The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-03-08
A MERE SHADOW

tACy ~ Iu0 OU0AA1 SWAA0e OU0
see any way to go beyond them"
He frowned and slipped his coffee.
my original quartet is dwindling
and don't like It. It narrows the
! thing down too much-there's NO
scope for the mind. % it were. in
only two choices.
"What II We should succeed In
eliminating Cleayer and Mannix?
Where would We be-eh, what?
Nowhere-simply nowhere. And
yet, one Of the quartet IL guilty:
let's cling to that consolin' fact.
ut cant DO Epotswoode and It
can't be Lindquist. Cleaver and
Mannix remain: two from four
leaves two. Simple arithmetic.
what? The only trouble 10. this
case isn't simple. Lord. no!-I cay.
how would the equation work out
IL W used algebra. or spherical
trigonometry, or di6erential cal
culus? Let's cast Il in the fourth
dimension-or the nth, or the
sixth. :" He held his temples
in both hands "Oh. promise.
Markham-premise mo that you'll
hire . kind. gentle keeper for me- =
II know how you feel. I've been
In the same mental state for Z
week"
'It's the quartet idea that's driv-
Ing mo mad" moaned Vance. ut
w1ings me to have my tetrad Topped
OF In such brutal fashion. I'd Get
my young trustin' heart on that
quartet, and now its only . pair.
MY sense Of order and proportion
has, been outraged. I want my
quartet"
I'm afraid you'll have 70 Be
satisfied with two OF them" Mark
ham returned YEARLY. "One Of
them cant qualify. and one Is In
bed. You might send some flowers
to the hospital. II It would cheer
you any"
Zone Is In bed-one IL IN bed y
repeated Vance. well. well-to be
sure! And one from four leaves
three. More arithmetic. Three!
=. On the other hand. there is
no such thing - Z straight line.
All lines are curved: they tran.
scribe circles in space. They look
straight. but they're not. Appear.
ances. y know-so deceptive! J. .
Let's enter the silence. and substi.
tute mentation tor sight"
He gased up out Of the great
windows into Fifth Avenue. FOR
several moments he cat smokine
thoughtfully. When he spoke again.
It was in m even. deliberate voice.
Markham. would It DO dimcult
for you % Invite Mannix and
Cleaver and Spotswoode to spend
an evening-this evening. let 40 ray
-in your apartment?s
Markham Get down his cup with
. CHATTER. ana regarded Vance mar
rowly.
what new harlequinade IL this?s
"Fie on you! Answer my Ques.
tion."
"wsll-of courss--l mieht Or.
range IT, replied Markham hest.
family. They're Ill more or leee
under my jurisdiction ct present
so that such m Invitation
would Be rather IN line with the
situation-eh. what? And they
wouldn't b likely to refuse you,
old dear-would they?s
mo: ! hardly think 80. -
And Il. when they had assem-.
bled u your quarters. you ohould
propeee . few hands Of poker,
they'd probebly secept. without
thinking The suggeetien styapeef'
probobly.s said MARKHAM. non.
plpsted et vance's amazing request.
~cleaveF and SpetSwoode bet6
play. ] know: s1d Nsnnix doubtr
ltss t1owp the game DQt w
poker? Ar y6u esrisu6, or has your
threatened deAsltie already over.
taken you3s
-oh. IN dsueed sseious. :
vancesS to1e left 10 doubl Q @
the f1ct ~yhs Sane Of poker. a
- - = The crux Of the matter.
knew Cleever was a. old hand q
tho o11De: au0 opotsWoooe. q
course played With Judge Rsdfsrn
last 1on1ey night 90 that gave ne
. o4olD 1or ~ oo41. 1laoAtxs veil
assume aloo pl1yAs