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Show BIrrixXgX:LUUUUUmll ZZTZS: l By PETER B. KYNE fl Author of "Cappy Rick,' "Tho Valley of the Giants," Etc , H Copyright br r,f.r U. Krn,. P,6H" "SHE'S THE FUTURE MRS, W. SUrt Webster, mining ennlnecr. man's man, years younff, boards K la Vtath Valley, California, on his way back to clvlllratlon after clean sBlttOOM. He Is drcnmlnff of cool baths, slfll pnjamas and hnm and ckrs B look! llhe a hobo to the porter and the conductor in8 wny chans Mtr Tlews gives hint of tho mettle of the man. Then he meets a dls" 1 Wr. who makes his heart fl6p over for tho first time In all his davs Klnatts tho offending man after the stylo of tho man's man tho world lltlns what he Is and also girl-shy, he does not take advantaKo of his unity U"t be Just bad to find (Hit who tho no-Iongbr-dlstressed la y w determined to hatch up n. scheme to meet her agaln-and marry , li Dolores Itucy. Clad .In purplo and lino linen. John goes to the i' club In Denver, the nearest approach to a home he has known in years. There he Is offered A 5.000-a-year job with tho certainty of n by a capitalist friend Edward 1. Jerome. While ho U hesltntlnir oith to go to work again bo soon, he receives a delayed letter from particular pal, IJllly deary, asking h m to flnanco a gold-mlnlng prop-Win prop-Win Central America and go W-U) with him on tho profits. Thcrounon down the big Job and decides to answer the calt of friendship and Kure to Sobrante. iPTER II Continued. - webstor retorted humorous-'t humorous-'t exactly what you might Bine palon. I like to make Brc's more fun spending t. $100,000, nml now I wnnt it- nml I'm going 'lo. Do nrRiip with inc. I'm n lunn- will have my wny. If I -.Bcar'ng off to Sobrante nnd "B with mil Ocnry, there to Lime red or I illicit, I'll feci Bl done something low and Bunmll. Tho hoy's nppoaled Bt I linvo mndo my nnuwr-n back nllve but broke, you fur heart you'll give me the Bii have." . . B." poor JCrome ndmlttod.-He ndmlttod.-He Job open HO days. At tlint period I'll glvo you n Jwer, Neddy. jcicltPinent nnd nilventtiro y Jln Sobrante nnd I've Just iir Bce- I'm like nn old burro " Bj knee-deep In nlfnlfn Just Bon't tnke kindly to the BJJ BJ sn old burro, you won't Htll you're sneaked through Je fence to get out Into n BJ and stnrvc." Jerome f eartedly nnd promulgated BJwb' thnt life Is Just one J after the other rin In-B In-B of liver nnd disappoint- 3TZBid It so?" Webster nucrled "Mlly. H that he wns being wnie looked up sharply, .wlther Webster with thnt xtOJJ no, tho man was nbso-i nbso-i ii.B0' whereupon. Jerome 'I WIBf futility of further argu-fere argu-fere John Stunrt Webster , :. "". Still, ho could not jH" ,1C rencclc"' now Well- HlldHnned a year of quiet en- Fate hnd granted him enlng. H0 marveled thnt Hid be so llght-lipnrtctf and I 'I',' "10 circumstances.' 'If ' h,s (llrightB. ' "Good- ' Br" he said, nnd .extended -..."Don,t worry nbout me. fAH B'H kind to fools, my w Is never their portion. bB nil,)'fl call I have a feel-' !310 answering tho call of Jnture." ?J B1"10"' how truly ho spoke. I Q '' f he hnd, thnt knowl- Biot liaro chnnged his nn- .. BjHAPTER III. Mm - I B?S f0,lowlnK his doclKlon of nnKel t0 n,"y fK concession In Sobrnnte, Webster, like Sir. l'cpys, lis- Bt"' llir Bf Tfo,m'l him In tho onico "V ,JoQ r'nlngcrlleld,' of tho liy Bf '"rliig works, where, "' he hnd In his cfmnic- Bfcls,ve fashion purchnsed nr B for ten-stnmp mill. It Border, and Dnlngcrflold rn Bf on mB t0 C03t J'ou nbout lm,f nr Bf!ack" ho Informed Web-r Web-r Bl or,,cr wqh finally de Bjl lv Bff nnpi1- "Vou don't sup. ' Bff',1' euo"Rh to pny for It JoT ho queried. flrst to scout tho coun '"cnntlmo keep nil thlt wnrehouso until I mi-B' mi-B' c"l'lu to ship, when on 'no nt sight for the ) B. Ul l,m of hiding at- II BVon hivestlgntlon, I find ' ,M't nil my partner . " rnb, n cnnccllntlon, -e- Hi'iir that nlco fat order It- " 'h w'fflehl's olllco Webster tjr BV I'urchaso n stenmer a. BjWw''!J' tlckct and slecp-BVatlon slecp-BVatlon nfter which ho " M8,,10'c nnd set nbout i BV Jurney. & BBJerome, ns sour nnd Bs !R nen' nccompunlwl y 'n1 to tho station, loth BW0,nd Plendlng to the B1 hope thnt Jack Web-Wire Web-Wire would triumph over HR!1,1"1 bpylsh yenrnlng BV'0 cll"iB to Webster's Wlked slowly down the Bj1' nt (,o steps of tho BW'l wanderer's reserva BBPorter' cnrrylng some MJfPaweU them by, fol- H nB -o lowed by n girl In n green tnllor-mnd.-suit; As she pnssed. John Stunrt Webster Web-ster looked fairly Into her fnce, started ns If bee-stunc, and Imstllv lifted bis hnt. The girl brlelly returned his scrutiny with sudden Interest, divided she did not know him, nnd reproved him with n glmice that een pnsHe old fteddy Jerome did not fall to nsslml-Into. nsslml-Into. "Wow, wow!" he murmured. "Tho next time you try that, Johnny Web-fter, Web-fter, be sure you're "right " "Oooil bind o' Ooslien. Neddy," Webster Web-ster replied. "Fry me In bread crumbs, If thnt Isn't the snme girl! I-et me go, Neddy. Quick ! Hood-bye, old chap. I'm on my way." "Nonsense! The trnln doesn't pull nut for seven minutes yet. Who Is she. John, and why does she excite you so?" "Who Is she, you undent horse thief! Why, If I have my way nnd I'm certnlnly going to try to bnve II she's the future Mrs. W." "Alnsl Poor Vorlck, I knowed him well," Jerome nnswered. "Tnke n tip from the old mnn, John. I've been through the mill nnd I know. Never marry n girl thnt enn freeze you with n glnnco. It Isn't safe. Uy the wny, whnt's the fair charmer's name?" "I'e got It down In my memorandum memoran-dum book, but I can't recall It this minute min-ute Spanish nnme." "John, my denr boy. be enrnfnl." Neddy Jerome counseled. "Stick to jour own kind of people . Is this a cr n nlre girl. John?" "How do I know I mean, how dare you nsk? Of course, she's nice. Can't you see sho Is? And besides, why should you be so fearful " "I'll havo you understand, young man, thnt I have considerable Interest In the girl you're going to marry. Ily the way, where did you first meet this girl? Who Introduced you?" "I haven't met her, nnd I've never been Introduced," Webster complained, nnd poured forth tho tnlo of his adventure ad-venture on the trnln from Death valley. val-ley. Neddy was very sympathetic. "Well, no wonder she didn't recog-nlzo recog-nlzo you when you saluted her tonight," to-night," he ngreed. "Thought you were another brute of n mnn trying to make n mnsb. ny thunder, Jnck, I'm nfruld you made a mistake when you shed your whiskers nnd burled your old clothes." "I don't enro wbnt she thinks. I found her. I lost her, nnd I've found her ngnln ; nnd I'm not going to take any further chances," Tho porter, having delivered his charge's baggngo In her section, wns "I'm Old Enough to be Your Father." returning for another tip. Webster reached out and accosted him. "Henry," no said, "where did you stow that young lady's hand bag-gago?" bag-gago?" "Lower Six, Car Nino, 80:1." "I havo a weakness for colored boys who nro quick at figures." Webster declared, de-clared, ind dismissed the porter with tho gratuity. Ho turned to Jerome. "Neddyi I feel that I nm answering tho rail to a great adventuro," ho declared de-clared solemnly. "I know It, Jack. Qood-bye, son, mill noil bless you. If jour lit of In-"nnlty In-"nnlty passes Wthln m ,, OI ," 'rndo Con. for the ,Wo lolls Oonu old wagon!" Webster replied ami' Sim I '""" "C S,l0"k """ nni clinhnl aboard tho train. The "taut be disappeared In .ho vestl- n . mi TV"' N.P,,,,y lm,,nn w"",lllL"J rapidly dan 11 n10 ,rnpk fo r ellmbed aboard, and made his wny to -'"0'tTI'oyomIBlnlylntliDBrrcn 11 HnMiiniU. suit was there, looking Idly out of Hi,, window. "Young ,,dy, Jerome u.R1U)i ..IV I iii-PMiinc to address you for a mo, inwit on a matter of great Importance-to Importance-to jnu? Don't be afraid of me, my Hear. I'm old enough to bo vour fa-Uier, fa-Uier, and besides. I'm one of the nicest "Id men you ever met." She could not forbear n smile, very well, sir," Mie replied. Neddy Jerome produced a pencil nnd card. "Please write your m on this enrd." he pleaded, "and I'll telegraph what I want to say to you. There'll be a man coming through Ibis ear In-n In-n mliiuio, and I don't want him to see me here. Please trust me, young JIIU.Y. The young lady did not trust him, however, although she wrote on the curd. Jerome thanked her and lied as fast as his fat old legs could carry car-ry him. Under the station arc he rend the card. . - "Ilenrletla Wllklns," he murmured. "Uy the gods, one would never suspect sus-pect a name like that belonged to u face like that. Hy Jingo, It would bo s.tnmge If that madman persuaded her to marry him. I hope he does. If I'm any Judge of character, Jack Webster Web-ster won't be cruel enough to chain that vision to Sobrnnte; and besides, she's liable to make him decide Who's most popular with him Henrietta or Hilly Ocnry. If sho does, I'll pny Oeary to lose. Well! Needs must when the devil drives." And ho entered en-tered the station telegraph onicc nnd commenced to wrlle. An hour Inter Miss Dolores Iluey, alias Henrietta Wllklns; wns hnnded this remarkably verbose and truly i-uiHiiii icicKruin: ".Miss Henrietta. Wllklns, Lower 0, Car 0, on board train 24. "Do you recall tho bewhlskcrcd, ragged Individual you met on the S. P., L. A. & S. L. trnln In Denth valley val-ley ten days ago? He lifted his hat to you tonight, and you nlmost killed him with n look. It did not occur to him that you would uot recognize him disguised ns a gentleman, nnd he lifted lift-ed his hnt on Impulse. Do not hold It ngnlnst him. The sight of you ngnln set his renson tottering on Its throne, and he told mo his sad Uory. "This man, John Stuart .Webster, Is wealthy, single, forty, fine nnd crnzy ns 11 March hare. He Is In lore with you. You might do worso than fell In love with him. He Is the ticst mining engineer In (lie world, nnd he Is now aboard the samo train wllh you, en route to New Orleans, thence to tnke the stenmer to Hiieniiventura. Sobrante, Sobran-te, C. A., where J10 Is to meet another lunatic and llnauce n hole In the ground. I do not wnnt him to go to Sobraule. If you marry him, he will not. If you do not marry him, you still might nrrauge to make him listen to reason. If you enn Induce him to come to work for me within the next IK) days, whether you marry him or not, I will glvo you $5,000 tho dny ho reports on the Job. Please bear In ,1,1,1,1 llinf lw. tlnn nnt Irtinu T nm tin. Ing this. If be did, he would kill me, but business Is business, nnd this Is n plain business proposition. I nm putting put-ting you wise, so you will know your power nnd can exercise It If you enre to earn the money. If not, please forget for-get about It. At any rate, plenso do me the favor to communicate with me on the subject. If at all Interested. "Kdwnrd P. Jerome, President Colorado Colo-rado Consolidated Mines, Ltd., Cnro KnglncerH' Club." The girl read and reread this telegram tele-gram hevernl times, and presently a slow little stnllo commenced to creep around the corners of her adorable mouth. "I bellevo that amazing old gentle- ...M.i In nlienliitnli' ilnnAnflnlilf " wua 11,111 IO fr-v....j ..vj-wf , ...,- the decision nt which she ultimately arrived, nnd culling for n telqgrnph blank, she wired tho old schemer: "Five thousand not enough money. Make It $10,000 and I will guarantee to deliver the mnn within 00 dayi. 1 stny on this train t" New Orlenns. "HRNKIKTTA." Thnt tolegrnin arrived nt the Engl neers club about midnight,' and pursuant pur-suant to Instructions, the mfcht bar- 'keeper read It nnd 'phoned the contents con-tents to Neddy Jerome, who promptly prompt-ly telephoned bis repjy to tho t,e,lo-g'roph t,e,lo-g'roph office, nnd then sat on thd edge of his bed, scratching his toon nnd meditating. "That's n remarkable young worn-nn," worn-nn," bo decided, "and business to her finger tips. Well, I've dono my pnrt, ond It's now up to Jack Webster to protect himself In tho clinches' nnd brenknwnys." About daylight n black hand passed Neddy Jerome's reply through the berth curtains to Dolores Kuey. She read: "Accept. When you deliver the goods, communlcnto with mo and get your money. "JEnOME." Sho snuggled bnck among the pillows pil-lows nnd considered tho various aspects as-pects ,of this amazing contract whtcli sho had undertaken with n perfect stranger. Hour, nfter hour sho lny there, thinking over this preposterous sttuntlon, nnd tho more sho weighed It, tho more Interesting nnd nttrnctive tho proposition nppoarcd. Hut ouo consideration troubled her. How would the unknown knight manage nn introduction? Or, if lie failed to manage man-age It, how was sho to overcome thnt obstacle? Oh, dear," she murmured, "I do hope lie's brnve." Sho need not Jin ve worried. Hours before, the ohJcTt of her thought hnd settled all thnt to his own complete satisfaction, nnd as a consequence was sleeping peacefully nnd gaining u, .,..... ,, . iiiuvii-r 01 loruiuu, gouu or III, the morrow might bring forth. CHAPTER IV. Dnytwas dawning in Ilucnarcnturn,' republic of Sobrante, as Invnrlably It dawns. In tbu tropics without extended extend-ed yrellmlnury symptoms. Tio soft, Silvery light of a full moon tlint had stayed out scandalously Into had merged Imperceptibly Into gray; the gray wns swiftly yielding placo to a faint crimson that was spreading nnd deepening upward athwart tho east. In the patio of Mother .leaks' establishment estab-lishment In the Culle de Concordia, No.Jw, the first shafts of morning light were tillering obliquely through tho orange trees and creeping In under un-der tho deep, Ootlile-nrched veranda Hanking the western side of tho patio. pa-tio. Presently, through the silent leaches of the Cnllo do Concordln, tho sound of a prodigious knocking and thumping echoed, ns of some fretful Individual seeking admission nt the street door of El linen Amlgo, by which euphonious designation Mother Jenks caravansary was known to the public of Huenaventura. In the second sec-ond story, front, n window slid bnck and a woman's voice, husky with that husklness tlint spenks so accusingly of clgnretles nnd alcohol, demanded: "Qulcn es? Who Is It? Que qulere ustcd? Wot do yer wnnt?" "Ye might dlsplnso wit tlint pnrn-quccN pnrn-quccN conversation whin nddlircssln' tins likes nv me," n voice replied. "TIs me Cnfferly. I bnve n cablegram Leber give me to deliver " "Gawd's truth I Would yer wake tho 'ole 'ouse with yer 'nmmerlng?" "All right. I'll not say nnother worrd !" Without the portal stood Don Junn Cnfetero, of whom a word or two be fore proceeding. To begin, Don Juan Cnfetero was noMilsf real name, hut rather n free Spanish translation of tho Gaelic John Caffcrty. Mr. Caffcrty was an exile of Erin with n horrible thirst. He had first arrived In Sobrnnte some five years before, as section boss In the employ of the little foreign-owned narrow-gauge railway which ran from Huenaventura on the Caribbean coast to San Miguel de Padua, up-country where the nltrnto bods were located, Prior to bis advent the railroad people peo-ple hnd tried many breeds of section boss without visible results, until n Chicago man, who had come to Sobrante So-brante to Install nn Intcr-communlcnt-Ing telepliono system In tho government govern-ment buildings, suggested to ti.o superintendent su-perintendent of the road, who was a Ocrmnn, that tho men mndo for bosses enmo from Erin's Isle; wherefore Mr. Cafferty had been Imported nt n price of J5 a dny gold. Hesult a marked Improvement In tho road bed and consequently con-sequently the train schedules, nnd the iiltlmnte loss of the Cafferty soul. Something In the climate of Sobran- 10 iiiiiki nave iippciccu 10 n louen or lalssez falro In Dun J 11 nil's nmluble nature, for In the course of time he had taken unto himself, without belj or book, after the fashion of the proletariat pro-letariat of Sobrante, the daughter of one Estebon Manuel Enrique Jose Maria Ma-ria Pusqual y Mlramontes, an estimable estima-ble peon who was slngul.nrly ghul to have Ids daughter off Ids hands and no questions asked. Following the fashion fash-ion of tho country, however, Estebnn bad forthwith moved tho remainder of his numerous progeny under the mnn-tie mnn-tie of Don Junn Cnfetero's philanthropy, philan-thropy, and resigned n position which for mnny years ho bad not enjoyed to-wlt: snltlng nnd packing green hides nt a local nbattolr. This foolhardy fool-hardy economic move had so Incensed Don Junn thnt In n (It of pique he spurned his fnther-In-law (we must call Esteban something and so why split hairs?) ..under the talis of ids comlsa, with such vigor as to sever forever the friendly relations hitherto hither-to existing between the families. Mrs. Cafferty (again w.o transgress, but wnni or nn sunsequenny pusseu away. In child birth, and no sooner bad she been decently burled than Don Juan look n week off to drown his sorrows. In this condition be bad encountered encoun-tered Esteban Manuel Ejirlquu Jose , Maria PaMptal y Mlramontes and ended him out of Ids nqhle.' In the-Altercation the-Altercation that ensued Hstehnn. fully 'eomi'ned thai ho-had received the nub end of the'trunsaetlon from start to finish, cut DonlJu'nn' severely; Don Juan bad thereupon slain Esteban with n .M-callber revolver and upon emerging from tho railroad hospital a month later had been tried by a So-brautenn So-brautenn magistrate and fined tho sum of $20,000. legal tender of the republic of Sobrante. Of cour.n. ho bad paid It off within six months from his wages as section boss, but tho memory mem-ory of the Injustlco always rankled him, nnd gradually he moved down the scnlo of society from section boss to day laborer, day laborer to tropical tramp, and tropical tramp to beach comber, In which latter state he had now existed for several months. To return' to Mother Jenku. Hcforo Don Juan could oven ultcr n matutinal greeting, Mother Jonks laid finger to lip and silenced him. "Go bnck to Leber's und return In nn hour," she whispered. "I 'avcjiiy rensons for wnntln' (hnt bloomln" cublegrnm delivered de-livered Inter." Don Junn hndn't tho least Idea wbnt Mother Jenks reasons might be, bnt ho presumed sho was up to some chl-ennery, chl-ennery, and so ho winked his bloodshot blood-shot eye very knowingly nnd nodded his acquiescence In the program. When lie had gone, Mother Jenks went behind tho bar and fortified herself her-self with her morning's morning which rite having been performed, her sleep-benumbed brain livened up immediately. im-mediately. "Cord's truth I" tho lady murmured. "An' me nbout to turn him ndrlft for tho lawst fortnight! Well for 'Ira 'o nllers hadmlrcd tho plcturo o' my sainted 'Enery, ns wns the snlttln' Im-ago Im-ago of his" own fawlher. 'Evlngs! 'Ell's bells I Hut that was n hit of 'a tight squeak I Just as I'm fully cop-winced cop-winced 'e's bent It an' I'm left 'oldlo' the snek, nil along o' my kindness Of enrt, 'e gets the cablegram 'e's been lookln for tills two months past; an 'o oilers claimed as 'ov any tlmo 'o got 11 cablegram It'd bo on answer to Ms letter, with money to roller I My word, but thnt was touch nn go I" Still congratulating herself upon her good fortune In Intercepting Don Juno "Chop Your Spoofln', Willie. Cafetcro, Mother Jenks proceeded up-stairs up-stairs to her chamber, clothed herself, her-self, and adjourned to the kitchen. After giving orders for an extra spo-clal spo-clal breakfast for two, Mother Jenks returned to her enntlua, and formally opened tho miiiiu for tho business of Hint dny nnd night. To her came presently, via the tiled hnllwny, the object of her solicitude, a young mnn on the sunny side of thirty. He wns thin for one of his height nnd breadth of chest; In color his countenance resembled that of a sick Chlnnmnu. His hair was thick and wavy, hut tnsterlcss; his dark blue eyes carried 11 hint of Jaundice; and a generous mouth, beneath an equally generous upper lip, guvo am-lite am-lite ground for the suspicion that while Mr. William Geary's speech denoted him nn American citizen, nt least one of his maternal ancestors had been wooed and won by an Irishman. An old Panamn hat, sad relic of a pros perous past, a pair of soiled buckskin pumps, a suit of unbleached linen equally befouled, and last but not least, tho remnants of ii smile that much hard luck could never quite obliterate, ob-literate, complete.! his nttlre and to one a stranger In the tropics would appear to constitute a complete Inventory Inven-tory of Mr. Geary's possessions. "Dulce corazon mln, I extend a greeting," ho called at tho entrance. "I trust you rested well lost night, Mother Jenks, and that no evil dreams were horn of your midnight repast of frljoles refrltos, marmalade, und nrf-nn'-nrfl" "Chop yer spoofln', Willie," Mother Jenks simpered. "My heyel 80 I'm yer sweet'enrt, eh? Yer whecdlln' blighter, makln' love to a girl as Is old enough to be yer mother 1" "A womnn," Mr. Geary retorted sagely and not a whit abashed, "Is nt tho apex of her feminine charms at thirty-seven." He knew his landlady to bo not n day under fifty, but such Is tho coso wltli which the Irish scatter their hlnrucy that neither Hilly Ocnry nor Mother Jenks regnrded this pretty speech In the light of un observation Immaterial, Inconsequential and not germane to tho matter at Issue. Nevertheless, Nev-ertheless, there wns n deeper reason for hlsjblarnoy. This morning, watch-Ing watch-Ing tho -telltale tlngo of pleasure un-dj-rlyliig the nlcohol-hegotten hue, of the good creature's face, tie felt almost al-most nsbnnied of his own lieurtlsi8-ness lieurtlsi8-ness nlmost, bnt not quite. r "Gor, Willie, I ain't respect, able. She's comln' to sea mean' me-an' I cawn't let W (TO UK CONTINPKD,) |