NORTH PIjATTR SEMMVEEKLY TTUniTNE.
txxxi
Webfcler-Maii's
fyrr?riTTTITIIIITYTIHTIIIITTIITIIIIimiIIIIIIIIITITITirrrtTIITrTITTTIITtriITIX
CHAPTER IV.
Dny was dawning ip Buenaventura,
republic of Sobrante, ns Invnrlnbly It
dnwns In tlio tropics without extend
ed preliminary symptoms. The soft.
Bllvery light of a full moon Mint hnd
stayed out scnndalously lute hnd
merged Imperceptibly Into gray; the
trmy was swiftly yielding place to a
rntnt crimson that wns spreading und
deepening upwnrd athwart the east.
In the patio of Mother .leaks' estab
lishment In the Cnllo do Concordia,
No. 10, the first shafts of morning
light were filtering obliquely through
tho orange trees nnd creeping In un
der the deep, Gothic-arched veranda
flanking the western side of the pa
tio. Presently, through the silent
reaches of tho Callo de Concordia, the
Bound of n prodigious knocking nnd
thumping echoed, ns of some fretful
Individual seeking admission at the
street door of 121 Buen Arnlgo, by
which euphonious designation Mother
tanks' carnvnnsary was known to the
public of Buenaventura. In tho sec
ond story, front, a window slid back
and a woman's voice, husky with that
husklncss that speaks so accusingly
of cigarettes and alcohol, demanded:
"Qulon cs? Who Is It? Quo qulero
nsted? Wot do yer want?"
"Yo might dlsplnso wit' that pnra
qucct conversation whin nddhressln'
tho likes nv me," a volco replied. "Tls
me Cnfferty. I linvo a cablegram
Leber give mo to deliver "
"Gawd's truth I Would yer wake
the 'ole 'ouso with yer 'nmmerlng?"
"All right. I'll tiot say another
worrd I"
Without the portal stood Don Junn
Cnfctero, of whom a word or two bo
foro proceeding.
To begin, Don Junn Cafetcro wns
not his real name, but rather n frco
Spanish translation of the Gaelic,
John Caffcrty. Mr. Cafferty was nn
exllo of Erin with a horrible thirst,
lie had first arrived In Sobrante somo
five years before, as section boss In
tho employ of the little foreign-owned
narrow-gauge railway which ran from
Buenaventura on tho Caribbean coast
to 8an Miguel de I'adua, up-country
where tho nit rate beds wore located.
Trior to his advent tho railroad peo
ple had tried many breeds of section
boss without visible results, until a
Chicago man, who had come to So
brnnto to Install nn Intor-communlcnt-tng
talcphono system In the govern
ment buildings, suggested to tho su
perintendent of the road, who wns a
Gorman, that tho men made for bosses
como from Erin's Isle; wherefore Mr.
Cnfferty hnd been Imported nt n price
of ?5 a dny gold. Result a mnrked
Improvement In tho road bed and con
sequently the trnln schedules, nnd the
vltlmnto loss of the Cafferty soul.
Something In the cllmnte of Sobrnn
to must have appealed to n touch of
lalssee fnlre In Don Juan's amiable
nature, for In the courso of time he
had taken unto himself, without bell
or book, after tho fashion of tho pro
letariat of Sobrante, the daughter of
ono ICsteban Manuel Enrique Jose Ma
ria Pnsqunl y Mlramontee, nn estima
ble peon who was singularly glad to
hare his daughter off his bonds and no
questions nsked. Following tho fash
Ion of the country, however. Estebnn
had forthwith moved tho remainder of
his numerous progony under the man
tle of Don Junn Cafetero's philan
thropy, and resigned a position which
for innny years ho hnd not enjoyed
to-wlt: snltlng nnd packing green
hides at n local abattoir. Thts fool
hnrdy economic move hnd no Incensed
Don Juan thnt In a fit of pique he
pureed his father-in-law (we must
call Estebnn something and so why
split hairs?) under the tails of his
cnmlsn, with such vigor ns to sever
forever tho friendly relations hither
to existing betweon the families. Mrs.
Cnfferty (again wo transgress, but
xrhnt of It?) subsequently passed nwoy
In child birth, nnd no sooner had sho
been decently hurled than Don Juan
took t week off to drown his sorrows.
In this condition he hnd encoun
tercd Estebnn Mnnuel Enrique Joso
Mnrln Pnsqunl y Mlrnmontes nnd
onllcd him out of his nnme. In the
altercation that ensued Estebnn, fully
convinced that he had received the
nub end of the transaction from stnrt
to ftnlBb, cut Don Junn severely; Don
Juan hnd thereupon slntn Estebnn
with a ,44-cnllber revolver nnd upon
emerging from tho rallrond hospital n
month Inter hnd been tried by a So
brnntenn magistrate and- fined the sum
of $20,000. legnl tender of tho republic
of Sobrante. Of course, he hnd pnld
tt off within six months from his
wages us section boss, but the mem
ory of tho Injustlco always rankled
him, and gradually ho moved down tho
ecalo of society from section boss to
dny. laborer, day laborer to troplcnl
tramp, nnd tropical tramp to bench
comber, In which latter ntnto ho hnd
bow oxlsted for several months.
To return to Mother Jenks.
Before Don Junn could oven uttor a
fciatutlnnl greeting, Mother Jcnks laid
linger to Hp nnd silenced him. "Go
hack to Leber's nnd return in un hour,
lie whispered. "I 'nvo my reasons for
rtiantln' that bloomin' cablegram do-
MUverod later."
L Pea Juan hadn't the least Idea what
By PETER B. KYNE
Author of "Cappy Ricks," "Tho Valley of tho
Mother Jenks' rensons might be, but
he presumed she wns up to some chi
canery, nnd so he winked bis blond-
shot eye very knowingly nnd nodded
his ncqulcscence In the program.
When ho had gone, Mother Jenks
went behind the bnr nnd fortified her
self with her morning's morning
which rite having been performed, her
sleep-benumbed brain livened up Im
mediately. "Gord's truth 1" the lady murmured.
An' me about to turn him ndrlft for
the lawst fortnight I Well for 'Im 'o
nllers htidmlred the picture o' my
sainted 'Enery, ns was the splttln' Im
ngo of bis own fnwther. 'Evlngs!
Ell's bells I But that wns n bit of a
tight squeak! Just ns I'm fully con
winced 'e'B bent It nn' I'm left 'oldln'
the snck, nil along o' my kindness of
eart, 'e gets the cablegram 'e's been
lookln' for this two month nost; nn' 'e
Hers claimed ns 'ow any tnne 'e got
n cablegram It'd be nn answer to 'Is
letter, with money to follerl My word.
but thnt was touch nn' got"
ami congratulating herself upon net
good fortune In Intd-ceptlng Don Juan
Cnfctero. Mother Jcnks proceeded up
stairs to her chamber, clothed her
self, nnd ndjoumcd to the kitchen.
After giving orders for nn extra spe
cial breakfast for two, Mother Jcnks
returned to her cnntlnn, nnd formally
opened the same for the business of
that day and night.
To her enme presently, vln the tiled
hallway, the object of her solicitude,
a young man on the sunny side of
thirty. He wns thin for one of his
height nnd breadth of chest; In color
his countenance resembled thnt of a
sick Chinaman. Ills hnlr wus thick
nnd wnvy, but lustcrless; his dark
blue eyes cnrrlcd a bint of Jaundice;
nnd a generous mouth, beneath nn
equally generous upper Up, gave am
ple ground for the suspicion that whllo
Mr. William Geury'B speech denoted
him an American citizen, at least one
of his mnternnl ancestors had been
wooed and won by an Irishman. An
old Panumn hut, sad relic of a pros
perous past, u pair of soiled buck skin
pumps, a suit of unbleached linen
equally befouled, and lust but not
least, the, remnants of a smile that
much hard luck could never quite ob
literate, completed his nttlre nnd to
ono u stranger In tho tropics would
nppenr to constitute n complete Inven
tory of Mr. Geary's possessions.
"Dulce coruzon mto, I extend a
greeting," ho called at the entrance.
"I trust you rested well last night,
Mother Jcnks, nnd thnt no evil dreums
were born of your midnight repnst of
frljoles rcfrltos, marmalade, und arf-
an'-nrf I"
"Chop yer spoofln', Willie," Mother
Jenks simpered. "My heyel So I'm
"Chop Your Spoofln, Willie.
yer swect'enrt, ch? Yor whocdlln'
blighter, mnkin' love' to n girl as Is old
enough to be yer mother!"
"A woman," Mr. Geary retorted
sagely and not n whtt abashed, "Is nt
the apex of her feminine charms at
thirty-seven."
He knew his landlady to be not a
doy under fifty, but ouch is tho enso
with which tho Irish scatter their
blnrney thnt nolther Billy Genry nor
Mother Jenks regnrded this pretty
speech In tho light of nn observntlon
Immaterial, Inconsequential and not
germane to the matter nt Issue. Nov
erthclcss, there wns n deeper reason
for his blnrney. This morning, watch
Ing the telltale tinge of pleasure un
dorlylng tho alcohol-begotten huo of
tho good creature's fnce, ho felt nl
most ashamed of his own heartless
ncss nlmost, but not quite.
For two months ho hnd existed en
tlrely because of tho leniency of Moth
er Jenks In tho mntter of credit. He
could not pny her cash, devoutly ns he
hoped to do some day, and he consld
cred It of the most vital Importance
that In tho Interim ho should some
how Bunrlvo. Therefore. In lieu of
Man
Giants," Etc'
Copyrlht br rtr B, Kyn.
cash he pnld her compliments, which
she snapped up greedily.
An Inventive genius wns Billy. Ho
never employed tho snme defensive
tnctlcs two dnys In succession, nnd
when personnl flnttery threatened to
fnll him, n Inrge crayon reproduction
of the Inte Henry Jenks. which hung
over the hack bnr. wns a never-falling
source of Inspiration.
Tills was the "sainted 'Enery" pre
viously referred to by Mother Jenks.
lie had been n sergeant In Her Brit
tnnlc Majesty's Royal Horse nrtlllery,
nnd upon retiring to the reserve hnd
hnrkened to n proposition to emigrate
to Sobrante nnd nccept.n commission
ns colonel of nrtlllery with the gov
ernment forces then In the throes of n
revolutionary nttnek. The rebels hnd
triumphed, nnd ns n result 'Enery hnd
been sainted via the customnry ex
peditious route; whereupon bis wife
hnd hnd recourse to her eni'ly profes
sion of barmaid, nnd EI Bucn Aralgo
bad resulted.
However, let us return to our
shceps. ns Mr. Genry would hnve ex
pressed It. Seemingly the effect of
Billy's compliment wns Instantly evi
dent, for Mother Jenks set out two
glnsses nnd n bottle.
"I know yer n trlfler, Willy Genry,"
she simpered, "but If I do s'y It ns
shouldn't, I wns nccounted ns 'nnd
nome n barmnld ns you'd find In Bris
tol town. I've lost my good looks.
wbnt with grief nn' worrltln' since
loslu' my sainted 'Koery, but I was
nndsome oncet."
"I can well believe tt, Mother
olncu you are hnndsome still I For my
part," ho continued confidentially, nfl
witn slinking hnnd he filled his brnndy-
glnss, "you'll excuse this drunknrd's
drink, Mother, but I need It; I hnd tho
shnkes nguln lnst night for my part.
I prefer the full-blown rose to the
bud."
Mother Jenks fluttered like a debu
tante as she poured her drink. They
touched glasses, calloused worldlings
thnt they were.
He tossed off his drink. It warmed
and strengthened him, nfter his night
of chills and fever, and brazenly he re,
turned to the nttnek.
"Chnnglng the subject from feminine
grace nnd charm to manly strength
and virtue, I've been marking Intely
the resolute polso of your ranrtyred
husband's bend on his fine military
shoulders. There was u man, If I mny
Judge from his photograph, that would
fight a wildcat."
"Oh, ra'ybe 'e wouldn't I" Mother
Jcnks hastened to doclnre. "You know,
Willie, I wns present w'en they shot
'lm, n-wnltln' to claim 'Is body. 'E
kisses me good-bye, nn snys 'o: 'Brace
up, ol' girl. Remember your 'usbnnd's
been n sergennt In 'Er Mnjesty's Roynl
'Orse artillery, nn' don't let the bloody
blighters see yer cry.' Then ' wnlks
out front, with 'Is flno straight back
to tho wall, draws a clrclo on 'Is blue
tunic with whlto chalk an' says:
Shoot at that, yer yeller-belllcd
bounders, nn' bo d d to yerl"'
"To bo tho widow of Buch n gallant
son of Mnrs," Billy declared, "Is a
greater honor than being tho wife of a
duke. Ah, Mother," he ndded with a
noto of genuine gratitude nnd sin
cerity, "you've been nwfully good to
me. I don't know what I'd hnve done
without you." Ho laid his hand on her
fnt arm. "Mother, ono of these dnys
I'll get mine, nnd when I do I'm going
to stake you to a nlco little pub back
In Bristol."
Sho smiled at him with motherly
tenderness nnd shook her tiend. In a
concrete niche in tho mortuary of the
Cntedrnl do In Vera Cruz the bones
of her sainted 'Enery reposed, nnd
when her hour curuo sho would He be
side hlra.
"Yer n sweet boy, Wllllo," she told
him, "nn' I'd trust yer for double the
score, s'help mo. 'Evlng knows I
'nven't much, but wot I 'nvo I shares
freely with them I likes."
Mother Jenks preceded him Into tho
shndy sldo of tho verandn, where or
dinarily sho wns wont to brenkfnst in
solitary stnte. Her tnblo wns set for
two this morning, however. Billy
flipped nn ndventurous cockroach off
the tnblo nnd fell to with fine appetite.
He wns dnllying with n speclnl brew
of coffee, with condensed milk In It,
when tho Jamaica negro entered from
tho cnntlnn to nnnnunco Don Juan
Cnfctero with a cablegram.
"A cablegram 1" Mother Jenks cried.
"Gord's truth! I'll wager tho pub It's
for you, Wllllo. Boh" turning to tho
negro, nnd addressing him in her own
prlvnte brand of Spanish "give Don
Junn n drink, If 'o 'nsn't helped 'Imself
whllo yer back Is turned, nn' bring the
cablegram "ere."
Within tho minute Bob returned
with a long yellow envelope, which ho
hnnded Mother Jenks. Without so
much ns a glnnco nt the superscrip
tion, sho hnnded it to Billy Geary, who
tore It open nnd rend:
"Los Angeles, Cnl., TJ. S. A., August
10, 10W.
"Henrietta Wllklns, Callo de Con
cordln, No. 10, Buenaventura, So
brante, O. A.
"Leaving todny to visit you. Will
cable from New Orleans exact date
arrival. DOLORES."
The shadow of deep disappointment
ettled over Blllv's face ns he read.
Mother Jenks noted It Instantly.
"Wot's 'o got to s'y, Willie?" sho do
mnnded. "It Isn't n he. It's a she," Billy re
plied. "Besides, the cablegram Isn't
for me nt nil. It's for one Henrietta
Wllklns. Cnlle de Concordln. No. 10.
nnd who the devil Henrietta Wllklns
mny be Is n mystery to me. Ever have
nny bntrder by thnt nnme, Mother?"
Mother Jenks' red fnco hnd gone
white. "'Enrlettn Wllklns wns my
maiden nyme. Willie." she confessed
soberly, "nn there's only ono burnnn
as 'ud cable me or write mo by thnt
nyme. Gnrd, Willie, wot's 'nppencd?"
"I'll rend It to you. Mother."
Billy rend tho messnge nloud, and
when he hnd finished, to his nmnze
ment. Mother Jenks Inld her lfcad on
the table nnd began to weep.
CHAPTER V.
Without quite rcnllzlng why ho did
bo. Billy decided thnt fenr nnd not
grief wns nt the bottom of the good
crenture's dlstres nnd In his nwk
wnrd. mnscullne wny he plnccd his
nrm nround Mother' Jenks' shoulders,
shook her gently, nnd hade her remem
ber that chaos might come and go
ngnln. but he, the snld Wllllnm Geary,
would remain her true and steadfast
friend In nny and nil emergencies thnt
might occur.
"Gor bless yer henrt, Willie." Moth
er Jenks sniffled. "I dunno wot In 'ell
yer ever goln to think o' me w'en I
tell wot I've been up to this past fif
teen year."
"Whatever you've been up to, Moth
er, It wns n kind nnd chnrltnblo deed
of thnt much I nm certain." Billy
replied loftily nnd to his own sur
prise sincerely.
"As Gord Is my Judge. Wlllte, It
started out thnt w'y," moaned Mother
Jenks, nnd she squeezed Billy's hnnd
ns If from thnt yellow, slinking mem
ber sho would draw aid nnd comfort.
"'Er nyme Is Dolores Ruey. 'Er fa
ther wns Don Rlcnrdo Ruey, presi
dent nv this blasted 'ell on earth w'en
me an my sainted 'Enery first come to
Buenaventura. 'E was too good for
the yeller-hellled beggars; 'e tried to
do Rome think for them an' run tho
government on the square, un' they
couldn't hunderstand, all along o'
'avln' been kicked un' cuffed by a long
line of bloody rotters. It was Don
Rlcardo as gives my sainted 'Enery 'Is
commission as colonel In tho hartll
lery. "You've 'card mo tell," Mother
Jenks continued, "'ow the rebels got
'arf a dozen Hamerlcan gunners de
serters from the navy un' blew
'Enery's battery to bits; 'ow the gov
ernment foroes fell back upon Buena
ventura, an' ns 'ow w'en the dorgs be
gun to wonder If they mightn't lose,
they quit by tho 'undreds un' went
over to the rebel side, leuvln' Don
Rlcurdo an 'Enery an m'ybe fifty o
the gentry In the pnlnco. In course
they fought to a finish ; 'rlstocrats, all
of them, they 'ad to dlo flghtln or
fucln' a firln' squad."
Billy nodded. He hnd heard the
tnle before, Including the recltnl of the
sainted 'Enery's gallunt dash from the
Tho Sainted 'Enery's Gallant Dash.
blazing palaco In an effort to save Don
Rlcnrdo's only child, a girl of seven,
and of his capture and subsequent
execution.
"Thnt ended tho revolution," Moth
er Jenka contlnuuod. "But 'era's some
thlnk I've never told a Uvln' soul.
Shortly before 'Enery wns hexecuted.
'o told mo where 'e'd 'Id tho youngster
In a culvert out on tho Mnlecon; so
I 'lred a four-wheeler an' went out an'
rescued the pore lamb. I 'Id 'er until
tho harrlval o' tho next fruit steamer,
w'en I shipped er to Now Orlenns In
enro o' the stewardess. HI 'ad 'er
put In tho Catholic convent there, for
as 'Enery snld: "Enrlettn, keep nn
eyo on tho little nipper, nn' do yer
damndest, to see she's raised n lydy.
'Er fntber wnc n gentlemnn, an' you
never want to forget 'e mnde you Mrs,
Colonel Jcnks.' So Hl'va mnde a lydy
out o' her, Wllllo: education, planner
lessons, pnlntln', slngln'. nn' deport
mint. After she graduated from the
convent, I 'nd her tnko n course In tho
Unlwcrslty o Cnllfornla New Or
lenns wasn't 'ealthy for 'er, nn she
noedod a chyngo o' climate nn' for
tho lnst two yenrs she's been teachln
In tho Mgh school in Los Angeles."
"And you haven't seen her In all
these years?" Geary demanded.
"Not n look, Willie. She's been nft
er me ever since she graduated from
the convent to lot her come 'ome nn'
wlslt nie, but ni'vo told 'er to wyte
thnt I'd be comln' soon to wlslt her.
An' now, s'help me, sho won't wait no
longer; she's comln' to wlslt me I Gor',
Willie, sho's on her w'y I"
"So this cablegram would Indicate,"
Genry observed. "Nevertheless. Moth
er. I'm nt n loss to know why you
should feel so cut up over the Im
pending visit"
There wns real fenr In Mother
Jenks' tenr-dlmmed eyes. "I enwn't
let 'er see me," she wnlled. "I vnsn't
this w'y w'en my snlntcd. 'Enery hen
trusted tho lnmb to mo; It wnsn't until
nwftor they hexecuted 'Enery thnt I
commenced to slip nn' now look nt
me. Look nt me. Willie Genry; look
at me, I s'y. Wot do yer see? Aw,
don't tell mo Pm young an' 'andsomo,
for I know wot I nm. I'm n frowsy,
drunken, disreputable hnggage. with
no heducntlon or nothlnk. All nlong,
hever since she lenrncd to write me a
letter. I've been 'Enrlettn Wllklns to
er, an' Mother Jenks to every bench
combln' beggnr In tho Caribbean
tropics. I've lied to 'er, Willie. I've
wrote 'or hs 'ow 'er fnwther, before 'e
died, give me enough money to hedu
cnte 'cr like u lydy"
Agnln Mother Jenks' grief overcame
her. "Gor'. Willie. I ain't respectable.
She's comln to see mt nn' I enwn't
let 'er. She mustn't know 'ow I got
the money for 'er heducntlon sellln
'ell-flre to n pnek of rotten dorgs nn'
consortln' with the scum of this stink
In' 'ole I Oh. Willie, you've got to 'elp
me. I enwn't 'nve 'cr comln' to El
Buen Arnlgo to sec me. nn' I enwn't
ruin 'er reputation by cnllln' on 'er In
public nt the 'Otel Mnteo. Oh, Gor
Willie. Mother's come n cropper.
Willie ngreed with her. He pntted
the sinful gray bend of his Inndludy
nnd wnlted for her to regnln her com
posure, the while he racked his nglle
bruin for a feasible plnn to lit the
emergency.
"She been plcturln' me In 'er mind
all these yenrs. Willie plcturln' n
fraud," wnlled Mother Jcnks. "If shn
boos me now, wot u shock she'll get,
pore sweetheart nn 'er the splttln'
blmuge of a huugol. And oh, Willie,
wnlle she don't remember wot I
looked like, think o' the shock If she
meets me I In 'er Inwst letter she said
as 'ow I wns the only hnnchor she hud
In life. Ho. yes. A sweet-lookln'
hnnchor I nm an' ni wns 'opln' to dlo
before she found bout. I've got a
hnnuerlsm In my 'enrt, Willie, so tho
Burgeon on the mnll bont tells me, nn
w'en I go. I'll go like that I" Mother
Jenks 8tinpped her clgurette-stulned
fingers. I'm fifty-seven. Willie, nn'
since my snlntcd 'Enery pnssed nwny,
I 'nven't been no bloomin' hnngel."
She wrung her hnnds. "Oh, w'y In 'ell
couldn't them harterles 'nve busted In
tlino to save my lnmb the 'umlllntln
knowledge thnt she's be'oldln' to tho
likes o' me for wot she's got nn' 'ow
I got It for 'er."
Billy Genry hnd u bright Idea.
"Well." he said, "why not die tem
porarily If you feel that way nbout
It? You could come back from the
grave after she's gono."
' But Mother Jenks shook her head.
"No," she declared. "While Dolores Is
self-supportln' now, still; If nnythlnk
'nppened nn she wns to need 'elp,
'elp Is somethln' no ghost enn give.
Think ugaln, Willie. Gor, lad, w'ere's
yer brains?"
"Well." Billy countered thought
fully, "apparently there's no wuy of
heading her off before she takes the
steamer at New Orlenns. so we'll take
It for granted she'll arrive here In duo
course. About the time she's due,
suppose you run up to San Miguel de
Padua for a couple of weeks and
leave me to run El Buen Arnlgo In
your absence. I'll play fair with you,
Mother, so help me. I'll account for
every centnvo. I'll borrow some de
cent clothes from Leber the dny the
steamer gets In; then I'll go abonrd
and look over the passenger list, nnd
If she's nbonrd. I'll tell her you closed
your house nnd started for Cnllfornla
to visit her on the Inst north-bound
stenmer thnt her cnblegrnm nrrlved
Just nfter you hnd started; thnt the
cnble compnny, knowing I nm n friend
of yours, showed me the message and
thnt I took It upon myself to call nnd
explain thnt ns n result of your de
parture for the United States It will
bo useless for her to land useless
and dangerous, hecnuse cholera Is
raging In BtiPneventurn, nlthough the
port ndthorltlcs deny It "
"Willie," Mother Jenks Interrupted
Impressively,, a ghost of her old deb
onair spirit shining through hor
tears, "yer don't owe me a bloomin'
sixpence 1 Yer've syved the day, syved
my reputation, nn' syved n lydy's
pence o' mind. Kiss me, yer precious
byby."
So Billy kissed her gravely nnd
with flllnl reverence, for he hnd long
suspected Mother Jenks of being a
pearl enst hefore swine, nnd now ho
wns certain of IL
Til send her bnck to tho United
States nnd promise to cnble you to
nwnlt hor thnre." Blllv continued. "Of
'course, we enn't help It If you nnd the
cablegram miss connections, nnd onco
tho young Indy Is back In the United
States, I dure sny she'll hnve to stny
tberfe n couple of yenrs hefore she enn
snvo the price of nnnther sea voyage.
And In tho meantime she mny
marry "
"Or that bonenrlsm may 'nve turned
the trick before thnt." Mother Jenks
suggested cnndldly but Joyously. "In
course she'll be dlsnppolnted. but then
disappointment novor In'ya 'envy nn a
young 'enrt, Willie: nn' help' dlsnp
polnted nt not seeln' n person you
nln't renlly acquainted with nln't as
bad as some disappointments."
"I guess I know," Billy Genry re
cited blttcrlv. "If that cablegram bad
only been for mo I Mother. If my old
partner could, by snme miracle, mnn
nge to mnrry this Dolores girl, your
arteries nnd your aneurisms might
bust and he damned, but tho girl
would be safe."
"M'vhe," Mother Jenks suggested
hopefully, "yer might fix It up for her
w'en I'm gone. From nil hnccount
'e's no-end n gentleman."
"He's n he-man." Mr. Genry de
clared with conviction. He sighed.
"John Stunrt Webster, wherever yon
are. please write or cable," ho murmured.
CHAPTER VI.
The nnclent bromide to the effort
thnt mnn proposes bnt God dispose
wns never better exemplified than In
the ense of John Stunrt Webster, who,
hnvlng formnlnted certnln dnrlng
plnns for the morrow nnd surrendered
himself to grateful slumber In his
stnteroom nbonrd the Gulf Stutes Lim
ited, nwoke on thnt momentous morn
to n distinct upprehenslon thnt nil wns
not ns It should be with him. Ills
mouth reminded him vngttsly of a
blrd-nnd-nnlmnl store, nnd riot nnd In
surrection hnd broken out In tho
geometric center of his Internal
economy.
Webster wns sufficient of n Jnclc-leg
doctor to suspect he wns developing
n splendid IJttle ense of ptomaine ,
poisoning, ne decided to go Into ex
ecutive session with the sleeplng-cnr
conductor, who wired nhend for n doc
tor to meet the train nt the next ftn
tlon. And when tho snwbones enme
nnd pnwed Jnck Webster over, ho
gravely nnnnunccd thnt If the patient
hnd the slightest ambition to vote nt
the next presidential election, ho
should lenve the train nt St. Louis and
enter n hospltnl forthwith. To this
henrt-hrcaklng program Webster en
tered not the slightest objection, for
when a man Is seriously 111. he Is In
much the same position ns n politician
to-wlt: He Is In the hnnds of his
friends.
However, life hnd the hnblt of go
ing hnnl with Webster so frequently
thnt fortunntely he wns trained to tho
minute, and nfter three dnys of heroic
battling the doctor uwurded Jnck the
decision. Tbercnfter they kept him In
the hospital ten dnys longer, "feeding
him up" ns the pntlent expressed It
nt the end of which period Webster,
some fifteen pounds lighter und not
quite so fust on his feet ns formerly,
resumed his Journey towurd New Or
lenns. ,
In tho menntlme, however, several
things hnd hnppened. To begin, Do
lores Ruey spent two days wondering
whnt hnd become of her quondam
knight of the whiskers nt the end
of which period she nrrlved in New
Orlenns with the conviction strong
upon her that while her hero might be
ns courageous as n wounded Hon when
dealing with men, he was tho pos
sessor, when dealing with women, of
about two per cent less courage than
a cottontail rabbit. Being a very hu
mnn young lndy. however, she conld
not help wondering what hnd become
of tho ubiquitous Mr. Webster, al
though the fact thnt ho hnd mysteri
ously' disappeared from the trnln en
route to New Orlenns did not perturb
her'one-hnlf so much ns It hnd the dls
nppenree. She hnd this ndvuntage
over that unfortunate, mnn. Whorens
he did not know she wns bound for
Buenaventura, he knew he was;
hence, upon arrival In New Orleana
she dismissed hlra from her thoughts,
serene In nbldlng faith thnt sooner or
later .her knight would appear, like
little Bo-Peep's lost sheep, dragging
his tufl behind him, bo to spenk.
Dolores spent u week In New Or
leans renewing schoolgirl friendships
from her convent dnys In the qunint
old town. Tills stop-over, together
with the one In Denver, upt hnvlng
heon taken Into consideration by Mr.
Wllllnm Genry when he nnd Mother
Jenks commenced to speculate upon
the approximate dnte of her nrrlvul In
Buenaventura, resulted In tho premn
ture flight of Mother Jenks to San
Miguel de Pndun, n fruitless visit on
the pnrt of Billy nbonrd the. Cnclque,
of the United Fruit company's line,
followed by a hurry cnll to Mother
Jenks to return to Buenaventura until
the nrrlvnl of the next stenmer.
This time Billy's calculations proved
correct, for Dolores did arrive on that
steamer. The port doctor como
abonrd, partook of his customary
drink with the captain, received a
bundle of the Intest Araerlcnn news
pnpers nnd mngnzlnes, nosed nround,
nsked n few perfunctory questions,
und gnvo the vessel pratique.
Dolores observed a gasoline launch
shoot up to the Inndlng nt the foot of
the compnnlon-lndder nnd dlschnrge n
well-dressed, youthful white mnn. As
he came up tho companion, the purser
recognized him.
"Howdy. Bill." he called.
"Hello, yourself." Mr. Wllllnm
Genry replied, and Dolores knew him
for an American. "Do you happen to
have as a pnssengor this trip n large.
Interesting person, by name John Stu
art Webster?" added Billy Geary.
"I don't know, Billy. I'll look over
the passenger list," and together they
moved off townrd his office. Dolores
followed, drawn by the mention of
thnt mnglc nnme Webster, nnd pnuscd
In front of the purser's office to lean
over the rrfll, ostensibly to wntch tho
enrgndorcs In their lighters clustering
nround the great ship, but In renllty
to learn more of the mysterious Veb
Bter (To be continued)
Gold's Great Power.
Ono of the funny things nbout hn
mnn nature Is the tender nft'cctlon ve
all have for money, the way wo work
to get It, and then, the way we talk
about everyone who has succeeded la
getting a lot of It.