Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-05-17
TheCurse|
of Quetzal|
BY ]. v, GIESY & J. B. SMITH s
Authors OF Semi-Dual Stories Z
Copyright, )
The Frank A. Munsey Co. I
CHAPTER /.
At the Grand Canon.

II was in the billiard-ro0m of the
Grand Canon Hotel that | first met
Laredo. Evelyn and Dayton. | re-
member that it was ten.thirty by my
watch, which had just consulted at
my wife's request; and she had gone
up to our suite. Dual also had decid
ed on going up. and | was the only
member of our party who did not feel
like turning in.
Some of my old habits of the days
when | was a newspaper reporter still
chung to me, and made me always
hate to hunt my bed before midnight.
Dual offered to see Connie 10 our
suite, and stroled into the billiard
room to watch a game, If there hap
pened to be good one in progress.
] always loved billiards and pool.
But there was little doing. A couple
OF college boys were waging a noisy
contest In one end of the place, with
a great deal of Boosting and acclaim
when one of them CHANGED to pocket
n ball. The rest of the room was emp
ty save for myself and three persons
"a woman and two men.
1t vas the woman who at first at
tractel my attent on. She vas a
beauty OF the pure SaH0n.Norman
type, II you know what 1 mean. Sac
was blonde, with straight. regular
features, pink white skin Which
looked firm, wildly red lips. blue eyes
and actually golden hair. In height
she was about five feet four, and just
as | came in she was bending over the
table TO execute a shot, so that her
1.-THE figure was thrown into a strik'
ingly alluring outline by her posture.
As ] took a scat not too close for a
tactful inspection she made sue
cessful essay on her ball, and straight
ened up with a smile, dropping her
cue to the floor with a little thud Of
the butt
Bravo" exclaimed one of the
men "Senor Dayton. we must look
to our laurels or we lose item. Be.
hold still further argument in favor
of votes for women, is it not? That
was a truly masculine shot
The girl laughed How you men
always compare everything to the
masculine standard she retorted
"Your shot, Spencer think"
The third member of the party
squinted at the cue ball. "Sewed me
up. WHAT" he remarked in deep bass
He was brown haired chap, with
eyes of the same color, and rudy.
British skin, good chin and a firm.
Tipped but pleasant mouth. Plainly,
the girl and the one she addressed as
Spencer were English. The other
member of their table was not easy
to place.
He was swarthy, slender, supple,
yet with a good breadth of shoulder
and thinncss of flank almost sug
costing an Indian type.
As to face, his was an elongated
oval. high In the cheek bones, with \
sharply bridged nose. His hair, worn
rather long, was straight black. and
brushed directly back from his high
and narrow forehead. His lips were
thin. and lay firmly together in a way
which indicated a strong voluntary
habit of control.
Withal, there was a HAT OF high
Spanish type in his features, ard
finally decided that he might be a
Mexican of the better sort--one Of
those families which have maintained
their integrity ever since the Spanish
Invasion of the country to the south
Spencer, or Dayton, as man and girl
had called him, made his shot and
missed Laredo barred his teeth and
lifted his cue. "An' now. Mees Win.
garde, behold!' he exchanged.
have seen good playing. have
even thought myself good shot at
tines but never have | seen finer
exhibition OF skill than followed
Ball after ball dropped into the
pockets in swift, unerring succession.
The fellow literally swept the table,
and stopped only when there was
nothing more to accomplish. He set
down his cue and bowed.
"Ungallant," said Miss Wingarde,
pouting her lips. you might have left
me one little chance at the end"
MY dear lady," he retorted. "a
thopaend psrdons. But | forgot"