The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-08-26

;hinning up the fire escape. What lid you do after that?"
 T go over to Jersey. become 2 Gypsy and tell fortunes. make .noney-enough to take me back tc Spain"
 You didn't care what happened to me, did you?"
 "Yes. I ask about you all round At last I am told you are in New Orleans, so I say to myself, T can sail for Spain from there, and see lim too" Was that your wife Spike-that curly head one, pass ing cigarettes? I never believe you would marry, Mister Divitt. I nev- CT believe any woman can make you forget yourself enough.
 "She is pretty like curly doll And she fix up this place, they say Yer diffunt from our place in Philly-si? Yes, I think about you, or. I would not have come here to sail for Spain. And eef you need me I would not have sail for Spain. I would have stay right here, like I did anyhow, like l must after I lose my money tc you. I ought know better than play roulette. But I tell myself l know the trick
 Tricks are not the same" said Divitt, watching her.
 It was not protestations of devo- ton that he wished from the mar quesa, but merely to remind her of certain cards he held. How old was she noW-47? 49? She had changed somewhat since that evening five years before when he had watched her vanish up the fire escape.
 Tn her role of enchantress, she had always been partial to red He had rather liked it himself in those days. Molly had given him a subtler sense-in decoration and in womens clothes.
 Perhaps it was with this sense that he now saw the marquesa. Perhaps she had not really chang ed.
 Yes, she was fatter-bulbous was the word. And tobacco was making her teeth ugly, and her fingers. Yet she was not alone in these disfurements, would not be i'm paired for the thing he had in mind
 The marquesa was talking. She had a pretty blurring accent, like Juanita's.
 When you say that night you do not need me and will not talk, I go back to palm-reading. It is not so good here as in New Jer- sey There are too many"
 "So you've been reading palms the month you've been here"
 odd, that. She had been reading palms that first time he had seen her in the little back-street hotel in Philadelphia, reading them in the lobby for fun; telling people all sorts of things about the fu- ture, their wives, husband and af- finities.
 Divitt had not had his hand read, but he had stood watching the marquesa in her wine-colored dress and great Moorish earrings waiting until the crowd withdrew to the dining room. He had talked with her then. discovering that her powers of divination had not served to avert calamities in her own case. The small fortune she had brought to America was gone. She had pawned everything else she had except her heavy, crescent shaped earrings with dull stones. Divitt wondered now if she had pawned the earrings since. She had not pawned them.
 When he knew her better his newly laid plans for their work together appealed to her. Stressine its possibilities of wealth, he hao learned in time that the marquess loved danger as well. It was of thi: trait she was thinking when he had written her to come.
 The marquesa leaned toward him.
 You need me here?"
 Perhaps. But if people know you already as fortune teller"
 They will not remember. I am so disguise. Like Gypsy"
 This is ticklish business" said ;Divitt. High society, and all that You really did move in court circles at home, the scion of noble fam fly, though a black ewe?"
 Carlota bridled somewhat. q am nothing black. I--I go into business with you in Philly because I need he money. I am ready to help you here"
 For the same reason" supplied Divitt. But you really are a mar chioness-in case any one looks you up?9
 ] Let them look" said Carlota.
 "All right. I've got girl from