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

1
ran up to my deck and flung myself
breathlessly into my chair.
| had escaped from the frying pan
into the fire, however. For out of the
| dark another shadow arose-an I'M
steady shadow that quickly merged In
to more substantial but still unsteady
form. Magnifr sat down beside me.
] You cruel little girl" he began In
anely, why have you fed from me all
this time? Was II because you read
my secret In my eyes? Miss Mary"
He tried to seize my hand. The re-
/ ception which / gave him seemed to
sober him.
Don't go, Miss Howard" he begged
In maudlin tones. Forgive me. / guess
I'm bad egg after all, as the old
asinine party characterized me. I've
knocked about the world and never
found friend but you. Stay with me,
Miss Howard, and I'll tell you secret.
There's millions in II II we can To-
cate the party"
"Well?" l said coldly, my curiosity
getting the better of my judgment.
IT'S girl" he babbled. "And she's
got some Panama bonds and don't
know the value of them. II we can
trace her"
Yes. Mr. Magniff?" answered art
lesely
why. we can hold a club over the
asinine party and extract cool half
million. You see, II she were to meet
the old comte and he adopted her and
took the bonds-what am l saying
about the comte? / mean a certain
elderly party" he explained craftily
why, he could pay off the mortgage
that the asinine party holds over him
That would mean an end to the asinine
party's schemes of revenge. Now
Miss Mary. If we can locate this girl
and get the bonds from her at trif1ing
cost, pretending that they are worth,
less. we can threaten the asinine party
that we'll deliver them to the other old
party unless he pays us what we de
mand. See the point? Two birds in
, the hand; fortune for you and me
and club for the asinine person"
And why do you make this propo
sition to me?" asked.
Se"uoS iofC you, MARY ITO CTlcu
seizing my hand. That's nothing to
the next trick zeuxis and l have III
our sleeves. There's millions for al
of us. / think you're an angel Whai
do you think of me?"
i think you are a miserable scoun
drel," I answered furiously rising out
, of my chair.
To my establishment he received my
outburst with peal of laughter.
That's what / like" he cried, try
ing to seize my hand again. Give me
[ a girl with some spirit in her. Miss
Mary! You can't imagine how mucf
/ I've been thinking of you since we me
J aboard this old boat. Let's make /
date in London. Want to see the coro
} nation? Maybe l can get you a sea
and show you round. Let's 60
} ! turned on him, my eyes flashing
: my anger SO furious that for a few
! moments / could hardly find m.
t tongue. l think l must have overawet
him, for he seemed to wilt away unde
) the blast of my rage, and waited
] dumbly.
: Listen to me, Mr.. Magniff," cried
) shaking my finger at him. Some o
my friends have been good enough t,
tell me that am mascot and brini
> people good luck. I've brought goo,
luck to you, better than you deserve
: at any rate, because | am the womal
t whom you and your servant have beel
r looking for. My name Is not Mis-
/ Howard / am Anne Ives, and m
. father was Jules DIVES, born at CT
) chy, in Normandy"
| saw him stagger at that; the bloy
i went home.
!. Here" l cried, snatching 1t iron
) my purse and holding it up to him
y This is the key to the box which cor
d tains my bonds, and I am going t
Paris to redeem my property. 1t /
mine, and ] shall dispose of it to sui
my inclinations."
He started toward me incredulously
He made desperate clutch at tn
key. But, with hysterical laugh,
withdrew 1t from his outstretched han
and fled along the deck, down tn
stairs and locked myself in my state
room.
did not leave 1t until we locked a
Plymouth. But once, lying upon m
bunk, saw shadow fall upon tn
wall, and looking out. saw him pacin
the lower deck beside his hawk-eyet
eagle-beaked servitor, and an involul
tary shudder came over me.
He was waiting to accost me at Phi
mouth. but | eluded him in the crow,
| ran the length of the station pla
form, dashed into the train and OF
the opposite side. and had the pleasur
of seeing him start for London will
out me, under the firm conviction this
/. was in the train