Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-24
HOW MANY CARDS.?
BY ISABEL OSTRANDER -,
lbor of 1.-THE Island Intrigue Ashes to Ashes ara
80 bp bert g.. 1cByid ~

You've known all the sorrow that'll
ever come to you, and the way is clear
now, and sunny and peaceful" He
drew deep breath and added slowly
and very deliberately ~ wonder how
SO delicate a bit of a hand could stand
the kick Of .44?"
You know, then? I'm glad, ]
think. Then after little silence
How long have you known
Since the last time l came here
that Sunday night, do you remember
! Id come for bit of chat with him :
self and he brought me in here to you.
You were sitting at that desk over there
writing letter and as stepped UP to
you to shake hands I looked down; I
don't know what made me for hadn't q
thought Of the truth" He paused.
The words you had written stared up
at Inc as though they were in letters
of fame and ! knew the writing; I'd
been looking for it ever since Ger =
tain note came into my hands with
seven words at the bottom Of It. i ac-
ccpt. Expect me halfpast twelve.
"Of course I'd known from the
minute l stood beside that supper table
| in the other house that woman and
not man had been there; the rcmaips
| of that supper showed that it had been
light and fancy, not at all the sort Of
stuff for the hearty appetites of two
men, and ] thought ] could guess what
| bad happened but I wasn't sure. When
| ] knew who the woman was ] couldn I
think at first why she had done It.
There was some one who ] thought
could tell me, but--but / got no hint
| from his lips. l think the whole story
of it is clear TO me now"
II wonder IL it is?' she said slowly.
! "You know the old. reckless, gambling
strain in the blood of both John and
me, Mr.. McCarty."
''The fine old sporting strain - he
exclaimed. Tell me why you did it..
Lady Peggy why you killed him ~
Il am trying to do so,' he replied.
We're as poor as church mice, you
know. The rents at home were getting
lower and lower and the dear old castle
tumbliug about our ears. John had a
wild idea about coming to America and
getting rich as quickly as some million.
aires do here, and so we came and got
in with Mr.. Cutter and all that set. I
loved the cards, too the gambling fever
was strong in me as well as in him.
| Soon l was deep in debt and | couttn {
bear to tell him. for he had lost, also,
and the disgrace of it stared me in the
face, sleeping and waking!
The man who-who died in his
study that night had been very kind. [
did not realize that it was all part of
game. horrible, vile game which
none of my sort had ever played. He
knew the position | was in, he offered
to lend me money and I was weak
enough to accept it, l gave him notes,
of course. and l always hoped TO win
back enough to pay him, but / lost in :
stead; he saw to that. When l was
in too deep to extricatc myself be nut
on the screws and ! was desperate! I
knew that John would never forgive me
IL he knew and there was no one 20
whom l could turn. He-that man
demanded that l come and have supper
with him !; he said he had a proposition
to- make whereby could repay him.
and he was so plausible that i half be.
licved him. yet ! was afraid, for all
that.