The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-24
10 YES GAMBLE
 By MAY CHRISTIE

impertinence to hear the name of shir- ley Marsh on the lips of sueh a
 Luciile's forced "poise" began to leave her She had to screw up all her courage for this interview. Ana the unsympathetic attitude or baitoh didn't tend to make her feel at ease
 Moreover. his words eonlured up picture she had seen that very morn irg-of her opium sodden husband in the hospital who had drugged himself
 well-nigh to death with the twenty rounds that Burke had given him for a passage out of England.
 .T made mistake" said Lucille jerilv
 "A mistake which has worked lot of harmr' was Jim's grim comment It was evident from his tones that he considered Lucille had made trou- ble purposely How you could ever l take me for that degenerate down-and outer passes all comprehension. q suppose you think I was playing | a little game of my own. then?' Lu- 1 ellie rose to her feet like an enraged 1 goddess T suppose YOU think planned 1 the whole affair beforehand" I Dalton puffed ring or two Of smoke before he spoke. 1 'grhe motive doesn't interest me partieularly-its the result that does" 1 For a moment Shirley thought Lu- | cille would leave the room-so direct the snub had beeni This was new, 1 changed Jim--a man she scarcely knewi He had always been so chiv- 1 alrous. so kind. She didn't comprehend ithe change In him that his recent suf-
 ferings-borne secretly-had wrought.
 Lucilles fine eyes glittered wrath fully. She took a step toward the door. l And then-apparentlv- changed
 her mind. She seated herself once more i cr the models chair, and said, in quiet CT tones:
 1 "It doesn't matter what you think l of me. I'm not of any account-and l I'm not accustomed to consideration. | I can only say once again that your name and your extraordinary likeness to my husband confused me for a
 time. But the day I saw YOU close in the Cafe del Ricardo-I knew I'd
 made an error. I told Mir. Burke at /, once. I though he'd set the matter
 straight-but apparently he didn't" She had made her confession now
 and an immense load was lifted from 1 her mind.
 ! Jim Dalton leant a little forward, 1 staring redulously at the woman. l "So Burke knew for some time, did l her"
 He knew that evening" 1 And next morning, when I met him l ty apointment in the Bath Club, he refused to believe the story of my 1 'double-'"
 1 My husband"-she spoke the word | a little scornfu1ly. as though the sound Of 1t was utterly distasteful-"my hus- band told me something of seeing you down on the Thames Embankment-' 1 She broke off looking dubiously at
 Jim
 ~He didn't add the interesting req sen of our meetingT The cold sar- ! ca sr, in Jim's voice was almost brutal. l He didn't tell you that he tried to murder me. with intent to roby' | Lucille shuddered. ..Yon don't spare me anything, do your'
 .ewhy should r. said Jim Dalton You and your precious husband be- ! tween you have worked no end of hsrm-'
 He stared resentfullv at the woman. LUCILLE DISCOURAGED l She made a little weary gesture, as | thoush she couldn't hope to convince | rim of her own innocence in the af- ! fair
 l He went of. grudgingly: l NOf course. the fellow is some reia- ! tive of mine You may consider that ! he has some claim on me IT Is money | that you've come for~ | ~Yt is nOtt' Luciile's face set like l steel My husband will very soon be l teyond the reach of human help-or money. He's dying m a London hos pital.
 ! Jim softened- He opened his lips as though to speak but he couldn't find any correcr phrases of sympathy \ tEat would suit the queer occasion. | Az a matter of fact he couldn't help considering that inc degenerate's de- mise would be an actual benefit to the | world
 ~Oh. I know what you're thinking Land maybe l think SO. toov' broke | sn Lucille with intuition "Only l don't l want to talk either about myself or ny unfortunate husband I want tu ask you to make things LID with little | Shirley Marshr'
 | tweeny' He spoke. alr-fgnorant of the fact that Shirley Marsh herself was hiding almost at his elbow an unwill- | ing listeuerr'
 'T don't know what all those big words mean" said Lucille simply, -sI cnjy know that I'm rerribiy sorry for tie siri-"
 Apparently she has consoIed her
 sIs s,,,,s~ .ro,,..,nx ,.o,na n. canvas. could have weDt over the cold condemnation in his voice. rOh. but that's all off-she's thrown | 1IT Burke over.'' cried the woman eagerly
 Perhaps no choice of words could
 have been more unfortunate. For
 hadn't Jim himself been ignomfniously thrown overT'
 Miss Shirley seems an adept at the game" was his reply. He smiled con- \ temptuousiy.
 "But now she's free" biundered Lu- csile, wishing she had more command cs language. more convincing speech
 She's free because she heard you ] weren't married after ali-because told her.