Adventure Magazine Cover — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

120 Wheeler followed Drake and Sands to a shady pergola in the grounds, where the two older men /roceeded to finish some details of organization and stock-issues that were Greek to Dan. Finally the Senator turned to Dan, his face lighting up. “Well, Wheeler—thanks to you we have got that business settled up. Drake is going to buy back the other stone from Garth this afternoon, and we think we have fixed things so that Garth’s crazy piratical expe- dition for tomorrow night will run on the rocks. “Tt looks as if we had got things fixed about right all round—it looks to me as if Garth had given up that fool scheme, if he ever had it. I don’t see any reason why you should keep in hiding any longer. I heard Garth telling some young fellows at the club that your death was a false rumor, and that it was a joke on him.” The Senator’s manner was that of a world manager, who arranges the affairs of the universe before breakfast, as an appetizer. He added— “The young folks all want to go to the big masquerade ball at the club-house tonight, and I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t go if you want to—do you?” Dan knew that his feeling of being left out of it was childish—and it made him all the more bitter. He was half in earnest when he said: ‘““No—I don’t see that it makes any differ- ence what I do! One thing I do know— I don’t want any of your mine-money or mining-stock.”’ The glint in his greenish eyes was hard and steely—his thin, sensitive lips set ina cruel line. _ “Wha—why—but, Mr. you don’t understand—”’ The Senator stammered as he got the full, benumbing gaze from Dan’s narrowed lids. “I know I don’t! I don’t pretend to. I’ve done my circus-act—played clown— now run away and play! In other words: “You’re through and paid off. Git!’ -I don’t have to be kicked out twice in the same place!” Dan got up and started for the boat- landing without any hat. The Senator had sat paralyzed for some seconds, but he now got up to follow Dan with words of sincere apology on his lips. Drake caught his arm. “Don’t try to talk to him now—you’ll only make it worse,” said Drake. Wheeler—Dan, Adventure “Then you go. He must not think that we ” “You can’t stop him thinking, or help a bit until he has had time to think it over and cool down. He will be more ashamed of it than you could be,” Drake explained sadly. “But it is serious—I don’t like it.” “But what did I do?” Sands protested. “T didn’t do anything.”’ “Very little—you didn’t quite recognize his existence until you suggested that he was at liberty to go to the ball if he wanted to. You didn’t even suggest that he go with our party. No—you didn’t do anything!” “Great Gideon!”’ with measureless horror. “I never thought—I was thinking of him as one of the family all the time. We shall be in a sweet mess if he quits us!” “We shall,” said Drake. ‘‘Worse than you know.” “But he ought to have more sense.” The Senator showed signs of reviving pugnacity. “Sense enough to know this is where he belongs—as much his home as——”’ “Certainly!” Drake broke in. ‘Especially the first time he ever set foot in your house.”’ “Unh!’’ The Senator made a noise as if somebody had kicked him in the stomach, and sat down hard. ‘What can we do? He wouldn’t sell out to Garth while he is feeling sore?” Drake thought it wholesome discipline to say with a shrug: ~“Vou couldn’t blame him if he did. We may be able to fix the thing up—but I have got to see Garth at the club-house and buy that diamond.” He got up, looking at his watch. “T will try to explain things to Dan before the masquerade, some time this evening. I can’t promise to bring him round—he doesn’t get over a spell like this in a minute.” : ‘Then, as a parting shot: “If Dan leaves us, we’re done! I can’t stop to explain, but you may take my word for that!” .The Senator passed one of the hardest afternoons of his busy life. For an hour he sat miserably reviewing the events of the last week, and weighing the possibilities of the two days to come; and his summing up was— “T’d give all I possess if it were tomorrow night and we were all out of this scrape.” GOMIIGooOO S ©