The Alaska citizen., 1911-07-03

shabby. broken old man. Jim War r,n Was sorry for him. He had eX- pcctei a row - he had found only resignation that was almost pitt iII Gro kcd or not he hadn't given The old man a square deal. He was ah0ut 10 say SO the door opened and Franques was gone.
 So. at last. Jim Warren came to be free He had played the first hand and won: he had pad his last debt as he had reckCned he would pay it Clear of that burden. abso- lu,e}y al he and independent. owing no man any favor. he rifiled the cards for the second hand. Now the big idea was to be put to test,
 KY.
 Dwight Tillinghast's invitation had specified the time and the place; and there Jim found - the girl: Clad in some soft Clinging stuff that barred the ivory of her throat, she stood beside her father more distractingly pretty than ever. Her eyes met Jim Warren's Gemurely. then crinkled in 70 smile For moment Jim War rcu merely stared at her in his aston i~hment
 My daughter Edna. Mir Warren, ' Tillushast was saying in that fat, pompous way of his. MT. Warren, my dear, las become one of the big young men of cur state" T know MT Warren by his news paper pictures" Edna said graciously and the color started in her cheeks h., ( h to. Eve seen him once one day in the Sandringham National Bank o.
 And once after rhat."
 The girls eyes reprpvcd him with a glance suddenly grown cool and ex- ended her hand. He gulped and ac- ccpted it impetu,usly There followed some platitudeS: then. in sort of dazo. he permitted himself to be led into the drawing room This girl the daughter of Dwight Tillinghast! Well. Well. well, well. He couldn't get over that first shock. And her name was Edna,
 You remember l said I'd see you again if you beat Mir. Lewis" the girl queried.
 Il remember" he said slowly. mean ingly; and that isn't all you said !"
 "Nu?" She sa' down.
 You said you wouldn't like me
 You didu't beat him. did you?"
 Beat him?" Jim Warren grnned. "They had 10 pick nim up in a basket"
 "l beg your pardon. You didn't beat him. He withdrew in your favor didn'r he"
 Thtn. and not before, Jim Warren realized hat he was ,reading upon dangerous gr und. Of course she would know Lewis and be friendly with him. because of the close re- latious of Lewis and her father
 Mir Lewis speaks very kindly of you, the girl went on pointedly. Eve heard him discuss you with my father often since your electiCn. You know Nr. Lewis. of cOurse?"
 Yes, I've met him-once!" He was trying 10 fathom the singular light in her eyes. Only once" he added absently.
 And you were political enemies at l that time, IL sounds so horrid and amounts to so little l cant imagine l any one being an enemy Cf Mir. l Lewis
 "No?" Jim Warren was quite polite about it.
 Then. afterWard. MT Lewis came to SC you were such a wonderful young man oh, really wonderful. and retired in your favor didn't i he?"
 1 Something of that sort" Jim War reu agreed. What was she driving at? Was she trying to bait him ? There was a defensive note in her voice
 ! Il should think that would have made close friends of you and MT ! Lewis"
 i "What?"
 His withdrawal in your favor. "
 "Why?"
 Little puckers appeared in the girls smooth, white brow. She didn't under stand the monosyllabic questions Tt was a magnanimous thing to do wasn't it?' She queried Tt put 1 you under obligations to him. So naturally, you must be grateful for | his assistance?" For an instant Jim Warren's face was grave; then he grinned. | "l cant imagine your being so wise politically" he remarked ban l tcringly. You are interested in the 1 game then?"
 The game" Edna's eyes sparkled. l The very words to express it. That's what it is - isn't it? A big. brilliant, wonderful game? And naturally l am interested because my-my father is. He has ambitions" Jim Warren had never known but two women in his life well One of them had been his mother. This girl was revelatiOn; a figure in a world he had never known. His interest in her was intense; yet. oddly enough, everything she had said grated upon him. Perhaps il was because there was an implied knowledge of things of which he thought women knew nothing; or, perhaps, because she had fashioned Lewis into a tin god, her own imagining. Vaguely he found himself wondering if she knew what Lewis really was? Of course she must know The newspapers had been full of il and hang it!-she could read.
 He shook off sudden little sil- ence.
 Did you get home all right that day?' he inquired irrelevantly.
 oh, yes; thanks to you;" She was smiling again now; an elusive dimple played about corner of her mouth. Strange he had never notic- ed it before!
 Had any more trouble with the