Page 115 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

IIO Adventure

"No." switchboard girl say he came in before you
"Why?" and Zoronna arrived?"
"Two reasons. One of them is that I am "The girl's out of Zoronna's troupe. Zo-
sure she has not told Hurgronje that I am ronna put her on the job 'cause Hurgronje
alive and here." always bribes the telephone girls to spy on
"How do you know?" he demanded, per- her an' listen in. He's afraid she'll get in
haps unaware that he was rather taking the love with somebody an' not be worth any-
part of the devil's advocate. thing to him after that.
"Hurgronje wouldn't be any more fever- "I'll settle with Hurgy myself. That goes,
ishly anxious to get his hands on me if I had too. Remember it, Don - even if we are
his heart here - " I tapped my waist-"in- friends now.
stead of his jewels. Neither he nor anybody "By Heavens, it was you that did get us
connected with him has been prowling out o' that mess after all! When we found
around. This apartment hasn't been the maids all tied up-a n' heard ·'em talk-
searched. And I've taken little walks in well Zoronna told the girl downstairs what
dark places just to see if I was shadowed. to say; an' even Hurgronje b'lieves it.
So I am convinced that she has not told Doesn't he pay her on the side to give him
Hurgronje. But there is another and even inside dope? He's all mystified, but he
more important reason for trusting her." don't doubt anybody-except Cantella .
"What's that?" He thinks Cantella was probably up to
He asked it with more curiosity than something-sneak.in' into Zoronna's apart-
antagonism. ment when she wasn't there. . ..
"I overheard her confession to you." "Oh," he said wearily when I compli-
"You-you-you-" he cried loudly; mented him, "I know it's a clever story.
then almost inaudibly added, "Never!" But it kind o' makes me- I can't explain.
In about three words, or possibly one or I don't mind lyin', Don. I like to lie at
two more, I convinced him that I had been times. But I feel sneaky about that."
behind the curtains in Zoronna's room. He I understood perfectly. Lord Bob had
leaned weakly against the back of the chair real honor in him, no matter how much
and shut his eyes. He opened them to there may have been of the disreputable.
stare at me for a few moments, ·then shut The more or less· mocking title of "lord"
them again and shook his head. that had been fastened on to hin1 as an
But he was denying what he did not ironical tribute to his fastidious foppishness
doubt. The head-shake meant nothing ex- somehow was inadvertently appropriate to
cept that it seemed impossible. He knew the · honor and chivalry which was at one
that it was true. time supposed to distinguish, but never
"And you knew all the time?" he asked really did, the nobility, the knighthood, the
in the tone of a man who has been almost lords of the land.
crushed. "I'm a fool; I'm a fool; I'm a---- In the course of our conversation Lord
fool,'' he repeated rapidly, striking a fist Bob told me that Hurgronje had located
against his palm and moving his head himself on Belvedere Island; and that he ·was
about as if in pain. "Sweet Heavens, man! going over tomorrow night to get something
An' you didn't let on? An' after I talked - he didn't know just what-for Sin Chan;
to you like that! How'd you get out? Don, "The way it is," Lord Bob explained,
I am a fool. I didn't trust you~-" "Hurgronje's try.in' to get in on opium-
We talked it all out and over. smugglin'. It's get tin' to be a man-sized
"Luck," said Lord Bob, referring to the job to get the stuff in. Hurgronje's undcr-
coincidences that had brought me to his takin' t.o prove that he can get it in. He
apartment when I came from New York don't dream I'm the one that's bein' sent
rather than to any one of a hundred other after it, though.
places where I might have gone. "I'd spoil his game by lettin' myself get
But I am no believer in "luck." The caught if I thought for two minutes he
threads of fatalism, of design, are too boldly could put anything over on Sin Chang.
and dramatically woven in life's fabric to Take it from me, Don, it can't be done.
be the result of mere chance. B 'sides, I've told Sin Chang all I know. . . .
"But Cantella," I said, getting to a ques- Yes, about my end of it, too. That's why I
tion that had troubled me. "Why did that wanted to mention you to him. But I didn't.