Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-04-28

buI you COulQ go IN mack this
morning and avoid that uncertainty"
''The millionaire drudge I told you
of could have gone to live in a pretty
villa on the Riviera, but she chose a
miners boarding house."
'Then why" she persisted, did you
leave the United States with the firm
intention of remaining in Sobrante in
definitely, change your mind before
you were here eight hours, and cable
this Neddy Jerome person you would
return in 60 or 80 days-and the fol-
lowing morning decide to remain, aft
err ALL"
my dear young lady, if 1 changed
my clothes as often as 1 change my
mind, the INSTRUMENTATION chaps
that manufacture a certain brand of
clothes couldn't keep me dressed"
But why?"
That" he answered gravely, ais a
secret"
women delight to pry into mems
secrets"
II know it. Had a friend once
married. Every night after dinner he
used to sit and stare into the fire and
his wife used to ask him what he was
thinking about. He would look up at
her Owlishly and tell her it was some
thing he couldn't explain to her, be-
cause she'd never understand it-and
that was all he would tell her, al
though right frequently, 1 dare say,
he felt like telling her some things
she could understand? She brOoded
over his secret until she couldn't stand
it any more, and one day she packed
her buds and flew home to mother.
He let her stay there three months,
and finally one day he sent her a blue
print of what he'd been thinking
about"
"What was itT"
Gan internal-combustion engine. You
see, until she left him, he'd never
been able to get set to figure out
something in connection with the inlet
valves"
"Stop right there, Caliph. I'm re
buked. I'll let you get set to
think"
81 didn't mean that. You let me
get set yesterday-and figured it all
out then-and last highland a min
ute ago. don't care to do any more
thinking today. Please talk to me-"
'And you refuse to tell me why you
cabled your friend, JeromeY
"You will never know. 1 told you
it's a secret"
bet you find out"
"How much? That $4,000 you ex-
pect to make from the flOur-gOld in.
your black-sand claim? And, by the
way, $40, please. won it for guess
ing you were interested in a mining
proposition"
She returned to him the bill she had
won from him the day before. "Ten
thousand dollars suits me. OF course,
I haven't got the money just now, and
this is what Billy calls a finger bet,
but if lose, guarantee to pay. Are
we betting even money? l think that
is scarcely fair. Under the circum-
stances 1 should be entitled to Odds"
Nothing doing! No odds on a bet
of this nature to a seeress who has al
ready Jared me from soul to vermi-
form appendix by making good! You
know too blamed much already, and
how you discovered 1t is a problem
that may drive me crazy yet"
After breakfast they repaired to the
veranda to await the result of Web
ster's experiment with Don Juan Cafe
tero. Sure enough, the wreck had again
returned, he was seated on the edge Of
the veranda waiting for them; as they
approached, he held up a grimy, quiv-
ering hand, in the palm of which lay
"a five-dOllar gold piece.
"What?" Mr.. Webster said amazed.
"Still Unchanged"
II thried to change it at half a dozen
cantinas," Don Juan wheezed, "but
divil bit av systim did any av thin
have. Wan offered this in spiggOty
money an the other offered that, an
sure if I'd taken the best that was
offered me in exchange, We might have
fought I'd TUX more nor wan drink"
Bravo! Three long, loud, raucOus
cheers for Don Juan CafeterO!" Do
lOres cried. "Was it a terrible task to
come back without a drink, Don Juan"
He shivered. "a shky-blue kangaroo
wit a pink tail an green ears chased
me into this patio, ma'am."
You're very brave, Cafferty. How
does it feel to win back your self
respect?" Webster asked him.
"Beggin' the young leddy's pardon
it feels like hell, sor."
"Caliph, don't be cruel" Dolores
pleaded. "Call a waiter and give Don
Juan what you promised him."
So Webster went into the hotel bar
and returned presently with a bottle
of brandy and a glass, which he filed
and held out toward Don Juan. zone
of the paradoxes Of existence, Don
JUAN" he observed, "lies in the fact
that so many of the things in life that
are good for us are bad for US. This
Jolt will dispense the menagerie and
quiet your nerves, but nevertheless it
is a nail in your coffin"
Webster, accompanied by his pro-