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Show Ur TIIE BINGHAM NEWS, BINGHAM, UTAH THE JOY OF LIVING I By Sidney Gowing cMijacwK Illustrations by Ellsworth Young and the butler's got yards of my skirt I" Billy wiped his eyes with his sleeves. "An' you can laugh," he said, with intense delight, "after all that! Gea, but you're the stuff! Sand right through. You're all right. As long as you can laugh, the Bed Gods'll stand by you! An' so will I. I'm one of "em." "Billy! There's nothing but you between me and thosa beastly police. But I'll bet it's enough. What's to be done?" "Hear my side of It!" said Billy, dropping on his knees and producing the Jewel case. "Here's the first Item 1" He opened the case and shone the torch upon It. Alraee gave a little cry. Billy explained briefly how he had come by the gems. He said little He also annexed a cake of soap, a towel and a brush and comb these latter he had himself bought for Alraee at Syderford on the first morftlng. Billy again descended the trellis, raked over his footprints carefully, and with all possible speed shook the mud of Ivy cottage from his feet. It was broad daylight when he had crossed the fields and came within sight of Jervauix abbey. He hid the cloak and its accessories under a thorn bush, glanced at his watch again, seated himself under the hedge, and lit a cigarette. He drew the Jewel case from his pocket and examined the necklace, thoughtfully emitting puffs of smoke. Then he replaced the case In his pocket and finished his cigarette, his smooth forehead wrinkling Into tiny lines. Finally he rose and walked briskly towards the entrance lodge of Jervauix. There was no electric bell In the great porch. He pulled a pendant handle of wrought Iron, and was an-swered by an archaic clanging Inside. After a brief pause the doors were thrown open by Tarbeaux the butler. He looked at Billy Inquiringly. "I want to see the proprietor on urgent business," said Billy. "Is he up yet?" "If you mean Lady Erythea Lambe," said Mr. Tarbeaux with dignity, "her ladyship has not yet risen." "I am a stranger here," said Billy, "but what I want you to do Is get a message to her ladyship that it will be worth her while to see me as soon as convenient. Say I've Important news about some property that's miss-ing from here." Mr. Tarbeaux became more alert. "Come this way," he said, and Billy followed him. In less than ten minutes Lady Kry-the- a arrived, pallid after her night of stress, but unconquerable, clad In a purple wrap. Billy turned to face that tremendous presence. "What do you want to see me about?" she said sternly. With his sunniest smile, Billy opened the leather case and laid be-fore her the Lambe emeralds. not only Intelligent, but extraorm. narlly gallant May I ask your name?" "Spencer. William Spencer." "Mr. Spencer, It Is Impossible for me to express my gratitude In words. I thank you most 'heartily for what you have done; it Is fortunate for mt the emeralds fell Into such good hands. Let me sny that I was about to ffer a reward for information leading to the recovery of the Jewels; a reward of" Lady Erythea hesi-tated, and achieved un Inward strug-gle "one hundred pounds. But I must really ask you to accept a hun-dred and fifty." Lady Erythea unlocked a desk, and produced a check-boo- Billy flush! red. ;. "Madam," he sold quietly, "the serv-Ic- e I did you cost me nothing, I'm glad you have your Jewels back. I'm a man who earns his living, but I don't accept gratuities. And people very, scarcely ever offer them to me." Lady Erythea turned somewhat pink in her turn. She slid the check-book aside. "I beg your pardon," she said, with, some embarrassment, mingled with re-lief and a touch almost of annoyance. "It was the least I could do. You will accept no recompense?" "None, madam. Anyway not In money." "You are not English, are your' "American. And a Westerner, at that." "Ah! You have done nie a great service. Ia there nothing I can do tor you?" Before Billy could reply, Mr. Tar-bea-ux opened the door. "M'lady, Inspector I'anke " Mr. Tarbeaux's gaze fell on the em-eralds. He was very human for a. ; butler, and It took him a fruction of a second to recover himself. "Inspector Panke urgently desires to see your ladyship at once." "Show him In here," said Lady Ery-thea grimly. . Billy did not move an eyelid. It seemed to him that Mr. Lambe's sol-emn eyes were watching him rather Intently. Inspector Panke appeared. It was a great day In the Lambe em-eralds' history. The Inspector wai recognized It. He laid a hand on her shoulder. "This thing's got me guessing," said Billy slowly. "I I don't know what " "Of course, you never thought twice about it And no more did I!" said Aimee. "I didn't care! And I don't care now! or I wouldn't If it wasn't for Dad. But people It's all this mis-erable seutiment that's what's wrong." "Yes?" said Billy dizzily. "Well" "And now why, the police are look-ing for a man and woman on a motor-cycle, and they'll find out we were at Ivy cottage. They'll gtt my de-scription. And even when they find out who I really am" Billy drew In his breath sharply. "Georgie told me It was my finish-e- ven before this silly burglary hap-pened," continued Alraee gloomily. "Georgie knows about these sort of things. It Isn't the burglary that mat-ters. I could get over that It's this this other thing." Billy was silent. "The Idea Is." continued Almee, with the sume remarkable calm, "that I've lost my character; like a housemaid that's been stealing, or ' a croom caught selling the corn. Only I haven't been caught yet. "But If Dad knew! You don't know my father, Billy. I couldn't ex-plain him to you. Dad Is Just about the dearest thing that ever lived In his way. But he belongs to a time about two hundred years back. Mother would understand ; but not Dad. It's his creed that a girl mustn't be even-suspe- cted. It was only tonight Geor-gln- a told me this thing would well, It would break his heart. And I know him ; I see she's right. If you and I" "Stop!" said Billy hoarsely. "Don't say any more. I I've got to think this thing out." Aimee found that he had suddenly left her. Presently she became aware of the outlines of his big figure, stand-ing motionless Just outside the cave He was there quite a long time. Al-mee sat where she was, twisting her handkerchief between her fingers. She felt very much calmer. The trouble and the stress were now with Billy. He came back, and stood over her. "I'm a coyote," he said quietly. "What I need Is a quirt laid across me. I've been a fool." "Not a bit I" said Almee quickly. "How should you know?" "It was my business to know! There isn't any excuse. But things are so different where I come from. And I don't know anything about women. We think a lot of women, down my way, but we don't talk about them much. .Partner, this thing I've let you In for through my foolish-ness it's broken me all tip." "Because I'm Lord Scroope's daugh-ter?" "PARTNER I" BYNOPSia.-Dlsllkl- ng tha pros-pect of a month's visit to her aus-t- er aunt, Lady Erythea Lambe, at Jervauix abbey, and her cousin, Alexander Lambe, Almee, vivacious daughter of the Very Reverend Viscount Scroope, wanders Into the park, there encountering a strange youth. He laughingly introduces himself aa "Billy," American. The two ride on his motorcycle, the "Flying Sphinx," and part With Qeorglna Bemers, her cousin, Almee eta out for Jervauix. She decides that Qeorglna shall Impersonate her at Jervauix, while she goea on a holiday. Georgina's horrified pro-te- at la unavailing. Almee again meets "Billy." He tells her his name ta Spencer, and she gives hera aa Amy Bnookes, at present "out of a job." Billy offers to take her Into partnership in selling the 'Sphinx. In a spirit of madcap ad-venture, she accepts. The two pro-ceed to the town of Stanhoo, taking separate lodgings in Ivy cottage. That night Almee visits Georglna and learna that the deception has not been discovered. She compels Qeorglna to continue the subter-fuge. On a trial spin, with Billy, Aimee almost collides with a car-riage In which are her aunt, Qeor-glna, and Alexander. The pair es-cape unrecognized. Qeorglna learna that Lord Scroope la coming to visit Lady Erythea and ia In hope-less bewilderment While Aimee is secretly visiting Georglna at Jer-vauix, the place Is burglarized. Almee escapes. Police decide the thieves are "Jack the Climber" and "Calamity Kate," who travel on a motorcycle. Billy, who has shad-owed Almee to Jervauix, follows the thieves. He Is knocked out, but finds he has some costly emeralds. Realizing they must be part of the loot from Jervauix, he starts for the abbey. He meets Almee, with the police In pursuit. CHAPTER XI Continued. "Close call, partner," he observed. "I thought It must be they," said Alinee breathlessly. "I wonder they haven't called out th 3 military as well. All the countryside seems to be chas-ing me! Billy 1" she said, with a sus-picious tremble In her voice, "you'll help me, won't you? I'll tell you about it I I've kept It from you, but I won't any longer. I " Billy laid a baud on bar armv "Amy," he said quietly, "Just repeat this piece to yourself. Say: 'I'm safe, my partner's lookln' after me.' Got that? I'll see you through; you've nothln' to worry for at all. But we can't talk here. We've got to baat it" lie picked up the Sphinx. "Follow close after me, an' kpep quiet." He wheeled the machine along tha field path at a run, passed through another gate, ..crossed a stretch of heathery common-land- , and made for small copse at the foot of the slope. Almae trotted behind silently, with an odd sense of relief and security. Billy would see It through. He had said so. He baited by the copse, and looked round to make sure of his bearings. "It ought to be close handy hera," he said. "Yes I've got It." He pushed on to a small bosky dell He flashed the torch round the walls of tho cave. "What d'you think of this placer "It's snug." "Snug!" echoed Billy admiringly. "That's you I It would give some women fits. But you've sand. Do you think," he added diffidently, "that you could make out here for a bit? Could you sleep here?" "Certainly I could. Why, they'll never find me I" "Come up here," said Billy, lending the way along the cave, which turned in a long curve, "narrowing to a very small space. At the end stood the Sphinx. "She'll pave to stay here, too. There's a bit of risk to that but very little. We can't help It In the pannie-r- case you'll find Iron rations, a r, biscuits, an' chocolute. I always carry those. Down the pit yonder, Just by the alder bush, Is a spring of water. That settles sup-plies. "Now, the first deal Is to keep you right out of the way. For a few hours, perhaps for a day or more I can't say how long. But we've got to put up a bluff. And you'll be at least as safe here as anywhere In the British isles. "Our best chance Is that the police may get the bracelets onto the real thieves right away. I'm not much stuck on that chance. Police, wher-ever you strike 'em, are well, they're Just police. We're in a lot more dan-ger from them than that dead-bea- t who broke Into Jervauix, and the fe-male rattlesnake he had along. The police mustn't get you, at any price. And th?y mustn't get me either. Only there's more to It than that. Half a hundred things, There's a mighty tangled deal In front of me. "Now, I'm going to sail right In. All you've got to do Is lie here in this cache till about seven or eight o'clock. I'll be back here by then. If I'm not," said Billy quietly, "it'll be because I've fallen through. You bet your life I won't. But If I don't get here by then, you must throw your hand In, Just get straight to your father, best way you can. Do you promise that?" "Y-ye- But tell me what you're going to do, Billy I" she said breath-lessly. "I can't tell you anything. I'll have to play the hand as It's dealt nie; It Just depends how the cards fall. And don't you worry any I" he said ear-nestly. "If you get doubtful or scary, Just wash It right out of your mind, an' sny this: 'Billy's running the thing for nie, an' he'll see nie through !' I'm off. Shake I" With a sudden gesture Almee put both her bands In his. He gave them a crushing grip, and broke Into the sunniest smile. "We sure are seeln' life, partner!" he chuckled. Almee replied with a rather tremu-lous laugh. The next moment Billy had dropped her hands, and was gone. Once clear of the crag-pits- , Billy mude for the road by another route. While climbing a gate ho glanced nt the luminous dial of his wrist watch, CHAPTER XIII "Very Good, My Lady." "Do these Interest you, niadame?" said Billy simply. Lady Erythea stared as though the green gems hypnotized her. Then, with a little gasp of Joy, she lifted them from the case with trembling lingers. It was ono of the rare occa-sions of her life when Lady Erythea exhibited emotion. She laid down the necklace and looked at Billy as one might regard a materialized angel. Before she could speak, however, Mr. Alexander Lambe entered the- - room. It has been said that Mr. Lambe's eyes were large. They expanded In-describably when he saw the Lambe necklace lying on the table. He closed the door softly behind him, and ap-proached the table in an awestruck manner. Ho glanced from the emeralds to Lady Erythea's face, and then, some-what sternly, at Billy. "How did you come by these?" said Lady Erythea, pointing to the em-eralds. Suddenly she presented the at Billy. "Explain I" The startled Billy a little. He felt so he declared to Aimee afterward as If Lady Erythea had the drop on him. But his face, as he answered, was ingenuous as a baby's. "I was passing by your pork gates early this morning, on my way to Sy-derford. It was past one, an' the house was dark, When I got to the place where the lane turns Into the road I heard a motorcycle coming up behind, h 1 for coming mighty quick," said Billy, turning pink. "It came right by me, pretty near out of control. It hadn't any lights, there was a bend Just ahead, an' I heard it crash." Billy delivered this with a beautiful fluency Into the t. "I Just run In on them," pursued Billy, "for I didn't have to stop an' figure It out that an outfit traveling that way with lights out at one In the morning was up to any good. They were" Just picking themselves up when I arrived, and they went for rat " "Wus It o man and a woman?" ex-claimed Mr. Lambe. "You've hit it, sir." "My dear aunt!" cried Alexander, "the Inspector told me, after you re-tired, that he suspected u man and u woman, on a motorcycle, of being the thieves! They can be no other than those people who ran Into us yester-day on the Syderford road " "Hold your totijue, Alexander," in-terrupted Lady Erythea. Impatiently, "and allow this amazing young man to continue !" "There was some scrap," said Billy diffidently, "maybe if there'd been two men I'd have done better, but the ludy hampered me, and somehow I took the count. They knocked me out, and got away. But they left this behind them," be pointed to the case of em- - cralds, "and It looks like they never knew they'd lost It. I don't know, madam, if there was anything else of jours they got. If so, I'm very sorry I didn't attach it, and rope the two thieves for you as well. But, with the p.'iir of them, It. was' rather a rou'ilihouse. I did my best." There was a flush of admiration on Lady Erythea's high chock-hones- . "Yes, there were other Jewel.- sto-len," she said, "but their value Is the merest trlllo compared to what you have restored to me. These emeralds nre my most priceless family posses-sion. They are historic nothing could have recompensed mo for the loss of them. Your conduct has been the fifth person In whom they caused Intense emotion. "Well, have you caught the thieves?" inquired Lady Erythea, acidly. "No-n- c, my lady," stammered In-spector I'anke, gazing at the necklace. "Perhaps you had better enlist the services of Mr. Spencer," said her ladyship, with a wave of her hand toward Billy. "This young man has already found tho emeralds and re-stored them to me." Then," said Panke, with a search-ing glance at Billy, "I should like full account, at once, of how you ennia by the jewels." "Sure," said Billy genially. Mr. Lambe set chairs for them both. All four seated themselves; Lady Ery-thea, with an avid determination to keep abreast of affairs, held her et close to Billy and the police-man. Billy repeated his tale with fuller detail this time, and described, not without a twinge of embarrassment, bis downfall at the hands of Calamity Kate. Lady Erythea's lips tightened ? grimly, the description did not sur-prise her. The Inspector had his book before him and made careful notes. At the conclusion he regarded Billy pensively, and with a touch of envy. "It's a pity you didn't hang on to them, when you'd got them In hand," said Panke. "But, of course, we know what Calamity Kate Is." "Who?" echoed Billy. Panke described briefly the popular names of the two thieves, and what little was known about them. "And now, Mr. Spencer, I have some questions to put to you for the in-formation of the pollcfe. This hap-pened between one and two o'clock. It Is now seven. What became of you In the meantime?" Billy turned to the light and al-lowed Panke to Inspect the wound on the side of his head, only partially conceuled by his hair. "If you'd had that." said Billy, "I guess you'd be lyln' on the grass yon-- der now." "A severe cut," said the inspector. Impressed. "And you lay unconscious there till daybreak?" exclaimed Lady Erythea, with intense sympathy. "It might have been a week, for all ' I knew when I woke up. When I'd got my senses back, an' made up my mind what to do," said Billy calmly, "I came along here." "Didn't It occur to you," said Panke, "that the right thing to do was to go to the police?" "No. It occurred to me the first thing to do was to. get the stuff straight back to Its owner." "And perfectly right, too!" said Lady Erythea sharply. "How did you know," persisted Panke, "that the necklace belonged' here?" Billy turned over tho necklace nnrt pointed to the little gold-ename- l pend-ant that bore the Lambe arms In a lozenge. "Those three sheepskins" he he-ga-j - fleeces, argent," mur-mured Mr. Lambe. ' " are the same brand as those on' the shields over tho lodge gales here,, which I noticed us I came by. An.l the thieves were coming from this di-rection when I struck them." t "What d3 you think cf It, Billy?" she said. "Aren't I the ' complete Amy Snooka?" (TO BK CONTINUED.) -- I Don't disturb jouiticit Almee Gave a Little Cry. about the struggle; that point was as sore as the side of his bead. The best of us have our pride. "One of them knocked me out for a spell, and like a fool I let 'em get away," he said. "I guess I didn't get ail the goods, but this looks like an ace flush to ma." "How splendid you are I" cried Al-mee, a catch In her voice. "Why, those will be the Lambe emeralds. I've heard of them everybody has. They belong to my Aunt Erythea I" "Then I shouldn't wonder If they scooped the Jack-po- t. But there's some high cards out against us. See here. We had to run for it. Here's the police praMdn' over the country after a man and a woman on a motor-cycle for I guess they must be wise to It. Here's me with the stuff in my pocket, nnd you with a dress sample l the hands of the sleuth-hound- Been the station-hous- e for ours, if they'd got us just now an' there'd be to much explaining to do. We'd have bit the cells for the night, sure. No place for you, partner. And all the newspapers spreading themselves over It." . "I know. It's ul !" "Not a bit!" cried Billy. "For now you can get In ahead of the cops. Don't you see? Put your folks wise to It lay down all your cards. You're Lord Scroope's daughter you ain't a burglar. Give it them straight. I'll stand by an' see you through." "But I can't, Billy! It'll all have to come out, then. Every bit of It," said Aimee with a gasp. . "Why, of course it will! It was bound to come out anyway, soon or late. You didn't think you could keep up this Jervauix racket? I don't see any way you could do that. But you can keep It In the family. You've got to face the music." There was a long pause. "I can't," said Aimee, scarcely audibly. Billy was amazed. If It had not been so dark and nn Incredible sup-position In ony case he would have supposed from her voice that she wus crying. "You aren't afraid?" he said "Of a row? No! It Isn't that." Billy sat down beside h'r. "What Is it then, partner?" he said gently. "I never thought of It till Georgie told me," said Almee In stifled tones. ' "Told you what?" he answered qui-etly. "What's tha trouble?" "About staying there. I Ivy cot-tage!" Billy pvc(l slightly. "II don't (pile get you," he said. "I can't tell Dad!" Almee put her hnnds over her eyes and hurst Into tears. "I daren't! Billy, what am I to do!" CHAPTER XII A Gambler's Chance. Billy stored straight before him. When at last ho found his volee, It had so lazed a tone that Aimee hardly ill. "No I" said Billy shortly. "Be the some If you were his housemaid. But It's up to me to see you clear you and him, too. And I'll do it." His voice was so confident that Aimee's trouble fell away from her, ns a d chestnut sheds its prickly husk. "What are we to do then, Billy?" "It seems to me," said Billy gently, "that the simplest way Is the best way. Let's you an' me go to the old man. .o use talkln' about It here. I'll put it straight for you, partner." "No 1" "I hope I can make him see sense-ev- en if he's two hundred years old, as you say. It's all my fault. It Isn't yours not one scrap of It. I won't say much but come right along with me to your father now an' leave the talking to me." Almee rose. "Never! I won't have It, Billy!" she said desperately. "I don't know I don't know what you might say. If It comes out I'm done for anyhow; I'm going to take the chance that It won't ! There must be a way to stop It there must be some way. "It's my trouble mine! And I won't h.ive It "given nwoy." Billy drew a quick breath and straightened himself. "Bight!" he said. "Those are the orders. I accept them, I s'pose a man can't give away a girl's secret, If she wants It kept. I know that mueh." "Why, of course," sold Almee sim-ply. "But will you please understand, Billy, that I'm not going to drug you into this. The best thing you can do Is to get nway out of It all. I shall mannga all right. I don't wont to " "Cut that out," said Billy very qui-etly. "It don't go." There was a pause. "I did think, for a while, It might be best for you. But that's wrong. I've got to be right on hand, for I'll be wanted. Now hold on while I tell you what we've got to do." "Yes?" said Almeo eagerly. Billy stretched out a long arm, plucked a leaf from the bramble that screened the cave, and chewed It pen-sively. "There's Just a gambler's chance," he said at last. "It's pretty thin like drawing to a three-car- flush. But it's wonderful bow they come oir sometimes, If you back your luck, good an' full." which led Into a series of old crag-pit-masked with brambles. , Almee wondered how ha could find his way , ao confidently In the dark; she had not the remotest Idea where she was. "Wait here a minute. I'll come back for you," said Billy. He wheelad the Sphinx away along a scarcely visible path, and presently returned wllhout It. "I was fooling around here on an off day, first time I game to Stanhoe," be' said, "an' I lit on something thut's goln' to be mighty useful. The old Sphinx hos got to disappear for a bit, ah' you'll soon understand why. Fol-low behind ; there's only room for one t a time." He led the way through the bram-bles and, pressing ahead, turned on the light of his pocket torch cau-tiously. Almee, close at his hit'ls.. presently foumt herself In the en-trance) of a sandy cave with a very email month, screened by rough creeper and brush. "There's several of these around here," said Billy, "but this Is one you don't find unless you hunt for It with" a sounding pole. It's a heap quieter spot than the high roads tonight. Sup-pose we sit down." They seated themselves on the powdered crag In tha cave's mouth. "It's time to show down our hands, partner," said Billy. "Do you mind putting me wise? Don't leave any-thing out. I wont the facts." Aimee was sklent some moments, fihe found It diflicult to begin. "It was like this, Billy." She plunged Into the tule, and went ' through it from beginning to end leavmg out nothing. It took some time. She could hardly see Billy In the gloom. Ho made no comments; ha whs so silent that sometimes she wondered If he was there. Billy was, for n time, too flabbergasted to speak. At the finish, s!v heard a stifled, grunting noise, a sense of soniettil''t shaking. It seamed to touch n spriV,' In Almee. She bowed her head on her knees nnd laughed till her checks ere ttft. "Haven't I torn It!" sh? moaned. "And I downed Cousin Alexande- r- Billy Laid Before Her the Lambe Em-eralds. and emitted a whistle of consterna-tion. Aimee's account of herself was absorbing, but he did not realize till now what on unconscionable time they bad spent In tiie cave. The night was neuring lis close. Billy avoided the roads. He struck right across country and reached Ivy cottage with ns little loss of time ns possible. But the eastern sky wus rapidly lightening when he arrived, .filtering the garden with extreme cau-tion, Billy found everything quiet lie climbed the trellis deftly, nnd heaved himself through Aimee's window. With a certain sense of embarrass-ment Billy swept the walls with his torch, unhooked the blue dust-cloa- k that hung on the door, folded it small, and packed It inside bis Jacket. That waa the mala object oi the veUiUou. |