Evening star., 1921-09-04

restaurant carrying two or three pa
per bags. As he closed the door be-
hind him the man looked up to the
stood and waved a hand.
The adventurer stepped back and
moved softly to his. chair. Suddenly
he had an overwhelming feeling that
he was not at all an adventurer
Bagdad, but q silly and reasonless in
truder into the privacy of a very or
dfnary home. He felt, at that mo-
ment and for a considerable time at
ter. a perfect idiot. Here was an or
dinary young wife frying pork chops.
ing homo additional provender in pa
per bags. and he. Morley Smith, sit
ting in the parior without the slight
est excuse to give the husband for
being there.
| Morley Smith felt deeply and pain
fully the difference between the sort
I of chaps an author send5 ON adven-
lures and himself. One OF those chaps
would have lot of things to say.
don't yeu know! The things the chap
would say would make u all right
make an adventure Of 1t. Morley
Smith realised suddenly that. by Jove.
he didn't have a thing to say, what?
This chappie would come up the
and say. well. what is it?" and Nor
ley Smith would not know what it
was, or how to say 1t was not any
thing. He would look a perfect fool.
what? ! say, YOU know it was
He heard the ben ring In the kitch-
| en- in answer to the husbands touch
on the button bedow. and he imagined
the answering Click in the lock OF
the entrance lcor downstairs. He
walked to the door that led to the
outer hall. 1t was locked! He might
| have escaped that way. He heard
Mrs. Casey W AIking to the other door
THE door 'som the narrow hall into
i his chair.
Hello. Tpots." he heard the hus-
| band hail the wife. Late, but l
bring you something How's her Kid
He heerd the kiss
Il SIN ell something good! he heard
| the hu sband say. and then he did not
quite near what the wife said. but he
| knew II was warming that man was
/ in TIE parlor. THAT so? said the
Hos'I.nd. 1o, Take these packages will
lirs. Casey opened the parlor door.
sThfs is my husband. Mr.. Casey" she
aid This is his card. Frank. III
| Eet you men b."
The young husband advanced. hold
fling out his hand. with just quick
glance at the card. Morley smith
took the hand. and as Mr.. Casey
walked to chair Ae noticed that the
jyoung fellow limped and that he
llimped badly. He had not noticed
that he limped as he came out OF the
restaurant. For moment or two
the young man looked at MIR. Morley
lSmith. and they were miserable mo-
ments.
"well?" said Mr.. Casey.
His eyes had. Morley Smith saw.
becom~ hard and suspicious. There
was nothing of the lightness and
] T. T. 4
igreeted his wife In the young man's
manner now. He was stern. keen and
alert. The adventurer eyed him crit
tically. II the young fellow became
angry 1t would be an even match. he
Figured. The young man looked hard
Of muscle. and he would be quick.
but Morley Smith had weight, and he
was not altogether out of training.
AN right-say it," said Mr.. Casey.
The adventurer. as he had feared.
had nothing at all to say. 1t oc-
CURED to him to say that it was pc
culiar-what?-to call dinner supper
in the west. but the remark seemed
inane under the circumstances, and
he did not say it.
Il suppose you are from the in
surance company" said Mr.. Casey,
seeing that the stranger meant to
jsay nothing.
with ali his heart Morely Smith
1wished he was. He wished he could
say he was. He regretted that he
thad not fatty denied to Mrs. Casey
that he was from the insurance com
Ipany He felt. more than ever. that
he was not cut out to be modern
adventurer. A writer-chap would
have said to Mrs. Casey, That may
thing of the sort, don't you see? A
writer .chap would have been up to
that sort of thing.
II say! No. I'm not from an in
surance company" said the adven-
turer.
Mr.. Casey seemed disappointed.
You're not from ths~car company,
are you?" he asked. as ii this was a
new idea and one he had not pre-
viously entertained. 1t was Morley
Smiths opportunity.
That may be. or that may not be-"
he said non-commitally.
Well. you ought to know" said
Mr.. Casey with slight laugh. II
don't IL you don't
He became more gracious. He he.
came actually friendly.
Il may as well tell you right now"
he said; that there is nothing to see
on my leg"
Really" said Morley Smith. He
began to feel on safer ground. For
some unknown reason the young Mr.
Casey and he seemed to be changing
places. He felt it. Instead of being
reserved and suspicious, the young
AieA.L =" GO oSSVhlAhS ATtcHuly ana open.
There may be a little black-and-
! blue left" said Mr. Casey, but YOU
can't expect bruise to show for
ever"
Quite SOL" said Morley Smith
That would be nonsense. what?"
anyway. If you wanted to see the
| bruises, you ought to have coma
sooner" said Mr.. Casey 'orhe insur.
ance doctor saw them all right Ana
| tnis limp 1t gave mel don't know
when l will get rid of this linn"
Oh. l say" said Morley smith
not knowing what else to say.
Now. you don't need to come anv
OF that" said Mr.. Casey anp5i.
amt claiming you lamed me for
life, or anything like that. but I've
| got case enough to sue on and to
get big damages. too. Any jurv@
| and a street car corporation don,t
s,anu san ~. haif "a, chance. I mean. man
sess ms rights from a jury"
my good man." Morley Smith
began rather patronizingly, YOU"
All right. then" said MIR. Casev
hotly. "fll sue! 1 thought you had
| come up here to settle this business
ike one man with another, and
was ready to do the fair thing with
you. but"
He stopped short. In making
movement. Morley Smith had dis
arranged his coat so that the luxuri.
GUS fur lining was exposed, and Mr..
Casey's eye dwelt on it.
Now i know who you are!" he
said angrily "I call IL anesLv IL