Cheshire Observer

[PTBUSBTD BT SPECIAL ARBATTGE'HENT.J 1 THE WAY OF TRANSGRESSORS. By JOHN K. PROTHERO, Author of "An Eye for An Eye," "A Modern Esall," "In the Name of John Leyland," "In the Gnp of Fate," "The Potter's Whel," etc., etc. [COPYBIGBT.] CHAPTER I. GATES OF BRASS. ICE MANAGER ot the imperial Hotel was ill at ".¡o$ Business was GOOD every room in the opulent budding was booked; the chef was com- plaisant the WAITERS trainee! to a rare per- iodica of physical auti mental adroitness. He had reas-on to be proud uf his administra- tion. The Imperial, the most seductive of the palatial hotels in the West-Central district, was growing ;n popularity, his PERCENTAGE ON euell year's TAKINGS progressively large; and yet, THESE bie«sings NOTWITHSTANDING, the manager PASSED through the kJUnge-a spacious place, delicately upbole'cred, artistically decorated atter hia owu design—with a look of resolute ill-TAMPER and dissatisfaonon. He had set cut to do a certain thing-to wit, firmly, though polneiy, to give notice to a client suffering from pecuniary I;mbarra«tm«>nt that n. and hi* charming daughter must PCTTL-E their bit! of E75, or LEAVE the HOTEL the instant. He had stled his heart to Captain Hard- ing's PERBUHSITE accents, and had sternly re- fused further GO take in-,o consideration that for tAf tirtit five months of THE captain'* rtay h,5 ACCOUNT had been settled promprty. T;te gallant gentleman MAST pay up now- Or jfe- And then Juet AS Harding's face had set into a sn«ri:njE» evil mid hie hand, with a gee- TURE unfamiliar to the manag-er, had flashed back to his hip pocket, the door h8d opened ami TE«?TA, the charming daughter aford, in *U the power of duetive womanhood, had swept iu ACD turned the battery of eyes and voice upon the enemy. What," with a glance hadf appeal, half eourn. and wholly irresistible, "what did slia understand him to SAY? That THEY-—sbe aud btor fatber--mere to be turned ont, put into titf atr-eet, BECAUSE of a delayed reroitlaoiee ? IAVR«.IIBFCE! From an ordinary person, a mere uwdv: ling, SUCH conduct might have been ex- F»E ed, but HE The VIOTT eyes looked puzzled regret, the maMd, whiK, duupkd handm fluttered anume- mmua. did not thiptc IT of you, Mr. Brett," the SAID, ia & low thrill TAG voice that set the MANAGER'S nerves A quiver. AND left hira morally defe-now "It is a matter «>f hours, no more," ehe said, pushing her advantage "By five this after- noon »b fthaiI hi&vc- money to settla your ac- t ie Y(-,tir Se- couiit twice over Three hours." her voice thnlitod at the words, "and then Do you EEL US* Wi so UHK-H grace?" Better make it three days, Brett," the cap- tain icterpos.U, cheeking the manapr'. ready acquiescence, "my daughter make. no allow, a.um for piiesible 4elay in TRANSIT from New York to L-ondon, and it's from New York our csoney's COMING. Let us eay Thursday, twelve <R'clock Then you CAN PRESENT your bill with confi.:tence." The MANAGER hesitated. Prudeiwe, CXT&HM, the-SHREWD IJI^TIR.< t of a B«S»»*W« iman prompted FEI-M to refuse. TCS-A'S fi),ce. with itis caressing •wile, ita look of pad EXPECTANCY, urged, consent. "Yen wiU wait, Mr. Brett?" Her eye* challenged him HIU glance hitere-d, BIO WILL WAVERAL. He surrendeerd weakly, with A DESPERATE effort to SEEM streng: "I'll WAIT till RRN-*I-DAY. Thursday." HE paid, gristly, "bUtt ns T a misuie longer. And on the W1.staniil1. that il the Utoaey » Ewt Sarkh- oosai&g you AYRAE to go w pzot,,Oot. oz"- he && ed a look at Tessa—"or PE-R&AARAM. IS that agreed on. Cavtwu kUrdirt- "Abaolutely. my DAAR sir. On Thsrsd&Y we eash up or K&V» the hospitable WALLS of the ex- eeli-L-ma irape> iaL By TBE-hye, Brett, you. might #end up a bottie ei e-hampagzw. and aonw EIGATN ? TALKING i. IJTIRSTY work." The «A>IKTG«>T swallowed A PROTEST, bowed stiffly AMI wifcb< £ rew. H Upstairs the CAPTAIN congratulated. TetAt -on THE success of LIU* iatervicw. "You. did that very well, MJF dear," HE said. "Y ur tfeiee, biUitS of grace WAA an inspiration of 1l.i1JJll-, Tessa. The audacity OF the asate- mcnt that £ 75 would be forthcoming by five O'cl ek was aubiii £ M»." "It was a etatemenfe of bare TRUTH, NO more. Have- you forgotten thai Doff will be HERE to d-y, this very afnH)uJl17" She rose and came tdvards him eager.Ty--a 8uprle, sinuous FIGURE with softR generotw curves mi threat and' bust. "Tell me you're pleased he's octalrtg, dad," I the cried, in her low, fuH voiee-a. voice that bad won her forgiveaews time and again, for on? u'?xp?-ed* "WiiA me joy, s?y you're pd, gkd to th nk that Pm going to get away Ircm this hid.()Wf life. I'm tired of lies, and haud!, of p!&Ln!g to phiad?r other pMpt? ?0??. The dnge"oU8 eoap?the eudden des- perate flighr. The horror lest we- should be taken—the fear test we sbonFcfr be recognised. T e pilduJ cheats, the deepieabtv framnlo. At ti--v--ew Ji' kcathed my and ho-te-d YDU. "How ?" "Why, gftd, y«uTre tiresome. I've t,014 Írm fcts of tim-op witec happened to Dolf when we parted in New York. He went, out to Ckli- femia. struck a minratr camp, and made a feiend of a dear old IiiaiKnan, Pete Raglan. Dolf wim good to him, stood by him in & diq- with khe o-fcher m-en, and whew my poor hoy eattgbt f(vr Pete mirsed hi.-n baek to 1--f,&. When ha was himHil agasn- Pt-te tckl Doff a ^rea<b secret. HE had dieeovered gold in. hie elai- ait-ar years 0f workiag, year-- of wait.it.- On Dcift advice lie- decidbcf to float the mraa iate- a company, and my boy is eoai-mg over hoce to negotiate THE buainess. He tells me the RIG-IAN u-ire will. be a. porfeet Eldorado. Peto Jra. been most generous. Dolf ia ba have balf 4Jf TH& proccede, and HAS power to make what terma he CAOOSSS. with the mell who fioat the •eceeni. "Amd how- long; DO you; suppose it wift take for Delf to get the bnsi'nes# in train ? Floating A ECCIPAJIY is not such a quick iob as robbing a b&nk. D< If is a brilliant cracksman, I grant you. I doubt if his financial ABILITIES stand ow h 'WelT, th,-re Is no immediate harry. Sup.- GO«» SLIFT- thing does HANG fire for a month or Cwo; what then?" "How do WOLt intend to live in THE interim. Above all, HOW are we to pay the hotel biil of £ 75?' "Dolf will have as mneh: a5- that wifck h-im. ()nr,e th-e bill :« p W« can run, wa in. "D- If tit more likely to have rlpvenity-five ^ENTSE tban pounds by the time he lands." "He TOLD me Pete had feund ample funds for HIE personal EXPENSES over and abovo his pas- sage. "And since when could Dolf Kjennard keep money ia his pccket-s- wixnin sight of a gajue oi. 83.1'dt!?" he eneer-ed, "H-e-'LI be cleared out AT poker, MY dear girl, W:kliin the first three days of the yoyag-e. Luck is always agteinst the re- formed ^«.MBL«R. You bell me he's determined am ng othr follkra to play 8traight 7" "He gav-e his word to Pete. Dolf do-en"t Kyrlitiy. break his. word. Y "Then rm afraid the hope of keeping- oure th tho exoc n. nt Brtt ia limited> Kennard won't have a coin in his pocket when he arrives. Again I ask you, what are we to do?" The girl faced hiin, suddenly:. Her EYE* WIDENED with a lock of fear hardened to deter- mination a. faint íllbh crept into her ehceks. She was AT fair. woman, with the wonderful while skin that g(1Ct1 wifch auburn hair. "Wo niiist wait tilt Dolf comes." "His-C-MIFG will uol alLsr our position. LIE-! ten to me, TMsa. Suppose DolfI; echcmes miss fire; suppose it is a choice of honesty soured, by pov rty, cr fraud geasoned by wealth. How about your resolutions then, my daughter?! Are you better fitted for th-e life-of a., clerk at! a ;> MID a week tl an you were five years a, I He IJRASP^D her by the shoulder, turning her towards the ghU;8 above the mantelshelf. Her SMOOTH face, with its delicately-cb soiled fe 1 TARES her rirh cd mouth, her softly moulded chiu spoke of A life of ease. Her beauty waa immarred by want, untouched by toil. Her small head with iw wealth of heavy hair drop- ped to her shoulder, her rounded chin rested on the costly lace of her blouse, the movement of her skirts, siik-lincd and delicately scented, exhaled a subtle perfume. He met her eye9A and eneered: "Y ou're a pretty creature, TESSA, in all your finery. Could you bear to wear a shabby gown ?" "I'll not think of such a thing," she frowned. "Ddf and I are going to leave the old life for a new world. We're going through the shin- ing gates of a happy, honest, fearless future." "Gates of brass, my daughter, against which your liantis w-ill knock in vain. You chose your path five years ago. You cannot leave it. You will not leave it. Honesty itself has no clmrms for you. You're in love with case of mind, not loftines-T of puipose. HOW are you going to pay our hotei bill?" "Dolt, she commenced again, but stopped, checked by the look in Harding's eyes "If we leave here, we shall drift down lower and lower in the social scale. First we shall take refuge in a Bloomsbury lodging-house— where we shall live on the proceeds of your jewellery, what's left of it—your boxes will be detained here. Then wo shall shift our quar- ters to a mea ner and then a meaner street. At the finish you'll be taken up for stealing a. puree, snatched at through hunger "Dotf," she cried once more, "he will NOT fail us. "He may be crushed himself. How should a thid make a living among honest men save by his wits? He may fail as he hae failed be- fore. What then? He SEIZED her wrist; hie eyes burnt into hers "Are all thece pretty frocks, these goltten tove to go?" he »eked. "What do you want?" she whispered, with drawn lips. "If DoH fails, what do you want me to do?" "Y ou know Cyrus Morgan 1" aid the captain curtly. Sbo nodded. "The financier you met corning over from New ¥orkt" "That's the man. I've kept up my acquain- tance with him. He has given me a tip NOW and again to deal in certiia. shares. I've been of tt-E to him in turn—you know my dexterity at manipulating figures—and at the momeufc atartd high in his GOV d BOOKS. I was in there this morning. He asked me to do him a kind- ness. To go to Liverpool to-morrow to meet a man he's expecting from Australia. Special reasons keep Morgan in London to-morrow, and it would appear discourteous to entrust the mis- aioa to a ctark. Geoffrey Haseitine is the fel- iow's name--im is bringing over a pearl neck- lace worth some LZ.000 as a present to Mor- lpn'. SLAUGHTER on her eighteenth birthday. John Simmons, ber godfather and Hazrltiue's par NER^ ia a wealthy sheep farmer in Aus- tralia, aad during the last fifteen years of his ,lik ø. eollected the pearls FOR tikis famous fteeklaee. Haaeltine has never seen M as IV: gan. and, by aetroke of luck, she objects to be p otographed. I go to Li*erpooi to-morrow. What's to prevent your turning up at the quay and annoulicing yourself as Sybil Morgan, im. patient to see your pearls? The young man. AC- cepto the statement-, I accept the statpine-ut- you do not know rue, remember—your bona fidftsi is unchallenged!, and we adjourn 6O A hotel. You persist, in a. chupaiag, wilful man- ner on remaining in Lrverpoof Wl the twext I day. We har-E dinner, Hazeit.ne sbew yi n tilo, neektaee. elwpe it &L%o" your throat—ami <n- eiden tally ioMs Ma head. H? nM?k?a rio d?mnz wh?t you pNp0Øe to -U"n the pw"6, &nd yo» go ta bed arr?ogrng to leave with him and me !cr Load?n the n. xt martM?. MeMtw?Uc you slip off from Liverpool by the night, mail fer the Continent, where you wait for mf. Pearls are meN- easily disp serl of than evelt. diarm jadsi ? Tbey will lealiae their full value. Ten thour ( o-ad potusd* for each of Utt., Thwak, Tesea7 what you could do W, ,h ten thousand poundsi No need to wait fcr K-ennard'e wild-cat 6eheme to fructify. You can marry him at Doesn't that thrill your blood, boucbl your heart? Doesa't cold honesty grow stale with. waiting, pale at the presfwet of a. union witi the maa you k ve? A dreamy honeymoon ia sna-orewned Italy. Ten. thousand solid so?:-reign? lie s#iend!" He watched her ctossly. Her im^gtaatJOB bed at tÀe- worda. It wast a seheme daaringr audustottsi, after her awa beast. j Aad then the fwture she. had j l aaneil, the pietto&kr she bad painSed—afce and. Dolf happy and prosperous, fearless and free rushed ta her memory- '"Nothing ahafi "1 øzy.'1t 00 it, eh? cried- '?Natliin? &h? make me do it. I'll wait—Dolf!" she turned at the nxMen opening a# the door. "You've icoroe! Ob, D If. Dzif!" with an. | geol-m she threw berself infci bis arms. "At faat," she crindt at. tast. AA, but jj WANTED YOU- My Dclil" CHAPTER II. [ NEMESIS AND THE PICKPOCKET: F r D?f &<fMt?Ed wa? a. [M?uare-tihou?d?red,, Eeso I loba tO?uig man; hie face, tanned to a. bwaxihy hu? by wmd and iu?i, waa ca^t m a. pow?i-i? mould. A maasve ehin, a. somewiuii rOl!gW.¡ mouched uk"e? Mdy the teiiliauw ever-c?&nb?S eff w- ( v??t.? bht: ncrce pa^uutis that t>W .J aad doini- uated will and braiii. Ho cau?M. T?a* to him with & roügA y«t fa?f tendttjn?ee? M? t?ok her kt?ce b? o?tit, a6 lie liad rQif**n herswif by btorm. LTFETI TO «AAY SOUSJJSSIT^ UuiL wa& a,. motjierllil lover- You'iw looking spienduJ, girli" He heui her as arm. a ieogth, studying Uifi face that eriuae haA, touehed so. softly, Her life of fraud Lay, lightly upon Tetwa. bardmg. Tiw, brand of. theft, the m of tuniiiRg was net set. upon her lew, white brow. She earnxjd her head high, gazmg witii tioft. eyecv—vsuteia waetied with, diew-on au admiring wocktl ■" Your. ae brown a6 a berry, Doif. But iÙ good to have you with tike- ifere'a Dad been pix>phee5oag like a Jonah, declaring that you. weren't gqcag to turn up. Whai did 1 say, dad; I knew Doll wouldn't tail- 1»"[;" The capm=- he had held a commimit)a, ia the English. ArmJ-Wugged his ehou.den*. SICTE by AIDE wilili Doif, dark AA an Arai, despite HIS ENGIIAII biood, with the EASY air, the IlIWiIaveBtioDal of his TYPA^ Matolaii iiard- MG S4 cyrucai POIIDII ot manner, the DIATMEU«N with which he- vrom HIS ciethea) seemed the HIOKJ marked. "41 prophesied, ray dear, chaii Dolf would ar- rive- witA esspty pocketa. Am I rig hi, Kennard:" Yo't vehit it, captain. Two quid is all t-haw& left oi .le glorious two hundred 1 had at start- ing. i lose it playing" poker on the squarw. Beug h. tusk. L The captain mmieci, wdti-r the corriAEB of hie i mouth turned down. Teaea waa miaerabiy con- ecious of the eneer. We, were hoping you' d be, able to lielp as out of a fix, Kennard," he aaid, slowly. "Teaaa told you we, were high and dry far money?" "Oi course ahe dsd. Her last letter gave me ample particulars of your strait*. I swear I ■meant te- keep, a hundred' for you, but" —He1 laughedi-" you know me, Harding. I can't « keep my hands off the cards. They were up against me evory time this jauraey. W h -aifiv the trouble; the hotel, bIli 7" Uniet-s we pay B75 by Thursday midday we [aiiall be. turned out," cried Teaea, "Oh. Dolf, I made sure you'd help- us. You muat get the. 1, money- somehow." '?It'?atailord?r.gTEL BEa?a.youanyTAinpto suggœt, captain?" ? U?fortun&t?y Tessa does not taU in with the plan I ba? in view. &he has lately acquired ?m,rtain moral scraplœ which 1 understand you s h are? '?Th&? ao: We've decided, my ?ir! and 1, to- quit the old lif? and run 8traight." He put hie arm round TSöU'B 6houlders; oNe i rponded gratefully to th? carcr.? The captain coughed and looked unutterably bored. Would the hotel people take a biH at a month-, do you think, Harding? We shall Be raking in the sbekek by that time. You bet, the Raglan Mine is going to hum." The captain f;hootc lilu, hcoxi We must pay up or clear out. That's final, Kennard. What about Tessa's trinkets?" The more valuable have already been dis- posed of. The rest, would raise a matter of £ 20, no more. I fear you'll find it difficu't to eolve the problem on the square, Kennard." have a try. at any rate. Whai about- clearing out and taking rooms?" Impoesibl-o with no luggage. The Imperial people aren't likely to let our boxes go without a fight and a possible appe&l to a magistrate. That wouldn't suit our book at all." Then we must bustle round and l'aire the eaah on old Pete's claim. Cast your eye over theee, Harding, and tell me what you think of 'em." He tossed a packet of papers on the table, watching tho captain eagerly as one by one he read the documents. "All in order, eh? Raglan's abstract of title, the reports of two local engineers upon the mine-genuine reports, mind you-and the power of attorney appoint- ing me old Pete's agent, with authority on such terms aa 1 think fit. Not much fear about find- ing a capitalist to take it up, eh?" The capitalist IS a shy bird, Kennard. Yea can't hurry him. The scheme looks well on paper, with time and trouble it should go. But time presses; you can't form a company in three days." Can't I offer to sell an option on the pro- perty for a. fortnight for a few hundred quid upon the nail?" Doubtless, if you know anyone who'd deal, but you can't walk into a stranger's office and open up negotiations then and there." Can you suggest a likely man to bite?" "I might introduce you to Cyrus Morgan," the other said, deliberately. "He's a big- financier and a friend of mine. I mot him coming over from New York. I wanted him for a echeme of my own. but I'm willing to waive my interests in favour of yours so long" —his lips twitched earoonically-" so long as you deal upon the square." You're a trump, cap. You needn't fear I ahall spoil your pitch. I'll be absolutely open with you. financier, Cyrus Morgan. "I t'6 a great- notion, eb. Tessa?" "I'd rather you went to anyone but Morga.n," she replied, impetuously "Why, what one earth have you got AGAINST hIm 7" I—I should have preferred you to have found your own backcl". that's all, Doif," she said, weakly Tessa feels my professional proclivities will overcome me, Kennard, and militate against your chanccs. Calm your alarm, my dear. Your father can be a& honest as yourself when HONEST'^ the game." The words REASSURED her. The vague fear that ID sending Dolf to Morgan her father wiøhed to implicate him in some fraud passed from her mind Money. after all. was the captain's chief con- sideration. He had no second thought. "I am dining with Morgan to-night at the Cafe Royale," Harding went on. I'll take yoa along with me, Dolf, and introduce you AS an unsophisticated son of the. Far West. He's A NIL re wd man, hard M uailo. but with a keen eye for a bargain. If he thinks well of the mine he won't haggle over a hundred or two for the matter of that. If you do business with him it'l1 be the lwiuc-st day of your life. One word, Kennard, don't mention. Tessa. I'll in, troduce her later, when you and Cyrus are BETTER ACQUAINTED. If all goes well" -the. cap- tam paused sigBi6caBt?—"y<? cart visit tt?ethet- f? biA h?us<?? Morgan'a hospitably in- clined." "1 reckon Tessa,'H queen it with the beet, eh, old ¡::u:L'! Lord, how funny it would be fer you, anct me to sit. down, at a TABLE groaning witk solid plate without an itching to make off with it." S'balt you put up HERE, KENNARD?" QUES- TIONED the captain. Better not, I think, as money's so tigJi.T, they alight want a deposit. m take a room on tho cheap somewhere near my old quarters ia Hampstead Road. I used to hang out there IA my salad daye, an insurance clerk at a pound AI week. I cut. my wisdom teeth later when I found yes and Tessa. Say, cap, turned from tho fascinating occupation, of ruffling- Tessa's hair—" what abrrcrt fchit* dinner at the Cafe Royale. I've no dress suit, you know. I left that behind me in New York, when we had to do A flitting at tie double." Come AA you are; you look THE part of a bluff, honest miner to perfection, a diamond IN THE rough. DunrterV at eight, remember." come baek here aa soon as I've føulu" DIGGING'S. Yott'FT be in, Tessa?" "Of course." 8he lifted HER face for a kiss. He touched her red lips lightly. 4" You'll make haote,, Doff," she said, with a wistful look. Surely. So iong, old girl." And whistling blithely BE darted down the stairs. The captaia raiaad his eye browa The ATSMOEPJIERE of Caiifoxnia veauki appeal TO have braced Kennwdls--ei-force of char- acter. TA of-w who. dees NET know he ulig,4 seem brusque, not t,& say rude. T. put it bhrntly, T. DOIF HAS not improved. He wears- his new-born morals stiffly. Morals, my dear, like- wine, improve with-age; time apffcens the crudi- ties of both. I am doubtful if Kennaixi will favourably iniprees. Morgan after alL FiB in- clined. to think my plan of RAISING the- money was THE better one. Still, il hesesfcy fails, we can try the other THING, eh, T«ETTA,Z"' "1 wwnft think of such; a; poc&bjlltv. It may be forced on you, my TFEAR. Sup. pr),- i ng, fc?rt h ,? w k e -o f posing, for the sake of ARGUMENT, that Dolf can't do BUSINESS with Morgan, With no money- to Irve. on,, or push hie interests, he and his. mine must go down. Leaving you and me out of THE question,, IN such a. plight, would YEU refuse to iielp the man, you. love? THE truth, TECEA,—yotj, caja afford that luxury^— would 10'" or houeotiv come uppeiaaost ?" What lID absurd question. Dolf wo-uHn't let me go. back on. my word anyway." Ah you've told me what I wanted to know, my dear. You're no more in love with Kennard than the man: in the moon. You've a. strong sisterly affection for him, no doill)4 but love! -lie LAUGHED ligntly, 'HONESTY doesn't, WCIGII & fea!lierweiglit against the real thing, Tessa." Not Itwre Dolf, I She stared at him incredulous Why. I've neirer even tdtoht of any othe-r man. H'6 the- world to me. You must, know that you do know it." She Sashed: a. glanse ao eloquent of outraged pride; the mari felt irritated. BOW did this woman; steeped TO tlie lipef in knowledge of the WRVRRD'S dark ways, preserve her air of inno- 4wnee. i judgo by your acts. If you WO DoLf Kexmard," lie faesd round abruptly, "why didn't. you. go with him to CaJifomiaT' "That time hasji't come yet. When it flom Dolf himself wiD forbid me to steal. If a. woman CCUI lie and cheat and kill for lows, can't she be honest for the same reason?" "'Or coursa If Dolf asfced you, would you go oui TO work at a pound a wook?" His keen eyso NEMDT her pitilessly. "Your hir-3ita.-fcion proves my case. You don." t ,h, poor i AKSTP if h- r-gien en YQU. to. help him from a sarape," AND with, a sneering laugh, evading SKEC PBESICSIAJSE, PROTEST, the captaiii quickly kit itibe room. "WLNEA th. TIMES cornea"—T'HMS ran HIS ;th«Might-»—afcj'll llerne-mbin. WLIAT I EAY. Tiurt ia a great gift." And MEEITIA^ the MANAGER upon tare stfaii*, THE TS^WN. PASSED ONE of the- hotel cig-arg upon hunt TESSA, quivering with indignation, examined I HEARTY a. prismer at tifee bar, vrhetsher in thought or aot she HAD failed Doif. had doelax-ed fer HOIWISTY; sbø had FATTEN her plaee at has side; HAD- vowc-4 with him to TURN, HER back upon, tiMe pwst. He- woufd; not as k her to break from it. Doif wae act weai- I i I-ig. And YVFE—did me love- him? With THMBBING braiu AND: fiercely LK"WFCIN £ hea.rt she asked the question yet again, CLASPED in his He had looked in on his way to dinner; he was late and had little time to SPSRO. -I)oLf, you know I low you ?" she CSNED. V()Rl know- my heart, ray aoui, my very self, is jteasps?" He pineheefe heir ear in answer: "I steouldn'T be here if I doubted it, my giri. Buck up, Tessa, and if I paid off this, deal witlh MECJRAN. W't'J']} get married right away anokeuut. fn' tii. I'll be glad to- forget the old days. 'i*hey've been pnetty bad,, eb kiddy?" The words left her unhappy and iU rut I It seemed she had not been aliTs>uf £ ei,ent to him, after aJoi. The captain, with Kennard in. tow, received AN effusive WELCOME from Cyrus Morgan. Plebeian in fOOJe and figure, the FINANCIER had oertaiu blaff. humour AND 0|>EU-HANDIE&IESS that, made him popular and put Iæn ART their «aa& The dinner was good, the wine of the best. DoIf, expanding under the influenoe of tjie CHOICE VINTAGE and THE bonhomie of his host, leaned back in his chair with a eeneo of satis- t, iOIl. Cyrus expressed himself as favourably im- pressed wit!I the chances of the Raglan Mine, the oaptadn a prophecy notwit-hatanling, Dolf gave the story cf Pete's many yearg of dogged perseverance and deltermination with a ringing voice and rugged eloquence that told, bringing the tale to a dramatic climax by the production of the title-deeds, which he flung with &n im- pressive gesture before Morgan. "You've full powers to act. as Raglan's repro-, sentative?" asked the financier, studying the documents. "That's so. Dolf tossed the power of attor- ney owr to him. "I oould sell the whole ca- boodle for a tenner if I like. Pete can't go back on mo. See here, Mr. Morgan," Dolf leaned forward, "III put my cards upon the table. This is a good speo. I know it, you know it, but you don't want to be rushed. You require time to think it over. Well, I'm pre- pa-ied to give you time for a consrideration. You shall have the option of buying t-he property at a stun to be agreed on,, for a week, if you pay me a hundred quid upon the nail. How does that gtrilx-, you?" 'Tin inclined to consider it. Come to my office in Throgrmorien-street to-morrow morning, a.nd I'll go into the matter with you thoroughly. We'll have another bottle anyway, and drink SUCCESS to the mine, my boy, and more power to your elbow." The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm. The oapitain. who bad played a minor part during the evening, nodded congratulations to Kennard. Morgan clapped him on the back. Dod, in the seventh heaven of excitement, wanted to shout. Reaching over far his papers be placed them back in his pocket-book, leaving it on the table while he turned to put on his coat, assisted thereto by the jovial Morgan. "You're sure you won't come on with us to the club, Kennard?" asked the financier, hos- pitably. then, until to-morrow F morning. And Cyrus genially shook hands. Dolf passed out of the swing doors of the I^ES- taurant full of meat and drink and the strong, heavy wine of youthful vanity. Morgan was a clever chap; he liked Morgan, appreciated Morgan; they understood each other. He, Dolf Kennard, was no fool. Give him half a chaneo, and b.&i mulol- a pile as big a& Morgan's, aye, and make it honestly, too. Tbowe, wasn't so MUCH difference between them. H His refleeticais were cut short. He bad can- noned a.gainst a girl who, with h" ATTENDANT cavalier, was hurrying from the crush of a THEATRE crowd to where her CARRIAGE waited AT the kerb. Doif apologised profusely. The girl, all friM» [ and innocence AND fhrffy hair, sraiied forgive- now from a paiar of big brown eyeei whsah, they met his- own, grew wide with admiration and A native coqaetrv. The next MOMENT SLIE was out of sight, leav- ing: THE IRNPRESHIOBABFE Delf fiustered, OOMFIJSEDI deiightftrily setf-oonseteu#, STARING after th& re- CRESTING: carriage. E He arrived at INi* toiginge in a jubilant state 1 GENERALL'Y. and iítted his ktahkey to the tune [ of fifty THOUSAND a year, a house IN MAYFAIN C and A GOARGEOWS "Vi IN whioh viciet eyee ami brown 1,,i ,.d FONDLY and by twmw urm binsk. Whistliag softly he sat on his bed; he must have anestlier look at the papers THAI wey-e to Jay F the fou NDAFCKMS of his glorious fortuim Horieety waft a gam* well worth- PLAYING at this pr. < He toowk .out THE Icafcher pocket-book aaf t.gxted. AT it with sparkling eyes He opened rtwith a. gay iattgh—A TFEE oath that sprang NEXT moment, from his lips JAR hoarribly. "Gene!" HE cried, ia a voice hoarse a terri-bl-P, incredulity. "Empty!1 Scxme- THUEFA ? robbed cuwsl-, hiw;J' NERWLIESS and sfcsk'M-G lie STAGGERED TO ï. F feet, his FOEE- WALKING pakrfwfly HAD overfeakw* him, THE brilliant thief, the FLARING- esac feman. F The poaet -beek waa emptv the pçen; FOUEJ the power OF astempy, the ENGINEERS r«|>«rfcB( the title-deeds of the Raglan Mine stekft! To bo oont-rnt«d.)