The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-08-01

saw a Strong featured. weather
beaten profile. the face OF man sou1e-
where In his thirties, and looking.
from this side view at least. not only
stern but grim.
/ made up my mind ar once that the
backbone OF the party, and inevitably
the leader In its projected viIlainies.
whatever they might be, was this
ruggedlOoking Mr.. Shaw. You
couldn't fancy him as the misIed 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 my side.
How did you like Panama7 1
fancy the old town is very pictur-
esque"
"oh, ratherT" assented Mr.. vane.
AT least, that is what those painter
chaps call it-met a couple of 'em at
the hotel. Beastly little narrow
streets and houses in shocking state
and all that. / like TO see property
kept up, myself"
Il am afraid" I said severely, ..that
you are a philistine I"
He blinked a little "Ah-quite
SOP he murmured, recovering himself
calamity. "One of those chaps that
backed Goliath against David, whatT"
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.
al did some flittin' about that little
old burg on my own hook he In
formed US, "and what got TO say Is,
1t needs wakin' up. might have took
hand in 1t myself, II 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 capt.
tai In the q. S. Ain fact, there's
bunch OF fellers up there in Gods
country that's pretty sore on old 81
Fl. for passin' things up this way.
KEEP the wires hummin' for two-three
days, till they seen wasn't to be
switched, and then the Old Man him
self-no use mentionin' names, but ]
guess you know who / mean-Wan
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 ii. ii. was playin' on him. But
done like Br'er Rabbit-jest lay low.
Hamilton FL. Tubbs knows a 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 gathering 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
Miss Hardingl"
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 1t bona dea, and
consider the family cOmpHmented. AT
the moment I sat stunned, but Miss
Browne, with greater self-possessiOn
majestically inclined her head and
said:
I'm the name Of our absent friend,
thank you"
| In spite of wistful looks from the
beautiful youth as we rose from the
table, and the allurement of a tropic
J 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 i 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.