Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-20

two minds. ORourke clinched the ar
igunrent ,bf his attitude. 4 beg to call
generalization" he remarked, ito the
fact that; We have left me own brace
ofsreeETolrers here at me feet. when ye
so. joyously turned me bag inside out.
I'm" not touching them, mind We, but
mindi.ye further: III brook no nom
sgnse. f.H We make move as if to at.
tadkr me-. Eli Z. There! That's
MUCH. better. ..Wise lads, ye' are, both
ofryea graceful in defeat. Let me see:
We've Ia long ride together, though
We; did :cone unlimited. | trust ye
will help. me beguile the tedium with
society chatter, me friend" with
Twinkle at, the discounted vicomte.
,"Pmin danger of forgetting me man.
nersi; ). Pardon me. pray, but-but ]
fHtst your nose is convalescing?"
Tin: high feather with himself,
O,Rourke entertained his companions
with a running fire of pleasantries for
the balance of the darkened hours.
And he touched both more than once
with the rapier-point OF his wit and
irony, and had the pleasure of seeing
both squirm in impotent rage. They
cut ;wretched figures, two against one,
yet failures, while he tainted them In
one breath, with the next declared
himself their captive. Toward the end
the reserve which the vicomte i'm
posed upon the Honorable BERTHE was
worn down: the Englishman turned
with. raw nerves upon his tormentor.
r.. "You damned asst" he stammered,
all but incoherent. You sit there
and-and gloat, damn you! When all
the time we've got the upper hand!'
BE quieti.' interposed the vicomte.
Il WON'T" ragged the honorable. He
thinks himself so Internally clever!
What 'dyou say, you Irish braggart, il
I told you you'd never see the Pool
Of Flame again."
!, 'Td say" returned O'Rourke. that
you were either lying or fool. In
either case a fool If, as ye seem to
be trying to make me believe-which
/ don't for one instant-ye have sue.
ceeded in stealing the Pool of Flame,
III hunt the pair of We to the ends OF
tho earth. If need be"
] He eyed them reiectiveiy during a
moment or two made interesting by
Glypn's desperate attempts to blurt
out indiscretions against the prohibi.
ton of the vicomte: something which
TIE older man enforced crudely
clappiug his hand across the English
mans mouth, as we'll as by whisper
ing savagely IN bis ear.
but there'll be no need continued
tho Irishman. when Glynn was calm.
Lets consider the matter dispassion-
aiely, oresupposing that ye have the
stone. Well, what then? Ye dare not
attempt to sell it-twould result in
instant detection. 1t would not pay
We TO have it secretly cut up into
smaller stones-the loss in value
would be stupendous, the whole not
worth your while, as say. Ie can
not take the Pool of Flame don't get
excited: I'm not going to tell ye
uhere) to claim the reward, for We
6on't know where to go. 'Tis a white
elephant it would be onsyour hands. "
1T does not seem to strike mon.
sleur that there are other ways OF
finding out who offers the reward,
thu vlconte suggested Jelly.
~ can see ye wandering around ask
ing somebody please to relieve We OF
the Pool Of Flame and pay We com
mission. wonder how long ye think
ye'd last But tbs no use trying to
hoodwink me: | don't believe one
word We say I'll wait until | find out
the truth before bother meself with
ye.''
Their persistence in limiting that
they had gained possession OF the
ruby perplexed and discounted him
He did not believe it: twas incou'
celvable: yet-he had known stranger
thlnes TO happen. Still. without a
ciua, 10 have stumbled upon the Sc
cret, 10 have made off with it from
under the very nose of the Governor
General, No; it was not reason
able to ask him to believe all that.
Nevertheless, when he arrived at
klgiers. his anxiety had grown SO
overpowering that he called a cab and
desired to be conveyed post-haste to
al d<, La Ea1.arr, mani