Adventure Magazine Cover — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

904 in! Dll cable my broker to buy every Bir in the market that touches ten below par!” He shook himself. ‘‘And make a fortune at it!” he said grimly. ‘‘Esuli and his cut- throats haven’t frightened me, Katrine. A little cur dog like Gordon isn’t going to hurt me with his yapping! It’s up to me to see this through and, the thicker the hail, the wider I’ll open the old umbrella. But there’s one thing, daughter. I don’t think I can stand to have you in it.” She cried out in protest. He shook his head gravely. “It’s the real thing we’re up against, sweetheart,” . he said. ‘It’s war, no less. It’s war with Nature, with man, with Luck. I don’t want to have to think of you, daughter. I want to know that my cares are limited to my men, my road, and myself. Isn’t that reasonable? Why am [I to endanger as well what I value most in this world?”’ | She put her hand upon his with a tender little caress of gratitude. “But you must value most in the world—your honor! And there I can help you—at least, I think so, if I stay. If I can help you to build the road—without alterations and additions? If I can get—Mr. Sanders’ original plan?”’ He looked at her with a queer intensity. ‘This place has got on your nerves, Kat- rine,” he said soothingly. Her sense of humor mastered her. Her eyes danced—she laughed with whole- hearted enjoyment. Then, suddenly, “I’m perfectly sane, father. And I have been shown a way to help. I must stay. You must put up with me.” HE LOOKED at her thoughtfully. . The scene at the breakfast table scarcely three months before re- curred to him. It was then he had told himself that he was discovering his daughter. Would Katrine reveal herself as something more? ‘The debating poise of his mind betrayed itself by a little un- conscious shrug. “‘Am I to share your confidence?”’ he asked, almost humbly. Again she laid her hand upon his arm. “I think perhaps you wouldn’t altogether understand, father,’? she answered. ‘“‘It is so entirely a woman’s business, though it was suggested by a man.” ‘“Who?” he asked, looking at her with sudden keenness. ‘‘I don’t know that I need conceal the name of my collaborator,” she said. “‘Jo- ‘ \ Py LS hel Wy be Adventure van—if you must know. He is a very trustworthy gentleman and—has been mar- ried twice!’”’ she added with a little laugh of enjoyment. “T won’t pry,” he said simply. ‘I have perfect trust in you, Katrine. I am natur- ally anxious, that is all. I may ask one thing? Your plan does not take you into any danger?” - ‘None, so far as I can see possibilities,”’ she said. “It is a woman’s work. Are you satisfied?”’ ‘He sat down again at his table and pulled a mass of papers toward him. He gave her a cheerful little nod. ‘‘Satisfied—and in- terested,” he said. ‘‘Perhaps your little plan will be betrayed?” ““By whom?” she asked. Her father’s eyes surveyed her with a twinkle. ‘‘By—yourself,” he said, and glued his eyes resolutely on the diagrams. “Perhaps you would ask Agnew to join me?”’ ‘“Am I likely to see him?”’ she asked. “T think so,” he said gravely. ‘‘In fact, I rather gathered that you intended do- ing so.’ His face was still averted, but there was something in the set of his shoulders that told her that a spasm of humor was shaking him. She looked at him, hesitating, for a moment and then without another word went out into the square. And she herself laughed. It was, in fact, quite possible that her father had a certain amount of in- tuition surprising in one of his sex. She looked round to discover—Agnew. CHAPTER XIX UIKO AIDS FATE GNEW was standing at the wharf-edge and till she had taken half a dozen steps forward Katrine was unable to see what engaged his attention. It revealed itself as Uiko, standing erect in his deplor- able boat and speaking in vociferous whis- pers. Agnew listened impassively till the oration appeared to come to a dramatic halt. Then he tossed a coin upon the planks at the fisherman’s feet. Uiko stooped, picked it up, and made a gesture of obsequious gratitude. As he did so he recognized and saluted Katrine. He turned eagerly back to Agnew. “The signorina would find pleasure in C© MICLOOKS (©