than a thousand, sir.”
Jack seems to feel compelled to talk, even against his will. He has
been accustomed to manifest the deepest respect for John Atherton.
“Have you the rest of it with you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Let me have it.”
He acts like one in a dream, taking out a roll of bills and handing it to
Atherton.
“You may not believe me, sir, but I’m really glad it’s off my person.
The temptation came; like a fool I yielded, and I’ve had not a minute
of peace since. Now, do with me what you please. I deserve no
mercy.”
“Jack, you have a mother.”
“For God’s sake, sir, don’t remind me of that! It’s the thought of her
that’s set me almost crazy. My ruin will kill her,” and a shudder
convulses his frame.
If he had only considered his mother more before starting into this
ugly business, he might have avoided the disgrace.
Atherton is in a position to be lenient. Besides, he has always had a
great interest in the young man.
“Have you anything left, Jack?” he asks.
“A few dollars, I believe, sir,” fumbling in his pockets, as if to chase
the fugitive pieces.
“No, no, I didn’t mean that. Here is one hundred dollars.”
“Sir?” gasps Phœnix.
“I may be compounding a felony, but I’ll take my chances of that.
Leave this city and cross over, as you intended, to Canada. There
endeavor to be a better man. This will all be hushed up, and your
mother need never know of it. I do this, Jack, my boy, to give you a
chance to redeem yourself.”
At this Phœnix breaks completely down, his form shakes as great
sobs rack his frame.
“Oh, Mr. Atherton! what a vile wretch I have been to abuse your
confidence. A man never had a better friend than you have been to
me. How can I ever thank you enough for giving me this chance. In
her name, my poor mother’s, I bless you. Yes, I will go to Canada,
and in the sight of Heaven I swear that if I live to threescore years
and ten nothing can ever tempt me to fall again. This lesson has
taught me I am not made for a rascal; my peace of mind demands
that I have a clear conscience. Would you condescend to shake
hands with me before I go, sir?”
“Willingly, Jack; and if you can show me a year from now what you
have done—if you can prove to me that this lesson has sunk into
your heart, I’ll give you another trial, Jack.”
“God bless you, sir. You will hear from me if I live.”
Unable to say another word the young man turns and leaves the
library. If any of the guests see him as he quits the house, their
curiosity must be aroused by his manifest signs of emotion.
“There will be one disappointed man in Chicago, I warrant,” says
Aleck, whose eyes are moist.
“You mean Bob Rocket. I can fix the matter up with him. In that case
it’s only a question of dollars and cents. Under the circumstances I
feel as though I had made a wise move. Almost the entire sum
recovered, and poor Jack given a chance to redeem himself. What a
strange fatality led him to this place to-night. It was probably a
fortunate thing for him, as the colonel by this time would have had
hold of him.”
There is much that Wycherley does not understand, but he is not in a
position to ask questions, so he guesses how things have gone.
Aleck is relieved in several ways. There remains one more cause for
speculation—the presence of Adela under this roof. Will she
continue to keep her presence a secret from the man who was once
her husband? Seeing her boy must indeed be a source of mingled
joy and grief, since, yearning to make herself known, she dares not
for fear of being repulsed.
If the opportunity comes, he means to see her again and find out if
something cannot be done to ease her last steps through life, for the
end is not far away—Aleck is enough of a physician to read that in
the hectic flush on her cheeks.
They pass out among the guests. At the first opportunity Aleck tells
Wycherley about her presence here, and that worthy is surprised,
but knowing her story, soon grasps the situation. Can anything be
done to aid her cause? They hardly dare approach the stern old man
with the story, not being able to hazard a guess as to how he will
take it. Something they have not counted on takes a hand in the
game—the same power that brought Jack Phœnix to the house
where his employer chanced to be—that peculiar combination of
circumstances known as Fate.
 CHAPTER XXIV.
HER ATONEMENT.
The strains of music from the hidden orchestra rise and fall to the
time of a popular march. No longer the low serenade or the sad
sweet lullaby that falls like the rippling of running water on the ears of
those who converse, but the strong, joyous marching music that
means in so many words, “get your partner and advance upon the
food that has been prepared by the first caterer of the World’s Fair
City.”
Double doors glide open and a royal spread is disclosed, as only a
millionaire can afford in such tight times. There is the usual delightful
bustle; a dozen seem imbued with the same thought, and seek out
Miss Dorothy only to find that the “young wooer from over the
border” has been too quick for Chicago, since she is already at the
head of the line, with Aleck Craig at her side.
The feast is a jolly time. Light of heart are those present. The hard
times give them no occasion for worry. Not once does a soul
present, in the midst of this abundance, cast a single thought upon
the thousands who see the coming of fall and winter with dread
because that they have no work.
These butterflies of fashion know little of corroding care. The value of
the gems sparkling upon the persons of millionaires’ wives and
daughters at Samson Cereal’s reception would keep food in the
families of all Chicago’s poor for a twelvemonth.
At last the feast is over, and they repair again to the brilliant drawing
and ball rooms where there is to be singing and dancing. What
remains of the night will be passed thus; and, as is usual, the last
stragglers cannot be expected to go until the small hours of the
morning.
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