Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, January 31, 1921, Page 2

L | & B T - THE BEMIDJI DAILY PIO! H ! i R . MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 31, 1921 ' BEMIDJI DAILY PIONEER 3 PUBLISHED EVERY AFTERNOON EXCEPT SUNDAY THE LEMIDJI PIONEER PUBLISHING CO. E. H. DENU, Sec. E. CARSON, President J. D. WINTER, City Editor G. W. HARNWELL, Editor Telephone 922 Eotered at the postoffice at Bemidji, Minnesota, as second-class meter."l under Act of Congress of March 8, 1879. No attention paid to anonymous contributions. Wriler’s name must| e known to the editor, but not necessarily for publication. Communica- tidus for the Weekly Pioneer must reach this office not later than Tuesday| of each week to insure publication i the current issue. ! SUBSCRIPTION RATES By Carrier 2 By Mail g‘;. H’::tl{u One Year ...............ss.oni Three Months i One Month Six Months ...... R 2.50: Otie Week Three Months ......ee-. - 128/ THE WEEKLY PIONEER—Twelve pages, published every Thursday | and sent postage paid to any address fcr, in advance, $2.00. p OFFICIAL COUNTY AND CITY PROCEEDINGS W‘——: LEGISLATIVE TINKERING It cannot be denied that there is a surplus of legislation by congress and the legislatures of the states—the country is] afflicted with more laws than its people know anything about, or would give strict observance to if they were familiar with! them. Legislatures of nearly every state are spending time and money attempting to cure, by legal enactment, ills which can be! overcome only by the exercise of ordinary common sense. A state tries something new for two or three years—hardly long! enough to demonstrate its practicability or lack of it—and cer—; tain interests become active in bringing about the passage of a repeal bill, at the same time proposing something else that will| be just as much of an experiment. There is considerable uncer-| tainty in industry and trade, but this uncertainty is aggravated | by the hit-and-miss methods used in adoption of much legisla-J tion in the last few years. It might be well to clear the statute, $ooks of a large number of laws that are inoperativ'e and inef- fective, w But there is little reason to hope that anything will be done| along the lines suggested. When a man is sent to congress or the state legislature, he goes with the idea that he was chosen for the purpose of making changes in the laws, and he proceeds to go as far as his fellow members will permit. Fewer laws and more obedience to basic principles might help to overcome the spirit of lawlessness now giving so much concern to the author-! ities. : —0 r HONESTY IN JURY SERVICE Prohibition is sufficiently unpopular in St. Louis to make it difficult to obtain the conviction of a violator of the Volstead law by a jury. After three defendants had been acquitted there in the face of convincing evidence of their guilt the presiditig judge a few days ago discharged the entire panel of 100 jurors. The situation directs attention to the mistaken conception that some men hold in regard-to jury service. Though sworn to find a verdict in accordance with the law and the evidence,! they feel that they are entitled to consult their personal wishes as to whether the defendant should go free. This feeling be-! comes predominant when the law, which the defendant is ac- cused of violating is unupopular. Ignoring the evidence and acquitting the guilty in such cases is demoralizing ; it pavés the| way for similar action in cases involving other laws. The, oath taken by the jurors is held lightly, the courts are brought into| contempt, and public morals suffer. ' | The remedy lies in educating jurors to hold their oaths as a| sacred promise, not so be set aside by personal predilections. If, they object to a law, they are at liberty to try to have it re-' ‘pealed; if a majority of the people dislike a statute, they héve it in their power to elect representatives who will wipe it off the bopks. But if the majority desire the law to stand, democratic principles and good citizenship demand that all shall yield tq their wishes. i 0: 2 PICKING ON PANAMA The little republic of Panama has filed a protest with our! gtate department because of the action of United States officers, in taking possession of a smalt tract of ground east of Colon on' Las Minas bay, ostensibly for defensive purposes at the entrance to the Panama canal. The note protests against the “act of, fox:ce" by which the United States took possession of the land, it bgmg alleged that the proceedings were carried on in an un-' dxp}omatic manner and fears are expressed that a precedent which may be dangerous to Panama’s national rights may have be_en established. If the protest of Panama is well founded,! this country will have witnessed one more instance of the gov- ernment by.men instead of by law, which has been typical of the Wilson administration. ) 0. i FARMERS’ BANK CREDITS The governor of the Federal Reserve board reports that the: farmers of the United States have almost two gillionsh?n bank credits. The estimated figures by districts follow: Bos- ston. $4,979,000; Philadelphia, $3,580,000; Cleveland, $1,753,- 000; Richmond, $325,000,000; Atlanta, $250,000,000; Chicago,! glgg’?}gg'ggg, KSL Lotélst 1‘&220, $665,000,000; Minneapolis, $225, i ; Kansas City, $229,432,000; D S A i . San Francisco, $89,000,000. R WHAT OTHERS SAY e S A R A A A A S W ¢ - A WORD FROM GILBERT BENSON ' We are in receipt of a letter from Gilbert B it . % enson, one of the wide- a'\\xke_ boosters in t}xe Malcolm country. Mr. Benson does not always coin- cide with our editorial opinions, but we assure him that constructive criticism ;'sex:]:&me at any time. We take pleasure in printing Mr. Benson’s letter ! Edito;, Dailg- Pioneer: our e.itqrial titled “Pyramiding Wealth” is good—a ill y - try editors insist on shaking the red rag in the blixll‘s inc':.-d bs:.Il;r:;me‘leccnt‘i‘c:; for a paltry sum. The Nonpartisan League is the only organization that has 3 real program to battlé against the existing conditions, and still you and other editors brand them as Bolshevists, Socialists, etc. According to your article, you are then aiding in bringing on a bloody revolution, it <e§ms | for the good of the country. You would stand for the United St:m-.w a d” not for the money grabbers. fHEs I dare you to print this in your paper. 5 Yours truly, . b D - GILB! A. BE N -« (Taken from paper dated Tuesday evening, Jan. FSR;F R oy | that seems inseparable frow all of his . calling. " ed on hisa Peter B.Kyne Author of “Cappy Ricks,” “The Valley of the Giants,” Etc. SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I.—John Stuart Webster, mining engired fter cleaning up a fo tune in Death Valley, Calif.. boards traln for the East. 1le befriends a vounz lady nnnoyed by a masher, thoroughly trouncing the “pest.” ! CITAPTER IL.—At Denver Webster re- ceives a letter from Billy Geary, his clos- ést friend. Geury urges him 1o come to Sobrante, Central America, to finance und develop a mining claim. 1lle decides to Ko. CHAPTER III, + Dolores Ruey, the young woman Webster befriended, und; nade a decp impression on him, on her, i3 also on the way 1o 1V.—At Juenaventura, capl- tal of Sobrante, Billy Ge: il and pen- ulless, is living on the of ““Molier Jenks,” keeper of a_dramshop. She re- ceives a cablegram from Doloves, telling of her coming. present executive. Dolores, i chiid of cight, was smuggled out of the country | by Mother Jenks 4 supported by her fn (he Unifed States. ‘The old woman, | ashamed of her occupation and hubits of | Jife, fears to meet Dolores, and sends | Geary to the boat to say she has gone ! to the United States. CIHAPTE Sobrante, g i R VI.—Webster, on his way to | Ken Il on the train, and | pital at New Orleans two CGeury bungles his mission, Dolo- seeing through his story. She | ther Jenks as her friend and | falls desperately in | or. love with the gi ! CITAPTER VIL—At New Orleans, whils | waiting for the steamer to Buenaventuri, | Webster saves the life of a voung man | Wio 18 attacked by two assassins. The | vouth leaves Webster without disclosing his identity. | (Continued From Last Tssue) CHAPTER VIII. ster’s trunk went aboard the ! steamer carly the following mornin and at noon he entered a i with his | hand baggage and was driven to the levee where La Estrellita lay tugging zently at her mooring lines. Owing to the congestion of freight and traflic the | chauffeur stopped his eab « lictle dis- tance from the gangplank, where | Webster discharged him \\'[!h a liberal ‘ tip. i ~The latter, however, swung his | passenger’s bag and suitcase to the | ground, picked them up and started | for the gangplank. “Never “mind my baggage, lad,” | Webster called after him, “One of the | deck boys will care for | | The chauffeur turned. “You've been | gencrous with me, sir,”” he answered, t “so I think I had better carry your | baggage aboard. 1€ you permit a deck | boy to handle it, you merely have to | give another tip, and that would be sheer wanton waste. Why shouldn’t ! 1 earn the one you gave me?” “I hadn’t figured it out that way, son, so here's another half dollar for being the only existing speeimen of vour specles i eaptiv My state- room Is No. 84, upper decky port side,” Webster answered, smiling. The man took the tip ecagerly «d hurried to- ward the gangplank; the quartermas. ter on duty shouldered a way for him and he darted avoard. Webster followed leisurel At the gangplank (e purser’s clerk halted him, examined his tickets and punched them, Where s the other mar u have two tickets hers Oh, that blamed let of mine"” Webster answered, and glanced around as if In search of that mythical func- tionary. “It would be like the stupid fellow to miss the boat,” he added. “When he comes—" Webster ceased speaking abruptly. He was looking straight . into the cvolent orbs of Pucker-eye, who was standing Just behind the clerk at the foot of the gangplank. “[ wonder if Pop-eye’s around, also,” Webster thought, and he faced about. Paop-e; tanding in back of him, leaning over the railing of the gang- ?” he asked. i “Which Is the valet?” the purser's clerk asked, scauning the names on the tickets. “Andrew Bowers.” “All right, Mr. Webster,” the other answered, with that geninl camaraderie “When send him aboard.” He started to pass the tickets ba to Web: but a detaining hand res m, while a dark thumb and forefinger lifted the trailing strips of tickets. Pucker-eye was examining them also, The purser's clerk drove his elbow backward violently into Pucker-eye's widrif and shook him . oft roughly. “What do you mean, you black-and- tan hound he demanded. “Since when did you begin to 0. K. my work?” Pucker-cye made no reply to this stern veproof. He accepted the elbow with cquanimity and faced Webster with an evil smile that indicated mu- tual vecognition. | “Bueno,” he said. “The senor he ces sail on La Estrellita for San Bue- naventura, no?’ “So you_came nosing around to see | i Andrew comes I'll oy NPT Pl B Xyee about it, eh? Doing a little plain gum- shoe work, I see.” Pucker-eye bowed. By the simple ex- ercise of courage and bad manners he | had looked at John Stuart Webster” ticket and name and d nation. Webster glowered darkly at Pucker- | eye and said: “Well, you scoundrclly cutthroat, what are you going to do about it? Try a little of your knife work on me, 1 suppose?” The fellow grinned—the kind of grin that is composed of equal parts of ferocity and knowledge of superior strength. That grin did more to dis- concert Webster than the knowledge that he had earned for himself two Dbloodthirsty and implacable cnemies for Pucl ve was the first of his breed that Webster had ever smile under insult. That cool smile infuriated him. Pucker-eye took out a cigaretfe ease, selected a cigarette and presented the case to Webster. selecting his own cigarette first wa deliberate, as Webster knew. It wa the Latin-Ameriean’s method of show- pntempt. all meet again, Meester Wi “May T offer a ¢ m Americans Ile smiled ing hi “We s staire,” he said. arette for the—what |—the keepsake? No?” zhtly and clo: in a knowing wink. Webster took his tickets from the purser, folded them, placed them in his | pocket and for a few s nds regarded sy in, you seum.” hall have no Pucker-eye contemptuo “When we meet ag hie retorted quictly, “you s difficulty ip remembering me. may keep your cigarette.” Hix long, powerful right arm shot out; like a forceps his thumb and fore- rather d with a Pucker-eye finger closed over Puckceree flat nose; he sques shrill scream of . ag went fo his knees. : Still holding the wreteh by his proboscis, Webster turned quickly in order that his face, might be toward " he sald, “if you take a T twist your nose, too, rward Tll throw you in the ! river.” He turned to Pucker-cye. “Up, thou cyrious littlc one,” he said fn Spapish. and jerked the unhappy “Up, Thou Curious Little One.” rascal to his feet. The Iatter clawed ineffectually at the terrible arm which held him, until, presently discovering {hat the harder he siruggled the harder Webster pinched his nose, he ceased his struggles and hung limply, moan- Ing with pain and rage In the grip of the American, “Good ! Webster aunounced. Ing his grip a litde. With his left hand he deftly extracted a hair from o the sereaming little each flank ¢ scoundrel’ them Dbe eyes, and held tear-filled ant mustache re the latter’s ¢ friend,” he said gently, “mark how the gringo gives his little dark brother a lesson in deportmeut. Be- hold, if I have given thee a souvenir of our meeting, Lalso have taken one. By this pinched and throbbing nose shall I be remembered when T am gone; by (hese hairs from thy rat’s mus shall I remember thee. Go, and thrust not that nose into a gringo’s business It is unsafe.” He released Pucker-cye, made his way through the crowd to h Tooked in, saw (i ge © there, aiid walked around on the star- board side to join in the general fare-! well of all on board to the crowd on the levee. At the shore end of the gangplank now familiar with his | seen His bad manners in ; d his puckered eye | You . | | Puck Top-cye Still waited. | | The unfortunate Pucker-eye was-weep-| | ing with pain and futile rage and hu-/ | miliation, but Webster noticed that Pop-eye’s attention was not on his; friend but upon each passenger that| boarded the ship, of which there were /the usual number of late arrivals. As| feach passenger approached, Pop-eye | scanned him with more than casual in- terest. Webster smiled. “Looking for that| valet they heard me talking about,” he reflected. “Pop-eye, youre a fine,| capable lad. I thought you had the| | brains of the two. You're not going away until you've had a chance to size up the re-enforcements at my com- mand, are you?” i . He lighted a cigar and leaned over | | the rail as the steamer, gathering speed, swept down river. “Good-by, you golden fizz and | chicken gumbo,” he called, as the city receded and the low, wooded shores| below the city came into view. | When he had finished his cigar he! cast the stump overboard, watched it until it disappeared astern, and then | went around to stateroom No. 34, As | he stepped in and closed the “door a masculine voice said very pleasantly: “How do you di Mr. Webster looked up and beheld a young man, arrayed in a very fancy pair of light Dblue silk pajamas, stretehed at his ease in the upper | berth. } John Stuart Webster stared at the stranger for several seconds and con- eluded he was invading the sanctity of | rother's stateroom, “Excuse me,” he <aid, “T guess I'm in the right chureh | but the wrong pew,” and he stepped out and looked for {he nmber on the | stateroom. To his surprise it was No. | t after all, so he stepped back into | he stateroom and favored the stran- | ger with another scrutiny. : he sald presently, “that T deteet some- | thing - strangely familiar about youz" pajamas.” “T wouldn’t be the Teast bit surprised ' Mr. Webster. I found them in your suitease.” i el a silence of perhaps half a min- i ute. Then: 8 i “[ dislike to appear inquisitive,” | Webster hegan, “but the fact is, neigh- | hor, I'm curious to know where you | wot that book. I observe you are read- | ing Samuel Butler's ‘Way of All' ~Flesh? and that the Dook is slightly | | damaged. Recently I purchased such | a hook in—" “P'ray do not take the.trouble to ex. also. In fact, for me, that| has proved to be a repository | of treasures i John Stuart Webster's neck came | ! out of his collar with the suddenness of a turtle spapping at a fly; he drew | himself up beside the top berth until | his face was on a level with his unbid- den guest’s, upon whom he bent a look of mingled emotions. H “Who the devil are you?’ he de-’ manded. “I regret I have no card, but even if | I had it would be no kindness to inflict | upon an American gentleman the cog- | | nomen my parents honored me with, for it is long and many-jointed, like a | peanut, and embodies the names of all | the saints in the calendar. Moreover, | Jjust at present I am traveling under an al I am known as Mr, Andrew | Bowers.’ “And your, occupation?” managed to articulate. “Yalet de chambre to that prince of gentlemen, Mr. John S. Webster,” the other replied with a mischievpus gleam in his dark eyes. Mr. Webster sat down limply on the settee. He was undecided whether to | roar with laughter or shriek with rage; | while he struggled for a decision An- drew Bowers blew smoKe rings at the ing. “Haven't T scen -you before ster queried presently “I wonldn’t be surprised. 1 drove you down {o the steamer in a t. an hour ago. You will recall th: Webster 7" Web- | taxi driver carried your luggage ahoard.” Webster gazed around the stateroom. ' “Where have you hidden your livery?” he demanded. “I wrapped it in a newspaper; then, seeking a moment when the deck out- side was deserted, I stepped forth in | my—1 beg your pardon, your—pajamas | and tossed it overboard.” / | “But apparcotly you did not bring | aboard with you a suit of clothes to take the place of your livery?” “Quite truc—lamentably so, Mr.| Webster. Lerhaps you will accept nry ¢ need as an excuse for bor- | your pajamas. 1 notice you nother suit of them. Fortunate haps thirt tall, and apparently in excellent He might h: hed a hundr seventy pounds and he was undos handsome. While Webster was wondering whether his companion was merely high-class ap or an absconding bank cashicr, & knock sounded on the stateroom door. He openerd it and the purser stood in the entrance. “Ticket, please?” he announced. | Webster surrendered both tickets, | receiving in turn two seat checks for the dining saloon, passed on o the n Andrew Lower: seient smile, but said nothing, and presently John Stuarg Webster broke the silence. “Well,” hie ordered, *si the song or tell the story.” “I noticed rendered m. to the purse the young n swered irrelevantly, “and T am = {hat. T take it as prima facie cvidence that you have made up your wind to aceept my company. “Youre (oo inferually cool and cock- ’ | yourseif with the state of my for- ! require desperate mes | an entire sf Lwith e | Stuart Webster. - Webster waiiied him | sur testily. “I pride myself on a sense of humor and I de love a joke unti| it's carried too far, but be advised in time. young man, and don't try to play horse with me. My acceptance or non- acceptance of you is a subject for fu-| ture discussion, since at present we have some fiduciary matters before us. You owe me fifty dollars for your tick- et, Andrew Bowers, and in view of the fact that I never saw you before to- day, suppose we start the voyage by squaring the account.” Andrew Bowers sat up in ‘the berth and let his legs drape over the side. “Mr. Webster,” he began seriously, “if, prior to the arrival of the purser to col- lect the tickets, you had handed. my ticket to me, saying: ‘Here is your ticket, Mr. Bowers. Be kind enough to reimburse me to the extent of fifty s, T should have been compelled to admit then, as I do now, that I haven't fifty doliars. Fortunately for me, however, you surrendered the tick- et to the purser before acquainting tuzes; the voyage has commenced and whether you like it or not, my dear sir, {I.am your guest from now until we! reach San Buenaventura. Rather an interesting situation, don’t you think?” John Stuart Webster was of Scotch ancestry. He had a hereditary re- gard for baubees. He was a business man. Prodigal spender though he was and generous to a fault, the fact re- mained that Ire always made it a point 10 get value re ed, and he was prod- jzal with his own money ; he preferred that the privilege of prodigality with the Websterian funds should remain an inalienable prerogative of the sole arviving member of the Webster fam- ly. “I {hink yon're too cool, young man,” Webster retorted. “Just a trifle too cocksure. Up to the present moment It decs appear to me, my friend;” | you have proffered no evidence why | you should not be adjudged a ead, and | 1 do not like cads and must decline to permit one to occupy the same state- room at my expense. You are clever and amusing and T laugbed at you, hut | at the same time my sense of humor is not so great as to cause me to ovel look your impudence and laugh with you. Now, if yon have anything to say, say it quickly, because you're »Listen. If 1 go ashore, your respon- sibllity for my life ceases, Mr. Web- ster, but if the chief engineer happens to be short one coal-passer and the captain sends me down to the stoke- hole, your respousibility for my death begins, for I'll be put ashore publicly at San Buenaventura and two hours later Pl be facing a firing squad in the cemetery at the Catedral de la Vera Cruz.” “Gosh,” John Stuart Webster mur- mured dazedly, “I'm afraid I can’t take a chance like that for fifty dollars. I'm whipped to a frazzle. Any tiwe I'm sitting in back of a royal flush and the other fellow bluffs me out of the pot, I always buy the wine. When it arrives we shall drink to our better acquaint- ance. Pending its arrival, please be advised that you are welcome to my pajamas, my cigarettes, my book and my stateroom. You are my guest and you owe me nothing, except, perhaps, your confidence, although I do mot in- sist upon that point. Where I come from every man kills his own snakes.” And he held up his hand for Andrew Bowers to shake. ' “Mr. Webster,” the latter declared feclingly, “I am not a lord of language, so I cannot find words to thank you. I agree with you that you are entitled to my confidence. My name is—" “Tut, tut, my boy. Your name is Andrew Bowers, and that fidentifies you sufficiently for the time. being. “When I suggested that I was entitled to a measure of your confidence, T meant on a few minor points only— points on which my curiosity has been abnormally aroused. “Very well, my friend. Fire away.” “Are you an American citizen?” “No, I am a citizen of Sobrante.” “You had no money to pay for your passage to San Buenaventura so you schemed to make me pay your Hence I take it that your presence jin the capital of your native country is a matter of extreme importance and that the clerk in the ticket ofice of the Caribbemn Mail line is a friend of yours. I “Quite trne. e knew my need.” “You were under surveillance and could not leave New Orleans for® San ! Buenaventura unless you left secretly. { When 1 purchased both berths in this | statercom and the ticket clerk knew I i held a first-class ticket for a valet that woing to go. away from here—in a hurry.” “I plead guilly to the indictment, Mr, Webster, and submit as an excuse the fact that desperate cireumstances nres. T am not hegging my way, neither am I heating | it, for the reason that both forms of travel 2 pugnant to me. T am merely taking advantage of cevtain fortuitous circumstances to force you, ranger, to extend to me a credit of fifty dollars until we reach San Buenavenfura, when: you will he promptly reimbursed.” - “It is not my habit,” Wehster refor od stiffly, “to extend credit to stran- gérs who demand it.” W “I do not demand it, sir. I beg it of e v vou, and becaunse I cannot afford to be refused I took care to arrange matters so that you woulll not be likely to re- fuse my request. Really, I do not mean {0 be cocksure and impudent, but be-: fore you throw me out I'd like to let you in on a secret about yourself.” “Well 7 “You're not going to throw me out.” “Wky not?” use you ean’t.” “That's fighting talk. Now, just to prove to you the deplh of error in which you flounder, young man, I am about to tbrow you out” And he grasped Andrew Bowers in the grip of a grizzly bear and whisked him out of the top herth. B “Wait one gecond,” his helpless vie- tim cried. “I have something to say efore you go any further.” y it,” Webster ordered, “Your tonguc is the only part of you that I canuot control.” “When you throw me out on del Andrew Bowers queried, “do your pa- jamas go with me? Does the hair go with the hide?” | “They cost me sixteen dollars in Salt Lake City, hut—good lord, yves. T can’t | throw you out mother naked; d—n it, I can’t throw you out at all.” “Didn’t T tell yon s0? Be a good fel- low and turn me loose.” “Certainly—for the time You'll stay locked ift this stateroom while 1 have a talk with the c He'll probably dig up a shirt, a pair of dungarees and some okd shoes for you and set you ashore before we set out| of the river. If e doesn’t do that he'll | keep you aboard and you'll shovel coal | for your passsage.” “But I'm Andrew DBower: pufser has collected my ticket!” “What of it? and_the ! fivst-class | ity Anarew 1 Bowers.that you ar anaG that 1 dicd nor buy the teket tor yon. § dare you tu face the pain in my pa- and prove you arent a stowa- “You would win on that point,” the bhatlling =zuest admitted, “but it is a point you will not raise. Why? Re- cauxe I have atother trump up my ki mono.” e climbed back into the up- per berth and from that vantage point gazed down benevolently upon John “I'm disappointed in you,” he continned sadly. *“I thought ! vou'd show a little normal human curi- * osity about me—and you haven't. You do not ask questions or T could ex- plain, while T cannot volunteer infor- | mation without seeming to seek your pity, and that of conrse would be re- pugnant to me. I am hoping you will accept my word of honor that you shall be reimbursed two hours ofter you land in San Bucnavr o “New music to yonr song, my friend, but the same old words,” Webster re- torted, and stepped to the stateroom ! door. “You're doomed to shovel coal.or | go ashore.” being. | ptain, i | ought to hold you,” he declaved. ; know about you and thatis all 1 cave was not, he decided to saw off on me | a valet that was. Disguised in the ljv- | ery of a chauffeur and carrying hand baggage you hoped to get aboard with- | out being detected by your enemies | who watched the gangplank.” i Andrew Bowers nodded. “Do you think you succeeded?” Web- i ster continued. 1 do not know, Mr. Webster. I hope 1 80, If I @id not—well, the instant this steamer drops anchor in, the roadstead at San Bucnaventura, she will be I boarded and scarched by the military police, I will be discu\'ch and—" Ile ! shrugsed. “Lawn party in the cemetery, ch?” Webster ¥ugzested,” | Andrew Bowers reached under his pillow and produced two heavy auto- matic pistols and a leathern box con- taining five clips of cartridges. These he exhibited in silence and then thrust them back under the pillow. “I'see, Andrew, nered, ch? Well, I think I would pre- i fer to dic fighting mysclf.” “I'm not worricd, Mr. Webster, Sqmchmv, I think I ran the gantlet safely.’ “But why dld you throw your livery overboard?” “It was of no further use to me.” “But you'll have to havey some clothes in which to go ashord, you amazing man.” “Not at all.- The steamer will arrt In the harbor of San Duenaventura | lute in the afternoon—too Iafe to he given pratique tkat day. After davk I shall drop overboard and endeavor to swim ashore, and in view of that plain clothes would only prove au cimbar- ' rassinent. T shall land in my own coun- try nuked and peuniless, Lut once ashore I shall quickly find shelter, I'll have (o risk the sharks, of course.” “Man-eaters?” i “The bay is swarming with them.” | “You're breaking my heart,” Wel | ster declared sympathetically. “I sup- pose you're going to feign illness throughout,the voyage.” “Not the kind of illness that will i terfere with my appetite. I have pr scribed for myself a mild attack of in- flammatory rheumatism, as an excuse for remaining in bed and having my meals brought to me. This service, of course, will necessitate some slight ex- pense in the way of tips, but I am hop- ing you will see your way clear to tak- ing care of that for your guest.” | _ Sitently Webster handed Andrew Bowers ten dollars In silver. *“That “For the rest, u're up to some political skullduggery in Sobrante, and what it is and what's your real name are two subjects in which I am not interested. Let it be understood that you arc my valet, Andrew Bowers. That's all T to know about you. In fact, the le: T know about you the less will I have to explain in the event of your sudden demise.” “Fair enough,” quoth Andrew Dow- crs. “You're a man after my own heart. I thank you.” CHAPTER IX, Prior to leaving New Orleans, Web- ster had cabled Billy Geary that he was taking pa e on La trellita and stating the approximate date of his 1 ' at San Buenaventura-— which jnformation descended upe that young man with something of th charm of a gentle rainfall over a hith- erto arid district. He had been seeing Dolores Riiey at least once a day ever since her return to Sobrante. He was quick, therefore, to soize upon Wel- (Continued on Page &) In case you're cor-_