| Show In Valhalla and Out By George Ethelbert Walsh Copyright 1321 1721 br tiT W TT O. O Chapman UNKIND FATE Heres Here's a a. stirring stirring- story of or love and adventure by George Georee Ethelbert Ethel Ethel- bert Walsh Oh no Its It's not the Valhalla of or Scandinavian mythology mythology myth myth- the Happy Fighting Grounds of or- or warriors slain In battle Its It's a tropical Island and the actors are Twentieth century century century cen cen- tury people quite up to date And their adventures are just as modern modern and and none the less exciting exciting exciting ex ex- citing citing- because of or that No no burled treasure In this yarn the millions are In Wall Vall street and the buccaneers operate In the stock market The heroine Is a maiden The hero Is Isher Isher Isher her brave rescuer who rescuer who receives appropriate reward CHAPTER I Ij 1 j jDick Dick Van Ness was smoking and Idly angling off the end of the private dock a place where he had no business busi busl business ness to be when a pleasure yacht slipped down the river and came to anchor In midstream nearly abr abreast ast of him At first Dick was no more than mildly Interested for he knew the screen of would effectually conceal him from view on the water waterfront waterfront front but a moment later he he began an leaning forward forgetting his fi fishing pole and the glowing pipe in his hand so eager r was he to read the name ame on the stern The Pelican I he muttered frown- frown Ing Its the old Beacon Im I'm sure of that I Id I'd recognize her an anywhere where Then came pleasant and unpleasant memories to occupy his thoughts Ills His fishing tackle tackie was neglected and when a fish nibbled at the bait he made no responsive siye jerk Cutler got the yacht In the final breakup I suppose suppo e he mused why she's renamed Before Defore the financial crash came that ruined his bis father Dick had only to signify a desire to take a cruise In the Beacon and It was at his ice lee Now the yacht was Steve Stev Cutlers Cutler's Cutlers Cutler's Cutlers Cutler's Cut Cut- lers ler's the man who had profited by his fathers father's downfall He stopped In n his musings to watch a small boat being lowered over oyer the side of the yacht When It came through the water under the powerful oars o of l two sailors Dick gathered up his line Une This must be Cutlers Cutler's private dock he grinned Rotten luck to be caught fishing on It IL But But reflective reflectively ly- ly l ly he wouldn't recognize me me never never bad a speaking acquaintance with him Guess Ill I'll wait waft There were only two passengers In the boat boat boat-a a size medium-size man with dark hair and gray ey eyes s and a nose inclined to hook a little at the end and a girl In her early twenties with fair hair and blue eyes ees Dick studied them closely from his hiding place If It that's Steve Cutler he mused thoughtfully hes younger than dad was by twenty years ears Thought he was older He turned his attention from the theman theman man mun to the girl Cutler wasn't married he resumed after a pause Therefore she she meaning the girl irl in the boat boat boat cant be his daughter A guest maybe The sailors warped the small boat alongside the float and the first to come ashore was the one who held the center of the stage The easy graceful way In which she Jumped to the float a little recklessly It seemed at a distance won Dicks Dick's admiration but her companion who had leaned forward to forestall her action appeared appeared appeared ap ap- anllo annoyed ed and distressed You should be more careful Miss Alice he lie protested landing clumsily Please dont don't be so reckless 1 For hor 01 reply the girl laughed merrily Oh Ob fudge 1 Im I'm old enough to look after myself Theres There's uncle waving v to me She flaunted Haunted a strip of gauzy lace In the air in response to something white hite fluttering over oer the rail of the yacht Meanwhile the sailors had bad been dismissed and were rowing lustily back to the parent craft The girl continued watching until the small boat was hauled out of the water and swung to the davits da of the yacht acht I wIsh uncle had come with us she observed then speaking half petulantly I dont don't see why why why- A sudden gust of wind tore at her lace scarf and In her effort to recover reco It t she Jerked both hands upward Something light and glittering Hew new In Inthe Inthe inthe the air and landed with a splash In Inthe Inthe Inthe the water A little exclamation of dismay escaped her lips Oh my hand bag I she cried Its In the riser rh er Mr Blake I Please get It t Its It's full of my papers and cards curds Oh what shall I do She ran to the edge of ot the float as asIf asIf asif If to plunge In after the bag but a restraining hand detained her Ill signal r for r the boat to come comeback comeback comeback back and pick It up Miss Alice replied replied re re- re- re plied Mr 11 Blake calmly Dont do anything g rash now flow I I But nut Its It's sinking and the tides tide's carrying it awn away Oh cant can't you get It U for fol me 1 Im u a poor Miss Mice Alice ne nc apologized weakly and the tide Is strong Ill I'll nave na ve the boat back In a ae afew afew few e minutes s. s Oh Ob dear deal It will sink before they get here bere At this Juncture both were startled startled- by a voice that seemed to come from the air all directly over their heads Dick had risen from his hiding place and stood In clear view on the end of the dock I think I I Ican can get It for tor you ou he announced calmly They glanced up at the tall lithe figure as If It It were an apparition Mr Blake lake frowningly and Miss Alice with the light of expectation In her blue blueeyes blueeyes blueeyes eyes but If either thought to see him plunge recklessly Into the river the disappointment was mutual Dick was calmly gathering In his line Une for a cast In more than than one casting tournament he had won out outa a against all contestants The bag was floating down on the tide fifty feet away sinking gradually below the surface surface sur sur- face as the water soaked In it The long bamboo pole was not the kind he would choose for a casting tournament and lacking all pretense of a reel to control It the line was liable to whip an and snarl In n the wind but there was a heavy sinker on on the end and Dick gauged this against the wind before he threw The two below watched the hook and sinker describe an nn arc In the air hesitate a moment over his head and 1 L Y h N t tt t- t t 1 1 The Two Below Watched the tho Hook and Sinker Sinker- Describe an Arc Inthe In In- the Air then as If propelled by some Invisible force both went hurtling In a graceful curve cune directly for the floating floating bag It seemed for tor an instant that Dick had overestimated the distance and something something something some some- thing approaching a sigh escaped the girls girl's lips but but buta a second later hiter It was changed to an exclamation of pure de de- de- de light Oh youve you've got It 1 she cried clapping clapping clapping clap clap- ping her hands The hook had caught aught in the lacy mesh and as If If he were hauling a trout out out of the stream Di Dick k lifted the the bag from the water and swung It wIthIn within within wIth wIth- with with- in reach of or the e eager ger owner If y you'll Ilu unhook m my catch he said smiling I Ill be obliged Before Defore she had the dripping bag clear clear of ot the h hook k Mr Blake was mounting the steps to to the dock A Anear Anear near view of the mans man's face was was not friendly He was clearly annoyed That was was wasa a lucky throw of yours ours my man ho said Of Ot t course you know fishing Is forbidden on this dock but as ns youve you've done Miss Cutler a servIce service service ice well we'll overlook that He fumbled in in his pocket and drew out a bill Ill reward you for saving the bag he added But you ou must positively leave the dock and not re re- re- re turn Here take this I Dick glanced from the mans man's face tp to the bill extended to him a slow slumberous slumberous slum slum- berous herons anger in his e eyes es Then he suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- sudI I denly smiled and took the bill plug It In his Ills hand he made awad n wad of It and deliberately thrust the h hook hook ol through It ThIs Tills might be good bait for suckers suckers suckers suck suck- ers he remarked Anyway Ill I'll try It It t ItHe tHe He flung the money-baited money hook back In th the water and calmly reseated resented himself himself himself him him- self on the pier Mr Blake glared furiously at him his hid eyes glinting dangerously dangerously dan dan- but before before he he could speak Alice Allee Culler Cutler was up the steps and by hI his side Dick co could td see by th the amusement amusement amuse amuse- m ment nt in her eyes yes that she had witnessed witnessed witnessed wit wit- the whole pro proceeding e Oh let him fish here herd as long as he wants to Mr 11 Blake she exclaimed Impulsively I owe him that much Dick smiled into her eyes but when she fumbled Into her bag Lag for something something something some some- thing his face tace grew red and hot Now please dont don't use se this for bait bait sho she said merrily but keep It until some pome day you ou may need need It lt Its It's more than a n. card of Introduction Ill I'll redeem redeem redeem re re- deem It In any way you ask at any time Ume Dick looked at the white piece of pasteboard thrust Into his hand It was an ordinary visiting card with her I name engraved engra neatly across the face CHAPTER II About the shabbiest trick that fate tate can play on us Is to bring us Into the world with a silver sliver spoon In n the mouth and then when we grow accustomed accustomed accustomed tomed to It It change It Into cheap pewter pewter pewter pew pew- ter metal It leaves an unpleasant taste for years after and some never quite get rid of that tin coppery fin flavor VOl Dick Van Ness was an amiable young man without more than his share of faults and possibly with as many virtues In a potential l state as the average man carries around In n his system when fate subjected him to this acid test How he met It Is not necessarily nearly so interesting and spectacular as many fiction writers would Invent for their heroes He lie was p p. bit put putout putout putout out by It considerably chagrined and disappointed but being young joung and Infine infine In Infine fine health he thought the world was his oyster r and he could open It ItA ItA A chip of the old block why couldn't he make a fortune as easily as his father There was no reason except that apparently he didn't Inherit the peculiar quality of mind that had made the elder Van Ness a power In the financial world I Dick didn't know It at the time but It was revealed to him In the course of oi years ears Combined with the utter lack of all experience and training th the handicap was fatal tatal He drifted and floundered driven from pillar to post making fool mistakes that an office boy could have put him straight on and In the end he returned In disgust Dick had a vein eln of romance In his I system Inherited from his mother perhaps perhaps per per- haps and a love for adventure but neither of these had found lodgment in the elder Van Ness which may have bave accounted for his remarkable success In finance They are not necessarily Incompatible with achievement but they have to be he held In subjection when business calls Self acknowledged and by common consent admitted by the world to be bea beI I a failure Dick had no scruples In giving givIng giving ing full vent to his Imaginings Forgetting Forgetting Forgetting For For- getting his fishing he dreamily pictured pictured pictured pic pic- scenes quite different from the reality reamy until suddenly aroused by the foot footsteps of the watchman He effected his escape from the prIvate private vate dock with much greater celerity and safety than the previous owner of his fishing tackle Once on solid land again he gave a last wistful look atthe atthe at atthe the Pelican Id sell my right hand for a lon long cruise In her again he sighed Id even be willing to go as a deck hand He lIe stopped and looked startled at athis athis athis his own suggestion Why not Then he answered himself with a sad sail shake of the head Because he had no experIence experience experience or references they would not employ him even as a de deck k hand Deck hands had to know something And I dont don't know anything worth knowing l he blurted out In disgust Nevertheless l all aU that afternoon and evening the fancy clung to him that his future was In lu some way Inextricably Inextricably Inex Inex- mixed up with his fathers father's old yacht and the girl who had rewarded him with the gift of her visiting card curd She had hud promised to redeem It In any anyway anyway anyway way he asked at any time and If he went to her and begged a berth on her uncles uncle's yacht she would undoubtedly grant his request but such 0 a course was repugnant to him and nd not to be considered Late In the evening Dick still lingering lingering lingering linger linger- ing In the vicinity of the waterfront as If fascinated by the smell of the ships and arid the salt saIt brine across the harbor rubbed elbows with a couple bound In the opposite direction The night was dark and the waterfront poorly lighted but for all that Dick recognized one of the men He lIe stopped abruptly In his tracks and watched the receding recE figures Well hero and heroine have met And of course that tha card cardwill cardwill cardwill will come In handy later TO D BU BE CONTINUED |
