The Washington times., 1922-09-10

qulVerng ana 1ull OF daWnlng
hopelessness-a horror as intense
as Fancy's own. .... ...
mo-" he sad quietly, they've
not been stolen. I've lost them
lost them--at play"
Billy Fanshawe rubbed his
plump fingers nervously up and
down the soft surface of the wal
let he still held. He wanted to
clear his throat, to cough, move, do
anything that might relieve the
tension of the moments following
upon, the boys statement. But he
did none Of these things; only wait
ed-waited-waited, tensely, until
Fancy should speak again.
When she did it was in a voice
so changed, so lifeless, and yet so
harsh that he scarcely recognized
it,, and he looked at her curiously.
"At play. You mean-you used
them-those notes which you were
to hand over tonight to Austin
Knowles-to gamble with! Bonny!
You can't mean it! You could not
have been so mad-so wickedw
Yet even while she spoke the
blood drained completely out of
her face, and lips, leaving her
deathly pale. Bonny Revell passed
his hand quickly, nervously across
his eyes.
81 must have been-quite mad"
he returned heavily. 81 was mad
stark, staring mad-or ! couldn't
have done it. You see, lost from
the very start this evening. The
devils own luck, which has been
mine all the weeks we've been
away-which brought US back here
with quite a decent little sum in
our pockets-deserted me utterly
tonight. And the worse it got the
more l hoped that it would turn
that presently I'd begin to win
again. You know how it is"
Fancy moved her hand away
from her mouth. Her lips were
dry, and she touched them briefly
with the tip of her tongue. In her
whole expression there was a sud-
den, intense, hard bitterness.
YES" she retorted, upon little
laugh that held in it nothing what
soever of mirth, 81 know how it
is-only too we'll. But-your own
money was bad enough-only those
notes were not yours. That five
hundred which DIR. Messenger gave
you was his-or, rather, Austin
Knowles. You had no right to
touch it-no right even to think
of it"
That's just it" The boy laid
his hand upon the polished edge of
the table, leaning against it heav-
lily. 81 didn't think of it. I didn't
remember it was not mine. tell
you | was mad! 1t was there to
my hand, and | needed it. | had
none: left of my own, | was cleaned
out, with not a sou left-and |
owed some-a pretty good deal.
had to win again. just had to.
That was all | thought of-all l
remembered. l forgot all about
Messenger and Knowles. Indeed"
he laughed suddenly and the
sound made Billy Fansha've stir
uncomfortably-"I even played
with Knowles for little while. 1t
was he who won my last note, or
rather Messengers last note-he
who cleaned me out completely.
1t might be almost amusing if
if"
He did not complete the sem
tence, but sat down suddenly and
heavily in the chair from which
Fancy had risen, STOPPING forward
with his elbows on his knees, his
drawn face hidden in his hands.
"My Godr he whispered. "It's
ghastly! What am to do? What
can l do? Knowles knows | had
the money-that Messenger was en-
trusting it to me to bring over to
him. He'll be coming to me for it
before he goes tonight. And
haven't got it! I've taken it
gambled with it-lost it"
Again his voice trailed off aim
lessly. He did not lift his head,
but a sharp tremor seemed to
shake his whole long, lean young
body.
There was despair in his tone,
in his whole attitude. There was
despair, too, in Fancy RevelPs
small white face-a despair so
utter that Billy Fanshawe turned
his eyes quickly away from it;
then involuntarily made a step to-
ward them.
But she did not notice, did not
look around. She was absorbed
in her brother, in the seriousness
of the plight in which he found
himself. She was blind and deaf
to everything else but his dire
need. The sounds of distant
voices, of music, of occasional
laughter passed unheeded.
She stood there looking down at
this brother of hers, her hands
locked together, the slim fingers
unconsciously lacing and interlac-
ing, her pale lips twitching every