Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-08-24
CHAPTER XIV.

boat lay alongside landing
stage at Woolwich and Kirk
wood had clambered ashore.
"Yer'll mebbe Gyke it," the water
man told him, with weatherwise sur
vey of the skies. winds freshenin'
from the east'rds, an that'll old 'er
back a bit, SIR"
"Arsk TIL wye to TIL Dorkyard sty-
shun," young William volunteered.
"'Tis TIL shortest walk, sir. 'opes
yer catches 'er. Thanky, sir"
He caught deXterously the sovereign
which Kirkwood, in ungrudging liber-
atty, spared them of his store of two.
The American nodded acknowledg.
ments and adieus, with faded smile
deprecating his chances Of winning the
race, sorely handicapped as he was.
He was very. very tired and in his
heart suspected that he would fail.
But il he did he would Mt least be
able to comfort himself that 1t was
not for lack of trying. He set his
teeth on that covenant in grim deter
mination. Either there was a strain
of the bulldog latent in the Kirkwood
breed or else his infatuation gripped
him more strongly than he guessed.
Yet he suspected something Of its
power. He knew that this was alto
gether an insane proceeding and that
the lure that led him on was Dorothy
Calendar. A strange, dull light glowed
in his weary eyes on the thought Of
her. He'd go through fire and water
in her service. She was costing him
dear. perhaps was to cost him dearer
still, and perhaps there'd be for his
guerdon no more than THANK you,
Mr.. Kirkwood!' at the end Of the pas
sage. But that would be no less than
his deserts. He was not to forget that
he was interfering unwarrantably
The girl was in her fathers hands,
surely safe enough thereto the cas-
ual mind. If her partnership in her
parents fortunes were distasteful she
endured 1t passively, without COM
plant.
He decided that it was his duty to
remind himself from time to time
that his main interest must be in the
game ITSELF in the solution Of the rid
die. Whatever should befall, he must
look for no reward for his gratuitous
and self appointed part. Indeed, he
was all but successful in persuading
himself that it was the fascination Of
adventure alone that drew him on.
A hapchance native whom he pres
emily encountered furnished minute
! directions for reaching the Dockyard
station of the Southeastern and Chat
ham railway, adding comfortable in
formation to the effect that the next
eastbound train would pass through
in ten minutes-if Kirlwood would
with time to spare.
| Kfrkwood mended his pace accord
ingly. but. contrary to the prediction,
had no time to spare at all. Even as
he stormed the ticket grating the train
was laundering In ut the platform.
Therefore Il nervous ticket agent
passed him out first class ticket in
stead of the third class he had asked
for, and there was no time wherein to
have the mistake rectilied. Kirkwood
planked down the fare, swore and
sprinted for the carriages.
The first compartment whose door
he pcrked Violently open proved to be
occupied and was. moreover, not
smoking car. He received feeting
impression of a woman's startled eyes
staring into his own through thin
mesh of yelling. fell off the running
board, slammed the door ard hurled
himself toward the next compartment.
Here happier fortune attended upon
his desire. The boNlile section was
untenanted, and notice blown upon
the window glass announced that it
was Second Glass Smoking" Kirk