The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-29
CHAPTER XxTV. First Stroke for a Fortune.


 Vida. l love you. yes, with all my heart. Only say that you will accept me. and l will ask your adopted fathers permission tomorrow. He will not, know, refuse me. I have helped him in the past-you know that. In the future l shall make it my busi- ness to reward all those who have been kind to my wife"
 oh, please, hush-go away! I have answered you a score of times before Can you not believe me? There is no mora to be saidp'
 \ You love another! If so, let him beware the anger of James"
 Hush, l tell youi I ask you to only go away. l have no wish to hurt your feelings. I do not love you-I never shall love you. It Is an impossibility There is-there is bar between us-"
 An" said James Kahn, fiercely, q know-Vic Morrisr
 No, no, something quite different, said Vida, eager that she should bring no harm to her friend-or rather her good old Dicks friend. Though, in deed. Vic would have thanked her lit tie for the denial. He would gladly have affronted all the possible angers iof James Kahn, including the dagger in the Serbs waistband Cir he had known of iD for the privilege of being that bar which shut off forever the love of Vida Bryan from Jacob Romer's chief of staff
 Not Vic Morris?" said James Kahn; 'then who?'
 No one" said Vida, breathlessly; sI do not love you--that is all"
 But you will learn" he pleaded. q will be your slave. I will make you love me. IL is in our race. Life and death are little to us compared with fhe woman We love. If any man comes between us-let him have a care for his life. He shall never live to marry 5ou. I will watch you day and right"
 A brilliant illumination suddenly sprang from the window of the garret chamber used for visitors, and situ- eted immediately above Vida's It flick cred increased in power, concentrated with sudden click and revealed Jams Kahn standing in his long cloak blinking beneath the shelter of the Douglas pine.
 Come out O that, ye hulking Dago! l see you and your Mother Hubbard S mortcloth. Come out like a man. and say what ye have to say to Billy Bryan, instid aV completing wid poor mans daughter-and only the half av her hisr'
 James Kahn stopped, turned, and would have fled. But couple of full sized navy revolver bullets-one of which tore through the pine branches overh cad and the other went howking like a trenching mole in the needle covered earth-induced him to change his mind
 He stopped where he was.
 stand ye there, me pretty moonlight boy" said Billy Bryan. Vida, honey shake up Dick. and tell him to come 1 z fetch him. Don't move, youl I have you covered, and I'll tunnel .ye like the Straits O Dover. Faith, ye will never be seasicl1 again."
 In a minute old Dick came shuffling out in loose foot gear and hastily wrapped in a long sea cloak which he had used when the mists were thick and chill about the Mickle Ross, and the glasses of the lantern grew blurred and uncertain with the con gealing of the ice crystals
 What is il. Billy?"
 "Hould away, don't ye joggle my arm, Dicki" cried Billy; this navy league might might go off and make a hole in certain kind gentleman down there--a gentleman who, by his own tale, wants to speak with you and me, Dick-about the marrying and giv- ing in marriage of our joint-stock daughter-which her name is Vida Bryan and her nation that of Dick Finnan. Step up, my lad. and speak your mind to the Vida Bryan Paternal Syndicate-sharp, too, for there's q twitch in my right forennger that l am apt to suffffer from when kept waiting over long"
 Slowly out of the dazzling circle thrown downwards by the lighthouse mans acetylene lantern the figure in the sheleter of the Douglas pine stepped forward The illun ination followed him like searohliSht. And it was ev- ident also that did the navy revolver A steel glnt above the bent knuckles of Billy Bryans right hand afforded to James Kahn this useful information.
 What MT Kahn cried old Dick. so astonisied that he could hardly utter the words; why, sir, what has brought you here at this time O night anything wrong at the pits?'
 No. Finnan, certainly not" said the acting manager. determined to make the best of it. '"The fact is, I was on my way up to the castle. and as paused to take look that all was right about the cottage tthere have been wandering bands of doubtful, characters abroad ever since the fre), this lunatic--I must presume some friend of yours-took me for a burglar and fired two shots at mel"
 
 "Will you oblige me by asking him to put up his revolver, MT. Finnan?"
 "Warnin' Number one,' said Billy special for them that doesn't tell the truth. the whole truth. and nothing but the truth as the Good Book saysr
 'I had also little previous conver- sation with Miss Vida, who l found en- toying the night air at her window" James Kahn felt that it was better to be plain. Circumstances were for the present against him.
 "Ah, we're gettin at it now" said Billy.
 Tt came about from seeing her so unprotected, and her window so near the ground. l was afraid that some misfortune might arrive"
 "Warnin' Number two! If she twitches like that again. somebody will have no further trouble in this sin ful world"
 "The fact is Mr. Finnan." said Mir. Kahn, that l have a private reason for being interested in the safety of Miss Vida. I have long cherished the ing Miss Vida my wife"
 Break off, Dismiss Disperse. h. spection overl Only hould on like 8 little man till I open the door,' cried Billy Bryan, jubilantly. 'come in ar we a social glass-of barley and Wa sr-best pot product, nineteen years in bottle, considered powerfully sooth- ing to the nerves with squeeze of lemon, Recommended by the faculty and all temperance societies-testimo