The Washington herald., 1908-06-07

the oldest is the shortest. To Lady Kitty,
watching her man fighting over her, put
ting forth his strength and risking his
life, that she might live, all the scandals
she had heard about him. all the self
examination Of her feelings toward him,
seemed small and insignificant They
paled beside the essential fact that. what
ever his life had been, he was still
virile lighting man. able TO protect her.
She watched him. fascinated, till. just as
the fight was thinning TO an end, he fell
beneath the dubbed musket of Moor.
who then turned and joined his fleeing
comrades. Dashmore, who had seen his
partner go down. dropped the brigand
with his revolver before he could reach
his scanty accomplices, and that ended
the fight. The mules were caught, the
ladies and the wounded were loaded onto
tileTh and the victorious expedition rex
turned 10 Tangier, where a doctor. AT the
hotel examined Vandraken, and shook
his head.
IT'S a matter Of constitution" he told
Dashmore. IF HIS has not been under
mined. he may recover. The whole thing
hangs on the amount of vitality he pos
sesses."
Il may as well tell you. doctor" an
swered DashmOre, that your patient has
spent the last two years entirely in dissi-
patton. He is a victim OF too much
wealth, and he has tried TO spend IL.
That yacht I'm the harbor would be raid
ed by the police in any civilized port
That Is the sort of patient you have"
Then he is doomed. said the doctor,
with conviction And yet, II you had
not told me what you have, 1 should have
judged Mr. Vandraken to be a young man
who had taken the greatest care of his
health"
Five days afterward Vandraken recov-
cred consciousness. The first thing he
said was: viii you shake hands with
me now, Slap Dash?'
And Dashmore. checking a weepy feel
Ing. wrung Vandrakens hand as hard as
he dared
You upset all calculations" he said
You are going TO recover, in spite OF
the DOCTOR"
Il say Slap Dash" asked the young
man. eagerly. has Lady Kitty asked
about me? Does she seem 20 take any
interest in my recovery"
Does she? Why. man. she can't be
shooed away from your bedside. l tell
you. you battle-axed your way TO that
girls heart, all right I don't know what
terms you were on before. but II she ever
thought she had anything 10 forgive, she
has more than forgiven II. Wonderful
how return 70 barbaric methods goes
to woman's hearti Florence Sidcombe
can't see any black wool In my fleece.
nowadays, and considers that I must
have been grossly maligned The glad
hand is constantly outstretched How
ever. what's the good? l couldn't keep
a wife in hairpins. SO to the devil with
pipe dreams. But It's different with you.
] Nhaw nFafr~
marrying Lady Kitty. and that's the
'hoOchee- coochee' menagerie out there in
the harbor. on board the Barbaric. So
far / have managed TO keep that dark,
but sooner or later. you know"
Nandraken turned his face to the wall
I've got no chance. anyway. Slap
Dash. ] don't know why, but / used 10
/ think / could make the game to suit my
self have feeling now that I am go
ing TO be made 10 pay for my hurrah
times in some other coin than money.
l haven't been az unconscious as you
think. l could feel Lady Kittys presence
about me all these days. and Oh. well,
1 can't explain, but Il has made me see
my life through her eyes. and it looks
pretty bad. ! had an idea that II you
had money enough you could plan your
| life 20 suit yourself and defy conse-
| Dash. since I got knocked on the head
The cluods Of consequence are beginning
10 gather. A man may postpone them,
but that's all Sooner or later they catch
up with him"
| Look here. old chap" said Dashmore.
/ you are worrying about that woman
| chipping in and spelling the game You
| give me "a free hand. and I'll get rid Of
! her and all those gay dipsomaniacs on
| board the Barbaric"
! Vandraken shook his head You don't
/ know Needa. She Is too clever and subtle
/ 10 be got rid Of till IL suits her She IS
/ wonderful-wonderful, ! felt all that
/ too" he murmured. dreamily. while I
/ was in that trance-like Inconsistencies.
J Lady Kitty and the Cobra battling for
my soul-good and evil fighting over me
/ and the Cobra won't
/ Dashmore went over to a table and be-
\ gan writing. Then he returned 20 the
| bed You don't mind spending a bit OF
money over II, I suppose7'