Show 1 I 1 4 in valhalla and min out i by I 1 george ceorge ethelbert Etta elbert walsh arl copyright 1026 by W 0 chapman CHAPTER XIV Contin tied 14 it good news dicka she asked su smiling illing into ills his face uncles conscious and begins to remember things oh ob im sure hell gt get bet better terl tin glad of that miss alice but yon said something about a ship yea I 1 forgot its nearly dearly here steaming at full speed breed and do you know dick I 1 think its a navy vessel a revenue cutter or torpedo boata I 1 dont know which anyway its got guns on it and it looks awfully fierce and warlike where Is it he be demanded and whirling her around he be made her leml lead him back to the top of the cliff there in plain sight heading for eIsland th under forced draft was a scrappy looking torpedo boat her deck lined with blue jackets dick smiled balled 1 I guess the pelican the only one that picked up my S 0 S she certainly acts as it if she was in a hurry the girl giri by ills side suddenly su turned grave and said the most inexplicable thing oh dick I 1 almost wished it coming it was going to be so ro nice on the island without without now I 1 suppose therell be a crowd I 1 ile he looked at her waveringly queer sensations at his heart strange lights dancing before hla his eyes like a man seized with vertigo he be staggered toward her caught one of her hands bands in his and opened his mouth to speak but captain barnett at that moment appeared a pair of binoculars in his hands As sure as aa youre born mr air van niss ness he said its a warship good news ot of course it Is muttered dick in disgust anybody could see with his bis naked ees it a scow or rowboat barnett lowered his glasses and stared at him in amazement then bel he turned to alice and seeing her flushed face be grunted and walked away I 1 I 1 CHAPTER XV the he torpedo boat sprite had picked up dicks wireless at sea and hurried to joithe the island but the pelican was ten miles nearer and beat her by a small email margin of time the arrival of the warship completely demoralized captain brent and his confederates after a threat of the commander to blow up the cave with a depth bomb they surrendered and sulkily permitted themselves to be taken prisoners dick was not sorry that the responsibility lity of capturing and holding them was transferred to an others shoulders on the warship where the prisoners were sere put through a separate and collective grilling he learned details oft the plot that cleared up many points mr blake had bad taken advantage of his position of trust and confidence as mr cutlers butlers Cut lers private secretary to manipulate the stock market for ills his own benefit using a brokerage firm questionable of reputation as a confederate knowing that the enforced absence of steve cutler would create a I 1 panic in the stocks supported by him be had planned skillfully fully to bring about this situation through the suggestion ot of doctor alster he be administered a drug that slowly weakened the old mans health gradually breaking down his iron wilt will until he was apathetic and In differ ent ile he became alternately peevish and irritable followed by long periods of gloomy depression ills his own family physician was unable to diagnose his case LY by working on his employers mind when ben la in this weakened condition blake won the power to speak and act for him in many important matters ne ile had captain johnston Joli oston dismissed and brent installed in his place then in one of hla his periods of dejection he prevailed upon cutler to accept a temporary change of physicians rafter that the success of the plot was assured doctor alster kept ills patient weak and mentally depressed until it was time to spring their coup captain brent had bad been to valhalla to td install the secret wireless plant in the cave care and when be returned arrangements were completed tor for the second step in the scheme doctor alster had bad warned cutler that a period of absolute rest was essential and be recommended a trip to valhalla alice had bad unwittingly fallen into their plans and when she added her persuasions to that of the others the old tian man had grumbl alel y lei fled ded all preparations for the trip had been left to blake his pretense of sending the servants down ahead to open the big house wall wag in keeping alth the rest of his underhanded knavery ayery when the yacht arrived and nd it was found that no servants were on the island lie he appen appeared red to ne ine more perturbed than any one his plausible excuse of sending the yacht rack back tor for more servants was wa accepted ks was cutler until her r of his double dealing wore were aroused by dick the pelican had merely steamed off to marsh inlet where it was in com mun leation with the island and also with a shore wireless station blakes messages to tits ills brokers were thus relayed to the shore and answers received via the yachts wireless in the same EA me way the mans original idea had been to commit no crime that could be traced to him but two factors developed that upset its his plans one was his growing passion for alice cutler which when he had her in his power on the island developed into a madness that caused him to overreach himself ue be had bad made love to marle marie for purely selfish purposes using her as an instrument tor for furthering his ends but when she became obnoxious and threatening he took the first opportunity to rid himself of her in a moment of rage and passion he be had pushed her over the cliff to what seemed certain destruction the other factor that had conflicted with tits his interests was the obstinacy of the stock market to move just as he wanted it at first it was violently va Z I 1 U ilk dick I 1 almost bishel it coming depressed by all sorts of rumors concerning the health and even death of steve cutler but after that it had reacted and recovered some of its normal tone to make matters worse for blake he had bad to protect his margins with the stocks and securities of his employer which he be had bad abstracted from his private safe and deposit vaults and placed where he could get them easily ills his brokers had called by wireless tor for more and more margins until tens of thousands of dollars worth of steve cutlers butlers Cut lers securities had been turned over to them elake blake was not only a ruined man but a thief and absconder unless the market turned so he be could recoup hla his losses and replace the stocks and bonds before his employer returned the scheme had bad been blasted by dick who from the first had appeared as the mans nemesis accidentally and then intentionally cros crossing bing tits his path at every important turn to checkmate him steve cutler had come out of tits his comatose condition partly as the result of doctor aisters Al ministrations just as captain brent appeared afterward the surgeon e on vt of the torpedo boat took hina him in hand band and before the warship was ready to sail with her prisoners the old man though weak was mentally nearly normal alice explained in detail what had happened on the ind before dick was summoned to cutlers butlers Cut lers bedside the old man looked pale but grim and in a fighting mood ue ile nodded as dick entered ent pred well sir youre ft a chip of the old eld block in 1 he be said 1 I knew henry van ness when lie was a boy henry and I 1 grew u up p together fighting our battles in knee breeches before we locked horns on the street im glad to meet you sir air dick grasped the withered hand and murmured some conventional reply now sir air continued the money magnate what can I 1 do for you I 1 owe you everything name your price dicks head bead went up 1 I any he replied coolly eh 7 thail repeat etl 1 I any price sir I 1 I 1 do it to be rewarded thank you just tile the same but by gad sir air you must have a price every man has I 1 then I 1 roust must be the exception he smiled As lie he did so his eyes drifted across the bed to the girl opposite for a moment he was quiet and dreamily thoughtful suddenly he laughed good and shrugged his shoulders yes tea I 1 have a price he be said but its too high for even you to pay you tou do it I 1 pay snorted cutler you think that scoundrels ruined rallied me so I 1 cant buy what I 1 want I 1 young man you dont know me I 1 c could cid id buy buy dick turned abruptly away 1 I cant discuss it any further he be 1 have mentioned it besides hesitating and looking boldly from one to the other P another another would have to pay more than you and I 1 dream of asking her to toot foot the bills that another pay my bills 1 roared the old man as dick moved mored to the door what does he be mean alice he be flung at his niece 1 I 1 1 I dont know came the stammering reply accompanied by a rich flood of carmine to her cheeks dont know dont knowl know I 1 repeated the man on the bed by gad miss I 1 I 1 believe youre keeping keepin something from me if you were a man id say you were lying to me I 1 f r oh uncle murmured alice bury ing her face in the pillow 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 1 two days later when the pelican was homeward bound dick had bad the deck in the absence of captain barnett in the misty moonlight a figure wrapped in a cloak stood close to him swaying a little each time the yacht lurched so that he had to support her with an arm you tou have such funny notions dick she whispered it you really love me stop talking about my money why it mine anyway uncle may die and leave it to charity 1 I wish he would I 1 mean leave it to charity not die was the gloomy retort arent you deliciously frank and delightful when you talk that she be laughed hugging the arm to which she clung marry me it if I 1 were poor but because im ilu rich you want to jilt me no not that dear he be interrupted holding her close ill have to marry you rich or poor I 1 love you so hut but I 1 wish there such a difference in why im a failure fall bre dear a total failure I 1 lie ile waved his arms eloquently quent ly before I 1 left the city I 1 was down and out and I 1 shipped as a stowaway I 1 cant forget that tha well ill help you to forget forge t it she replied kissing him now listen I 1 love lore you and not what youve got or got ill love you as a stowaway or failure or successful business min man all there Is to it what else really matters dick nothing I 1 guess he murmured a little dizzily pressing his lips to hers her and forgetting all his object objections ious in tho tha blabs of the moment THE END |