The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-07-17

erty. He's heavily mortgaged. and 1t
seems only a matter of few months
now before father gets even with the
J old fool. He'd have done 1t long ago,
only he was bringing OFF coup of his
own which meant millions to him."
My heart was hammering SO hard 1t
scarcely seemed possible that / could
control my emotion. The plot was
thickening-and / was In the very
heart of It!
Yes he continued, putting up his
feet on the ships rail, there's only
three of them alive in the direct line
| today; the comte, a very old man now,
daughter by second marriage, and
her son, the comte's grandson, young
fellow OF twenty-five. There was a
son by an earlier marriage. but he
went to America and died there. !
traced him to California and lost him
there. The burning of San Francisco
had destroyed all the records. ! ad-
vertised in all the Pacific coast papers
without result. There had been q mar
riage, and believe there was one
daughter. But she has vanished com
pletely."
The uneven glow OF his words. and
a sudden suspicious odor on the night
air, convinced me that the scoundrel
had been drinking-not enough to rem
der him tipsy, but just sufficient to un-
lock the doors Of his secrets.
so told the old donkey"-by that
| phrase interpreted him to mean Mag
milf, Sr.-" you'd better hurry up with
that revenge of yours | said, or
they'll all be dead He'd cut my al
lowance to beggarly ten thousand O
year. He told me / was bad egg
as he elegantly phrased 1t, and had dis
appointed all his hopes of having me
succeed him In the banking business
All right, old boy thought, I'll show
you something original in the financial
field You see, Miss Howard" he con
tinued, lurching toward me. i knew
the secret Of the bonds"
yes, what was it?" | cried.
He sobered Immediately. Nov
you'd like to know, wouldn't you?" he
drawled. You tantalizing littl,
devil"
rose with great dignity and walked
away, leaving him calling Miss How
ard! Miss Howard" in desperate
apology.
Thereafter, although my curiosity
was burning, l avoided him sedulous
ly, cutting him directly when we me
and ignoring his advances at the din
ner table. But he was SO persisten
that | was driven to all sorts of ex
pedients to avoid him, and, when m.
need of walk became urgent, / re
sorted to the long deck Of the steer
age, which was practically deserted
since few steerage passengers were re
turning to Europe at that season 0
the year.
1t must have been on the third nigh
after when, while pacing the steerag'
deck after successfully eluding my pur
suer, / became aware of a stir in thu
shadows of the sailors fore-cabin, un
der the stern. Then black shap'
came flying toward me, clasped me b.
the arm, and fell on it's knees benin,
me, whirling me round to shield
against It's pursuer, who came. cat-like
out of the darkness. Before had tim
to be afraid l recognized that 1t wa
Zeuxis clutching me. Zeuxis in des
perate fear, while, like panther, hi
wife followed him, knife in her hand
crouching for spring.
Safe me, safe me, Miss!" tn
Greek babbled frantically.
Well. Mary, to whom wrote the In
cident, said | was brave, but l haven
taught in the immigrant class 70
nothing. l simply stepped forward an
took the knife out of her hand Sh
gave 1t up like lamb and burst int
tears.
what is this about?" l demande
of zeuxis. in my most scholastic tones
She's jealous of you, Miss How
ard he explained, rising sheepishl
to his feet. she's got 1t into her hea
,..l1'Ir,~kNI0tINNvr