Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-14

seem to know what he held, and almo

always he had to be told when to come
in. Funny thing. that. ] have been
told that lie is AN expert with cards
Its all right Carleton" replied
Craig. ~ am glad you won. The Win
nings are yours, you know; the losses
would have been mine. Not a word.
You have done me greater service
than you know. l think | know why
Escudera did not pay much attention
to the game, but it does not matter"
The game was brought to Il close ac
cordng to the arrangement. at 6o'clock
in the morning. and as the guests We're
departing Escudera. who had partially
retrieved his losses of the earlier part
of the game, loitcred behind the others
and was the last to bid his host goodby.
/ Wyndham guessed that he had
something to say, but he was hardly
prepared for what came.
Il should not think you would enjoy
living in these rooms" lie said.
"Why not?' asked Wyndham.
"Oh, nothing; only there is something
suggestive of the uncanny about Il
place where n man has been murder
| ed"
"Not when that man was your best
and dearest friend. senior. On the con-
trary, these rooms keep me reminded
OF something that have to do"
What is that?'
"Bring the murderer to Justice"
The Mexican shrugged his shoulders.
81 will confess" he said. that l have
felt rather grewsome here. have not
been here before since that night. You
know belong to Il superstitious race.
| Good morning"
I "Now, what the devil was he driving
at?' muttered Wyndham after Escu-
dera was gone. HE had something
else to say. but he didn't dare say it.
wonder what it was that made him
nervous. Was it because he was in the
rooms where he had killed man or
was 1t because he was worried over my
absence? Whatever it was, his time
for uncertainty is short He at least
| will soon know the worst"
\ Instead Of taking q few hours of rest,
Us most men under the circumstances
Il MOulA utISC dOAC, SAaA5 w y AAA2AsA'I
plunged into cold bath, after which
old James gave him a thorough rub
down. Then, although it was still so
early that he knew none of his ac-
quaintanccs would be abroad, he went
out on the street and took sharp walk
of three miles or more.
eff a man avoids stimulants, takes
| +r,. Ia |,
can do without sleep for seventy-two
hours" he said to a park policeman to
whom he talked while he rested from
his brisk Reorganization.
He had walked all the way out to
Mount st. Vincent to make arrange
ments for that luncheon. and with all
his neutrality-suspicious. he would have
laughed to scorn any implication that
he had done it for any other reason
than the exercise; but all the while as
! lie walked there were bright-no bril-
liant-eyes leading him on, the eyes of
| the sister of his dead friend, the eyes
Of the woman to whom he intended to
be a brother.
Self deception is deception of the
worst Sort for there can be no betray
al. Craig Wyndham did not know that
he was deceiving himself. All his life
he had been so direct in everything he
did that the symptoms We're unrecog-
nizable. He only realized without know
ing why that something was strange
and new.
If ever man hated deception of
any sort. Craig Wyndham was one.
The interview with Carmen, the exer-
else and the conscious force of his own
strength had given him new and
strange confidence, and while he wars
returning from the park he made up
his mind that there should be no more
of that With the knowledge he now
possessed he believed that he could not
only defy the Vaccinations of Carlos
EScudera. but that he need no longer
pretend friendship for man he hated;
also he resolved that he would make
no effort to conceal from him or his
followers-if he possessed any-what
he should do that day. In other words,
he felt entirely competent to care for
and protect Carmen Pendleton. There
may be some who read who have had
this same sensation and can under
stand better than it can be described
here the sensations by which he was
actuated.
1T was in consequence of these sever
al emotions-if they may be defined by
that word that at the appointed hour
of noon Craig appeared at the door OF
the hotel where the sister of his friend
was stopping and. without any attempt
at concealment, drove away with her
and the duenna. Nor was it with sur
prise that, as they drove up the ave
nue. he was saluted with raised hat
and tiourishing bow by Carlos Escu-
dera.
Garments seat in the carriage was
such that she did not see the Mexican.
and it was therefore supposable that
the Mexican did not see her. The du-
emma being on the front seat, was, OF
course, unseen, and Wyndham smiled
when he realized that after all IT was
only his own movements that tscuue-
RI and his hirelings were watching.
AS yet Escudera did not even suspect
the presence of his cousin In the city.
AT Mount st. Vincent they sought
far corner of the restaurant. The du-
emma, Maria, was given an adjoining