| Show By H Harold dro rold MacGrath a ra t a D. D A i 1 BLUE Author of ot O D NCE IN A 0 0 The Man on In th the a Box Adventures of ot Kathlyn eto t The Instinct to hunt r tr treasure begins Just outside the cradle and ends Just Inside tho grave It Is stronger than love or hate or honor It makes a hero of ot a coward and a lL poltroon of or ora But the a brave bra man man sometimes Amoral moral or this tale talc deals not with any any i 4 of t. t these things except Indirectly It concerns only this Indisputable fact r that tomorrow Is never the day you think it is going to be bo 0 f To set the ball rolling without more moro 1 L ado or preamble The Ponte Vecchio fI 1 in Florence is as every one knows I devoted to Jewelers' Jewelers shops They hang on both sides of oC the bridge in blue and white white and pink stucco mere bandboxes 1 You Tou lan fan buy a silver bangle for a franc or or a 0 pearl necklace for a hundred thou thou- ri fI sand and nd R. R Last spring one shop particularly Interested me II IL s where II I Iwas I 1 f was attracted by the loveliest emerald J. J V. V I ha have hae e ever seen It was attached to toa 1 a collar of white and rose enamel diar dla- dla J shaped mond with small brilliants the int In- In r t The pendant was the emerald about half an inch deep round Around round like a a. franc five piece or an 4 1 and pol- pol polished 1 I American silver sliver dollar was fished not cut i Below B low the emerald was a pink pearl pearla a r the ithe sl size e of a a. large hazel nut one side of which was flat as if it some mis- mis di tl j t i chievous mermaid had thumbed ItIl it itt Il r 7 r t during some yawning period of oC the j oyster Linked to this was another I emerald about I polished shaped pear-shaped as large as the end of your thumb k I know nothing about the pearl or ort 1 t the e smaller emerald their adventures t I so flO far as I X am concerned are closed books It Is about the large emerald K m my tale Is woven For five mornings I X stood with my j f nose all but flattened against the pane J. J envying envying- and admiring On On the fifth morning I X happened to l catch reflected in the window glass Z two o serious faces each slightly shadowed shadowed shad shad- owed wed by the cocked hat of ot the Cara- Cara I understood Instantly From a peaceful author ambling about Italy r in search of oC color I X had all in a moment moment mo mo- f ment become a suspicious character Or To O stand before so rich a display of ot 1 f precious stones for five lve consecutive lt- lt mornings quite oblivious to the surroundings sur- sur would have excited d sus- sus In the mind of ot any ony constable T I X had to take those two chaps to t the e American consul consulate te and have my- my I properly Identified Identified- We Ve all had a good laugh over it But t if y 1 I shall always remember those two Carabiniero for had they not escorted escort- escort me ed me to the consulate I should never w T have met who the young man told me the the history of the emerald Even now now It my dreams sometimes I 1 can see that pleasant young man as ashe o he pulled off ott his chamois gloves and exhibited his two hands frightfully i I mottled with such scars as only fire I shall make f Jk t. t The tale proper began In the spring k f of oC 1902 began as all tragic episodes V t begin with a triviality In this instance In In- 1 s stance ance the bare knuckles of aa a. a butler t on the door of ot his young masters master's bedroom bedroom bed bed- room knocked gently then quite l loudly There Thera was no res response nse zt I As the issue at stake was vital as ast loi r ills his orders had been peremptory he t. t t opened the door and entered The f W lights were still on The young man y bed had forgotten to turn them off oct J The butler shook his head sadly l 1 t. t pressed the button to extinguish the they 1 y 4 lights and raised the window shades M The ij OCcupant of ot the bed turned over w I but but that was all jh Mr Arthur 1 q ill No sound came from the bed and i the U e servant reached down and shook I rt the sleeper The sleeper presently 3 Jl jt j e opened a pair of ot swollen eyes and I. I r f I It took him a minute or two OA o at to realize where he was Then he sat satI W I j 1 Y up wrathfully I d Worden what the dickens do you mean by coming in and waking waiting me up ltd flat In this fashion f i ft I beg pardon sir but your fathers father's v. fa orders were peremptory I X had 0 no noe e choice r j the row t. t 4 I 1 dont don't know sir My orders were It 4 t tn wake you up and say that it was b vital to you to breakfast dress and ando andrs o J rs rl T be abe at the office at precisely ten- ten 1 thirty The Tho governor wants to see me at 1 the office L r Yes sir And I X should be be very r careful sir to be there on the minute f V He lie was not in the best of ot tempers i I t when he went downtown i i i AU All right Bring L me a grapefruit and a cup of at coffee Well what do doj f j you think of that addressing space t since Worden was already on his way to execute the order for breakfast w i i j Mr Arthur at the end of oC a quarter of ot an hour had gotten as far faras farj j t as his hla four In He completed 1 I the task and stood before beCore the long contemplating himself You must have had a pippin last night night You'll look nice In papas papa's office 1 at ten What the devil can he want Did I X get arrested Lets Let's see I I first made a call perfectly sober I proposed and she told me that she wouldn't marry me If IC I was the last 1 I Oman 1 man on earth Well I dont don't blame her ner r This J This reforming fools Is a tough joo and I suppose 1 Im I'm m as big a fool as ever everl l' l i walked up and down Broadway x Next I went over to the club lost YO Y four hundred at poker and got pie pie- I 1 I 1 r eyed No I X couldn't have been ar- ar rested r I That yo you Worden Come in That t t r ot grapefruit will taste good I dont don't know about the coffee with a asay lot i grimace i t say ay Worden do you think the f governor is going to put me on the J c carpet jf G It looks that way sir And begging beg beg- ging your pardon I shouldn't act hasty with him sir 3 Say anything about me I is r. r Nothing except that he wanted you Wat t t. the office sir How Is mother iJ Not well so as yesterday gravely Arthur pushed aside his empty cup and scowled at his stained I 4 fingers fingers' How many times had he hel i promised l that patient loving mother Iu f his to brace up up and be a man Beyond Be Be- yond ond and counting t. t if r. You will see Mrs before you rou go i ir r r Yes Ill I'll run Into her room now He Ile kissed his mother and she clung i toy to him rather wildly he thought 1 My My poor boy boy she murmured r Im afraid Im I'm no good mother I 1 Is c s cant can't keep my word Every time I promise I honestly mean it Be careful with your father He Hev t. t v t is terribly angry More Mare than usual f I Far more than usual 14 1 Its Tte the first of ot the month and I 1 It t suppose some lome of ot my bills have turned l' l lup up By-by By Ill I'll be home for tor dinner I tonight 1 Alono the mother twisted her thin I white hands together and the tears o rolled unchecked down her cheeks I Never a harsh word to anyone always kindly and lovable he was only weak I Henry wag wa an honest milt BO so you OU would not recognizE him It rr I described d him to you He was a builder not nt a r His gray hair was closely clip I. hl his hi smooth face tace was slightly florid an ana anahis anahis his years had hod merely drawn a crows crow's foot toot at his eyes He ate and drank and smoked and worked In modera modera- tion Above his desk on the wallI wall hung a framed card in bold type I MODERATION ALWAYS MODERATION At this particular moment 1030 to the second you would have found him at his desk biting the he end of oC his pen Abruptly he rose and turned the fa fate face e of the sign to the wall and sat down again His blue eyes ees were as hard hord and cold as aa steel rails Arthur viewed these ominous signs imperturbably The turning of ot the card to the wall appealed to his ready sense of oC humor but he repressed the smile He was in for tor a 0 drubbing how serious remained to be learned He was big of ot bone like his father farther but the flesh Clesh was pasty and flabby lobby He was dressed however with scrupulous scrupulous scrupulous lous care The face for tor all Its evidences evidences evi evl- evi- evi dences of oC dissipation was pleasing A at second glance would have said Give him a real Interest in n life lite and see what happens Well V ell dad you sent ent for me I did and I wish to congratulate you upon your promptness Ironically Ironically Ironi Ironi- cally senior picked up a sheet of oC paper from his desk fore Tl re is only one thing to your credit here And what's that astonished You Vou fou are not a liar And I have given you more rope on that account than you'd believe If IC I told you I have your record here for the past five years ever since they dropped you from Yale Tale You haven't done anything but spend nd money I had nothing else to do You never offered me a decent Job In the office What you call decent was something something something some some- thing like general manager at twenty thousand the year But I X have of offered offered of- of to put you on the road to It it However th that lt Issue Is closed Well We'll not discuss s Jt fit Ive done wrong and I admit It Ive I've let you have your our run paid your bills always hoping you'd see the right road and brace up You have had and spent In five years a hundred and twelve thousand dollars Here HereIt It Is is down in black and white I And God knows how much you have had from your mother mothe Your loose living has done as much as asI I anything to keep her an Invalid and tout but for her entreaties you would have ave gone out into the streets long ago Arthur stared at his shoes Where was this going to end It began to tol l look ok serious And who gets this money Bootleggers Bootlegger's Bootleggers Bootleggers Boot Boot- legger's and gamblers they gamblers they get It Well Vell there isn't another turn the to rope my son This is the wIndup Beginning this day you will be allowed exactly two hundred a month You have averaged about twenty five I thousand a year lets let's see what you youcan youcan youcan can do on twenty four hundred Theres There's an alternative And what Is that Fifty thousand to clear out for good with a 0 curious boring glance Ill take a chance at the two hundred hundred hun hun- dred said Arthur Not with any eye to the future Just to see If IC Ive I've got stuff enough in me to make good goodon on it When does this two hundred begin Right now senior filled out a blank and signed it Thanks Two pretty good Jolts Well no doubt I 1 deserved them What was the other Jolt asked the father secretly proud of ot tho the equanimity of ot the boyI boyI boy I went over to Nells Nell's last night She said she wouldn't not if it I was the last man on earth Right and left leCt hooks to face and then a swing flush lush on the Jaw I was counted outDo out Do you really care for tor the girl Sirl A whole lot dad But not quite quite enough to stand up and make mak maka a man of yourself I dont don't know staring at the check but not seeing It Have I got to clear out of ot the house Oh no no said Mr l It simply means that you will have two hundred Instead of two thousand that you'll have to drive your own car and pay for tor the gasoline On the woi word d of oC your father tather Ill I'll never boost the two hundred till you youcan can lay before me ten thousand In hard earned dollars every everyone one of which meant struggle privation self self- denial obstacles overcome senior turned to his desk and began sorting his letters Kill or cure he was thinking thinking kill kill or cure But In his soul he longed to take the boy in his arms and give him a million There was a man somewhere down under that unhealthy skin never nevera a whimper never 3 a whine Kill or cure kill or c cure re Arthur went uptown to his favorite cafe cate and ordered a bromo He lIe spread out the check on the mahogany mahogany mahogany any table smiling grimly Two hundred hundred hun hun- hundred dred a month from now on and Nell would not marry him If It he was the thelast thelast thelast last man on earth What a fool he was Why couldn't he brace up He got up paid for tor his drink and went out A man slouched after him In fact he had not been out of oC sight of this man since leaving his fathers father's of ot- ot flees He cashed the check and put the I bills in his pocket curious to learn IChe if IC he could go through that day without breaking into that If It he could manage to do that there was hope I That night he went to his club re refused refused refused re- re fused a dozen offers to drink declined all card games and spent most of oC his time in the writing room The I girl who received that letter never I parted with It At 11 he started for tor home In quite an unusually serious frame of oC mind As he turned a a corner two men sprang out of ot the shadows and grappled him I For a young man In his condition he put up a 0 very veri respectable fight tight but buthis buthis buthis his assailants assailant were too strong for him A cloak of ot some sort was wound about his head and he was bundled bundle roughly Into a taxicab Later he felt a sting In his arm Then he fell tell fell asleep Out o o 0 that ye re swab With his eyes yet closed frowned Out o 0 that ye souse sou Dye hear I Worden you can cut out that line of ot talk w Cathe-w murmured 1 Is that so eyelids went up half halt way and with eyes which throbbed and seemed full of ot dancing spangles of ot fire he beheld an enormous paw it seemingly came down out of or nowhere grasped his shoulder cruelly and shook I himIn him In half halt an hour yell be at th port l I bunkers with yer shovel That's all allbe allbe all all- An back talk mind be there no I tit ant up liP and stared bewilder bewilder- i edly at the gorilla like face lowering I over him For his father to rag him was one thing but for an utter strang stran- stran g go g to lay hands on him The paw reached In again caught him by the arm Leaved r. r ved him out bodily bod bop bodily ily and flung him sprawling to the floor loor He sprang to his feet teet and lunged at his a assailants assailant's Jaw His fist I 1 f r t I J l' l r Y I r o I r rl l e h ht t 0 I 0 Y J. J v i I I u i I H I i I is i's Sounds un s like r the the May God help us its it's the priests c coming ming back I struck struck a casts cast Iron elbow a and and ln in re return return return re- re turn he recel received ve-d ve a clout on the head which took away all his tiis int interest rest In Inthe inthe inthe the argument Strike back at me will ye You big lummox said a deep bass voice from a nearby Jung Why dont don't you hit someone your size 7 Its It's a fine game to be chief engineer but butI I notice Its It's the little fellows youre you're always finding trouble for tor Some day mind me you'll find a inthe In Inthe Inthe the middle of ot your belly Corrigan Ill I'll see y ye In ln in irons rons before be- be before before be be- fore this is over Well that'll save your Jaw haw a good punch Lea Leave ve that kid alone tm tilt he sobers up And you let 2 him lm skip his watch till he gets his bearings The speaker climbed out of ot his bunk He was naked from the waist up His chest was deep broad and hairy and his arms and legs were those of ot a caryatid He measured up to 5 feet 4 and there nature had left him to shift shUt for himself apparently doubting the advisability In on an effort toward universal peace of building him Any higher The crew described him as a big voice entirely surrounded surround surround- ed by a a little man He trotted over to the Inanimate picked him up and carried him back to the evil smelling bunk The chief |
