The Ordway new era., 1921-12-23

.a.p~ WIN no end Of rUvoaverv ana
Mas ss; Mr. Shaw-sitting opposite
mss Browne, you know-ia rathe-
running things, SO II you feel nervous
you should talk to him, Was with N.
south Polar expedition and ali that~
Anows no end about this sort of thing
wouldn't for moment think Of LET.
ing ladies run the risk of being eat.
en-" s cut
- peeped around Apollo for a
shmpse of the experienced Mr.. Shaw
saw strong-featured, weather..
oeaten profile. the face of a man some.
where In his thlrties. and looking.
from this side view at least, not oniv
stern but grim.
l made up my mind at once that tb.
backbone of the party, and ineyitablv
tne leader in its projected villainies.
Whatever they might be, was this
rugged-looking Mr.. Shaw. You
souidht fancy him as the misled fol.
lower of anybody, even the terrific
Violet.
AS IL seemed an unpropitious mo.
ment for taking counsel with Mr.. Shaw
ABOUT cannibals, tried another tack
with the beautiful youth at nv side.
How did you like Panama? I
iahcy the old town is very pictur.
esque."
oh. rather!" assented Mr.. yane.
AT least, that is what those painter
chaps call it-met couple of 'em at
the hotel. Beastly little narrow
streets and houses in shocking state
and all that. I like to see property
kept up, myself"
II am afraid" said severely, that
you are philistinep
He blinked little. "Ah-ouite
sol" he murmured, recovering himself
gallantly. Zone of those chaps that
backed Goliath against David, what?"
From this conversational impasse
we were rescued by the interposition
of the gentleman opposite, whose small
twinkling eyes had been taking me In
with intentness.
Il did some flittin' about that little
old burg on my own hook" he in
formed us, land what I got to say is,
1t needs wakin' up. I might have took
hand in 1t myself, If 1 hadn't have
met up with Miss Browne and your
ant. Yes. sir, had a slick little
proposition or two up my sleeve.
Backed by some of the biggest capi-
tai In the U. S. Ain fact, there's
a bunch Of fellers up there in Gods
country that's pretty sore on old 81.
ii. for passin' things up this way.
Kep' the wires hummin' for two-three
days, till they seen I wasn't to be
switched, and then the Old Man him
self-no use mentionln' names, but
guess you know who mean-Wall
Street would, quick enough, anyway
the Old Man himself threatened to
put his yacht in commission and come
down to find out what sort of little
game H. II. was playin' on him. But
done like Br'er Rabbit-jest lay low.
Hamilton 81. Tubbs knows good thing
when he sees it about as quick as the
next one-and he knows enough to
keep mum about 1t, tool"
Three or four rough-looking men,
Of whom one, certain Captain Mag
nus, belonged to our party and the
rest to the ship, continued vigorously
to hack their way through the meal
with clattering knives and forks. OF
other sounds there was none. Such
gloom weighed heavily on the genial
spirit of Mr.. Tubbs, and he lightened
1t by rising to propose toast.
Ladies and gentlemen. to her now
unfortunately laid low by the pangs Of
NAL de mer-our friend and bony dear,
Miss Harding!"
This was bewildering, for neither
by friend nor foe could Aunt Jane be
called bony. Later in the light of Mr..
Tubbs's passion for classical allusion,
1 decided to translate it bona dea, and
consider the family complimented. At
the moment I sat stunned, but Miss
Browne, with greater self-possession,
maiestically inclined her head and
said:
"In the name Of our absent friend,
l thank you."
In spite of wistful looks from the
beautiful youth as we rose from the
table, and the allurement of tropic
moon, | remained constant to duty
and Aunt Jane, and immured myself
in her. stateroom, where 1 passed an
enlivening evening listening to her
means. She showed a faint returning
spark of life when 1 mentioned Cuth-
bert vane, and raised her head to
murmur that he was Honorable and
she understood though not the heir,
still likely to inherit and perhaps after
all Providence
The unspoken end of Aunt James
sentence pursued me into dreams IN
which an unknown gentleman oblig'
ingly broke his neck riding to hounds
and left Apollo heir to the title and
estates.
Il