Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-03
HER GREAT
FEAR
By GERALD DAVIS

Colonel Rogers Of Virginia was Il
man. Of the world. bachelor and an
excellent fellow at heart, though he
was only understood by his intimate
friends. No one ever thought Of Rog-
ers as a husband or a father. AS TO
living with man. woman or child or
having his affairs mixed with those OF
any one else than himself. the idea was
prepoSterous. He was very fond or
women's society and was popular WITH
! them. but always in a general. never IN
a particular. way. He had reached the
age of fifty without any entanglemrntS.
but was not disposed to consider him
| self "out Of the woods" so long as he
| lived. His one aim was to so conduct
himself that no woman could get IN
advantage Of him. for. though he nd,
mired the sex, he held the theory that
no man could stand against any one OF
them either in duplicity or to prevent
the accomplishment of any purpose on
which she might have set her mind.
Rogers was very fond Of play-thar
is, among gentlemen. He never played
at q gambling house. Indeed. he once
spent week ut Monte Carlo without
investing a franc. Il never play t"
make money" he said. 81 play only
a gentleman's game for the purpose Of
passing the time"
Rogers went to Paris and was intro,
duced at an aristocratic club there
One night at social game he won
from a young man named Rutan some
ten or twelve thousand francs. The
amount expressed in the French coin
age sounds large, but it was a little
over $1,000. Rutan was understood to
be we'll of and did not seem to take his
loss to heart, and, as for Rogers. there
was nothing unusual In his winning or
losing such an amount at any time.
The settlement was made by Rutan's
paying Rogers his winnings in new
crisp bills Of 1000 francs denomina-
ton.
The next morning Rogers was sit
ting in the reading room Of his hotel
scanning a newspaper when a waiter
announced to him that lady desired
to see him in reception parlor.
"a lady to see me!' exclaimed the
colonel. Are you sure you have come
to the right manT
"She wishes to see Colonel Rogers Of
Virginia"
Being the only and original Rogers
of Virginia. the colonel raised himself
from his comfortable leather covered
chair and followed the servant to the
lady. He found a very attractive look
ing person about thirty years old. but
with worried expression on her face.
Colonel Rogers. 1 believe" she be
gan in toIerable English.
AT your service. madame"
"You won last night from my hus
band 10000 francs?"
81 believe l did, madame. win some
money from a Mr.. Rutan."
Would you mind taking from me In
place of the notes he gave you other
notes to similar amount?
II would gladly do anything to oblige
you, madame, but l would like to be
enlightened as to the reason for the
change"
And would not think Of permit
ting you to do me favor without CIV
ing you some inkling as to the cause.
have always heard that the chivalry
of Americans toward our sex comes
largely from you southerners. Every
one knows what may be expected from
Colonel Rogers of Virginia."
The colonel bowed.
81 will trust you with the secret on
that account I know it will remain
with you. My husbands father Is
wealthy. and my husband has nothing
have. fortunately. some money of my
own. My husband Is an inveterate
gambler. He has lost all the money
his father has given him and broken
every promise to reform. Yesterday.
on his promise not to gamble. Mr..
Rutan. ST.. gave him 1900 FRANCS.
marked some Of the bills and set a
detective to watch his son. discover
ed through an accident that the bills
were marked, and my husband told me
that he had lost them to you. ! desire
to save him from a break with his
father. which. if it occurs, will never
be healed By replacing these notes
he has given you with others l can
avert this calamity"
There was nothing for the colonel to
do but make the exchange. Indeed. he
was glad enough to do so. for he was
terror stricken lest he be connected
with a family scandal. Taking the
notes from his pocketbook. he counted
1900 francs and handed them to the
lady. receiving in return those she took
from her own portemonnaie. Then.
with a profuslon Of thanks. she left
him.
The next day a gendarme called az
the hotel. and the colonel was charged
with passing counterfeit money. Every
note the lady bad given him was spur
Gus.
To Colonel Rogers his loss was moth