The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1909-12-09


stacks stood 1000 francs in gold, 35(
effigies of Napoleon the Little"-7 ,O0t
francs, $1,000, more than half the
sum of his letter of credit.
He counted off ten coins and placed
them on the second dozen. The bal
rolled into No. %. He leaned back
again with a second sigh. and the pref
ty woman smiled a second smile, and
the wooden rake pushed the beautiful
gold over to him. He was playing a
system, one bet in every three turns
of the wheel in stakes of $40 and $50
To be sure, he lost now and then, but
the next play he doubled and retrieved.
Oh, the American Comic Opera COM
pany should be well taken care of!
Two more bets and then he would
pocket his winnings and 60 He laid
40 francs on No 20 and 400 on black,
leaned upon his elbows and studied the
pretty woman, who smiled If she
spoke English-he scrubbed the ques-
ton on a scrap of paper and pushed it
across the table, blushing a little as
he did so. She read it, or at least
she tried to read it, and shook her head
with the air of one deeply puzzled
He sighed again, rejecting that there
might have been a pleasant adventure
had he only understood French.
Twenty-six, black and even.
Merrihew slid back his chair and
rose. He swept up the gold by the
handful and poured it into his pockets,
casually and unconcernedly as if this
was an everyday affair and of minor
Importance. But as a matter of fact
his heart was beating fast, and there
was a wild desire in his throat to yell
with delight Eighteen hundred dol
lars, 5000 francsl A merry music they
made in his pOckets-jingle. jingle,
iinglel And then he saw Hillard COM
ing across the hall Instantly he
forced the joy from his face and eyes
and dropped his chin in his collar. He
became in that moment the picture of
desolation.
as it all over?" asked Hillard grave
".
"All overt monOtOnouSly.
Come over to the cafe. then. I've
something important to tell YOU
Found themE" with rousing interest.
81 shall tell you only when we get
out of this place. Come
Hillard put out a friendly hand.
Il am sorry. boy. | wanted you TO
win something Cheer up Well
shake the dust of this place in the
morning
"Oh, for a vacant lot and good old
whooper-up. Feelr' cried Merrihew,
touching his side pockets.
What is it," asked Hillard.
what is it? 1t is 45O napoleonsr'
"What?" sharply, even doubtfully.
That's what! Eighteen hundred
dollarsl My system will have no
funeral tonight"
He caught billiard by the sleeve and
fairly ran him over to the cafe.
Nearly two thousand!' murmured
Hillard. "Well, of all the luck!"
ut does seem too good to be true.
say, what's the matter with your
cravat?"
Hillard looked down at the futter-
ing end and reknotted it carelessly.
Il saw Kitty tonight" he said.
L
clatter about him had died away sud /
denly. He breathed deeply. Where is
she?"
I'll explain what has happened"
Merrihew listened eagerly.
And why did you bother about the
Italian?' he interrupted. ''Why didn't
YOU hold on TO Kitty"
st Of lt1t .
the gentleman with the scar was an
unknown quantity. Besides, why
should Kitty run away from me of all
persons? And why, when | spoke to
them in the casino, did they ignore
me completely"
ITS your COMPOUNDED prima donna.
She's at the bottom of all this, take
arr word for it. Something's desper-
ately wrong. Persons do not wear
masks and hide in this manner just
for lark. Why didn't you knock him
DOWN."
Il wanted to, but it wasn't the psy-
GEOLOGICAL moment. You can't knock
a man down when he practically sun
You're too particular But what's
the matter with Kitty? l don't under
stand. To see you was to know that
| was round somewhere. She ran
away from me as well as from you.
What shall we do?'
start the hunt again or give it up
entirely. There are some villages be-
tween here and Nice. 1t must be in
hat direction. They were about to I
BOARD the car for Nice. If you hadn't :
been gambling. if you had been sensi-
Die and stayed with me-
Come, now, that won't wash. You ,
know very well that you urged me to ,
play" ,
You would have played without any a
irsing." /
And who is this Italian anyhow" i