Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-02-21
CHAPTER XXXNIII

CHAPTER XAXNlIf
"DiI she tell you to call Jill and
post hcr:' queried a straightforward
answer.
"a should say mott" exploded the
professor. his voice a raucous bleat.
"She told me not to tell"
"Lut knowing quite well YOU would
tell, just the same" supplemented
Mike, and he caught the satirical
note IN her Voice as she turned her
head his way for 4 fleeing second.
"Oh, no, you're wrong. Miss Sween-
ey. dead wrong." asserted the pro-
f~essor, so earnestly that he forgot
for the moment his drawl and dia-
iect. Then he seemed to note his
direlict;on and answered hastily:
"Oh, yes. indeed, yo'ah entiahly
wrong. Ah'm shuah."
All right, then Professor" ac-
guessed Mike. well say I'm
wrong. But what ! don't understand
is: Why should Mia Ravelle tell
you she is expected to meet Jack
Stuart out at the Casino tonight.
Are you her guardian
"Oh, no. not huh gua'hdian, Miss
Sweeney" protested the professor,
watching his RS" rs well as his
words. But Nita and | ali close
friends an when All asked huh TO
hav' dinnah this evening ut Prince
Norg's, she ~cahlessly remarked
that she had an engagement with
Jack Stua'ht ut tn Casino. Nothin'
unusual about tn mattah at all, if
yo'ah just unda'stood tn suhcum-
stawncesi"
Probably not" observed Mike,
dryly. and then added: "Suhcnm-
stawrces do alter cases a heap much
sometimes"
The big limousine, during this con
versation. had been speeding along
at 80 miles an hour. Since the Cas-
inc was 10 miles west. and one mile
south OF the main highway. Mike
knew they must be close to the
detour.
That's it-that green light on tn
left!" said Jill suddenly. the first
word she had uttered since re-enter-
she spoke, Mike saw the light and
slowed down. A moment later she
saw where the detour made off from
the main thoroughfare. She gave the
wheel a turn and the ear sped
around the curve onto a newly
graveled, but well packed road. She
shot the rays Of a powerful search
light into the darkness ahead, dis
closing a wall of rock on one side
and "A deep gore on the other.
Not just the place to do any
fancy skidding. MOI very much care
less driving, remarked Mike, medi-
tatively.
There's been several tragedies
along this gorge. I've heard" said
La Tarte. looking a trifle n~ervou~ly
say" chirped the ir~rerressible Mike,
was holding the steering wheel.
Doesn't take much sometimes
Just n stone-or-er-something-
TO throw a car outta CONTROL"
And think what the gossips would
say" chirped the irrepressibl Mike,
IF the Sweeney car. with that
Sweeney girl and Jill Stuart. a per-
fectly respectable married woman.
and Professor-ughi"
She registered a shudder. and then,
as il TO lend realism to Il. clapped
the hand that had been holding the
wheel to her head. The professor
saw the wheel shake and-he didn't
have to register any shudder. The
cold sweat that broke out all over
his body made him SILVER like a
man with ague.
"Miss = S-Sweency," he squeaied.
and then choked. almost inarticu-
late. Flor Gods sake. don't be-
be so ~foolhardyi"
The girl at the wheel glanced Curl
ously at the mans face outlined in
the light from the globe above the
dials in front.
IF o little thing Ike that scarcs
you. Professor" she said softly, Il
wonder what you would do in the
face OF real danger?"
He laughed. now the danger was
passed. a little jerky, nervous laugh.
Then he reached a hand into the in
ner pocket Of his overcoat and
brought forth an official envelope,
from which he lifted out two war
medals. Jill Stuart. interested in
spite Of herself, leaned over for a
closer look.
"one is dated August. 1918. the
last battle OF the Somme." he told
tnem. mOdeStly. Il ne otner. ne
went on. "is November s. 1918, bat
tie Of Montmedy and Sedan. Both
are citations for bravery. Miss
Sweeney, notwithstanding your opin-
He spoke truly-in part. The two
medals were citations for bravery
but not Professor lie Tarte's bravery.
He had bought them for a few dol
lars from a hungry ex-service man.
heroism in France had earned
ard gained him two citations. But
these citations would not buy food
nor lodging for him in his own
country. Pawn shops throughout the
big cities reek with these medals.
most Of them genuine. The a
est the professor had ever rot 70
the front was Blackwell's Island
prison. where he had "faced the
enemy" almost continuously from
March. 1915. to May. 1919.
But the medals were genuine. and
the professors tongue was glib. for
he had read up on those battles n
til he could have named every regi-