Evening journal., 1922-12-01
CHAPTER III

Inc hLLeInobu Gun roy RAA AAAo NNA
race Of the gray stone house. where
the big creature. dead to the mid
die. talked from his chair. clearing
the mystery that had covered his
disappearance from the world. It
was an extraordinary story. and I
wished TO get Il. in detail, precise
~ clear.
1T was fiction" asked. this ex,
PLANTATION TO Westridge?"
He looked az me in a sort OF won
der.
Sure" he said, II made It up"
There wasn't any OF it true?"
mot a word" he answered.
Don't you understand?
This was a little game that me
and God Almighty was settin' up on
the side"
you knew nothing Of the girls
affairs?" The thing seemed incred-
= ible to me.
That's right" he replied. mot a
thing. except that her father.
lawyer IN the South was dead. and
the small coin was beginning TO
mean somethin'-an' OF course the
little game OF this Westridge person
-itNwas a blind pool: nobody IN on
IL but God Almighty"
I could not forbear a comment.
He seems 10 have helped you in
the opening"
The big creature turned heavily
toward me.
with little vgestridge ?" There
was deep irony IN his voice. Il
didn't need any help TO handle him.
That was A 3 stun. The big
trouble was ahead"
with the girl?" the query
escaped me.
"No." he replied. "that was my
fob too. You listen. I'm comm
10 #.
II looked out for a chance 20 get
the girl by herself. and about four
o'clock 7 got Il. There had been a
fog in; It cleared a little and she
went for a walk. She took the patti
along tho sea toward CromwelIs
Harbor and I followed her. Sh
turned back where the path ends AZ
the harbor and Just before a big
house, that hadn't been opened that
season, met her.
! ckODptu IN AA4E HhAl
Missile I said, could I speak 20
you a minute?'
''There was no sham business
about her. She was clean and straight
and afraid OF nothin'. like an angel
OF God.
Certainly she said. "what is
It. sirT
The big man moved his loose bulk
in the chair. Il
81 know something about stories"
he said. I've had 10 make EN- up
SO a Jury would believe EN-, an I
done my best as l limped along by
her.
"'I amt always been rich, I says I
Z was down an out in the eighties
ana I was agoin' % do somethin'
that would have ruined me. when
nv Gods luck met Harry in LOUIS
vile! era heard the old women cal
her father Harry so I had tina
, much 10 go on)
".Ai.' he says, what's the
troubls?'
At suppose It was in my face.
-ss broke down an told him. He
cot # all in his head. an then ne
na+fed me on The shoulder. ga
man" he said. "a little money am
coin 10 do you any good. III sit
Won fftv thousand dollars an you
90 ont to the race-course this AFTER
noon an pick a winner 49,.
az tried TO turn It down. l didn.i
,ysnt m lose his money; 1 didn
t,noyy one horse from another. But
ba inst laughed and kept pattng
- ON the hack. a beginner Tor
iuci, - he saws. where's your nerve
.Al?" Well. I picked that DIG Der
cum colt that nobody had ever
heard Of, a five-to-one shot' an Ne
romped in! a.. sea-
path. aproddin' the gravel win my
cane an atalkin' to my feel. sam
ne II was afraid the recolecuon
would get away with me II l WASH {
careful. The girl didn't say noth'h I
and I went on. -, -.,,
Harry wouldn't touch the WIN I
nins: he picked out his htty thou- '
ssnd and put me out OF the room
"I lirnped on. talking TO my Ieet'
"'And It saved me two ways LOT !
the thing 1 was agoin' TO do would
have ruined me-
MY voice got down pretty near
in a whisper.
81 never saw Harry atter lha''
I SAYS. until last night
"she stopped quick, an / went !
on a step or two.
NY father? she said.
Yes 1 says. not looking up s
Harry. Just as he looked that morn
ing in Louisville-only he was l
troubled (
Then 1 turned on her IKE l was {
maxim a clean breast OF it. l had {
the tears startin' and the right Z
choke-up, an It wasn't all jury dope. :
didn't want that heavenly angel :
fouled over by little Westridge. II !
balled the heart out Of me.
Now. Missile said, you've got
to help me even this thing up.
don't know nothin' about your az
fairs-I don't want TO know. But
you've got to take that same bunch
of money and chance it on some-
thing
''She shook her head. and had a
bad hour. All along that sea-path,
with the fog lodging in and out,