Adventure, February 1917 — page 123: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A Royal Flush of Hearts _ I coached the boy a little more in what to tell Findley the next morning, and he promised to introduce me to Miss Rankine in the afternoon. Then we parted; but first he pressed my hand, and without being maudlin said a lot of things he. probably wouldn’t have said if he had drank ginger ale instead of two or three glasses of brandy. But he was young, and he was grateful, be- lieving that I was actually snatching him from what looked but a moment before to be a wretched, inextricable predica- ment. (ap | I HAD an appointment with Watson a the next morning and we talked << matters over. He knew that I wanted to get something belonging to Findley out of the safe, to get it so I could keep it and be open about it, but I didn’t say what it was. He agreed to do as I suggested. The fact that extremely high stakes were the rule at the Bristol, it being a more pretentious joint than Johnny’ S, made him think as I did; that is, that it would help some in getting Findley into the game. In the ee Norcross took me to, meet Miss Rankine. She lived with an older, married sister; and they were ob- viously refined, comfortably wealthy, at- tractive people. With my first glance at her I understood why the boy wanted to marry her though she did have a husband, and whether or not > she got a divorce. [sympathized with him, too. There was no question of her being dishonest—even if she was going to marry again without that divorce. A lot of crooked people go through life scrupulously keeping technically honest; and a lot of honest people have the misfortune to be technically at counter with the law. Of course, I consider that her real mis- take started in not openly getting a divorce from Findley as soon as she found out what he was; but having set her heart on secrecy, and worked for it, she had come to feel that death even would be better, and certainly less shameful, than to have the sordid scandal exposed. Her family posi- tion was such that the newspapers would have had a great time for a few days. - Miss Rankine plainly showed alarm when Norcross told her that I was going to help them and knew everything. She caught her breath and bit her knuckles, looking at > 12] me apprehensively with startled, wide eyes —brown eyes, they were. A more beautiful woman I have seldom -seen. There are many who have perfect features, charming gowns, an abundance of — wonderful hair, a graceful body, just as she had; but there are few so young as she who have had their emotions so strongly stirred; in whose heart the fires of tragedy have glowed without flaming up devastatingly. — After all, it is only those people whose characters are without reproach and who have suffered that are beautiful. Any artist of quality will tell you that, just as one first — called my attention to it. Miss Rankine showed, however, her _ nervousness; and the stress of especially the past few weeks had marked, but far from She would be more marred, her face. beautiful, I knew, as soon as Watson and I, who were taking the réle of grave-diggers, had thrown the last shovelful upon her past. I told her‘I did not inquire from curiosity, but because I wanted to make sure that every possibility of Findley’s getting any other evidence to replace his precious cer- tificate had been eliminated; and asked her to tell in detail just how the marriage came ~ * about and all she had done to conceal it. “Tt was five years ago,” she said. “E was only eighteen, and, unfortunately, I was intensely romantic. I was with my father out West on a trip. He was in- terested in mines, and was unexpectedly called up to some camp far from the rail- road. He didn’t think it best for me to make the trip and left me at the hotel. “T met Mr. Findley. I had met him before father left, but being lonely I then saw a good deal of him. He swept me off my feet. He made me think he was wonder- ful, and spoke as though he were a man of affairs; and so skilfully and subtly con- veyed to me that he was a real gentleman, » that I foolishly married him one afternoon —but at twelve o’clock, noon that is, I hadn’t expected to. “We were walking back to the hotel, and he was telling me how pleased father would be! Just imagine, and I was silly enough not only to listen to him, but to believe him! We were walking back to the hotel, when ~ suddenly he stopped and stood staring a moment at a man across the street. I knew something was wrong from the way he acted and was greatly frightened, asking him what was the matter. _ = 200K (EO) =) (EO)