Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-01-30
You
"And she hadn't intended to. 70,
moor innocent!r

"And she hadn't intended to. You
poor innocent!'
why do you call me that?1
! "To lend money at Monte Carlo to
a woman whose name you did not
know at the time! Green, green as a
paddy field! I'll tell you who she is,
/ because you're bound to learn sooner
1 or later. She is one of the most
adroit smugglers of the age; jewels
and rare laces And never once has
the secret-service been able to touch
her. Her brother, the major, assists
her when he isn't fleeing tender
I lambs at all known games OF chance.
/ He's q card-sharp, one of the best OF
them. He tried to teach me, but
never could cheat man at cards.
Never makes any false moves, but
/ waits for the quarry to offer itself.
/ That poor child has always been Won
dering and wondering, but she never
succeeded In finding out the truth.
Brother and sister have made hand
some living and many time helped
them out. There; you shave me in the
ring, too. Butwho cares? The father, so
4 understand, married Fortunes moth
err for love; she married him for his
money, and he hadn't any. Drink and
1 despair despatched him quickly
enough. She Is remarkable wonl-
an, and If she had heart, she would
be the greatest of them all. She has
as much heart as this beetle" as he
llliped the green iridescent shell into
the fire. But. after all, she's lucky.
4 It's bad thing to have a heart.
Percival, bad thing. Some one is
sure to come along and wiring it, to
jab 1t and stab it,
I 1.-THE poor little grill"
| "Percival, I'm no fool. I've been
watching you. Go In and win her:
and God bless you both. She's not
for me, she's not for mel"
"But what place have in all this?"
evasively.
/ What do you mean by that?'
"Why did Mrs. Chedsoye pay me
fback, when her original intention had
been not to pay me?"
You'll find all that written in the
book of fate, as Mahomed would say.
More, can not tell you"
"Will not?"
"Well, that phrase expresses it."
They, both heard the sound. For-5
tune, her face white and drawn, stood
Immediately behind them.
CHAPTER XVI.
1t was as II the stiffness of the des-
i ert itself had encompassed the two
men. In their ears the slither Of the
4 brittle palm leaves against one anoth-
er and the crackle Of the fire were
no longer sounds. They stared at
Fortune with that speechless wonder
Of men who had come unexpectedly
upon wrath. What with the faint
glow of the fire upon one side OF her
and the pallor of moonshfne upon the
other, she did indeed resemble mans
conception of the spiritual
4 Ryanne was first to pull himself to-
/ gether.
Fortune, am sorry; God knows /,
am. I'd have cut out my tongue rath-
er rather have hurt you. thought
you were asleep In the tent"
SIS 1t true?"
yes" Ryanne looked away.
II had not quite expected this: the
daughter Of q thief"
i "Oh, come now; don't look at it
that way. Smuggling is altogether a
different thing" protested Ryanne.
I (Women were uncertain; here she
was apparently the least agitated OF
the three.) why, hundreds Of men
and women, who regularly go to
church, think nothing OF beating
Uncle Sam out of a few dollars.
Jones, for instance; he would have
tried to smuggle In that rug. Isn't
that right, Jones?"
! "Of Counsel" cried George eagerly,
though scarcely knowing what he said.
I'D have done It,"
"And you wouldn't call Percival
thief" with forced laugh TITS like
this, Fortune. Uncle Sam wants alto
|gether too much rake-off. He doesn't
give us square deal; and so we even
up the matter by trying to beat him.
scruples? Rot!" H
"It Is stealing" with quiet convic-
ton
/ ut isn't either Listen to me. Sup
4 pose purchase pearl necklace In
Rome, and pay five thousand for it.
Uncle Sam will boost up the value
more than one-half. And what for?
To protect infant industries? Bally
rot! We don't make pearls In the
states; our oysters aren't educated up
to It," His fiippancy found no re-
Spouse in her. well. suppose get
that necklace through the customs
without paying the duty. make
twenty-five hundred or 80. And no.
body is hurt. That's all your mother
does
TT is stealing" she reiterated.
How wan she looked! thought
George.
How can you make that stealing?"
Ryanne was provoked.
THE law puts duty upon such
things; If you do not pay it. you steal.
Oh, Horace, don't waste your time in
specious arguments" She made =
gesture WEAKNESS personifled. 1t Is
stealing; all the arguments in the
world can not change 1t into anything
4 else And how about my uncle who
lfleeces the lambs at cards, and how