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Show THE MARRIED LIFE OF HEIf II AND WD Warren's Self-Aauranct Involves Them in an Expensive fiama Rrirler cal, cock sure kind they'ra always easy marks." "Well, we ll have to double on every hand. Wa can't make much at even five a point." "Watch ma handle him tomorrow. Thought we'd better go slow tha first game. Now, don't forget the signals. Ptva hearts push your hairpin In on lefCalde with threa honours right sldeNYour powder puff for spades. Left earring diamonds right no trumps. Isju got ma mixed on that tonight." v. "You're alwaychanglng no wonder won-der 1 forget. Wa should keep to the I same signals." "N j "Yes. and hava everybody on to us. Now, if you loaf this, trip w'jj Ind in Paris without a sou. I've onlyHhirty-seven onlyHhirty-seven dollars besides tha twelvexw won tonight. Wonder If Curtis wouhi stand for 10 cents a point?" Shaking off Helen's reatralnlng hold on his pajamas, with an explosive I snort. Warren thrust Ms bend and shoulders through the porthole, j "When you two crooks decide just ! how you'ra going to ir'rn mi mayba you'll let us get some sleep!" j A stifled feminine scream. Then sl- lence. An excruciating silence, j "Ha! ha! Curtis," Mr. la)mer was I the first to speak. "Just a little prac-! prac-! tlcai Joke and you bit. Wa knew this was your cabin." "You did, eh?" roared Warren. "You big stiff! 111 come out there aud paste you! Now. if either of you ' touch a card for the rest of this voy- age I'll report you to ths captain. You know what that'll mean! Now yo'U i beat it!" j With Helen tugging at his pajamas, j ha leaned further out the porthole aa the Daliners made an ignominious retreat. re-treat. "Not such easy picking as you thought." he bellowed after them. "Good for four or fiva hundred, eh? "It's after eleven ws'Il hardly haa time for another rubber," demurred Helen. "Coma to our stateroom." urged Mr. Dalmcr, shuffling the cards. "We can play as lata as wa want down there." "Thank you, not tonight." nudging Warren Under tha table. "I get a headache head-ache when 1 play too long." "We'll hava a game tomorrow," Warren War-ren drew out his wallet. "How does, the score stand now?" "That's two rubbers for us M6 points." Mr. Dalrner's pencil ran down tha line of figures. "At 2 cents a point that's twelve-thirty." twelve-thirty." Warren countt-d out the money. "You'll win It back tomororw and more." laughed Mrs. Ua liner, drawing' her tulle scarf over her powdered shoulders. ! "leet's have) another drink." invited-Mr. invited-Mr. Ialmer as the lounge steward . gathered tip their empty gtase. "No. I'll take a turn on deck." Warren War-ren pushed back his chair. Out In the dark seclusion of the now almost deserted deck, Helen's repressed ' resentment found expr'inn. 1 "Twelve dollars! Leir. why did you let them make it t cents?" "Oh. well, if that's what they're used, to playing for," (musing to rWlght bis cigar, '"you can't bs a piker- J "Wa needn't havs played that last j rubber. If we'd stopped then you'd have lost only seven dollars." "You'ra a bum sport. An evening of good bridge on shipboard Is worth! twelve bucks. Iay moie'n that fori seats at tha opera and be b red stiff "They'd such luck with their uum- mlea," taking his arm to keep up with; his rapid strides. "He'd mnko it on ( almost nothing and every time she; was long on that suit." "Yes, we didn't stand much nance against that run of luck. In that last hand hs made .it hearts on only an at e and two small ones but she plunked down ths king. Jack and three others. Jove, look at that moon!" Tha luminous crascent, gliding from behind a cloud, laid a searchlight path! across the black sea. ! liut Helen was too regretfully Intent; upon tha loss of ths twelve dollars to! appreciate the witchery of the night, j "Ready to go down?" yawned War-! ren. tossing his glowing cigar over the; rail. i In their stateroom he u mire used with! hla usual careless dispatch. Put Helen. (Ill worrying over their loss, waa brood ingly slow. j 'They must hava money." replacing; her evening gown on ita hanger In the! wardrobe) trunk. "Did you notice hr dUamonds? What business la he in?" "From Boston, that's all I know" Warren thrust his wallet and letter or credit under his pillow. "Just met him tn the smoking room- "I don't care for her she's so artificial. arti-ficial. Oh. look where you've put your coat. And I had It pressed Just before be-fore we sailed." rescuing his dinner Jacket that ha had crammed into the rack over his bed. "Thess yellow plums are great." he wss rummaging In a "Hon Voyage' banket of fruit. "lear. don't sat any more tonight. All that dinner, and those sandwiches afterwards and now fruit'" Now. I'm going to 'eat all ! want on this trip" defiantly munching another plum. "What In hUxea?" A lurch of the ship aent showering down, upon him soma mga xines that He.en had atoned above ths life preservers. f T thought Oby" be out of ths way up there," haatityXshe gathered them up. "Oh, here's ans,rticls I wanted , you to read 'Card Sharks on Ocean Liners.' About professional gamblers who make their living on tfcrss big boats." . ! "Huh, that's an fld story. Iwn't ( worry, thry won't get a chance to trim Inn. Never play cards with anybody I don't know. Where's my slippers?" 'But you don't know tha Palnwrs! I Aren't they under your bed? You only I met him this morning tn the smoking I room." I "Oh. Dalrner's all right. Her make-I make-I up Is a little heavy but he's a good fellow. I can spot a bounder a mile off. Where the Ham Hill ars those , slippers ?" "They must'va been shoved bsck," Pok 1 n g under his be rt h with a co at hanger, shs dislodged the slippers from behind his suitcase. "That thing open?" Warren scowled up at the ventilator In the top nf their cabin. "Blows right on my head." Reluctantly Helen pulled tha cord that closed the shaft. The porthole was open, but as always, her greed for air was insatiable. "Oh, I hope It's not going to be rough." at an ominous lurch. "Rougher it is. better 1 sleep." as he slumped into bed. Then grimly, "If that youngster wakes me in the morning morn-ing there'il be trouble," Their shoes put out. the door bolted, the curtain drawn back from the porthole port-hole over her berth. Helen finally In bed switched off the light. Hhe loved tha nishts on a steamer Lying In a snug, warm berth listening to the roar of tha ocean, brought always al-ways a luxurious sense of security. Hut now, the twelve dollars, and ths further posmide losses tomorrow, shadowed her though tall ta-ll would be uaelewa to beg Warren not to play. Ho would call her a "rotten sport" to want to hack out because be-cause they had lost. Nor would hs ask to lower the stakes. , Her troublous thoughts were finally succumbing to the lull of the waves, when aha waa aroused by voices from the deck. "Here's a couple of chairs. I want ! another cigarette before we go down. Tiresome evening. We earned that twelve." The Dal m era! Helen lay rigid. A moment's silence, then the creaking of chairs as they settled beueath ths porthole. "liut another match? Yea. that waa alow. We'll speed It up tomorrow, make It 6 rente a point. He'll stand for that." Th next second, every nerve aiuiver. Helen was by Warren's berth trying to rouse hira from his stentorian stentor-ian slumber. "Hh-ah. don't speak!" shs whispered. "Just listen!" "What makes you think he has money?" came Mrs. Dalrner's querulous quer-ulous votes. Ws may be wasting our time." "Oh, he's good for four or five hundred. hun-dred. That's only chicken feed, but we're down pretty low. Not much doing do-ing on this boat. Lot of tightwads!" "Don't, don't, they may hear you!" whispered Helen as Warren, with a muttered oath, started up towards the porthole. There's tha man in ths de luxe suite. What's his name?" "Morley. Yes. ha has the coin, hut he s card shywon't play. Somebody must have tipped him off. Wed better bet-ter stick to Curtis. He's the eotlsii- ell, it'll take a cleverer pair than you to trim me! ' it's going tn bs a lean trip for you two vultures!" "Oh oh!" gasped Helen, dropping weakly on the bed as he turned from the porthole. "Ouess that'll hold 'em for awhile. Wish ou'd seen their faces when I loomed over 'em. So I'm an easy mark, eh? Guess they've changed their m!nds about that! I've queered their little gsme for this trip." "Oh. I I can't holp feeling sorry for them," breathed Helen. "1 didn't quite trust them, but 1 didn't dream they were professional card sharps. What if I'd been asleep and not heard them?" "I'd have got wise to that pair," ss always depreciating her. "I was mighty suspicious tonight ths way those cards ran. Their hands "fitted too darn well! But It was worth a few dollars to lead 'em on." . And only a few moments before he had stoutly declared that Italmer mas "all right"! But of this Inconsistency Helen tactfully failed to remind him. Instead she tucked the covers about his shoulders and kissed his tumbled hair with an adulatory: "You were wonderful, dear, ths way you roared out at him!" "Tea. that was rlchT be chuckled complacently. "Got 'em tagged and labeled. I'll see they lie low for the reet of this trip. That fathead 11 be, blamed sorry fee "ever tried to trim MK!" ' - I Copyright. 922. by Mabel Herbert; Vrner. Next Week Helen and Warren In ' aburopa j |