The Washington herald., 1920-10-25
AN O. HENRY STORY
Money Maze

ter-color sketch OF the afternoon
seascape
Here was a woman who looked
to be happy. And more-she look
ed to be conteUt. Had poet been
inspired to pen just SMILES con-
Cerning her favor he would have
likened her full. clear eyes, with
their white -encirCled, gray irises.
to moonfiowers With none of the
goddesses whose traditional charms
have become COldly classic would
the discerning Thymester have com
pared her. She was purely Paradi-
sale, not Olympian. If you can
imagine Eve, after the eviction, be
guiling the flaming warriors and
serenely re-entering the Garden,
you will have her. Just so human,
and still so harmonious with Eden
seemed Mrs. Goodwin.
When her husband entered she
looked up, and her lips curved and
parted: her eyelids fluttered twice
or thrice-a movement remindful
POcsy forgive usD Of the tail-wag
ging of a faithful dOg-and little
ripple went through her like the
commotion set up in a weeping will
low by a puff of wind. Thus she
{
were it twenty times a day. If they
who sometimes sat over their wine
in COraIio. reshaping old, diverting
stories of the madcap career of Isa-
bel Guilbert, could have seen the
wife of Frank Goodwin that after
noon in the estimable aura OF her
happy wifehood, they might have
disbelieyed. or have agreed to for
get, those graphic annals of the
life of the one for whom their
president gave up his country and
his honor
Il have brought a guest to din
ner," said Goodwin. One Colonel
Falcon. from San MateO. He is
come on government business. I do
not think you will care TO see him.
so l prescribe for you one of those
nine headaches"
He has come to inquire about
the lost money, has he not?" asked
Mrs. Goodwin, going on with her
sketch.
"A good guess acknowledged
, Goodwin. He has been holding an
inquisition among the natives for
three days. I am next on his list
/ of witnesses, but as he feels shy
a bout dragging ono of Uncle Sam s
subjects before him, he consents to
give it the outward appearance OF
! social function. lie will apply
/ the torture over my own wine and
provender."
Has he found anyone who saw
the valise of money"
! Not a soul. Even Madame Or
I II EhaFn for hR
sight of a revenue official. does not
| remember that there was any bag
gage"
Mrs. Goodwin laid down her
brush and sighed.
Il am so sorry Frank" she said,
that they are giving you so much
trouble about the money. But we
can't let them know about it, can
we?"
Not without doing our intelli-
gence a great injustice" said Good
win, with a smile and a shrug that
he had picked up from the natives
/ "AmeriCanO though l am, they
would have me in the Caliboza in
half an hour if they knew we had
appropriated that valisc. No; we
must appear as ignorant about the
money as the other ignOramuscs in
Coralio."
DO you think that this man they
have sent suspects yOu?' she asked
with a little pucker Of her brows
He'd better not" said the Amer
lean, Carelessly. ITS lucky that
no one caught a sight Of the valise
except myself AS l was in the
rooms when the shot was fired, il
is not surprising that they should
want to investigate my part in the
affair rather closely. But there's
no cause for alarm. This Colone'
is down on the list of events for
Il good dinner, with a dessert Ol
American bluff that will end the
matter I think"
Mrs Goodwin rose and walked tC
the window. Goodwin followed anC
stood by her side. She leaned tC
him, and rested in tho protection
of his strength, as she had always
rested since the dark night OF
which he had first made himself he
tower of refuge. Thus they stood
for a little while.
Straight through the LAWS
growth of tropical branch and lea
and vine that confronted them ha,
hcCn Cunningly trimmed vists
that Cn0Cd AT tne cleared snNiTOn
Of Coralio, on the banks of tn
manErove swamp. At the other en-
of the aerial tunnel they could Sc
the grave and wooden headpiec
that bore the name of the unhapp
President Miraflores. From thi
window when the rains forbade tn
open. and from the green and shad
slopes of Goodwin's fruitful land
when the skies were smiling, hi
grave with a gentle sadness tina
: was now scarcely mar to her hap
piness.
Il loved him so, Frank" she sait
even after that terrible flight an
; it's awful ending. And you hav
beon so good to me, and have mad
, me so happy. 1t has all grown int
such a strange puzzle. If they wer
to find out that we got the none
do you think they would force yo
to make the amount good to tn
government
; They would undoubtedly try
answered Goodwin. You are rigf
: about its being a puzzle to Faloo
and all his countrymen until
: solves itself. You and / who kno'
! more than anyone else. only knor
1 half of the solution. We must nc
: let even a hint about this none
? get abroad. Let them come to til
2 theory that the president conCeale
. It in the mountains during his jour
l ney, or that he found means to shi
r . - l. L. l.