The Dolores star., 1924-11-14
cap in hand. waiting for hi. orders

The man who had just won two million
francs handed him the letter, gave him
some brief directions and handful
OF coins The chasseur saluted ana
hurried OF. Gerald gripped his com
| pnnlon by the arm.
Did you hear that. Chrisr he
whispered
II heard nothing" Christopher re-
piled.
Il saw the address. too" Gerald
| continued eagerly The letter Is 10
| Madame de Poniere. Villa Violette!"
The dispatch of the letter was the
signal for certain almost imperceptible
advances ON the part of those who had
been watching the great man. The
| young lady at the next table leaned
over and congratulated him on hiS
good fortune, an overture which was
received At little gruffly and without
enthusiasm. A seedy-lo0kinc stranger
slid from his stool, leaned over the
table and whispered few words In
the Russians ear. He was u sandy
hCired man. with puffy checks and II
nervous manner. His clothes had once
been well enough, but were now shah
by lie had the gamblers restless air.
sir" he began. forgive my I'D
| dressing you"
what do you wnntT' was the blunt
rejolnder
81 stood behind your chair In the
rooms. | futter myself that | brought
you fortune. as l have brought 1t to
ma nth 4 will oil tn NNln |
have lost as much AT the tables as you
have won. VIII you grant me the loan
of meal:"
Go TO h-l'' was the brutal reply.
Il have nothing TO do with cadgers."
The man staggered rs though he had
received shock. He was used to re-
buffs. but not such rebuffs ms this.
Monsieur he stammered.-"per-
haps five hundred or even two hun.
dred francs"
Not IA sou, and he off. Do Won want
me to complain to the manaser;"
The young man edged away. Gerald
smiled us he saw him cross the floor.
Horribly bad character, hat" he
remarked to Christopher. II missed
him here last season and nsksd where
lie was. They told me thar he was in
prison for stabbing his mistress. | sup
pose | shall get 1t in the neck, Chris,
but I've got to talk to the old brute.
| can't afford to miss an opportunity
of speaking TO some one who knows
Pauline"
Il shouldn't, If were YOU" Chris.
topher advised. "You see hr isn't in
the humor 10 talk to anybody. and II
there really Is any mystery ABOUT the
De Ponieres, he won't care about being
asked questions about them"
Gerald was. for him, however. deter.
mined. Tile fellows manner is brutal,
but believe he's parsonage. | shall
try my luck in moment or So"
Gerald waited for several minutes,
until his nelghbor had entered upon
another course. Then he leaned to-
ward him.
You are RussianT' Gerald ven
| tured e
1T Is entirely my business Of what
nationality | am was the cold reply.
Naturally" Gerald agreed. AT
the same time. we are all human The
man who wins couple of millions
here Is a public character. You will
| probably find old ladies' rubbing their
iiVe-franc pieces against your coat
sleeves, rs you enter the rooms"
so long as they do not attempt to
talk to me, shall be content" was
the curt retort.
You are not exactly looklrr for nc
! quaintances, | perceive" Gerald re-
| marked.
| Il have none here, nor do I desire
any"
Gerald smiled. He had reached the
point at which he had been aiming.
That he observed SIS not strict
ly true. You have just dispatched n
note to some ladies' of my acquaint-
ance"
Monsieur Zubin had so far met Ger.
| aids tentative overtures with the cold
rudenesS of one who recognizes nm
equal. At his last words. however. n
look almost of fury flashed into his
| face. He struck the table with his
| iisL
Il ought to have remembered the
sort of people by whom ! was likely
to be surrounded here" he declared.
You. who look as though you ought
to know better. cast sneakiny glances
over my shoulder to read the super
scription of private letter. What a
riffrafr.'
| Gerald bit his lip. He kept his tenn
per perfectly.
II saw the address, ! assure YOU
entirely by accident" he said. 81 hap
pen 10 be acquainted with one of the
Indies or the name would not have
attracted my notice. Madame and
mademoiselle occupy th, next villa to
my fathers"