The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-01-19

this lesson would be the end of her
year of adventures. But Harry knew
not his Pauline.
Owen watched moment and then
skunk away to follow the men who had
lifted blackened and broken figure
from beneath the ruined flyer The
secretary saw the aviator taken into
the neat white hospital tent which had
been erected on the field.
Owens schemes had been for moth
ing. Pauline was alive and happy in
her lovers arms and the secretary was
no nearer his goal of permanent con-
troll Of her estate than before. He was
a disappointed and discouraged man
and scoundrel, but he was not so hard
ened that the possibility of having
a murder, especially a useless murder
on his soul, viewed with calmness So
he walked to the entrance Of the tent
and tried to learn from the nurses and
doctors who We're hurrying in and out
whether the French aviator would live
or die. Nobody would stop to give
him satisfactory answer. There was
a flap at the back of the tent, and
through this Owen cautiously peered.
He saw nurse with something that
looked like wet absorbent cotton dab
bling at a round black object.
Presently he saw that the round oh
ject was the head of man blackened
by fire. Just then the nurse looked
up, saw Owens guilty face and gave
a little exclamation of dismay. At the
same instant Owen felt hand grasp
his elbow, Withdrawing his head from
the tent, he turned quickly and was
confronted by the red face of Hicks,
the blackmailer, counsellor and dream
messenger.
The secretary backed away from
Hicks with face of terror. In the
shaken state of his drug tortured
nerves and his guilty conscience it
was all Owen could do to refrain from
screaming.
Don't be scared" said Hicks in
hoarse whisper. ST feel as if | were
in this thing as deep as you are
In what thing?" asked Owen.
Don't bluff, old man. said Hicks.
Didn't you dream about me last
night?"
Well what have my dreams to do
with your"
Stop bluffing," replied Hicks.
Didn't you see me in dream last
night? And didn't / leave a black,
shining stone on the table when | left.
Owen did not deny these questions,
and the redvisaged man went on:
Il see you took my advice-that is,
his advice, whoever he is, and you
fixed the wire"
Look here, Hicks, in heavens name
tell me what this means | did dream
about you; you told me to do the
thing, and it's your fault You admit
you are in it. Now, what is it?"
Owen said Hicks, you and /
are a couple of pikers in big game
bigger than we understand. We hold
the cards, but somebody else is play
ing the hand for u.s.. He is an old guy
and wise one, four thousand years
old he tells men, and though it scares
me out of my boots to think who l am
trailing along with, I'm going to stick
and you'd better stick, too, and let
him play our hand to the end"
who is it," asked Owen, wondering
if the morphine had gotten the better
of him again or il Hicks were playing
some uncanny deceit on him.
II don't know" replied Hicks. HE
is somebody who has been dead 1000
years, and he wants to have this girl
Pauline killed so he can get her back.
| suppose he's some kind of ghostly
white SLAYER. 1t isn't our business
what he is as long as he takes care
of us. If Wen help him he'll help
u.s."
well. he didn't manage very we'll
today objected Owen.
He planned all right rejoined
Hicks. THE machine fell, and if she
had been in it sh'd have been killed.
But the other side played card /
don't know what the card was, but it
took the trick and she didn't go up
in the machine. That's all But don't
worry, wen have better luck next
time"
Owen shook his head. He could
make nothing of this battle of unseen
forces. 1t was clear to him that he
had grasped at the one big chance to
set Pauline's estate and had missed it.
He told Hicks so frankly.
That's where you're wrong again"
insisted Hicks. IF that girl had been
killed today it would have been big
blunder"
"a blunder?" queried Owen. Didn't
you say that Pauline must be put out
of the way before we can get hold of
her fortune?"
Listen" said Hicks glancing eau
tiously about. come over here away
from these people"
What do you mean by saying that
it would have been a big blunder if
Pauline had been killed in that fly
ing machine?" demanded Owen.
yes, an almighty big blunder-
that's what I said, and l can tell you
why. We We're pretty stupid not to
think of it before. NOW HERE'S
WHAT'S GOT TO HAPPEN TO MISS
PAULINE"
Hicks placed his mouth close to
Owens ear and whispered. The sec
retary's face lighted first with sur.
prise and then with enthusiasm. He
nodded and finally they shook hands
and walked off together, while Harry
| led Pauline back to his car.
| CHAPTER V.
A sort Of false quiet, like the calm
that broods between storms, kept all
serene at the Marvin mansion for g
week after the aeroplane catastrophe
Little had been seen of Harry. who