San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-11

changed his smirk of qualification
to a scowl of bewilderment.
"Mr. Kennedy" she said, speak
ing very fast and with evident
nervousness. "You don't know
me. l am Linda Renton. Merle
Renton's wife. have been wait
ing to speak to you. It's terribly
important. Can l walk little way
with your"
Her agitation and the stark
pleading in her appraised face had
a silencing effect on Spikes usual
ly too-ready tongue. Nodding con-
fusedly he let her fall into step be-
side him.
"I-I don't want to be seen with
you," said Linda, with an appre-
hensive glance up and down the
street. $50 I'll be as quick as
can. Mr.. Kennedy, my husband
has Just challenged you. Please
I'm begging you-please---
don't accept. Don't fight him. I
beg you not to. There must be
plenty of other men for you to
fight. Leave my husband alone.
Oh. pleasep,'
"Leave him alone?" gobbled the
dumb-founded Kennedy. "Why.
it's him that won't leave me alone!
Here he goes and challenges me,
and"
''That's lust itw she cried, chok-
ingly. "That the terrible part Of
it. He insists on doing it. My only
hone was to come and throw my
self on your mercy. I" .-
"H'm," grunted Spike. ais he
as scared of me as all that"
"He isn't scared of anybody"
she retorted. "That's the trouble.
Mr.. Kennedy, I've no right to tell
my husbands secrets. And I
won't. So I'm going to tell you
Just fairy story; and you can be-
iieve it or not as you like. For all
you know, may be making it up
for fun" she explained. choking
back a sob and shaking all over.
"Once there was a man." she
continued, brokenlv. "I don't say
he was my husband or that this is
true story. 1t isn't. It's fairy
story. I'm not telling anv secrets.
There was man. And he rot
into a fight. And he was hit be-
tween the ewes. And somehow, it
made him blind. Then after a
while the doctors were able to cure
him. But that blow had done
something awful to his head. J
don't know the Latin name for it."
"Hey?" exclaimed Spike, in sud
den interest. "What's that?"
"The doctors said if ever he
should get hard blow on the top
of the head, it would do sometime
to the nerve-centers there: and
make him stone blind for life. This
next time there'd be no cure. The
minute his head is hit hard. on top,
he'll be blinded forever. I"
Gee" bleated Kennedy, thrill
ed to the core.
"Mind you, don't say that's
true story" she added. trembling
~. Nobody can say I betray my
husbands secrets. Especially VIII al
l swore I'd never tell. But it can't
do any harm to tell You Just
fairy story, can it? Well, if that
man was going into fight. would
MT his wife want to go to the other
man and beg him on her knees,
not to fight him? Wouldn't she?
Merle saws nobody tries to hit The
other fellow on the top of the head
in fight. But I'm sure it might
happen, by accident. And then
Oh, promise me you won't fight
him. Mr.. Kennedy"
"Kid," acclaimed the champion,
resisting wild impulse to throw
his hat in the air and to cheer.
"Kid, get you. Don't worry. I
get you. Fights off,"
AS soon as he could break away
from Linda's effusive thanks Ken
nelly abandoned his promenade
and went at top speed to the near
est telephone booth.
Calling up his manager, he bade
that astonished functionary to
sign up with Brace. instantly, for
the fight; and to try to place a
side bet with the Renton manager
for as big a sum as he could vince
die the latter into accepting. Also.
he decreed that the matter of
Spikes championship share" of
Sc per cent of the gate, win or
lose be waived: if Brace should
arrne the point too holly.
The manager. fearing lest the
monev-worshiping Kennellv had
lost his mind. came hotfooting to
SPIKES hotel for further informa-
ton. But, in a half hour more, ne
hurried even more rapidly in quest
of Brace.
That night there was jov in the
Renton flat. Brace came in late
with news that the ficht-papers
we're drawn no in record time and
signed: and that Kennelly's man.
ager had not only waived every
moot point. but had agreed 20
every proviso suggested: and had
practically forced stupendous
side-bet on the rapturous Brace.
IL knew he'd do it." said
Linda with a little shudder. al
knew it! And yet, it didn't seem
to me any human could do such
thing. To win a handful of
of money and a wretched fight,
he'd actually blind fellow-man
for life in cold blood. And he'd