The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-06-30

door.
The two men sat sfiour thru the
closed door came tho sound of Fer
rier's voice weaker now. and
hoarse.
Micky sprang to his feet. his face
was white.
"I'u deal with the scoundr~is.- he
said furiously. Il let 'em off once
for the girls sakel But not again
not again"
'Fcrrier held his tongue for the
Same reason said Hastings dryly.
And a lot Of good he did himself.
Got fooled to the top OF his ben,--
by a woman who was married all the
timer
what woman--
why. this giri---Joar. as you call
her. She was the wife of the man
who passed himself of in my place.
"whntf'
-Ferrier says so--that seems "a
have been the last straw Major told
him"
Told him, Told him whatr-
| THAT Joan was married-married
TO tho chap who made out he was
mc.-
'Rot-' Micky laughed contemptu
ously. "She's not his wife. II Major
said so. II was only another OF his
Internal lies. She's hts sister. right
enough. God help herr
Young Hastings stared At Micky'.
grim face with sort OF chagrin.
We'll" he said at hast. "of all the
laundering liars, Poor old Fcrrier
that's what knocked him over. be
tween you and mc--that she was
married. or course. he's been thru a
rough time. but he'd have got thru
all right IL Il hadn't been for Maj
saying he was the other mans wife
lit was a sort Of last straw" lie
paused doubtfully.
Il suppose you're sure that's
right? mean. they're not siuffing
your"
I'm quite sure said Micky: he
rose TO his feet with sudden azita
ton Good heavens. man." he burst
out yehemently. haven't loved
her MYSELF Don't love her sun n
II comes to thaty Not that there's
ghost OF a chance. cut a pretty
figure beside Fcrrser. don't To- His
humorous mouth twisted as " In sud.
den pain.
Hastings was silent: he aid not
believe they were all out OF the wood
yet. by a long way. lie thought Il
Just M probable that Micky had been
told lies. as that Fcrricr had. lie
marveled that two such men had sif
fcred the indignities they had. with.
out murmur; he began to think
that Joan must be a marveiously at.
tractive woman.
Il believe" said Micky suddenly.
that " we could make Terrier un.
derstand that
He looks az II he could be made
to understand things doesn't her
said young Hastings with mild snr.
casm. You might tell him that Jean
was waiting In his room with a priest
to marry them any moment he chose
To agree. and he'd never know II"
You're . nice Jobs comforter.
aren't your Micky's voice was rough
and angry. Fat lot OF GOD He
broke off. the ball had ttnkied sharp
~ thru the house
III IT'S the man from fariey IT.. .
said Micky shakify. I'm off: I can't
stop here and face n. Let me 20. I
tell you He wrenched HIMSELF free
Of Hastinss' OBTAINING hand. seized
his hat and boi,ed out thru the door.
as the housekeeper admitted a tail
man. closely followed by the doctor.
who rubbed his chin and hummed
and hawed--the two men had arrived
at the door simultaneously.
Mlcky went off down the street
at a tremendous rate: tho he was
afraid to admit II to himself. Ia his
heart he did not believe that there
was the slightest chance for Ferrier.
Out In Canada he had once sat ali
night by a truckie-bed and watched
a man die. and the man had looked
Just as Richard Fcrrier looked now.
II was a horrible thought. for
Micky loved Ferrier: there had been
much In the past that had bound
the two men together. The lights OF
London swan mistily before him as
he realized that perhaps the day
would soon come when his best
friend would be beyond human
reach.
Micly was a rough diamond II
had been his own fault In tht first
place that he had run up against
Major and his gang. He had not
always led clean or a straight life,
and Ferrier had roughly pulled him
up. told him straight out that he
was young fool; had set him on
his feet again and made a man OF
him.
All this Micky remembered as he
walked aimiessly along the ernbank-
ment, and a rough sort Of prayer
for Terriers life stumbled for ut.
terance in his heart.
He's such a fine chap--such a
ripping fine chap"
He walked on almlessiy.
a glance at his watch told him
that he had not yet been gone 10
minutes, but II seemed a lifetime.
He stopped and looked out over the
river. where the hulks OF badges
looked like monsters In the gray
summer night Away in the dis
lance a clock chimed mournfully,
and to Micky's overweight nerves
II sounded like a passing bell. lie
shuddered and walked on.
What a rotten world II was-what
rotten world Nothing ever went
Hght--nobody ever got what they
wanted. He and Ralph Hastings
and poor old Ferricr--none OF them
had got the woman he loved.
He thought Of Joan as ne had last
seen her, years ago. She had always
been frightenedlooking. always
strained and nervous; even her
laugh had not rung true He re
membered so well the haunted way
her eyes had always followed the
two men about the room-Major
and her brother. He thought Of her
az she had been that never-to be-
forgotten day when they had sen.