Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-28

eANNNlNh " buN inc am haA
passed out into the night before she could
muster suhlcient moral courage to put in
execution her half-formed resolve.
II wanted to speak about that wager on
Diablo,' began Crane.
A thrill Of relief shot through the girls
heart. Why had he troubled himself TO
come 20 her over such a triHing matter-a
pair Of gloves, perhaps half a dozen pairs
even.
Il put the bet on some time ago. he
continued. when Diablo was at a long
price. II was only a trihe, as we agreed
upon" Allis noticed that he laid par
%ticular stress upon agreed" But IL has
netted you quite a nice sum, 1880"
Crane said this in a quiet voice without
JUNCTION, but II startled the girl-she stared
In blank amazement. Her companion was
evidently waiting for her TO say something,
seemed to expect an exclamation of Joyous
approval. She noticed that the gray eyes
she so distrusted had taken on that dis
tasteful peeping expression, as though he
were watching her walk into a trap!
Il cannot take it," answered Allis de-
c%isively, after a pause.
1t was good OF you-kind, but how could
l accept a large sum Of money like that
when | an not entitled to IT,"
You are-it's yours. The bet was made
A"Ap NuAtltu II AT the time IN
my book, and the bookmaker is ready TO
pay the money over"
Il can't take til won't. No. no. moi"
Don't be foolishly sensitive. Miss AIlis.
Think what your father lost when he parted
with Dtablo for a trivial 81, 200, and IL was
my fault, for I arranged the sale. Your
father needs-pardon me, but 1 know his
position, being his banker-yes. he needs
this money badly"
MY father needs a good many things.
Mr.. Crane, which he would not accept as a
gift; he would be the last man to do so.
We must go on doing the best we can, and
II we can't succeed, that's all. We can't
accept help, just yet anyway"
She was bitter. The reference TO her
fathers troubles, though meant partly in
Kindness, angered her. II caused her to
feel the meshes of the net drawing closer
about her and binding her free will. The
hight was on. More than ever she deter
mined to struggle to the bitter end. AL
most indeinably she knew that to accept
this money, plausible as the offering was,
meant an advantage to Crane.
You can't leave this large sum with the
bookmaker," he objected. HE would like
nothing better; he would laugh in his
sleeve. I can't take It; 1t isn't mine"
II won't touch it,"
. HUN ~ opium W your
! father about it," said Crane, tentatively.
|, H can have no objection to accepting this
money that has been won"
. Father won't take it, either" answered
I the girl. 81 know his ideas about such
matters. He won't take it."
Crane brought all his fine reasoning
i powers to bear on Allis, but failed signally
4 In his object. He was unaccustomed to be-
t ing baked, but the girls firm determine
ton was more than a match for his adapta-
= BILE sophistry.
. Allis' letter had been completed, but she
: now added a postscript. telling her mother
= briefly Of Cranes insistence over the bet
= and beseeching her to devise some plan
9 for keeping this new disturbing element
n from her father.
o Crane had made the first move and met
checkmate. The second move would be
through Allis' mother. He determined upon
o that course. All his old cunning must have
o surely departed from him il he could not
d win this girl. Fate was backing him up
most strenuously. Diablo had been cast
e into his hands-thrust upon him by the
t good fortune that so steadily befriended
!, him. He was not in the habit OF attribut-
ing unlocked for success to Providence; he
s rarely went beyond fate for a deity. I'm
mistakably, :hen, it was fate that had cast
8 the horoscope of his and Allis' life to-
q gether. Never mind what means he might
use to carry out this decree; once accom-
}, plished, he would more than make amends
q to the girl. He went to sleep in this happy
glamour of assured success and, by the in
evitable contrariness of things, dreamed
that he was falling over a steep precipice
on the Dutchman back and that at the
I bottom Mortimer and Allis we're holding a
I blanket to catch him in his fall.
Crane was expecting Langdon at 10
Q o'clock. He heard a step in the breakfast
\ room, and. turning his head. saw that II
was the trainer. Mechanically Crane
!, pulled his watch from his pocket; he had
, thought 1t earlier, it was 10. Langdon
was on time to a minute. Nominally
= what there was to discuss. though of
large import, required little expression.
, With matters going so smoothly there was
4 little but assurances and congratulations to
be exchanged. Diablo's showing In the big
handicap confirmed Langdon's opinion that
: both the black and the Dutchman had
: given them a great trial; probably they
would duplicate their success with the
Dutchman In the Brooklyn derby. II was
= only a matter OF a few days and the son
: Of Hanover had steadily improved; he
> was in grand fettle.
Langdon's appreciation Of Cranes
: cleverness had been enhanced by the sue
cessful termination of what he still be-
. lIeved was a cleverly planned coup. He
u had never for an instant thought Crane
purchased the horse out Of kindness to any
u one. II was still a matter Of mystery 10
him, however, why his principal should
d wish to keep dark just how he had learned
u Diablo's handicap qualities.
e Accustomed to reading Langdon's mind,
d Crane surmised from the trainers manner
that the latter had something that he had
not yet preached. Their talk had been
somewhat desultory. much like the CONVEX
I sation OF men who have striven and sue
ceeded and are flushed with the full en-
joyment Of their success.
Suddenly the trainer drew himself to-
d gether as IL for a plunge and said: "Did
y you notice Porter's mare in the Brooklyn
sir?"
d YES. she ran a pretty good race for a
3-year-old."
she did, an l suppose they'll start her
in the Derby. Do you happen to know
u sir?"
81 fancy they will" answered Crane
careiessly.
n "she stopped bad yesterday, but I've
heard somethin'."
u Crane remembered his own suspicion as
to Lucretia's rider, but he only said