The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-08

Wouhcfeu now sne hau come thefe. When
Braine reacaed the girl and pulled her into
the launch Jim saw her face plainly.
He flew from his vantage point, found .
skif, and started after Braine.
by the Lord Harry" murmured the
rogue. well. they can talk Of mama from
heaven, but this Is what / call luck. FIR
ence Hargreave, out OF nowhere, into my
armsl The god of luck has cast another
horseshoe aud it's mine"
He had flask in his pocket and he forced
some of the biting spirits down the girls
throat She opened ner eyes.
"Well, my beauty?"
Florence eyed him wildly, not quite under
standing where he had come from.
% don't know how yeu got here" ne said;
and l don't care. But here we are to-
gether at last. Where is your father7"
I'll don't know" daxedy.
Better think quickly. he warned. ~
want lucid answers to my questions. or back
you 60 into the water, I'm about at the end
OF my rope, I've been beaten too many
times, my girl, to have any particular love
for you. Now, where Is your fatherr"
al don't know: I have never seen him"
Braine laughed.
And Jim's boat ran atonl some rocks and
into the water he went He had not at
tracted Brane's attention, fortunately. He
began to swim toward the drifting launch.
"Where have they hidden that money!"
81 don't know
"Well, well I've given you your chance.
You'll have to try your luck with the water
again"
Florence, weak as she was set her lips.
"You don't ask for mercy." he said
aeanteringly.
II should be Wrestling my breath to ask
for mercy from such a monster as you are"
she answered quickly.
"That damned HarEreave nerve!" be
snarled
He rolled up his sleeves and stepped
toward her. She hraced herself but did not
turn her eyes from his Suddenly, from
nowhere at all. came a pair Of hands. One
clutched the gunwale and the other laid
hold of Braine. A quick pull followed and
Braine began to topple. But even a. he fell
he managed to hing himself atop his assail-
ant; and 1t was only when the struggle began
in the water that he 'recoSnized the reporter.
All the devil in him came to the surface and
he fought with the ferceness of a tiger to
kill, xiii, kin. In nearly every instance this
meddng reporter had checkmated him. THIS
time one or the other Of them should stay In
the water
Norton recognized that he had large order
before MIN TO disable Braine. The recognf-
ton between them vas nnw frank and abso-
lutte; there could never. again be any dplo-
matte sidestepping
You're a dead man, Norton." painted
Braine. as he reached for the reporters
throat.
Norton said nothing. but. struck the hand
aside For a moment they both went under.
They came up spuseripg, each trying for .
hold 1t was terribly 'enervating struggle.
Florence could do nothing. The boat In
which she sat continued to drift away from
the fighting men. Once she tried to reach
Braine with the pole BE had been using. but
failed. M strrs
From the shore came another boat Fer
awhile she could not tell whether it corr
tanned friends or enemies. 1t was terrible to
be forced to wait, absolutely helpless. When
she heard the newcomers cali encouraginsly
to Braine she knew then that the brave fight
of her sweetheart was going to come to
naught. She knew little about motors.
She threw on the power and headed straight
toward the rowboat The men shouted at
, her, but she did not alter her course. The
rowboat had its sides. crushed in and the
men went piling into the, water.
''Jim," she cried -
Norton suddenly fling on Btains and began
to swim madlyr for the fmotorboat, which
Florence had brought dbout. Even then Il
was only hx the barest luck An the world that
/. Norton managed to catche the gunwale. The
rest of 1t was simple. When they finally
reached haven, Florence, oddly enough.
thought of the horse she had left tethered
nine miles from the stables, She laughed
Historically. $40
guess he won't die. : We can send oms
one out for him. Now, for heavens sake.
how did you get into this? Where were youf
What have you been, up, tot with tender
brusqueness. So -@s
Il wanted to do little detective work OF
my own" she filtered
1T looks as IL. you bad done It. You
infant! WIN You never learn to keep out
side this muddle? IT,, mans work"
Florence, thoroughly weakened BY her long
immersion in the. water, began to weep ~
lently. g $50; als
"You poor child. I'm . brute!" And he
comforted her. .. ~
Later that day. at home, she remembered
the blank paper. Fs,e
II stole tnis from one, Of the men in the