Show 6 on h e PLUM P L U M X by DAVID r it t A PHILLIPS JF 3 author A th ol of I 1 the T cost th the D deluge etc copyrighted continued from dec 21 that was a gloomy breakfast despite my efforts to make my own seeming good humor permeate to the others mrs ramsay kamsay hid bid a somber face behind tho the coffee coffe eurn urn ed ate furiously riou sly noisily choking every now and then he drove me to the station ills his whole body was probably as damp from ills his emotions as were ills his eyes and his big friendly hand the train got under way I 1 drew a long ions breath I 1 was free but somehow freedom did not taste as I 1 had bad anticipated though I 1 reminded myself that I 1 had acted as any man with pride and self respect would have hare acted in such delicate circumstances and though I 1 knew that carlotta was no more in love with nith me than I 1 was uns with her this end of our cuga engagement gement seemed even more humiliating to me than its beginning had seemed it was one more instance of that wretched fatality which has pursued me through life which has made every one of my illy triumphs come to me in mourning robes and with a gruesome face in the glittering array of prizes that tempts man to make a beast and a fool of himself in tho gladiatorial show called life the sorriest the most ironic is the grand prize victory the parlor car was crowded its only seat was in the smoking compartment which had four other occupants deep in a game of poker three of them were types of commonplace prosperous americans the fourth could not be easily classed and therefore interested me especially as I 1 was in the mood to welcome anything that would crowd to the background my far from agreeable alsie thoughts the others called him doc or woodruff As they played they drank from flasks flacks produced by each doc drank with the others and deeper than any of them they talked more and more he less and less until finally he interrupted their noisy volubility only when the game compelled I 1 saw that he was one of those tho semen anen upon whom amiable con or liquor or any other relaxing force has the reverse of the usual effect instead of relaxing he be drew himself together and concentrated more obstinately upon his game luck so BO far as the cards controlled it was vas rather against him and the other three players took turns at au all dailous and by no means unskillful play I 1 was soon admiring the way ho he sized up and met each in fit turn prudence did not make him timid lie ile advanced and retreated bluffed blui ted and held aloof with acuteness and daring at a station perhaps 50 miles front from chicago the other three left and doc had of their money I 1 dro dropped plied into the seat opposite lt him it was by the window and aroused amused myself watching him while waiting tor for a chance to talk to him for vl I 1 saw that he was a superior person and in those days when I 1 was inconspicuous and so was not compelled compe ii constantly to be on guard I 1 never missed a chance to benefit by such exchanges of 0 ideas he was apparently about 40 years old to strike a balance between the 3 south auth of eyes mouth and contour and the age ot of deep lines and grayish thinning hair bair he had large frank blue eyes a large nose a stron strong g tore fare head and chin a grossly self indulgent mouth there was the weakness there as usual evidently the strength of his mind and character gave him went in pandering to physical appetites in confirmation of this there was two curious marks on him a nick in the rim of his left ear a souvenir of a bullet or a knife and a scar just a under the edge ot of his chin to the right when lie he compressed his lips this sear scar not especially ally noticeable at other times lifted up into his face became of a sickly bluish ahue and transformed a careless good humored cynic into a man of danger a terror his reverie began as I 1 gathered from his unguarded face in cynical amusement probably at his triumph weer over his friends it passed on to still more agreeable things something in the expression of the mouth lodth expressed thoughts of how bow he was going to enjoy himself as he blew in his winnings then his features shadowed darkened and I 1 had in my y first view of the tha scar terrible ile he shook his big head and big shoulders roused himself made ready beady to take a drink noticed me and sam sail wont boll you join ms me ilia hio look was ast most engaging I 1 accepted and we were soon adov so ceable each taking an just instinctive I 1 liking to the ha other ahei we WO talked af 6 thi th bil business siness situation of 01 the news in tho iho papers and ana then ot of political affairs fal ra 1 each ot of us saw that there he I 1 woj wig at t theophers the others keenest interest in life iffa ile he knew the game cal politics as distinguished from the politics talked by and to the public But lit ho evaded without seeming to do so all the ingenious traps 1 laid lor for drawing from him sums admission that would give me a clew to where re he be fitted in I 1 learned no moie e about him than I 1 thought he learned about me 1 I hope meshall we shall met meet again said I 1 cordially BB as we parted at the cabstand thank you he ansA answered ered and afterward I 1 remembered the faint smile in hla his eyes 1 I of course knew that roebuck was greatly interested in my project for putting political business on a business basis but not until he had explained why he sent tor for me did I 1 see how bow it had fascinated and absorbed his mind you showed me he began that you must have under you a practical man mail to handle the money and do the arranging with the heelers and all that sort of oe thing yes said 1 I its a vital part ot of the tha plan we must find a man who is perfectly trustworthy and discreet necessarily hell know or suspect something not much but still something of the inside workings of the combine well ive found him went on roebuck in a triumphant tone iles hes a godless person with no character to lose and aad no conception of what character means but lies straight lit as a string providence dence seems to have provided such men for just such situations as these where the devil must be fought with fire ere ive been testing him tor for nearly 15 years but you can judge for yourself I 1 was the reverse of pleased it was not in my calculations to have a creature of roebucks foisted upon me perhaps indeed probably a spy 1 I purposed to choose my own man and I 1 decided while he was talking that I 1 would accept the roebuck selection only to drop bam him on some plausible pretext pretest before we began operations erat ions I 1 was to meet the man at dinner roebuck had engaged a suite at the auditorium it do to have him A at my louse house or club said he neither do we want to be seen aji with wi 1 th ain 1 coincidence is so familiar a part 0 i the daily rs aune that I 1 was not much surprised when my acquaintance the astute poker player with the sear scar walked in upon us atthe at the auditorium roebuck was both astonished aud and chagrined when we shook hands and greeted each other like old friends how do you do sir mr sayler sali sail woodruff glad to see you dr woodruff I 1 replied then you knew me all the time why you speak out we might have had an anhoury hours business talk la in the train I 1 if id shown myself as leaky as all that I 1 guess have been no business to talk about he replied anyhow I 1 know you till you took out your watch with the monogram on the back just as we were pulling in then I 1 remembered where id seen your face before I 1 was up at your state house the day that you threw old dominick Domin lck down that been a good many years ago that chance easy smoking compart ment meeting at which each had studied the other dispassionately was most fortunate for us both the relation that was to exist between tw ea us more much more than that of mere employer and employed made fidelity personal fidelity imperative and accident had laid the foundation for the mutual attachment without which there Is is certain to be sooner or later suspicion on boch sides and cause tor for it the two hours and a half with woodruff at and after dinner served to reinforce my first impression I 1 saw that he w was as a thorough man of the world that he knew politics front from end to end and that he understood the main weaknesses of human huma nature arid and how to play upon them tor for the advantage of his bis employers and for his own huge amusement he gave a small exhibition of that skill at the expense of roebuck he appreciated that hat roebuck was one of those unconscious hypocrites who put conscience out of court in advance by assuming that hat wha whatever tevor they wish to do Is right or they could not wish to do it re ie led roebuck on to show off this peculiarity of his a jumbling often in the he same breath of the most sonorous piety and the most shameless business perfidy all ail the time woodruffs face was perfectly grave there are some men who refuse to waste say any of their internal enjoyment in external show before he left us I 1 arranged to meet him the next nest morning tor for the settlement of the details of ills his employment when roebuck and I 1 were alone I 1 said what do you know about IJ I J 0 J him who is he to be continued |