Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-05

prunes alchemy.
Here, Miss Markoe, . he said, passing t
and the code book to his stenographer,
put this into plain United States,
Will you, please?'
Her deft fingers rapidly tipped over
the pages of the little red volume and
committed to type concise translation
of the cipher She placed it on his desk,
where for awhile it lay unnoticed
Presently his eye fell upon it by chance
as he was about to slit the flap of a
fresh letter. He read:
Two frst-class gushers struck yesterday
on Birdsall holdings adjoining Pierce estate
on north and east. Expert opinion to-day
conservatively values latter at two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars.
The letter opener dropped from the
Young mans nerveless hand, and the
half-digested pile of mail at his elbow
was swept UNDECIDED to the floor. Labo-
rious1y he reperused the translation,
with the sluggish brain action of one
befudd1ed by the fumes of wine.
The Pierce property skirted the ex-
IRENE southern margin of the oil belt.
Three months before, when the trend
of speculative development lay in a
Numerically opposite direction, he had
purchased for a mere song an option on
this little piece of land. He regarded it
at the time as a hundred-to-one shot,
and close investigation had convinced
him that it would be the part of wisdom
to sacrifice the trifing forfeit rather
than put up the fifteen thousand dollars
necessary to acquire title to a property
apparently outside the area swept by
the magic wand of Petroleum.
No wonder he was dazed. His arrow,
shot almost at random, had after an
cratic flight sunk deep into the mark.
But under the terms of his option the
purchase money must be paid in cash
at the office of an attorney in Denver,
representing the actual owner, on or
before July 20, at noon. Fortune had
withheld the magnificent stake until
he had almost lost it. In three days
his option would expire-and two
thirds of the continent lay between him
and the landing of his prize.
As a sharp realization of the press
ing necessity for instant action dawned
upon him, Gilbert reached for his rail
way guide and rapidly scanned the
transcontinental timetables. With
barely time to call at the bank and draw
the requisite funds, he could catch the
Limited out of Jersey City at eleven-five
Denver with a comfortable leeway of tw
Well, Miss Markoe, l m afraid you re
it, )" ne said, gathering up the litter OF corr
from the floor and examining it into the
on her desk You'll have to be the who
few days. This message means a hr
Denver. | guess there's money in the S
any ordinary expenses. If there's anytl
wire will reach me on the Limited
timetable" And with few other hu
tions, he gathered together the necess;
and was off, struggling into his coat as
down the hall
1t was at Omaha that She appeared
scene and with her advent his luck fo
Out of the tail of his eye Gilbert saw he
car with her alligator bag, and estab
in the section opposite to his. Somel
more boldly took in her slight, girlish fig
gowned IN well-htting black dress, tailor
modest little travelling hat, and the film
served partly to protect her face and paI
in check a mass of wavy, sun-kissed hair
indignant at the negligence of the por
that functionary had conducted her to
assisted her to dispose of her bag, and
shade at her request; but Gilbert nc
impotence that he had failed to provide
hassock, and that her daintily shod
rested on the floor Calamity he mad
supply the deficiency, to be rewarded {
most diffident of mods and Thank '
Elected as to amount almost to a reprina
The inane humor of the comic paper wi