The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-11

everybody there wonderful player"
 T guess we'll start tomorrow night" MT. Cray suggested. Its trifle late"
 We will start in 10 minutes" Mrs. Green pronounced. T shall now go down to my stateroom and fetch some money. Kindly prepare the young gentlemen for my coming"
 Mrs. Green disappeared down the companionway, and MT. Cray made his way back to the smoking room. The four young men, in attitudes of profound dejection, were seated pretty well as he had left them, ex- cept that Blanche Esholt was on the settee by her brothers side. Added to the pile of chips which MT. Cray had left, was the little roll of notes with which he had parted. Esholt rose to his feet as MT. Cray ap- preached.
 We couldn't have gone through with it. sir" he confessed, "even if you hadn't found us out. There's your money. I can only say that we are sorry. We are entirely at your mercy"
 MT. Cray stood by his chair. The steward had gone into the inner bar. It chanced that there was no one else in the room.
 "WfIl you give me your word of honor. all of you" he said, never to attempt this sort of thing again?"
 The reply was unanimous and convincing. MT. Cray resumed his seat.
 Boys" he proposed. T guess we'd better call these chips in and start the game again. Mrs. Richard Green is coming to join us. Don't look so astonished. all of you. Give me the chips. I'm banker for the rest of this trip. Do your best to win. and we'll settle up on the last evening and whatever you see that you don't un- derstand-well, just put it. so to speak. in your forgettery. To pass the time until the lady arrives, I will now show you few card tricks. | guess when I've finished, you'll think it wise to forget the little you know about dealing."
 MT. Cray kept his word. and when Mrs. Green. carrying a large reti- cule and wearing pair of hCrn- trimmed spectacles. entered the room with an air of determination and a smile meant to be ingratiating. he had reduced his little circle of watch CTS to a state of amazed stupefaction. He gathered up the cards at the 1ady's entrance
 'Tf you'll take this seat opposite me. ma'am,- he invited, we'll make a start I'm banker and if agree able, I'll keep an account against you all till the end of the trip"
 Mira Green teok the seat indicated, hung her reticule across the back of her chair, settled her spectacles firmly upon her nose, and counted the chips handed out to her, with the ut most care.
 The ;Gea is excellent" sho said. Let the game proceed"
 It was the last evening of the voyage the great steamship was. in- deed, being slowly conveyed up tho Thames in charge of pilot. MT. Cray and his young friends were seated in the corner of the smoking room which they had occupied. every eve ming They were awaiting the arrival of Mrs Green.
 Has any one seen the dear lady today?- Eshold asked.
 "She came in to lunch an hour late and had dinner in her state room." MT. Cray announced with a grin. "T passed her on deck this morning but she seemed to have become a tride SliOI uttQ.
 There was a little ripple of sup pressed laughter.
 T notice that she's changed her place at the table, too," Thomson re- marked.
 MT. Cray smiled beautifically.
 "She gave the deck steward a shf1- ling to put our chairs at the opposite end of the deck yesterday morning." he cCnfided.
 / Poor MT. Cray" Blanche Esholt murmured.
 The door was opened with a firm hand, and deliberately closed again. Mrs. Richard Green approached the table. Determination was engraved in every line of her fLrcfble counte- nance.
 Gone were the magenta blouse, tho barbaric beads. the earringa. those slight concessions to her sex designed to allure the recacitrant MT. Cray. She was dressed in the severe garb in which she proposed to land on the following morning-a plain suit of irGn grey. a hard felt hat and square-toed shoes.
 She had the air of ono confronted with an unpleasant duty. to the per- formance of which she was braced and ethical resolve.
 Twill you sit here. Mrs. GreenT MT. Cray invited, rising and pointing to one of the swivel chairs.
 T will not sit down. was the un- compromising reply. "I came. here to say few words and I speak better