Evening star., 1933-10-05
TNSTALLMENT XVIII.

KR. WARNER FERGUSON came
Nu out of the house, deck OF
N cards in his hand.
4 "Gentlemen," he said, swell
come to the faded hospitality
Of my home. Once / could nave Oh
fered you more actual refreshment, but
never a more sincere welcome
The greeting was returned with mu-
tual admiration all around.
And while we are waiting for the
events OF the immediate future to
transpire, what say to a round or two
of stud?"
Vern scarcely understood this sport
ing passion for gambling even on the
verge of disaster, but he did not care
to voice any argument against 1t. Of
course, the situation meant very little
to the other men, and if Warner Fergu-
son wanted to gamble while his chill
dren's lives hung IN very Shaky pal
ance indeed, it was, after all, none OF
his affair
For himself he preferred to suffer
undistracted the torment OF uncertain
ity as to what the next hour or so
would bring forth. Besides that he was
worried as to the immediate safety OF
Irene. Alone in the woods with that
monster
But they came back before the stud
poker game had been under way half
an hour. the minister looking at the
play with little interest. Irene had her
arms full of exotic wood flowers.
Serene and unruffied she presented her
uncouth, savage lover to the assembled
gentlemen as if 1t were quite a matter
Of course and they, taking their cue
from her, quite as matter f-factly In
yited him to take hand in the game.
For moment he wavered. EVIDENT
" the fire that burns in the blood OF
gamblers itched in his veins. But he
renounced it for the time being and in
q series of signals to Irene, part Morse
and part silent words shaped with his
mouth. he conveyed the fact that now
that they were all assembled and the
necessary witnesses were at hand he
wished the ceremony to proceed. Irene
translated the message to others.
Vern took his stand behind the table
flashing a look of warning to the real
minister, a warning which he hoped
would prevent any interruption or cor
rection if the ceremony did not seem
to be entirely orthodox.
Vern had been best man at a couple
Of weddings and he remembered the
fair precision. He delivered an invoca-
ton in Latin by quoting the first seven
lines of the Aeneid which no one recog-
nized except DR.. Snyder who muffled
his first startled inclination to snort.
Sentence by sentence. Vern uttered
the words which, presumably, con-
demned Irene to death. He could not
rid himself of the idea as he regarded
her standing there SO bravely looking
at him, that he was a judge sentencing
his own dearly beloved to fantastic
and horrible execution. Her face as she
held 1t up proudly to him seemed like
a target at which he was directing a
lethal weapon, her lovely neck where 1t
showed between the collar folds OF her
dress appeared a white virgin field in
which he was about to bury bloody
sword
His voice wavered.
go on" she warned.
He braced himself Who giveth this
woman" he began.
And then Warner Ferguson revolted.
I'm damned if"
Dummy" Squales held up his hand
and instantly a sharp cry rang out
from the tree top, cry in child's
voice.
please, father" Irene inplored you
must"
threatening gesture.
Proceed" Irene commanded.
And the service went on to its gTlsly
conclusion.
When Vern ceased speaking they
were, as far as Dummy knew, man
and wife. When he had finished the
necessity Of concentrating his mind on
a passable imitation Of a minister was
over and-the full horror of the thing
he had done crushed in on Vern. He
had put the woman he loved in an
absolutely untenable position. There
wasn't any way out for her except