The evening world. Newspaper, August 14, 1916, Page 11

thrill the reader. lo Wf 1 don't tal thie story in fost { Crertoey truite SAND-LOCKED BY HOLMAN DAY fe etd bare wea the price little sand and water; but diving for it brought to ite seekers startling adventures that will I have heard @ lot of um Three million dollars buried under only « me © Ome © ome) Chapter 1. CAME wp trom the mud of the bottom of doy—come bubbling up through seven fathoms of retled water-~ wee hustled te @ ratirosd station, was bumped serene the Amert- Jean CunURORt OB slatiod car Sante and © tourist Uchet, and thes 1 dropped imto the eurges of the Pacific ‘This may br & rether Blunt beginning, end @ reader may Chink be te @ Atlantic Ocean one the way © real author woul4, please men whe are in other profes. ene tLan the writing game—eay that they proposed to erite some good $ aries when they bed the time ‘ L, Rose Sidney, submarine diver, ased to ony that came thing te myself. f i i 5 here and sow: te i ‘ balf @ dosen jobs on it the otains. Ot the ceiling, searchin, | 1 aid it big mistake towth lo-day and picked tr 3 Ep this job. I'm going to tell tale—end it's ae true tale-and I'm it of myself, Rose Sianey, diver, just aa 1 would sit and reel it off by word of provided I happened to feel yerning, though | have never bad pation: AWaatio Ocean one day, and the husked me out of my diving 3} before that suit wae fairly and 1 was on my way acrom American continunt, bound for Pecific. Rot headed for a job. I had eure tn sight. I had mighty Money in my pocket after | bad lor & second-class ticket from m to San Francisco. I used to my coin in my young days, for no wife asking for her drag from the pay envelope. I will not hold up this atory long to explain why I left the East hop-up-and-hike-it fashton. 1 simply ended a ripping good old hb lave-driving contractor a Wallop with the end @ hose and stepjed on his toes at 6 time with a twenty-pourd 1 reckoned that as soon » be voice and felt liked handling & would post me fine and plenty @ Atlantic Coast—and one doce vc to reach many employers in to epoill a submarine diver's chances for @ job. Rg qt 1 was young @unday school. Across the continent! My ticket was limited, and so wis my cash, and | met 60! No stop-offa. ) y bands were still red and sogsy swith the brine of tho Atlantic when T \ get ay, first peck at Pacific wa 4 train was hun, up outside . yard over in Onkland, while . they Spaced our track to the ferry, and a in tl T had chatted with more or less e smoking room on the trip, and who knew my business, rushed out, climbed down Loside the roadbed, and 4 Soooped a tumblerful of water. ran back into the car and dumped the water over me for a joke—and I'm so accustomed to water that the joke did not jar me. I took it as it was meant. “I baptize thee in the name of the Pacific!” he said. “Now T hope the ‘ old dame will be good to you in your Une.” ‘Well, whether she was or not de- pends on bow one looks at those t manne. T left the ferryboat after we had crossed the bay, walked through the ferryhouse alone, and stepped out onto the foot of Market Street into the old San Francisco of the days before the eartnquake. ‘There was a turntable for the cable cars at the foot of Market Street. ‘The cara were coming down in con- sion, and the turntable was busy. Tt was a cegular merry- go-round kind of an affair, It In- terested me, but it didn’t interest me go much that I had’no eye for a girl who atood beside me at the edge of thing. It ecemed to me right then—fresh from a tedious train ride, where I'd been penned in with a frumpy set of women passengers that I had never seen such a pretty girl. I was lo nvtice later that most all the girls in San Francisco are pretty; there are more handsome women there than in any other city in America, I do believe. ‘This girl was not at all interested in me. She h41 her finger pointed at gome 0! on the turntabie, and was aaying “Father’” over and over, with a new inflection on the word every time she spoke it. Her finger trav- ellea as the tavio revolved, and 1 was able to pick out father right aways T was right-down sorry for that girl when I laid eyes on father, Father was grinning like a sculpin in deep water, and o6 Was good and drunk, ‘and he was evidently taking a joy ride on the turntable. I took a good look at the man, when the turntable brought him near me, and stopped to let a car on. Ho bad a face that was about as square @s the front of a safe, and bis nose was the shape of a saf «sk knob, pA was red Ha pot-bellied body @2:, wet on legs like crooked wharf flings. Im a water-front man, I ad father sized up in a second Double-breasted blue coat, cap of Dlue, with the peak pulled rakishly down over one eye, gray beard which radiated jn epills from his chin like tl @pokes—he was a steamboat ] 4 sure! I don't know what in the devil possessed me to butt in and make certain--perhaps I wanted to etart something so as to et a rise out of the girl. I'm not naturally fresh. f I was crusted with Yankee reserva wen when I was young, But that fmnpisn air of San Wrancisco was in y My nostrils—did ep your head buzz and your te froth, and it takes hold of er es quickly as a stiff grabs © HAR ant vsed Seen that writing. tale, and had happened to some one elea, sl IM knuckles togeth He hi geome fairiy rettitgg, goed etories, you eee. | am going w oon- 1 etarted in @ long time ago to write this story. page and page ond page, Oh, | gnawed up uncounted @teeped my Bagere in ink oe thoroughly that I'm eure | whart maboary ta Ove fathome with- my eoul for words, vattl f got crose- It was all done I read the thing over end burned up the whole 1 have thought the matter over carefully, and 1 | 1 Wold the etory just as though | started in by being hon- to @ mixed @riak. Tow'll do most! anything 9 Bem Francjeco when the epernie from that Wade wind gets \uto your lungs. Bo L tipped father the wink. “Give ber the jingle when she starts again, old apurt!” | said. “One-deil eed le too slow for you the you aro feeling.” t im my guess He joreflnger, reached down, 1 never got from a more pretty girl than I got from that one when | turned and caught her eyes, There was nothing shrink ing or bashful about her w: was mad, eo 1 found out then and there. “You fool! You Bave started him all over again.” “He seemed to be well started be- fore 1 cane along, miss." It was that confounded air that was making me reckless and saucy. “Clang!" = yelped fat coming around aguin. “Ling! ingle-lingle! Pull in them port tend aod mouse Hmcea! we're going outuide this “Just eee the fool notion you ha’ id put into him when he w y to come along with mé She ores ber little utin, male, She turned suddenly ‘and drove ane of her fists against a man whom I had not noticed till then, He Was tall—as long a8 the moral law, as we say East—as thin as a pump handle, and he bad a tangle of gray whisker and beard on top of him that made him look like window mop. He fell down when s bit him. She kicked him with the point of a litue shve, and he came up, unfolding in evens like @ carpenter's two foot “Slap this man’s face, Ike, an him aio about bie business, commanded, But he only teetered and grinned and drooled and winked at me over ipnoulder. ‘ou are only another drunken fool!" she raged; and she etretched on tiptoe and beat his face with the ed oF Ree. hand. ere without putting up @ finger to help me him off that turntable, where hi disgracing himself, wonder whether there are any real men left in San Francisco! If there were they would come along and help @ poor girl who is near distracted.” She was in a state of mind whereshe was talking to the surrounding air, And I was mighty ashamed, now, I tell you that! 1 Sronped my baggage and took off a iy 4 "I don't know much about san H Francisco and the real miss," I told her, “for I've been in town only about five minutes, I reckon {t makes an Easterner dizzy to be rushed in and dropped here. I didn't mean to make trouble for you, Seeing that I've made ft, I'll unmake it if can. Do you want your father ~-saying It is your father—brought off that turntable?” “No!" she snapped, still spiteful and all worked up. “I want you to think up something elso for him to do on there as soon as he gets tired of doing what you just suggeste Well, it was up to me to butt into that affair still further—I could see that. I couldn't aneak off and leave that girl feeling that way about me, I hopped onto that moving turntable, took father by the arm and told him his daughter wanted him to come men here, along. He braced himself and shook loose, “Nossir," said he ve paid my money, and I'll st board till I get to where I'm bound.” “Look here--you are not getting anywhere, man. You are only riding around and around, making a show of yourself—and there's your nice dauehter waiting for you.” I took hold of his arm once more, and tt was some arm, But a deep- water diver who has been ripping the stuffing out of the bottom of the ocean for six years with a crowbar just nat- urally has some erip in his fingers, and I sot my clutch into that arm, “Look here.” he snarled, squinting at me, “I don't know who you are, but T!! let you know who [ am blamed quick, I'm Hammerfist Peart.” "Glad to know you," said I. Chainlightning Sidney--and now that we're properly introduced and well acquainted, you come along with me, Your daughter wants you.” “T tell you, I'm Cap'n Vash Peart, and T allow no man to put his paws on me. I have killed men for doing less than what you're doing.” T don't know Just what Capt. Peart iniht have done to me If he had been soher—but he wasn't sober, Twas, and my line of work had made me lithe and quick, T snapped my man before he had time to open hia mouth, and ran him off that turntable and presented him to ay. "You have atood hi hie dat iter with ‘Be Wioked ‘and GERALD DISGIVLE WOULD HAVE ENJovED BEING OF SERVICE To THE LADIES CITY SLICKERS 00 You SERVE MISTER REDUNKUS thrashed around in a logy style, and I Kept him circling so that he could not get foothold, on the same principle that you keep a boa constrictor from hooking hie tall around a tree. “T let him loose. She reached for his ear, but he dodged away, can- tering like a cart horse, The human belaying pin with the oakum top- knot followed, plainly relishing the fact that the procession had started, The girl took a few steps in pursuit, and then she stopped and began to cry. je hi lot of money in his pock- ets," she sobbed. “He must pay out that money to-morrow morning. He will be butchered and robbed where 4, he's going. I never saw him go allly and obstinate before. His head has been turned by some good luck which come to him to-day. He"—— I haven't got time to listen to de- talls, mi He's getting out of sight, I've got to work quick, I'm square and decent and honest, and I'm mighty sorry for the scrape you are in. Do you want me to chase that father of yours for you?" “Yes,” she gasped; “yes, I do.” “About all I'm worth in the world fs in that bag there. It's my diving 4 I've got to leave it. 11 take it into the waiting d watch ft. I will eta re. lurry, sir! He has gone up t Street, but he'll turn to the right retty soon. That's the way to the orrible Barbary Coast.” T realized that it waa time for me to be on the trall. And off I hiked, leaving my earthly possessions in charge gf @ girl whom I had met for the first’ time less than ten minutes before. Capt. Peart was out of sight among the crowds on that long Market Street before I had started the I stopped for a mo the hi of streets which led y to the right—the girl bad said he would turn to the right—but I caught no of a bobbing blue cap, nor of thatch of grizzied beard and wh! T took a chance after a while, for Market Street showed a slope al and I couldn't spot my men the turned to the right, and hurried on. I didn't know what street I was on. I came to @ square at last where there was @ statue and a@ fountain, and there were large buildings on the right, I ran across the square, and the next moment I realized that | was tn Chinatown—and I had read of that part of San Francisco too. I knew then that I was headed toward the Barbary Coast all right, having @ memory of what I had read. But in a few minutes | was lost in a maze of narrow streets which travelled up and down the little hills, I was peer- ing and goggling here and there. I roust have looked like a tourist trying to do Chinatown In record time. I came into a street or alley th@t was roofed—and I came out again, for it med to be closed in at the upper . By that time I realized that not only bad | lost Capt. Vash Peart, but t I had also succecded in los- ing myself—a rather pitiable pre- dicament for a young man who had so boldly offered himself as knigat- errant to @ damsel in distress, Chapter Il. WHITE __liverod, sneaky looking chap sidied up to me and stuck out a dirty curd. “Thate my name on there,” be eald, ‘Jake Beason, and I'm the best Chinatown guide that’s on the beat; J’) show WOULD HAVE NO SOUBT || viStTeD THIS GRILL AGAIN ———______J © shop holes.” UNCLE HIRAM MIGHT HAVE BEEN®MEAT® FOR THOSE CORDIALS? THe INTELLIGENT you everything from joes house to “the friend game.” “Do you know the Barbary Const?" “Do I know—oh, come now! Why, say, I live over that wa: he snarled through the corner of his mouth, and a he looked at me, as though I bad in- sulted his intelligence. 1 decided that 1 would be plain and direct with that chap. “I'm on the trail of a steamboat nd when he didn't By Jack Callahan I asked no more questions, and chased on with him. He rushed me orcas’ corners, He rushed on, into a back room lucking for there up- Lobo NO SIR} | WOULDN'T ACCEPT IT SO CHEAP ‘CAUSE 1 KNOW You'D BE CHEATIN’ Y'SELF t SERVER OF THE FODDER HADN'T HAD & CONCRETE UPHOLSTERED DOME. there You ought ashamed of yourself, with me!” anyway? Who do I be fifty. ano anywhere between at the ferry, and whe has been left alo to be Come along “Say, who does this money and this daughter and this room belong to, .g to? Who Point d India Basin?” He squinted NUNT WEEK'S OF JE Tou just Beard whet the captais “k sod wim beck ageinst he ' through bim, gents.” he 41. hand me the gus when to @ corner, looked jiement had brougbt hia feet, and he eta tore ated Mr. Fick 1 did not pro- | quit wit «my tongue lit wae worth, sealng that there oped for from out of my co rt to one elde, gave them my yarn hot an nd at times | found | could t as loud as old Poart—at 1 wae obliged to, The yarn was my chase of them. vine or my business. med them that I bad $20 for finding Peart, out of bis book pose without moving bia face, “That seems to be bis regular price for boling game to-night,” he re marked your story is acallopy father home ive another tin. ved Capt of ballast aboard; you nd we caught you ou. I reckon we'll with the goods on rush you for tt.” I didnt kno by that, but t face the grunt of infacton Peart gave intimated to me that it waan't any- thing I would enjoy. “Lat me prove the sory by the girt, 1 entreated. ‘I can take you to her.” “Women don't belong to men's bust- Let me tell you something—I've Just thought of 1t," barked old Peart. tle was sober up. Hil oa were ‘popping, “Hi the inside of this, iF He has been following me. ‘He's a sneak the Balch crowd. |i he had got away with that money I couldn't have paid the balance on the Zinan! It was a plot. They would. have bad me ekinned on my bargain.” You can tmagine that this was pretty much news to me. I didn’t have the least idea what he was talk- about, doubt of it," bay ides Fick. ‘And If that's the case he knows more than {ts good for him, You're in bad," he Informed me once more. I was convinced now that I was, I was in a tough-looking crowd, and after that last remark of Peart's I that I had stepped Into a deeper hole than 1 had Intended to, ° captain named Peart, and he ts two- There were cribs of along the peacock’a plume. ~ “sen,” 1 sald, “I've told you the thirds pickled, and has money on private rooms up there furnished you? You say my girl ts at trurn, and I can't go further than him. Do you think you know the with bare tavles and hard chairs y, hey? How do you know that’ 1 don't know what you Intend places where @ man like that would drinking rooms, I'rom the half- is there? You don't dare to tell ty do to me, 1 don't know what Is be apt to drop in?” open door of one cam ckle of that you're the two-oared bob done in San Francisco to 4 man who “What's the lay—a touch and a much laughter, aid we pesped tn. that cut across my bows when I wae tring to help a poor git! and then tells ivy A girl whose face was painted In on my course and enjoying myself! ihe truth, But if you propose to do igthing of the kind. I'm his almost as gaudy hues as ber red You don’t dare to tell me that! anything to my everlasting hurt you'll friend, and I want toecatch him and stockings wus standing 00 a table in leaned back in his chalr, find my name in that pocketbook you take him home out of trouble.” “Thé same old stall,” he sneered. PAT Dad got to let me be a friend, 0. the middle of the little room. busily engaged in tickling the g! nose with the tip of a very long p' cock feather—and wherever he I reached out and got my crowbar clutch on that fellow. “I don't suppose you ever had a man tell you the truth, son,” I said, “eo I'm not going to blame you much. 1 say that I'm r this man to take him bome to his daughter, That's truth, and {t's on my eay-so. If you propose to call me a liar, out with it, and we'll settle tho thin “Ghe stands as you say—and you needn’t pinch #0,” he whined. Ther nothing like a good grip to pr home conviction in a sneak, “T'll give you $10 if you'll locate that man for me before the evening 1s over,” T told bim, “I'll make It $20 it you'll turn the trick inside of an jour."* “IT know all the joints—I know the steamboat hangouts.” “Tt ought to be an easy trick. He with an old belaying pin who bi enough hair on his head and face to pin, also seated. evidently slip when he tried to lean against @ corner, ing the sce He was that would hav out of business. “Ther Ingot Ike,’ between t! tickler friend then I'll cash in.” He held up his chi his dirty forefinger hour, “T get the twenty, with utes’ velvet, if that's your friend indicating mighty quick and passed them stuff a bolster—and I heard eome- Beason, also.” It occurred to me tha n ‘i "s vd 0 at Capt. body call him Ike, ; hoay poWho's a friend? tnqutred Capt. Peurt's body would go with his heart ‘Aw, that's Sheet, The -0rery none LA ety 1, She ore. F Soild if 1 made off with his money, and I - staring and as baleful as 1 , ody cht raph Hill knows that old hornbeam the peacock feather. BOCataee retcer pean bh sea oe D “Loo ere, , bracing up to oulde vould ¢ *] 000,000 worth of buried gold ingots. him savagely, for I knew that oft back rane 7, FONTS Ghaee is Come along! I ought to pull down that twenty easy.” By short cuts along dark alleys, and now and then skirting vacant lots, we came at last into purlieus that my ears, eyes and nose-told mo must be that "Barbary Coast so gay,” ae Capt. Peart had caroled “We'll tap the regular joints first,” said Beason, “If he's pretty drunk he won't be using his mind much to think up new places to go. He'll fall gracing, to her,” in his fa “You have been patd,” I yelled him through the crack. “Now k or I'll pinch it off.” Capt. Vash Pvart was seated in a chair, straddling the back, and was cured that feather | never found out. In the room was the human belaying But his chair had 4 from under bin wall, and he was jackknifed down in with bis broomstick le waving in the alr, and was aurvey- frame. squealing laughter in a key put a guinea hen affirmed Bea- won, “and if t'other one ts your per- p watch, with T hauled ‘out two ten-dollar bills soap wouldn't grease the ways, “I've had one run in with you this evening for the sake of a daughter whom you're abusing and deserting and dis- I'm going to take you back 1 whirled on Beason, pushed him out of the room and slammed the door your nose out of the rest of the thing feather and yanked a from the right-hand trousers, It was a plur heavy bag, and it pli hard money, He ban ri'a oe a uit, Bir] hopped and Durely missed her toes. equeuled, and man who came aboa: the 2 Capt. Vash Peart. pocket and crashed that down. He plunged out of nis chatr, Capt, Peart recovered his balance into my pockets, “I win the bet," I told him. the table.” 1 syarted for the door, I had which says that “where a man to here will bis heart treasure ts, be simplified. Of course, mine w. ning, anyway “I'm not stealing ft," as I opened the door. give tt at her I had plenty of help in opening th. cop door helped me. of It down on tho table with such a thump that the “TH bet that you don't dure to tell me you're the and laid hands He pulled an- other canvas bag from tho left-hand and drove against the wall in bis unstead- grabbed the sacks and stuffed them opm the man who pulled you off tho turn- sort of muddled memory of a maxim, or proverb, or something of the kind be crazy expedient, considering the place where I was, but it was a crazy eve Hed at him m going to to your girl, and If you run hard enough you'll see me give it to Phere were men outside who They helped so promptly and unanimously that it was evident have taken from The address of '® my folka East Is there, And I have left a diving outfit In the eare of this man's daughter, | don't suppose”"—— “A what?" demanded Fick. “A diving suit; I'm @ diver; Pm West looking for work.” tow long have you been a diver?” tarted {n at nineteen, and now I'm twenty-six, Deep sea work is my epecialt It did not seem to be a very auspicious time to do advertis- tng, but the etare in Fick's eyes, the manner in which even old Peart sidl around to look at me, showed that it tneas they were taking more interest in thie That was ‘ime for fine figuring than as to ways, means, oF chance. Before Part of the story (hey B68 tothe reat. There wae @ spell of silence in the room. Fick scratched his yellow beak and looked at me, then peered at Peart, and the two of them seemed to be swapping ideas by means of thelr eyes, “Vash,” snapped Fick, at last, “were you down at the ferry turntable, as this man says? You've been pretty ® drunk. This thing here ts taking @ new tack. I'd like to belleve this chap here if I can.” “Might have been there,” owned up the Captain, “Was there,” stated that old fool of an Ike, who had been standing by without @ word in my behalf, Now he was ready and willing to leap with the popular side, “l' wae there with him.” § “Was your daughter there with you? Did you leave her there?” Capt. Peart looked @ Httle ashamed and beaitated, “She was there,” atated Ike “She was following us and trying to get my noble cap'n to go along with her, but it wasn't right to bother my noble cap'n when he was bappy over a lucky trade,” ij at into the rut like @ ball in @ crooked = “See her growled Capt, Poart, that they bad been lyin “The two of you muat have been pln game.” vibrating the feather ae Mmenacingly ‘Two ce them eratied nee the food and fine,” growled Mr. Bick. ‘All at once my guide got a clue, He as though it were a sled stake, “don't neck as they would have clutched a 10k here, Cap, I believe this gent barked a few more questions at this @ private party when you bat stick In choosing sides in a game !* telling @ lot of the truth about ‘Muminative party, and turned and see on of three old cat. They rammed me You No matter now about his high scooted back along our trail. I walked right up to him. back into the room.. There were Jinks with the coin. I want to belle “The old cuss has taken to a back “Capt. Peart, you may not know me three other men who came in, and What he says. As your partner, Cc room. he gasped. “I ought to have and my pedigres, But you are not so one of them waa that rat ofa Keason, Peart, my advice to you ts to hu figured that he would be hiding.” drunk that you don't Know that you They were all talking at each other, OUt: get & cab, and get to that terry “What's he hiding for?’ | asked. have a daughter, I'm here to take and Beason was spitting words the station in quick time. Tf that diving “Why, if he's a friend of yours, like you back to her because she haa fastest, But Capt. Peart drowned Suit in thero bring It back bere It you say he is, he must know that you're bunting him up 0 as to save is money for him.” Then Mr. Beason slid a mighty suspicious look at me, and muttered something about asked me to do It. on about my business bound to lose it. TAKE THE EVENING WORLD WITH YOU ON YOUR VACATION So that you will not miss any of the weekly novels and may continue to enjoy the daily magazine, comic and other special features. Ificlude them in your summer reading. Order The Evening World Mailed to Your Summer Address Then I'll travel But you have got money in your pockets, and you have come into a place where you're Your girl is waiting out all other sounds by a bellow of will look mighty good as Exhibit A in And bring your daughter, delight. flo knew these men, all this case. right. Ho scemed especially tickled to to." ( behold the two men who held me, [1 swear I couldn't help butting tn He slapped them on thir backs, cuffed at that point. The memory of how COMPLETE NOVEL THE PEACOCK By FERGUS HUME A madern mystery tory. A ded, secrcted the hiding place of a fortune in preciows gems, and with this mystery was coupled that of a crime of which the innocent were accused. But, in the end, both mystericn were solved WELS golden peacock, jewel tude | ot fortes “But trom what litte of you, you are a blamed pe mad now that the to be over Pick chuckled. “The gent by ape Spirit le @ @O0d aanet | wt of oe seare ‘ ahop- with (he white coats T Se thing looking better the time ied an affable emile, @ hitehi to Nie nese of that paint. vp nearer tache si “We may ae well start tn -~ , nee.” he sald He ~ pocketbook back. “I see ~t card there th Sidney, My me riner of © ore, ments.” he com’ 4 men who had squatted my wt b “This is Number-one Jones: Number-two Jones.” Th ue salute. They looked just alike. ‘Th had paint-brush chin beards an feck eyes, and were piainiy twine, Firat and second mates, new for the Zimania.” He aid not edaen of sociatlity, Theres nothing Ike gents starting tn sociable |. when they can, and staying sociable : an lone as they oan, providing no nt makea a bad break, and Imaelf all right, a he saye he ts.” He gave me a significant and mighty sharp look, sat do 4 kicked one log over the othe -— Bhene [+4 La affable amile, ia how T atarted 11 certain “sociable” affair, 7 ee Chapter 111. i 4 kept on being g li i 8 ‘| i bil gE ie = 2 Bpegés 4? A ii si B it A i; z i s bg £ i ii i a il it i E went alll site = last back came Capt. Vash je was tugging my duffel on bis heele wae bis prtihped “ had my itttle valiee. She i Bhe wal = to me, and gave me the Valles What was better, she gave me a smile, m aan Cheretgy you, sir, on short will xcuse tne. i : ae She | 10 etraight withaur eee wary io Se ne “I thank you for what O46 0 ud help strangere—I'm sorry am been put to troubles? | ou Nare”/ face between us Thi 0 affabi wasn't there I got 6 quick ana were imnconss lion that he di e way the girl and I were getting She was putting out chummy. motion” § 0 hand to me, for I had made a as though to shake on our general Gaderatanding, He took her hand, and whir er arou: pointed, $s Shale ind and ted. “You'd better sit down, Art h~ We're going to talk @ Uttle Donnean 4 and you listen, for you are too © * much father's girl to be kept out of any dea! of ours.” She pulled her hand out of hia, sho went and sat down without shak- be By hand, “Father's girl gees more clearly every day that he needs a guardian,” she said, with a rather hard laugh, “Thank you, Mr. Fick, but I do not need your {nvitation to stay.” Capt. Peart looked very sheepish, It was plain that he had been listen« ing to some plain and frank opinions oe his way back from the ferry eta- on, The men in the room were silent for some time. Fick was looking at '* Peart; then his eyes fell on my can- vas sack at Peart's feet. He spoke to * me in almost the same fawning tone he had used with the girl, “I'm sure tt would be almighty in- teresting to mo and to these other gents and the lady to see an Fastern: diving suit--1 reckon y much up to date back the I kneeled on the floor, and open the sack and dug out the equupme This yarn of mine goes back bef the days of the compressed ber which the modern diver carries by on his back just as an automobile “ thelr faces with drunken affection, that girl looked was too strong, carries fuel. But 1 had a mighty > and adjured them to hold me tighter, “It's all right about the sult—bring good suit, almost @ new one. There “He took my money! Ho stole it Rut it seems to mo that this Is @ wasn't a dent in the helmet, or a ™ Ho insulted a lady friend of mine, mighty poor place to bring @ decent patch on the rubber or canvas yi He's been chasing ine and picking # eirl” We have had a long talk, thia ‘ie tow with me for three days," he lied Don't you suppose my own girl te gent and 1," sald Fick, after he had | or else the rum he had been drinking & ) her own father at any time squatted like a frog and had peered had elongated his nots of time any place?” roa Capt. at all | had to show him, “I'm natur- 4 “You see, I get y twenty, Mr. Peart, giving me a lurid look and ally a man to get to cases quick. Dun Fick,” insisted Heason. “I told you patting himself on the breast with open and free with them I take @ etraight. I called the turn on this fly bis thick hand. ° uy, He'e what I told t yu be “Maybe a0, if be keepe sober,” to. \. Be ne Cn. Be Conttaned) aie ———— a | '