White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1914-10-04

tnougnt OF marrying Mr. Norton out
of your head.
} That | refuse to do" quietly. I'm
at least mistress of my heart; and no
one shall dictate to me whom | shall
or shall not marry. | love Mr.. Norton
and he loves me. knowing that | may
not be IN heiress after all. And some
day | shall marry him."
Jones bowed. This seemed to ap-
pear final to him, and nothing more
was to be said.
Norton did not return to his room
till Z. He found the telephone call
and also a note In a handwriting
unfamiliar. He tore off the envelope
and found the contents to be from
the Countess Perigof.
Call at 8 tonight" he read. II have
an important news story for you. Tell
nc one as | cannot be involved in the
case. Cordially, Olga. Countess Peri
goff."
Humph, Norton ~twiddled the note
In his fingers and at length rolled 1t
into a ball and threw 1t into the
wastebasket. He, too, made a mis-
take; he should have kept that note.
He dressed. dined. and hurried or to
the apartments OF the countess.
He arrived ten minutes before Flor
ence and Susan.
And Jones did some rapid telephon-
ing.
How long. how long," the butler
murmured. How long would this
strange combat last? The strain was
terrific. He slept but little during
the nights. for his ears were always
waiting for sounds. He had cast the
chest into the sea, and It. would take
a dozen expert divers to locate 1t.
And now. atop of all these worries.
the child must fall in love with the
first conner. 1t was heartbreaking.
Norton, SO far as he had learned. was
cool and brave, honest and reliable In
a pinch; but as the husband of Stan
ley H~argreave's daughter. that was
altogether a different matter. And he
must devise some means of putting a
stop to 1t, but
But he was saved that trouble.
Mongoose and cobra. that was the
game being played; the cunning of
the one against the deadly venom of
the other. If be forced matters he
would only lay himself open to the
strike of the snake. He must have
patience. Gradually they were break
ing the organization, Topping OF a
branch here and there, but the peace
of the future depended upon getting
a grip on the spine of the cobra him-
self.
The trick was simple. The coun-
, exhibited a eablegram. dated al
Gibraltar, in which the British an-
thorities stated definitely that no such
a person as William Orts. aviator
had arrived at Gibraltar. And then,
as he rose. she rose also and gently
~precipitated herself into his arms.
just at the moment Florence appear
ed in the doorway.
Very simple. indeed. When E
woman falls toward a man there Is
, nothing for him 10 do but extend his
arms to prevent her from falling
~Outwardly. however. to the eye which
saw only the picture and comprehend
ed not the cause. ii had all the hall
marks of an a~ffectionate embrace.
/, Florence stood perfectly still for z
moment. then turned away.
Il beg your pardon" said the
countess, but a sudden fainting spell
, seized me. My heart is a bit weak.
Don't mention it," replied the
: gallant Norton. He was as innocent
as a babe as to what had really taken
place.
Florence went back home. She
wrote a brief note to Norton and in
closed the ring which she had secret
ly worn attached to a little chair
around her neck.
When Norton came the next day
she refused to see him. 1t was all
over. She never wished to see him
again.
"He says there has been some cruel
mistake" said Jones.
II saw him with the countess II
his arms. | do no see any cruel
mistake in that. | saw him. Tell
him so. And add that | never wish
to see him again"
Then she ran swiftly to her room.
' where she broke down and cried bit
terly and would not be comforted by
Susan. i