The San Francisco call., 1904-03-27

where they were to conquer fame and
fortune.
He had had other talks with Harvey
since the evening of his revelation. He
was convinced that the man was telling
the truth. He had known men before
of Harney's type and wondered why the
drunkard had not made use OF his
knowledge for his own advancement.
He had evidently kept his eye on both
Shackleton and Moreau, and it was
strange, that, as the two men rose to
affiuence, he had not used the ugly Sc
cret he held. The only explanation of
it was that they held an even greater
power over him. He had undoubtedly
had reason to fear both men. Shackle
ton, once arrived at the pinnacle of his
success, would have crushed like
beetl in his path this drunken threat
ener of his peace Moreau, whose every
movement he seemed to have followed,
had evidently had a held over him.
Hold or no hold Shackleton would have
swept him aside by the power Of his
money and his position, into the obli
Won that awaits the enemies OF rich
and unscrupulous men.
NOW DOlH were Uedu- DQl the udy VI
Harney's power was over. Enfeebled
in mind and body by drink and disease.
he had neither the force nor the brain
tG be dangerous. His uses were merely
those of an instrurhent in daring hands.
And those hands Had found hinls There
were long talks in Essex's room in the
evenings, during which the story was
threshed out. Geofge Harney, drunk
o,. or hirnSolt
nor varied in his details. His mind,
confused and added on other matters.
retained this memory with unblurred
clearness.
So Essex deliberated, carefully and
without haste, for there was plenty of
time.
The bright days continued On a ra-
diant Saturday afternoon, Mariposa,
tired with a mornings teaching,
started forth to spend an hour or two
in the park She had done this several
times before, finding the green peace
and solitude of that beautiful spot
soothing to her harassed spirit. 1t was
a long ride in those days, and this had
its charm, the steam dummy cresting
the tops of sandy hills, clothed with
lupins and tiny frightened oaks.
crouching before the sea winds. On
this occasion she had invited the escort
of Benito. who had been hanging
drearily about the house. thinking with
mingled triumph and envy of Miguel,
who had gene with his mother to have
tooth pulled out.
Pulling the tootfl's bad, of course"
Benito had said to Mariposa, as he
trotted by her side to the car, but
then afterward there's candy. | dunno
but what it's WORTH while And then
you have the tooth"
Have the tcoth!'' said Mariposa-
What do you want the tooth for?
You can show it to the boys in
school, and you can generally trade it.
/ traded mine for a knife with two
blades. but both of 'em was broke. :"
Benito was becoming very friendly
with Mariposa. He was cheerful and
expansive soul. Could they have heard
him, Uncle Gam and his mother might
have suffered some embarrassment on
the score of his revelations as to their
quarrels concerning his upbringing.
Benito had thoroughly gauged the ca
pacity of each of them in resisting his
charms and urging him to higher and
better things. He was already at the
stage when his mother appealed slight
1y to his commiseration and largely to
his sense of humor. Mariposa saw that
while he had grasped the great fact
that his Uncle Gam had an unfortu-
nately soft heart, he also knew there
was a stage when 1t was resolutely
hardened and his most practiced wiles
fell baffied from the surface.
They alighted from the car at what
was then the main entrance, and, side
by side, Benito 1uently talking, made
toward the gate. Here a peanut ven
der had artfully placed his stall, and
the fumes from the roasted nuts rose
gratefully to the nostrils of the small
boy. He said nothing, but shifted with
an ostentatious noise. and then looked
sidewise at Mariposa. One of the
sources of his respect for her was that
she was so quick in reading the Ian
guage OF the eye. One did not vulgarly
have to demand things of her. He felt.
the nickel in his hand and galloped on
to the stand, to return slowl.,, his head
on one side, an eye investigating the
contents of the opened paper bag he
carried.
Being gentleman of gallant for
bears, he offered this to Mariposa, lis
tening with some uneasiness to the
scraping her fingers among its con-
tents. He had an awful thought that
she might be like Miguel, who could
never be trusted to withdraw his hand
until it was full to bursting. But Mar
iposa's eventually emerged with one