Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-05-25

,nd subdued His clothes were wrIn-
kled and dusty, his shirt bosom rum
| pied. and he was in need Of a shave.
| With some hesitation he slid into the
chair opposite Mr.. Devine.
Whatever your little game was, it's
1ueered." said Mr.. Devine. You fool
| ed me all right, but of course you
couldn't fool Mr.. Hewington or the
| countess. What was the idea, any
| way?"
II was just joking. I'm going to
make you smart for your share in this,
Mr.. Cherub Devine."
| "Of course you are. That's only
natural. You'll bring suit for damages
and all that sort of thing, and I'll have
to have you arrested on charge OF
attempted blackmatI, and between us
Wen keep the courts busy for year.
1 have that all figured out But what
do you say to a good dinner flrstT'
| An involuntary rolling of the eyes
| toward the menu card betrayed the
fact that the suggestion was pleas
ing one.
How would a nice thick sirloin,
with mushrooms and baked potatoes,
| strike you? And a few little necks to
start on, Ell? Goodl Here. waiterT"
Suddenly, however, Mr.. Devine ask
ed abruptly:
"Well. got me all sized up? Then
| let's get down to facts. What's your
real bona fde name. anyway
The man flushed a little.
'Suppose"-and a pair of piercing
dark eyes watched for the effect
acknowledgements came direct
from Count Vecchi as his personal
repre-
f'Won't do" interrupted Mr.. Devine.
unless you can show your pass from
the odd boy You see. l know just
how long the counts been dead"
eff you had taken the trouble to ask
Mr.. Hewington he would have told
you how mistaken you were"
"Yes. but I'm better posted than Mr..
Hewington. There are the latest re-
turns" and the Cherub tossed over
the last sheet Of NcQuade's message.
Seeing that further pretense along
this line was useless, he merely shrug-
ged his shoulders indifrerently.
II might have known you would
find out But what of it,?
'Why, not much" answered the
Cherub slowly. "only-only this: Some
ones been holding up the old gentle
man for remittances ever since the
count died, using the counts name.
or course I'm not sure who that some
body was, but the arrow points to you.
How about it, eh?"
The man across the table began to
think. His air of indifference van
ished. He fumbled nervously with
the table silver. Inside of two min
utes he had broken down completely
and was making full confession. to
which Cherub Devine listened with
placid satisfaction and indulgent mods
of encouragement
The interview ended amicably. By
the time it was over the ex-prisoner
had recovered his composure and de
veloped an appetite for sirloin steak;
also he had accepted Mr.. Devine's Of
fer to become his guest for the night.
And early next morning there ar
rived at Hewington Acres once more
a cheerfulIy audacious Cherub Devine,
who seemed quite unaffected by the
forbidding austerity with which Ep-
pings chose to regard him as he in
Quired for the countess.
After some moments. during which |
he paced up and down the reception
hall, Mr.. DeVine was shown into the |
library with as much formality as If |
this was his first visit Nor was the |
attitude of Mr.. Hewington as he re-
ceived the Cherub at all reassuring.
I've been looking up that count of |
yours" remarked the Cherub. Hes |
been defunct for nearly two years. l |
had a man investigate the records, and |
it's all o. K"
Impossible. Mr.. Devine! Why-why |
Il have been in communication with |
him.
'That was your mistake. You've
been in communication with a smooth
young chap who couldn't resist the
chance to play a new bunko game for
all it was worth. How were the let
ters signed which came from the count
after he was sent to that sanitarium %
by his secretary, 1 believe. Per
F. @. That was it"
'SureI And the E. O. stood for
Francois Cupetto. I've had a heart to
heart talk with Francois and got his
whole history. AS you might guess
by his name, he's half French and
half Italian, which is not a bad COM
bination. There was good blood on
both sides, but no money on either.
so that's why he didn't finish the med
Ical course that he came over here to
take. When his funds ran out he goes