Evening star., 1909-06-06
"a 6 ss S b s 8 S 8 D @ % s ss 8 b q

ing Caine staring after him in perplexity.
Straight to the hotel the Fighter drove.
Arriving there he went. unannounced. to
Blacardas room: entered without knock
ing and closed the door behind him.
Blacarda looked up from the task of
packing his suit case. Bareheaded. still
grimy and diSheveled, Conover stood fac
ing him Blacarda rose from his knees
beside the open suit case and started for
ward.
Il guess you know why I'm here?" haZ-
arded Caleb, looking axross at the well
sroomed ngure. without the faintest trace
of emotion.
To crow over your dirty underhand
victory of today?' blazed the other. IF
so you can save yourself the trouble.
Leave my room at once. l don't wish it
polluted or"
It'll have to stand little more pooo-
tion before I'm ready to go" answered
Conover. unmoved. No. ! haven't come
to crow, CROWN amt in my line lit
tie while ago l set man to tracin' a
telegram l got this mornn'. 1t seems you
wrote II and paid the hotel tel graph
clerk so TO slip it TO me at the right
time. Don't lie. I've got proof"
I'm not given to lying" retorted Bla-
carda. And II l were. I shouldn't take
the trouble to lie to a blackleg Ike you.
Yes, | wrote the telegram. What of it,
You're a sweet-scented sort of a cuss
to preach about dirty, underhand vicf'-
ries.' amt you?" said Caleb. thoughtful
ly. After tryin' to get me out OF the
way like that"
ANY weapon is justifable against a
scoundrel.' sneered Blacarda. "One must
fight fire with fire
quite So" assented Caleb. Though
not as original as I'd a expected from
a clever chap like you. Fightin' fire with
fire is good finance. So when you tipped
an engineer $500 to get me delayed in
comm here. I made no kick. That was
fair game I'd a done the same thing.
Z Ir,tt tod q
like you did. When you're goin' to do a
crooked thing do 1t well. Don't foozle 1t
an lose your fight
Il haven't your experience in hold-up
tactics. answered Blacarda, so perhaps
Caleb waved aside the interpolation and
went on in the same heavy, emotionles5
voice.
That was all fair. Ike | said. But it
failed. Then. what'd you do? Dragged Il
woman's name into the row. Faxed a
dispatch tellin' me she dyin' an
calm for me. That's a trick | wouldn't
play IL my life was hangin' on a deal.
You used that little girls name to get
me away. You put up that filthy job
an took another man into your confidence
Told a measly. tattlin' telegraph clerk
about her / amt any good at expressin'
myself But say. ! wish / could get II
through that shiny head of yours what
a rotten. low down. Gravity cur YOU are!
No. don't put no heroics. I'm doin'
the talkin' now. In the fake telegram you
used the nickname you've heard her
called You used the knowledge that
| I'd hustle from here to hell II | could be
OF use TO her. You used all that as
| means to get me away from Your plitical
doehght today. An how did you get
your knowledge OF her nickname an
/ bout my carin for her as II she was
my own kid? Hey? You got II while
you was calm On her. While you was
takin her hospitality. You used that
kind OF thing in politics. God. 1 didn't
think there was a breathin' man could
do such a thing. No wardheeler could
| do IT, IL had 20 be done by a gentle
man. One of the Arareek Governors >
He paused for breath. Blacarda. redden-
ing under the trades lash. nevertheless
sought to laugh.
Well he queried. with really excel
lent GOODNESS, what are you going to do
about it? Ot course. you can bring suit
and probably recover. But Miss Shevlin's S
name will certainly figure rather unpleas-
antly in the newspaper reports of the
case I'm sorry | was forced to use such
| means-I still believe them justifahle in
dealing with man Ike you-but fail to
see what redress you have
You'll see presently" replied Caleb,
with no trace of threat in his duh voice.
That's why I'm here. I'm not totin'