The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1904-09-29


rent ia New York was slgnallzed BY .
market movement not yet forgotten
Mr. nlake's guests were General Mar
nhall Garden. Miss Jessie Garden and
Miss Edith Hancock. Of CohassCt
Massachusetts,. Miss Garden returned
n week ago from a two years soiourn
abroad. where her musical aud arts
tic talents attracted nearly as much
attention aR her rare beauty"
MY Oodl this Ia a~wful-awful-
awful" groaned Blake. "0et out Of
herei" he shouted 10 his man. "wha
the devil do you mean. standing there
gaping at me7 Bring me a glass Of
brandy, and be quick about IT,"
He hurled the paper from him and
sank back into a chair.
The door bell rang. and AZ tae
sound every nerve tingled with ter.
ror. Was & John BuTt2 James
Blake was not a coward-as he had
proved a score OF times when his
mettie was put TO the test-but from
the moment he went down to defeat
beneath sturdy blows he had respect.
cd his boyhood conQueror.
The valet opened the door and
Blake heard the piping voice Of a tel
eEraph messenger. He drew q long
breath and tore open the envelope.
The message was from John Haw-
kins, and stated that he would ar.
rive in New York on the following
morning.
The little clock systematically
jinEled the hour OF moot In four
short hours he would face John Burt
lie drank the brandy az n gulp. and
plunged into a cool bath. He glared
at the tempting breakfast but could
not taste Il.
Take that stuff away and bring me
more brandy" he ordered.
Again he read the dreaded para.
graph. It had a fascination he could
not resist He sent for ali the sun.
day journals and eagerly scanned
them for mention OF the theater par.
~. but to his great relief found that
{ appeared only in the one paper.
again he helped himself to the
brandy.
Come 20 think Of it. John don't
read that cursed paperi" he ex-
claimed half aloud. Its only an &C
cident that ! happened & see II. II /
hadn't been there last night I never
would have glanced below the head
line. What chance is there for John
TO see IL? Not one in a millioni7
He paced up and down the room.
and paused 10 survey his reflection IN
a mirror. His face was drawn. and
dark circles showed under his eyes.
The deeanter was his only friend.
The grave face OF the valet did not
disclose the astonishment be felt
over the conduct Of his employer.
Blake was almost abstemious 10 bis
habits. and his sideboard was more
Of an ornament than a utility. In
this he had wisely patterned himself
after John Burt.
SHALL | serve breakfast now. sirg"
asked Roberts.
Blake answered with e sullen mega
tive and tossed on his fourth brandy.
Il sounded a new note In the scale Of
stimulation.
Il don't see Why ! should 20 into
such a beastly funk over this Atari
he muttered. "It's no crime 20 De In
love with a woman. She doesn't be.
long TO him. They're not even en-
gagged. Suppose he does love her?
So do /. What II he did meet her
first? A woman IS rot something 20
be discovered and pre-empted like a
gold mine.
As the hours sped by and the dark
red line In the decanter dropped low
er and lower. Biake's courage aroused
TO such a pitch that he welcomed the
coming Of John Burt
BY God. ven settle this matter
nov and here, he exclaimed as be
lurched %unsteadily about the room.
John Burt moi any other man shall
stand between me and Jessie Car
denl IN meet him face 10 face!
Ill
The hall bell rang With that clear
precision which comes from the
pressure OF an inslstent hand. At the
same instant the little clock ham.
mered the hour of four.
Ito be c%outinuedl