The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-08-28
Bv CYRUS TOWNSEND BRADY
Copyright. 1912. by Cyrus Townsend Brady

|
! first speaker. Lord Luftdon. one OF
the young bloods who had been hav.
ing high carouse with Sir Godfrey for
the past week at the castle. bent over
| him.
WELL" continued the drawler non
| chalantIy-as for me, l hated them
| both, but the latter speaker the more,
If possible, for reasons which you will
presently understand this relieves
me greatly"
What do you mean? After such a
night as we had to come upon-this Is
enough to unsettled any man."
Pooh. pooh. man; you're nervous!"
well, l don't know how it relieves
you. And after alrs said and done,
Wherefore was a gentleman, good
player and gallant loser"
Exactly, and be lost his all like a
gentleman"
land you got it, at least most of II"
"Patience, my friend; you had your
share"
II don't know but l would give it
back to have poor old Geoff with US
once again. said Luftdon, with some
heat
THAT is a perfectly foolish state
| ment my buck" returned the other.
somebody was bound to get 1T. Will
berforce has been going the pace for
years. We happened to be in at the
death, that's all"
well. how does it relieve you.
then? Do you think Wilberforce
would have attempted to get you to
support him:'
The drawler laughed.
"Of course not This"-he pointed
to the dead body-"is proof enough of
the spirit that was in him. But, Of
course, cannot marry the girl now"
You can't"
certainly not. Her father bank-
rupt, a suicide'-
But the castle and this park?'
"Mortgaged up to the hilt Speak
ing OF hilts"-he stopped down and.
daintily avoiding contact with the
corpse, drew from the scabbard the
diamond hilted sword-"this belongs to
me. It's worth taking. You remem-
Der he staked it last night on the last
deal"
Good God. man." protested the
first speaker, don't take the mans
sword away! Let him lie with his
weapons like gentleman"
Tut. tut! You grow scrupulous. it
seems We will provide a cheaper
badge of his knighthood, if necessary.
And about the girl?"
"'Tis all off"
You will have some trouble break
ing your engagement with her. | am
thinking
Not |. To do her justice. the girl
has the spirit Of her father. A whis-
per that | am disinclined to the match
will be sufficient"
AYE. but who will give her that
Whisper"
I'VE will arrange that some way.
Truth to tell. am rather tired Of the
mink She bores me with her high
airs. She does not know that she is
penniless and disgraced. And as for
her good looks it's country beauty.
after all
Poor girl" began Luftdon. whose
face. though bloated and flushed. still
showed some signs of human kind
ness.
At that point interviewed. ! could
bear no more. When they spoke SO
sightingly Of my mistress it was more
than l could stand. 1 burst out Of the
brush and stood before them-mad. en-
ragged all through will admit that
lacked the composure and breeding
of these precious two. They started
back at my sudden appearance. from
which he Of the slow speech speedily
recovered. .
"Now. who may you be. and what
may you want?" he said.
"Who | am matters nothing" said
|, but what / want matters a great
deal" #..
"Ah! And what is it that you want
that matters SOY"
In the first place that sword"
''Ihis?" said the man. (holding Sir
Geoffrey's handsome weapPn up light
~ by the blade.
That" said |.
am accustomed 70 Move quickly
as well as to think quickly, and be.