The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-03-10

stocks away. Everybody knew 7 was
a pauper-everybOdy but he doctor
He persisted in regarding me as n mil
"How perfectly outrageousl Why,
Caliph, I would have let him u me"
81 would have, too-but | didn't. ]
induced him to settle for 100000
shares of stock In my copper prospect.
The par value was 81 n share, and ]
was going to sell a block at 10 cents,
but in view OF his high professional
standing I let him have It for a nickel
q share. imagine he still has It. l
bought back later all the Other stock
I sold. because the property was
worthless, and In order TO be a sport
I offered him $500 for his block, but
he thought | was trying 10 swindle
him and asked $1,000"
"Oh. Caliph !"
"Wonderful game, isn't it-this
game OF life. SO sweet when a fell
lows taking chances! Now that I am
fairly prosperous again, the only thing
In life that really matters Is the I'M
certainty as to whether, when finally
the steamship landing In a hack or a
hearse."
But you could go In a hack this
morning and avoid that uncertainty"
THE millionaire drudge l 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, ibid you
leave the United States with the f1rrn
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 90 or 80 days-and the fol-
lowing morning decide to remain. aft
er all! !"
my dear young lady, II l changed
my clothes as often as I change my
mind, the what-you-may-call-'em chaps
that manufacture a certain grand Of
clothes couldn't keep me dressed"
"But whyY
THAT. he answered gravely. els q
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 owllshly and tell her 1t 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. I 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 SEN her a blue
print of what he'd been thinking
about"
what was it?"
IAN 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 I figured 1t all
out then-and last highland a min
ute ago. l don't care to do any more
thinking today. Please talk to me-"
And you refuse to tell me why you
cabled your friend, Jerome?"
"You will never know. l told you
It's a secret"
"Bet you l find out"
slow much? That $4,000 you ex-
pect to make from the flour-gold in
your black-sand claim? And, by the
way, $40, please. l won 1t 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 II l lose, l guarantee to pay. Are
we betting even money! think that
Is scarcely fair. Under the circum-
stances l should be entitled to Odds"
Nothing doingl No odds on a bet
Of this nature to a seeress who has al
ready Jared me from soul to verml-
form appendix by making good! You
know too blamed much already, and
how you discovered It 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. quiz
ering hand, in the palm OF which lay
"a f%ve-dollar gold piece.
"Whatr' Mr.. Webster said. amazed.
"Still unchangedr
" thried to change It at half q dozen
cantinas," Don Juan wheezed, but
divil q bit av systim did any av thin