Arizona republican., 1910-12-28
COPYRIGHT. Isos. " THE PEARSON PUBLISHING CO.
 (ContisNeI from Jesfryda,l
Nobody."

(Co1fisEe6 from ye5f>yda,)
 The guest in chief arose. Short, thick-set. red-faced. with bulbOus eyes, and veins about his temples which just now were unpleasantly prominent, he seemed, indeed, very fitting person to have been the recipient of such hos pitality. He stood clutching little at the tablecloth and swaying upon his feet. He spoke as a drunken man, but such words as he pronounced clearly showed him to be possessed of a voice naturally thick and raspy. It was ob- vious that he was a person of entirely different class from his three compan- ions
 G-gentlemen," he said, "I must be of. I thank you very much for this-hospitality. Honored, I'm sure. to have sat down in such-such com pany. Good afternoon, all,
 He lurched little toward the door, but his neighbor at the table-who was also his host-caught hold of his coat-tail and pulled him back into his chair.
 No hurry, Masters" he said. One more liqueur, eh? It's raw after noon"
 "N-not another drop, Sir Rich. ard, the man declared. Not an other drop to drink. l am very much obliged to you all. but I must be on. Must be of. ," he repeated, making an other effort to rise.
 His host held him by the arm. The man resented it-he showed signs oi anger.
 "D-n it all, I'm not a pris- oner, am I?" he exclaimed angrily. Tell you I've got-appointment- club. Can't you see it's past five o'clock"
 That's all right, Masters" the man whom he had addressed as Sir Rich ard declared soothingly We wanl just word with you on business first, before you go-Colonel Dickinson. Lord Merries and myself"
 Masters shook his head
 See you tomorrow he declared. No time to talk business now. Lemme go! '"
 He made another attempt to rise, which his host also prevented.
 Masters, don't he a fool, the lat ter said firmly. You've got 10 hear what we want to say to you. Sit down and listen"
 Masters relapsed sullenly into his chair. His little eyes seemed to creep closer to one another. So they wanted to talk business, Perhaps it was for that reason that they had bidden him sit at their table-had entertained him so we'll The very thought cleared his brain.
 "Go on." he said shortly.
 Sir Richard lit a cigarette and leaned further back in his chair. He was a man of apparently about fifty years of age-tall, well-dressed, with good features save for his mouth, which resembled more than anything a rat-trap. He was perfectly bald. and he had the air of a man who was a careful liver. His eyes were bright. almost beadlike; his fingers long and trifle over-manicured. One would have judged him to be what he was a man of fashion and patron of the turf.
 Masters" he said i've are all old friends here. We want to speak to you plainly We three have had try, as you know-Merries, Dickinson and myself-to make the coup of our lives. We failed, and we're up against it hard"
 Very hard. indeed" Lord Merries murmured softly
 "Deuced hard! " Colonel Dickinson echoed.
 Masters was sitting tight. breathing little hard, looking fixedly at his host.
 Take my own case first" the latter continued q am Sir Richard Dyson, ninth baronet. with estates in Wilt shire and Scotland, and a town house in Cleveland Place. l belong to the proper clubs for man in my position. and, somehow or other-we won't say howl have managed to pay my way. There isn't an acre of my property that isn't mortgaged for more than it's value My town house-well. 1t doesn't belong to me at all. have twenty six thousand pounds to pay yoWFon Monday. To save my life. could not raise twenty-six thousand farthings! So much for me-"
 The man Masters ground his teeth.
 "So much for you, he muttered.
 Take the case next" Sir Richard continued, of my friend Merries here. Merries is an Earl. it is true, but he never had a penny 10 bless him. self with. He's tried acting. reporting. marrying-anything to make an hon. est living So far, I am afraid we must consider Lord Merries as some thing of failure, eh?
 A rotten failure, I should say" that young nobleman declared gloom fly.
 Lord Merries is. to put 1t briefly. financially unsound," Sir Richard de- clared
 What is the amount of your debt to Mir Masters. Jim"
 Eleven thousand two hundred pounds" Lord Merries answered.
 And we may take it, 1 presume. for granted that you have not that sum, nor anything like 1t. at your dis posal?''' Sir Richard asked.
 Not a flyer, " Lord Merries de- clared with emphasis.
 We come now. Mir. Masters. to our friend Colonel Dickinson Sir Richard continued Colonel Dickinson is. perhaps, in a more favorable stua- tion than any of us. He has a small but regular income. and he has expec- tations which it is not possible to fully mortgage. At the same time. it will be many years before they can-er- fructify He is. therefore, with us in this somewhat unpleasant predicament in which we find ourselves"
 Cut it short Masters growled. |" I'm sick of so much talk. Whats it