Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-03-09
CHAPTER X Continued. J

breakfast when Richards ushered IN In
Quesne. We greeted each other; ht
sat down, lighted cigar and took
HANDFUL of playing cards out OF hi:
pocket.
I've found out how the good Nugge
rocked us last night said he.
ut was rocking, was it," said l.
Rather! If you come to think Of
1t, red eyed man, with hay fever or
him, couldn't be SO lucky as that. Take
look at the corner of these cards
through this glass - and feel them
he said; and he handed me the cards
and a magnifying glass.
1t was small, but it was very power
full. looked at the corner of the cards
through it and saw quite plainly two
little dints - should think they had
been made with the point Of pin -
in the corner of each eight and nine
! could feel them, too, but not very dis
tinctly.
well, this is thick" I said.
Isn't it? Nugget must have been
getting ready for us for years - dear
old Nugget" said lie Quesne.
But Scruton's parties have only
been going on few MONTHS said.
Nugget would have found his
chance somewhere else, all right, y said
lie Quesne. you can see how it was
done; the first time he went to Scru-
toms, he sneaked a pack of Scruton's
cards; last night he inserted his pos.
tfche and scooped up twelve thousand.
And his patter was so good - that
smiling and sneezing would have put
anyone off the scent"
HE has nerve" | said. II should
never have dreamt that dear old Mug.
get had a nerve like that. 1t was
deucedly lucky that you caught him out
first time. He might have touched us
for sixty or sevent ythousand before
for sixty or seventy thousand before
Yes; and what's to be done now"
said lie Quesne.
Make hime disgorge, suppose
said.
II can't see Nugget disgorging six
pence, much less twelve thousand"
said LIE Quesne "And we can't show
him up; he's related to all of u.s.
mot to me thank goodness" I said.
"Ah, you were born lucky" said lie
Quesne. But he's related to the rest
Of u.s.
Poor beggars!" said l.
ut seems to me that the only thing
to do is to pass the word around quiet
ly, and he won't get another chance OF
rocking us. though perhaps you ought
to have it out with him. said lie
Quesne.
"Me? Why me?' said I.
"Well he's living in one of your
houses. You ought not to allow your
tenants to cheat at cards. said lie
Quesne.
ME look after the morals of my ten
ants = two thousand a year tenants?
Not much. It's quite enough to look
after their money = their rent. Look
here, lie Quesne you must be drunk
its too early in the morning to be mad
"Well. you ought He lives in one of
your houses" lie Quesne said obstin-
ately.
I'm his landlord not his pastor.
Do look like his pastor? | ask you
do -" I said and l was getting rath-
err hot about it.
"No perhaps you don't" said lie
Quesne, as if he were not so sure about !
It.
I'm not, anyway" said. mo; all |
We can do is to pass the word around
quietly to one man at a time. We
don't want dear old Nugget falling over
us with a libel action You couldn't
make him disgorge sixpence YOU
said so yourself"
LIE Quesne shook his head and look
ed sad.
We sealed up the cards in an envel.
ope, along with a short statement sign.
ed by both of us. that they had been
taken from the pack with which Mug
get had conducted his bank Dealing
with contracts for work in the Gardens
had made me quite good at drawing up
statements. Then lie Quesne went
away, still sad.
During the next day or two I told
Ieveral Of the men who played at scru.
IONS about LIE Quesne's discovery and
hey all agreed that we could not have
IN open row. OF course, did not tell
Scruton himself; he was not related to
Nugget - he was a millionaire. He
would be sure to make a fuss. Mil.
ionaires aren't use dto being done in
he eye like we are.
But though l had told LIE Quesne
hat was not going to tackle Nugget
t was not quite my idea to lose the
,hance of getting at him when | had
! business like this to hit him with
Two or three days later | met him in
he Gardens, stopped him. and said to s
him: II say, Clipp, the next time you {
AXE bank at baccarat you should try e.
lot to leave your postiche behind you"
Il don't know what you mean" he 7
pluttered. d
well. don't" I said and went on. Z
He did not come to Scrntons next q.
'arty and took it that he had taken {
he hint 1t was broad enough. f
The very next afternoon after that /
arty the great Clipp scandal began I I,
appened to be talking to Alice Devine a
4 the central garden after lunch, when d
here came out Of Nuggets porch a
cry odd looking pair. They looked d
S if they had got sorted wrong. One t
I them was a lady in the buest blue a
pck have ever seen: the other was
'ugget in the well known tweed suit. O
9th of them were bare headed and the
ldy's very golden hair shone in the A
lnlight like the best brass. Nugget
as smoking cigar with A rich look
lg band round it.; and the lady was G.
noking a cigarette. 7