Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-28
My MARRIAGE
w
Adele Garrison's
New Phase off,.
REVELATIONS
OF WIFE
WHO is THIS STRANGE MAN
SMITH?

~
If Allen Drake had meant to goa6
Smith into some sort of emotional be
traying outburst by his complete ignor
ing of the bound man, and his impress
sively polite request of Lillian and me
to be permitted to smoke, he succeed
ed signally.
The expletive burst from Smiths white
lips as if it had been forced through
them by superhuman pressure. "Yol
spawn of a jellyfish, you scum of tn,
sea, to dare to stand there and smok,
when a man like me, a man whose
shoes you are not fit to wipe, is burn
ing, dying"
"a million pardons, nv good man.
Mr.. brakes voice IVES infuriatingl.
~patronizing. II am remiss. May
offer you a cigar?"
With a swiftness strongly contrast
ing to his languid attitude of a minut,
before, he crossed to Smith, and, will
one hand deftly put a cigar in ths
mans mouth, while with the other b.
held a light to the end of the cigar.
found myself tensely watching Smith
to see what his reaction would be. Hi
fury against us, his contempt for III
were so patiently at war with the mos
poignant craving a smoker can have
that curiosity as to his action sent m,
mental thermometer up dangerously
near the bursting point.
Allen Drake "Moves"
That Smiths first impulse was t.
reject the cigar and strike the lighr
from Mr.. brakes hand was plainly
evident as his face contorted with rag'
- L. l,--oL L.. Iz,nI h1I- Fa--,a.J
straining ~futilely at the bonds confin
ing his hands. Then, as if acting upoi
some driving impulse beyond his owl
volition, his teeth clenched upon tn,
cigar, and he inhaled and puffed unit
it had caught the flame which Allel
Drake held to it.
My eyes went to Allen brakes face
and I saw upon it a satisfied triumph
ant. look such as a scientist might wea.
who had just concluded some doubtful
experiment necessary to the solution
of the problem he had in hand. And
realized that back of his languid pose
his ignoring of Smith and his flaunt
ing of the cigar had lain a distinct pur
pose. He had needed just this look int,
Smiths mental processes, and he hat
cut his way TO them with the surenes
of a surgeons scapel.
For a few minutes there was silenc'
in the room. Smiths eyes were half
closed, and he was patiently giving him
self up to the rapture of the cigar
Allen brakes eyes never left the fac
of the other man.
The rest of US divided our curious
watchful g~lances between the brillian
government agent and the man whom
he was slowly impaling.
"Your H%ighness"
As a tiny ash began to show upol
the end of the cigar. Allen Drak'
stepped forward again.
Permit me- he said, in the sam
| ironically courteous tone he had uset
before, and he deity slipped the ciga.
from Smiths lips, knocked the ash off
then stood for a second of two, which
! seemed as many hours, looking at tn
| round, brown object which meant I,
Smith the difference between comfor
and misery.
Smiths lips curled back over hi
teeth.
"Ah h! The third degree, I per
%ceive!' he snarled.
"Oh. no, nothing so crude" b,
drawled. You shall have this bacl
again presently. But, as we wish jus
a trifle Of conversation with you, ant
your hands, unfortunately, must b
| kept bound, I see no other course thai
for me to act as your First Gentleman
in Waiting. Believe me, your high
ness, the task is no more congenial t.
me than to you"
I had thought the h~igh-soundin'
titles Mr.. Drake had uttered were bu
part of the airy, hooking persiflag'
with which he was tantalizing Smith
But I had been watching Mr.. Drak'
closely, and | saw his eyes marrow
/ slightly as he spoke the first title. NJ!
! eyes flew to Smiths face, and there
I saw the amazing truth that Aller
Drake had struck home. 1t was but
| tiny spasm which seized his facia
muscles. but in it was revealed a par
of the mystery of the man named
Smith.
Somewhere across the seas befor'
the cataclysm which converted thrones
into junk heaps. princes into wander
ers, the man before us had occupied
an exalted place.
Next-What the Man Smith Threat
ened to Do to Madge.