Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-14
Copyright. 1900, by the Curtis Publishing Company.
Copyright, 1906, by Robert W.. Chambers.

never permitted herself to weigh mon
ey and pleasure in the same balance.
but kept a mental pair Of scales for
each.
AS usual. the fever of gain was
~fiercest in those who could afford to
lose most. Quarter. playing to rule
with merciless precision, coldly exact
ed every penalty that a lapse In his
opponents permitted. Agatha, her
teeth set in her neither lip, her eyes
like living Jewels, answered Quarters
every signal. interpreted every sign,
her play fitting in exactly with his, as
though she were his subconscious self
balancing the perfectly adjusted mech
anism Of his body and mind.
Now aad then lifting her eyes she
sent a long. limpid glance at Quarter
like a pale shaft of light. and under
his heavy fringed lashes at moments
his level gaze encountered hers with
a slow narrowing of lids-aS though
there was more than one game in prog
ress, NOR, than one stake being played
for unde. the dull rose glow Of the
clustered lights.
The collar Of diamonds and aqua
Of shadowy lightning across her
throat. "A single splendid jewel glow
ed on her left hand as her fingers flash
ed among the cards for the makeup.
"A hundred aces broke in Plank's
heavy voice MS he played the last trick
and picked up the scoring card and
pencil.
Once Marion. overintent. touched a
card in the dummy when she should
have played from her w hand, and
| Sylvia would have let it pass had not
Plank calmly noted b penalty.
"Oh, dear! It's too much like bust
ness" sighed Sylvia. Cant we play
for the sake of the sport? l don't
think it good craftsmanship to profit
by a blunder."
"Rule," observed Marion laconically.
War barbed wire If you want the
brush"
81 myself never was crazy for the
BRUSH" murmured Sylvia.
Grace whispered maliciously, "But
| you've got it, with the mask and
pads" and her mischievous head bare
ly tipped backward in the direction Of
Quarter.
Especially the mask" returned Syl-
| via under her breath and laid on the
table the last card of a Marlborough.
Toward midnight Sylvia. absorbed
in her dummy, fancied she heard the
electric bell ringing at the front door.
Later. having barely made the add.
she was turning to look at the major
when. beyond him. she saw Leroy Nor
timer enter the room, sullen, pasty
skinned, but perfectly sober and well
groomed.
you are a trife late" observed Syl-
via carelessly. Grace Ferrall and Ma
rion ignored him. Plank babe him
good evening in a low voice.
The people at the other table, hav-
ing completed their rubber, looked
around at Mortimer in disagreeable
surprise.
"I'll cut in If you want me. If you
don't, say So" observed Mortimer.
1t was plain that they did not. so he
settled himself in an armchair with an
ugly glance at his wife and an inso-
lent one at Quarter, and the game
went on in silence, Leila and the ma
jor still losing heavily under the sheer
ing gaze of Mortimer.
At last who's carrying your" he
broke out, exasperated, and in the
ahorEod silence Leila very white.
made a movement to rise, but Quar-
rier laid his long finger across her arm,
pressing her backward.
"You don't know what you're say
ing" he remarked, looking coldly at
Mortimer.
Plank laid down his cards, rose and
! walked over to Mortimer.
"May I have a word with you?" he