Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-27

and. approaching the shadowy back
ground by a flank movement. found a
stout individual i'm voluminous coat
kneeiing on the grass there. with some
white. metallic object in one trembling
hand lifted in the direction of his own
left eyelid. A second click startled Slyne
Extraordinarily. and he spoke at that.
in a very Querulous voice. Hey. YOU
fool" he said. you re wasting your time.
Wait till l show you how.
Good Lord, Is that you. Jobling?"
Mr.. Jobling suddenly cast a revolver
attempting to rise. sank down beside ii.
blubbering. entirely unstrung after the
agoni2ing strain of the past few seconds.
Slyne. eying him with exasperated con-
tempt, picked the weapon up and fingered
it for an instant.
"A damned rotten make.' he comment
ed, morosely. But it'll do the job for
YOU all right now. You can't shoot ii of.
You know. with the safety catch set"
The miserable man on the grass held
out his hand for ii humbly. But Slyne
was not at all prepared to take any risks
on his account-for suicide and murder
are often very difficult to distinguish in
their results-and made up his mind to
keep 1t, in the meantime at any rate.
Get up he ordered, in his sharpest
tone. land come away out of this. III
YOU could only see yourself you wouldn't
want to sit there and whmper."
Under the spur of that insult Mr.. Job
ling seemed to recall some stray shred
of his forfeited self-respect He got on
to his knees. with an effort, and thence
by degrees to his feet.
Il think you might have shown a little
more decent feeling he sobbed. broken
ly, "when-'
And L think you might show a vast
deal more sense" snapped Slyne. Button
up your coat and come away out of this.
You can kill yourself just as easily. a
good deal more so, In fact, since I've
shown you how, in half an hour, after
I'm in safer position to prove an alibi
IL any inconvenient questions are asked
about it afterward. Come on. now"
His whlom acquaintance followed him
meekly. muttering, to a secluded corner,
where there was seat.
Whats the trouble?" demanded Slyne,
magisterially. sitting down at one end of
the bench and motioning him to the other.
But 1 suppose I need scarcely ask. Trust
funds mysteriously melted away, the
usual childish attempt to recover them
by sheer chance and with all the odds
against you!-the dread of exposure and
disgrace, which never worry a dead man.
You've been a bit OF wolf i'm Sleeps
clothing, eh. my respectable friend? And
you'd rather die in the dark than face
the world i'm broad daylight without your
Immaculate fleece
Mr.. Jobling groaned.
But why. after all, finish playing the
knave by playing the fool? II you were
the man of the world you fancy yourself.
successful in real life. It's all very well
to pose in a sheepskin. but it isn't every
thing. A wolf undisguised can do very
well for himself, SO long as his teeth are
sufficiently sharp And. when he becomes
big millionaire, he can buy himself,
among other things. nice new merino
coat"
His parable amused himself, but his
auditor did not seem possessed of a suffi-
cient sense Of humor to appreciate its per-
sonal application.
You're laboring under a misapprehen-
sion," said that gentleman, who had.
meantime, regained some grip on himself,
i'm accents anything but properly CRATE
full. Il may, perhaps. have been unfortu-
nate with-er-a few small investments
-er-er- You're positively insulting.
sir.''
Slyne laughed, in better humor BAH
said he. What's the use of bluffing?
You weren't going to blow out your
brains-if any-because you had been too
honest, were your
I'm a desperate man. declared Mr..
Jobling, thus rudely reminded of the mat
ter in hand. Life isn't worth the living,
now that I've lost He gulped and
gasped, once more on the verge of tears
but furtive glance at Slyne'S impressive
features. dimly visible i'm the glow of a
half-smOked cigar. showed him he need
not expect any excess OF sympathy from
that quarter. It also seemed to suggest
to him, In the midst of his anguish Of
mind. an idea He looked round at Slyne
again.
You're man Of wealth." he said. i'm a
husky voice, whose suddenly inspired
eagerness he could not conceal, and some
spark Of hope. perhaps. sprang up in his
fainting heart again since Slyne did not
deny that erroneous suggestion. Slyne
was waiting to hear what more he might
have to say. though not with any inten-
ton of helping him.
Il WONDER the stout solicitor mutt
tered. 1T might interest you to-two
heads are better than one, and-some sort
Of partnership"
Il can only spare you five minutes
more" said Slyne, crisply LAS soon as
I've finished my cigar I'm going across
to Ciro's for supper. The Marquis Of In
goldSby Is expecting me-
DO you know his lordship?" breathed
Mr.. Jobiing, his newborn hope. no doubt
gaining strength, and his respect for his
chance companion obviously increased.
Then you'h understand me when 1 tell
you that I've ruined myself, absolutely
ruined myself over the Jura succession"
Il haven't the least idea what the devil
you are talking about" said Slyne.
Mr.. Jobling groaned again. He was
most grievously disappointed.
Il thought every one had heard of the
case" he went on. "A couple of mil
lions in cash
Millions of what?' demanded Slyne,
with a little more lively interest.
Pounds sterling the London lawyer
explained, rather testify. "A couple of
millions in cash and forty or fifty thou
sand year going a-begging may not
seem a very important matter to a mon
eyed man like you, but I've thought of
nothing else, night and day, for the past
five years. and
1--WE been all over the world for the
past five years." mentioned Slyne, loftily,
but impatiently now, land the latest
failed to reach me. Get on with your
story, anyhow. If there's anything in it.
1 don't know but that 1 may be disposed
to lend you a hand, il there's anything
in it," And, having lighted fresh cigar,
he composed himself to listen. His time
was his own. The chance Of catching
Lord Ingoldsby was too remote to be
worth more than the passing thought A
story with SO much money in it might
prove, at least, as entertaining as a soli-
tary supper.
Mr.. Jobling gazed with glistening eyes
at his providential acquaintance. 1--WE
told you what there is in it," said he. in
a tremulous tone. "A couple Of millions
in cash and forty or fifty thousand year
that will all ultimately fall to the crown
unless I can find that girl, Or
What girl?" Slyne demanded, irritably.
1.-The late Earl OF Juras daughter.
You'll, no doubt, remember, but If you've
been abroad for so long. I'd better re-