Evening star., 1927-11-21

and man. locked we'll. sounded we'll.
and was well-since Runnells. for once
in his g, ven though it was due to
no moral regeneration on the part of
Runnells. but due entirely to Run
nells' belief that he was on an inno-
cent holiday. could be made exceed
ingly useful in bolsteriny up his mas
ter's social standing without bagging
any of the game.
BLESSED is he who expects little" 4"
murmured Capt. Francis NeWcombe
softly to himself. 'for he shall receive
still less,''
He paused abruptly and stared
ahead of him. Curious road. this. Like
grea' archway of trees And all
moonfiecked undarfoot, Where did il;
lead? To the house probably. This
was Manwa Island--the home of the
mad millionaire. Queer freak of ma
ture. those Florida keysif what he
had been able to read up about them
was true. Almost a con inuous bow
of isla ands, some fruitful, some barren.
some big. some Small--Such a heterO-
geneous mess!-stretching along off the
coast, some near, some far, for 200
miles. Nothing but rocks on one;
tropical fruits and verdure in pro.
fusion on another! Well, the mad mil,
lionaires, if the night revealed any
thing. had picked the gem of them
ALL
He walked on again. The roa wound
tortuously through what appeared to
be glade of great extent. 1t seemed
to beckon. to lure, to intrigue him the
further he went, to promise something
around each mOon-fecked turning. He
laughed aloud softly. Promised what?
Where was he going? Why was he
here ashore at all?
Was it possible that he had no ulte-
rior motive in this stroll that for once
the sheer beauty of anything held him
in thrall? Well. even so, it at least af-
forded him a laugh at himself then.
This road. for instance, was like an
enchanted pathway, and there was
magic in the night.
Or was it Polly?
Capt. Francis Newcombe shook his
head. Hardly, Not at this hour!
Thanks TO the engine trouble that had
delayed them, she would long since
have given up expecting him tonight.
even though he had written her that
The house, then? A surreptitious in
spection; an entry even?-there were
half million dollars there,
Again he shook his head. He was
not so great a fool as to invite disaster.
Tomorrow, anC for days thereafter, he
would have opportunities of that ma
ture without number and without en-
failing any risk or suspicion-and
time was no object.
He smiled complacently to himself.
Things were shaping up very we'll
very we'll indeed. The seed so care
fully planted years ago was to bear
fruit at last. The greatest coup of his
life was just within his grasp: and, if
he were not utterly astray, that very
coup in itself should prove but the
stepping stone tn still greater ones.
Polly! Yes. quite true! The future de-
pended very materially upon Polly.
How amenable would she be to in
1uence? granting always tn t the said
influence be delicately and tactfullv
enough applied!
He fell to whistling very softly
under his breath. He had plans for
Polly. And if they matured the future
looked very bright-for himself. He
wondered what she was like-Iarticu-
larly as to character and disposition.
Was she affectionate, romantic-what?
A great deal. very great ideal, de-
pended on that. Not in the present
instance-Polly had fully served her
purpose in so far as a certain half mil
lion dollars in cash was concerned. and
being innocent of any conniVance must
remain so-but thereafter. England
was an exploited field it had become
dangerous; the net there was drawing
in. Oh. yes, he had had all that in
min on the day he had first sent Polly
to America but only in general way
then, while today it had become con-
crete. ,cke would make a most ad-
mirable "open sesame" to the new
land-if Locke married Polly. Polly,
as Mrs. l ocke, would step at once into
social sphere than which there was
no higher--or wealthier-and. ipso
facto. Capt. Francis NewcOmbe would
do likewise. And given a half million
as stake money. Capt. Francis New
combe, if he knew Capt Francis New
combe at all. would not fail in his OPP
portunities! He had expected Polly in
due course ~ make place fo herself
in social America; tha. was what he
had paid money for--but Howard
Locke was a piece of luck. Locke con.
served time; Locke opened the safety
vault of possibilities Immediately
He frowned suddenly. Suppose Polly
did not prove amenable? Nonsense!
Why shouldn't shelf e ma, weren't
flung at her head. Locke was the kind
of chap girl ought to like, and all
...f.- -. ~