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Show ,...HHE 5 OG I ETY WO L-F. jfefe. H 111 A MEASURE OF SUCCESS " W,:tt. iooo. th. N. fo ,..r.d Co a P..,b.. P., ' -SfiSBi sMISll CAKTEK had started up the incline gangway , SilJ from the cl-.r, bouse float to the pier before ho WWWm Sl she saw him Eyes flashed against res I. the ' 'WS "HIW parry of dances. She hesitated just the frac- . JSlfe ffllMT don of an instant, thou swept ou cor,,,,, .1th fixed tiS kffll L Interest in a motor boat that was swooping toward the VW? TtfrrrrSh. end of the landing. He kept his gaze.' direct and challenging, upon her. but she was quite unaware of ,$f his presence. There wo, no hint of color In her face V. V She drew aside slightly against the handrail to let JWA X h.m puss. Until be reached her he was fu.ly deter- fP mined to spea, a decision ,u which her pan. con- .gjf I on without a word. And this was Iheir first meeting r t that Mrs. Ostermun should choose to leave the club 'iSSt f& '"'', ,. 'f" bouse float In Horace Quirk's new motor boat nor a" --cSVrr?, -SS5rirSKi iSJ?iSl!! JtffiSS1" that her one and only companion should be joung y g& .-Tfs yi.i2lf'ys Horace Quirk himself.' But Carter, sitting on the y $f ' '"ffeaSi veranda, became most unwisely attentive to the con- f f'J s -.-. y!v.iV ' ' versatlon of Dorothea Pulsaln. who had given him the S SSa5aga$gg benefit of her society, and followed the little scene at r 1 w the water's Mge with engrossed attention. . HE LAUGHED A LAUGH OF SHEER DELIGHT AND CONTENT AND CAUGHT HER BOLDLY IN HIS ARMS. Instant Caner thought that h!s rival was pursuln- h another launch Then he saw a tow rope Jtl Qu,rk., hand and understood. It was Sam' sklfr Oulrk had made It fast before the start from the lanrtln 9nrt had leaped Into It as the motor boat drew nwnr ' The Virginian fumbb-d in- the tool lor-kor m nil found a larg- and heavy wren. !; Tlu h climbed out on the o crhang und waved It In c!o-e proximity to Quirk a bead. "Back upl" Quirk, who had nearly handed himself up il0 Tovtf glared at him unlil surprlso mavten d nu.-e ' Good Lord! Is that CurteretV" "The same." said Carter, bluntly. "Well wbot is all this? Have you gone mad?"' "Dangerously." rve come aboard for an uninterrupted uninter-rupted conversation with Mrs. Osterman. and I'm lng to havo 1U Now you drop away and be quiet or I'll try this on you. Nice hefty tblng. a wrench." There was no ralfitaklnp the sincerity of the volet and Quirk, bewildered and spluttering, made huie to let out slack. Carter took up his position by the engine en-gine where he could wntch Quirk and talk to Marlon He found a little auxiliary steering knob against the gunwale and be was thus In complete com una ud. ' He was about to resume bis conversation with Marlou, who had been u silent observer of the lucldent, when there came a hail from Quirk "Oh. Mailou." he calkrt "Don't be afraid of ;he fellow. I am hero." Confessions. P.ut Carter Aould uot even tuke the time to smile. "It's no ue. Marlou." hi s.nld earnestly. "ou cannot draw Into a shell of rvswrvf with rue We have been too frank. You know me, p.ud once made me know myself. I was ?n adventurer. Yes I eould not ruke yon as a girl without fortune. No. I aided ymir marriage. mar-riage. Yes After ull that uud In spite of !t ul! o:i acknowledged our love. Can you deny it now':" "I shall have him arrested Immediately wt land:" yelled Quirk tallanilj "'ou must have felt how mar I was to f'ii getting everything :ho last time we met. when your busbaud. so far as we knew, wai still alive." pleaded Caner, with the old Hoping flame in his heart. "Never fear, the fellow shall suffer for this. ' howled Quirk. . "You would not have had me otherwise, knowing mo as you do." went on Cnrter. "If I drew back It was the- one thing thut kept me from being quilt worthless, quite the wretched, common soldier of fortune. for-tune. Let us stand straight to the problem You u-t taking the poe that I seek reconciliation because, b- In? free once more, you have riches e aud no Marlon; yes aud no. You understand. Am I not honest with you?" "If be is annoying you1, jump overboard. Marlon I will pick you up," came the shrill vcice of Quirk. "Do yoir prefer that?" asked Carter, waving towart the skiff. What was wrong? She made no answer He was posUive that by now be ha.'. sutbViimUy dis credited Quirk. Then Carter staked bis chance ou a swift change o! tactics, drlveu thereto by her unmoved silence. "Verj well, Marlou," he said gravely. "I have made my out stand for happiness. I owed myself at least that. 1 will restore your vociferous friend to you and go. He Is a fortunate man There Is nothing more to be said.'1 He turned away, but a slender hand caught bis sleeve. "Do you wish to go back and dance some more with Dorothea?" she asked tremulously, shyly. He laughed a laugh of sheer delight and content aiu caught her boldly In his arms. She surrendered her self to him with a little sigh. "So that As It?" h. said. "He shall suffer for bis Impudent audacity." cam the wall from Quirk. "Shall he?" whispered Carter. The answer was in articulate. They were half a mile from the boat club kmdinf now and Carter left her a moment while he severet Quirk's painter, greatly to the Indignation and dlsmaj of that young man. Then he turned the launch for i wide circle and sent It out swiftly Into the perfeei night, that they two might be alone In this ihel: hour The Great Goal. It was over, the long campaign, the time of palufu scaling of the social heights, the skirmishes, the am buscades, the scheming, the partial triumphs and bitter bit-ter defeats. Single handed he had conquered tlclc after fleld, captured fortress after fortres where the purple flag floats above the gilded ramparts of the elect. Now. with the reinforcement of Marlon aud the zinc millions, the citadel lay Just before him. It would capitulate. The struggle was past. The rest was merrymaking. He looked back to the day when he bad come to Uio great city, n poor boy from Virginia, with nothing but his good looks, his tact, his shrewdness and hli premature kuowledge of the world as capital. H had gone far since theu Scarcely any door was dosed against him Hp belonged to the most exclusive clubs. Ills prlvHto fortune was ample for his own ueeds. Ills clothe, his horsps. his automobiles set the fashlou. It needed but the charming wife and the millions to buttress his life position. And now he held them. If there was a taste of ashes In the rewnrd he had gained a philosophy that taught him to expect It. If the glittering trophies proved not pure gold, lie wa willing to take them for what they were. If the favored ones with whom he had come to dwell. were uot the noble flguies they had seemed from the outer regions, he was tutored against disappointment. Now that he had It. his Intelligence eould read the folly and the lnslgulrU-anee and the burrennoss and the Me of It all. Kut he was coutent with his measure of sue-C4MS sue-C4MS conteut the more because, so far as was In blm, be loved the woman he bad won. Still wraiped In his dreams and his bupplacss, Carter Anally drove the launch In to the boat elufc lauding, The flaring electric reflector made the placi as bright as a stage, and as he helped Marlon upon it a figure swept out of the shadows. "Cougratulatloos, you two!" It was Dorothea, the Inimitable, the ever helpful, and she held out a hand to each. "Huh?" tnld Carter, blinking. "You don't mean to say you haven't asked her yet?" exclaimed the subtle young woman. "Dorothea." said Carter solemnly, "you surpass youMdf. To pause a moment, Mr. Quirk la now rowing row-ing your brother's skiff In. I will ask you to present him my best thanks for the. use of his motor boat. Marlon and I hnve a train to catch." "Oh. theu you have asked her? " "No. As a matter of fact I haven't yet. But I will now. -Watch me." , .THE END BY U KE THRICE. ronTricfct 1M T tho Ne Tork Uintd Co All rib P.MrT4.) CAUTEIt bad started up the Inclined gangway from the club house float to the pier before ho saw ber. SI bad taken two vt?ps down before she saw him Eyes flashed against ves In the parry of glances. She hesitated Just the fraction frac-tion of an Instant, theu 6wcpt ou carelessly, with fixed Interest In a motor boat that was swooping toward the end of the landing. He kept his gaze.' direct and challenging, upon her. but she was quite unaware of his presence. There was no hint of color In her face She drew aside slightly against the handrail to let him pass. Uutil be reached her he was fully determined deter-mined to speak, a decision In which her pause con-Dimed con-Dimed blm. Hut when he turned toward her the cold calm of her cheek chilled his resolution and he climbed on without a word. And this was iheir first meeting frlneo her widowhood Of course It was strictly none of Carter's business that Mrs. Ostermun should choose to leave the club bouse float In Horace Quirk's new motor boat nor that her one and only companion should be .oung Horace Quirk himself. But Carter, sitting on the veranda, became most unwisely attentive to the conversation con-versation of Dorothea Pulsaln, w ho had given him I he benefit of her society, and followed the little scene at the water's edge with engrossed attention. For a matter of months now he had been assldu-iijsly assldu-iijsly persistent In watching Mrs. Oaterman from a llstunce. so the present phenomenon was not altogether alto-gether remarkable. Ccrtulnly. Mls3 Pulsaln, though frntertalnlng a distinct sensation of pique, found nolh-i)g nolh-i)g extraordinary In it "What a beautiful boat Horace has this year!" she ibsen ed, falling in abreast of his train of thought with langerous case and nweetness. He nodded absently. "And do notice bow delightfully careful he is In jelplng Marion nhoard? Really, now, right out there )n the dock! Did you see that? Apparently, from his i owl and hU suddeu flush, be did. Certainly the nanuer In which the charming young widow accepted Julrk' aid as well as the manner in which it was jffered w as not that of casual acquaintance. The fact h:tt sbe looked dlstractiugly dainty and girlish In her yachting costume nfler her months of mourning added considerably to the picture Dorothea smiled. A Well Matched Couple. "Do you know, I never quite believed what every jne's been saying. But I do now. Don't you?" "What?" growled Carter ungraciously. "Ob, what!" returned Dorothea innocently. "How ibould I know? But there they are. And I must say hnt they make a very handsome and a very well enatcbed couple." "Dorothea," said the Virginian suddenly, "your Buesse is something to marvel at." "So I've been told." she said. "There they go. Dear tic! how gallant Uorai.e looks at the wheel! To Uduk that I never noticed his really magnificent pres. mee before, and his taste, particularly In motor boats. But It's too late, Isn't It?" "Delicate as a war club," commented Carter, but he nineed nonetheless. "I wonder where they're going to," said Dorothea, is they watched the craft ehoot swiftly out, leaving a tolling wake of white. Something In the tone aroused Carter and he iooked at his companion suspiciously. "Well, where?" be asked sharply. "Goodness, how 4oorLsh you are!" Whereupon Carter read himself a brief lecture for possibly the thousandth time, to the effect that it Is never well to treat any woman with scant attention, xo matter bov nnneccssary she may appear to be at ny given moment. "Dorothea," ho said humbly. "Yes." Tell me." "What?" "Will you have some chocolate and a baba au ihum?" be asked desperately. "Of course. How nice of you!" sho said sweetly. It wu half an hour of penance but fie endured It manfully, submitting to Dorohea's sledgehammer wit with good gra.-e. At the end ho triumphed, ns he al-jwnyii al-jwnyii could, even with Dorothea. ("They've gone to the Pine Point Inn for dinner," nald that youug woman finally. "And much good may l lie Information do yott" "Sometimes I could nlmost love you, Dorothea," he murmured. "What's that?" she asked hastily "Nothing. There's a dance at Pine Point to-night, Isn't there?" "Yes, there is, and I'm going, though I haven't any one for escort but the Stuyver girls." "Then if you had some one for the trip there you'd nt least be fifty per cent better off than you are In the present prospect. Tou could come hack with the Stuyver Stuy-ver girls just the same." "Depeuds upon the some one. It might be minus fifty per cent," she answered prompt'y. "A shrewd bit; oh. a shrewd hit," aaid Carter. "However, do you spurn the offer?" Dorothea might wield a heavy conversational fist, but she was not stupid nor was she 111 naturcd. She -onsldered the Virginian a moment quizzically. "What offer can you make for such a concession?" she asked. "Two more babas." "Done," sbe said; "but you'll have to dauce with mc three t lines." . "Make It live. I mean dances, not babas," 'Oh-h-b!" The exclamation was accompanied with lifted brows and a look of deeper understanding. Further single stick conflict was prevented by the. entrance of Sam Pulsaln, who greeted the Virginian Joyously and threw his cap In the cake dish. "Say. Doily, you're going to Pine Polut to-night, aren't you?" he a-ked. "Thanks. You should have put in your application earlier. Sam." "No, bang ir, that isn't w hat I meant. I tlnd I can't go myself. But I want you to ad Horace Quirk If boil low that skiff back for mc. lie got away before I could ee blm." "Of course I'll a,-k bim," said Dorothea, "Or If I don't Mr. Carteret will. Mr. Quirk aud he are such great friends!" Carter shook his head In silence at the speaker, expressing ex-pressing awed admiration at this triumph of repartee "When the Virginian guided Miss Pulh.ilu out luto the circling measures of the first dauce nt the tine Point that evening be felt that be might righteously congratulate himself. There were few prettier girls on tlie tloor and certainly no better dancer thau Dorothea. Dor-othea. The crowd was very good, considering the place and the season, and he noted the Stanebiields, the Oatz-Browus and the Maunards In the palm room. It was a yachting set and most of them had evidently been out that afternoon, for Informal garb prevailed. A Hole in a Stocking. Meanwhile he was alert for a certain couple, and preseutly he sighted them, swinging Id from the doorway. door-way. He tacked until he knew they were near, then manoeuvred about them, keeping his back turned. "She's looking remarkably well," announced the Irrepressible Ir-repressible Dorothea, while be held his relative position. posi-tion. "She'll never speak to me again, though. Now to the right. That's It. If you'll reverse nt this corner cor-ner we'll be Just behind them." "Has she seen us?" asked Carter eagerly, accepting Dorothea's aid willingly. "Sbe wasn't looking this way." "Don't worry. She's already dissected me. I'm perfectly per-fectly certain .hat my hair Is down, my waist doesn't tit and 1 havo a hole lu ray stocking. Now port yiur helm, captain." "Ay, ay, madam," said the Virginian. Each time he could bring his glance to bear he saw Mrs. Oster-man Oster-man aud Horace Quirk, both equally oblivious to his existence. He saw, too, with a pardonable vanity In small things, that Quirk was fully three Inches shorter than himself, that be heid his bead forward and that be was a decidedly Inferior dancer. With this much encouragement and with the continued assurances of Dorothea that Marlon was watching them he felt em lioldenod. No sapient commentator since the world began has ever compiled a list of the various ways of making love without including mention of love maklug In a dance. Carter was as familiar with this item as he was with all the others, and he now proceeded to demonstrate. In so doing he was takfug no advantage advan-tage of Dorothea, who possibly was quite as adept as himself. He wooed her discreetly, with proper restraint, re-straint, but to the initiated unmistakably. It was largely a matter of eyes, and Dorothea understood it the first flash. "I don't know whether you're worth it, R. Pendle-tou," Pendle-tou," she said pensively. "Worth what?" "My hilping you any more" "Please do." be s lid. "But it's such an old 'rick. Don't you suppose she'll guess?" "I can't help It. It's the only chance I have left" So Dorothea, good uatured, daring, whimsical Dorothea, Doro-thea, lent her a'd, and the sapient makers of lists could have learned something from the result. On Board the Launch. "You won't need the other two," said Dorothea, "and now I'll bring Joy and light to the hearts of yon desolated deso-lated swains who have been trylug to break through you all evening." They were standing In the hall after the third dance, aud out ou the steps Carter caught a glimpse of a slim, cloaked figure that was Just parting, with gay laughter, laugh-ter, from old Gatz-Brown, who hud Imprisoned one hand. "Goodby, Dorothea, you dear girl!" cried Carter, and he was off like a shot through the dance hall, through a maze of corridors to the outer wing, nearest the boat dock. He arrived on the landing breathless but with time to spare, A number of small craft lay moored at both sides and out at the eud he saw Quirk's new motor boat. He was ready for anything, violence if need be, and be began by buying the aged Ixiat keeper, body, soul and lantern, for a yellow backed bill. Then ho climbed into the motor boat ".lust a Joke on a friend, you understand?" be said to bis new confederate. "Yes, sir; ull right, sir." "Well, stand by with that lantern and obey orders. Turn your back to me." Two figures, one lu w-hite. faintly seen In the thin stream of yellow rays, were strpplug onto the shoreward shore-ward end of the landing. A fairly brisk wind was whipping down the shore, drlvlug little slapping waves against the craft, and under cover of the sound and the dark ness Carter started the engines. They rau quietly, with nn oily purr, at low speed, while the launch lugged gently at her moorings. "Be ready with your lines," warned the Virginian. He would have played" the desperate buccaneer with great willingness, but the developments took easier shape. One. of the figures, that In white, came on alone. The other paused, bnsleil with something at the side of the dock. Carter, crouched behind the eoglues, clutching the speed lever, whispered a quick direction. "Help her In; help her In, you lunatic!" The boat keeper obeyed, dropped down Into the forward for-ward compartment of the craft and held out a hand. She came forward with some hesitation and stood for a moment on the edge of the lauding, a radiant vision against the curtain of the night In the full glow of the lantern, skirts gathered daintily and peering down Into the launch. While the Virginian held his breath he heard the elow approach of Quirk along the lde. The steps had nlmost reached the motor boat,- Then Marlon accepted the proffered aid of the boat keeper and Jumped lightly aboard. Instantly the man sprang to the landing. Carter stood up "Cast off!" he roared.' There was a quick scramble. The Virginian threw over his lever. The boat churned nid lunged against ber Hues. The forward one was almost Instantly released As the boat keeper caught nt the other there was a yell from Quirk and a frightened fright-ened scream from Marlon. Suddenly freed, the launch crawled awuy from the landing, rapidly gaining speed. Carter, looking back ns he started for the wheel, 6aw a strange scene ou the landing in the waverlug light or the lantern. Quirk gave the boot keeper a lolent push thai sent blm staggering, then he leaped violently from the dock, apparently In a mad and hopeless effort to reach the stern of the launch, which was fully fifteen fif-teen feet away. Carter saw no more, for the craft was headed toward a Jutting point. lie hurried past Marlon, who was huddled ou the cushions, and gained the wheel. Once on a safe course he turued to her It was too dark to read fu es. Each was a blot in the gloom to the other. "Don't be frightened, Marion." he said. "You must have guessed it was I." She Listens at Last. A little gasp came in auswer and sbe sat suddenly erect. Carter discovered, what he hud not counted upon, that the situation was somewhat embarrassing. But he advanced the attack. "I couldu't help it, Marlou. You have avoided me. persistently, aud I 6lmply had to have a word with you. You must have known thut I would not be content, con-tent, that I would Qnd some 6uch means at this. It was Impossible that we should go on the way we were." He moved a little closer on the cushions. But still she made no reply. "Won't you say something? Won't you say, at least, that you'll listen to me?" "You seem to have taken that quire out of my hands," she said, coldly. He had been waiting, witb sensitive ear for her first word. He could take llttlo encouragement from the tone. He had hoped for some ugltatlou. It would have meant more to him. But here, after the first chock of surprise, she was quite self-possessed. He sensed some inner defence against him, a thing she hud never made him feel before. He had planned no further than the overcoming of the protection pro-tection that the presence of others furnished her. Quirk! Was it possible that, after all . As pat as if the thought had been the cue thero came a hout, not from the shore, but from close at hand, at the stern. Carter, startled, rose aud scrambled scram-bled oft. A rift lu the clouds flooded the scudding hiuueh with moonlight, and close behind, lying flat In the bow of a small craft, with outstretched houd withiu a few feet of the low rail, was Quirk. For an |