The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-22

Charles dealt again.
Tie poet watched the deal with
boiled-fishy eyes. His thoughts were
far away. His lips moved audibly.
Myrtle, and kirtle, and hurtle," he
muttered. They'll do for three. Then
there's turtle, meaning dove; and that
finishes the possible. Laurel and coral
make very bad rhyme. Try myrtle;
don't you think 500"
do you stalker" Charles asked. Sc
verely, interrupting his reverie. Tie
poet started.
''No, pass" he replied, looking down
at his card. and subsidized into mutter-
ing.
We caught a tremor of his lips again,
and heard something like this:
Not less but more republican than
thou, Half-hearted watcher by the
western sea, After long years L come to
visit thee, And test thy fealty to that
maiden vow. That bound thee in thy
budding prime For Freedoms bride
STALKER" Charles interrupted inquir-
ingly, again.
Yes, five thousand the poet an
swered dreamily. pushing forward his
pile of notes, and never ceasing from
his murmur: For freedoms bride to
all succeeding time. Succeeding; sue
ceeding; weak word, succeeding.
Couldn't go IS on it."
Charles turned his card once more.
The poet had won again. Charles
passed over his notes. The poet raked
them in with a far-away air, as one
who looks at infinity, and asked if he
could borrow pencil and paper. He
had few priceless lines to set down
which might otherwise escape him.
This is play" Charles said pointed-
lU Twill ut
thing or the other?''
The poet glanced at him with COM
passionate smile.
Il told you I had inspirations" ne
said. ''They always come together. /
can't win your money as fast as I
would like, unless at the same time 1
am making verses. Whenever l hit
upon a good epithet, l back my luck.
don't you see? l won a thousand on
half-hearted and a thousand on bud
ding; If I were to back succeeding 1
should lose, to a certainty. You IN
derstand my system"
Il call it pure rubbish" Charles an
sweled. However, continue. Systems
were made for fOols-and to suit wise
men. Sooner or later you must lose at
such a stupid fancy"
The poet continued:
For Freedoms bride to all ensuing
time"
Stake" Charles cried, sharply. We
each of us staked.
Ensuing" the poet murmured TO
all ensuing time. First rate epithet,
that. 1 go ten thousand, Sir Charles,
on ensuing"
We all turned up. Some of US lost.
some won, but the poet had secured his
two thousand sterling.
Il haven't that amount about me"
Charles said in that austerely nettled
voice which he always assumes when he
loses at cards, 'but-Tll settle il with
you tomorrow"
Another round?" the host asked
beaming.
mo, thank you," Charles answered;
Mr. Coleyard's inspirations come too
pat for my taste His luck beats mine
1 retire from the game, senator
Just at that moment a servant en-
tered, bearing a salver, with a small
note in an envelope.
For Mr.. Coleyard," he observed,
land the messenger said urgent"
Coleyard tore it open hurriedly. I
could see he was agitated. His face
grew white at once.
II beg your pardon" he said. 4
1 must go back instantly. Ny wife is
dangerously ill-quite a sudden attack.
Forgive me, senator. Sir Charles, YOU
shall have your revenge tomorrow"
1t was clear that his voice faitered.
We felt at least he was a man of feel
ing. He was obviously frightened. His
GOODNESS forsook him. He shook hands
as in dream and rushed down stairs
for his dust coat. Almost as he closed
the front door a new guest entered,
just missing him in the vestibule.
'HeilOa. you men," he said, we've
been taken in, do you know? It's all
over the Lotus. The man we made an
honorary member of the club today is
not Algernon Coleyard. He's a bla-
tant impostor There's a telegram
come in on the tape tonight saying AL
gernon COleyard is dangerously i'll at
his home in England.
Charles gasped a violent gasp.
Colonel CIay!" he shouted, aloud.
And once more he's done me. There's
not a moment to lose. After him, gem
tlemen! After him.
Never before in our lives had we had
such a close shave of catching and fix
ing the redoubtable swindler. We burst
down the stairs in a body. and rushed
out into Fifth avenue. The pretended
poet had only hundred yards start of
us, and he saw he was discOveher. But
he was an excellent runner. So was l,
weight for age, and I dashed wildly
after him. He turned round a corner;
it proved to lead nowhere, and lost him
time. He darted back again, madly.
Delighted with the idea that 1 was
capturing so famous a criminal, l re-
doubled my efforts-and came up with
him painting. He was wearing a light
dust coat. 1 seized it in my hands.
I've got you at last" l cried.
Colonel Clay, I've got you"
He turned and looked at me.
"Ha, old Ten Per Cent" he called
out. struggling. It's you. tke1. il il =:
Never, never to you, siri'
AndNas he spoke, he somehow flung
his arms straight out behind him and
let the dust coat slip off, which it cas-
lily did the sleeves being new and
smoothly silk lined.
The suddenness of the movement
off my legs as well. AS the support
gave way l rolled over backward i'm the
mud in the street, and hurt my back
seriously. AS for Colonel Clay. with a
nervous laugh he bolted off at full
speed in his evening coat, and vanished
round the corner.
1t was some seconds before I had
sufficiently recovered my breath to pick
myself up again and examine my
bruises. By this time Charles and the
other pursueTs had come up, and | ex-
planned my condition to them. Instead
OF commencing me for my zeal in his
,f<,I, 4