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Show fWebsterMkn's Man III B By PETER B. KYNE B Author of "Cappy Ricks " tti irT- . h wy kick., The Valley of the Giants' Etc. Krrr " - - Copyright by Peter B. Kyne B "MOTHER I" Khn Stuart Webster, mining engineer, boards a, train In Death Volley, Kmla, on his way back to civilization after cleanlnc up J100.000. Uut he llke a hoBo. Then he meets a distressed lady, who makes his heart flop K He eliminates the offondlna man. Helng what he Is and also elrl-sliy HL, not tnke advantage of his opportunity. But ho Just has to find out pVtht Is Dolores Ruey. In Denver he Is offered a 125.000-a.year Job by a tllst friend, Edward P. Jorome. Ho receives a delayed letter from his particular pal, Billy Clcary, asking him to finance a Kold-mlnlnic proposl-K proposl-K Central America and bo fifty-fifty with him on the profits. Thereupon rns down the big Job and decides to answer the call of friendship and Kture to Bobrante. Jeromo eocs with John to the depot. They meet litretsed lady on her way to the same train. John lifts his hat, but Kths cut direct from tho plrl, who does not recognize him. John tells Ke the whole story. Jeromo secretly sees the elrl, offering her J10.000 JK induces John to tnko his Job Inside of ninety days. The ilrl accents Ktne now shifts to Buenaventura , 6obrante, where Geary, on his uppers! ing his heart out looking for a cablegram from his old partner. He has K for two months on credit extended by Mother Jenks, keeper of a dls. K,t1e hotel. Dolores cables Henrietta Wllklns (Mother Jenks) that she her way to visit Iter. Mother Jonks breaks down and tolls her story. m been educating Dolores, who Is the daughter of former President B of Bobrante, deposed and executed by President Sarros. Mother Jenks Kt want Dolores to find out she Is no longer respectable. Bo she and IHpUn for him to meet the steamer and to turn the girl back. 1RAPTER VI Continued. ft was tho vision lie had volun- !K meet aboard La Estrellltu. H specious lie and hypocrttlc tBm her back from the portals Raventnra to that dear old jKtates, which, Billy suddenly "jBrclth poignant pain, Is n slz- Hntry In which a young lady iK readily be tost forever. With K eye of youth, he noted that "Eras perfectly wonderful fn a UBnnel skirt and Jacket, white Btt, white panatnn hat with n jH puggaree, n mannish little Hllnr, and a red four-ln-hand H under that white hat peeped Hon of crinkly brown hair with Hr reddish tinge to It; her eyes JH snd brown and wide apart, den flecks in them; their Ht Billy's hungry gnr.o simply, Ktod with a curiosity there Battcmpt to hide. Ilcr nose Hdan ; her bcnutlf ul short up Hemled tho tips of two per LB-whlto front teeth: she was, 7 told himself, n goddess Hiotaall low, worthless, ornery W( himself should grovel nnd r, It perchance sho might bo H u to walk on their faces 1 Hirouscd from his critical In-jfthen In-jfthen tho hourl spoke agnln: ftvco't answered my question, Btld Billy, "I didn't. Stupid jB. However, como to think B didn't ask mo nny question. Hed It Sly naino Is Gcnry Hn. Geary, by profession n Hnguieer ard by nntura nn Hv and I havo called to tie-e tie-e disappointing nows regard. Wetta Wllklns." sbbbb" 'B- Very much alive and In ex Balth or rather was, tho last Has my pleasure nnd prlvllego B the denr lady. Hut sho Isn't Ventura now." Mentally Billy Bd to forglvo him his black- reachery to this winsome girl. the task ho had planned IBed upon himself, and noth- JBhe memory of Mother Jenks' kindnesses to him In n day, Jack Webster, now hnpplly Im, could havo Induced him IBough to tho finish. 21 where Is she?" Dolores Pnd Billy could hnvo wept nt tiB In thoso lovely brown eyes. B!d his hand airily. "Qulcn B said. "Sho left threo weeks Hnt Anwred My Question." H?w Orleans to visit you. I ou passed each other on tho l here, Miss Ruey, don't Ki recess of three minutes. HPrc" dnbbed her eyes nnd Bsh sundry other motions of H?' Then he proceeded with B1) recital. Bpiircablegrumnrrlved. Miss KSBPilly Mrs. Wllklns wns nut myvi it, und us 1 was the O only person who had her address, the cnblo ngent referred It to me. Under the circumstances, not knowing where I could rench you with n cable Informing Inform-ing you that Mrs. Wllklns wns headed for California to see you, 1 hnd no other alternative but to let mntters tnko their course. I decided you might arrive on La Kstrcllltn, so I called to welcome you to our thriving little city, nnd, ns a friend of about two minutes' min-utes' standing, to warn you away from Billy's mien, s ho voiced this warning, wus so slngulnrly mysterious mysteri-ous that Dolores' curiosity was aroused Instantly nnd roso superior to her grief. "Why, whnt's the mnt-ter?" mnt-ter?" sho demanded. Billy loked around, ns If fearful of being overheard. He lowered his voice. "We're going to have one grand little flrst-clnss revolution," ho replied. re-plied. "It's due to bust almost any night now, nnd when It docs, the streets of Snn Buenaventura will run red with blood." Dolores blnnched. "Oh, dearie me," sho qunvered. "Do they still hnvo revolutions here? You know, Mr. Geary, my poor father wns killed In one." "Yes, nnd the snme old political gang thnt shot him Is still on deck," Billy warned her. "It would bo highly high-ly dangerous for a Iluey, man or woman, wom-an, to show his or her nose nround Buennventurn about now. Besides, Miss Hucy, thnt Isn't the worst," he continued, for a whole-hearted Ind wns Billy, who never did anything by halves. "Tup city Is reeking with cholera," he declared. "Cholera F' Dolores' big brown eyes grew bigger with wonder nnd concern. "How strnnge the port authorities didn't wnrn us at New Orleans I" "Tishl Tush I Fiddlesticks nnd then some. The fruit company censors everything. Miss Hucy, nnd the news doesn't get out." "But the port doctor Just said the passengers could go ashore." "Whnt's n 'human llfo to n doctor? Besides bo's on the slush-fund pny roll and docs whatever the hlgherups tell him. You bo guided by whnt I tell you, Miss Buoy, nnd do not sot foot on Sobrnntean soil. If you stay abonrd La Kstrcllltn, )ou'il linvc your nice cienn tateroom, your well-cooked well-cooked monls, your bath, and the attentions at-tentions of th stewardess. The steamer steam-er will be loaded In two days; then you go buck to New Orlenns, nnd by tho time you nrrlvc there I'll hnvo been In communication by cnblo with Mother Jenks I mean" "Mother who"?" Dolores demnnded. "A mere slip of tho tongue, MIhs Buoy. I was thinking of my landlady. I meant Mrs. Wllklns" "I'm so awfully obliged to you, Mr. Gcnry. You're so kind, I'm sure I'd bo a most ungrateful girl not to be guided by you accordingly. You wouldn't risk any friend of yours In this tcrrlblo plac, would you, Mr. Geary?" "Indeed, I would not. By permitting anybody J thought nnythlng of to como to this city, I should feel guilty of murder." "I'm sure you would, Mr. Geary. Nevertheless, there Is one point thnt Is not quite cienr In my mlud, nnd I wish you'd explain" "Command me, Miss Buey." "If this Is such a frightful place, why are you so anxious, If f may employ em-ploy such language, to hornswogglo your dearest friend, Mr. John S. Webster, Web-ster, Into coming down here? Do you wnnt to kill hlra nnd get his money or what?" Billy's faco flamed at thought of tho cmbnrrnsslng trap his glib tongue had led him Into. Ho cursed himself for a star-spnnglod Jackass, and wlillo be wns engaged In this Interesting pas-time pas-time Dolores spoko ngnln. "And by tho wny, which Is It? Miss Wllklns or Mrs.? You've cnlled her both, and when I reminded you sho was n Miss, you ngrecd with me, whereas sho Is nothing of the sort. She's a Mrs. Then you blurted out something nbout a Mother Jenks. and flnnlly, Mr. Genry, It occurs to mo thnt for a completo stranger you aro unduly un-duly .Interested In my welfnro. I'm not such n gooo as to assimilate your weird tales of death from disease. It occurs to ma that If your frlond John S. Webster can risk Buenaventura, I can also." . w'.,,,.T7you know ,lmt 0,1 tnrantu-In? tnrantu-In? Billy gnsped. "Why I I enme out to wnrn him off the grnss, too." Dolores walked it step closer to Billy nnd eyed him disapprovingly. "I'm so sorry I enn't believe that statement," sho replied. "It happens thnt I wns stnndlng by tho conipnnlon-lnddcr when you enmo nbonrd nnd spoke to the purser; when you nsked Mm If Mr. Webster wns nbonrd, your fnco wns nllght with eagerness and anticipation, but when you had reason to believe he was not aboard, you looked so terribly disappointed I felt sorry for von. Tin going ashore, If It's the Inst net of my life, nnd when I get there I'm going to Interview tho cable ngent; then I'm going to call at the stenm-shlp stenm-shlp office and senn the pnssengcr list of the lust three north-bound stenm. era, nnd If I do not find Henrietta Wit-kins' Wit-kins' nnme on one of those pnssengcr lists I'm going up to Colic do Concordia Con-cordia No. 10" "1 surrender unconditionally," gronned Hilly. "I'm a llnr from beginning be-ginning to end. I overlooked my hnnd. I beg of you to bellevo me, however, when I tell you that I only told you those whoppers because I was In honor bound to tell them. Personally, I don't want you to go away at least, not until I'm ready to go away, tool Miss Buey, my noso Is In Uio dust. There Is a fever In my brain and a misery In my heart" "And contrition In your face," she Interrupted him laughingly. "You're forgiven, Mr. Genry on ono condition." condi-tion." "Nnmo It," he answered. "Tell mo everything from beginning to end." So Billy told her. "I would much rather have been visited with a plnguo of bolls, like our old friend, tho lato Job, than have to tell you this, Miss Buey," he concluded his recital. "Man proposes, but God disposes, nnd you're hero nnd hound to learn tho truth sooner or Inter. Mother Isn't a lady nnd sho knows it, but tnko It from , me, Miss Buey, she's n grnnd old piece of work. She's a scout a ring-tailed ring-tailed sport a regular Individual and gnmu ns a gander." "And I mustn't call at El Bucn Ami-go, Ami-go, Mr. Genry?" "I'erlsh tho thought I Mother must cnll on you. HI Bucn Amlgo Is whnt you might term a hotel for. tropical trnmps of tho masculine sex. Nearly all of Mother's guests havo a past, you know. They're tho submerged white tenth of Sobrnnte. . "Then my benefactor must call to seo mo here?" Billy nodded. "When will you bring her hero?" Billy reflected thnt Mother Jenks had been up rather lato tho night before be-fore and thnt trade In tho cuntlna of Kl Bucn Amlgo had been unusually brisk; so since ho desired to exhibit the old Indy at her best, he concluded It might be well to spnr for wind, "Tomorrow nt 10," ho declnred. Dolores Do-lores Inclined her head. Something told her she hnd better leave nil future details to tho amiable William. "I remember you Inquired for your friend, Mr. Webster, when you enmo aboard tho steamer." "I remember It, too," Billy countered ruefully. "I caii't Imagine- what's be-como be-como of him. Miss Buey, did you ever go to meet the only human being In the world nnd discover that for some mysterious reason he had failed to keep tho appointment? Miss Hue)', you'll have to meet old John Stuart Uio minute he lights In Buennveuturn. He's some boy." "Old John Stuart?" fclio queried. "How old?" "Oh, thirty-nine or forty on aclunl count, hut one of tho kind that will live to ho n thousand and then hnvo to be killed with nn axe. lie's coming com-ing to Sobrnnte to help mo put over a mining ileal." "How Interesting, Mr. Geary I No wonder you were disappointed." The lust sentence was n shaft deliberately delib-erately launched; to Dolores' delight It mndo a keyhole In Billy Geary's heart. "Don't get mo wrong. Miss Buey," be hastened to nssure her. "I hnvo a good mine, but I'd trado it for a hand-shnko hand-shnko from Jack I Tho good Lord only published ono edition of Jack, and limited tho edition to ono volume; then tho plates were melted for tbo Junk wo call Uie human race. Two wee'ks ago, when I was sick and penniless pen-niless anil despairing, the possessor of a concession on a fortune, but without with-out n ccntavo In my pockets to buy n bnnonn, when I wns u veiitablo beachcomber beach-comber and existing on tho charity of Mother Jenks, I managed Anally to communicate with old Jack und told him where I was and what I had, There's his nnswer, Miss Buey, and I'm not nshnmed to say that when I got It I cried llko a kid," And Billy banded her John Stuurt Webster's re-murkablo re-murkablo cablegram, the receipt of which hud, for Billy Geary, trans-formed trans-formed night Into doy. purgatory Into paradise. Holoros rend It. "No wonder you love him," she declared, de-clared, and added artlessly: "Ills wife must simply adore him." "'Ho has no wife to bother his life, so he paddles his own canoe,'" Hilly recited. "1 don't buJlsvo the old soar dough has over been In lovo with nnythlng nny-thlng moro charming than tho goddess of fortune. He's woman-proof." "About Mrs. Jenkw," Dolores continued, contin-ued, abruptly changing tho subject. "How nice to reflect that after he hod trusted you and believed In you when you wore penniless, you were enabled to Justify her folth." "You bet I" Billy declnred.- "I feel thnt I enn never possibly hopo to catch even with the old Samaritan, although I did try to show her how much I appreciated her." "I dare say jou went right out and bought her nn Impossible hnt," Dolores challenged roguishly. "No, 1 didn't, for a very sufficient reason. Down hero tho Indies do not wenr hats. But I'll tell you what I did buy her, Miss Buey and oh, by George, I'm glad now I did It. Sho'll wenr them tomorrow when I bring her to seo you. I bought her a now black silk dress and nn old-Inco collnr, nnd n gold brenst pin nnd n tortolso shell hnlr comb nnd hired an open carriage nnd took her for an evening rldo on tho Malccon to listen to tho band con cert." "Did sho like thnt?" "She nto It up," Billy declnred with conviction. "I think It was her first adventure In democracy." Lilly's pulse was still far from normal nor-mal when he reached Gt Buen Amlgo, for bo was Infused with a strange, new-found warmth that burned lite malarial fever, but wasn't. Ho wasted no preliminaries on Mother Jenks, but bluntly acquainted her with tho facta In the case. Mother Jenks eyed him a moment wildly. "Gord's truth I" sho gasped; sho reached for her favorite elixir, but Billy got tho bottlo first. "Nothing doing," ho wnrncd this strnnge publlcnn. "Mother, you're funking It nnd what would your sainted 'Knery say to that? Do you want that angel to kiss you and got n whiff of this brandy?" Mother Jenks' eyes actually popped. "Gor1, Willie," sho gasped, "'nven't IB told ye she's n lydy I Mo kiss tho lamb I III trust, Mr. Geary, as 'ow I knows ray place an' can keep It." "Yes, I know," Billy soothed tho frightened old woman, "but tho troublo U Miss Dolores doesn't know hers and something tells mo If sho docs, sho'll forget It. She'll tnko you In her nnns and kiss you, sure ns death nnd tnxes." And sho did I "My lamb, my lamb," sobbed Mother Jenks tho next morning, morn-ing, and rested her old check, with Its rum-begotten hue, closo to tho rose-tinted rose-tinted Ivory cheek of her ward. "Mo wot I am un' to think H "You're u sweet old dear," Dolores whispered, patting tho gray head; "and I'm going to call you Mother," "Mr. William II. Geary," the girl remarked that night, "I know now why your friend, Mr. Webster, sent that cablegram. I think you're a scout, too." For reasons best known to himself Mr. Gcnry blushed furiously. "I I'd better go und break tho news to Mother," Moth-er," ho suggested Inanely. Sho held out her hnnd; nnd Billy, having been long enough In Sobrautu to have acquired ac-quired tho hnblt, bent his malarial ktm)ii over thnt hand and kissed It. As ho went out It occurred to him thnt had tho lobby of tho Hotel Mateo Ma-teo been paved with eggs, he must have floated over them llko' a wrultli, so light did he feel within. CHAPTER VII. . Webster reached Now Orlenns nt the end of thu llrst leg of his journey, to discover that iu was one day late to board the Atlanta a banana boat of the Consolidated Fruit company's line plying regularly between New Or-leaiis Or-leaiis und that company's depots nt Union and Snn Buenaventura which necessitated a wait of threo days for tho steamer La Kstrelllta of tho Caribbean Ca-ribbean Mall line, running to Caracas and way ports. He decided to visit the ticket nfllce of tho Caribbean Mull Hue Immediately Immediate-ly and avoid the rush In case the travel should be heavy. Tho steamship olllco wns In Canal street. The clerk wus waiting on two well-dressed and palpably low-bred sons of tho tropics, to whom he had Just displayed a passenger list which the two were scanning critically, Their Interest In It wus so obvious that unconsciously Webster peeped over their shoulders (no difficult task for ono of his stature) and discovered It to be the passenger list of the steamer La Kstrelllta. They were conversing con-versing together In low tones und Webster, Web-ster, who had spent many years of hi llfo following his profession In .Mexico, recognized their speech as the bnstard Spanish of the peon. Ho sat down In the long wall seat nnd waited until tho pair, having completed com-pleted their scrutiny of the list, turned to pass out. lie glanced nt them casually. cas-ually. One was a tall thin man whose blmiiUhut eyes were Inclined to "pop" n little Infalllblo cvldcnco In the Uitln-Amerlcan that he Is drinking more hard liquor than Is good for him. ills companion was plainly of the same racial stock, although Webster suspected him of a slight admixture of negro blood, lie was short, stocky, and aggressive looking! Oke his corn panlon, bcjewcled and possessed of a thin, carefully cultivated moustache that seemed to consist of about nineteen nine-teen hairs on ono sldo nnd twenty on tho other. Evidently onco upon a time, ns the story books havo It, ho had been shot Webster suspected a Mauser bullet, fired nt long range. It had entered his right check, Just bo-low bo-low the malar, ranged downward through his mouth and out through n fold of flabby flesh under his left Jowl. It must havo been a frightful wound, but It had healed well except nt tho point of entrance, where It hail a tendency to pucker considerably, thus drawing tho man's eyelid fown on bis cheek and giving to that visual organ something of tho appcaranco of n bulldog's. Webster gazed after them whlmsU i cally as ho approached the counter. I "I'd bate to wake up somo night ' and find that hombro rlth tho puckered puck-ered cyo leantug over me. ly tho way," ho continued, suddenly apprehensive, appre-hensive, "do you got much of that paraqucct travel on your lino?" "About 60 per cent, of It Is off color, slr Webster pondered tho 80-pcr-ccnt. probability of being berthed In the sniuo stateroom with one of these Awllttitk mmjMmmamyjii co' IliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHfflHLiiitLiiiiiiHHHw TnuHimrMat IWWFrMWfim SB 1 vMSmEKhZym EV aw "The Outlook la Very Blue." pcoplo nnd tho prospect was as revolting re-volting to him ns would bo nn uninvited unin-vited negro guct at the dining tnblo of n southern family. Ho hnd all a Westerner's hatred for tho breed. "Well. I want n ticket to San Buena ventura," no inionneu uio went, "nut I don't relish tho Idea of a Greaser In tho snnio stateroom with me. I wonder won-der If you couldn't manage to fix mo with a stateroom all to myself, or tit lenst arrange It so that In tho event of company I'll draw a whlto man." "I'm sorry, sir, but I cannot guarantee guar-antee you nbsoluto nrlvacy nor any kind of whlto num. it's pretty mixed travel to all Central American ports." "How many berths In your first class staterooms?" Two." Webster smiled brightly. Ho hnd found n way out of tho difficulty. "I'll buy 'cm both, son," ho announced. "I ennnot sell you an entire stateroom, state-room, sir. It's against tho orders of tho company to sell two berths to one man. Tho travel Is pretty brisk nnd It's hardly fnlr to tho public, you know." "Well, suppose I buy ono ticket for myself nnd tho other for well, for my vnlet, let us sny. Of course," ho added brightly. "I haven't engaged tho vnlet yet and even should I do so I wouldn't bo nt nil surprised If tho rus-cul rus-cul missed tho boat I" Thu clerk glanced nt him with a slow smile, and pondered. "Well," ho sold presently. "If you cure to buy n ticket for your valet, I'm suro I shouldn't worry whether or not ho cntrhes the boat. If my records show that the space Ic sold to two men nnd tho purser collects two tickets, I think you'll be pretty safe from Intrusion," "To tho harassed traveler," said Mr. Webster, "a meeting with u gentleman of your penetration Is ns refreshing ns a canteen of cool wnter In the de ert. Shoot I" and ho produced a hand ful of gold. "1 will provided I hnvo ono empty cabin," nnd the clerk turned froiu tho counter to consult his record of berths nlrendy sold and others reserved hut not pnld for. I'recently ho faced Webster at the counter. "Tho outlook Is very blue," ho announced. an-nounced. "However. I hnvo ono berth In No. 34 reserved by a gentleman who was to call for It by two o'clock to-day." He looked at his watch. "It Is now a quarter of one. It tho reservation reser-vation Isn't claimed promptly at two o'clock I shall cancel It and reservo for you both berths In that room If you will be good enough to leave mo your nnmo and address I will telephone tele-phone you after that hour. In tho meantime, you may mako reservation of tho other berth In the aamo stateroom. state-room. I feel yery confident that the reservation In No. 34 will not bo called for, Mr. er " "Webster John S. Webster. Yon are very kind, Indeed. I'm at tho St. Churles." "Thanks, aver so much, for my life." I'llJ lilt. CONTINUED.) |
