| Show valha salla and out by george ethelbert cop aright mi ty by W 9 chaemu chat Chap max mu arnu service UNKIND FATE hrs heres a stirring story of love mid and adventure by george georee ethelbert waird oh no Us no not the valhalla of 0 Scan scandinavian scandinavia dinavi n mythology the 11 happy appy fighting grounds of warriors slain in battle its a tropical island and the actors are twentieth century tur people Ople quite up to date ana ln keople tE their ir adventurer are just as in mod 0 dern ernand and none the less leas exciting because of that no no burled buried treasure in this yarn the millions are in wall street and the buccaneers bucca operate in the stock market the heroine Is in 91 a malden maiden the hero Is 13 hr her brave rescuer who receives appropriate a prop reward CHAPTER I 1 I 1 dick van ness was smoking and idly AiD angling gling off the end of the private dock a place where he be had no bust business to be when a pleasure yacht slipped down the river and clime to anchor la in midstream nearly abreast of him at first dick was no more than mildly interested for he knew the screen of stifles would effectually conceal him from view on the water front but a moment later late r he began leaning forward forgetting his fishing pole and the glowing pipe in his hand band so eo eager was he to read the name on the stern the re pelican lican he muttered frowning its the old deacon beacon im sure of thail id recognize her anywhere then come came pleasant and unpleasant memories to occupy his thoughts ills fishing tackle was neglected and when a fish nibbled at the halt bait he be made no responsive jerk cutler got the yacht in the final breakup I 1 suppose sup pope he be mused why ashes renamed before the financial crash came that ruined his father dick had only to signify a desire to take a cruise in the beacon and it was at his big berv service now the yacht was steve cut lers lees the man who had profited by his fathers downfall ue stopped in his musings to watch a small boat being lowered over the side of the yacht when it came plunging through the water under the powerful oars of two sailors dick gathered up his line this must be cutlers butlers Cut lers private dock he grinned rotten luck to be caught fibbing on it but bur reflectively he woud nt recognize me never had a speaking acquaintance with ith him cue cues ts ill wait there were only two passengers in the boata boat a medium size man with dark halt hair and gray eyes and a nose dose inclined to hook a little at the end ani a girl in tier her early twenties with fair halland blue eyes dick studied them closely from ills his hiding place if steve cutler he mused thoughtfully lies hes younger than dad was by twenty years thought he was olife lie turned his attention from the llan to the girl cutler wari married led he be resumed after a pause therefore she moaning the girl in the boat cant be ills his daughter A guest maybe the sailors warped the small boat didong alongside side the float and the first to come ashore was tile the one who held the hie center of the stage the easy graceful way in which she jumped 0 io o tile noat hoot a little recklessly it seemed at a distance won on dicks admiration but bait tier her companion who ho had leaned forward to forestall her action ap 1 1 feared fared annoyed and dib distressed you should be more careful miss allce alice lie protested landing clumsily dont be so BO reckless for reply tile the girl laughed merrily oi oil tude fude im old enough to look ater ter myself theres uncle waving to uie me she flaunted nun d a strip of gauzy lace in lal the kir ln in response to t something m ahi title e fluttering over the rail of the 3 ai lit meanwhile the sailors had been di i ibid and were rowing lustily blick to the parent craft tile the girl gin continued watching until the small hat bilat was as hauled out of the water and thuie to tile davits of the yacht 1 I wish uncle imd had come with us she observed then speaking halt half petulantly 1 I dont see why A sudden gust of wind tore lore at tier her lace scarf and in her effort to recover it she jerked both hands uti upward viard something light and glittering flew in the air and landed with a splash in the nater A little exclamation of dismay escaped her lips olt oh my hand angl she cried its in the like rh aher er mr blake I 1 please get it I 1 its full of my papers and cards oil oh what shall I 1 dol do slie she run ran to the edge of the noat float as it 11 to plunge in after the bag but a restraining hand detained her ill signal for tile the boat to come hack back and pick it up miss bliss alice replied plied mr blake calmly dont do en thing ruhh bowl now but its sinking anti anil the tides carrying it away oll oh cant you get it fol foi filer me ani aru a poor swimmer fihs lili alice tie apologized meadly anti and tile lie tide Is trong strong rn ill aidie the bual boal well in a bev TUi oh dear it will sink before they get here at this juncture both were startled by a voice that seemed to come from the air directly over their heads dick had risen from his biding place and stood in clear view on the end of the dock 1 I think I 1 can get it tor for you he anjou announced need calmly they glanced up at the tall lithe figure as if it were an apparition mr blake frowningly and miss alice with the liggit of expectation in tier her blue eyes but if either thought to see him plunge recklessly into the river the disappointment was mutual dick was calmly gathering in hla his line for a cast in more than one casting tournament lie he had won out against all contestants the bag was floating down on the tide fifty feet away sinking gradually below the sur ur 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 IL the line was liable to whip and snarl in the wind but there was a heavy sinker on the end and dick gauged this against the wind before he threw the two below watched the hook and sinker describe an are arc in the air hesitate a moment over his head bead and t 11 Z Z b L the two below watched the hook and sinker describe an arc in the air then as if propelled by some invisible force both went nent hurtling in a graceful curve directly for the floating bag it seemed tor for an instant that dick had overestimated the distance and something approaching a sigh escaped the girls lips but a second later it was changed to an all exclamation of pure delight oh youve got it she cried clapping tier her hands the hook had caught in the lacy mesh and as if he were nere hauling a trout out of the stream dick lifted the bag from the water and swung it within reach of the eager owner if unhook my catch lie be said smiling ill be obliged before she had the dripping bag clear of the hook mr blake was mounting the steps to the dock A near few of the nans mans face was not friendly lie ile was clearly annoyed that was a lucky throw of yours my man lie said of course you know fishing Is forbidden on this dock but as youve done 1 miss cutler a service well overlook that lie fumbled in his pocket and drew out a bill ill reward you tor for saying saving the bag he added but you must positively leave the dock and not return here take this dick glanced from the mans face to the bill extended to him a slow slumberous anger in tits his eyes then he be suddenly smiled and took the bill crumpling it in ills his hand blind he made a wad of it and deliberately thrust the hook through it this might be good bait tor for suckers he remarked An anyway yay ill try it he flung the money baited hook book back in the water ater and calmly resented seated re himself on the pier mr blake glared furiously at him ills his eyes glinting dangerously gerou sly but before he could speak alice cutler was up the steps and by his side dick could see by tile amusement in her eyes that bile bhe bed witnessed the whole proceeding oh let him fish here as long as lie he wants to mr blake she exclaimed impulsively 1 I owe him that much dick smiled into her eyes but when ullen she fumbled into her bag for something his face grew red and hot now please dont use this for bait she said merrily but keep it until some day you may need it its ita more than a card of introduction ill redeem it in any way you ask at any timp time dick looked at the white piece of pasteboard thrust into his hand it wits wag an ordinary visiting card with her name engraved neatly across the face CHAPTER 11 II about the shabbiest shab biest trick that fate can play on us Is to bring brine us u into the world with a silver spoon la in the mouth and then when we grow accustomed to it change it into cheap pewter metal it leaves an unpleasant taste for years after and some never quite get rid of that tin coppery brassy flavor dick van ness nesa was an amiable young man without more than his share of faults and possibly with as an many virtues in a potential state as the average man carries around in hll fill system when fate subjected him to III this add acid test how he met it la Is not necessarily nearly so interesting and spectacular as many fiction writers would invent for their heroes he was a bit put out by it considerably chagrined and disappointed but being young and in fine health he thought the world was his oyster and he be could open it IL A chip of the old block why he be make a fortune as easily as his father there was no reason except that apparently he inherit the peculiar quality of mind that had made the elder van ness a power in the financial world dick know it at the time but it was revealed to him in the course ol of years combined with the utter lack of all exper experience lence and training abd tbd th handicap was fatal lie he drifted and floundered driven from pillar to post making fool mistakes that sin an office boy could have put him straight on and in the end he returned in disgust dick had a vein of romance in his system inherited from his mother perhaps and a love for adventure but neither elthier of these had bad found lodgment in the elder van ness which in may ay have accounted for his remarkable success in finance they are not necessarily incompatible with achievement but they have to be held in subjection when nhen business calls self acknowledged and aad by common consent admitted by the world to be a failure dick had no scruples scruple ln in giving ing 1 full vent to his imaginings forgetting his fishing he dreamily pictured scenes quite different from tile the reality until suddenly aroused by the footsteps of the watchman he effected his escape from the private 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 at the pelican id bell my right hand band for a long cruise in her again he sighed id even be willing to go ns as a deck hand he stopped and looked startled at his own suggest suggestion lon why not then he answered himself with a sad shake of the head bead because he had bad no experience or references they would not employ him even as a deck hand deck hands bands had to know something and I 1 dont know anything worth knowing he be blurted out in disgust nevertheless all that afternoon and evening the fancy clung to him that his future was in some way inextricably ably mixed alsed up with his fathers old yacht and the girl who had rewarded him film with the gift of her visiting card she had find promised to redeem it lu III tiny any way he asked at any time and it if ile he went to tier her and begged a berth on her uncles yacht she would undoubtedly grant his request but such a course was repugnant to him and not to be considered late in the evening dick still lingering in the vicinity of the waterfront as it if fascinated by the smell of the ships and the salt 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 stopped abruptly in his tracks and watched the receding figures well hero and heroine have met and of course that card will come in handy later TO BIG BB CONTINUED |
