The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-10-26
Cup and Lip
CHAPTER L

nont's horse to a walk. He was
tremendously excited.
With naive sincerity he believed
that what he had done on, the spur
Of the moment had been the only
thing to do.
BY snatching the Flaming Jewel
from Quintana's very fingers heI
had diverted that vindictlve ban.
dts fury from Eve, from ClIncn,
from stormont, and had centered
1t upon himself.
More than that, he had sown,
the seeds OF suspicion among
pintana's own people. They never
could discover Salzar's body. AL.
ways they must believe that It
was Nicolas Salzar and no other
who so treacherously robbed them,
and who rode away IN a rain of
slbuilets, shaking tho emblazoned
morocco case above his masked
head in triumph, derision and de.
tiance.
Z At the recollection OF what had
happened, Hal Smith drew bride,
and sitting his saddle there in the
false dawn, threw back his hand.
some head and laughed until the
fading stars overhead swan In his
eyes through tears OF sheerest
mirth.
Smith sat his saddle. thinking,
beginning to be sohered now by
) the inevitable reaction which fol.
lows excitement and mfrth as 70.
1entlessly as care dogs the horse
man.
He thought OF Riga: and Of the
Red Terror; OF murder at noon
day, and outrage by night He re.
gmembered his only encounter with
q lovely child-once Grand Ouch.
es Of Esthonia-then destitute
refugee in sllken rags.
What a day that had been
Only one day and one evening
Aud never had he been so near in
: love In all his life
AS the false dawn began to fade
he loosened hunting coat and cart.
ridge sling, drew from his shirt.
bosom the morocco case.
It bore the arms and crest Of the
Grand Duchess Theodorica Of Els.
: thonia.
His fingers trembled slightly as
he pressed the jeweled spring. 1t
! opened on an empty casket.
In the sudden shock Of horror
) ana establishment, his conclusive
Z clutch on the spring started a tiny
: bell ringing. Then, under his very
: nose. the empty tray slid aside re-
syealing another tray underneath.
: set solidly with brilliants. A rain
bow OF glitter streamed from thu
sunset gems in the silken tray. Like
an incredulous child he touched
them. They were magnifIcentIy
lrsal.
n In the center lay blazing the
sgreat Erosite gem-the Flaming
EJewel itself. Priceless diamonds,
sapphires, emeralds rlnged It. In
Z his hands he held nearly four NIL.
lions OF dollars.
Gingerly he balanced the em-
blazoned case, fascinated. Then he
REPLACED the empty tray. closed the
ebox, thrust 1t into the bosom Of his
FLANNEL shirt and huttoned it in.
I Now there was little more for this
( excited young man to do. He was
Through with Clinch. Hal Smith,
ghold.up man and dIsh.washer At
SGlinchs Dump, had ended his ca.
&reer. The time had now arrived
for him to vanish and make room
for James Darragh.
( For by this time the Grand
sDuches Of Esthonia-Ricca. as she
$was called by her companion. Val.
senttne, the pretty Countess Orion
sStrelwit2-must have arrived In
New York.
He. lifted the brldle from the
horses neck, divided curb and
snaftle thoughtfully, touched the
sspiendid animal with hel and toe.
As he cantered on into the wids
.torest road that led to his late un.
scle's abode, curiosity led him to
wheel into a narrower nail running
teast along Star Pond. and from
whence he could take farewell
view Of Clinch's Dump.
: Alders still concealed the house
across tho lake, hut the trail was
ALREADY coming out into the star.
Eight.
: Suddenly his horse stoned short,
trembling, its ears pricEed forward
: Darragh sat listening intently for
g moment. Then with infinite eau.
stton, he leaned over the camille and
gently parted the alders.
b On the pehbled beach. full in tina
8tarlight, stood two figures, one
SShito and alto, The c:Eet Gari;.
The arm Of the dark figure CLASH.
ed the waist OF the white and slen.
der one.
Eve! Jack stormont! What
1he devil are you doing over here?"
Stormont walked slowly up to his
own horse, laid one unsteady hand
on Its silky nose. kept It there while
dusty velvet lips mumbled and
caressed his fingers.
II knew It was cavalryman. +"
no said quietly. 81 suspected
you, Jim. It was the sort of
crazy thing you were likely to do
don't ask YOU what you're
up to, Where you've been, what
Tour plans may be. II you needed
me you'd have told me.
But I've got to have my horse
ior Eve. Her feet are wounded.
ShelE In her nirht.hrnrn ri