The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-05-14

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pensive hotel u Dallas. He intro
Iduces himself TO the hotel manager,
to the president of the largest bank
and to the mayor of Dallas. The
leading newspaper gives wr.teup
! to, Calvin Gray, globe trotter, sol
der of fortune and fnancier." To
! the hotel manager Gray admits that
he is Colonel Calvin Gray. In the
hotel dining room Gray meet an
cd friend who is vice pres dent Of
thc biggest jewelry house in Dallas.
Gray offers to go to Ranger and try
to sell some valuable diamonds to
Gus BrisEow who has struck oil.
NOW GO ON WITH STORY
Excellent! There no longer is any
question about my going Gray an
nounoed firmly. 81 am bored; l am
stale; a thrill, of whatever sort,
would stir my blood
Don't be silly. How could l pay
YOU if YOU did go
"Um-m!" Thij idea, it seemed had
no. occurred TO Mr.. Gray. 1t was
plain that money meant nothing to
him.
q have it. Well divorce friend
ship and sentiment entirely from the
discussion and reduce it to a strictly
business basis. You shall ease your
| conscience by paying my travelling
expenses. The emotional suspense
l,% I l,,l L.
I'll take my commission in thrills"
This offer evoked a light laugh
from Irays guest. you'd get
enough of 'cn" he asserted. I'll
advance a mild one, on account, at
this moment. Notice the couple
dining at the third table to your
left" Gray lifted his eyes. "What
do you scc?''
"A rather well-dresscd, hard fac
ed man and a" decidedly attractive
woman-brunette There's sugges-
ton of represscd widowhood about
her. It's the gown, probably. |
am not yet in my dotage, and had
seen her before saw you"
"She's living here. don't know
much about her, but the man goes
by the name of Mallow."
"No thrill yet"
"Hc's been hanging about our
store for the past month, making a
few purchases and getting acquaint
cd with some of the clerks Where
ever | go, lately, there he is. III
wager if l took tonights train for
Ranger, he'd be on it,"
Calvin Gray turned now and open
~ stared at the eject Of Coverly's
suspicious. There was an alert in
tercst in his eyes. you've cinched
the matter with me-" he declared,
after moment. Get out your dia
monds tomorrow: I'm going TO take
the night train for Ranger"
Later that evening, after his guest
had gone, Gray took occasion de-
liberately to put himself in Mallow's
way and to get into conversation
with him. For the better part of an
hour the two men smoked and
talked, and had CoveIy overheard
their conversation his blood would
have chilled and he would have pre-
matulely aged, for his distinguished
host, Calvin Gray, the worldIy-wise
sauve man of affairs, actually per-
mitted himself to be pumped like a
farmers son.
Once Gray was in his rooms, how
ever, his manner changed, and into
his eyes there came triumphant
glitter. Hastily he rummaged
through one of his bags, and from
4 collection of trlnkets, souvenirs,
and the like he selected an object
which he examined carefully, then
took into the bathroom for further
experiment.
CHAPTER III
Bob Parker Comes Home
Old Tom Parker was "type". He
was one of a small class of men at
one time common to the west but
now rapidly disappearing A turbul-
lent lifetime spent in administering
the lawlcss region has stamped him
with the characteristics of from
tier officer.
Among the late corners to Wichita
Falls where he lived. Tom was
known as quiet-spoken emotion
less old fellow with an honorable
past. 1t was not generally known
that he was kind and indulgcnt
father and had daughter whom he
worshippcd with blind adulation.
This ignorance was not strange, for
Miss Barbara Parker had been away
at college for four years now, and
during that time she had not once
returned home.
There was perfectly good reason
for this protracted separation of
father and daughter; since Old Tom
was no longer on pay, it took all he
could rake and scrape to meet her
bills, and railroad fares are high.
Tom carried on nominal fire-in-
surance business, but as matter of
fact the tiny two-roomed frame
structure that bore his painted sign
was nothing more or less than
loafing place for his and his rheuma-
tic friends.
The time came, however, when he
was forced to shed his habit of
slothfulness as completely as snake
sheds it's skin, and that was during
the week before "BobA' arrival.
Then, indeed, he swept and he dust.
ed, he mopped and he polished, he