| Show dy by rack JOHN VI UPHAM ADAMS aurb ur ol of tive tb Ki lappe 1 colon monroen monroes etc 0 HT 1102 BY BT all 19 BT B ADLUS re arved A J D L 2 CHAPTER continued they strolled into the conservatory for the britt time lie was alone with jessie garden carden and a sense of exalted happiness barged ovet him mahe blake hail had formulated via no plan plait of campaign lor for lit conquest on quest of jessie garden a the light of her ebes and the tb e radiance of her beauty were to him as ignes fagut and drew him on lie he talked of if california and of rocky woods but his eleb spoke love aud ills his deep rich voice was mas tend tender e r fair woman is seldom blind to the spell cast by her chainas and it Is probable that jessie was aware aare of blake a admiration but she neith er cr nor took advantage adan adNan tage of it though lie knew that the oilda odda ere overwhelmingly against him and that one false step meant irre trie vable defeat he shut his eyes to the perils which encompassed him lie knew the risk lie he lan inn in appear ing in public with jaisle carden but he be did not hesitate to secure a box tor for the booth e were A ere four in the theater party the general and edith wake and nd jessie cardon carden blake escorted jessie to the front of the box and took his place by her side the boxes were thronged thron ged with fair worn am en but all eyes were turned on jes file ale carden and her handsome escort she had been absent from new nea york tor for two years and only a few aired her james blake was even less though ills his name had been made familiar by the na name tie of wall achievements with which he be was mas publicly identified the first act aa was nearly over when a thick thickset set louhy man with it a soft florid face into the box directly across the or cheatta from alke and jessie buth both recognized the newcomer as arthur morris and both felt a ley joy that lie he was mas present like libe a flash the thought came to blake that by means of hla his rhal he could the chances of lot a speedy success with the woman oman by his side do jou ou notice the gentleman sit ting alone in the box opposite he be asked as the curtain fell yes answered jessie raising her eyes and looking at blake with mith a puzzled smile why do ion ou ask that a arthur morris the banker would you alko to meet him I 1 shall be delighted exclaimed jessie who could not resist the temp at that instant morris directed his opera glass for the first time at the blake box the smile of joy when tie he recognized jessie turned to one of blank amazement when he saw james blake in response to blake s signal the dazed morris was picking his bla way may through the ciuch blake led jessie to the tear icar of the box miss garden carden permit mo me to present my friend mr arthur matrix jessie smiled and offered her hand I 1 I 1 in glad to meet an fe lend of mr blake till H she said by jove old man this Is a joke on you or me oi 01 both of us stam in ered charmed to deft you again miss bliar garden carden how are you general garden carden this la is a good one on you blakel blake I 1 ve been acquainted with mith miss bliss garden carden for ears eare five years Is it not was cor car don den jessies jessie s laughing eyes admitted the truth and blake looked properly con fused I 1 shall have to vou blake said to jessie but you are taking an unfair advantage ot of a wild west erner arner you have the ie of if being lucky said bald morile la laing ing hla his hand familiarly on blakes blake s shoulder but I 1 dian didn t know that your good fortune extended to an acquaintance with miss bliss garden carden there was a shade of insolence in his tone and an air shiell did not escape any of his bla three listeners it hinted that he be was general garden carden a employer that the latter was under obligations to him and that jessie was pledged to pay the debt but blake was a good actor in the little comedy between the acts lie he held bold the key hey to the solution of all the figures in this athla complicated drama he be alone knew the motives which influx encee the other players 1 I might say bay the same to you my dear corrip morrl said blake with alra air confidence were it in good form I 1 would willingly mager a supper that I 1 met miss aliss baiden ou oil lid did have I 1 ioui out permission miss ca car r den to chalk nace mr hir morris morrin to such buch a wager you have laughed jessie general Caid caides tits face was mas a study but morri 4 as a too dumfounded dum founded d to notice it makes blake a ardi had remind ed him of the night he first brut nut mt the oung magnate flow california lie had onia one card to play I 1 accept your wager mager he said when I 1 wai mag a boy I 1 lived in rocky began mahe garden carden probably has told you that she spent tile the summers bummers with mith mr bir slid and mrs birs nho still hae bane ft a country place near there here alim garden carden was as then a little girl hut but I 1 remember her distinctly that a all if jou ion demand evidence I 1 have not the he slight slightest doubt that miss bliss garden carden or the gen eral m ill furnish it to jesole s amusement and glenor a al cardens s relief that lie he did not doubt blakes word the fires of jealousy bained fler fiercely cely in him but he be concealed his bla rage rabo 1 I admit myself done old chap he declared wo we shall have a jolly dinner la in honor of my defeat say tu tuesday aday at sherry sl al will that be convenient e bliss good there goes the curtain morris smiled pally gaily and excused himself and blake find and jessie re baine fumed d their placed you have a wonderful vonder A ond erful tul memory mr lelahe said jessie behind her tan fan I 1 could not help thinking while you were enlightening mr ift mor mar ris that perhaps pel naps ou oi had ancon ily your rocky moun lain caceci anith that of your boy hod friend john hurt llio ahe smile on alake s alls died and the color mounted to his temples I 1 perhaps perhaps I 1 did he be sald said alter after an avs hward pause A thousand thoughts and fears came to him liaro ile he dared not lift hla his eles cies for fear of LX 4 0 C D M f rny rn y encouraging the gazo gaze of the man he be had wronged the alcos on the stage sound far away jessies jessie a innocent words kords your boyhood friend john durt burt had hurled burled him for the moment aiom the hemen of alist to tho the nadir ot of clemorse opportunely for ills his confusion edith called jes so a attention to some ti tiling matter and in the interval lie he regained hla his compo composure aure the play ended and arthur morris again joined the blake party as aa they waited tor for the crowd to leave lie he declined blake a invitation to supper pleading a pi previous evious engagement 11 1 I am chaperoning chape roning the governor lie ho laughed pointing to his father whose ponderous pond ponde cious ious bulk blocked an ad jacent aisle by the way may blake did you follow my tip on L 0 bought a little lid did you that s right keep on buying it it its a going up ill as I 1 it would you needa t be afraid of it CHAPTER the mantle of charity it was mas late on sunday sunda morning orning in when han blake awoke tor kor years he and a nd lohn had danid at four 0 clock on sundays and they had continued tile ho custom custo lil in new york blake looked forward to what hat had bad ever been a v m iab an aversion not unmixed with fear lie ile rang a bell and his valet re spondee mr burton will dine with me ine at four 0 clock he ha said bald until he leaves leavea I 1 in not at home to anyone make alake no mistake about this roberts I 1 want a light blake carelessly lessly glanced over a newspaper with a yawn lie he was about to lay the paper aside when he noticed a headline adlino hc descriptive of the booth performance of the preceding pr ceding evening 1 was a long article but wake was so BO engrossed in its nir that he paid no attention to the valets valet B announcement that bla bid bath was read to the abject astonishment of 0 that trained and sedate servant blake gave a cry of terror and sprang from his couch conch upsetting a small email table as aa lie he rushed towards the window in the full flood of light ho he again read it a paragraph which had frozen the blood in his eins it was as lot 01 ol lows among the box holders bolders at this notable performance was james wake the famous wall street operator and flinan financier cler whose rece recent n t ad rent in new I 1 ork vas ii ag signalizes signalize by a market movement not bet et forgotten vir mr wakes makes guests general Genera mar Alar shall garden carden was miss jessie carden and hias 3 idith hancock Hanco rh of Co hasset basset massachusetts bliss alias baiden returned a belc ago from a two tu vears sojourn abroad ft lit litre re her musical and artis artia tic talents attracted attract pd nearly as aa much attention loT at aa her rate raie beauty mi god tills this Is awful awful am awful fill glo tined blake get out of hotel he shouted to hn his man what the devil to do lou mean standing there raping gaping at me dring bring roe me a glass of brandy and be quick about it kill lie ile hurled tile the paper from him and sank back into a chair the tee door bell rang and at the sound every nerve tingled with mith ter wai it john hurt burt james jamea blake was mas not a coward as he be had bad proved a score acore of times when his mettle was mas put to the test but from tile the moment he abent ent down to defeat beneath sturdy blows lie he had respect ed ills his boohoo bohomol I 1 conqueror the alet balet cl opened ened the door and blake heard tle the piping voice of at a telegraph messenger I 1 lie le drew a long brath and tore open the en envelope elope the was mas from john ilaw hawkins and stated that he would mould ar rive in new lark ork on the following morning the little clock spasmodically jingled the hour vt of noon in four choit bouis lie he would face john burt lie ile drank the braguy at a gulp and plunged into a cool bath lie ile glared at tho the tempting breakfast but could not taste it take that stuff away and bt ing me more brand he ordered again ho he rend the arcaded paragraph it had bad a fascination lie ho could not resist lie he sent bent for all the sunday journals and fagerli scanned them tor for ot of the theater par ta 1 but to hla his ecat relief found that it t appeared onla in the one paper again he be hoped bli hemsell to the brand come to think of it john don t lead ead that cursed daperl ho he exclaimed halt half aloud it its a only an accident that I 1 to see eee it it if I 1 hada t been there last night I 1 never N boull out I 1 have bare giant pl below tho the head line what cliance chance Is there for john to seo see if it not one in a militant lie ile paced up tip and down domn tho the room an I 1 pausa to survey his reflection in a ills 11 in face mas as drawn and dabic daj li circles showed under his ebes the decanter was hla his only friend tho the arave rave face of the abt a t did not disclose the astonishment he be felt over the conduct ot of hla his emp employer loer blake mas almost abstemious in ills his habits and hla his sideboard deboard bl was more of an all ornament than a utility in th this Is he had eisely patU patte iced ivied himself after john hurt burt hhall I 1 tiers bano a sir 00 asked rob roberti lertg blake ans answered veth a sullen negative and tossed off on hla his fourth brandy it sounded a new anew note in tho the scale of stimulation fifie illation 1 I don t ste be why I 1 should go into such a beastly tunic over this af affair fairl he muttered its it s no crime to he be lit in love with a woman she bhe doean doesn t be long to him blin they re not even engaged suppose he does doea loa her so bo do I 1 what jt it lie he did meet her first A woman Is not something to be and preempted like a g gf id 14 mine As tho the hours sped by and the dark reil red line in the decanter dropped lower and lower diakos blakes courage aroused to such auch a pitch that he be welcomed the coming ot of john bart gy by gud god well settle this matter now and here he exclaimed as ho be lurched unsteadily about the room john durt dart nor any other man shall stand between me and jessie cardon cardent I 1 meet him face to face 1 ii 11 tho the hall hell bell rang etith ith that clear precision which comes from the pleasure pi esaure of an insistent hand at tho the same instant the little clock hammered tho hour of four to be ba continued |
