Evening star., 1923-01-28
BY
GOUVERNEUR
MORRIS.

ton; ''if can't spend them in riotous
living / can at least make DR.. Null
holland eat them" A short oath jerked
from his lips. something flashed in
each OF his hands, from these flashes
escaped two brighter flashes accom-
panied by two sharp reports.
n - x n
TT was over before Miss Gardner
i could get to her feet She saw two
men fall-crumpled, and she saw Chill
ton close with and overpower third
And as she reached her feet she saw
Chiffon drop this third assailant into
the pool.
well, I never" she said. and bit
her lips. wishing either that she had
not been heard or that she had said
something showing more presence of
mind.
Chiffon was bending over the two
men at whom he had discharged the
| derringers.
They're still breathing" he said.
THANK the Lord for that. Where are
you hurt? Can you hear me?"
His answer was a sudden burst OF
laughter. Chiffon snatched the black
mask from the mans face and Tecog-
nized the aristocratic features of his
cousin. young Mr.. Ravenel.
At this moment the other brigand
sat up and removed his mask.
willy Cavendish" said Chiffon in a
| mournful voice. "But-but I shot to
KILL"
You were loaded with blank cart
ridges, Bob" said Ravenel. where's
the doctor?"
"The doctor" said Chiffon grimly,
| sis in the pool"
Don't be mad, Bob"
"rm not mad, but why did you do
it? IL might have hurt somebody"
A voice came from the depths OF
| the pool--a voice reyerberant, hol-
low. unhappy
You have hurt me, sub, and wish
to be assisted out of this place at
once"
Chiffon laughed, and, selecting some
peculiarly .soiled and tattered bills
from the chest. he lay down by the
edge of the pool and looked over.
Hold the lamp, Jack"
Dr. Mulholland, very red in the
face and much slimed. looked up
| into the downturned faces.
Chiffon reached him one Of the bills.
What's this for"
Eat It."
Don't be an ass. Robert-a Jokes
a Joke"
mo, doctor" drawled Chiffon, 'it
isn't. Not when fellow who has
never harmed you is made to look
like q fool in the eyes OF a young
lady: not when he Is made to feel
even for a moment that he has taken
human life: not when he has been
made to feel that the future has
hopes for him; not when these hopes
are snatched away. oblige me by
eating some of this late specie"
Never" thundered the doctor.
Don't you know. sub, that may
catch my death in this place."
Half an hour later he began to eat
five e-hundred-dollar bills of the Con-
federate states of America
Robert" he said, humbly, "they
give me any of the rarer Issues
some Of them are worth ten cents
apiece. -. Robert 1 can't swal-
low any more without something to
wash It down. My mouth is like cot
ton. suh.''
Shall we let him out, Miss Gard
ner?"
II think So" she said. because,
after all, most Of the expedition has
been fun-velvet"
x = y r.
eSN TISs GARDNER" said Chiffon.
lNl "they just did it because you
said you were just longing for an
adventure-but, somehow, / feel hu-
inflated and ashamed. No man likes
to show his angry. fighting side
without just cause. I was hasty with
my weapons-too hasty."
IF you don't stop feeling hunili-
ated and ashamed" she said. TIL get
out and walk"
have you do that"
There was a short silence
mfr Chiltonw
Yes Miss Gardner"
Il was just thinking-maybe you
know OF some other treasure-that
we could look for-a-real treasure"
Oh" said the young man conf
IDENTIFY. II certainly do-a sure enough
treasure"
well, said she, "the night is yet
young--is this treasure far orr
He slowed the car almost to
standstill. and. turning his head,
looked with a certain wistful beseech-
ingness into her lovely face.
Miss Gardner" he said gravely. "I
don't know! I don't know! I don't
know"
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