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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Ne'er-Do-Well, by Rex Beach
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Ne'er-Do-Well
+
+Author: Rex Beach
+
+Posting Date: May 2, 2013 [EBook #5405]
+Release Date: April, 2004
+First Posted: July 7, 2002
+Last Updated: August 16, 2005
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NE'ER-DO-WELL ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+THE NE'ER-DO-WELL
+
+By REX BEACH
+
+Author of "THE SILVER HORDE" "THE SPOILERS" "THE IRON TRAIL" Etc.
+
+Illustrated
+
+
+
+
+TO
+
+MY WIFE
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+     I. VICTORY
+
+    II. THE TRAIL DIVIDES
+
+   III. A GAP
+
+    IV. NEW ACQUAINTANCES
+
+     V. A REMEDY IS PROPOSED
+
+    VI. IN WHICH KIRK ANTHONY IS GREATLY SURPRISED
+
+   VII. THE REWARD OF MERIT
+
+  VIII. EL COMANDANTE TAKES A HAND
+
+    IX. SPANISH LAW
+
+     X. A CHANGE OF PLAN
+
+    XI. THE TRUTH ABOUT MRS. CORTLANDT
+
+   XII. A NIGHT AT TABOGA
+
+  XIII. CHIQUITA
+
+   XIV. THE PATH THAT LED NOWHERE
+
+    XV. ALIAS JEFFERSON LOCKE
+
+   XVI. "8838"
+
+  XVII. GARAVEL THE BANKER
+
+ XVIII. THE SIEGE OF MARIA TORRES
+
+   XIX. "LA TOSCA"
+
+    XX. AN AWAKENING
+
+   XXI. THE REST OF THE FAMILY
+
+  XXII. A CHALLENGE AND A CONFESSION
+
+ XXIII. A PLOT AND A SACRIFICE
+
+  XXIV. A BUSINESS PROPOSITION
+
+   XXV. CHECKMATE!
+
+  XXVI. THE CRASH
+
+ XXVII. A QUESTION
+
+XXVIII. THE ANSWER
+
+  XXIX. A LAST APPEAL
+
+   XXX. DARWIN K ANTHONY
+
+
+
+
+THE NE'ER-DO-WELL
+
+
+
+
+I
+
+VICTORY
+
+
+It was a crisp November night. The artificial brilliance of Broadway
+was rivalled by a glorious moonlit sky. The first autumn frost was in
+the air, and on the side-streets long rows of taxicabs were standing,
+their motors blanketed, their chauffeurs threshing their arms to rout
+the cold. A few well-bundled cabbies, perched upon old-style hansoms,
+were barking at the stream of hurrying pedestrians. Against a
+background of lesser lights myriad points of electric signs flashed
+into everchanging shapes, winking like huge, distorted eyes; fanciful
+designs of liquid fire ran up and down the walls or blazed forth in
+lurid colors. From the city's canons came an incessant clanging roar,
+as if a great river of brass and steel were grinding its way toward the
+sea.
+
+Crowds began to issue from the theatres, and the lines of waiting
+vehicles broke up, filling the streets with the whir of machinery and
+the clatter of hoofs. A horde of shrill-voiced urchins pierced the
+confusion, waving their papers and screaming the football scores at the
+tops of their lusty lungs, while above it all rose the hoarse tones of
+carriage callers, the commands of traffic officers, and the din of
+street-car gongs.
+
+In the lobby of one of the playhouses a woman paused to adjust her
+wraps, and, hearing the cries of the newsboys, petulantly exclaimed:
+
+"I'm absolutely sick of football. That performance during the third act
+was enough to disgust one."
+
+Her escort smiled. "Oh, you take it too seriously," he said. "Those
+boys don't mean anything. That was merely Youth--irrepressible Youth,
+on a tear. You wouldn't spoil the fun?"
+
+"It may have been Youth," returned his companion, "but it sounded more
+like the end of the world. It was a little too much!"
+
+A bevy of shop-girls came bustling forth from a gallery exit.
+
+"Rah! rah! rah!" they mimicked, whereupon the cry was answered by a
+hundred throats as the doors belched forth the football players and
+their friends. Out they came, tumbling, pushing, jostling; greeting
+scowls and smiles with grins of insolent good-humor. In their hands
+were decorated walking-sticks and flags, ragged and tattered as if from
+long use in a heavy gale. Dignified old gentlemen dived among them in
+pursuit of top-hats; hysterical matrons hustled daughters into
+carriages and slammed the doors.
+
+"Wuxtry! Wuxtry!" shrilled the newsboys. "Full account of the big game!"
+
+A youth with a ridiculous little hat and heliotrope socks dashed into
+the street, where, facing the crowd, he led a battle song of his
+university. Policemen set their shoulders to the mob, but, though they
+met with no open resistance, they might as well have tried to dislodge
+a thicket of saplings. To-night football was king.
+
+Out through the crowd came a score of deep-chested young men moving
+together as if to resist an attack, whereupon a mighty roar went up.
+The cheer-leader increased his antics, and the barking yell changed to
+a measured chant, to the time of which the army marched down the street
+until the twenty athletes dodged in through the revolving doors of a
+cafe, leaving Broadway rocking with the tumult.
+
+All the city was football-mad, it seemed, for no sooner had the
+new-comers entered the restaurant than the diners rose to wave napkins
+or to cheer. Men stepped upon chairs and craned for a better sight of
+them; women raised their voices in eager questioning. A gentleman in
+evening dress pointed out the leader of the squad to his companions,
+explaining:
+
+"That is Anthony--the big chap. He's Darwin K. Anthony's son. You've
+heard about the Anthony bill at Albany?"
+
+"Yes, and I saw this fellow play football four years ago. Say! That was
+a game."
+
+"He's a worthless sort of chap, isn't he?" remarked one of the women,
+when the squad had disappeared up the stairs.
+
+"Just a rich man's son, that's all. But he certainly could play
+football."
+
+"Didn't I read that he had been sent to jail recently?"
+
+"No doubt. He was given thirty days."
+
+"What! in PRISON?" questioned another, in a shocked voice.
+
+"Only for speeding. It was his third offence, and his father let him
+take his medicine."
+
+"How cruel!"
+
+"Old man Anthony doesn't care for this sort of thing. He's right, too.
+All this young fellow is good for is to spend money."
+
+Up in the banquet-hall, however, it was evident that Kirk Anthony was
+more highly esteemed by his mates than by the public at large. He was
+their hero, in fact, and in a way he deserved it. For three years
+before his graduation he had been the heart and sinew of the university
+team, and for the four years following he had coached them, preferring
+the life of an athletic trainer to the career his father had offered
+him. And he had done his chosen work well.
+
+Only three weeks prior to the hard gruel of the great game the eleven
+had received a blow that had left its supporters dazed and despairing.
+There had been a scandal, of which the public had heard little and the
+students scarcely more, resulting in the expulsion of the five best
+players of the team. The crisis might have daunted the most resourceful
+of men, yet Anthony had proved equal to it. For twenty-one days he had
+labored like a real general, spending his nights alone with diagrams
+and little dummies on a miniature gridiron, his days in careful
+coaching. He had taken a huge, ungainly Nova Scotian lad named Ringold
+for centre; he had placed a square-jawed, tow-headed boy from Duluth in
+the line; he had selected a high-strung, unseasoned chap, who for two
+years had been eating his heart out on the side-lines, and made him
+into a quarter-back.
+
+Then he had driven them all with the cruelty of a Cossack captain; and
+when at last the dusk of this November day had settled, new football
+history had been made. The world had seen a strange team snatch victory
+from defeat, and not one of all the thirty thousand onlookers but knew
+to whom the credit belonged. It had been a tremendous spectacle, and
+when the final whistle blew for the multitude to come roaring down
+across the field, the cohorts had paid homage to Kirk Anthony, the
+weary coach to whom they knew the honor belonged.
+
+Of course this fervid enthusiasm and hero-worship was all very
+immature, very foolish, as the general public acknowledged after it had
+taken time to cool off. Yet there was something appealing about it,
+after all. At any rate, the press deemed the public sufficiently
+interested in the subject to warrant giving it considerable prominence,
+and the name of Darwin K. Anthony's son was published far and wide.
+
+Naturally, the newspapers gave the young man's story as well as a
+history of the game. They told of his disagreement with his father; of
+the Anthony anti-football bill which the old man in his rage had driven
+through the legislature and up to the Governor himself. Some of them
+even printed a rehash of the railroad man's famous magazine attack on
+the modern college, in which he all but cited his own son as an example
+of the havoc wrought by present-day university methods. The elder
+Anthony's wealth and position made it good copy. The yellow journals
+liked it immensely, and, strangely enough, notwithstanding the
+positiveness with which the newspapers spoke, the facts agreed
+essentially with their statements. Darwin K. Anthony and his son had
+quarrelled, they were estranged; the young man did prefer idleness to
+industry. Exactly as the published narratives related, he toiled not at
+all, he spun nothing but excuses, he arrayed himself in sartorial
+glory, and drove a yellow racing-car beyond the speed limit.
+
+It was all true, only incomplete. Kirk Anthony's father had even better
+reasons for his disapproval of the young man's behavior than appeared.
+The fact was that Kirk's associates were of a sort to worry any
+observant parent, and, moreover, he had acquired a renown in that part
+of New York lying immediately west of Broadway and north of
+Twenty-sixth Street which, in his father's opinion, added not at all to
+the lustre of the family name. In particular, Anthony, Sr., was
+prejudiced against a certain Higgins, who, of course, was his son's
+boon companion, aid, and abettor. This young gentleman was a lean,
+horse-faced senior, whose unbroken solemnity of manner had more than
+once led strangers to mistake him for a divinity student, though closer
+acquaintance proved him wholly unmoral and rattle-brained. Mr. Higgins
+possessed a distorted sense of humor and a crooked outlook upon life;
+while, so far as had been discovered, he owned but two ambitions: one
+to whip a policeman, the other to write a musical comedy. Neither
+seemed likely of realization. As for the first, he was narrow-chested
+and gangling, while a brief, disastrous experience on the college paper
+had furnished a sad commentary upon the second.
+
+Not to exaggerate, Darwin K. Anthony, the father, saw in the person of
+Adelbert Higgins a budding criminal of rare precocity, and a menace to
+his son; while to the object of his solicitude the aforesaid criminal
+was nothing more than an entertaining companion, whose bizarre
+disregard of all established rules of right and wrong matched well with
+his own careless temper. Higgins, moreover, was an ardent follower of
+athletics, revolving like a satellite about the football stars, and
+attaching himself especially to Kirk, who was too good-natured to find
+fault with an honest admirer.
+
+It was Higgins this evening who, after the "cripples" had deserted and
+the supper party had dwindled to perhaps a dozen, proposed to make a
+night of it. It was always Higgins who proposed to make a night of it,
+and now, as usual, his words were greeted with enthusiasm.
+
+Having obtained the floor, he gazed owlishly over the flushed faces
+around the table and said:
+
+"I wish to announce that, in our little journey to the underworld, we
+will visit some places of rare interest and educational value. First we
+will go to the House of Seven Turnings."
+
+"No poetry, Hig!" some one cried. "What is it?"
+
+"It is merely a rendezvous of pickpockets and thieves, accessible only
+to a chosen few. I feel sure you will enjoy yourselves there, for the
+bartender has the secret of a remarkable gin fizz, sweeter than a
+maiden's smile, more intoxicating than a kiss."
+
+"Piffle!"
+
+"It is a place where the student of sociology can obtain a world of
+valuable information."
+
+"How do we get in?"
+
+"Leave that to old Doctor Higgins," Anthony laughed. "To get out is the
+difficulty."
+
+"Oh, I guess we'll get out," said the bulky Ringold.
+
+"After we have concluded our investigations at the House of Seven
+Turnings," continued the ceremonious Higgins, "we will go to the Palace
+of Ebony, where a full negro orchestra--"
+
+"The police closed that a week ago."
+
+"But it has reopened on a scale larger and grander than ever."
+
+"Let's take in the Austrian Village," offered Ringold.
+
+"Patiently! Patiently, Behemoth! We'll take 'em all in. However, I wish
+to request one favor. If by any chance I should become embroiled with a
+minion of the law, please, oh please, let me finish him."
+
+"Remember the last time," cautioned Anthony. "You've never come home a
+winner."
+
+"Enough! Away with painful memories! All in favor--"
+
+"AYE!" yelled the diners, whereupon a stampede ensued that caused the
+waiters in the main dining-room below to cease piling chairs upon the
+tables and hastily weight their napkins with salt-cellars.
+
+But the crowd was not combative. They poured out upon the street in the
+best possible humor, and even at the House of Seven Turnings, as
+Higgins had dubbed the "hide-away" on Thirty-second Street, they made
+no disturbance. On the contrary, it was altogether too quiet for most
+of them, and they soon sought another scene. But there were deserters
+en route to the Palace of Ebony, and when in turn the joys of a full
+negro orchestra had palled and a course was set for the Austrian
+Village, the number of investigators had dwindled to a choice
+half-dozen.
+
+These, however, were kindred spirits, veterans of many a midnight
+escapade, composing a flying squadron of exactly the right proportions
+for the utmost efficiency and mobility combined.
+
+The hour was now past a respectable bedtime and the Tenderloin had
+awakened. The roar of commerce had dwindled away, and the comparative
+silence was broken only by the clang of an infrequent trolley. The
+streets were empty of vehicles, except for a few cabs that followed the
+little group persistently. As yet there was no need of them. The crowd
+was made up, for the most part, of healthy, full-blooded boys, fresh
+from weeks of training, strong of body, and with stomachs like
+galvanized iron. They showed scant evidence of intoxication. As for the
+weakest member of the party, it had long been known that one drink made
+Higgins drunk, and all further libations merely served to maintain him
+in status quo. Exhaustive experiments had proved that he was able to
+retain consciousness and the power of locomotion until the first streak
+of dawn appeared, after which he usually became a burden. For the
+present he was amply able to take care of himself, and now, although
+his speech was slightly thick, his demeanor was as didactic and severe
+as ever, and, save for the vagrant workings of his mind, he might have
+passed for a curate. As a whole, the crowd was in fine fettle.
+
+The Austrian Village is a saloon, dance-hall, and all-night restaurant,
+flourishing brazenly within a stone's throw of Broadway, and it is
+counted one of the sights of the city. Upon entering, one may pass
+through a saloon where white-aproned waiters load trays and wrangle
+over checks, then into a ball-room filled with the flotsam and jetsam
+of midnight Manhattan. Above and around this room runs a white-and-gold
+balcony partitioned into boxes; beneath it are many tables separated
+from the waxed floor by a railing. Inside the enclosure men in
+street-clothes and smartly gowned girls with enormous hats revolve
+nightly to the strains of an orchestra which nearly succeeds in
+drowning their voices. From the tables come laughter and snatches of
+song; waiters dash hither and yon. It is all very animated and gay on
+the surface, and none but the closely observant would note the
+weariness beneath the women's smiles, the laughter notes that
+occasionally jar, or perceive that the tailored gowns are imitations,
+the ermines mainly rabbit-skins.
+
+But the eyes of youth are not analytical, and seen through a rosy haze
+the sight was inspiriting. The college men selected a table, and,
+shouldering the occupants aside without ceremony, seated themselves and
+pounded for a waiter.
+
+Padden, the proprietor, came toward them, and, after greeting Anthony
+and Higgins by a shake of his left hand, ducked his round gray head in
+acknowledgment of an introduction to the others.
+
+"Excuse my right," said he, displaying a swollen hand criss-crossed
+with surgeon's plaster. "A fellow got noisy last night."
+
+"D'jou hit him?" queried Higgins, gazing with interest at the
+proprietor's knuckles.
+
+"Yes. I swung for his jaw and went high. Teeth--" Mr. Padden said,
+vaguely. He turned a shrewd eye upon Anthony. "I heard about the game
+to-day. That was all right."
+
+Kirk grinned boyishly. "I didn't have much to do with it; these are the
+fellows."
+
+"Don't believe him," interrupted Ringold.
+
+"Sure! he's too modest," Higgins chimed in. "Fine fellow an' all that,
+understand, but he's got two faults--he's modest and he's lazy. He's
+caused a lot of uneasiness to his father and me. Father's a fine man,
+too." He nodded his long, narrow head solemnly.
+
+"We know who did the trick for us," added Anderson, the straw-haired
+half-back.
+
+"Glad you dropped in," Mr. Padden assured them. "Anything you boys want
+and can't get, let me know."
+
+When he had gone Higgins averred: "There's a fine man--peaceful,
+refined--got a lovely character, too. Let's be gentlemen while we're in
+his place."
+
+Ringold rose. "I'm going to dance, fellows," he announced, and his
+companions followed him, with the exception of the cadaverous Higgins,
+who maintained that dancing was a pastime for the frivolous and weak.
+
+When they returned to their table they found a stranger was seated with
+him, who rose as Higgins made him known.
+
+"Boys, meet my old friend, Mr. Jefferson Locke, of St. Louis. He's all
+right."
+
+The college men treated this new recruit with a hilarious cordiality,
+to which he responded with the air of one quite accustomed to such
+reunions.
+
+"I was at the game this afternoon," he explained, when the greetings
+were over, "and recognized you chaps when you came in. I'm a football
+fan myself."
+
+"You look as if you might have played," said Anthony, sizing up the
+broad frame of the Missourian with the critical eye of a coach.
+
+"Yes. I used to play."
+
+"Where?"
+
+Mr. Locke avoided answer by calling loudly for a waiter, but when the
+orders had been taken Kirk repeated:
+
+"Where did you play, Mr. Locke?"
+
+"Left tackle."
+
+"What university?"
+
+"Oh one of the Southern colleges. It was a freshwater school--you
+wouldn't know the name." He changed the subject quickly by adding:
+
+"I just got into town this morning and I'm sailing to-morrow. I
+couldn't catch a boat to-day, so I'm having a little blow-out on my own
+account. When I recognized you all, I just butted in. New York is a
+lonesome place for a stranger. Hope you don't mind my joining you."
+
+"Not at all!" he was assured.
+
+When he came to pay the waiter he displayed a roll of yellow-backed
+bills that caused Anthony to caution him:
+
+"If I were you I'd put that in my shoe. I know this place."
+
+Locke only laughed. "There's more where this came from. However, that's
+one reason I'd like to stick around with you fellows. I have an idea
+I've been followed, and I don't care to be tapped on the head. If you
+will let me trail along I'll foot the bills. That's a fair proposition."
+
+"It certainly sounds engaging," cried Higgins, joyously. "The sight of
+that money awakens a feeling of loyalty in our breasts. I speak for all
+when I say we will guard you like a lily as long as your money lasts,
+Mr. Locke."
+
+"As long as we last," Ringold amended.
+
+"It's a bargain," Locke agreed. "Hereafter I foot the bills. You're my
+guests for the evening, understand. If you'll agree to keep me company
+until my ship sails I'll do the entertaining."
+
+"Oh, come now," Anthony struck in. "The fellows are just fooling.
+You're more than welcome to stay with us if you like, but we can't let
+you put up for it."
+
+"Why not? We'll make a night of it. I'll show you how we spend money in
+St. Louis. I'm too nervous to go to bed."
+
+Anthony protested, insisting that the other should regard himself as
+the guest of the crowd; but as Locke proved obdurate the question was
+allowed to drop until later, when Kirk found himself promoted by tacit
+consent to the position of host for the whole company. This was a
+little more than he had bargained for, but the sense of having
+triumphed in a contest of good-fellowship consoled him. Meanwhile, the
+stranger, despite his avowedly festive spirit, showed a certain reserve.
+
+When the music again struck up he declined to dance, preferring to
+remain with Higgins in their inconspicuous corner.
+
+"There's a fine fellow," the latter remarked, following his best
+friend's figure with his eyes, when he and Locke were once more alone.
+"Sweet nature."
+
+"Anthony? Yes, he looks it."
+
+"He's got just two faults, I always say: he's too modest by far and
+he's lazy--won't work."
+
+"He doesn't have to work. His old man has plenty of coin, hasn't he?"
+
+"Yes, and he'll keep it, too. Heartless old wretch. Mr.--What's your
+name, again?"
+
+"Locke."
+
+"Mr. Locke." The speaker stared mournfully at his companion. "D'you
+know what that unnatural parent did?"
+
+"No."
+
+"He let his only son and heir go to jail."
+
+Mr. Jefferson Locke, of St. Louis, started; his wandering, watchful
+eyes flew back to the speaker.
+
+"What! Jail?"
+
+"That's what I remarked. He allowed his own flesh and blood to languish
+in a loathsome cell."
+
+"What for? What did they get him for?" queried the other, quickly.
+
+"Speeding."
+
+"Oh!" Locke let himself back in his chair.
+
+"Yes sir, he's a branded felon."
+
+"Nonsense. That's nothing."
+
+"But we love him just the same, criminal though he is" said Higgins,
+showing a disposition to weep. "If he were not such a strong, patient
+soul it might have ruined his whole life."
+
+Mr. Locke grunted.
+
+"S'true! You've no idea the disgrace it is to go to jail."
+
+The Missourian stirred uneasily. "Say, it gets on my nerves to sit
+still," said he. "Let's move around."
+
+"Patiently! Patiently! Somebody's sure to start something before long."
+
+"Well, I don't care to get mixed up in a row."
+
+Higgins laid a long, white hand upon the speaker's arm. "Then stay with
+us, Mr.--Locke. If you incline to peace, be one of us. We're a flock of
+sucking doves."
+
+The dancers came crowding up to the table at the moment, and Ringold
+suggested loudly: "I'm hungry; let's eat again."
+
+His proposal met with eager response.
+
+"Where shall we go?" asked Anderson.
+
+"I just fixed it with Padden for a private room upstairs," Anthony
+said. "All the cafes are closed now, and this is the best place in town
+for chicken creole, anyhow."
+
+Accordingly he led the way, and the rest filed out after him; but as
+they left the ball-room a medium-sized man who had recently entered
+from the street caught a glimpse of them, craned his neck for a better
+view, then idled along behind.
+
+
+
+
+II
+
+THE TRAIL DIVIDES
+
+
+Inspired by his recent rivalry with Mr. Jefferson Locke, Anthony played
+the part of host more lavishly than even the present occasion required.
+He ordered elaborately, and it was not long before corks were popping
+and dishes rattling quite as if the young men were really hungry. Mr.
+Locke, however, insisted that his friends should partake of a kind of
+drink previously unheard of, and with this in view had a confidential
+chat with the waiter, to whom he unostentatiously handed a five-dollar
+retainer. No one witnessed this unusual generosity except Higgins, who
+commended it fondly; but his remarks went unheeded in the general
+clamor.
+
+The meal was at its noisiest when the man whom Locke had so generously
+tipped spoke to him quietly. Whatever his words, they affected the
+listener strongly. Locke's face whitened, then grew muddy and yellow,
+his hands trembled, his lips went dry. He half arose from his chair,
+then cast a swift look about the room. His companions were too well
+occupied, however, to notice this by-play even when the waiter
+continued, in a low tone:
+
+"He slipped me a ten-spot, so I thought it must be something worth
+while."
+
+"He--he's alone, you say?"
+
+"Seems to be. What shall I do, sir?"
+
+Locke took something from his pocket and thrust it into the fellow's
+hand, while the look in his eyes changed to one of desperation.
+
+"Step outside and wait. Don't let him come up. I'll call you in a
+minute."
+
+Ringold was recounting his version of the first touchdown--how he had
+been forced inch by inch across the goal line to the tune of thirty
+thousand yelling throats and his companions were hanging upon his
+words, when their new friend interrupted in such a tone that Anthony
+inquired in surprise:
+
+"What's wrong, old man? Are you sick?"
+
+Locke shook his head. "I told you fellows I'd been followed this
+evening. Remember? Well, there's a man down-stairs who has given the
+waiter ten dollars to let him have his coat and apron so he can come in
+here."
+
+"What for?"
+
+"Who is he?"
+
+The men stared at the speaker with a sudden new interest.
+
+"I'm not sure. I--think it's part of a plan to rob me." He let his gaze
+roam from one face to another. "You see--I just came into a big piece
+of coin, and I've got it with me. I'm--I'm alone in New York,
+understand? They've followed me from St. Louis. Now, I want you boys to
+help me dodge this--"
+
+Kirk Anthony rose suddenly, moving as lightly upon his feet as a dancer.
+
+"You say he's below?"
+
+Locke nodded. It was plain that he was quite unnerved.
+
+Ringold rose in turn and lurched ponderously toward the door, but Kirk
+stepped in front of him with a sharp word:
+
+"Wait! I'll manage this."
+
+"Lemme go," expostulated the centre-rush. "Locke's a good fellow and
+this man wants to trim him."
+
+"No, no! Sit down!" Ringold obeyed. "If he wants to join us, we'll have
+him come up."
+
+"What?" cried Locke, leaping nervously from his chair. "Don't do that.
+I want to get out of here."
+
+"Not a bit like it." Kirk's eyes were sparkling. "We'll give this
+fellow the third degree and find out who his pals are."
+
+"Grand idea!" Higgins seconded with enthusiasm. "Grand!"
+
+"Hold on! I can't do that. I've got to sail at ten o'clock. I don't
+dare get into trouble, don't you understand? It's important." Locke
+seemed in an extraordinary panic.
+
+"Oh, we'll see that you catch your boat all right," Kirk assured him;
+and then before the other could interfere he rang for the waiter.
+
+"Give that chap your coat and apron," he ordered, when the attendant
+answered, "and when I ring next send him up. Pass the word to Padden
+and the others not to notice any little disturbance. I'll answer for
+results."
+
+"I'm going to get out," cried the man from St. Louis. "He mustn't see
+me."
+
+"He'll see you sure if you leave now. You'll have to pass him. Stick
+here. We'll have some fun."
+
+The white-faced man sank back into his chair, while Anthony directed
+sharply:
+
+"Now, gentlemen, be seated. Here, Locke, your back to the door--your
+face looks like a chalk-mine. There! Now don't be so nervous--we'll
+cure this fellow's ambition as a gin-slinger. I'll change names with
+you for a minute. Now, Ringold, go ahead with your story." Then, as the
+giant took up his tale again: "Listen to him, fellows; look pleasant,
+please. Remember you're not sitting up with a corpse. A little more
+ginger, Ringie. Good!" He pushed the button twice, and a moment Later
+the door opened quietly to admit a medium-sized man in white coat and
+apron.
+
+Had the young men been a little less exhilarated they might have
+suspected that Locke's story of having been dogged from St. Louis was a
+trifle exaggerated; for, instead of singling him out at first glance,
+the new-comer paused at a respectful distance inside the door and
+allowed his eyes to shift uncertainly from one to another as if in
+doubt as to which was his quarry. Anthony did not dream that it was his
+own resemblance to the Missourian that led to this confusion, but in
+fact, while he and Locke were totally unlike when closely compared,
+they were of a similar size and coloring, and the same general
+description would have fitted both.
+
+Having allowed the intruder a moment in which to take in the room, Kirk
+leaned back in his chair and nodded for him to approach.
+
+"Cigars!" he ordered. "Bring a box of Carolinas."
+
+"Yes, sir. Are you Mr. Locke, sir?" inquired the new waiter.
+
+"Yes," said Kirk.
+
+"Telephone message for you, Mr. Locke," the waiter muttered.
+
+"What's that?" Anthony queried, loud enough for the others to hear.
+
+"Somebody calling you by 'phone. They're holding the wire outside. I'll
+show you the booth."
+
+"Oh, will you?" Kirk Anthony's hands suddenly shot out and seized the
+masquerader by the throat. The man uttered a startled gasp, but
+simultaneously the iron grip of Marty Ringold fell upon his arms and
+doubled them behind him, while Kirk gibed:
+
+"You'll get me outside and into a telephone booth, eh? My dear sir,
+that is old stuff."
+
+The rest of the party were on their feet instantly, watching the
+struggle and crowding forward with angry exclamations. Ringold, with
+the man's two wrists locked securely in his own huge paw, was growling:
+
+"Smooth way to do up a fellow, I call it."
+
+"All the way from St. Louis for a telephone call, eh?" Anthony sank his
+thumbs into the stranger's throat, then, as the man's face grew black
+and his contortions diminished, added: "We're going to make a good
+waiter out of you."
+
+Jefferson Locke broke in excitedly: "Choke him good! Choke him! That's
+right. Put him out for keeps. For God's sake, don't let him go!"
+
+But it was not Kirk's idea to strangle his victim beyond a certain
+point. He relaxed his grip after a moment and, nodding to Ringold to do
+likewise, took the fellow's wrists himself, then swung him about until
+he faced the others. The man's lungs filled with fresh air, he began to
+struggle once more, and when his voice had returned he gasped:
+
+"I'll get you for this. You'll do a trick--" He mumbled a name that did
+not sound at all like Jefferson Locke, whereupon the Missourian made a
+rush at him that required the full strength of Anthony's free hand to
+thwart.
+
+"Here, stand back! I've got him!"
+
+"I'll kill him!" chattered the other.
+
+"Let me go," the stranger gasped. "I'll take you all in. I'm an
+officer."
+
+"It's a lie!" shouted Locke. "He's a thief."
+
+"I tell you I'm--an officer; I arrest this--"
+
+The words were cut off abruptly by a loud exclamation from Higgins and
+a crash of glass. Kirk Anthony's face was drenched, his eyes were
+filled with a stinging liquid; he felt his prisoner sink limply back
+into his arms and beheld Higgins struggling in the grasp of big Marty
+Ringold, the foil-covered neck of a wine bottle in his fingers.
+
+The foolish fellow had been hovering uncertainly round the edges of the
+crowd, longing to help his friends and crazily anxious to win glory by
+some deed of valor. At the first opening he had darted wildly into the
+fray, not realizing that the enemy was already helpless in the hands of
+his captors.
+
+"I've got him!" he cried, joyously. "He's out!'
+
+"Higgins!" Anthony exclaimed, sharply. "What the devil--" Then the dead
+weight in his arms, the lolling head and sagging jaw of the stranger,
+sobered him like a deluge of ice-water.
+
+"You've done it this time," he muttered.
+
+"Good God!" Locke cried. "Let's get away! He's hurt!"
+
+"Here, you!" Anthony shot a command at the speaker that checked him
+half-way across the room. "Ringold, take the door and don't let anybody
+in or out." To Higgins he exclaimed, "You idiot, didn't you see I had
+his hands?"
+
+"No. Had to get him," returned Higgins, with vinous dignity. "Wanted to
+rob my old friend, Mr.--What's his name?"
+
+"We've got to leave quick before we get in bad," Locke reiterated,
+nervously, but Anthony retorted:
+
+"We're in bad now. I want Padden." He stepped to the door and signaled
+a passing waiter. A moment later the proprietor knocked, and Ringold
+admitted him.
+
+"What's the--" Padden started at sight of the motionless figure on the
+floor, and, kneeling beside it, made a quick examination, while Anthony
+explained the circumstances leading up to the assault.
+
+"Thief, eh? I see."
+
+"Is he badly hurt?" queried Locke, bending a pale face upon them.
+
+"Huh! I guess he's due for the hospital," the owner of the Austrian
+Village announced. "He had his nerve, trying to turn a trick in my
+place. I thought I knew all the dips, but he's a stranger." With nimble
+fingers he ran through the fellow's pockets, then continued:
+
+"I'm glad you got him, but you'd better get together and rehearse
+before the police--" He stopped abruptly once more, then looked up
+curiously.
+
+"What is it?" questioned the man from Missouri.
+
+Padden pointed silently to the lapel of the fellow's vest, which he had
+turned back. A nickeled badge was pinned upon it. "He's no thief; he's
+a detective--a plain-clothes man!"
+
+"Wha'd I tell you!" Higgins exulted. "I can smell 'em!"
+
+The crowd looked nonplussed, with the exception of Jefferson Locke, who
+became calmer than at any time since the waiter had first whispered
+into his ear.
+
+"We didn't know who he was," he began, hurriedly, "You must square it
+for us, Padden. I don't care what it costs." He extended a bulky roll
+of bank-notes toward the gray-haired man. "These boys can't stand this
+sort of thing, and neither can I. I've got to sail at ten o'clock this
+morning."
+
+"Looks to me like you've croaked him," said the proprietor, ignoring
+the proffered money.
+
+"It's worth a thousand dollars to me not to miss my boat."
+
+"Wait a minute." Padden emptied the unconscious man's pockets, among
+other things of some telegrams and a legally folded paper. The latter
+he opened and scanned swiftly, then turned his little eyes upon Locke
+without a word, whereupon that gentleman, with equal silence, took from
+his inside pocket a wallet, and selected a bill, the denomination of
+which he displayed to the proprietor before folding it inside the
+bundle he held.
+
+"Here! It may cost you something."
+
+Padden nodded and accepted the money, saying:
+
+"Oh, I guess I can fix it. I know the right doctor." He regained his
+feet, then warned the onlookers: "But you'll have to keep your traps
+closed, understand?"
+
+"Will he die?" asked Ringold, fearfully, his back still against the
+door.
+
+"Not a chance. But if he does he'll never know who hit him. You see, we
+picked him up in the alley and brought him in." Padden winked
+meaningly. "It happens right along in this part of town. Do you get me?
+I'll keep these." He indicated the badge and papers in his hand. "Now
+go out as if nothing had come off. Drop in again the next time you're
+in town. I'll take care of the supper checks."
+
+As the partly sobered visitors struggled into their overcoats Padden
+drew Locke aside, and, nodding toward Higgins, who was still talkative,
+said:
+
+"If you want to catch that ten o'clock boat you'd better stick close to
+your friend; I know him."
+
+"Thanks!" Locke glanced at the prostrate figure, then inquired in a low
+tone: "On the level, will he make it?"
+
+"Hard to tell. Just the same, if I was you I'd change my sailing--he
+might come to."
+
+"You chaps have done me a big favor to-night," said Locke, a little
+later, when he and his companions were safely out of the Austrian
+Village, "and I won't forget it, either. Now let's finish the evening
+the way we began it."
+
+Anderson, Rankin, and Burroughs, to conceal their nervousness, pleaded
+bodily fatigue, while Anthony also declared that he had enjoyed himself
+sufficiently for one night and intended to go home and to bed. "That
+episode rather got on my nerves," he acknowledged.
+
+"Mine, too," assented Locke. "That's why you mustn't leave me. I just
+won't let you. Remember, you agreed to see me off."
+
+"'S'right, fellows," Higgins joined in. "We agreed to put him aboard
+and we must do it. Don't break up the party, Kirk."
+
+"I don't want to go home," Ringold muttered.
+
+"It's a breach of hospitality to go home," Higgins insisted. "Besides,
+after my bloody 'ncounter with that limb of the law I need a stimulant.
+You must look after me."
+
+"I shall tuck you in your little bed," Kirk told him. But Higgins would
+hear to nothing of the sort, protesting that he was in honor bound to
+conduct his old friend Locke to the steamer, and Anthony feared that
+without his protection some harm might befall his irresponsible and
+impulsive companion. Candor requires it to be said that he did
+hesitate, arguing long with the limp-legged Higgins; but Locke was
+insistent, the others grew impatient of the delay, and in the end he
+allowed himself to be persuaded.
+
+It is often through just such sudden, inconsequent decisions,
+influenced perhaps by the merest trifles, that a man's life is made
+great or small; just such narrow forkings of the trail may divert him
+into strange adventurings, or into worlds undreamed of. Kirk Anthony,
+twenty-six years old, with a heritage at hand, and with an average
+capacity for good or evil, chose the turning that led him swiftly from
+the world he knew into an alien land.
+
+Numbed as they were by the excesses of the evening, it did not take the
+young men long to lose all clear and vivid remembrance of this recent
+experience; for the time had come when Nature was offering her last
+resistance, and their brains were badly awhirl. Of all the four,
+Jefferson Locke was the only one who retained his wits to the
+fullest--a circumstance that would have proved him the owner of a
+remarkably steady head had it not been for the fact that he had
+cunningly substituted water for gin each time it came his turn to
+drink. It was a commentary upon the state of his companions that they
+did not notice the limpid clearness of his beverage.
+
+Dawn found them in an East Side basement drinking-place frequented by
+the lowest classes. Ringold was slumbering peacefully, half overflowing
+the wet surface of a table; Anthony had discovered musical talent in
+the bartender and was seated at a battered piano, laboriously
+experimenting with the accompaniment to an Irish ballad; Higgins and
+Locke were talking earnestly. It was the slackest, blackest hour in an
+all-night dive; the nocturnal habitues had slunk away, and the day's
+trade had not yet begun. Higgins, drawn and haggard beneath his drunken
+flush, was babbling incessantly; Locke, as usual, sat facing the
+entrance, his eyes watchful, his countenance alert. In spite of the
+fact that he had constantly plied his companion with liquor in the hope
+of stilling his tongue, Higgins seemed incapable of silence, and kept
+breaking forth into loud, garbled recitals of the scene at Padden's,
+which caused the Missourian to shiver with apprehension. To a sober eye
+it would have been patent that Locke was laboring under some strong
+excitement; for every door that opened caused him to start, every
+stranger that entered made him quake. He consulted his watch
+repeatedly, he flushed and paled and fidgeted, then lost himself in
+frowning meditation.
+
+"Grandes' fellow I ever met," Higgins was saying for the hundredth
+time. "Got two faults, tha's all; he's modesht an' he's lazy--he won't
+work."
+
+"Anthony?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+Locke stirred himself, and, leaning forward, said: "You and he are good
+friends, eh?"
+
+"Best ever."
+
+"Would you like to play a joke on him?"
+
+"Joke? Can't be done. He's wises' guy ever. I've tried it an' always
+get the wors' of it. Yes, sir, he's wise guy. Jus' got two faults: he
+won't work an'--"
+
+"Look here! Why don't you make him work?"
+
+"Huh?" Higgins turned a pair of bleared, unfocusable eyes upon the
+speaker.
+
+"Why don't somebody make him work?"
+
+The lean-faced youth laughed moistly.
+
+"Tha's good joke."
+
+"I mean it."
+
+"Got too much money. 'S old man puts up reg'lar."
+
+"Listen! It's a shame for a fine fellow like him to go to the dogs."
+Higgins nodded heavily in agreement. "Why don't you send him away where
+he'll have to rustle? That's the joke I meant."
+
+"Huh?" Again the listener's mind failed to follow, and Locke repeated
+his words, concluding: "It would make a new man of him."
+
+"Oh, he wouldn't work. Too lazy."
+
+"He'd have to if he were broke."
+
+"But he AIN'T broke. Didn't I tell you 's old man puts up reg'lar? Fine
+man, too, Misser Anthony; owns railroads."
+
+"I'll tell you how we can work it. I've got a ticket for Central
+America in my pocket. The boat sails at ten. Let's send him down there."
+
+"Wha' for?"
+
+Locke kept his temper with an effort. "To make a man of him. We'll go
+through his clothes and when he lands he'll be broke. He'll HAVE to
+work. Don't you see?"
+
+"No." Anthony's friend did not see. "He don't want to go to Central
+America," he argued; "he's got a new autom'bile."
+
+"But suppose we got him soused, went through his pockets, and then put
+him aboard the boat. He'd be at sea by the time he woke up; he couldn't
+get back; he'd have to work; don't you see? He'd be broke when he
+landed and have to rustle money to get back with. I think it's an awful
+funny idea."
+
+The undeniable humor of such a situation finally dawned upon Higgins's
+mind, and he burst into a loud guffaw.
+
+"Hey there! Shut up!" Anthony called from the piano. "Listen here! I've
+found the lost chord." He bore down with his huge hands upon the yellow
+keyboard, bringing forth a metallic crash that blended fearfully with
+the bartender's voice. "It's a great discovery."
+
+"I'll get him full if you'll help manage him," Locke went on. "And
+here's the ticket." He tapped his pocket.
+
+"Where'd you get it?"
+
+"Bought it yesterday. It's first class and better, and he'll fit my
+description. We're about the same size."
+
+"Ain't you goin'?"
+
+"No. I've changed my mind. I may jump over to Paris. Come, are you on?"
+
+Higgins giggled. "Darn' funny idea, if you can get him full."
+
+"Wait." Locke rose and went to the bar, where he called loudly for the
+singer; then, when the bartender had deserted the piano, he spoke to
+Anthony: "Keep it up, old man, you're doing fine."
+
+For some moments he talked earnestly to the man behind the bar; but his
+back was to Higgins, Anthony was occupied, and Ringold still slumbered;
+hence no one observed the transfer of another of those yellow bills of
+which he seemed to have an unlimited store.
+
+Strangely enough, Mr. Jefferson Locke's plan worked without a hitch.
+Within ten minutes after Kirk Anthony had taken the drink handed him he
+declared himself sleepy, and rose from the piano, only to seek a chair,
+into which he flung himself heavily.
+
+"It's all right," Locke told his drunken companion. "I've got a taxi
+waiting. We'll leave Ringold where he is."
+
+Twenty-four hours later Adelbert Higgins undertook to recall what had
+happened to him after he left Muller's place on East Fourteenth Street,
+but his memory was tricky. He recollected a vaguely humorous discussion
+of some sort with a stranger, the details of which were almost entirely
+missing. He remembered that dawn had broken when he came out of the
+saloon, but beyond that he could not go with any degree of certainty.
+There was a hazy memory of an interminable ride in a closed vehicle of
+some sort, a dizzy panorama of moving buildings, bleak, wind-swept
+trees, frosty meadows, and land-locked lakes backed by what were either
+distant mountain ranges or apartment houses. This last, however, was
+all very blurred and indistinct.
+
+As to who was with him on the ride, or what took place thereafter, he
+had no memory and no opportunity of learning, owing to certain
+unexpected and alarming occurrences which made it imperative for him to
+terminate his connection with his college, as big Marty Ringold had
+done earlier in the day, and begin to pack his belongings. Partly out
+of deference to the frantic appeals of his widowed mother, partly owing
+to the telephoned advice of Mr. Michael Padden, of Sixth Avenue, who
+said the injured man had recognized one of his assailants, he booked
+passage to Japan by the next steamer out of Vancouver. He left New York
+that afternoon by the Twentieth Century Limited, taking with him only
+one suit-case and a determination to see the world.
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+A GAP
+
+
+Strictly speaking, Kirk Anthony did not awake to a realization of his
+surroundings, but became conscious of them through a long process of
+dull, dreamy speculation. He never knew the precise moment when his
+eyes opened and sleep left him, but at cost of considerable mental
+effort he finally brought himself to the conviction that hours had
+passed and another day had arrived. More than once after long, white
+nights in New York City, he had awakened amid strange surroundings and
+had been forced to wait upon his lagging memory; but this time his mind
+refused to work, even after he knew himself to be fully roused. So he
+closed his eyes with the admonition:
+
+"Now, begin all over again, Kirk. When you left Padden's place you went
+to Maxim's and listened to the fat quartette, then to the place where
+the waiter held out a dollar. After the trouble at that point, you
+tried to get into Tony's rathskeller and couldn't, so you started for
+the East Side. Ringold was very drunk. Good! Everything is clear so
+far. Next you were playing a piano with yellow teeth while somebody
+sang something about a 'Little Brown Cot.' After that--Lord, you must
+have been drinking! Well, let's run through it again."
+
+But his efforts were vain; he could recall nothing beyond the piano, so
+fell to wondering what hotel this could be.
+
+"Some East Side joint," he decided, "and a cheap one too, from the size
+of this stall." He noted another brass bed close at hand and reasoned
+that Ringold or Higgins must have risen early, leaving him to finish
+his sleep. That was considerate, of course, but--Good heavens, it must
+be late! And he was due to motor to New Haven at noon! He raised
+himself suddenly, and was half out of bed when he fell back, with a
+cry, as if an unseen hand had smitten him. He clapped both palms to his
+head, realizing that he was very sick indeed. The sensation was unlike
+anything he had ever felt before. His head was splitting, he felt a
+frightful nausea, the whole room was rocking and reeling as if to pitch
+him out of bed. It was terrible; so he arose blindly and felt his way
+toward the telephone. Failing to find it, he pushed a button instead,
+then tumbled back to bed, reviling the luck that had brought him to
+such a miserable place. He closed his eyes tightly and calmed his
+stomach by an effort of will. At last he heard the door open and a
+voice inquire:
+
+"Did you ring, sir?"
+
+"An hour ago. Haven't you more than one bell-hop in this place?"
+
+"I'm sorry, sir."
+
+"And I'm sick, mighty sick. I'm going to die."
+
+"I think not, sir; the others are sick, too."
+
+"That's good! I was afraid they'd dressed and gone." It was some
+consolation to know that Ringold and Higgins had not escaped their
+share of suffering. "How is Hig--the bony fellow?"
+
+"Do you mean the gentleman in thirty-two?"
+
+"How should I know his number? That's not Hig's description,
+however--even you could tell that he is no gentle--Oh, Lord!"
+
+"Can I get you something, sir--a little champagne, perhaps, to settle
+your stomach?"
+
+"NO, NO! Get me a taxicab. I want to go up-town."
+
+"Rather a long drive, isn't it?" snickered the bell-boy.
+
+"Never mind the comedy." Anthony opened his eyes. "Hello! Are you the
+clerk?" Instead of the bell-hop he had expected he beheld a man in
+white jacket and black trousers.
+
+"No, sir, I'm the steward."
+
+The invalid shook his head faintly. "Funny place I've got into. What's
+the name of it?"
+
+"This? Oh! The SANTA CRUZ."
+
+"Never heard of it. Why didn't they give me a good room? This is
+fierce."
+
+"Suite A is considered very good, sir. It is one of the best on the
+line."
+
+"Line?" Kirk grunted. "So this is some dead-line dump. Well, I'm going
+to get out--understand? Hand me my trousers and I'll slip you a
+quarter."
+
+The steward did as desired, but a blind search showed the pockets to be
+empty.
+
+"Give me the coat and vest." But here again Kirk found nothing, and was
+forced to apologize. "Sorry, old man, but I must have left it at the
+office. Now be a good fellow and hustle up that taxi. I'm getting
+sicker every minute."
+
+"Perhaps you had better have the doctor?"
+
+"Is there a good one handy?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"Here in the hotel?"
+
+The steward seemed undecided whether to treat the occupant of Suite A
+as a humorist or a lunatic, but finally he observed, "This isn't a
+hotel, sir."
+
+"That's what I though-t-more like a roadhouse," "This is a ship."
+
+"A--WHAT?" Anthony raised himself and stared at the white-clad figure
+over the foot of his little brass bed.
+
+"This is a ship, sir."
+
+"You get out of here!" yelled the infuriated young man. He cast his
+eyes about for some missile to hurl at this insolent menial, and,
+spying a heavy glass pitcher upon a stand beside him, reached for it,
+whereat the steward retreated hastily to the door.
+
+"I beg pardon, sir. I will send the doctor at once."
+
+"Must think I'm still drunk," mumbled Anthony, dazedly, as he once more
+laid his head upon his pillow with a groan.
+
+When his dizziness had diminished sufficiently to permit him to open
+his eyes he scanned his surroundings more carefully; but his vision was
+unreliable. His head, too, continued to feel as if his skull were being
+forcibly spread apart by some fiendish instrument concealed within it.
+His mouth was parched, his stomach violently rebellious. In spite of
+these distractions he began to note certain unfamiliar features about
+this place. The wall-paper, for instance, which at first glance he had
+taken for the work of some cheap decorator, turned out to be tapestry,
+as he proved by extending a shaky hand. The low ceiling, the little
+windows with wooden blinds, the furniture itself, were all out of
+keeping with hotel usages. He discovered by rolling his head that there
+was a mahogany dresser over by the door and a padded couch covered with
+chintz. There were folding brass clothes-hooks on the wall, moreover,
+and an electric fan, while a narrow door gave him a glimpse of a tiny,
+white-enamelled bath-room.
+
+He took in these details laboriously, deciding finally that he was too
+intoxicated to see aright, for, while the place was quite unlike an
+ordinary hotel room, neither did it resemble any steamship stateroom he
+had ever seen; it was more like a lady's boudoir. To be sure, he felt a
+sickening surge and roll now and then, but at other times the whole
+room made a complete revolution, which was manifestly contrary to the
+law of gravitation and therefore not to be trusted as evidence. There
+were plenty of reasons, moreover, why this could not be a ship. The
+mere supposition was absurd. No, this must be a room in some up-town
+club, or perhaps a bachelor hotel. Kirk had many friends with quarters
+decorated to suit their own peculiar fancies, and he decided that in
+all probability one of these had met him on the street and taken him
+home for safe-keeping. He had barely settled this in his mind when the
+door opened for a second time and a man in uniform entered.
+
+"The steward said you wanted me," he began.
+
+"No; I want a doctor."
+
+"I am the doctor."
+
+"I thought you were the elevator man. I'm sick--awful sick--"
+
+"Can you vomit?"
+
+"Certainly! Anybody can do that."
+
+The stranger pulled up a stool, seated himself beside the bed, then
+felt of Anthony's cheek.
+
+"You have a fever."
+
+"That explains everything." Kirk sighed thankfully and closed his eyes
+once more, for the doctor had begun to revolve slowly, with the bed as
+an axis. "How are the other boys coming on?"
+
+"Everybody is laid out. It's a bad night."
+
+"Night? It must be nearly daylight by this time."
+
+"Oh no! It is not midnight yet."
+
+"Not midnight? Why, I didn't turn in until--" Anthony raised himself
+suddenly. "Good Lord! have I slept all day?"
+
+"You certainly have."
+
+"Whose room is this?"
+
+"Your room, of course. Here, take one of these capsules; it will settle
+your stomach."
+
+"Better give me something to settle my bill if I've been here that
+long. I'm broke again."
+
+"You're not fully awake yet," said the doctor. "People have funny ideas
+when they're sick."
+
+"Well, I know I'm broke, anyhow! That's no idea; it's a condition. I
+went through my clothes just now and I'm all in. I must get back to the
+Astor, too, for I had arranged to motor up to New Haven at noon."
+
+"Let me feel your pulse," said the doctor, quietly.
+
+"The boys will think I'm lost. I never did such a thing before."
+
+"Where do you think you are?" inquired the physician.
+
+"I don't know. It's a nice little hotel, but--"
+
+"This isn't a hotel. This is a ship."
+
+Anthony was silent for a moment. Then he sighed feebly and said:
+
+"Doctor, you shouldn't make fun of a man at the point of death. It
+isn't professional."
+
+"Fact," said the doctor, abstractedly gazing at his watch, while he
+held Anthony's wrist between his fingers. "We are one hundred and fifty
+miles out of New York. The first officer told me you were considerably
+intoxicated when you came aboard, but," he continued brusquely, rising
+and closing his watch with a snap, "you will remember it all in a
+little while, Mr. Locke."
+
+"What did you call me?"
+
+"Locke. You haven't forgotten your name, too?"
+
+"Wait!"
+
+Again Anthony pressed his throbbing temples with both hot hands and
+strove to collect his whirling wits. At last he began to speak,
+measuring his words with care.
+
+"Now, I KNOW you are wrong, Doctor, and I'll tell you why. You see, my
+name isn't Locke; it's Anthony. Locke went away on a ship, but _I_
+stayed in New York; understand? Well, he's the fellow you're talking to
+and I'm asleep somewhere down around the Bowery. I'm not here at all.
+_I_ didn't want to go anywhere on a ship; I couldn't go; I didn't have
+the price. That supper was a hundred and seventy."
+
+"Nevertheless, this is a ship," the physician patiently explained, "and
+you're on it and I'm talking to you. What is more, you have not
+exchanged identities with your friend Anthony, for your ticket reads
+'Jefferson Locke.' You'll be all right if you will just go to sleep and
+give that capsule a chance to operate."
+
+"Ask Higgins or Ringold who I am."
+
+"There's no one aboard by either of those names."
+
+"Say!" Anthony raised himself excitedly on one arm, but was forced to
+lie down again without delay. "If this is a ship, I must have come
+aboard. How did I do it? When? Where?"
+
+"You came on with two men, or rather between two men, about
+eight-thirty this morning. They put you in here, gave your ticket to
+the purser, and went ashore. The slim fellow was crying, and one of the
+deck-hands had to help him down the gangway."
+
+"That was Higgins all right. Now, Doctor, granting, just for the sake
+of argument, that this is a ship and that I am Jefferson Locke, when is
+your next stop?"
+
+"One week."
+
+"What?" Kirk's eyes opened wide with horror. "I can't stay here a week."
+
+"You will have to."
+
+"But I tell you I CAN'T, I just can't. I bought a new car the other day
+and it's standing in front of the New York Theatre. Yes, and I have two
+rooms and a bath at the Astor, at fifteen dollars a day."
+
+The physician smiled heartlessly. "You must have been drinking pretty
+heavily, but I guess you will remember everything by-and-by."
+
+"I can't understand it," groaned the bewildered invalid. "What ship is
+this--if it is really a ship?"
+
+"The SANTA CRUZ. Belongs to the United Fruit Company. This is one of
+the bridal suites; it is 11:30 P.M., November 21st. We are bound for
+Colon."
+
+"Where is that?"
+
+"Panama."
+
+"Panama is in Central America or Mexico or somewhere, isn't it?"
+
+"It is. Now, do you remember anything more?"
+
+"Not a thing."
+
+"Well, then, go to sleep. You'll be all right in the morning, Mr.
+Locke."
+
+"Anthony."
+
+"Very well, Mr. Anthony, if you prefer. Is there anything more you
+would like to ask me?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Of course, there may have been some mistake," the medical man
+observed, doubtfully, as he opened the door. "Maybe you intended to
+take some other ship?"
+
+"No mistake at all," the sick man assured him. "I'm beginning to
+remember now. You see, I lost my hat and decided I'd run down to Panama
+and get another. Good-night."
+
+"Good-night. That capsule will make you sleep."
+
+When the officer had gone Kirk mumbled to himself: "If it turns out
+that I AM in New York, after all, when I wake up I'll lick that
+doctor." Then he turned over and fell asleep.
+
+But morning showed him the truth of the doctor's information. He awoke
+early and, although his head still behaved queerly and he had moments
+of nausea, he dressed himself and went on deck. The shock he had
+received on the evening before was as nothing to what he felt now upon
+stepping out into the light of day. In spite of his growing conviction,
+he had cherished a lingering hope that it was all a dream, and the
+feeling did not entirely vanish until he had really seen for himself.
+Then his dismay was overwhelming.
+
+A broad deck, still wet from its morning scrubbing and lined with
+steamer chairs, lay in front of him. A limitless, oily sea stretched
+out before his bewildered eyes; he touched the rail with his hands to
+verify his vision. The strangeness of it was uncanny. He felt as if he
+were walking in his sleep. He realized that a great fragment had
+suddenly dropped out of his life's pattern, and it was intensely
+disquieting to think of all it might have carried with it.
+
+He began to pace the deck mechanically, falling in with the other early
+risers who were out for a breath of morning air, striving to adjust
+himself to this new state of affairs. But even though the solid reality
+of his surroundings soon brought him back more nearly to a normal state
+of mind, he felt an ever-present expectancy of some new shock, some new
+and abrupt transition that might yet bring him back to his
+starting-point. But this obsession gradually left him, as the brisk sea
+breeze brought him to a proper perspective and braced him to face the
+full consequences of his long, restless night's orgy.
+
+No man is so systematic, none is so well ordered in his affairs, that
+he can cut out a slice of his life at a moment's notice without
+suffering many kinds of loss and inconvenience. Although Anthony was a
+youth of few responsibilities, he awoke suddenly to the fact that there
+were a thousand things that needed doing, a thousand people who needed
+to know his whereabouts, a thousand things that were bound to go wrong.
+For instance, there was his brand-new French car, standing with motor
+blanketed beside the Forty-fifth Street curb.
+
+What had happened to it, and to the urchin he had left in charge of it?
+He owed a thousand dollars on its purchase, which he had promised to
+pay yesterday. Then, too, he had neglected his house account at the
+University Club, and it was long overdue. That remittance from his
+father had come just in the nick of time. Suddenly he recalled placing
+the check in his bill-case, and he searched himself diligently, but
+found nothing. That reminded him that he had won a bet or two on the
+football game and the money needed collecting. There was the shooting
+trip to Cape Cod as well. He was due there to-day for a week-end among
+the geese and brant. What would Benny Glover think when he failed to
+show up or even telegraph? Benny's sister was coming down from Boston
+with some friends and--oh, it was simply imperative that he get some
+word ashore.
+
+He let his eyes rove over the ship in desperation, then a happy thought
+came to him.
+
+"The wireless!" he said aloud. "Bonehead! Why didn't you think of that
+long ago?" A glance at the rigging showed him that the Santa Cruz was
+equipped with a plant, and a moment later he was hammering at the
+operator's door.
+
+"I want to send a message right away!" he cried, excitedly; but the
+"wireless" shook his head with a smile.
+
+"I'm sorry, but--"
+
+"It's important; awfully important. I'll pay you anything!" Kirk rammed
+a hand mechanically into his empty pocket.
+
+"We're installing a new system," said the operator. "The old apparatus
+wasn't satisfactory and it's being changed throughout."
+
+"Then you-you can't send a message--possibly?"
+
+"Nothing doing until the next trip."
+
+Kirk strode forward and stared disconsolately down upon the freight
+deck in a vain endeavor to collect his thoughts. How in the devil had
+he managed to get into this mess? Could it be one of Higgins's
+senseless pranks, or was there something deeper, more sinister behind
+it? He recalled the incidents of that wild night and began to have a
+disquieting doubt. Did that chance meeting with the chap from St. Louis
+have anything to do with his presence here, or had he really decided in
+some foolish, drunken whim to take a trip to Central America? He hardly
+knew what to think or where to begin his reasoning. He recollected that
+Jefferson Locke had not impressed him very favorably at the start, and
+that his behavior upon the appearance of the plain-clothes man had not
+improved that first impression. It seemed certain that he must have had
+his hand in this affair, else how would Anthony now find himself in
+possession of his ticket? What had become of the rightful occupant of
+Suite A? What had become of Higgins's unfortunate victim with the
+cracked head? What did it all signify? Kirk sighed disconsolately and
+gave it up. In five days more he would learn the answer, anyhow, for
+there must be a cable from Panama to the States. Meanwhile, he supposed
+he must reconcile himself to his condition. But it was tough to have
+two weeks of valuable time snatched out of his eventful life. It was
+maddening.
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+NEW ACQUAINTANCES
+
+
+The sound of a bugle, which Kirk interpreted as an invitation to
+breakfast, reminded him that he was famished, and he lost no time in
+going below. Upon his appearance the steward made it plain to him in
+some subtle manner that the occupant of Suite A needed nothing beyond
+the mere possession of those magnificent quarters to insure the most
+considerate treatment. Kirk was placed at the captain's table, where
+his hunger was soon appeased, and his outlook grew more cheerful with
+the complete restoration of bodily comfort. Feeling somewhat less
+dissatisfied with his surroundings, he began to study the faces of his
+fellow-passengers.
+
+"Getting your sea legs, Mr. Locke?" inquired the man at his right.
+
+"My name is Anthony."
+
+"I beg your pardon! The passenger list said--"
+
+"That was a mistake."
+
+"My name is Stein. May I ask where you are bound for?"
+
+"I think the place is Panama."
+
+"Going to work on the canal?"
+
+"What canal? Oh, of course! Now I remember hearing something about a
+Panama Canal. Is that where it is?"
+
+"That's the place," Stein replied, dryly.
+
+"I'm not going to work. I don't work--don't know how."
+
+"I see. Pleasure trip?"
+
+"Purely a pleasure trip. I'm having a great time. By-the-way, this
+canal affair is something new, isn't it?"
+
+"It was begun about thirty years ago." Mr. Stein regarded the speaker
+with puzzled inquiry, as if undecided in what spirit to take him.
+
+"What's the idea? Why don't they finish it up?"
+
+"I thought you were an American," returned the other, politely. "You
+have no accent."
+
+"I am an American. I'm the fellow who was born in Albany, New York. If
+you look on the map you'll find the town has a little ring around it."
+
+"And really don't you know anything about the Panama Canal?"
+
+"Oh, I've heard it mentioned."
+
+"Well, you won't hear anything else mentioned down here; it's the one
+and only subject of conversation. Nobody thinks or talks or dreams
+about anything except the canal. Everybody works on it or else works
+for somebody who does. For instance, that white-haired man at the other
+end of the table is Colonel Bland, one of the commissioners. The man
+over there with the black beard is one of the engineers at Gatun."
+
+Stein, who seemed a gossipy person, ran on glibly for a time, pointing
+out the passengers of note and giving brief details about them.
+Suddenly he laid his hand on Anthony's arm, and said:
+
+"See this fellow coming down the stairs?" Anthony beheld a slender,
+bald-headed man of youthful appearance. "That is Stephen Cortlandt.
+You've heard of the Cortlandts?"
+
+"Sure! One of them pitched for the Cubs."
+
+"I mean the Cortlandts of Washington. They're swell people, society
+folks and all that--" He broke off to bow effusively to the late comer,
+who seated himself opposite; then he introduced Kirk.
+
+Mr. Cortlandt impressed Anthony as a cold-blooded, highly schooled
+person, absolutely devoid of sentiment. His face was stony, his eyes
+were cool, even his linen partook of his own unruffled calm. He seemed
+by no means effeminate, yet he was one of those immaculate beings upon
+whom one can scarcely imagine a speck of dust or a bead of
+perspiration. His hair--what was left of it--was parted to a nicety,
+his clothes were faultless, and he had an air of quiet assurance.
+
+"By-the-way, we're getting up a pool on the ship's run," Stein told his
+new acquaintance. "Would you like to join?"
+
+"Yes, indeed. I'm for anything in the line of chance."
+
+"Very well. I'll see you in the smoking-room later. It will cost you
+only five dollars."
+
+Kirk suddenly recalled his financial condition and hastened to say, a
+trifle lamely:
+
+"Come to think about it, I believe I'll stay out. I never gamble."
+Chancing to glance up at the moment, he found Mr. Cortlandt's eyes
+fixed upon him with a peculiarly amused look, and a few minutes later
+he followed Mr. Stein to the deck above.
+
+Once in his own stateroom, the young man began a thorough exploration,
+realizing more keenly than before that without baggage or money his
+plight might prove distressing. But, look as he would, he could find no
+trace of either, and an inadvertent glance in the mirror betrayed the
+further fact that his linen was long since past a presentable stage.
+Another despairing search showed that even his watch was gone and that
+his only asset, evidently overlooked by the hilarious Higgins and his
+co-partner in crime, was a modest three-stone finger ring. He was
+regarding this speculatively when the purser knocked, then entered at
+his call.
+
+"I've just heard that there's a mistake about your ticket," the
+new-comer began. "It is made out to 'Mr. Jefferson Locke,' but the
+doctor says you insist your name is something else."
+
+"That's right. My name is Anthony."
+
+"Then how did I get this ticket?"
+
+"I'm sure I don't know."
+
+"Have you any baggage?"
+
+"I don't know."
+
+"What is your destination?"
+
+"I don't know. You'll pardon my limited vocabulary?"
+
+"Are you joking?"
+
+"Do I look as if I were?"
+
+"But I don't understand."
+
+"Neither do I. But I must have some luggage--a fellow wouldn't make a
+trip like this without baggage, would he?"
+
+"I should think not. I'll look it up for you if you wish. But about
+this ticket--"
+
+"My dear man, don't bother me with that. I have worries enough as it
+is. What I want now is a clean shirt and collar."
+
+"Yes, but this ticket says--"
+
+"Please! Look at my linen. I'll create a scandal this way."
+
+"Mr. Locke--"
+
+"Anthony."
+
+"Very well, Mr. Anthony. I must straighten out this ticket affair.
+Really, I must."
+
+"All right, straighten away."
+
+"If you are not Mr. Locke, it is no good."
+
+"Hurrah! Put me off."
+
+"You don't understand--the ticket is good, but--See here, there's
+something mighty strange about this. You say your name isn't Locke, you
+have no baggage, you even thought this ship was a hotel--"
+
+"I did. It was a great disappointment. And now I want a shirt." Anthony
+began to laugh. "Funny, isn't it?"
+
+"You will have to buy another ticket," said the purser, with dignity.
+
+"A bright idea!" Kirk smiled grimly; then, turning his pockets wrong
+side out, continued lightly: "You look me over and if you can find the
+price of a ticket I'll give you half."
+
+"Then you have lost your money as well as your baggage and your
+identity?"
+
+"So it would seem."
+
+"Impossible!"
+
+It was plain that the officer was growing angry, so Kirk made haste to
+say:
+
+"Now let's be friends, at least. By-the-way--pardon the personal nature
+of the question--but--what size shirt do you wear?"
+
+"Seventeen."
+
+"Saved! Let me have about six, will you?"
+
+"Certainly NOT," returned the other. "I need all I have."
+
+"Miser! Then you must help me find some one my size."
+
+The purser, however, seemed in no mood to go shirt-hunting, and backed
+out of the door, saying: "I'll have a look for your baggage,
+Mr.--Anthony, and I'll see the captain about this ticket, also. I don't
+know whether you're making fun of me or not, but--I'll look you up
+later."
+
+He departed, shaking his head as if this were a form of insanity he had
+never before encountered. A moment later Kirk followed him and made a
+round of the deck, staring at each man he met and mentally estimating
+the girth of his neck; but it seemed that the male passengers of the
+Santa Cruz were all of medium size, and he saw no one whose appearance
+held out the slightest hope. He did observe one fellow whose neck
+seemed as large as his own, but the man looked surly and not too
+cleanly, and Kirk was not yet desperate enough to bring himself to the
+point of approaching such a fellow for such a favor. He thought of
+appealing directly to the captain, but promptly remembered that he was
+a small, wiry man whose wardrobe could by no possible chance afford him
+relief. At last he made his way toward the smoking-room, determined to
+enlist the help of his new acquaintance, Stein.
+
+Midway aft, he paused. A girl had emerged from the deck-house ahead of
+him, whose appearance was sufficiently striking to divert him,
+momentarily at least, from his quest. She was well above the usual
+height, quite slender, yet of an exquisite rounded fulness, while her
+snug-fitting tailor-made gown showed the marks of a Redfern or a
+Paquin. He noted, also, that her stride was springy and athletic and
+her head well carried. Feeling that friendly approval with which one
+recognizes a member of his own kind, Kirk let his eyes follow her, then
+retraced his way around the deck in the hope of meeting her face to
+face.
+
+A woman frequently betrays her beauty by the poise of her head, by the
+turn of her neck, or the lines of her figure, just as truly as by a
+full glimpse of her features. Hence it was that Anthony felt a certain
+pleasurable expectancy as he crossed in front of the deck-house,
+realizing that she was approaching. But when they had met and passed he
+went his way vaguely disappointed. Instead of a girl, as the first
+sight of her youthful figure had led him to expect, he had seen a woman
+of perhaps forty. There was little in her countenance to reveal her age
+except a certain settled look that does not go with girlhood, and,
+while no one could have thought her plain, she was certainly not so
+handsome as he had imagined from a distance. Yet the face was
+attractive. The eyes were wide-set, gray, and very clear, the mouth
+large enough to be expressive. Her hair shone in the morning sun with a
+delicate bronze lustre like that of a turkey's wing. It did not add to
+the young man's comfort to realize that her one straight, casual glance
+in passing had taken him in from his soiled collar to his somewhat
+extreme patent leathers with the tan tops and pearl buttons.
+
+Being very young himself and of limited social experience, he classed
+all women as either young or old--there was no middle ground. So he
+dismissed her from his thoughts and continued his search for a number
+seventeen shirt, and collar to match. But he did not fare well. He
+found Mr. Stein in the smoking-room, but discovered that his size was
+fifteen and a half; and there was no one else to whom he could apply.
+
+For a second time Stein importuned him to buy a chance on the ship's
+run, and, failing in this, suggested that they have a drink together.
+Had not Kirk realized in time his inability to reciprocate he would
+have accepted eagerly, for his recent dissipation had left him
+curiously weak and nervous. At the cost of an effort, however, he
+refused. It was a rare experience for him to refuse anything, being,
+like many indolent youths, an accomplished guest. In fact, he was
+usually as ready to accept favors as he was carelessly generous when he
+happened to be in funds. The technique of receiving comes to some
+people naturally; others cannot assume an obligation without giving
+offence. Kirk was one of the former. Yet now he felt a sudden, strange
+hesitancy and a self-consciousness that made graceful acquiescence
+impossible. He continued firm, therefore, even when Stein gibed at him
+good-humoredly:
+
+"I suppose it's against your principles to drink, as well as to gamble?"
+
+"Exactly."
+
+"That's good, after the way you came aboard."
+
+"How did I come aboard?"
+
+"Oh, I didn't see you, but I heard about it."
+
+Kirk flushed uncomfortably, muttering: "The acoustics of this ship are
+great. A man can't fall asleep but what somebody hears it."
+
+Stein laughed: "Don't get sore; all ships are alike--we have to talk
+about something. Sorry I can't help you with the shirt question. Deuced
+careless of them to lose your luggage."
+
+"Yes! It makes one feel about as comfortable as a man with a broken arm
+and the prickly heat. Something's got to be done about it, that's all."
+He glared enviously at the well-dressed men about the room.
+
+Over in a corner, propped against the leather upholstery, was Mr.
+Cortlandt, as pale, as reserved, and as saturnine as at breakfast. He
+was sipping Scotch-and-soda, and in all the time that Anthony remained
+he did not speak to a soul save the waiter, did not shift his position
+save to beckon for another drink. Something about his sour,
+introspective aloofness displeased the onlooker, who shortly returned
+to the deck.
+
+The day was warming up, and on the sunny side of the ship the steamer
+chairs were filling. Two old men were casting quoits; a noisy quartette
+was playing shuffle-board. After idling back and forth for a time, Kirk
+selected a chair and stretched himself out; but he was scarcely seated
+before the deck steward approached him and said:
+
+"Do you wish this chair for the voyage, sir?"
+
+"Yes, I think so."
+
+"I'll put your name on it."
+
+"Anthony, Suite A, third floor, front."
+
+"Very well, sir." The man wrote out a card and fitted it to the back of
+the chair, saying, "One dollar, if you please."
+
+"What?"
+
+"The price of the chair is one dollar."
+
+"I haven't got a dollar."
+
+The steward laughed as if to humor his passenger. "I'm afraid then you
+can't have the chair."
+
+"So I must stand up all the way to Panama, eh?"
+
+"You are joking, sir. I'll have to pay it myself, if you don't."
+
+"That's right--make me as uncomfortable as possible. By-the-way, what
+size collar do you wear?"
+
+"Sixteen."
+
+Kirk sighed. "Send the purser to me, will you? I'll fix up the chair
+matter with him."
+
+While he was talking he heard the rustle of skirts close by and saw the
+woman he had met earlier seating herself next to him. With her was a
+French maid bearing a rug in her hands. It annoyed the young man to
+realize that out of all the chairs on deck he had selected the one
+nearest hers, and he would have changed his position had he not been
+too indolent. As it was, he lay idly listening to her words of
+direction to the maid; but as she spoke in French, he was undecided
+whether she was telling her companion that bad weather was imminent, or
+that the laundry needed counting--his mind, it seemed, ran to laundry.
+
+Then the purser appeared. "Did you send for me?" he inquired.
+
+"Yes. There was a strange man around just now, and he wanted a dollar
+for this chair."
+
+"Well?"
+
+"I want to establish a line of credit."
+
+The purser grunted.
+
+"And say!" Kirk ran on, seriously. "I've been all over your little
+ship, but the passengers are boys' size. I can't wear this collar any
+longer."
+
+"And I can't find any baggage of yours."
+
+"Then there isn't any. I never really expected there was. Come now, be
+a good fellow. This is my 'case shirt."
+
+"If you really wish some clothes, I'll see what I can find among the
+stewards."
+
+"No, no," Kirk hastily interposed, "I can't wear a shirt with soup
+stains on it. Let me have one of yours--we're twin brothers."
+
+"I have no more than I need," said the purser, coldly. He opened a
+cigarette case, at which Anthony gazed longingly. It seemed ages since
+he had had a smoke; but the other seemed disinclined for small
+courtesies.
+
+"I've seen the captain about that ticket matter," he went on, "and he
+says you must buy another."
+
+Kirk shook his head languidly. "Once more I tell you there is nothing
+doing."
+
+The officer broke out with some heat: "If you are joking, you've
+carried this thing far enough. If you are really strapped, as you say
+you are, how does it happen that you are occupying the best suite on
+the ship?"
+
+"It is a long story."
+
+"Humph! You will have to give up those quarters and go forward."
+
+"Why? You have your money for that ticket?"
+
+"Yes, but you're not Mr. Locke."
+
+Kirk smiled meditatively. "How do you know?" he queried.
+
+"Good heavens! You've told me so a dozen--"
+
+"Ah! Then you have nothing except my word. Well, sir, now that I come
+to think it over, I believe my name is Locke, after all." He grinned.
+"Anyhow, I love my little room and I think I'll keep it. Please don't
+be peevish. I want you to do me a favor." He removed the ring from his
+finger, and, handing it to the Purser, said "I want you to get me two
+diamonds' and a ruby's worth of shirts and collars; and also a safety
+razor. My mind has stopped working, but my whiskers continue to grow."
+
+The officer managed to say with dignity: "You wish to raise money on
+this, I presume? Very well, I'll see what can be done for you, Mr.
+Locke." As he turned away, Kirk became conscious that the woman in the
+next chair had let her book fall and was watching him with amused
+curiosity. Feeling a sudden desire to confide in some one, he turned
+his eyes upon her with such a natural, boyish smile that she could not
+take offence, and began quite as if he had known her for some time:
+
+"These people are money-mad, aren't they? Worst bunch of gold-diggers I
+ever saw." Surprised, she half raised her book, but Kirk ran on:
+"Anybody would think I was trying to find a missing will instead of a
+shirt. That purser is the only man on the ship my size, and he
+distrusts me."
+
+The woman murmured something unintelligible. "I hope you don't mind my
+speaking to you," he added. "I'm awfully lonesome. My name is Anthony,
+Kirk Anthony."
+
+Evidently the occupant of the next chair was not a football enthusiast,
+for, although she bowed her acknowledgment, her face showed that the
+name carried no significance.
+
+"I understood you to tell the purser your name was Locke," said she, in
+a very low-pitched, well-modulated voice. "I couldn't help overhearing."
+
+"But it isn't really, it's Anthony. I'm the undignified heir to the
+stocks and bonds of an old party by that name who lives in Albany."
+
+"Darwin K. Anthony?" questioned she, quickly. "Is he your father?" Her
+face lighted with a flash of genuine interest.
+
+Kirk nodded. "He's my prodigal father and I'm the fatted son. Do you
+know the governor?"
+
+"Yes, slightly."
+
+"Well, what do you think of that? He's a great old party, isn't he?" He
+chuckled irrepressibly. "Did you ever hear him swear?"
+
+The woman shook her head with a smile. "I hardly know him well enough
+for that."
+
+"Oh, he's a free performer; he swears naturally; can't help it.
+Everybody knows he doesn't mean anything. It's funny, isn't it, with
+all his credit, that I can't get a shirt until I put up a diamond ring?
+He could buy a railroad with half that security."
+
+"You are joking, are you not?"
+
+"No indeed. I never needed a shirt so badly in my life. You see, I
+didn't intend to take this trip; I didn't even know I had sailed. When
+I woke up I thought this was a hotel. I've got no more baggage than a
+robin."
+
+"Really?" The woman by now had closed her book and was giving him her
+full attention, responding to some respectful quality in his tone that
+robbed his frankness of offence. "How did it happen?"
+
+"Well, to be perfectly honest, I got drunk--just plain drunk. I didn't
+think so at the time, understand, for I'd never been the least bit that
+way before. Hope I don't shock you?"
+
+His new acquaintance shrugged her shoulders. "I have seen something of
+the world; I'm not easily shocked."
+
+"Well, I was perfectly sober the last I remember, and then I woke up on
+the Santa Cruz. I'd never even heard the name before."
+
+"And hadn't you intended taking an ocean trip?"
+
+"Good Lord, no! I had just bought a new French car and was going to
+drive it up to New Haven yesterday. It's standing out on Forty-fifth
+Street now, if somebody hasn't stolen it. Gee! I can see the news-boys
+cutting their monograms in those tires."
+
+"How remarkable!"
+
+"You see, it was a big night--football game, supper, and all that. I
+remember everything up to a certain point, then--curtain! I was 'out'
+for twelve hours, and SICK!--that's the funny part; I'm still sick." He
+shook his head as if at a loss what to make of this phenomenon. He
+noted how the woman's countenance lighted at even a passing interest,
+as he continued: "What I can't understand is this: It took all my money
+to pay for the supper, and yet I wake up with a first-class ticket to
+Panama and in possession of one of the best suites on the ship. It's a
+problem play."
+
+"You say you were sick afterward?"
+
+"WAS I?" Kirk turned his eyes upon the speaker, mournfully. "My head
+isn't right yet."
+
+"You were drugged," said the woman.
+
+"By Jove!" He straightened up in his chair. "Knockouts!"
+
+"Exactly. Some one drugged you and bought a ticket--"
+
+"Wait! I'm beginning to see. It was Locke. That's how I got his name.
+This is his ticket. Oh! There's going to be something doing when I get
+back."
+
+"What?"
+
+"I don't know yet, but I'm going to sit right here and brood upon some
+fitting revenge. After that chap gets out of the hospital--"
+
+"You did not impress me as a college student," said the stranger.
+
+"I'm not. I graduated four years ago. I barely made it, but I did get
+through."
+
+"And you have never been to the tropics?"
+
+"Not since I had my last row with the governor. Have you?"
+
+"Many times. It will prove an interesting trip for you. At least you
+have that consolation."
+
+"What is it like?"
+
+Evidently the artless effrontery of the young man had not offended, for
+his neighbor talked freely, and in a short time the two were conversing
+as easily as old acquaintances. This was due, perhaps, to the fact that
+he had appealed to her with the same frankness he would have used
+toward a man and, thus far at least, had quite ignored her sex. She was
+sufficiently quick to appreciate the footing thus established, and
+allowed herself to meet him half-way. Had he presumed in the slightest,
+she would have chilled him instantly; but, as it was, she seemed to
+feel the innate courtesy back of his boldness, seeing in him only a
+big, unaffected boy who needed an outlet for his feelings. In the same
+way, had a fine St. Bernard dog thrust a friendly head beneath her hand
+she would have petted it.
+
+When at last she rose, after an hour that had swiftly sped, she was
+gratified at the look of concern that came into his eyes. She looked at
+him with genuine approval as he bowed and said:
+
+"Thank you for the pointers about Panama. I hope I may have the
+pleasure of talking to you again."
+
+When she had disappeared he murmured, admiringly:
+
+"Jove! She's a corker! And she's not so old, after all. I wonder who
+she--" He leaned over and read the card on the back of her steamer
+chair. "Mrs. Stephen Cortlandt, Suite B," it was lettered.
+Straightening up, he grumbled with genuine disappointment: "Just my
+blamed luck! She's MARRIED."
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+A REMEDY IS PROPOSED
+
+
+By pledging his one article of jewelry Kirk became possessed that
+afternoon of several shirts, collars, and handkerchiefs--likewise a
+razor, over which he exercised a sort of leasehold privilege. The
+purser made it plain, however, that he had not sold these articles, but
+merely loaned them, holding the ring as security for their return, and
+this arrangement allowed Kirk no spare cash whatever. Even with all his
+necessities paid for, it surprised him to find how many channels
+remained for spending money. For instance, the most agreeable loafing
+spot on the ship was the smoking-room, but whenever he entered it he
+was invited to drink, smoke, or play cards, and as he was fond of all
+these diversions, it required such an effort of will to refuse that it
+destroyed all the pleasure of good company. It was very hard always to
+be saying no; and in addition it excited his disgust to learn that he
+had inadvertently founded a reputation for abstemiousness.
+
+Before long he discovered that the passengers considered him an
+exceptionally sober, steady youth of economical habits, and this
+enraged him beyond measure. Every tinkle of ice or hiss of seltzer made
+his mouth water, the click of poker chips drew him with magnetic power.
+He longed mightily to "break over" and have a good time. It was his
+first effort at self-restraint, and the warfare became so intense that
+he finally gave up the smoking-room almost entirely, and spent his
+hours on deck, away from temptation. He suffered most, perhaps, from
+the lack of tobacco, but even in the matter of cigarettes he could not
+bring himself to accept favors that he could not return. In the
+solitude of his richly appointed suite he collected a few cork-bound
+stumps, which he impaled on a toothpick in order to light them.
+
+Meanwhile he amused himself by baiting the purser. He dogged that
+serious-minded gentleman through all his waking hours, finding a rare
+delight in playing upon his suspicion and lack of humor. To him Kirk
+was always Mr. Locke, while he insisted upon being called Mr. Anthony
+by the others, and the officer never quite got the hang of it.
+Moreover, the latter was full of dignity, and did not relish being
+connected with a certainly dubious and possibly criminal character, yet
+dared not resort to rudeness as a means of riddance.
+
+The situation was trying enough to the young man at best; for the
+ship's hirelings began to show a lack of interest in his comfort, once
+it became known that he did not tip, and he experienced difficulty in
+obtaining even the customary attentions. It was annoying to one who had
+never known an unsatisfied whim; but Kirk was of a peculiarly sanguine
+temperament that required much to ruffle, and looked upon the whole
+matter as a huge joke. It was this, perhaps, that enabled him to make
+friends in spite of his unsociable habits, for the men liked him. As
+for the women, he avoided them religiously, with the exception of Mrs.
+Cortlandt, whom he saw for an hour or two, morning and afternoon, as
+well as at meal-times. With her he got on famously, finding her nearly
+as entertaining as a male chum, though he never quite lost his dislike
+for her husband. Had she been unmarried and nearer his own age, their
+daily intimacy might have caused him to become self-conscious, but,
+under the circumstances, no such thought occurred to him, and he began
+to look forward with pleasure to their hours on deck.
+
+The Santa Cruz was four days out before Cortlandt joined them, and when
+he did he merely nodded casually to Kirk, then, after exchanging a
+polite word or two with his wife, lapsed into his customary silence,
+while Mrs. Cortlandt continued her conversation without a second glance
+in her husband's direction.
+
+"That's what I call an ideal married couple," Kirk reflected--"complete
+understanding, absolute confidence." And the more he saw of them, the
+stronger this impression grew. Cortlandt was always attentive and
+courteous, without being demonstrative, while his wife showed a
+charming graciousness that was plainly unassumed. Their perfect
+good-breeding made the young man feel at ease; but though he endeavored
+to cultivate the husband on several occasions, he made little headway.
+The man evidently possessed a wide knowledge of current events, a keen
+understanding of men and things, yet he never opened up. He listened,
+smiled, spoke rarely, and continued to spend nine-tenths of his time in
+that isolated corner of the smoking-room, with no other company than a
+long glass and a siphon.
+
+One day when Kirk had begun to feel that his acquaintance with Mrs.
+Cortlandt was well established, he said to her:
+
+"Stein told me to-day that your husband is in the diplomatic service."
+
+"Yes," said she. "He was Consul-General to Colombia several years ago,
+and since then he has been to France and to Germany."
+
+"I thought you were tourists--you have travelled so much."
+
+"Most of our journeys have been made at the expense of the Government."
+
+"Are you diplomatting now?"
+
+"In a way. We shall be in Panama for some time."
+
+"This Stein seems to be a nice fellow. He's taken quite a liking to me."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt laughed lightly. "That is part of his business."
+
+"How so?"
+
+"He is one of Colonel Jolson's secret agents."
+
+"Who is Colonel Jolson?"
+
+"Chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission. Your father knows him."
+
+"Do you mean that Stein is a--detective?" Kirk looked uncomfortable.
+
+"I do! Does he know you are the son of Darwin K. Anthony?"
+
+"Why, yes, I suppose so."
+
+"Colonel Jolson will be interested."
+
+"Again I don't see the point."
+
+"Your father is one of the most powerful and aggressive railroad men in
+the country. Perhaps you know something about the railroad opposition
+to the canal?"
+
+Kirk smiled. "Well, to tell you the truth," said he, "the governor
+doesn't consult me about his business as much as he ought to. He seems
+to think he can run it all right without me, and we've only been
+speaking over the telephone lately."
+
+"One of the strongest forces the Government had to combat in putting
+through the canal appropriations was the railroads. Colonel Jolson has
+no reason to love your father."
+
+"Yes, but _I_ don't object to this canal. I think it must be a rather
+good idea."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt laughed for a second time. "The Colonel's dislike for
+your father will not affect you, inasmuch as you are returning so soon,
+but if you intended to stay it might be different."
+
+"In what way?"
+
+"Oh, in many ways. There are two classes of people who are not welcomed
+on the Canal Zone--magazine writers and applicants for positions who
+have political influence back of them. The former are regarded as
+muckrakers, the latter as spies."
+
+"That's rather rough on them, isn't it?"
+
+"You must understand that there is a great big human machine behind the
+digging of this canal, and, while it is more wonderful by far than the
+actual machinery of iron and steel, it is subject to human weaknesses.
+Men like Colonel Jolson, who form a part of it, are down here to make
+reputations for themselves. They are handicapped and vexed by constant
+interference, constant jealousy. It is a survival of the fittest, and I
+suppose they feel that they must protect themselves even if they use
+underhand means to do so. It is so in all big work of this character,
+where the individual is made small. You would find the same condition
+in your father's railroad organization."
+
+"Oh, now! My old man is a pretty tough citizen to get along with, but
+he wouldn't hire detectives to spy on his employees."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt smiled. "By-the-way, when are you going into business
+with him?" she said.
+
+"I? Oh, not for a long time. You see, I'm so busy I never seem to have
+time to work. Work doesn't really appeal to me, anyway. I suppose if I
+had to hustle I could, but--what's the use?"
+
+"What is it that keeps you so busy? What are you going to do when you
+get back, for instance?"
+
+"Well, I'm going to Ormond for the auto races, and I may enter my new
+car. If I don't get hurt in the races I'll take a hunting trip or two.
+Then I want to try out an iceboat on the Hudson, and I'll have to be
+back in New Haven by the time the baseball squad limbers up. Oh, I have
+plenty of work ahead!"
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt let her eyes dwell upon him curiously for a moment; then
+she said:
+
+"Have you no ambition?"
+
+"Certainly."
+
+"What is it?"
+
+"Why--" Kirk hesitated. "I can't say right off the reel, but I've got
+it--lots of it."
+
+"Is there no--girl, for instance? Have you never been in love?"
+
+"Oh, see here, now!" Anthony blushed in a manner to excite the envy of
+any woman. "I don't like 'em. I'd rather play football."
+
+"That explains something. When the time comes you will cease wasting
+your life and--"
+
+"I'm NOT wasting my life," the young man denied hotly. "I'm having a
+great time; simply immense."
+
+"I remember reading an article once by a man who attacked American
+colleges with bitter personal feeling, on the ground that they fostered
+exactly the attitude toward life which you have just expressed."
+
+Anthony looked sober. "That was my father," he said.
+
+"Really! How stupid of me to forget the name. But I don't agree with
+him," she continued, gently. "You merely lack stimulus. If you should
+meet the right woman--" Then, seeing the amusement in his face;
+"Believe me, I know what I am talking about. I know what a woman can
+do. Your life has been too easy and placid. You need some disturbing
+element to make it ferment."
+
+"But I don't want to ferment."
+
+"Why don't you stay in Panama and go to work?"
+
+"Work? Hideous word! For one thing, I haven't time. I must get back--"
+
+"You will find great opportunities there."
+
+"But how about the girl who is to sour the syrup of my being and make
+it ferment?"
+
+"Oh, she may appear at any moment; but, joking aside, you had better
+think over what I have said." She left him with an admonitory shake of
+her head.
+
+The SANTA CRUZ was now rapidly drawing out of the cold northern winter
+and into a tropic warmth. Already the raw chill of higher latitudes was
+giving way to a balmy, spring-like temperature, while the glittering
+sunshine transformed the sea into a lively, gleaming expanse of
+sapphire. The nights were perfect, the days divine. The passengers
+responded as if to a magic draught, and Kirk found his blood filled
+with a new vigor.
+
+A brief sight of Columbus' Landfall served to break the monotony; then
+followed a swift flight past low, tropical islands ringed with coral
+sand, upon which broke a lazy, milk-white surf. Through the glasses
+villages were spied, backed by palm groves and guarded by tall sentinel
+lighthouses; but the Santa Cruz pushed steadily southward, her decks as
+level as a dancing floor, the melancholy voice of her bell tolling the
+leagues as they slipped past. The eastern tongue of Cuba rose out of
+the horizon, then dropped astern, and the gentle trades began to fan
+the travellers. Now that they were in the Caribbean, schools of flying
+fish whisked out from under the ship's prow, and away, like tiny
+silver-sheathed arrows. New constellations rose into the evening sky.
+It became impossible to rest indoors, with the trade-winds calling, and
+the passengers spent long, lazy hours basking in the breath of the
+tropics and grudging the pleasure of which sleep deprived them.
+
+It was the last night of the voyage, and the thrill of approaching land
+was felt by all. As usual, the monotony of the first day or two had
+given way to an idle contentment and a vague regret at leaving the ship
+and severing the ties so newly made. Home, instead of looming close and
+overshadowing, had become a memory rather indistinct and blurred,
+clouded by the proximity of the new and unknown.
+
+Kirk Anthony acknowledged to a reluctant enjoyment of the change and
+found himself less eager to go back. As he paced the deck after dinner
+he felt a lurking desire to defer his return until he had absorbed
+something more of this warmth and languor; he even reflected that he
+might welcome a stay of some length in the tropics if it were not for
+the fact that he had so much to do.
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt joined him as usual, and they did a mile around the
+promenade, chatting idly of many things. The evening was too glorious
+to permit of early retiring, and a late hour found them leaning over
+the rail, side by side, while Anthony bewailed the fact that he knew
+nothing of the country just beyond the dark horizon ahead of them.
+
+"You are quite right," his companion agreed. "You will miss its best
+flavor if you don't know the history back of it. For instance, we are
+now on the Spanish Main, the traditional home of romance and adventure."
+
+"I always wanted to be a pirate," he acknowledged gravely, "up to
+fifteen. Then I thought I'd rather run a candy store."
+
+"The ships of Sir Henry Morgan and the galleons of His Catholic Majesty
+Philip of Spain sailed these waters. Over yonder"--she waved a graceful
+hand to the north and east--"are the haunts where the adventurers of
+old England used to lie in wait for their prey. Ahead of us is the land
+that Pizarro soaked with blood. We're coming into the oldest country on
+this side of the globe, Mr. Anthony, where men lived in peace and
+plenty when most of Europe was a wilderness. I suppose such things
+appeal more to a woman's fancy than to a man's, but to me they're
+mightily alluring."
+
+Kirk wagged his head admiringly, as he said:
+
+"I wish I could make language behave like that," and Edith Cortlandt
+laughed like a young girl.
+
+"Oh, I'm not a perfervid poet," she disclaimed, "but everything down
+here is so full of association I can't help feeling it."
+
+"I'm beginning to notice it myself. Maybe it's the climate."
+
+"Perhaps. Anyhow, it is all very vivid to me. Did you ever stop to
+think how brave those men must have been who first went venturing into
+unknown seas in their little wooden boats?"
+
+"They were looking for a short cut to the East Indies, weren't they?"
+
+"Yes, to Cathay. And then the people they found and conquered! The
+spoils they exacted! They were men--those conquistadores--whatever else
+they were--big, cruel, heroic fellows like Bastida, Nicuesa, Balboa,
+Pedrarias the Assassin, and the rest. They oppressed the natives
+terribly, yet they paved the way for civilization, after all. The
+Spaniards did try to uplift the Indians, you know. And the life in the
+colonies was like that in old Spain, only more romantic and
+picturesque. Why, whenever I pass through these Latin-American cities I
+see, in place of the crumbling ruins, grand cathedrals and palaces; in
+place of the squalid beggars idling about the market-places I see
+velvet-clad dons and high-born ladies."
+
+"Aren't there any beautiful ladies left?"
+
+"A few, perhaps."
+
+"What happened to the cathedrals and the velvet fellows and all that?"
+
+"Oh, the old state of affairs couldn't last forever. The Spanish
+administration wasn't so bad as is generally supposed, yet of course
+there was too much rapacity and not enough industry. Central America,
+broadly speaking, was known as the treasure-chest of the world, and
+there were constant wars and disturbances. The colonies as a whole did
+not progress like those in the North, and in course of time
+deteriorated. The old cathedrals decayed and were not rebuilt. The old
+Spanish stock died out and in its stead grew up a motley race given to
+revolt, revolution, and corruption. Even when the provinces became
+free, they weren't able to unite and form a strong nation. The Isthmus
+of Panama became a pest-hole where the scum of the Four Seas settled.
+The people became mean and unhealthy in mind and body and morals,
+preserving nothing except the cruelty of their forefathers. Here and
+there, to be sure, one comes across the old Castilian breed, like a
+silver thread running through a rotting altar-cloth, but only here and
+there, and most of those silver threads have become tarnished from
+contact with the fabric."
+
+"It must be a nice place," Kirk observed with gentle sarcasm.
+
+"It affords one a great chance to moralize, at any rate. Take the
+building of this canal, for instance. First, the French came, led by a
+dreamer, and poured in the wealth of an empire in order that they might
+exact toll from the world. You see, they were all lured by the love of
+gain--the Spaniards, who pillaged the natives to begin with, and the
+French, who set out to squeeze profit from all the other nations. But
+it seems as if the spot were infected. The French lost an army in their
+project; corruption gnawed through, and the thing ended in disgrace and
+disaster. Spain and France have come and gone, and at last we Yankees
+have arrived. It seems to be the will of God that the youngest,
+lustiest people on the earth should finally be sent to clean this
+Augean stable."
+
+"By Jove! I never thought of it that way."
+
+"It is a big task, Mr. Anthony, and the mere digging of the ditch is
+the smallest part. There is a great deal more to be done. You see, as
+men attain culture, they require more than mere food and drink and
+bedding, and in the same way, as nations attain to greatness, they
+require more than mere territory--they reach out and absorb power and
+prestige. Our decision to build the Panama Canal is like the landing of
+another Columbus; the conquest is to follow. After that will come--who
+knows what? Perhaps more wars, more pillage, more injustice."
+
+"You talk like a man," Anthony said, admiringly. "I had no idea you
+looked at things in such a big way."
+
+"You are laughing at me."
+
+"No, indeed."
+
+"You see, it is part of my husband's profession. As to the
+romance--well, all women are romantic and imaginative, I suppose, and
+you've been an inspiring listener."
+
+"I don't know about that, but--you're a corking good talker. Excuse my
+archaic English." Mrs. Cortlandt turned her eyes upon the speaker, and
+he saw that they were very bright. "I've been thinking about what you
+told me the other day," he ran on, "about myself. Remember?"
+
+"I'm glad I have the knack of making something besides football signals
+stick in your memory," said she. "Have you been thinking about that
+girl I spoke of?"
+
+"Yes," he replied, ingenuously. "I've been making up my mind to ask you
+if you happen to have a sister--an unmarried sister, I mean."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt laughed appreciatively. "No, I have no sister, but I
+thank you for the compliment. I suppose you meant it for one?"
+
+"Yes. I hope you don't mind."
+
+"Not at all. I'm quite sure now that my notion about you was right. It
+will take a woman to make a man of you."
+
+"It used to be my wind that troubled me," said the athlete, mournfully.
+"Now it seems to be my heart."
+
+"It doesn't seem to be seriously affected as yet, but it's remarkable
+the number of ways in which the heart of man may be reached. I remember
+once having breakfast in a queer little restaurant in the French
+quarter of New Orleans, famous for its cooking and for the well-known
+people who had eaten there. There was a sort of register which the
+guests were asked to sign, and in looking it over I read the
+inscription of one particularly enthusiastic diner. It ran, 'Oh, Madame
+Begue, your liver has touched my heart,' and the story is that the
+writer made desperate love to the proprietor's wife."
+
+"Oh, come, that's rather hard on me. I have some emotions besides a
+hearty appreciation of food."
+
+"No doubt. I only mentioned that as one of the ways, and, seriously, I
+am convinced that, however your awakening may come, you will be the
+better for it."
+
+"I do hope the cook will prove to be unmarried," he mused. "Imagine
+having to do away with a husband who can handle a cleaver."
+
+"Oh, I don't mean you should necessarily marry the woman. It would be
+quite as good for you if she refused even to look at you. However, let
+us hope that you meet some nice American girl--"
+
+"Why not a senorita? You have inspired me with Spanish romance."
+
+But Mrs. Cortlandt shook her head. "Wait until you have seen them."
+
+"Already I imagine myself under some moonlit balcony teasing chords out
+of a guitar. I have rather a good singing voice, you know."
+
+"It is not done that way nowadays. Panama is Americanized. You will need
+a pianola and an automobile."
+
+"And all the romance is gone?"
+
+"Oh, there is romance everywhere; there is quite as much in Pittsburg
+as in Andalusia. But to speak of more practical things"--Mrs. Cortlandt
+hesitated slightly--"I heard you tell the purser the other day about
+your financial troubles, and it occurred to me that Mr. Cortlandt might
+assist you."
+
+"Thanks, awfully," Kirk hastened to say, feeling himself flush
+uncomfortably. "But I sha'n't need anything. The old gentleman will
+wire me whatever I ask for. Does Mr. Cortlandt know how I am fixed?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Please don't tell him. I--I'm a little bit ashamed of myself. You're
+not going?"
+
+"Yes. It is getting late, and my maid is looking for me."
+
+"Oh, I'm sorry. It's lonesome around here without--somebody to talk
+to." He took her hand and shook it as if she were a man. "You've been
+mighty good to me and--I wish you had a sister. That's all."
+
+She left him the memory of a very bright and very girlish smile, and he
+found himself thinking that she could not be so much older than he,
+after all.
+
+Mr. Cortlandt was awaiting his wife and rose courteously as she entered
+their suite.
+
+"Did you send Annette for me?" she inquired.
+
+"Yes. I thought you had forgotten the hour. We rise at six."
+
+"My dear," she returned, coolly, "I was quite aware of the time. I was
+talking to Mr. Anthony."
+
+"Do you find him so amusing?"
+
+"Very much so."
+
+"He's such a boy. By-the-way, some of the passengers are remarking
+about your friendship for him."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt shrugged. "I expected that. Does it interest you?"
+
+The man favored her with his wintry smile. "Not at all."
+
+"If he should need assistance while in Panama, I should be obliged if
+you would accommodate him."
+
+"Money?"
+
+"Yes, or anything else. He left New York unexpectedly."
+
+"Don't you think that is going a bit too far? You know I don't fancy
+him."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt frowned slightly. "We won't discuss it," she said. "I
+assured him he was at liberty to call on us for anything and--naturally
+that ends the matter."
+
+"Naturally!" he agreed, but his colorless cheeks flushed dully.
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+IN WHICH KIRK ANTHONY IS GREATLY SURPRISED
+
+
+When Kirk came on deck early the following morning, he found the Santa
+Cruz nosing her way into Colony harbor. A land fog obscured his view
+somewhat, but through it he beheld a low, irregular line of mountains
+in the background, and close at hand a town. The ship came to anchor
+abreast of a point upon which he descried a squat little spider-legged
+lighthouse and long rows of frame dwellings half hidden behind slender
+palm-trees. Beyond were warehouses and docks and the funnels of many
+ships; on either side of the bay was a dense tropic wilderness. As the
+sun dissipated the morning haze, he saw that the hills were matted with
+a marvellous vivid green. There were no clearings on the slopes, no
+open spaces dotted with farm-houses or herds, the jungle flowed down to
+the water's edge in an unbroken sweep, and the town was cut out of it.
+
+A launch came plunging through the swells, and the deck steward made
+his rounds requesting the passengers to assemble for medical
+examination.
+
+Kirk found the Cortlandts ahead of him.
+
+"What's coming off?" he inquired.
+
+"Vaccination," Cortlandt explained, briefly. "They are very particular
+about disease."
+
+His wife added: "This used to be the worst fever-spot in the world, you
+know. When we were here five years ago, we saw car-loads of dead people
+nearly every day. A funeral train was a familiar sight."
+
+"What a pleasant place to spend my vacation!" exclaimed Kirk. "Now if I
+can rent a room over the morgue and board with the village undertaker,
+I'll have a nice time."
+
+"Oh, there's no more yellow fever--no sickness at all, in fact," said
+Mr. Cortlandt. "Will you go over to Panama City, or will you stay in
+Colon?"
+
+"I think I'll remain on the ship; then she can't get away without me,"
+Kirk answered. But when, after taking his turn before the doctors, he
+explained his desire to the purser, that worthy replied:
+
+"I'm sorry, but you'll have to arrange that with the agent. We make a
+charge, you know, just like a hotel."
+
+"I'm going to cable my old man for money."
+
+The officer shook his head with finality. "Nothing doing, Mr. Locke."
+
+"Anthony."
+
+"I'll take no chances. If you don't pay, I'll have to. Look here! Do
+you want to know what I think of you, Mr.--Anthony Locke?"
+
+"I haven't any special yearnings in that direction, but--what do you
+think about me?"
+
+"Well, I don't think your name is either Locke or Anthony."
+
+"Marvellous!"
+
+"And I don't think you have any money coming to you, either."
+
+"Mighty intellect!"
+
+"I think you are no good."
+
+"You're not alone in that belief. But what has all that to do with my
+sleeping aboard the Santa Cruz?"
+
+"If you want to stay aboard, you'll have to pay in advance. You're not
+so foolish as you try to make out."
+
+"Those are glorious words of praise," Kirk acknowledged, "but I'll make
+a bet with you."
+
+"What?"
+
+"That you change your mind. I am just as foolish as I appear, and I'll
+prove it. I'll bet my ring against your shirts that my name is Anthony,
+and if I don't come through with the price of a ticket to New York you
+can keep the ring."
+
+"Very well, but meanwhile I don't intend to be stuck for your bill."
+The purser was a man of admirable caution.
+
+"All right, then, I shall throw myself upon the mercy of strangers and
+take your belongings with me."
+
+By this time the ship was being warped into her berth, and the dock was
+crowded. There were little brown customs inspectors in khaki, little
+brown policemen in blue, little brown merchants in white, and huge
+black Jamaicans in all colors of rags. Here and there moved a bronzed,
+businesslike American, and Anthony noticed that for the most part these
+were clean-cut, aggressive-looking young fellows.
+
+He was delayed but an instant by the customs officials, then made his
+way out through a barnlike structure to the street, reflecting that,
+after all, there are advantages in travelling light. He came into a
+blazing-hot, glaring white street jammed with all sorts of vehicles,
+the drivers of which seemed perpetually upon the point of riot. Before
+him stretched a shadeless brick pavement, with a railroad track on one
+side, and on the other a line of naked frame buildings hideous in their
+sameness. The sun beat down fiercely. Kirk mopped his face with the
+purser's handkerchief and wondered if this were really December.
+
+Clumsy two-wheeled carts came bumping past, some with prehensile-footed
+negroes perched upon them, others driven by turban-crowned Hindoos. A
+fleet of dilapidated surreys and coaches, each equipped with a musical
+chime and drawn by a flea-bitten, ratlike horse, thronged the square.
+Kirk noticed with amusement that the steeds were of stronger mentality
+than the drivers, judging from the way they dominated the place,
+kicking, biting squealing, ramming one another, locking wheels and
+blocking traffic, the while their futile owners merely jerked the reins
+after the fashion of a street-car conductor ringing up fares, or swore
+softly in Spanish. Silent-footed coolies drifted past, sullen-faced
+negroes jostled him, stately Martinique women stalked through the
+confusion with queenly dignity. These last were especially qualified to
+take the stranger's eye, being tall and slender and wearing gaudy
+head-dresses, the tips of which stood up like rabbits' ears. Unlike the
+fat and noisy Jamaicans, they were neat and clean, their skirts
+snow-white and stiffly starched, and they held themselves as proudly
+erect as if pacing a stage.
+
+The indescribable confusion of races reminded the young American of a
+Red Sea port where the myriad peoples of the far East intermingle. He
+heard a dozen different dialects; even the negroes used an accent that
+was difficult to understand. One thing only struck a familiar note, and
+that with peculiar force and sharpness. Down the railroad track toward
+him came a locomotive with the letters "P. R. R." upon it, at which he
+said aloud:
+
+"Hurrah, I'm in Jersey City! I'll take the Twenty-third Street Ferry
+and be at the Astor in no time."
+
+He made his way slowly through the turmoil to the cable office, where
+he wrote a message, only to have it refused.
+
+"We don't send C. O. D.," the operator told him.
+
+"Must have coin in advance, eh?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"I left my gold-purse on the dresser," Kirk said, cheerfully. "I'll be
+back later." Then he wandered forth again, bearing his bundle of shirts
+beneath his arm. He thought of appealing to the Cortlandts before they
+left for Panama City, but could not bring himself to ask a favor from
+that slim, agate-eyed man for whom he felt such an instinctive
+distaste. Instead, he resolved to enlist the services of the American
+consul.
+
+He began to feel the heat now, and his borrowed collar drooped, but as
+he neared the seaward side of town there was a remarkable
+transformation. A delightful, cooling breeze swept in from the ocean,
+and, when he finally came out upon a palm-guarded road along the
+breakers, he paused in silent enjoyment. The trade-winds were drawing
+inward as steadily as if forced by a great electric fan, piling the
+green waters upon the rocks in a ceaseless, soothing murmur, making the
+palm fronds overhead rustle like the silken skirts of an aerial ballet.
+The effect was wonderful, for, while the air was balmy and soft, it was
+also deliciously refreshing and seemed to have magic properties.
+
+After some further wandering, he found the consul's house and knocked
+at the door, whereupon a high-pitched, querulous voice from inside
+cried:
+
+"Come in. Dammit, don't stand there hammering!"
+
+Kirk entered to find a huge, globular man clad in soiled linens
+sprawled in a musty Morris chair and sipping a highball. The man's face
+and neck were of a purplish, apoplectic hue; he seemed to radiate
+heat-waves like a base-burner.
+
+"Is this Mr. Weeks?" Kirk inquired.
+
+"That's me."
+
+"My name is Anthony."
+
+"Glad to meet you," wheezed the fat man, extending a limp, moist hand
+without rising. When Kirk had grasped it he felt like wiping his own
+palm. "Have a seat." The speaker indicated a broken-backed rocker
+encumbered with damp clothes, newspapers, and books. "Just dump that
+rubbish on the floor; it don't matter where." Then he piped at the top
+of his thin, little voice, "Zeelah! Hey, Zeelah! Bring some more ice."
+
+One glance showed Anthony that the place was indescribably disordered;
+a rickety desk was half concealed beneath a litter of papers, books,
+breakfast dishes, and what not; a typewriter occupied a chair, and all
+about the floor were scattered documents where the wind had blown them.
+Shoes and articles of clothing were piled in the corners; there was not
+a sound piece of furniture in the place, and through an open door
+leading to another room at the rear could be seen a cheap iron bed,
+sagging hammock-like, its head and foot posts slanting like tepee
+poles, doubtless from the weight of its owner.
+
+In answer to Mr. Weeks's shout a slatternly negress with dragging
+skirts and overrun shoes entered, carrying a washbowl partly filled
+with ice.
+
+"Just get in, Mr. Anthony?"
+
+"Yes, sir, on the Santa. Cruz."
+
+"Fine ship." Mr. Weeks rose ponderously and wiped out a glass with a
+bath towel, while Kirk noticed that two damp half-moons had come
+through his stiffly starched linen trousers where his dripping knees
+had pressed. He walked with a peculiar, springy roll, as if pads of fat
+had grown between his joints, and, once an impulse had been given his
+massive frame, it required time in which to become effective. The sound
+of his breathing was plainly audible as he prepared his guest's
+beverage.
+
+"You'll like that," he predicted. "There's one good thing we get in
+Colon, and that's whiskey." With a palsied hand he presented the glass.
+His cuffs were limp and tight, his red wrists were ringed like those of
+a baby. As he rolled back toward the Morris chair, his stomach surged
+up and down as if about to break from its moorings.
+
+"I came in to ask a favor," Anthony announced, "I suppose every tourist
+does the same."
+
+"That's part of a consul's duty," Mr. Weeks panted, while his soft
+cheeks swelled with every exhalation. "That's what I'm here for."
+
+"I want to cable home for money."
+
+"A little poker game on the way down, eh?" He began to shake
+ponderously.
+
+"I'm broke, and they won't take a collect message at the cable office.
+You see, I didn't know I was coming; some of my friends gave me a
+knockout and shipped me off on the Santa Cruz. The wireless wasn't
+working, we didn't stop at Jamaica, so this is my first chance to get
+word home."
+
+"What do you wish me to do?"
+
+"Cable for me and see that I have a place to stop until I get an
+answer."
+
+A look of distrust crept slowly into the consul's little eyes.
+
+"Are you absolutely broke?"
+
+"I haven't got a jingle."
+
+"How long will it take to hear from your people?"
+
+"If my father is at home, I'll hear instantly."
+
+"And if he isn't?"
+
+"I'll have to wait."
+
+"What makes you think he'll wire you money?"
+
+"He's never failed yet. You see, I'm something like a comet; he knows
+I'll be around every so often."
+
+Mr. Weeks began to complain. "I don't know you, Mr.--what's the name
+again? Anthony? I'm a poor man and I've been an easy mark for every
+tropical tramp from Vera Cruz to Guayaquil. Your father may not be able
+to help you, and then I'll be holding the bag."
+
+"I think you don't understand who he is. Did you ever hear of Darwin K.
+Anthony, of Albany, New York?"
+
+Mr. Weeks's thick lids opened, this time to display a far different
+emotion. "Certainly."
+
+"Well, he's the goat."
+
+Slowly, grandly, the American consul set his frame in motion, whereat
+Kirk said, quickly, "Don't get up; I understand." But Mr. Weeks had
+gone too far to check himself, so he lurched resiliently into an
+upright position, then across the floor, and, reaching out past his
+undulating front, as a man reaches forth from the midst of a crowd,
+shook his guest heartily by the hand.
+
+"Why didn't you say so?" he bubbled. "I'm here to accommodate folks
+like you. Darwin K. Anthony! Well, RATHER."
+
+"Thanks." The young man wiped his hand surreptitiously. "If you will
+fix it so I can cable him and sleep aboard the ship, I'll be greatly
+obliged."
+
+"Nothing of the sort," Mr. Weeks blew through his wet lips. "I'll cable
+him myself and you'll stay right here as my guest. Delighted to have
+the privilege."
+
+Kirk cast another glance over the place, and demurred hastily. "Really,
+I couldn't think of putting you out. I can stay on the Santa Cruz as
+well as not."
+
+"I couldn't hear to such a thing. You're tired of ship life--everybody
+is--and I have lots of room--too much room. It's a pleasure to meet
+real people--this damn country is so full of crooks and dead-beats. No,
+sir, you'll stay right here where it is cool and comfortable." With a
+pudgy forefinger he stripped his purple brow of a row of glistening
+sweat-drops. "I'll have Zeelah fix up a bed where this glorious breeze
+will play on you. Mr. Anthony, that trade-wind blows just like that all
+the time--never dies down--it's the only thing that makes life bearable
+here--that and the whiskey. Have another highball?"
+
+"No, I thank you."
+
+"Darwin--Say, I'll send a cart for your baggage, right now."
+
+"I have it with me--six shirts, all guilty."
+
+"Then I'll send your father a message this minute. I'm delighted at the
+privilege of being the first to advise him of your safety and to
+relieve his mental anguish." Mr. Weeks rocked toward the desk, adjusted
+a chair behind him, spread his legs apart, and sat down sidewise so
+that he could reach the inkwell. He overhung his chair so generously
+that from the front he appeared to be perched precariously upon its
+edge or to be holding some one in his lap. "Where are those cable
+blanks!" he cried, irritably, stirring up the confusion in front of him.
+
+"Here they are." Anthony picked one up from the floor.
+
+"It's that damn wind again. I can't keep anything in place unless I sit
+on it. That's the trouble with this country--there's always a breeze
+blowing. Thanks! I'm getting a trifle heavy to stoop--makes me dizzy."
+
+In a moment he read what he had written:
+
+DARWIN K. ANTHONY,  Albany, New York.
+
+Your son well and safe. Here as my guest. Asks you cable him money for
+return. WEEKS, American Consul.
+
+"That tells the story. It'll please him to know I'm looking after you,
+my boy."
+
+"You are very kind."
+
+"Don't speak of it. I'm glad to get in touch with your father. We need
+capital in this country."
+
+"He's a hard man in money matters," said Darwin K. Anthony's son. "I
+believe I enjoy the distinction of being the only person who ever made
+him loosen."
+
+"All successful men are cautious," Weeks declared. "But if he knew the
+wonderful opportunities this country presents--" The speaker leaned
+forward, while his chair creaked dangerously, and said, with
+impressiveness, "My dear sir, do you realize that a cocoa palm after it
+is seven years old drops a nut worth five cents every day in the year
+and requires no care whatever except to gather the fruit?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Fact! And we grow the best ones in the world right here. But the
+demand is increasing so rapidly that in ten years there will be a
+famine. Think of it--a famine of cocoanuts!" Mr. Weeks paused to lend
+dramatic effect.
+
+"That's fierce," Kirk acknowledged. "What are they good for?"
+
+"Eating! People make cakes out of them, and oil, and candy. Good
+cocoanut land can be bought for fifty cents an acre, selected seeds for
+five cents each, labor is sixty cents a day. No frosts, no worms, no
+bugs. You sit still and they drop in your lap."
+
+"The bugs?"
+
+"No! No! The cocoanuts."
+
+"Fine!"
+
+"But that's nothing. Do you realize that this soil will raise
+sugar-cane the size of your--of my--thigh, and once you plant it you
+can't keep it cut out?"
+
+"It's all news to me."
+
+"You can buy sugar-cane land for a dollar an acre; it costs--"
+
+"I'm no good at figures, Mr. Weeks."
+
+"And rubber! THERE'S the chance for a man with capital. Rubber!"
+
+"I will--I mean, is that so?"
+
+"Ever see any rubber-trees?"
+
+"Only in Brooklyn."
+
+"I mean wild rubber. This country is full of it; the natives bring it
+in. All you have to do is buy timber land--you can get it for a
+song--plant your rubber-seed, and let 'er go, Gallagher! In ten years
+you go back, cut off your timber, sell it for enough to make you rich,
+and there is your rubber--velvet!" he concluded, triumphantly.
+
+"Rubber velvet?"
+
+"Yes. It's 'velvet'--all clear. You can't lose. My boy, there's a
+thousand ways to get rich down here, and I know 'em all. What I need is
+capital. If I had your father's backing--Say! It's a mighty good thing
+you came to see me. I can do your old man a lot of good. I'm
+conservative, I am, and what he needs is a good, conservative man to
+manage his investments. Why, talk about quick money"--the speaker
+thrust forth a finger that looked like a peeled banana--"I've got a
+gold-mine--"
+
+"Not a bit like it." Kirk shook his head. "They don't behave."
+
+"This one will. It's an old Spanish mine and hasn't been worked for
+three centuries. It's rich, RICH! I'll take you in as my partner, and
+we'll get your father to open it up. What do you say? If he doesn't
+like that, we'll get him a street-railway franchise; I'm close to the
+government, and there isn't a steel rail in any city of the republic. I
+know all the Spiggoty politicians."
+
+"The what?"
+
+"The Spiggoties! That's what we call the Panamanians. They 'no spiggoty
+English'; understand?"
+
+"It's a funny name."
+
+"Now, my boy, there's one thing I want you to be careful of. Don't let
+some of these fellows around here get you excited. This country is full
+of promoters, cheap skates, and that sort, and they'll try to stampede
+you into some investment. You trust to me; I'm conservative. I'll put
+you up at the club, and when you get straightened around we'll talk
+business. Meanwhile, I'll send this cable."
+
+Mr. Weeks was even better than his word. He took Kirk with him, and
+went heaving down the street, his body quivering at every step as if
+hung upon a whalebone framework, the breath wheezing noisily in and out
+of his chest, the perspiration streaming from his purple face in
+rivulets. He put up his guest at the club and invited some of his
+friends to join them for dinner that evening on the wide balcony; then,
+noting Anthony's heavy clothing, he said:
+
+"You need some linens, Kirk. That suit looks like a dog bed. You don't
+mind my calling you Kirk, do you?"
+
+"I'm flattered. However, I can't get ready-made clothes large enough,
+and, besides, it's hardly worth while for the length of time--"
+
+"Nonsense. Now you're here we won't let you go right back. There's a
+Chinese tailor on Bottle Alley who'll have you a suit to measure by
+noon to-morrow, and he only charges seven dollars, goods and all."
+
+Accordingly, the two journeyed to Bottle Alley and selected some linen,
+whereupon, instead of one suit, the consul ordered three, having them
+charged to his account.
+
+Kirk really enjoyed that evening at the Wayfarers Club, for, once the
+cool of evening had come, the place filled up rapidly with as fine a
+crowd of men as he had ever met. There were young fellows from the
+railroad offices, merchants from the town, engineers from the big job,
+the proximity of which made itself felt like a mysterious presence.
+There was a trader from down the San Blas coast; a benevolent,
+white-haired judge, with a fund of excellent stories; a lieutenant in
+the Zone Police who impressed Kirk as a real Remington trooper come to
+life; and many another. They all welcomed the Yale man with that
+freedom which one finds only on the frontier, and as he listened to
+them he began to gain some idea of the tremendous task that occupied
+their minds. They were all men with work to do; there were no idlers;
+there was no class distinction. One topic of conversation prevailed,
+and, although the talk drifted away from it at times, it invariably
+came back to The Job in the end.
+
+Weeks did himself credit as a host. His table, spread on the latticed
+balcony where the never-failing trade-winds fanned it, was decorated
+tastefully with flowers, red-shaded candles, white linen, and gleaming
+silver gave it a metropolitan air. Both the food and the wine were well
+served, and the consul's half-dozen guests soon became mellowed and
+friendly. Kirk felt he had fallen among kindred spirits, for it was
+almost like a fraternity dinner.
+
+When finally they arose, some one proposed a game of draw poker and
+insisted upon Kirk's joining. He was about to refuse when Weeks drew
+him aside to say:
+
+"Don't let the money question stand in your way, Kirk. You're my guest,
+and your I.O.U. is as good as a government bond; so go as far as you
+like."
+
+A considerable portion of Anthony's time in college had been devoted to
+a course in draw poker--recitations, so to speak, being conducted in
+the upper rooms of a Greek letter "frat," and he cherished the belief
+that he had at least learned to distinguish a spade flush from an
+"Arkansas blaze." But he soon found that these men had forgotten more
+about the game than he could ever hope to learn at any university, and
+when the crowd broke up at midnight he signed his name to a tab for
+forty dollars.
+
+Early the next day the following cablegram was left at the American
+Consulate:
+
+WEEKS, Consul, Colon.
+
+Anthony absent, returns Friday.
+  COPLEY.
+
+"Copley is the Governor's secretary," Kirk explained. "That means that
+I'll miss the Santa Cruz and have to wait another week."
+
+"I'm delighted," the consul said, heartily.
+
+"Perhaps you could stake me to a ticket. I'll remit when I get to New
+York."
+
+"My pay isn't due for a fortnight," Weeks explained after an instant's
+hesitation. "You see, I'm interested in so many ventures it keeps
+me--well, broke. Anyhow, you can't go until we have arranged an
+investment for your father."
+
+Kirk could not help thinking that a man of the consul's wide
+acquaintance and business capacity could have raised the necessary
+funds without much trouble; but, not wishing to embarrass his host, he
+refrained from pressing the matter, and resigned himself as best he
+could to an extension of his exile. Meanwhile, he decided to visit the
+Canal, for on every side he heard nothing but echoes of the great work,
+and he began to feel that he owed it to himself to view it. But his
+plans were upset by the weather. On the following day it began to rain,
+and it continued to rain day and night thereafter until Colon became a
+sodden, dripping horror. The soil melted into a quagmire, the streets
+became sluices, the heavens closed down like a leaden pall, and the
+very air became saturated. It was hot also, and sticky. Indoors a mould
+began to form, rust grew like a fungus; outdoors the waving palm tops
+spilled a deluge upon roof and sidewalk at every gust; their trunks
+streamed like hydrants.
+
+Kirk had never seen such a rain; it kept up hour after hour, day after
+day, until the monotony became maddening. The instant he stepped out
+from shelter he was drenched, and even in his rooms he could discover
+no means of drying his clothes. His garments, hanging beside his bed at
+night, were clammy and overlaid with moisture in the morning. Things
+began to smell musty; leather objects grew long, hoary whiskers of
+green mould. To his amazement, the inhabitants seemed quite oblivious
+to the change, however, and, while they agreed that the weather was a
+trifle misty, they pursued their duties as usual, assuring him that the
+rain might continue for a month.
+
+It was too much for Kirk, however, and he deferred his trip over the
+"Line," spending his time instead at the Wayfarers Club. In his
+daylight hours he listened to Weeks's unending dissertations upon the
+riches of the tropics; at night he played poker with such uniform bad
+luck that his opponents developed for him an increasing affection.
+
+But all things have an end, and Friday morning broke clear and hot.
+
+"We'll hear from the old gentleman to-day, sure," he told Weeks at
+breakfast. "He's regularity itself. The train despatchers set their
+watches by him."
+
+"Now that it has cleared off, we must look into the cocoanut business,"
+the consul announced. "I'll make you a rich man, Kirk."
+
+"I'm rich, anyhow, or I will be. Money doesn't mean much to me."
+
+"Your father is--many times a millionaire, isn't he?" Weeks' little red
+eyes were very bright and curious. Kirk had seen that look many times
+before and knew its meaning. Hence he replied rather brusquely:
+
+"So I believe." And a moment later declared his determination to avail
+himself of the good weather and see something of the town. The prospect
+of squaring his account with this fawning fat man filled him with
+relief, and once away from the Consulate he stayed until late in the
+afternoon. It was nearly dark when he strolled in, to inquire:
+
+"Well, did you get an answer?"
+
+"Yes." Weeks fumbled excitedly through the papers on his desk.
+
+"How much did he send?
+
+"Here's the message; read it yourself."
+
+Kirk read as follows:
+
+WEEKS, Consul,  Colon.
+
+Your guest an impostor. Have no son.
+  ANTHONY.
+
+"Well, I'll be damned!" he ejaculated. "This is a joke!"
+
+Weeks was beginning to pant. "A joke, hey? I suppose it was a joke to
+impose on me?"
+
+"Don't you believe I'm Kirk Anthony?"
+
+"No, I do not. I just discovered to-day that your name is Jefferson
+Locke. Stein told me."
+
+Anthony laughed lightly.
+
+"Oh, laugh, if you want to. You're a smooth article with your talk
+about football and automobiles and millionaire fathers, but you
+happened to select the wrong millionaire for a father this time, and
+I'm going to give you a taste of our Spiggoty jails."
+
+"You can't arrest me. You offered to take me in."
+
+The fat man grew redder than ever; he seemed upon the point of
+exploding; his whole body shook and quivered as if a head of steam were
+steadily gathering inside him.
+
+"You can't get out of it that way," he cried at the top of his little
+voice. "I've fed you for a week. I put you up at my club. That very
+suit of clothes you have on is mine."
+
+"Well, don't burst a seam over the matter. My Governor doesn't know the
+facts. I'll cable him myself this time."
+
+"And live off me for another week, I suppose? Not if I know it! He says
+he has no son; isn't that enough?"
+
+"He doesn't understand."
+
+"And how about those gambling debts?" chattered the mountain of flesh.
+"You thought you'd fool me for a week, while you won enough money from
+my friends to get away. Now I'LL have to pay them. Oh, I'll fix you!"
+
+"You go slow about having me pinched," Kirk said, darkly, "or I'll make
+you jump through a hoop. I'll pay my debts."
+
+"You're a rich man, eh? Money doesn't mean much to you, hey?" mocked
+the infuriated Consul. "I suppose this is an old game of yours. Well,
+you stuck me all right, because you knew I couldn't have you
+arrested--I'd be a laughing-stock forever. But I've had your card
+cancelled, and I've left word for the waiters to throw you out if you
+show up at the Wayfarers."
+
+"Will you lend me enough money to cable again?" asked Anthony, with an
+effort.
+
+"More money? NO!" fairly screamed the other. "You get out of my house,
+Mr. 'Kirk Anthony,' and don't you show yourself around here again. I'll
+keep the rest of your wardrobe."
+
+His erstwhile guest underwent an abrupt reversal of emotion. To the
+indignant amazement of Mr. Weeks, he burst into a genuine laugh, saying:
+
+"All right, landlord, keep my baggage. I believe that's the custom,
+but--Oh, gee! This IS funny." He was still laughing when he reached the
+public square, for at last he had begun to see the full humor of
+Adelbert Higgins' joke.
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+THE REWARD OF MERIT
+
+
+Facing for the first time in his life an instant and absolute need of
+money, Kirk found himself singularly lacking in resource; and a period
+of sober contemplation brought him no helpful thought. Perhaps, after
+all, he decided, his best course would be to seek relief from the
+Cortlandts. Accordingly, he strolled into the offices of the steamship
+company near by and asked leave to telephone. But on calling up the
+Hotel Tivoli, he was told that his friends were out; nor could he learn
+the probable hour of their return. As he hung up the receiver he
+noticed that the office was closing, and, seeing the agent about to
+quit the place, addressed him:
+
+"I'd like to ask a favor."
+
+"What is it?"
+
+"Will you introduce me to the best hotel in town? I have friends in
+Panama City, but they're out and it's getting late."
+
+"There isn't a good hotel here, but you don't need an introduction;
+just walk in. They're not full."
+
+"I'm broke, and I have no baggage."
+
+"Don't you know anybody?"
+
+"I know the American consul--been stopping at his house for a week--but
+he threw me out."
+
+A great light seemed suddenly to dawn upon the agent. "Oh, you're
+Locke!" said he, with the air of one who detects a fraud too obvious to
+be taken seriously. "Now I understand. The purser on the Santa Cruz
+told me about you. Sorry I can't help you, but I'm a salaried man."
+
+"I've got to sleep," stoutly maintained the other. "Somebody will have
+to take care of me; I can't sit up all night."
+
+"See here, my friend, I don't know what your game is, but you can't
+sting me." The agent finished locking up, then walked away, leaving his
+visitor to reflect anew upon the average human being's ignoble lack of
+faith in his fellows.
+
+It was growing dark. From farther down the water-front the lights of
+the Wayfarers Club shone invitingly, and Kirk decided to appeal there
+for assistance. In spite of Weeks's warning, he felt sure he could
+prevail upon some of the members to tide him over for the night, but as
+he neared the place he underwent a sudden change of heart. Slowly
+mounting the stairs ahead of him like a trained hippopotamus was the
+colossal, panting figure of the American consul, at sight of which
+Kirk's pride rose up in arms and forbade him to follow. Doubtless Weeks
+had spread his story broadcast; it was manifestly impossible for him to
+appeal to his recent card partners--they would believe he had
+deliberately imposed upon them. It was humiliating, yet there seemed
+nothing to do except to await the Cortlandts' return, and, if he failed
+to reach them by telephone, to spend the night in the open. It occurred
+to him that he might try to locate Stein or some other of his late
+fellow-passengers, but they were probably scattered across the Isthmus
+by this time.
+
+A band was playing in the plaza when he came back--a very good band,
+too--and, finding a bench, he allowed his mind the relief of idly
+listening to the music. The square was filling with Spanish people, who
+soon caught and held his attention, recalling Mrs. Cortlandt's words
+regarding the intermixture of bloods in this country; for every
+imaginable variety of mongrel breed looked out from the loitering
+crowd. But no matter what the racial blend, black was the fundamental
+tone. Undeniably the Castilian strain was running out; not one
+passer-by in ten seemed really white. Naturally, there was no color
+line. Well-dressed girls, evidently white, or nearly so, went arm and
+arm with wenches as black as night; men of every shade fraternized
+freely.
+
+It was a picturesque and ever-changing scene. Kirk saw dark-faced girls
+wearing their unfailing badge of maidenhood--a white mantilla--followed
+invariably at a distance by respectful admirers who never presumed to
+walk beside them; wives whom marriage had forced to exchange the white
+shawl for the black, escorted by their husbands; huge, slouching
+Jamaican negroes of both sexes; silent-footed, stately Barbadians who
+gave a touch of savagery to the procession. Some of the women wore
+giant firebugs, whose glowing eyes lent a ghostly radiance to hair or
+lace, at once weird and beautiful. Round and round the people walked to
+the strains of their national music, among them dozens upon dozens of
+the ever-present little black-and-tan policemen, who constitute the
+republic's standing army.
+
+As the evening drew on, Kirk became conscious of an unwonted sensation.
+Once before he had had the same feeling--while on a moose-trail in
+Maine. But now there was no guide, with a packful of food, to come to
+his relief, and he could not muster up the spirit that enables men to
+bear vacation hardships with cheerfulness.
+
+He began to wonder whether a fast of twenty-four hours would seriously
+weaken a man, and, rather than make the experiment, he again called up
+the Tivoli, rejoicing anew in the fact that there was no toll on
+Isthmian messages. But again he was disappointed. This time he was told
+that the Cortlandts were doubtless spending the night out of town with
+friends.
+
+Soon after his second return to the park, the concert ended, the crowd
+melted away, and he found himself occupying a bench with a negro of
+about the same age as himself. For perhaps an hour the two sat there
+hearkening to the dying noises of the city; then Kirk, unable to endure
+the monotony longer, turned sharply on his companion and said:
+
+"Why don't you go home?"
+
+The negro started, his eyes flew open, then he laughed: "Oh, boss, I
+got no home."
+
+"Really?"
+
+"No, sar."
+
+Kirk reflected that he had found not only the right place, but also
+fitting company, for his vigil.
+
+"What does a person do in that case?" he asked.
+
+"Oh, he goes to work, sar."
+
+"For the night, I mean. Are you going to stay here until morning?"
+
+"Yes, sar, if the policeman will h'admit of it."
+
+The fellow's dialect was so strange that Kirk inquired: "Where did you
+come from?"
+
+"Jamaica, sar. I was barn on the narth coast of the h'island, sar."
+
+"Did you just arrive here?"
+
+"Oh, Lard, no! I 'ave been a liver here for two year."
+
+"A liver!" Kirk could not help smiling.
+
+"Yes, sar! Sometimes I labor on the docks, again in the h'office. Lahst
+week lose I my position, and to-day my room h'also. Landladies is bad
+females, sar, very common."
+
+"You've been shooting craps," said Kirk, accusingly.
+
+"Crops, sar! What is crops?"
+
+"You don't know what craps is! I mean you've been gambling."
+
+"Oh, boss, I h'invest my money."
+
+"Indeed!"
+
+"Lahst Sunday nearly won I the big prize. I 'ad h'all but three
+numbers."
+
+"Lottery ticket, eh?"
+
+"H'eight! H'eight chawnces in all," the negro sighed. "But dreams is
+false, sar."
+
+"So I've heard. Well, it seems we're in the same boat this beautiful
+evening. I have no place to sleep, either."
+
+"You are humbugging me."
+
+"No, I'm flat broke."
+
+"Oh, chot me true, mon."
+
+"I am chatting you true. I'm an outcast of fortune like yourself."
+
+"Such talk! You make I laugh this house."
+
+"What?"
+
+"You make I laugh," repeated the other in a broad Devonshire dialect.
+"Praise God, you h'appear like a gentleman."
+
+"I trust this little experience will not permanently affect my social
+standing. By-the-way, what is your name?"
+
+"H'Allan."
+
+"Hallan?"
+
+"No, sar. H'Allan."
+
+"Is that your first or last name?"
+
+"Both, sar--h'Allan h'Allan."
+
+"Mr. Allan Allan, you're unusually dark for a Scotchman," said Kirk,
+gravely. "Now, speaking as one gentleman to another, do you happen to
+know where we can get a hand-out?"
+
+"'And-out?" inquired the puzzled negro.
+
+"Yes; a lunch. Can't you lead me to a banana vine or a breadfruit
+bakery? I'm starving. They grow the finest cocoanuts in the world right
+here--worth five cents apiece; they require no care, have no worms, no
+bugs. You sit still and they drop in your lap. Can't you show me a tree
+where we can sit and wait for something to drop?"
+
+Allan replied, seriously: "But when the cocoanut falls, it is no good
+for h'eating, sar. The milk is h'acid."
+
+"I see you have a sense of humor; you should be in the consular
+service. But h'acid or sweet, h'eating or cooling, I must get something
+into my stomach--it's as flat as a wet envelope."
+
+The Jamaican rose, saying: "Step this way, please. I know the place
+where a very good female is. Per'aps she will make us a present."
+
+"How far is it?"
+
+"Oh, not too far," Allan replied, optimistically, and Kirk hopefully
+followed him.
+
+But at the opposite side of the square they were halted by a sudden
+commotion which drove all thoughts of food out of their minds. From a
+building across the street issued a bugle-call, upon which an
+indescribable confusion broke forth. Men began running to and fro; a
+voice in authority shouted orders, each of which was the signal for
+another bugle-call. Through the wide-open doors the Panamanians could
+be seen, scurrying around a hose-cart, apparently in search of clothes;
+some were struggling into red shirts, others were stamping their feet
+into short boots or girding themselves with wide canvas belts.
+Meanwhile, the chief issued more orders and the bugle continued to blow.
+
+"Oh, look, boss!" Allan cried, quickly. "There must be a 'flagration."
+
+"It's a Spiggoty hose company, as I live. Come on!"
+
+Already a glare could be seen above the crowded portion of the city,
+and the two set off in that direction at a run, leaving the bugle
+sounding in the rear and the gallant firemen still wrestling with their
+uniforms. They had nearly reached the fire when around a corner back of
+them, with frightful speed and clangor, came a modern automobile
+fire-truck, clinging to which was a swarm of little brown men in red
+shirts and helmets. They reminded the American of monkeys on a circus
+horse, and, although he had been counted a reckless driver, he
+exclaimed in astonishment at the daring way in which the chauffeur took
+the turn.
+
+It was truly amazing, for the machine, which was the latest improvement
+in imported fire-fighting machinery, skidded the full width of the
+street, threatening to rip its tires off and turn turtle, then leaped
+upon the curb before its driver could straighten it up, and in a
+magnificent sweep carried away the wooden supports of an overhanging
+balcony. The timbers parted like straws; there came a shrill uproar
+from inside the building as the sleeping occupants poured forth, but
+without a pause the Yankee machine whizzed on up the street, its gong
+clanging, its occupants holding on for dear life, the peaceful
+inhabitants of Colon fleeing from its path like quail before the hoofs
+of a runaway horse.
+
+"Hit her up!" Kirk yelled, delightedly, then leaned against a lamp-post
+and laughed until he was weak. In the midst of his merriment appeared
+the company he had just seen making up. They had found their uniforms
+at last, it seemed, down to the final belt and shoelace, and now came
+charging gallantly along in the tracks of the more speedy motor. They
+were drawing their hand-reel, each brave lad tugging lustily and
+panting with fatigue.
+
+Kirk and his guide fell in behind and jogged to the scene of the
+conflagration.
+
+A three-storied building was already half gutted; out of its windows
+roared long, fiery tongues; the structure snapped and volleyed a chorus
+to the sullen monotone of destruction. The street was littered with the
+household belongings of the neighborhood, and from the galleries and
+windows near by came such a flight of miscellaneous articles as to
+menace the safety of those below. Men shouted, women screamed, children
+shrieked, figures appeared upon the fire-lit balconies hurling forth
+armfuls of cooking utensils, bedding, lamps, food, and furniture,
+utterly careless of where they fell or of the damage they suffered.
+Kirk saw one man fling a graphophone from a top window, then lower a
+mattress with a rope. On all sides was a bedlam which the arrival of
+the firemen only augmented. The fire captains shouted orders to the
+buglers, the buglers blew feebly upon their horns, the companies
+deployed in obedience to the bugles, then everybody waited for further
+directions.
+
+Again the trumpet sounded, whereupon each fireman began to interfere
+with his neighbor; a series of quarrels arose as couplings were made or
+broken; then, after an interminable delay, water began to flow, as if
+by a miracle. But except in rare instances it failed to reach the
+flames. A ladder-truck, drawn by another excited company, now rumbled
+upon the scene, its arrival adding to the general disorder. Meanwhile,
+the steady tradewind fanned the blaze to ever-growing proportions.
+
+"Why the devil don't they get closer?" Kirk inquired of his Jamaican
+companion.
+
+Allan's eyes were wide and ringed with white; his teeth gleamed in a
+grin of ecstasy as he replied:
+
+"Oh, Lard, my God, it is too 'ot, sar; greatly too 'ot! It would take a
+stout 'eart to do such a thing."
+
+"Nonsense! They'll never put it out this way. Hey!" Kirk attracted the
+attention of a near-by nozzleman. "Walk up to it. It won't bite you."
+But the valiant fire-fighter held stubbornly to his post, while the
+stream he directed continued to describe a graceful curve and spatter
+upon the sidewalk in front of the burning building. "You're spoiling
+that old woman's bed," Anthony warned him, at which a policeman with
+drawn club forced him back as if resentful of criticism. Other peace
+officers compelled the crowd to give way, then fell upon the distracted
+property holders and beat them off their piles of furniture.
+
+For perhaps ten minutes there was no further change in the situation;
+then a great shout arose as it was seen that the roof of the adjoining
+building had burst into flame. At this the fanfare of trumpets sounded
+again; firemen rushed down the street, dragging a line of hose and
+drenching the onlookers. But, despite their hurry, they halted too
+soon, and their stream just failed to reach the blazing roof. By now
+the heat had grown really intense, and the more hardy heroes in the
+vanguard retreated to less trying positions. The voice of the crowd had
+arisen to a roar rivalling that of the flames.
+
+"They must intend to let the whole town burn!" cried Anthony.
+
+"Yes, sar! Very probably, sar."
+
+Kirk pointed to the nearest fireman. "If he'd get up under that wall he
+could save the roof and be out of the heat." He undertook to convey
+this suggestion to the fellow, but without result. "I can't stand
+this," he exclaimed at last. "Let's give him a hand, Allan."
+
+"Very well, sar."
+
+"Here! help me get a kink in this hose. There! Now you hold it until
+you feel me pull." Kirk forced his way out through the crowd, to find
+the fireman holding the nozzle, from which a feeble stream was
+dribbling, and mechanically directing it at the fire. Kirk laid hold of
+the canvas and, with a heave, dragged it, along with its rightful
+guardian, ten feet forward; but there had been no bugle-blown order for
+this, and the uniformed man pulled backward with all his might,
+chattering at Kirk in Spanish.
+
+"Well, then let go." Anthony shook the Panamannikin loose, then ran
+forward across the street until he brought up at the end of the slack
+and felt the hose behind him writhe and swell as Allan released his
+hold. The next instant the negro was at his side, and the two found
+themselves half blistered by the heat that rolled out upon them. But
+the newly ignited roof was within range, and the stream they played
+upon it made the shingles fly.
+
+"Oh, Lard!" Allan was crying. "Oh, Lard! I shall h'expire."
+
+"Pull down your hat and shield your face."
+
+The fireman they had despoiled began to drag at the hose from a safe
+distance; but when Kirk made as if to turn the nozzle upon him he
+scampered away amid the jeers of the crowd. A few moments later, the
+American felt a hand upon his arm and saw an angry policeman who was
+evidently ordering him back. Behind him stood the excited nozzleman
+with two companions.
+
+"He says you should return the 'ose where you found it," Allan
+translated.
+
+"Leave us alone," Kirk replied. "You fellows help the others; we'll
+attend to this." More rapid words and gesticulations followed, in the
+midst of which a dapper young man in a uniform somewhat more impressive
+than the others dashed up, flung himself upon Anthony and endeavored to
+wrench the hose from his hands. Meanwhile he uttered epithets in broken
+English which the other had no difficulty in understanding. Kirk
+promptly turned the nozzle upon him, and the full force of Colon's
+water-pressure struck him squarely in the stomach, doubling him up like
+the kick of a mule. Down the newcomer went, then half rolled, half slid
+across the street as the stream continued to play upon him. He
+scrambled to his feet, a sorry spectacle of waving arms and dripping
+garments, his cries of rage drowned in the delighted clamor of the
+beholders.
+
+"I guess they'll keep away now," laughed Kirk, as he turned back to his
+self-appointed task.
+
+But Allan exclaimed, fearfully: "Oh, boss, I fear he is some 'igh
+h'officer."
+
+"Never mind. We're having a lot of fun. It's medals for us--gold medals
+for bravery, Allan. To-morrow the board of aldermen will thank us."
+
+But this prediction seemed ill-founded. An instant later a half-dozen
+policemen advanced in a businesslike manner, and their leader
+announced: "Come! You are arrest."
+
+"Pinched! What for? We're doing a lot of good here."
+
+"Come, queeck!"
+
+"Oh, Lard, my God!" Allan mumbled. "I shall die and kill myself."
+
+"They won't do anything to us," Kirk assured him. "I've been pinched
+lots of times. We'll have to quit, though, and that's a pity. It was
+just getting good."
+
+He surrendered the hose to a fireman, who promptly retreated with it to
+a discreet position, then followed his captors, who were now buzzing
+like bees.
+
+"Don't get excited," he said to Allan, noting his frightened look.
+"They'll turn us loose all right."
+
+But a moment after they were clear of the town he was surprised to see
+that the negro's captors had snapped "come-alongs" upon him in spite of
+his repeated promises to go quietly.
+
+These handcuffs, Kirk saw, were of the type used upon desperate
+criminals, consisting of chains fitted with handles so contrived that a
+mere twist of the officer's hand would cut the prisoner's flesh to the
+bone.
+
+"You don't need to do that," he assured the fellow who had made the
+arrest, but, instead of heeding his words, the men on each side of the
+Jamaican twisted stoutly, forcing the black boy to cry out in pain. He
+hung back, protesting:
+
+"All right, sar, I'll come. I'll come."
+
+But again they tightened their instruments of torture, and their victim
+began to struggle. At this an evil-faced man in blue struck him
+brutally upon the head with his club, then upon the shoulders, as if to
+silence his groans. The boy flung up his manacled hands to shield
+himself, and the light from a street lamp showed blood flowing where
+the chains had cut. The whole proceeding was so unprovoked, so
+sickening in its cruelty, that Kirk, who until this instant had looked
+upon the affair as a rather enjoyable lark, flew into a fury and,
+disregarding his own captors, leaped forward before the policeman could
+strike a third time. He swung his fist, and the man with the club
+hurtled across the street as if shot from a bow, then lay still in the
+gutter. With another blow he felled one of the handcuff-men, but at the
+same time other hands grasped at him and he was forced to lay about
+vigorously on all sides.
+
+They rushed him with the ferocity of mad dogs, and he knocked them
+spinning, one after another. A whistle blew shrilly, other uniforms
+came running, more whistles piped, and almost before he realized it he
+found himself in the centre of a pack of lean-faced brown men who were
+struggling to pull him down and striking at him with their clubs. With
+a sudden wild thrill he realized that this was no ordinary street
+fight; this was deadly; he must beat off these fellows or be killed.
+But, as fast as he cleared them away, others appeared as if by magic,
+until a dozen or more were swarming upon him like hungry ants. They
+clung to his arms, his legs, his clothing, with a desperate courage
+wholly admirable in itself, while strokes were aimed at him from every
+quarter. Time and again they dragged him off his feet, only to have him
+shake them loose. But though most of their blows went wild or found a
+mark among their own numbers, he was felled at last, and a moment
+later, with head reeling and wits flickering, he was dragged to his
+knees by handcuffs like those on Allan's wrists. The pain as the chains
+bit into his flesh brought him to his feet despite the blows and kicks
+that were rained upon him, crying hoarsely:
+
+"Let me go, damn you! Let me go!"
+
+But a wrench at the gyves took the fight out of him, for he felt that
+the bones in his wrists must surely be crushed. One side of his head
+was strangely big and numb; a warm stream trickled down his cheek; but
+he had no time to think of his condition, for his assailants fell upon
+him with fresh fury, and he reeled about, striving to shield himself.
+Every movement, however, was construed as resistance, and his
+punishment continued, until at last he must have fainted from pain or
+had his wits scattered by a blow on the head; for when he recovered
+consciousness he found himself in a filthy, ill-lighted room, flung
+upon a wooden platform that ran along the wall, evidently serving as a
+bed. Near him Allan was huddled, his black face distorted with pain and
+ashen with apprehension.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+EL COMANDANTE TAKES A HAND
+
+
+"Where are we?" queried Anthony, as he took in the surroundings.
+
+"This is the prison, sar."
+
+"Gee! I'm sick." Kirk lay back upon the platform and closed his eyes.
+"Did they hurt you much?"
+
+"Oh yes. Very considerably."
+
+"Sorry I got you into it, Allan, I never thought they'd be so cranky."
+Again he groaned. "I want a drink."
+
+"Let me get it. Those Spiggoties will not give it to you."
+
+Allan went to the door and called to the guard. An instant later he
+returned with a tin cup.
+
+"I guess they knocked me out," Kirk said, dazedly. "I never was hit
+like that before--and jailed! Say! We must get out of her. Call the
+chief or the man in charge, will you? I can't speak the language."
+
+"Please, sar, if you h'anger them they will beat us again."
+
+"Beat! Not here?"
+
+"Oh yes. They might kill us."
+
+"They wouldn't do that!"
+
+"A white man they killed lahst h'autumn, and several of my people have
+passed away in this prison. Nobody can 'ear nothing. Nobody knows what
+'appens 'ere."
+
+"Oh, well, they wouldn't dare touch us--I'm an American citizen. I'll
+notify the consul."
+
+Roused at the mere suggestion. Kirk staggered to the door and shouted
+lustily. When no one answered, he shook the iron grating, whereupon a
+guard leisurely approached, and, after listening stolidly to his
+request, went back to his post at the other end of the hall. This time
+the American sent forth such an uproar that a man evidently
+corresponding in authority to a sergeant appeared with the command to
+be quiet.
+
+"Let me out of here!" loudly demanded the prisoner. "I want the chief,
+or the alcalde, or somebody in charge. I want to know what I'm booked
+for, I want to telephone--TELEPHONE, don't you understand?--and arrange
+bail. Quick, now!"
+
+But the officer merely frowned at him, obviously threatening a resort
+to force if this outburst did not cease at once.
+
+"I tell you I want to get out," insisted Kirk. "I want to know what I'm
+charged with and have my friends get bail."
+
+The man nodded his understanding and went away, but an hour passed and
+he did not return. Then another hour followed, and Anthony, who had now
+begun to feel the effect of his drubbing more keenly, renewed his
+clamor, with the result that a half-dozen policemen appeared, causing
+Allan to retreat to a corner and mumble prayers. From their demeanor it
+looked as though they were really bent upon mischief, but Kirk soon saw
+that an official had come in answer to his call. He felt less reassured
+when he perceived that the person in uniform who now stepped forward
+was the same upon whom he had turned the hose earlier in the evening.
+
+This was a black-haired, black-eyed young fellow of, perhaps, thirty.
+While his skin was swarthy, even in this poor light it could be seen
+that he was of the real Castilian type and of a much better class than
+the others. He was slender and straight, his mouth small and decorated
+by a carefully pencilled little mustache, which was groomed to a needle
+sharpness. His hands and feet were as dainty as those of a woman. He
+was undeniably striking in appearance, and might have passed for
+handsome had it not been for the scowl that distorted his features.
+
+"Eh! 'ere you are," he began, angrily.
+
+"Yes; I want to get out, too. What does this treatment mean?"
+
+The new-comer stepped toward the other occupant of the cell, at which
+Allan broke out in terror: "Don't you touch me. I'm a British object."
+
+But it was evidently not the man's intention to offer any further
+indignity to his prisoners at that time. After scanning the Jamaican
+carefully, he issued an order to one of his men, who left the room.
+
+"And I'm an American," Anthony declared. "You'll have to answer for
+this."
+
+"Per'aps you don' know who I am. I am Ramon Alfarez, Comandante of
+Police, an' you dare' to t'row the water of the 'ose-wagon upon my
+person. Your gover'ment will settle for those insolt." His white teeth
+showed in a furious snarl.
+
+"I don't give a damn who you are. I'll get bail or do whatever your law
+requires, but I want to get out and I want to get out now."
+
+The commandant's eyes flashed as he asked, shortly. "W'at is your name?"
+
+"Anthony. Your men tried to kill that boy, and when I wouldn't stand
+for it they beat me up."
+
+"You strock me wit' the water of the 'ose-carriage," repeated the
+other. "You 'ave assault the dignity of my country."
+
+"I didn't know who you were. I was helping to stop that fire when you
+butted in. Now, are you going to let me out, or do you want my people
+to pull this jail down around your ears?"
+
+At this threat Senor Alfarez restrained his rage with an obvious
+effort. "You will reply to those outrage, senor."
+
+"Sure, I'll reply. But in the mean time I want to telephone to the
+American consul. Look at this!" The young man held out his shaking,
+swollen wrists, upon which the blood was scarcely dry. "Look at it!
+Those runts of yours got handcuffs on me and then beat me up. I'm sick.
+So's that boy. We need a doctor."
+
+Alfarez shook his head. "You resis' the police. Even in your country
+one mus' not do that. 'Ave I been there, I would keel you both, but I
+am 'aving a cheel at the moment from those stream of col' water."
+
+"Will you take me to a telephone?"
+
+"It is not permit."
+
+"Will you notify Mr. Weeks?"
+
+Receiving no reply to this request, Kirk broke out: "Well, then, what
+ARE you going to do? Let us stay here all night?"
+
+"W'at is your bizness?"
+
+"I haven't any."
+
+"You don' work on the Canal?"
+
+"No. I'm a tourist. My father is a big railroad man in the States. I'm
+telling you this so you'll know how to act."
+
+"W'ere do you leeve--w'at 'otel?"
+
+"I've been stopping with Mr. Weeks."
+
+Senor Alfarez's attitude became somewhat less overbearing.
+
+"In due time he will be notify of your outrage to my person," he
+announced.
+
+The fellow who had left the room a moment before now reappeared,
+carrying a bucket of water and some towels, with which he directed
+Allan to remove the blood from his face and hands. When it came Kirk's
+turn, however, he objected.
+
+"I think I'll wait until Weeks sees me," he said.
+
+But Alfarez retorted, sharply: "It is not permit"; and, seeing that
+resistance would be useless, Kirk acquiesced as gracefully as he could,
+remarking as he did so:
+
+"You'll have hard work washing off this, and this." He indicated the
+traces of the handcuffs and the gash in his scalp.
+
+The commandant turned to his men and addressed them at some length,
+calling them to task, as Allan later informed his companion, for using
+their clubs in a manner to mark their prisoners so conspicuously. Then
+he followed them into the corridor, closing the grating behind him.
+
+The hours passed, and daylight came with no word from the American
+consul. By this time the two prisoners were really in need of medical
+attention. Their contusions pained them severely. Kirk felt as if one
+or more of his ribs were broken, and his suffering, combined with
+hunger, prevented sleep. He became feverish and fretful, but his
+demands for communication with the outside world were calmly ignored,
+although he felt certain that his wishes were fully understood. When
+the morning had passed without his being arraigned for a hearing he
+grew alarmed. Evidently he had been flung into confinement and
+forgotten.
+
+Eventually Kirk and Allan were given food, but still no one came to
+their relief. Apparently no message had been delivered. This treatment
+was so atrocious, so at variance with Anthony's ideas of his own
+importance, that he felt he must be suffering from nightmare. How dared
+they treat an American so, no matter what the charge? Why didn't they
+try him or give him a hearing? These insolent, overbearing Panamaniacs
+had no regard for law or humanity, and this was no longer a question of
+petty injustice; it was a grave infraction of civilized equity.
+
+But the afternoon wore on without an encouraging sign, till Kirk began
+to think that Weeks had refused to intercede for him and intended to
+leave him to the mercies of his enemies. With difficulty he managed to
+convey to a guard his desire to notify some of the other Americans in
+the city, but as usual no heed was paid to his request.
+
+It was considerably after dark when a visitor was at last admitted. He
+proved to be the English consul, whom Anthony had never met.
+
+"What are you doing here?" the new-comer inquired. Then, when the facts
+had been laid before him, he exclaimed: "Why, I heard that a Jamaican
+negro had been arrested, but I heard nothing about mistreatment of a
+white man."
+
+"Doesn't anybody know I'm here?"
+
+"I'm sure no one does. Those heathens lied to you--they never
+communicated with Weeks or anybody. They're afraid. This is an old
+trick of theirs--man-handling a prisoner, then keeping him hidden until
+he recovers. If he doesn't recover they get out of it on some excuse or
+other, as best they can. Why, they killed a white sailor not long
+ago--just plain clubbed him to death without excuse, then asserted that
+he resisted arrest. They did the same to one of our negroes. He died in
+the jail before I got wind of it, and when I started an investigation
+they showed his signed statement declaring that he had not been abused
+at all, and had been given the kindest treatment. The matter isn't
+settled yet. It's infamous! Why, I had hard work to get in at all just
+now. But I'll have Allan here out in two hours or I'll know the reason.
+England protects her subjects, Mr. Anthony, and these people know it.
+If they don't come to time I'll have a gunboat in the harbor in
+twenty-four hours. Color doesn't amount to a damn with us, sir; it's
+the flag."
+
+"I guess Uncle Sam is strong enough to command respect," said Anthony.
+
+"Well, I know the circumstances now, and I'll go straight to Weeks. He
+can arrange your release without trouble. If you were an Englishman,
+I'd have you out in no time, and you'd collect handsome damages, too.
+This boy will."
+
+True to the consul's prediction, a little later the Jamaican was led
+out of the cell, and from the fact that he was not brought back Kirk
+judged that the British intervention had been effectual. But it was not
+until the next morning, the second of his imprisonment, that the cell
+door opened once more, this time to admit the portly figure of John
+Weeks and the spruce person of Senor Ramon Alfarez.
+
+"What's all this trouble about?" inquired the former in none too
+amiable a tone.
+
+Kirk told his story as briefly and convincingly as he could. But when
+he had finished, the consul shook his head.
+
+"I don't see what I can do for you," he said. "According to your own
+declaration you resisted a police officer. You'll have to take your
+medicine."
+
+Alfarez nodded agreement. "Quite right!" said he. "He did terrible
+'avoc with my men, t'ree of which is now on the 'ospital."
+
+"But why don't they try me or let me get bail? I want to get out."
+
+"You'll be tried as soon as they get around to it."
+
+"Look here!" Kirk showed the marks his assailants had left upon him.
+"Will you stand for that? I've been here two nights now without medical
+attention." "How about that, Alfarez?"
+
+The commandant shrugged his shoulders. "If he require a doctor, one
+shall be secure', but he is not severely injure.' I 'ave explain the
+frightful indignity to the honor of my person, yes? As for me, pooh! It
+is forget." He waved his hand gracefully and smiled sweetly upon his
+fat visitor. "It does not exist. But the brave soldiers of mine! Ah!
+Senor Wick, they lofe me, they cannot forget the honor of el
+comandante. So! When the prisoner is decide to insurrect, who can say
+those gallant soldier don' be too strong? Who can blame for making
+roff-'ouse?"
+
+"I guess you ain't hurt much," said Weeks, eying his countryman coldly.
+"You didn't get any more than was coming to you."
+
+"I won't stand for this," cried the prisoner, hotly. "The English
+consul got that nigger boy out, and I want you to do the same for me."
+
+"You don't understand. I've got business interests in this country, and
+I can't dash about creating international issues every time an American
+gets locked up for disorderly conduct. How long do you think I'd last
+with these people if I did that?"
+
+"Are you really afraid to do anything?" Kirk inquired, slowly. "Or is
+it because of our row?"
+
+"Oh, there's nothing personal about it! I can't afford personal
+feelings in my position. Really, I don't see where you're so much
+abused. You assaulted a government officer and resisted arrest. If you
+got hurt it's your own fault. Of course I'll see that you have a fair
+trial."
+
+The commandant spoke up with ingratiating politeness: "The prisoner say
+he is reech man's son. Now, of course, it is too bad he is injure' wit'
+the clob of the policeman; but those officer is ver' polite, senor, and
+if he is explain biffore--"
+
+Weeks snorted indignantly. "He gave you that fairy tale, eh? He said
+his name was Anthony and his father was a railroad president, didn't
+he? Well, he imposed on me, too, but his name is Locke, and, as near as
+I can learn, he practically stowed away on the SANTA CRUZ."
+
+"Ah-h!" The officer's eyes widened as he turned them upon his prisoner.
+"He is then a w'at you call tramp."
+
+"All I know is, he stuck me for a lot of bills. I'll have to see that
+he gets fair treatment, I suppose, because he's an American, but that
+ends my duty."
+
+"Is this the best you'll do for me?" Kirk inquired, as Weeks made ready
+to go.
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Will you tell some of the men at the Wayfarers that I'm here?"
+
+"Oh, that won't do any good. You're in for it, Locke, so don't holler.
+I'll be on hand at your hearing."
+
+"Will you cable my father?"
+
+"At twenty-five cents a word? Hardly!" The speaker mopped his face,
+exclaiming: "There's no use of talking, I've got to get out in the air;
+it's too hot in here for me." Then he waddled out ahead of Senor
+Alfarez, who slammed the door behind him as he followed to escort his
+caller to the street.
+
+But a half-hour later the commandant returned to the cell, and this
+time he brought with him a number of his little policemen, each armed
+with a club. Feeling some menace in their coming, Kirk, who had seated
+himself dejectedly, arose to ask: "What's coming off?"
+
+Alfarez merely issued some directions in Spanish, and chain handcuffs
+were once more snapped upon the prisoner's wrists.
+
+"So! you're going to hold my trial, eh?" cried Kirk.
+
+But the other snarled: "Senor Locke, you 'ave force' the water of the
+'ose-wagon upon my body for making the people laugh. Bueno! Now I shall
+laugh." He seated himself, then nodded at his men to begin.
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+SPANISH LAW
+
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt answered her telephone for the second time, repeating
+with some impatience: "Tell the man I can't see him."
+
+"But he refuses to leave--says he must see you at once; it's
+important," came the voice of the clerk.
+
+"Oh, very well. I'll come down." She hung up the receiver with a snap.
+
+"Why don't they send him up?" queried her husband from the sitting-room.
+
+"It's a negro, and the clerk says he'd rather not allow him up-stairs.
+Another sick family, I suppose."
+
+"They're beginning to impose on you. It's usually that way with
+charities," said Cortlandt.
+
+With unfeminine neglect of the chance for petty discussion, his wife
+left the room without replying, and descended to the hotel lobby. Here
+she was directed toward a very ragged, very woe-begone young black on
+the rear porch, who, at sight of her, began to fumble his hat and run
+his words together so excitedly that she was forced to calm him.
+
+"Now, now! I can't understand a word. Who are you?"
+
+"H'Allan, mistress."
+
+"You say some one is ill?"
+
+"Oh yes, he is very h'ill h'indeed, mistress--h'all covered with blood
+and his poor 'ands h'all cut."
+
+"Who--?"
+
+"And his 'ead--oh, Lard! His 'ead is cut, too, and he suffers a fever."
+
+"WHO IS IT?"
+
+"Mr. h'Auntony--"
+
+"Anthony!" Mrs. Cortlandt started. "What has happened? Quick!"
+
+Seeing that at last he had found a friend, the Jamaican began to sob
+with relief, wailing extravagant praises to God and apparently
+endeavoring to kiss Mrs. Cortlandt's hand, whereat she seized him by
+the shoulders and shook him, crying:
+
+"Stop that! Behave yourself and tell me what is the trouble, quickly
+now, from the beginning."
+
+Without drying his tears, Allan launched himself into the full violence
+of his recital, stumbling recklessly over his figures of speech,
+lapsing into idioms that it taxed his hearer to follow. Had she been
+less acquainted with the Caribbean dialects she would have missed much
+of the story, but, as it was, she followed him closely, urging him on
+with sharp expressions of amazement and nods of understanding. Rapidly
+she gathered the facts of the case, while her cheeks whitened and her
+eyes grew dark with indignation. The sight renewed Allan's emotion. His
+voice broke, his black hands shook, he began to sob once more, and
+great tears stole down his ebony cheeks. But he managed to answer her
+terse, shocked questions with some degree of intelligence, calling upon
+his vivid imagination for such details as his memory had lost.
+
+"I wait an' wait for him to h'emerge, but he does not come. Perhaps
+they 'ave killed the poor mon once more."
+
+"How did you get here?"
+
+"With my feet, mistress. Sometimes rode I on the train, but the train
+people are very common; they h'addressed me rudely and threw me by the
+wayside."
+
+"Couldn't you telephone?"
+
+"I do not h'understand 'ow."
+
+"Why didn't he notify me at once? If I had only known--"
+
+"Those 'eartless Spiggoties would not h'allow it. Oh, you will h'assist
+the poor mon! Say it. Praise be to God, he is bleeding in the prison--"
+
+"Yes, yes, certainly."
+
+Allan reached clumsily this time to kiss the hem of her skirt, but she
+stepped aside quickly, fumbling meanwhile in her purse for a bank-note,
+while he exclaimed:
+
+"God bless you, good mistress. He told me to find you and present his
+recital."
+
+"Here, take this money and go back to Colon by the first train. We may
+need you. Now go! I'll be there ahead of you."
+
+She picked up her white skirts and ran up the hotel stairs as if
+pursued, bursting in upon her husband so impetuously that he rose in
+surprise, inquiring:
+
+"What is it?"
+
+"Young Anthony is in jail in Colon," she panted. "He's been locked up
+for three days, and they won't let him out."
+
+"The devil! You said he'd gone back to New York. What is it about?"
+
+"I thought he had. They arrested him for some silly thing, and he's
+hurt." She hurriedly recounted Allan's story, adding, in conclusion,
+"That black boy came all the way across the Isthmus to tell us!"
+
+"I'll get the American consul by 'phone--"
+
+But Mrs. Cortlandt interrupted. "Weeks is a fool! He wouldn't do
+anything. Wait!" She stepped to the instrument and rang violently.
+"Give me Colonel Jolson's office, quickly. If he is not there, find
+him. I don't care where he is, find him; it is important. This is Mrs.
+Cortlandt speaking.'
+
+"What do you mean to do?" said Cortlandt.
+
+"Go to Colon at once. This is young Alfarez's doing--the
+whipper-snapper--you must lay him out for this. How dare he!"
+
+"Better go carefully. Remember, General Alfarez is his father."
+
+"I understand. But we are bound to come to a breach sooner or later."
+
+"I hardly think so. I believe we can bring him around all
+right--anyhow, I haven't lost hope." Then, as his wife made an
+impatient gesture: "Well, if we precipitate a quarrel now, that will
+end it." He paced the room feverishly. "Good heavens, Edith! Anthony
+chose the worst possible time for this escapade. I suppose it will mean
+diplomatic difficulties and all that, and once we lose old Alfarez--"
+
+"We will lose him anyhow," snapped the woman. "I've seen it coming,
+although you could not. I'll break Ramon for this."
+
+"Then you'll break us." Cortlandt stared gloomily at his wife, who met
+his gaze squarely. "Do you think Anthony is worth it?"
+
+"My dear Stephen, they nearly killed that poor boy, and I sha'n't allow
+it. Don Anibal Alfarez is not the only presidential timber in the
+republic. If he breaks with us it will cost him dearly. You think he is
+friendly, but I know that deep down in his crafty old heart he despises
+all us Americans and is only waiting a chance to gratify his spleen.
+The moment he dares, he'll turn against us."
+
+Cortlandt's frosty countenance showed signs of unusual agitation as he
+answered: "You're mad! You threaten to ruin everything. You understand
+perfectly--there's no use of my explaining. Let me call on him this
+afternoon. He will instruct his son."
+
+"No! He would procrastinate, as usual. There would be the customary
+delays and excuses, and meanwhile Anthony would be in jail at Colon.
+They would have a defence all prepared. Besides, if it's to be a fight
+we must have all the weapons possible--and this affair may prove a good
+one. Anyhow, you mustn't ask a favor of him at this time; he must ask,
+not you."
+
+The telephone rang, and the speaker snatched the receiver from its hook.
+
+"Hello! Colonel Jolson, I'm very glad I caught you. This is Mrs.
+Cortlandt. Colonel Jolson, young Ramon Alfarez has arrested Kirk
+Anthony, of whom I spoke to you. They have maltreated him, as usual,
+and have hidden him for three days. Yes, yes! I discovered it quite by
+accident while Mr. Cortlandt was down-town. Oh, this is serious, and
+I'm furious. ... That will do no good; I have reasons for preferring to
+handle it myself. ... Thank you for the compliment. We must go to Colon
+at once, and I thought you might give us a special." There was a slight
+pause, then: "Good! That will do quite as well. In fifteen minutes.
+Thank you. Good-bye."
+
+Turning to her husband, she explained, swiftly: "The Colonel's
+automobile will be waiting at the station in fifteen minutes. Are you
+ready?"
+
+"I think you are going about this in the wrong way," he said, coldly.
+"When will you learn--?" She checked her crisp words at the flush that
+leaped to his cheeks. "I beg your pardon, Stephen. Please do as Colonel
+Jolson has done and trust me to manage this affair."
+
+He bowed and left her, saying, "I will have a coach waiting at the
+door."
+
+Fifteen minutes later a gasoline railroad motor-car with two passengers
+in addition to its driver and flagman rolled out of the yards at Panama
+City and took the main line, running under orders like a special train.
+As it clanked over the switches with ever-increasing speed, Mrs.
+Cortlandt leaned forward and spoke to the driver.
+
+"We will have a clear track, and you may go as fast as you like."
+
+The next moment the machine was reeling drunkenly around curves and a
+fifty-mile gale was roaring past.
+
+Senor Ramen Alfarez was considerably nonplussed when his two
+distinguished visitors made known the nature of their errand. Cortlandt
+did most of the talking, his cold hauteur serving a good purpose and
+contrasting strongly with the suppressed excitement of his wife.
+
+"Pardon me, there is no necessity for delay," he said, as the
+commandant endeavored to formulate an excuse. "I trust I need not
+insist upon seeing the prisoner?" He raised his brows with a stare of
+inquiry that caused the other to reply, hastily:
+
+"Of a certainty not, senor."
+
+"Then take us to him."
+
+"I will spare your lady the painful sight of the prison-house. The
+prisoner shall be fetch' with all despatch."
+
+"We will see him alone."
+
+Again the commandant hesitated, while his bright eyes searched their
+faces with a sudden uneasy curiosity. "I am fear soch t'ing is not
+permit'."
+
+"Nonsense!" exclaimed Mrs. Cortlandt, unable longer to restrain
+herself. "We know the law quite as well or perhaps better than you,
+Senor Alfarez. If you wish, Mr. Cortlandt will get permission from the
+President. You have a telephone?"
+
+"Oh, soch is farthes' remove' from my thoughts," quickly interposed the
+commandant, with his most graceful bow. "If it is in my power to
+oblige, w'at matter the law? Pouf! W'at I mean is this: Our prisoner is
+not what you call seeck, nor is he ver' well. He is resis' the officer
+by force an' he is injure'--oh, but only a leetle--it is not'ing. One
+is truly foolish for resis' the policemans, yes?" He shook his dark
+head sadly. "I am desolate to 'ear of soch t'ing; it is so useless to
+stroggle wit' the officer in disbursement of duty; but you Americans
+are so brave! I am force' to admire this prisoner; he is soch a strong
+fellow."
+
+"I think we understand the circumstances."
+
+Instead of ringing for an orderly the commandant excused himself, then,
+after a seemingly interminable delay returned with Anthony and several
+policemen.
+
+At sight of his friends the young man made for them eagerly, crying:
+"Jove, I'm glad you came! I'd about given you up."
+
+"Allan only found us to-day," Mrs. Cortlandt replied.
+
+"Did he tell the truth? Have you been abused?"
+
+The young man turned a pair of smouldering eyes upon his enemies. He
+looked ill and haggard, although, except for the wound half concealed
+beneath his hair, he showed no marks. Then he held out his hands with a
+grim smile, and the woman uttered a low cry at what she saw. "They gave
+me another good beating yesterday," he said.
+
+"While you were in jail?" Cortlandt queried, incredulously. "God!"
+
+"That's the fellow yonder." Kirk pointed to Alfarez, whose smile had
+disappeared.
+
+"Oh, the man is mistake'," the latter hastened to aver. "He is crazee."
+
+"I gave you a wetting in public, and--"
+
+"Si, si! That is correc', Senor Cortlan'. He insolt my person an' fight
+my soldiers. He is ver' toff person."
+
+"Did you know he had been maltreated in prison?" Cortlandt demanded.
+
+"Oh, senor!" Alfarez raised his hands in horrified disclaimer of the
+very thought, but his victim said, quietly:
+
+"He's a liar. He ordered it, then sat there and enjoyed it."
+
+The Panamanian's face was yellow as he managed to enunciate:
+
+"Eempossible! It is terrible to conceive!"
+
+Kirk made a threatening movement in the Spaniard's direction, despite
+the half-dozen soldiers, but Edith Cortlandt checked him.
+
+"Wait, please," she said. Then to the commandant: "This is a serious
+matter, and if what he says is true, your government will find itself
+in trouble."
+
+"But we 'ave no idea he is frien' of yours. If he should only spik your
+'osban's name, all would be different. For my part, I can prove he is
+treat' with the 'ighes' courtesy an' kindness in my presence. Every man
+in the prison will testify to those fac'. If soch indignity 'ave be'
+shown, there shall be investigations." The unhappy officer's excitement
+was increasing, and he turned upon his men as if to make good his word,
+when Cortlandt interposed:
+
+"Why did you keep him locked up so long? Why didn't you try him?"
+
+"Ah! For that I shall inquire also. I shall conduct investigations in
+that respect as well. I am inform', 'owever, that the w'at you call
+jodge is seeck."
+
+"We'll look into that later. We're here now to arrange for Mr.
+Anthony's release."
+
+"The alcalde will be please' to accommodate at the earlies'. I myself
+shall see to it. To-morrow--"
+
+"There will be no to-morrow about it," Mrs. Cortlandt exclaimed,
+positively. "If you cannot arrange the bail yourself, my husband will
+take up the matter with the Zone Government, and Colonel Jolson will
+call upon the President of the republic within an hour. He is waiting
+word from us now."
+
+Senor Ramon Alfarez became suddenly galvanized. He broke into effusive
+apologies for even so small a delay as had already occurred. He had not
+understood the matter to be so urgent, it seemed; but the wishes of his
+distinguished guests were his law, and perhaps he might hasten the
+wheels of progress if he tried. While, to be sure, no power was vested
+in him, and his willing hands were most miserably tied, nevertheless he
+would so far exceed his authority as to promise instant freedom to the
+prisoner. There were, of course, certain details to be observed, the
+necessity of which filled him with unspeakable regret; but if he might
+be excused--He hastened forth to set in motion the proper machinery,
+and while he was absent Kirk told his story. It left the woman
+white-lipped and incoherent, and roused even the icy Cortlandt to
+genuine wrath.
+
+"Of course," the latter said, "Alfarez will prove by his men that it's
+all imagination on your part, and that your injuries were sustained at
+the time of your arrest. He'll assume a righteous indignation and start
+a Spiggoty investigation. You see, his father is the Governor of Panama
+Province and one of the strongest men in the republic, so Ramon will
+probably make good his position. Even so, you may recover damages."
+
+"I don't want damages," Kirk replied. "I want to get that Dago out
+alone some time."
+
+"For Heaven's sake, don't think of it!" Mrs. Cortlandt exclaimed. "All
+the American influence on the Isthmus wouldn't help you then. Fifty men
+would perjure themselves to convict you, and if you succeeded in
+getting our government to interfere in time, Ramen has fifty other men
+who would lie to any extent to injure an American."
+
+"No. That method doesn't work here," her husband agreed. "You're lucky
+to escape so easily. He will arrange bail, never fear, and you will
+probably not come to trial. I doubt if you will ever hear anything more
+of the matter, provided you keep from further trouble. He'll never
+forgive you, of course, but that won't matter to you."
+
+The first part of Mr. Cortlandt's prediction was soon proved true, for
+the sick alcalde recovered sufficiently to appear on the scene within
+half an hour. Then, after much signing of official documents and
+certain other formalities, Kirk Anthony walked out of the Colon jail in
+company with his friends.
+
+Allan was waiting at a safe distance from the municipal building, and
+on seeing his late companion at large he broke into the wildest
+rejoicing. He conjured a flow of tears, he fondled Kirk's hand in his
+own, he laughed, he sobbed, he sang.
+
+"Praise be to God!" he cried, loudly. "Free mon you, Master h'Auntony.
+Glory, glory! My soul was in 'ell, sar. On my knees I h'implored that
+fa-ast wretch to release you."
+
+His emotion appeared so genuine, his service had been so great, that
+the object of his adoration felt himself choke up. Of all the people
+Kirk had met since leaving home, this one had most occasion to blame
+him; yet the boy was in perfect transports of delight at his delivery.
+
+"Don't carry on so," Kirk laughed, awkwardly.
+
+"Oh, boss, I feared they would h'assassinate you again."
+
+Anthony nodded grimly. "They did."
+
+"Oh, oh!" Allan gave himself over to a shrill frenzy and shook his
+clenched fists at the jail in a splendidly tragic attitude. "Wretches!
+Murderers! 'Ell-ca-ats!"
+
+"Sh-h! Don't make a scene on the street," Mrs. Cortlandt cautioned. But
+the Jamaican would not allow the fine effect of his rage to be lost. He
+clashed his white teeth, he rolled his eyes fearfully, and twisted his
+black features into the wildest expressions of ferocity, crying:
+
+"H'Allan will best them for that! Let 'im tear h'out their 'earts by
+his fingers. So!" He made an eloquent gesture. "Blood! Blood!"
+
+"Not so loud. A little pianissimo on the blood," smiled Kirk.
+
+"H'Allan would die and kill himself for you," the excited negro ran on
+in an excess of loyalty. "Master h'Auntony fought those wretches for I;
+I shall fight them for he."
+
+When he had finally been prevailed upon to exchange his martial threats
+for a fresh paean of rejoicing, he fell in behind, declaring firmly
+that he intended to follow his new-found hero wherever he might go,
+though the course laid were straight for those infernal regions that
+played so large a part in his fancy.
+
+In the midst of Kirk's expressions of gratitude for the timely
+intercession of Cortlandt and his wife, the former surprised him by
+saying, in a genuinely hearty tone:
+
+"My wife has told me all about you, Anthony, and I want you to come
+over to Panama as my guest until you hear from your father."
+
+When Kirk informed him of the cablegram that had cast him adrift in
+Panama, leading indirectly to his entanglement with the dignity of
+Ramon Alfarez and the Spanish law, Cortlandt replied, reassuringly:
+
+"Oh, well, your father doesn't understand the facts in the case, that's
+all. You sit down like a sensible person and write him fully. It will
+be a great pleasure for us to have you at the Tivoli in the mean time."
+
+Seeing a warm second to this invitation in Mrs. Cortlandt's eyes, Kirk
+accepted gracefully, explaining: "You know this is the first time I was
+ever up against hard luck, and I don't know just how to act."
+
+"We've missed the four-thirty-five, so we will have to return the way
+we came," said Cortlandt. "I'd like to stop at Gatun on a business
+matter of some importance, and if you don't mind a half-hour's delay,
+we'll do so."
+
+Kirk expressed entire acquiescence in any plans that suited the
+convenience of his rescuers, and the three pursued their way to the
+station. But here an unexpected embarrassment arose. As they made ready
+to board Colonel Jolson's motor-car, they were annoyed to find that
+Allan insisted on going, too. He insisted, moreover, in such
+extravagant fashion that Mrs. Cortlandt at last was moved to say: "For
+Heaven's sake, let the poor thing come along." And thereafter the
+Jamaican boy sat on the step of the machine, his hat in hand, his eyes
+rolled worshipfully upon the person of his hero, his shining face ever
+ready to break into a grin at a glance from Kirk.
+
+Once more the little automobile took on the dignity of a regular train
+and sped out of the network of tracks behind Colon. As it gained speed
+Mrs. Cortlandt, to divert her guest's mind from his recent ordeal,
+began to explain the points of interest as they passed. She showed him
+the old French workings where a nation's hopes lay buried, the
+mechanical ruins that had cost a king's ransom, the Mount Hope
+Cemetery, whither daily trains had borne the sacrifice before science
+had robbed the fever of its terrors. She told him, also, something of
+the railroad's history, how it had been built to bridge the gap in the
+route to the Golden West, the manifold difficulties overcome in its
+construction, and the stupendous profits it had made. Having the blood
+of a railroad-builder in his veins, Anthony could not but feel the
+interest of all this, though it failed to take his attention wholly
+from the wonders of the landscape that slipped by on either side. It
+was his first glimpse of tropic vegetation, and he used his eyes to
+good advantage, while he listened politely to his informant.
+
+The matted thickets, interlaced with vine and creeper, were all ablaze
+with blossoms, for this was the wet season, in which nature runs riot.
+Great trees of strange character rose out of the tangle, their branches
+looped with giant cables and burdened with flowering orchids or half
+hidden beneath other parasites. On every hand a vegetable warfare was
+in progress--a struggle for existence in which the strong overbore the
+weak--and every trunk was distorted by the scars of the battle. Birds
+of bright plumage flashed in the glades, giant five-foot lizards
+scuttled away into the marshes or stared down from the overhanging
+branches. A vivid odor of growing, blooming herbage reached the
+nostrils.
+
+Just as Kirk had made up his mind that he could sit and watch this
+brilliant panorama forever, the jungle suddenly fell away, and the car
+sped up through low, grass-clad hills into a scattered city flung
+against the side of a wide valley. There was no sign here of Latin
+America; this was Yankeeland through and through. The houses, hundreds
+upon hundreds of them, were of the typical Canal Zone architecture,
+double-galleried and screened from foundation to eaves, and they
+rambled over the undulating pasture land in a magnificent disregard of
+distance. Smooth macadam roads wound back and forth, over which
+government wagons rolled, drawn by sleek army mules; flower gardens
+blazed forth in gorgeous colors; women and children, all clean and
+white and American, were sitting upon the porches or playing in the
+yards. Everywhere was a military neatness; the town was like the
+officers' quarters of a fort, the whole place spick and span and neatly
+groomed.
+
+Colon had been surprisingly clean, but it was an unnatural cleanliness,
+as if the municipality had been scrubbed against its will. Gatun was to
+the manner born.
+
+"Yonder are the locks." Cortlandt pointed to the west, and Kirk saw
+below him an impressive array of pyramidal steel towers, from the
+pinnacles of which stretched a spider's web of cables. Beneath this, he
+had a glimpse of some great activity, but his view was quickly cut off
+as the motor-car rumbled into a modern railway station.
+
+"I'd like to have a. look at what's going on over yonder," he said.
+
+"You will have time," Cortlandt answered. "Edith will show you about
+while I run in on Colonel Bland."
+
+Out through the station-shed Kirk's hostess led him, then across a
+level sward, pausing at length upon the brink of a mighty chasm. It
+took him a moment to grasp the sheer magnitude of the thing; then he
+broke into his first real expression of wonder:
+
+"Why, I had no idea--Really, this is tremendous."
+
+At his feet the earth opened in a giant, man-made canon, running from
+the valley above, through the low ridge and out below. Within it an
+army was at work. Along the margins of the excavation ran steel tracks,
+upon which were mounted the movable towers he had seen from a distance.
+These tapering structures bore aloft long, tautly drawn wire cables,
+spanning the gorge and supporting great buckets which soared at regular
+intervals back and forth, bearing concrete for the work below. Up and
+out of the depths tremendous walls were growing like the massive
+ramparts of a mediaeval city; tremendous steel forms, braced and
+trussed and reinforced to withstand the weight of the countless tons,
+stood in regular patterns. In the floor of the chasm were mysterious
+pits, black tunnel mouths, in and out of which men crept like ants. Far
+across on the opposite lip of the hill, little electric trains sped to
+and fro, apparently without the aid of human hands. Everywhere was a
+steady, feverish activity.
+
+From the commanding eminence where the sightseers stood the spectacle
+was awe-inspiring; for though the whole vast work lay spread out
+beneath them in what looked like a hopeless confusion, yet as their
+eyes followed it a great and magic system became manifest. The whole
+organism seemed animate with some slow, intricate intelligence. The
+metal skips careening across those dizzy heights regulated their
+courses to a hand's-breadth, deposited their burdens carefully, then
+hurried back for more; the shuttle trains that dodged about so
+feverishly, untended and unguided, performed each some vital function.
+The great conglomerate body was dead, yet it pulsated with a life of
+its own. Its effect of being governed by a single indwelling mind of
+superhuman capacity was overpowering.
+
+Kirk heard Mrs. Cortlandt explaining: "The ships will steam up from the
+sea through the dredged channel you see over yonder, then they will be
+raised to the level of the lake."
+
+"What lake?"
+
+"That valley"--she indicated the tropical plain between the hills,
+wherein floating dredges were at work--"will be an inland sea. Those
+forests will be under water."
+
+"Where is the Gatun dam I've heard so much about?"
+
+She pointed out a low, broad ridge or hog-back linking the hills
+together.
+
+"That is it. It doesn't look much like a dam, does it? But it is all
+hand-made. Those are rock trains out there, from Culebra."
+
+"Oh, now I understand. Gee whiz, but this job is a whopper! Say, this
+is great!" Mrs. Cortlandt smiled. "It does wake up your patriotism,
+doesn't it? I'm glad to have a hand in building it."
+
+"Are you helping to dig this canal?" Anthony regarded the woman
+curiously. She seemed very cool and well-dressed and independent for
+one engaged in actual work.
+
+"Of course! Even though I don't happen to run a steam-shovel."
+
+"Will they really finish it? Won't something happen?"
+
+"It is already dug. The rest is merely a matter of excavation and
+concrete. The engineering difficulties have all been solved, and the
+big human machine has been built up. What is more important, the
+country is livable at last. Over at Ancon Hospital there is a quiet,
+hard-working medical man who has made this thing possible. When the two
+oceans are joined together, and the job is finished, his will be the
+name most highly honored."
+
+"It must be nice to do something worth while," Anthony mused, vaguely.
+
+"To do anything," his companion observed, with a shade of meaning;
+then: "It is amusing to look back on the old Spanish statement that it
+would be impious to unite two oceans which the Creator of the world had
+separated."
+
+Noting that the sun was setting beyond the distant jungles and the
+canon at his feet was filling with shadows, Kirk remarked, "It must be
+nearly time they quit work."
+
+"This work doesn't stop. When it grows dark the whole place is lit by
+electricity, and the concrete continues to pour in just the same. It is
+wonderful then--like the mouth of a volcano. Batteries of search-lights
+play upon the men; the whole sky is like a furnace. You can see it for
+miles. Now I think we had better go back to the car."
+
+In spite of his bodily misery, that night ride impressed itself
+strongly upon Anthony's mind. The black mystery of the jungles, the
+half-suggested glimpses of river and hill, the towns that flashed past
+in an incandescent blaze and were buried again in the velvet blackness,
+the strange odors of a new land riotous in its time of growth, all
+combined to excite his curiosity and desire for closer knowledge. And
+then the crowning luxury of a bath, clean clothes, and a good meal on
+white linen and china! As he dropped asleep that night he reflected
+contentedly that, after all, things have a way of coming right in this
+world for those who accept them cheerfully as they come.
+
+
+
+
+X
+
+A CHANGE OF PLAN
+
+
+On the following morning Kirk despatched a long letter to his father,
+explaining, as well as he could, how he came to be in Panama, and
+giving a detailed account of the events that had befallen him since his
+arrival. He would have preferred to cable this message collect, but
+Mrs. Cortlandt convinced him that he owed a fuller explanation than
+could well be sent over the wires. Although he took this means of
+relieving his father's anxiety, he was far from resigning himself to a
+further delay of his return. On the contrary, he at once began an
+inquiry as to sailing dates, discovering, to his intense disgust, that
+no ship was scheduled to leave for New York within several days. He
+planned to borrow the passage money from his friends, when the time
+came, and accompany his letter northward. Meanwhile he devoted his time
+to sight-seeing with his hostess.
+
+The city was old, there were many places of historic interest, and,
+although Kirk cared little for such things, he found it easy to assume
+the virtue he did not possess. Moreover, there was something contagious
+in his companion's enthusiasm. Almost against his will he felt his
+appreciation growing, as he listened to her casual comments on the
+scenes they visited. Her husband, who seemed busily engaged in work
+that barely allowed him time for his meals, seldom accompanied them on
+their excursions, and the two were thrown much into each other's
+society.
+
+Edith Cortlandt was a woman very sure of herself in most things. A
+situation that might have proved embarrassing to one less tactful she
+accepted quite as a matter of course, rather enjoying the exercise of
+her influence, and never doubting her power to keep the friendship on
+any footing she chose. Kirk's frank, boyish gratitude for the favors he
+had received made it easy for her to encourage the growth of an
+intimacy that she acknowledged charming, while she sincerely believed
+that he would be helped by it. Finding him responsive, she deliberately
+set herself to please him. She studied him covertly and set her moods
+to match his--not a difficult task, since he was merely a normal,
+healthy young man. Always faultless in her attire, she took even more
+than ordinary pains with her appearance, and it was not long before
+Kirk was naively surprised to find that she no longer seemed older than
+he--that she was, in fact, an exceedingly handsome woman. This gradual
+metamorphosis depended more than anything else, perhaps, upon the
+girlish humor that now possessed her. She was no longer brilliant and
+chilly, but gay, smiling, and unaffected.
+
+Daytimes, they rambled about the crooked streets, bargain-hunting in
+the Chinese shops, or drove beneath the stately royal palms of Ancon;
+evenings, they loitered about the cool verandas of the Tivoli or
+strolled down into the town to watch the crowds in the plazas. Once in
+a while Cortlandt went with them, but he was usually uncommunicative,
+and they scarcely felt his presence. On the few occasions when he gave
+himself rein, Kirk was compelled to feel for him a surprised and
+half-grudging respect. Unlike most silent men, when he did talk he
+talked easily and well.
+
+Several days passed thus, during which Anthony fully recovered from his
+experience at Colon. Then a ship arrived from New York, but before he
+had summoned courage to ask his friends for a loan he received, a
+letter forwarded from Colon by the American consul, a perusal of which
+not only dumfounded him, but entirely altered his plans.
+
+It was typewritten, on plain stationery; there was neither heading nor
+signature, yet he knew quite well from whom it came. It read as follows:
+
+     Don't cable again, or the stupidity of the police may fail to
+     protect you. The others got away safely and you would be mad
+     to return alone. I can't and won't help you now. This time
+     you went too far. You have made your bed, now lie in it. I
+     don't believe in miracles, but if you can straighten up and
+     make a man of yourself, I'll help you face this trouble;
+     otherwise don't call on me for anything. I'm through.
+
+Kirk reread this amazing epistle several times before its full
+significance struck him; then, when he realized what it meant, he felt
+himself break into a sweat of apprehension. That plain-clothes man had
+died! The police were looking for him. There could be no other
+explanation, else why had Higgins and the rest fled the country? Why
+had his father been so cautious in communicating with him? If it came
+to a trial, undoubtedly a jury would find him equally guilty with
+Higgins, for he had held the poor fellow's hands; it was he who had
+engineered the whole episode. Perhaps he was already indicted. Kirk saw
+himself accused of manslaughter, arrested, and tried. What could he do
+if his father refused to help? With money, almost anything could be
+achieved; without it, and particularly without his father's influence,
+what would happen? Evidently the Governor believed him guilty. In that
+case the young man knew that explanations would be futile. Even the
+letter he had sent would do no good. When Darwin K. Anthony said he was
+through, he was through.
+
+Finding a secluded corner of the veranda, he sat down to think this
+matter out; but the more he reflected on it the more serious it
+appeared. Of one thing he became quickly convinced: New York at present
+was no place for him. A moment ago it seemed far away and extremely
+desirable, now it was altogether too close at hand and most
+undesirable. His father's reference to the stupidity of the police
+persuaded him finally that his whereabouts were unknown, but how long
+they would remain so was of course a question. It was useless to
+attempt further concealment. In the first place, he lacked means of
+moving, nor could he conceal his identity under an assumed name while
+he remained in Panama, for he had already advertised himself too well
+for that. Besides, the idea of hiding did not appeal to him. He decided
+to face it out, therefore, hoping sometime to get to the bottom of the
+affair. If he were arrested meanwhile, he would have to locate Ringold
+or Higgins, or some of the others, and prove that he had not run away
+from punishment. It would be difficult to verify the extravagant story
+of his kidnapping, of course, but--there was nothing else to do. He
+rose quickly and entered the hotel, where he bought all the latest New
+York papers. It was not long before he found the thing he was seeking.
+There it was, a story headed:
+
+     SALOON-KEEPER TO LOSE LICENSE
+
+     OWNER OF NOTORIOUS AUSTRIAN VILLAGE IN TROUBLE
+
+There followed an account of Mr. Padden's efforts to disprove his
+connection with an assault upon the person of a detective named
+Williams, who had come from St. Louis; but nowhere was there a word
+about the present condition of the plain-clothes man, nor the slightest
+hint toward explaining the conduct of the mysterious Jefferson Locke
+for whom he had been searching. Who the devil was Locke, anyhow? The
+article did not even state the charge upon which he was to be arrested.
+In another paper Kirk found something that relieved his mind a bit:
+evidently Williams had not died prior to the time of going to press,
+although he was reported in a critical condition. Kirk was interested
+to read that the police had a clew to the identity of the criminals and
+were confident of soon rounding them up. What mystified him most was
+the lack of detail. Evidently much had been printed previously, but he
+had no means of ascertaining what it was.
+
+He spent an hour in serious thought, perhaps the first full hour he had
+ever passed so profitably. At the end of that time he had arrived at
+little save a vague feeling of offence toward the father who had been
+so ready to condemn him. In one way he did not blame the old gentleman
+for refusing aid. This episode was the culmination of a long series of
+reckless exploits. Mr. Anthony had argued, threatened, even implored
+with tears in his eyes, all to no purpose. Just the same, it hurt to
+have one's father so willing to believe the worst. The two had never
+understood each other; they did not understand each other now. And they
+might have been such good pals! Darwin K. did not believe in
+miracles--Well, perhaps Kirk was hopelessly bad. The young man did not
+care much, one way or the other; but he shut his teeth grimly and
+wagered he could make good if he really chose to try. He half decided
+to make the experiment just to show what he could do, but he was at a
+loss where to begin. Anybody could be successful who really wanted
+to--every book said that; the hard part was to get started.
+
+One thing was clear, at least: he could stay here no longer as the
+Cortlandts' guest--he had already incurred an obligation which he would
+have difficulty in discharging. Yet how could he explain his change of
+front? Mrs. Cortlandt, he felt sure, would understand and come to his
+assistance with good advice, but he shrank instinctively from laying
+the facts before her husband. It was a deuced unpleasant necessity, and
+he detested unpleasant necessities--necessities of any sort, in fact.
+Still, there was nothing else for it, so, conquering his sense of
+humiliation as best he could, he called up the Cortlandts' suite.
+
+Edith answered, saying that her husband was out; then, in response to
+his request, she came down herself.
+
+"What has gone wrong? Why this face of tragedy?" she inquired, as she
+seated herself beside him.
+
+"I've received my Declaration of Independence. I've heard from my dad."
+
+A look of quick understanding drove away the smile she had brought him,
+and her manner was one of grave sympathy as she took the letter he
+handed her.
+
+She was clad in a crisp morning gown he had never seen, and he thought
+it became her extremely well. She looked very cool, very fresh, very
+much the fine lady. All in all, she seemed a person whose friendly
+interest might compensate for many woes.
+
+"Well!" she remarked. "You do seem to be in trouble. What does it mean?"
+
+Kirk told her everything without reserve, then showed her the
+newspapers in his hand. She scrutinized them with a quiet seriousness
+that seemed to make his trouble her own. "After all," she said at last,
+"if worse comes to worst, you can prove your innocence."
+
+"I'm not so sure."
+
+"Nonsense! Those boys can be found. What puzzles me is that Locke
+person. Who is he? Why was he followed? What has become of him?"
+
+"I wish I knew."
+
+"I can have inquiries made, but it will take time. Meanwhile, it seems
+you are safe, so the one important fact for the moment is that you are
+cast off." Turning her bright eyes upon him, she inquired, "How does it
+feel to be disinherited?"
+
+"Blamed uncomfortable! I must tell Mr. Cortlandt at once."
+
+"Let me," she offered, quickly. "I would not show any one that letter,
+if I were you, nor advertise the fact that you are in danger of arrest.
+It will be quite enough if I tell him that you have quarrelled with
+your father--he is a peculiar man."
+
+Kirk signified his agreement.
+
+"Now what do you intend doing?" she asked him.
+
+"I'm going to work."
+
+"Good! Good!" She clapped her hands gleefully.
+
+"Oh, I don't WANT to," he protested, "but the old gentleman thinks I'm
+no good, and I'd like to show him he's wrong. After I've done that, I
+intend to loaf again--yes, and I'll know how to loaf by that time. Of
+course, I'll have to pay my debts, too."
+
+"Poor Mr. Weeks!"
+
+"Why poor?"
+
+"He is terribly agitated to learn that we came to your rescue. He knows
+now that he really entertained an angel unaware, and his grief of soul
+is comical."
+
+"Weeks isn't such a bad sort."
+
+But her eyes showed a sudden flash of anger as she returned: "He
+deserves to be forced out of the service."
+
+"That wouldn't do any good. His successor might be worse."
+
+"Haven't you any resentment? I dislike placid people!"
+
+"Plenty! If I get a crack at Alfarez---"
+
+"Now don't allow your mind to dwell on that," she cautioned. "I think
+he is riding to a fall, as it is. What do you want to do?"
+
+"Anything. I'm going to hunt a job this afternoon."
+
+"What sort?"
+
+"Something with big pay and no responsibility."
+
+"Those positions are taken--by the army," she laughed. "What can you
+do?"
+
+"I can take an automobile apart."
+
+"And put it together again?"
+
+"Oh no! I can sail a boat; I shoot pretty well; I waltz nicely; I row,
+swim, and box indifferently; and I play an atrocious hand at poker."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt nodded gravely. "You are also good company, you dress
+well, and you are an ornament to any hotel porch."
+
+"Naturally, I refrained from mentioning those things, but, in addition,
+I smoke, drink, and swear. I am unsteady in my habits, and require a
+great deal of sleep. I think that completes the inventory."
+
+"Of course, you will live beyond your salary?"
+
+"Undoubtedly."
+
+"Seriously, now, don't you really---?"
+
+"Go ahead. Say it! Don't I know anything? No. I am too highly educated.
+You see, I took the full college course."
+
+She drew her sharply pencilled brows together and pursed her lips in
+meditation, regarding him meanwhile with a look that was not all
+disapproval.
+
+"Am I hopeless?" he inquired at length.
+
+"Dear, no! Experience is a good thing, of course, and ability is even
+better, but neither is absolutely necessary in government work."
+
+"Oh!"
+
+"Provided---"
+
+"What?"
+
+"--You have influence. I was merely trying to think of the niche into
+which you would best fit."
+
+"When a fellow hasn't any of those qualifications, then what? Take me,
+for instance."
+
+"You have at least one."
+
+"Which one?"
+
+"Influence."
+
+He shook his head. "My father wouldn't help."
+
+"We'll have no difficulty in finding you a position."
+
+"Jove! That's good news." He beamed at her with gratified surprise. "I
+had an idea I'd be going from door to door."
+
+"How ridiculous! This is a government job; therefore it is saturated
+with politics. There are a great many good men on it, but there are
+also a large number of 'somebody's relatives.' Do you understand?
+Anything is possible here for a man with influence. If he has ability
+with it, he can go to the top. If he lacks ability--well, even then he
+can go to the top--it depends entirely upon the influence."
+
+"But I haven't any--" Kirk began. Then, catching her look, he
+exclaimed: "Oh, say! WILL you help me? Really? That's too good to be
+true."
+
+He shook her hand warmly, that being the natural outlet for his
+gratitude, and she smiled at him. "I wonder where I'd better start in,"
+he said.
+
+"There's not the slightest choice. All paths lead up the mountain, and
+if you go far enough you will reach the top. It would be quite easy if
+you knew something about the railroad business, for instance."
+
+"Oh, I do. I've had that drilled into me ever since I was a child. I
+grew up with it--was soaked in it. My father made me learn telegraphy
+before he gave me a motor-boat."
+
+"Why in the world didn't you say so?"
+
+"Well, I have forgotten most of it," he confessed. "I had a railroad of
+my own, too, when I was twelve years old. I was president."
+
+"Indeed!"
+
+"I suppose it was in my blood. We kids stole the lumber for a track,
+and I got a hand-car from dad. We formed a close corporation, and, when
+another boy wanted to join, we made him go forth and steal enough
+boards to extend the line. We finally had nearly two miles, altogether,
+with switches, sidings, yards, and everything; then the fences in that
+neighborhood gave out. It was a gravity road--yes, there was extreme
+gravity in every department--we'd push the car up and ride down. We had
+a telephone system and semaphores, and ran on orders just like a real
+train. Grown people heard about it, and paid us five cents a ride, so
+we began to declare dividends every Saturday. Oh, it was a great
+success. We had a complete organization, too; president, directors,
+conductors, section-hands--the section-hands did all the work and rode
+between times."
+
+"What happened to it?"
+
+"One day we ran into a cow and broke the vice-president's leg. The
+board of directors also had his ear cut, and the indignant neighbors
+began to reclaim their fences. We lost a mile of track in one
+afternoon, and father decided it would be better for me to go to
+boarding-school. It was safer."
+
+"I'll warrant you learned the rudiments of railroading, just the same."
+
+"I learned everything," Kirk announced, decisively.
+
+"Unfortunately, the P.R.R. has a president, so we can't start you in
+where you left off."
+
+"He might need an assistant."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt laughed lightly. "While we are finding that out," she
+said, "I think you had better go over the line in daylight and really
+see what this work is like. That glimpse you had at Gatun is only a
+small part. Now, will you trust me to manage this for you, Mr. Anthony?"
+
+"I should say I would, and I can't begin to tell you--"
+
+"Oh, it's nothing." She rose to put her plans promptly into operation,
+this time extending her hands with the words: "Let me congratulate you.
+I really believe you are waking up, and without the woman's aid."
+
+"But the woman is aiding me," he replied, warmly. "She's doing it all.
+You have started me moving, and I'll never be able to thank you." Then,
+as her eyes flashed to his with a look he had never seen before, he
+added: "Understand, though, I am going to work only because I must. I
+detest it."
+
+
+
+
+XI
+
+THE TRUTH ABOUT MRS. CORTLANDT
+
+
+Edith Cortlandt was not the sort to permit delay. At lunch she
+introduced Kirk to the Master of Transportation of the Panama Railroad,
+saying:
+
+"Mr. Runnels has offered to take you out through the Cut this
+afternoon, and explain the work to you."
+
+Runnels, a straight, well-set-up, serious young man, bent a searching
+look upon Kirk, as he said, "Mrs. Cortlandt tells me you're going to be
+one of us."
+
+"Yes."
+
+The Master of Transportation took in the applicant fully, then nodded
+his head as if pleased with his inspection.
+
+"That's good."
+
+Anthony was drawn to the speaker instantly, for there was no
+affectation about him. He was straightforward and open, little given to
+the kind of small talk that serves in so many cases to conceal
+character. He produced the effect of a busy and forceful man; one could
+feel energy radiating from him, and his voice had a ring of authority.
+Like every one down here who was doing something, he talked of little
+besides the Big Job, even when Mr. Cortlandt joined the trio. As the
+two younger men rose to leave, Edith playfully admonished him to teach
+his protege the entire detail of the railroad business and have him
+back in time for dinner, to which he agreed.
+
+"She's wonderful," he remarked a moment later, as he and Kirk descended
+the hotel steps together. "She told Colonel Jolson he'd just have to
+find you a position, and I have been delegated to show you about."
+
+"You don't say. I supposed there were plenty of openings."
+
+"Not good ones. However, she usually gets what she wants. If I'm not a
+good guide, you must put it down to inexperience."
+
+"The Cortlandts seem to have considerable influence for outsiders. I
+thought I'd have to begin at the bottom."
+
+Runnels glanced at his companion quickly.
+
+"Outsiders! You don't call them outsiders?"
+
+"I never quite figured out who they are. Funny, by-the-way, how
+everybody says 'they' in referring to them."
+
+"Oh, she's the whole team. Cortlandt's a nice fellow--but--Did you
+really think that she'd let you start at the bottom?"
+
+"Why, yes."
+
+"I guess you don't know her."
+
+"You're right; I do not."
+
+"Well, she knows everybody and everything in this country. She's the
+whole diplomatic service. Take the Colombian trouble, for instance--"
+
+"What trouble?"
+
+"When Panama seceded. She manipulated that, or at least Steve Cortlandt
+did under her direction. She was the brains of the whole affair,
+however, and those New York lawyers merely did what she told them. It
+was one of the cleverest exploits on record. Colombia wouldn't let us
+build the Canal, so Panama seceded. War was declared, but the United
+States interfered in time to prevent bloodshed. One Chinaman was
+killed, I believe, by dropping a flat-iron on his toe, or something,
+and by the time the excitement had died out we had begun digging. She
+knows Central America like the palm of her hand. When she says Kirk
+Anthony wants a position, we hirelings jump about and see that he gets
+it. Oh, you'll have any job you want."
+
+"Well!" The recipient of this good news congratulated himself silently.
+"I wish you'd tell me something more about her."
+
+"There isn't time just now; our motor is waiting. But we have the whole
+afternoon ahead of us."
+
+The two passed through the railroad gates and took their places in the
+little car. When they were under way, Runnels went on: "I'm supposed to
+show you this end of the work and tell you what it all means."
+
+"Then please start at the beginning. You see, I probably know less
+about it than anybody living."
+
+"Of course you know the general lay-out?"
+
+"I tell you I don't know a thing. There's no use four-flushing."
+
+Runnels smiled at this candor. "Well, the ditch will be about fifty
+miles long, and, roughly speaking, the work is in three parts--the
+dredging and harbor-building at sea-level on each end of the Canal, the
+lock-work, and the excavations on the upper levels. That dam you saw
+building at Gatun will form a lake about thirty miles long--quite a
+fish-pond, eh? When a west-bound ship arrives, for instance, it will be
+raised through the Gatun locks, three of them, and then sail along
+eighty-five feet above the ocean, across the lake and into a channel
+dug right through the hills, until it reaches the locks at Pedro
+Miguel. Then it will be lowered to a smaller lake five miles long, then
+down again to the level of the Pacific. An east-bound ship will reverse
+the process. Get the idea?"
+
+"Sure. It sounds easy."
+
+"Oh, it's simple enough. That's what makes it so big. We've been
+working at it five years, and it will take five years more to complete
+it. Before we began, the French had spent about twenty years on the
+job. Now a word, so you will have the general scheme of operation in
+your head. The whole thing is run by the Isthmian Canal Commission--six
+men, most of whom are at war with one another. There are really two
+railroad systems--the I. C. C., built to haul dirt and rock and to
+handle materials in and out of the workings, and the Panama Railroad,
+which was built years ago during the California gold rush and bought by
+our government at the time of that terrible revolution I told you
+about. The latter is a regular system, hauls passengers and freight,
+but the two work together. You will start in with the P. R. R., Mr.
+Anthony, under my despotic sway."
+
+"I know a little about railroading."
+
+"So much the better. There's a big railroad man by your name in the
+States. Are you related?"
+
+"I believe so," Kirk answered, quietly. "Go ahead with the lesson."
+
+"The Canal Zone is a strip of land ten miles wide running across the
+Isthmus--really an American colony, you know, for we govern it, police
+it, and all that. As for the work itself, well, the fellows at the two
+ends of the Canal are dredging night and day to complete their part,
+the lock-builders are laying concrete like mad to get their share done
+first, the chaps in the big cut are boring through the hills like moles
+and breaking steam-shovel records every week, while we railroad men
+take care of the whole shooting-match. Of course, there are other
+departments--sanitary, engineering, commissary, and so forth--all doing
+their share; but that is the general scheme. Everybody is trying to
+break records. We don't think of anything except our own business. Each
+fellow believes the fate of the Canal depends upon him. We've lost
+interest in everything except this ditch, and while we realize that
+there is such a place as home, it has become merely a spot where we
+spend our vacations. They have wars and politics and theatres and
+divorces out there somewhere, but we don't care. We've lost step with
+the world, we've dropped out. When the newspapers come, the first thing
+we look for is the Panama news. We're obsessed by this job. Even the
+women and the children feel it--you'll feel it as soon as you become a
+cog in the machine. Polite conversation at dinner is limited to tons of
+rock and yards of concrete. Oh, but I'm tired of this concrete talk."
+
+"Try the abstract for a change."
+
+"It's interesting at first, then it gets tiresome. Lord! It's fierce."
+
+"The work, too?"
+
+"Everything! Every day you do the same thing; every day you see the
+same faces, hear the same talk; even the breeze blows from the same
+direction all the time, and the temperature stays at the same mark
+winter and summer. Every time you go out you see the same
+coach-drivers, the same Spiggoty policemen leaning against the same
+things; every time you come in you eat the same food, drink the same
+liquor, sit in the same chair, and talk about the same topics.
+Everything runs too smoothly. The weather is too damned nice. The
+thermometer lacks originality. We're too comfortable. Climate like that
+gets on a white man's nerves; he needs physical discomfort to make him
+contented. I'd give a forty-dollar dog to be good and cold and freeze
+my nose. Why, Doctor Gorgas has made us so sanitary that we can't even
+get sick. I'd hail an epidemic as a friend.
+
+"It's even harder on the women folks, for they can't find anything to
+kick about, so they fuss with one another and with us. They have clubs,
+you know, to improve things, but there's nothing to improve. We had a
+social war recently over a button. One clique wanted a club emblem that
+would cost a dollar and a half, while the other faction were in favor
+of a dollar button. I tell you, it was serious. Then, too, we're all
+tagged and labelled like cans of salmon with the price-mark on--we
+can't four-flush. You can tell a man's salary by the number of
+rocking-chairs in his house, and the wife of a fellow who draws
+eighteen hundred a year can't associate with a woman whose husband
+makes twenty-five hundred. They are very careful about such things. We
+go to the same dances on the same dates, we dance with the same people
+to the same tunes by the same band, and when we get off in some corner
+of the same veranda in search of the same old breeze, which we know is
+blowing at precisely the same velocity from the usual quarter, our
+partners tell us that Colonel So-and-So laid four hundred twenty-seven
+more cubic yards of concrete this week than last, or that Steam Shovel
+Number Twenty-three broke the record again by eighty yards. It's hell!"
+He stopped, breathless.
+
+"Why don't you quit?" suggested Anthony.
+
+"Quit! What for? Good Lord! We LIKE it. Here we are at Pedro Miguel,
+by-the-way. We'll be into the Cut shortly."
+
+To his left Anthony beheld another scene somewhat similar to the one at
+Gatun. Other movable steel cranes, with huge wide-flung arms, rose out
+of another chasm in which were extensive concrete workings. From a
+distance the towers resembled parts of a half-constructed cantilever
+bridge of tremendous height. Another army was toiling at the bottom of
+the pit, more cars shunted back and forth, more rock-crushers rumbled;
+but, before Kirk's eye had photographed more than a small part, the
+motor-car had sped past and was rolling out upon a bridge spanning the
+Canal itself. To the northward appeared an opening cut through the
+hills, and Runnels said, simply:
+
+"Culebra!"
+
+A moment later he announced: "We leave the P. R. R tracks here and
+switch in on the I. C. C. Now you'll begin to see something."
+
+Down into the Cut the little car went, and at last Anthony saw the
+active pulsating heart of this stupendous undertaking. The low range
+was severed by a gorge blasted out by human hands. It was a mountain
+valley in the making. High up on its sides were dirt and rock trains,
+dozens of compressed-air drills, their spars resembling the masts of a
+fleet of catboats at anchor--behind these, grimy, powerful steam
+shovels which rooted and grunted quite like iron hogs. Along the tracks
+at various levels flowed a constant current of traffic; long lines of
+empty cars crept past the shovels, then, filled to overflowing, sped
+away northward up the valley, to return again and again. Nowhere was
+there any idleness, nowhere a cold machine or a man at rest. On every
+hand was smoke and steam and sweat. The drills chugged steadily, the
+hungry iron hogs gouged out the trails the drills had loosened, the
+trains rolled past at intervals of a moment or so. Lines of electric
+wire, carried upon low wooden "shears," paralleled the tracks, bearing
+the white-hot sparks that rent the mountain. At every switch a negro
+flagman crouched beneath a slanting sheet of corrugated iron, seeking
+shelter alike from flying fragments and the blazing sun. From beneath
+the drills came occasional subterranean explosions; then geysers of
+muddy water rose in the air. Under the snouts of the steam shovels
+"dobe" shots went off as bowlders were riven into smaller fragments.
+Now and then an excited tooting of whistles gave warning of a bigger
+blast as the flagmen checked the flow of traffic, indicating with arms
+upraised that the ground was "coming up." Thereupon a brief lull
+occurred; men hid themselves, the work held its breath, as it were. But
+while the detonations still echoed, and before the flying missiles had
+ceased to shower, the human ants were moiling at their hills once more,
+the wheels were turning again, the jaws of the iron hogs were clanking.
+
+Through this upheaval the motor-car penetrated, dodging trains of
+"flats," which moved sluggishly to afford them passage up and down over
+the volcanic furrows at the bottom of the gorge or along some shelf
+beneath which the foundations were being dug. At times a shovel reached
+out its five-yard steel jaw and gently cleared the rails of debris, or
+boosted some bowlder from the path with all the skill of a giant hand
+and fingers. Up and down the canon rolled spasmodic rumblings, like
+broadsides from a fleet of battle-ships.
+
+"Somebody with a head for figures has estimated what it costs the
+government to send a motor-car like this through the Cut in working
+hours," Runnels said. "I don't remember the exact amount, but it was
+some thousands of dollars."
+
+"Delays to trains, I suppose?"
+
+"Yes. A minute here, thirty seconds there. Every second means a certain
+number of cubic yards unremoved, and holds back the opening of the
+Canal just so much. You have postponed a great event several minutes,
+Mr. Anthony."
+
+"It's the first important thing I ever did."
+
+"Our little nine-mile trip will cost Uncle Sam more than a brace of
+tickets from New York to 'Frisco and back again, including Pullmans and
+travelling expenses."
+
+Mile after mile the sight-seers rolled on, past scenes of never-varying
+activity--past more shovels, more groups of drills, more dirt trains,
+more regiments of men--Runnels explaining. Kirk marvelling until he was
+forced to exclaim:
+
+"I had no idea it was so big. It doesn't seem as if they'd ever finish
+it."
+
+"Oh, we'll finish it if we're let alone. Every year, you know, we
+receive a batch of senators and congressmen who come down to 'inspect'
+and 'report.' Sometimes they spend as much as a week on the job, and
+frequently learn to distinguish which is the Gatun dam and which the
+Culebra cut, but not always. Some of them don't know yet. Nevertheless,
+they return to Washington and tell us how to proceed. Having discovered
+that the Panama climate is good and the wages high, they send down all
+their relatives. It's too bad Colonel Gorgas did away with the yellow
+fever.
+
+"You see there is too much politics in it; we never know how long our
+jobs will last. If some senator whose vote is needed on an
+administration matter wanted my position for his wife's brother, he
+could get it. Suppose the president of the Clock-Winders' Union wanted
+to place his half-sister's husband with the P. R. R. He'd call at the
+White House and make his request. If he were refused, he'd threaten to
+call a strike of his union and stop every clock on the Isthmus. He'd
+get the job all right."
+
+"Of course, that is an exaggeration."
+
+"Not at all. It has been done--is being done right along. The
+half-sister's husband comes down here and takes a job away from some
+fellow who may be entitled to promotion."
+
+"I suppose I'm an example."
+
+Runnels looked at him squarely before answering, "You are," said he,
+"although I wasn't thinking of you when I spoke. It's something we all
+feel, however."
+
+Anthony flushed as he answered: "I don't remember ever taking anything
+I wasn't entitled to, and I didn't think when I was shoved in here that
+I'd shove some other fellow out."
+
+"That's about what will happen. The good positions are filled by good
+men, for the most part, but Mrs. Cortlandt has asked it, and you're
+elected. You don't mind my frankness, I hope?"
+
+"Certainly not. I just didn't happen to look at it in this light." Kirk
+felt a vivid sense of discomfort as the keen eyes of his companion
+dwelt upon him. "As a matter of fact, I dare say I don't need a good
+job half as badly as some of these married fellows. I suppose there is
+room at the bottom, and a fellow can work up?"
+
+"If he has it in him."
+
+"I think I'll start there."
+
+"Oh, come, now," laughed the Master of Transportation, "that sort of
+thing isn't done. You have the chance, and you'd be foolish to let it
+slip. I don't blame you; I'd do the same under the circumstances. It's
+merely a condition we've all got to face."
+
+"Just the same, I don't like the idea. I'd feel uncomfortable if I met
+some capable fellow whom I'd robbed of his chance. It's hard work to be
+uncomfortable, and I don't like hard work, you know."
+
+Runnels shook his head doubtfully as if questioning the genuineness of
+this attitude.
+
+"I'm afraid you're a poor business man," he said.
+
+"Rotten!" Kirk admitted. "But I've an idea I can make good if I try."
+
+"If you feel that way, I certainly will help you," said the other,
+warmly. "Of course, I'll try to help you anyhow, but--I like your
+spirit. With Mrs. Cortlandt to back me up, I'll see you go forward as
+fast as you deserve."
+
+By now they were out of the Cut and once more upon the main line at Bas
+Obispo, heading back toward the Pacific.
+
+"You asked me to tell you something about her," Runnels continued.
+
+"Yes."
+
+"I'm not sure my information is entirely correct, but, knowing who she
+is, I think I understand why she is in Panama. It is politics--big
+politics. The Spiggoties have an election next year, and it is
+necessary to get our wires well laid before it comes off. General
+Alfarez will probably be the next president."
+
+"Alfarez! Not Ramon?"
+
+"His father. You know we Americans occupy a peculiar position here, set
+down as we are in the midst of an alien people who hate us. Oh, they
+hate us, all right--all except a few of the better class."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"There are a good many reasons. For one thing, there's a sort of racial
+antipathy. You don't like them, do you? Well, they don't like you,
+either, and the same feeling exists from Mexico to Patagonia, although
+it is strongest in these regions. It is partly the resentment of an
+inferior race, I suppose. Then, too, when we stole Panama we made the
+Colombians sore, and all Central America besides, for they realized
+that once we Yankees got a foothold here we'd hang on and not only
+dominate this country but all the neighboring republics as well. That's
+just what we're beginning to do; that's why the Cortlandts are here.
+The stage is clearing for a big political drama, Mr. Anthony, which may
+mean the end of Latin Central America."
+
+"I had gathered something of the sort--but I had no idea there was so
+much in it."
+
+"The United States must protect its Canal, and to that end it is
+building 'stone quarries' on Ancon Hill which are really
+fortifications. American capital is coming in here, too, and in order
+to protect the whole thing we must dominate Panama itself. Once that is
+done, all the countries between here and the Texas border will begin to
+feel our influence. Why, Costa Rica is already nothing but a fruit farm
+owned by a Boston corporation. Of course, nobody can forecast the final
+result, but the Mexicans, the Hondurans, the Guatemalans, and the
+others have begun to feel it, and that's why the anti-American
+sentiment is constantly growing. You don't read much about it in the
+papers, but just live here for a while and you'll find out."
+
+"Oh, I have," Kirk acknowledged, dryly. "But we don't want these jungle
+countries."
+
+"That's where you're wrong. By-and-by we'll need room to expand, and
+when that time comes we'll move south, not north or west. Tropical
+America is richer than all our great Northwest, and we'll grab it
+sooner or later. Meanwhile our far-sighted government is smoothing the
+way, and there's nobody better fitted for the preliminary work than Mr.
+Stephen Cortlandt, of Washington, D. C., husband and clerk of the
+smartest woman in the business of chaperoning administrations."
+
+"Oh, see here, now, Cortlandt is more than a clerk."
+
+"He's an errand-boy. He knows it, she knows it, and a few other people
+know it. He's the figurehead behind which she works. She's a rich
+woman, she loves the game--her father was the greatest diplomat of his
+time, you know--and she married Cortlandt so she could play it. Any
+other man would have served as well, though I've heard that he showed
+promise before she blotted him out and absorbed him. But now he's
+merely her power of attorney."
+
+Anthony pursed his lips into a whistle of astonishment. As usual, he
+reflected, his judgment had been strictly college-made.
+
+"It's been a good thing for him," Runnels ran on, evidently warmed to
+his subject. "She's made his reputation; he has money and position. For
+my part, I'd rather remain insignificant and have a real wife, even if
+she does have hysterics over a club button."
+
+"Don't they love each other?"
+
+"Nobody knows. She's carved out of ice, and, as for him, well,
+gratitude is a good deal like rust--in time it destroys the thing it
+clings to. I suppose I'm talking too much, but others would tell you
+the same things. I consider her the smartest woman I ever met, and I
+admire her immensely. You are mighty fortunate to be her friend. She'll
+force you to the top in spite of yourself."
+
+"I'm not sure I like that. It doesn't sound good."
+
+"Oh, don't misconstrue what I've said," Runnels hastened to add. "She
+isn't that sort."
+
+"I didn't mean that," said Kirk, briefly, and lapsed into a silence
+from which he roused only to discuss the details of his coming work.
+
+ It was with quite a different eye that he looked upon his host
+and hostess that evening. To his genuine liking for the latter was now
+added a worshipful admiration and a boyish gratification at her regard,
+which rather put her at a distance. When she questioned him on their
+way to the Plaza for the band concert later in the evening, he told her
+of his trip and of Runnels' kindness.
+
+"It's all settled," said he. "I'm going to work in a few days as train
+collector."
+
+"What?" Mrs. Cortlandt turned upon him sharply. "Runnels didn't offer
+you that sort of position?" Her eyes were dark with indignation. Kirk
+promptly came to the defence of his new friend.
+
+"No, I asked for it."
+
+"Oh, I see. Well, he will do much better by you than that."
+
+"I don't want anything better to start with."
+
+"But, my dear boy, a collector is merely a conductor. He takes tickets."
+
+"Sure! I can DO that. I might fail at something hard."
+
+"No, no, no! I'll see that you don't fail. Don't you understand?"
+
+"I understand a lot more than I did, Mrs. Cortlandt. That's why I don't
+want to rob some chap of a job he's entitled to, and I sha'n't. There's
+a collector quitting shortly."
+
+She stared at him curiously for a moment before inquiring:
+
+"Is that really the reason, or do you think the work will be easier?"
+
+Kirk stirred uncomfortably. "Oh, I'm not trying to dodge anything," he
+maintained. "On the contrary, the most amazing thing has
+happened--something I can't quite understand. I--I really want to work.
+Funny, isn't it? I didn't know people ever got that way, but--I'd like
+to help build this Canal."
+
+"But a CONDUCTOR! Why, you're a gentleman."
+
+"My dad was a brakeman."
+
+"Don't be foolish. Runnels talks too much. He'll offer you something
+better than that."
+
+"The high-salaried positions are well filled now, and most of the
+fellows are married."
+
+"A new position will be created."
+
+But Kirk was obdurate. "I'd prefer to start in as confidential adviser
+to the Canal Commission, of course, but I'd be a 'frost,' and my father
+would say 'I told you so.' I must make good for his sake, even if it's
+only counting cars or licking postage-stamps. Besides, it isn't exactly
+the square thing to take money for work that somebody else does for
+you. When a man tried for the Yale team he had to play football, no
+matter who his people were. If some capable chap were displaced to put
+in an incapable fellow like me, he'd be sore, and so would his friends;
+then I'd have to lick them. We'd have a fine scrap, because I couldn't
+stand being pointed out as a dub. No, I'll go in through the gate and
+pay my admission."
+
+"Do you realize that you can't live at the Tivoli?"
+
+"I hadn't thought about that, but I'll live where the other fellows do."
+
+"No more good dinners, no drives and little parties like this."
+
+"Oh, now, you won't cut me out just because I pull bell-cords and you
+pull diplomatic wires? Remember one of our champion pugilists was once
+a sailor."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt laughed with a touch of annoyance.
+
+"It is utterly ridiculous, and I can't believe you are in earnest."
+
+"I am, though. If I learn to be a good conductor, I'd like to step up.
+I'm young. I can't go back to New York; there's plenty of time for
+promotion."
+
+"Oh, you'll have every chance," she declared. "But I think a few weeks
+in cap and buttons will cure you of this quixotic sentiment. Meanwhile
+I must admit it is refreshing." She stared unseeingly at the street
+lights for a moment, then broke out as a new thought occurred to her:
+"But see here, Kirk, don't the collectors live in Colon?"
+
+"I don't know," he replied, startled and flattered by her first use of
+his given name.
+
+"I'll look it up to-morrow. You know I--Mr. Cortlandt and I will be in
+Panama, and I prefer to have you here. You see, we can do more for
+you." A little later she broke into a low laugh.
+
+"It seems strange to go driving with a conductor."
+
+As they reclined against the padded seat of their coach, lulled by the
+strains of music that came to them across the crowded Plaza and argued
+their first difference, it struck the young man that Edith Cortlandt
+was surprisingly warm and human for a woman of ice. He fully felt her
+superiority, yet he almost forgot it in the sense of cordial
+companionship she gave him.
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+A NIGHT AT TABOGA
+
+
+Despite his great contentment in Mrs. Cortlandt's society, Kirk found
+himself waiting with growing impatience for his active duties to begin.
+There was a restlessness in his mood, moreover, which his desire to
+escape from a situation of rather humiliating dependence could not
+wholly explain. Curiously enough, this feeling was somehow connected
+with the thought of Edith herself. Why this should be so, he did not
+trouble to inquire. They had become the best of good friends, he told
+himself--a consummation for which he had devoutly wished--yet, for some
+indefinable reason, he was dissatisfied. He did not know that their
+moment of perfect, unspoiled companionship had come and gone that
+evening in the Plaza.
+
+Every relation into which sentiment enters at all has its crisis or
+turning-point, though it may pass unobserved. Perhaps they are happiest
+who heed it least. Certainly, morbid self-analysis was the last fault
+of which Kirk could be accused. If he had a rule of action, it was
+simply to behave naturally, and, so far, experience had justified him
+in the belief that behaving naturally always brought him out right in
+the end.
+
+He decided that he needed exercise, and determined to take a tramp
+through the country; but on the evening before the day he had set for
+his excursion his plans were upset by a note from Mrs. Cortlandt, which
+the clerk handed him. It ran:
+
+DEAR KIRK,--Stephen has arranged an outing for all three of us, and we
+are counting on you for to-morrow. It will be a really, truly picnic,
+with all the delightful discomforts of such affairs. You are not to
+know where we are going until we call for you at eight.
+
+Faithfully and mysteriously yours, EDITH CORTLANDT.
+
+The recipient of this kind invitation tossed it aside with a gesture of
+impatience. For the moment he experienced a kind of boyish resentment
+at having his intentions thwarted that seemed out of proportion to the
+cause. Whether he would have felt the same if Edith's husband were not
+to be one of the party was a question that did not occur to him. At all
+events, the emotion soon passed, and he rose the next morning feeling
+that an outing with the Cortlandts would be as pleasant a diversion for
+the day as any other.
+
+Promptly at eight Edith appeared upon the hotel porch. She was alone.
+
+"Where's Mr. Cortlandt?" he inquired.
+
+"Oh, some men arrived last night from Bocas del Toro and telephoned
+that they must see him to-day on a matter of importance."
+
+"Then he's coming later?"
+
+"I hardly think so. I was terribly disappointed, so he told me to go
+without him. Now, I shall have to make up to you for his absence, if I
+am able."
+
+"That's the sort of speech," Kirk laughed, "that doesn't leave a fellow
+any nice answer. I'm sorry he couldn't come, of course, and awfully
+glad you did. Now, where is to be the scene of our revel?"
+
+"Taboga," she said, with eyes sparkling. "You've never been there, but
+it's perfectly gorgeous. Please call a coach, our boat is waiting--and
+don't sit on the lunch."
+
+Kirk obeyed, and they went clattering down the deserted brick street.
+Edith leaned back with a sigh.
+
+"I'm so glad to get away from that hotel for a day. You've no idea how
+hard it is to be forever entertaining a lot of people you care nothing
+about, or being entertained by people you detest. I've smiled and
+smirked and cooed until I'm sick; I want to scowl and grind my teeth
+and roar."
+
+"Still politics, I suppose?"
+
+"Yes, indeed; we don't dare talk about it. If you only knew it, Kirk,
+you've capsized the political calculations of the Panama Conservative
+Party."
+
+"I didn't know I had ever even rocked the boat."
+
+"It runs back to your affair with Ramen." She glanced toward the coach
+driver, suggesting the need of reticence.
+
+"Really, did that effect it?"
+
+"Rather. At any rate, it gave an excuse for setting things in motion.
+There had been some doubt about the matter for a long time, and I was
+only too glad to exert my influence in the right direction, but--this
+is a picnic to an enchanted island, and here we are talking politics!
+We mustn't be so serious. School is out, and it's vacation. I want to
+romp and play and get my face dirty."
+
+Kirk readily fell in with her mood, and by the time they reached the
+water-front they were laughing like two children. Down through a stone
+arch they went, and out upon a landing beneath the sea wall. In front
+of them the placid waters of the bay were shimmering, a myriad of small
+boats thronged the harbor. There were coasting steamers, launches,
+sail-boats, skiffs, and canoes. Along the shore above the tide-line
+were rows of schooners fashioned from gigantic tree-trunks and capable
+of carrying many tons, all squatting upon the mud, their white sails
+raised to dry like the outstretched wings of resting sea-gulls.
+
+The landing was thronged, and, at sight of the newcomers, loiterers
+gathered from all sides--a pirate throng, shouting a dozen dialects and
+forcing Kirk to battle lustily for his luggage. Stepping into a skiff,
+they were rowed to a launch, and a few moments later were gliding
+swiftly around the long rock-rib that guards the harbor, a copper-hued
+bandit at the wheel, a Nubian giant at the engine, and an evil,
+yellow-faced desperado sprawling upon the forward deck.
+
+Looking back, they saw the city spread out in brilliant panorama, clear
+and beautiful in the morning radiance. Packed and dense it lay,
+buttressed by the weather-stained ramparts which legend says were built
+by the women while their husbands were at war, and backed by the green
+heights of Ancon, against which the foreign houses nestled. Set in the
+foreground, like an ivory carving, was the Government Theatre, while
+away beyond it loomed the Tivoli.
+
+Noting armed sentinels pacing the sea wall at a certain spot, Kirk
+called his companion's attention to them.
+
+"That's Chiriqui Prison, isn't it?" he asked.
+
+"Yes. They say some of the dungeons are almost under the sea. It must
+be a terrible place."
+
+"I've developed a morbid interest in jails," he remarked. "I'm quite an
+authority on them. I think, however, I won't experiment with this
+one--I don't like the view."
+
+"Yes, it's an unhealthy spot, according to all accounts. I'm sure you'd
+get rheumatism, at least. By-the-way, do you notice the thickness of
+those walls? They say that a king of Spain was seen standing at his
+palace window one day staring anxiously toward the west. When a
+courtier presumed to ask him what he was looking at, he said, 'I am
+searching for those costly walls of Panama. They ought to be visible
+even from here.' They cost ten million dollars, you know, when dollars
+were worth a good deal more than they are now. Look! There's Taboga."
+
+Following her gaze, Kirk beheld a mountain of amethyst rising out of
+the bay. Behind them the shores stretched away into misty distances,
+while low mountains, softened by a delicate purple, rolled up from the
+jungle plain. Ahead of them the turquoise waters were dotted by islets
+whose heights were densely overgrown, while sands of coral whiteness
+ringed their shore lines. Here and there a fleet of fishing-boats
+drifted. Far out in the roadstead lay two cruisers, slate-gray and
+grim. The waters over-side purled soothingly, the heavens beamed, the
+breeze was like a gentle caress. The excursionists lost themselves in
+silent enjoyment.
+
+Even before they had come to anchor a dozen boatmen were racing for
+them and crying for their patronage. At the water's edge they saw a
+tiny village nestled close against the mountains, its tiled roofs
+rust-red and grown to moss, its walls faded by wind and weather to
+delicate mauves and dove colors and greens impossible to describe. Up
+against the slope a squat 'dobe chapel sat, while just beyond reach of
+the tide was a funny little pocket-size plaza, boasting a decrepit
+fountain and an iron fence eaten by the salt. Backing it all was a
+marvellous verdure, tipped up on edge, or so it seemed, and cleared in
+spots for pineapples.
+
+The launch, when it came to rest, seemed suspended in air, and beneath
+it lay an entrancing sea-garden. Once the engine had stopped its
+clatter, a sleepy, peaceful silence settled over the harbor, unbroken
+by wheel or whistle, for in Taboga no one works and there are no
+vehicles.
+
+"What a wonderful place!" exclaimed the young man, fervently. "Why,
+it's like a dream--it can't be real!" Then, as the boatmen renewed
+their begging, "I wonder which barge gentleman I had better hire."
+
+"Take the little boy, please." Edith called to an urchin who was
+manfully struggling with a pair of oars twice his own length, whereupon
+the older boatmen began to shove off with many scowls and much
+grumbling.
+
+"Our choice has offended these genial bandits," Kirk observed as he
+helped her to a seat. "When shall we tell the lad to bring us off?"
+
+"Four o'clock," answered Mrs. Cortlandt. "I arranged with the captain
+to be ready at that hour, so, you see, we have the whole day ahead of
+us."
+
+Across the limpid shallows they glided, bravely propelled by their
+nine-year-old oarsman, but when the bow of their skiff grated upon the
+bottom they were still some yards from the shore.
+
+"Looks as if we'd have to wade," said Kirk, then called to one of the
+near-by boatmen to lend the child a hand. But the fellow replied
+gruffly in some unintelligible jargon.
+
+"He says he carries HIS passengers ashore in his arms," Edith
+translated.
+
+"Really? Competition is spirited even on this heavenly isle. Well,
+that's easy!" Anthony untied his low shoes, kicked them off, and rolled
+up his trousers.
+
+"Permit me to help you," he said, "without embarrassing our pilot."
+
+"Oh! I want to wade, too," the woman exclaimed, enviously, as he
+stepped out, "but--it's too pebbly."
+
+She stood up and allowed him to gather her in his arms. Then for the
+first time she felt his strength as her body leaned to his. Slowly he
+picked his way ashore while she reclined in his embrace, her arms about
+his neck, her smooth cheek brushing his. A faint, intoxicating perfume
+she used affected him strangely, increasing the poignant sense of her
+nearness; a lock of her hair caressed him. When he deposited her gently
+upon her feet he saw her face had gone white and that she was trembling.
+
+"Did I hurt you?" he queried, quickly.
+
+"Oh no!" she answered, but as she turned away he saw her breathe as if
+for the first time since he had taken her up.
+
+His own face was glowing as he waded back to fetch the lunch-basket and
+his foot-gear. Under the circumstances he had done the only natural,
+the only possible thing, yet it had queerly perturbed them both. There
+was an artificial note in their voices as they mounted to the village,
+and unconsciously they avoided each other's glances.
+
+A narrow, crooked street, fronted by old stone houses, opened before
+them, and the many tints they had seen from a distance became more
+pronounced. Even the rough flags and cobbles under foot were of a faint
+lichen gray, chrome yellow, or pink, as if painted at cost of infinite
+labor. Out of dark, open doorways peered swarthy faces, naked bronze
+children scampered away on fat legs at their approach, and in one house
+were a number of cassocked priests droning in Spanish. Everywhere was
+the same slumberous content, the same peaceful buzz of bees and birds
+and soft-toned human voices.
+
+The two visitors explored the village, even to the quaint, tawdry
+chapel, with its impossible blues and rusted gilt, and noon found them
+eager to investigate the contents of their lunch-basket. Taking a
+random path up the hill, they came at last to a spring of cool water,
+and here they spread their meal under a mango-tree bent beneath tons of
+fruit.
+
+"Oh, it's intoxicating!" cried Edith, as she sank to a seat, feasting
+her eyes upon the scene below. "After lunch, shall we climb the
+mountain?"
+
+"I'm ready for anything," Kirk assured her. "Maybe we'll go swimming.
+That seems to be the main occupation of the inhabitants."
+
+Up the path toward them came two timid children, one bearing a
+pineapple half as large as himself, the other lugging an armful of
+strange fruit. Kirk bought their entire burden, and they scuttled away
+in high glee.
+
+By now the spirit of the woods was in the picnickers; the gladness of
+the day possessed them wholly, and the afternoon sped quickly. If at
+times Kirk found his companion regarding him with a strangely timid,
+half-defiant look, he refused to connect it with the episode of their
+landing. It was a fleeting look, at most, gone almost before he
+surprised it, and, for the most part, Edith showed a seemingly quite
+natural gayety that helped him to forget his recent self-consciousness.
+
+Promptly at four they came down the drunken little main street and out
+upon the beach. But no launch was in sight.
+
+"Hello! Where's our boat?" exclaimed Kirk.
+
+"The captain told me he'd be ready at four. Perhaps he has run over to
+Taboguilla or--" She hesitated, with a troubled frown.
+
+"You told him to wait?"
+
+"Distinctly." Seeing an idler in the square above she questioned him in
+Spanish. "This man says the launch left for Panama two hours ago." She
+turned tragic eyes upon Kirk.
+
+"Do you think they intend to leave us?"
+
+"I don't know. These people are liable to do any thing." Once more she
+questioned the loiterer. "It is just as I suspected," she explained;
+"they went on a Sunday spree. He says they came ashore and bought a lot
+of liquor, and he heard them quarrelling later."
+
+"That means we'll have to get another boat."
+
+"I don't know where we shall find one."
+
+"Neither do I, but there must be some sort of craft that plies back and
+forth regularly."
+
+"Only once or twice a week, I believe, and it belongs to the
+sanitarium." She nodded toward some buildings perched upon a point
+farther around the bay. "Mr. Cortlandt looked it up before leaving and
+found the boat doesn't run on Sundays, so he hired that launch. Perhaps
+we'd better wait awhile; our men may come back."
+
+They found seats in the square and were grateful for the rest; but an
+hour passed and the sun was getting low, while no sign of their truant
+craft appeared.
+
+"There must be sail-boats to be had," said Kirk; but on inquiry they
+learned that, although a few belonged to the island, they all happened
+to be away. He suggested that they hire a man to row them across.
+
+"It's twelve miles," Edith demurred. "Do you think it would be safe?"
+
+He scanned the twilit sea and gave up the idea; for the afternoon
+trades, balmy and soothing as they were, had lifted a swell that would
+prove difficult for a skiff to navigate. Uneasily they settled
+themselves for a further wait. At last, as the sun was dipping into a
+bed of gold, Kirk broke out:
+
+"Gee whiz! We've got to do SOMETHING. Mr. Cortlandt will be getting
+worried."
+
+"In all probability he won't know anything about it until too late to
+come for us. He is dining with these people from Bocas, and may not get
+back to the Tivoli before midnight."
+
+"Nice fix we're in!" remarked Anthony. "I'd like to lay hands on that
+captain."
+
+"We may have to stay here all night!"
+
+"Well, at least we have a haven of refuge. They'll take us in at the
+hospital."
+
+"I don't care to ask them. There's some one up there I don't wish to
+see. That's why I didn't go near the place to-day."
+
+"You know best, of course. But, see here, don't you think you'd better
+go up there--"
+
+"Not for worlds! We must find some other way." She began to pace back
+and forth in the dusk. "How unfortunate it is!"
+
+"Is it because--I'm with you?" questioned the young man, with an
+effort. "Is that why you don't want to apply there?"
+
+"No, no. Stephen's particular enemy is in charge up there. I detest the
+man, and the feeling is mutual, I believe." She sighed, and her glance
+fell. "We can't spend the night outdoors."
+
+"Of course not, but--"
+
+"What?"
+
+He laughed to hide his embarrassment. "I'm wondering--what people will
+say."
+
+"Oh, you mustn't be troubled about that. It isn't your fault, you know,
+anyhow. Besides, people won't say anything because they won't know
+anything about it--if we stay away from that sanitarium."
+
+In the effort to put him at his ease, her own distress seemed to
+vanish, and Kirk immediately felt more cheerful.
+
+"It's getting along toward dinner-time," he said, "so let's see what we
+can find in the way of food. You can be sheltered in one of these
+houses, I suppose, though from the looks I'd almost prefer the night
+air."
+
+They stumbled out into the unlighted street and began their search;
+but, seen close at hand, the cooking arrangements of Taboga proved most
+unattractive. Outside the sanitarium, it seemed, there was not a stove
+on the island. Charcoal braziers set upon the floors or in the dirt
+yards served all culinary purposes, and the process of preparing meals
+was conducted with an indifference that promised no savory results.
+About the glowing points of light wrinkled hags appeared irregularly,
+as if brewing some witch's broth, but they could not understand the
+phenomenon of Americans being hungry and signified no readiness to
+relieve them. In several instances Kirk and Mrs. Cortlandt were treated
+with open suspicion. But eventually they found a more
+pretentious-looking place, where they were taken in, and, after an
+interminable wait, food was set before them--chicken, boiled with rice
+and cocoanut, black beans and cocoanut, fresh, warm milk, and a
+wondrous assortment of hothouse fruits. They would have enjoyed the
+meal had it not been for the curious faces that blocked every aperture
+in the room and the many bright eyes that peered at them from each
+shadow.
+
+But in spite of their equivocal situation, Edith seemed fully to have
+regained her spirits. Even the prospect of spending the night in this
+place apparently did not dismay her.
+
+"We have created quite a sensation," she said, laughingly. "I wonder if
+it makes the animals in the zoo as nervous to be stared at."
+
+Kirk was half puzzled, half relieved by the lightness of her mood.
+
+"If you have finished this health-food," he remarked, "we'll go back to
+the plaza and wait for the launch. I'm as full of cocoanut as a shell."
+
+They descended to the square again, stared at all the way through open
+doors and followed by a subdued murmur of comment. Then they sat for a
+long time watching the stars, half minded not to regret the
+circumstance that had left them stranded together in such pleasant
+surroundings.
+
+As if in despair over their impossible predicament, Edith gave way to a
+spirit of reckless vivacity, and Kirk, with a man's somewhat
+exaggerated sympathy for a woman's sensitive feelings, loyally strove
+to help her make the best of things in her own way. It was like a
+woman, he reflected, to follow her mood to the last extreme, and, being
+a man, he was not displeased. The change in her manner was too elusive
+for him to analyze. There was no real concession of her reserve--no
+sacrifice of the feminine privilege of prompt and complete withdrawal.
+If he had struck a false note, he knew that she would have turned
+frigid in an instant. But he could not help feeling that some barrier
+which had existed between them had been magically removed. Her apparent
+obliviousness to all that under the circumstances might have troubled
+her was a subtle compliment to himself, and soon he, too, forgot that
+there was anything in the world beyond their present relation to each
+other.
+
+It was on their return to the house that the climax came, leaving him
+strangely shaken.
+
+Their course took them past a tiny cantina. It was open in front, and
+brightly lighted, although at this hour most of the houses were dark
+and the village lay wrapped in the inky shadow of the mountain behind.
+Within, several men were carousing--dark-haired, swarthy fellows, who
+seemed to be fishermen. Drawn by the sound of argument, the strangers
+paused a moment to watch them. The quarrel seemed a harmless affair,
+and they were about to pass on, when suddenly one of the disputants
+lunged at his antagonist with a knife, conjured from nowhere, and the
+two came tumbling out into the street, nearly colliding with the
+onlookers.
+
+Without a sound, Mrs. Cortlandt picked up her skirts and fled into the
+darkness, Kirk stumbling along behind her, both guiding themselves by
+instinct rather than sight. At last she stopped out of breath, and he
+overtook her.
+
+"You mustn't run through these dark alleys," he cried, sharply. "You'll
+break your neck." Half impatient at this hysterical behavior, he seized
+her by the arm.
+
+"Oh, I'm so frightened!" she breathed, and he felt her tremble. "A
+drunken man frightens me--" Involuntarily she hid her face against his
+breast, then laughed nervously. "Don't mind me, please. It's the one
+thing I can't stand. I'll be all right in a moment." She lifted her
+white face, and her eyes were luminous in the gloom. "I'm very glad you
+don't drink." Her hand crept up to the lapel of his coat. "What will
+you think of me?" she said, tremulously.
+
+Before he realized what he was doing his arms had closed around her and
+his lips had met hers. It may have been the romance of the night, the
+solitude, the intoxicating warmth of her breath--at any rate, he lost
+his head and knew nothing save that she was a woman and he a man. As
+for her, she offered no resistance, made no sign beyond a startled sigh
+as their lips came together.
+
+But, impulsive as his action had been, it was no more sudden than his
+recoil. He released her and stepped back, crying:
+
+"Oh, my God! I--I didn't mean that. Forgive me. PLEASE." She said
+nothing, and he stammered desperately again: "You'll hate me now, of
+course, but--I don't know what ails me. I forgot
+myself--you--everything. It was unpardonable, and I ought to be shot."
+He started off down the blind street, his whole body cold with
+apprehension and self-disgust.
+
+"Where are you going?" she called after him.
+
+"I don't know. I can't stay here now. Oh, Mrs. Cortlandt, what can I
+say?"
+
+"Do you intend to leave me here in the middle of this--"
+
+"No, no! Of course not. I'm rattled, that's all. I've just got a
+cowardly desire to flee and butt my head against the nearest wall.
+That's what I ought to do. I don't know what possessed me. I don't know
+what you'll think of me."
+
+"We won't speak of it now. Try to compose yourself and find our
+lodging-place."
+
+"Why, yes, of course. I'll see that you're fixed up comfortably and
+then I'll get out."
+
+"Oh, you mustn't leave me!" she cried in a panic. "I couldn't stay in
+that awful place alone." She drew a little nearer to him as if
+demanding his protection.
+
+A wave of tenderness swept over him. She was just a girl, after all, he
+reflected, and if it were not for what had happened a moment before the
+most natural thing in the world would be to take her in his arms and
+comfort her.
+
+"I--I won't leave you--I'll stay near you," he stammered.
+
+But as they trudged along together through the dark his chagrin
+returned in full force. Mrs. Cortlandt maintained a distressing
+silence, and he could not see her face. Presently he began to plead
+brokenly for forgiveness, stumbling in the effort not to offend her
+further and feeling that he was making matters worse with every word he
+uttered. For a long time she made no reply, but at last she said:
+
+"Do you think I ought ever to see you again after this?"
+
+"I suppose not," said Kirk, miserably.
+
+"I won't believe," she went on, "that you could have taken me for the
+kind of woman who--"
+
+"No, no!" he cried, in an anguish of self-reproach. "I was a fool--"
+
+"No," she said, "I don't--I couldn't bear to think that. Perhaps I was
+partly to blame--but I didn't think--I ought to have known that no man
+can really be trusted. But I thought our friendship was so beautiful,
+and now you've spoiled it."
+
+"Don't say that!" exclaimed Kirk. "Say you'll forgive me some time."
+
+But instead of answering him directly she proceeded in the same strain,
+probing his wounded self-respect to the quick, making his offence seem
+blacker every moment.
+
+Although he assured her over and over that he had simply followed the
+irresponsible, unaccountable impulse of a moment--that he had regarded
+her only as the best of friends, and respected her more than he could
+say, she showed him no mercy. The melancholy, regretful tone she
+adopted was ten times worse than anger, and by the time they reached
+the inn where they had dined he was sunk in the depths of
+self-abasement.
+
+If he had been less preoccupied with his own remorse he might have
+reflected that Edith's attitude, especially as she did not expressly
+withhold the prospect of ultimate pardon, established a closer bond
+between them than ever before. But there was no room in his mind for
+such a thought.
+
+In reply to his knock an old woman came to the door and sleepily
+admitted them. Edith stood for a moment on the threshold, then, seeing
+that he made no motion to accompany her, she said good-night, and,
+quietly entering, closed the door behind her.
+
+Kirk experienced a sudden desire to escape. To remain where he was
+simply prolonged his humiliation. Instinctively he felt that, if he
+could only get away where he could view the matter in an every-day
+light, it would cease to trouble him. But evidently he could not desert
+Edith. He sat down upon the doorstep and gave himself up to bitter
+thoughts.
+
+She was such a wonderful woman, he told himself; she had been such a
+true friend to him that he had been worse than criminal to lose her
+respect. And Cortlandt had been so decent to him! It was significant
+that this gave him the most discomfort of all. He had betrayed a man's
+friendship, and the thought was unbearable. No punishment could be too
+severe for that!
+
+He was still sitting there cramped and stiff when the first faint flush
+of dawn stole over the hill-crest behind him. Then he rose to wander
+toward the water-front. As the harbor assumed definite form, he beheld
+a launch stealing in toward the village, and ten minutes later greeted
+Stephen Cortlandt as that gentleman stepped out of the tender.
+
+"Where's Edith?" eagerly demanded her husband.
+
+"She's asleep. I found a place for her--"
+
+"Not at the SANITARIUM?"
+
+"No, no. One of these houses. Lord, I'm glad to see you! We'd begun to
+feel like real castaways. I've been up all night."
+
+"What happened?" It was plain that Mr. Cortlandt was deeply agitated.
+
+"Our boatmen evidently got drunk and pulled out. I tried to get a
+sail-boat, but there weren't any, and it was too rough to try crossing
+with a skiff."
+
+It took them but a moment to reach the house, and soon the three were
+back at the water-front.
+
+"What a miserable night!" Mrs. Cortlandt complained, stifling a yawn.
+"I thought you'd never come, Stephen!"
+
+"I didn't get back to the Tivoli until midnight, and then I had trouble
+in finding a boat to bring me over."
+
+"I suppose they were alarmed at the hotel?"
+
+"I said nothing about it," he returned, quietly, at which his wife's
+face flushed. Seizing the first occasion, he exclaimed, in a low voice:
+"God! How unfortunate--at this time. Were you mad?"
+
+She looked at him and her eyes burned, but she said nothing.
+
+
+
+
+XIII
+
+CHIQUITA
+
+
+The next day Kirk borrowed a shot-gun and went hunting. The events of
+the night before seemed like a dream. Could it be that he had really
+blundered irretrievably? Was it possible that he had offended his best
+friend past forgiveness? He wanted to get away somewhere and collect
+his thoughts. For the present, at least, he wished to avoid an
+interview with Mrs. Cortlandt.
+
+A mile or two beyond the railroad track, to the north and east, began
+what appeared to be an unbroken wilderness, and thither he turned his
+steps. Low, rolling hills lay before him, densely over-grown and
+leading upward to a mountain range which paralleled the coast until the
+distant haze swallowed it up. These mountains, he reflected with a
+thrill of interest, led on to South America, the land of the Incas,
+hidden in mystery as the forests close at hand were veiled in faint
+purple. The very thought was romantic. Balboa had strained his eyes
+along these self-same placid shores; Pizarro, the swineherd, had
+followed them in search of Dabaiba, that fabled temple of gold, leaving
+behind him a trail of blood. It was only yonder, five miles away, that
+Pedrarias, with the murder of a million victims on his soul, had
+founded the ancient city which later fell to Morgan's buccaneers. Even
+now, a league back from the ocean, the land seemed as wild as then.
+Anthony suspected that there were houses--perhaps villages--hidden from
+his view; but vast stretches of enchanted jungle intervened, which he
+determined to explore, letting his feet stray whither they would. If
+game, of which he had heard great stories, fell to his hand, so much
+the better.
+
+Heeding a warning not to bear arms through the streets of Panama
+without a permit from the alcalde, he struck off across the fields in a
+bee-line for the woods. It was a vast relief to be out in the open air
+with a gun upon his arm once more, and he felt his blood coursing
+vigorously. The burden upon his spirits insensibly began to lighten.
+After all, he had done nothing for which he needed to be ashamed the
+rest of his life. Edith, of course, was right in being deeply offended.
+That was to be expected. Yet his conduct, regrettable as it was, had
+been only natural under the circumstances. Now that the first tumult of
+feeling had subsided, he found that his conscience did not accuse him
+very severely.
+
+And, somehow, he was unable to believe that the breach with Edith would
+prove irreparable. She was a sensible woman of the world--not a mere
+school-girl. Perhaps when the immediate shock of the occurrence had
+passed she would consent to take a different view of it, and they might
+return to their old friendly footing. If not--well, he would be his own
+man soon, anyhow. Their lives would part, and the incident would be
+forgotten. He was sorry that in his momentary madness he had behaved
+improperly toward a woman to whom he owed so much, yet it was not as if
+he had shown meanness or ingratitude.
+
+Across the meadows deep in grass he went, skirting little ponds and
+marshy spots, growing more cheerful with every step. In one place he
+had the good-luck to raise a flock of water birds, which he took for
+purple gallinule and spur-wing plover, although they were unlike any he
+had ever seen. In some scattered groves beyond he bagged a pigeon and
+missed a quail which unexpectedly whirred out of a thicket. Then he
+continued past herds of grazing cattle to another patch of woodland,
+where he came upon something that looked like a path. Through rankly
+growing banana-patches, yam-fields, and groves of mango-trees, he
+followed it, penetrating ever deeper into the rolling country, until at
+last he reached the real forest. He had come several miles, and
+realized that he could not retrace his steps, for the trail had
+branched many times; he had crossed other pathways and made many
+devours. He rejoiced in the thought that he had successfully lost
+himself.
+
+At midday he paused in an open glade against a hillside to eat his
+lunch. Back of him the rising ground was heavily timbered; beneath him
+a confusion of thickets and groves and cleared fields led out to a
+green plain as clean as any golf links, upon which were scattered
+dwellings.
+
+Evidently this was the Savannas of which he had heard so much, and
+these foreign-looking bungalows were the country homes of the rich
+Panamanians. Beyond, the bay stretched, in unruffled calm, like a sheet
+of quicksilver, its bosom dotted with rocky islets, while hidden in the
+haze to the southward, as he knew, were the historic Pearl Islands,
+where the early Spaniards had enriched themselves.
+
+Gazing at this view in lazy enjoyment, Kirk found himself thinking how
+good it was to be young and free, and to be set down in such a
+splendidly romantic country. Above all, it was good to be heart-whole
+and unfettered by any woman's spell--men in love were unhappy persons,
+harassed by a thousand worries and indecisions, utterly lacking in
+poise. It was a lamentable condition of hysteria with which he decided
+to have nothing to do. He did not care for women, anyhow. One could
+scarcely have any dealings with them without becoming involved in some
+affair that unduly harrowed one's feelings. How much better it was to
+know the clean spirit of adventure and the joy of living, undisturbed
+by feverish emotions!
+
+As he reclined there, busied with these thoughts, two vivid little
+paroquets alighted near him, to quarrel noisily, then make up and kiss
+each other like any pair of lovers. It was disgusting. A toucan peered
+at him with an appearance of exaggerated curiosity, due to its huge,
+grotesquely proportioned beak. Now and then came the harsh notes of
+parrots as they fluttered high above the tree-tops. Meanwhile the young
+man's ears became attuned to the jungle noises, his eyes observant of
+the many kinds of life about him.
+
+The wood was crowded with plant-life utterly strange to him. On the
+hill above towered a giant ceiba-tree, its trunk as smooth as if
+polished by hand and bare of branches except at the very top, where,
+instead of tapering, it ended abruptly in a tuft of foliage. Here and
+there stood tremendous cotton-trees, their limbs so burdened with
+air-plants as to form a series of aerial gardens, their twigs bearing
+pods filled with down. Beside them palm-trees raised their heads, heavy
+with clusters of nuts resembling dates in size and form, but fit only
+for wild pigs. Clumps of bamboo were scattered about, their shoots
+springing from a common centre like the streams from a fountain, and
+sweeping through graceful curves to a spray of shimmering green. He had
+never seen such varieties of growth. There were thick trees with
+bulbous swellings; tall trees with buttressed roots that ran high up
+the trunks; slender trees propped up head-high above the earth on
+tripod-like roots or clusters of legs; trees with bark that shone like
+a mirror; trees guarded with an impregnable armor of six-inch bony
+spikes--Kirk did not know the names of half of them, nor did he care to
+learn.
+
+Vines and creepers abounded, from the tiny honeysuckle that reared
+itself with feeble filaments, to the giant liana creeping through the
+forest like a python, throttling full-grown trees in its embrace. On
+every side was the never-ceasing battle for light and the struggle of
+the weak against the strong. The air was heavy with the breath of
+triumphant blooms and the odor of defeated, decaying life. A thousand
+voiceless tragedies were being enacted; the wood was peopled by
+distorted shapes that spoke of forgotten encounters; rich, riotous,
+parasitic growths flourished upon starved limbs or rotting trunks. It
+was weird and beautiful and pitiless. Unlike the peaceful order of our
+Northern forests, here was a savage riot, an unending treacherous
+warfare without light or room or mercy. There was something terrible in
+it all.
+
+Tiring of the scene at last, Kirk continued his wanderings, bearing
+gradually toward the right, that he might eventually emerge upon the
+Savannas below, where he knew there was a good paved road leading to
+the city. But the trails were devious and seemed to lead nowhere, so at
+last he struck out through the jungle itself. Having no machete with
+which to clear a way, his progress was slow, but he took his time,
+keeping a wary outlook for game, twisting back and forth to avoid the
+densest thickets, until he finally came out upon the margin of a
+stream. Through the verdure beyond it he saw the open, sunlit meadows,
+and he followed the bank in the hope of finding a foot-log or a bridge
+upon which to cross. He had gone, perhaps, a hundred yards when he
+stumbled out into a cleared space, where he paused with an exclamation
+of surprise.
+
+The brook had been dammed and widened into a deep, limpid pool to which
+the clean, white sand of its bottom lent a golden hue. At the lower end
+it overflowed in a waterfall, the purling music of which filled the
+glade. Overhead the great trees were arched together and interlaced,
+their lower branches set with flowering orchids like hothouse plants
+upon a window-ledge. The dense foliage allowed only a random beam of
+sunlight to pass through and pierce the pool, like a brilliant,
+quivering javelin. Long vines depended from the limbs above, falling
+sheer and straight as plumb-lines; a giant liana the size of a man's
+body twined up and up until lost in the tangle overhead.
+
+Although set just within the border of the untouched forest, it was
+evident that this spot had been carefully cut away and artfully
+cultivated. But, if man's hand had aided nature by a few deft touches
+here and there and a careful pruning of her lavish riches, it could be
+seen that no human artist had designed the wondrous stage effect. To
+step suddenly out of an uncut wilderness into such a scene as this was
+bewildering, and made the American gasp with delight. The place had an
+air of strictest privacy. A spring-board mirrored in the depths below
+invited one to plunge, a pair of iron gymnasium rings were swung by
+chains to a massive limb, a flight of stone steps led up the bank and
+into a hut artistically thatched and walled with palm-leaves to
+harmonize with its setting. Kirk thanked his fortune that he had not
+blundered in while the place was in use, for it had almost the sacred
+air of a lady's boudoir.
+
+Instead of promptly withdrawing, he allowed his admiration full play,
+and stood staring for a long time. What a delightful nook in which to
+dream away the days! It was dim and cool and still, although outside
+its walls of green the afternoon sun was beating down fiercely. A
+stranger might pass and never guess its presence. It had been cunningly
+shaped by fairies, that was evident. Doubtless it was peopled by them
+also, and his mistake had been in coming upon it so suddenly. If he had
+approached with caution he would surely have surprised them at their
+play, for yonder was the music of their dances--that chuckling, singing
+waterfall could serve no other purpose. Perhaps one was hidden under it
+at present. Kirk was half tempted to conceal himself and wait for them
+to reappear, though he knew that it requires extraordinary cunning to
+deceive wood-sprites once they have been alarmed. But, undoubtedly,
+they were somewhere close by, probably watching him from behind the
+leaves, and if they were not such timid bodies he might try to search
+them out.
+
+As it was, he took a lingering, farewell look and turned to retrace his
+steps, whereupon the queen fairy laughed at him softly. He paused
+abruptly, then turned around, with care, so as not to frighten her. But
+of course she was invisible. Then she spoke again with the sweetest
+foreign accent imaginable.
+
+"You had better cross upon the waterfall, sir. There is no bridge
+above." After an instant, during which he strained his eyes to find
+her, she laughed again.
+
+"Here I am, in the tree, across the pond."
+
+"Oh!" Looking over the fork of a tree-trunk, perhaps twice the height
+of his head above the ground, Anthony beheld a ravishing face and two
+very bright eyes. Without removing his gaze, he leaned his gun
+carefully against a bush--firearms have an abominable effect upon
+hamadryads--and said:
+
+"I knew you were here all the time."
+
+"Indeed!" The eyes opened in astonishment. "You did not see me at all."
+
+"Of course, but I knew you were somewhere close by, just the same. How
+did you get up there?"
+
+"I climbed up."
+
+"Why didn't you hide under the waterfall?"
+
+"I did not hide, senor. I am trying to reach my orchid."
+
+A little hand appeared beside the face, and a finger pointed to one of
+the big air plants above her. Kirk beheld a marvellous white,
+dove-shaped flower, nodding upon a slender stalk.
+
+"I climbed up on the big vine; it is just like a ladder."
+
+"Then you can't be the queen!"
+
+Two very large, very dark eyes looked at him questioningly.
+
+"Queens don't pick flowers," he explained. "They hide in 'em."
+
+"The queen?"
+
+"Some of them live in trees, and some preside over lakes and fountains.
+Which kind are you?"
+
+"Oh! I am neither, I live in my father's house." She tossed her head in
+the direction of the Savannas behind her. "Do you wish to cross the
+stream?"
+
+"If you please."
+
+"Wait." The face disappeared. There was a sound from behind the twisted
+tree-trunk, a twig fell, then a piece of bark, and the next instant the
+girl herself stepped into view.
+
+"I was afraid you'd gone for good," acknowledged the young man,
+gravely. He took up his gun and stepped out upon the crest of the dam.
+
+"You must look where you go," she admonished, "or you will
+fall--splash!" She laughed delightedly at the thought, and he saw that
+her eyes had a way of wrinkling almost shut in the merriest fashion. He
+balanced upon the slippery surface of the waterway with the stream up
+to his ankles.
+
+"Will you promise not to whisk yourself away if I look down?" he asked.
+
+"Yes."
+
+But even with this assurance he found it difficult to remove his eyes
+from her even for the brief instant necessary for a safe passage; and
+when at last he stood beside her he felt an irresistible desire to
+seize her gently so that she could not escape.
+
+"Well?" she said at length, and he found he had been standing
+stock-still staring at her for several seconds.
+
+"Excuse me! I really took you for a wood-nymph. I'm not sure yet--you
+see the place is so well suited. It--it was a natural mistake."
+
+She dropped her eyes shyly and turned away at his look.
+
+"It is only our swimming-pool. There have been no fairies here since I
+was a very little girl. But once upon a time there were many--oh, a
+great many." It was impossible to describe the odd, sweet sound her
+tongue gave to the English words. It was not a dialect, hardly an
+accent, just a delicious, hesitating mannerism born of unfamiliarity.
+
+"Did you ever see them?"
+
+"N-no! I arrived always a little too late. But there are such things."
+
+He nodded. "Everybody knows that since 'Peter Pan.'"
+
+Another shy glance told her that he was still regarding her with his
+look of wondering admiration. She pointed to a path, saying:
+
+"This way will bring you to the road, sir, if you wish."
+
+"But--I don't wish--not yet." He sought wildly for an excuse to stay,
+and exclaimed: "Oh, the orchid. I must get it for you."
+
+"That will be very nice of you, sir. For two years I have awaited its
+blooming. If you had not arrived I would have got it, anyhow."
+
+"Girls shouldn't climb trees," he said, severely. "It tears their
+dresses."
+
+"Oh, one cannot tear a dress like this." She glanced down at her skirt.
+Allowing his eyes to leave her face for a moment, Kirk saw that she was
+clad, oddly enough, in a suit of denim, which was buttoned snugly clear
+to her neck. It struck him as most inappropriate, yet it was extremely
+well made, and he could not complain of the effect.
+
+He broke his gun and removed the shells; then, leaving it beside the
+bath-house, went to the tree where he had first seen her. With one hand
+resting upon the trunk, he turned to say:
+
+"Promise you won't disappear while I'm up there, or change into a
+squirrel, or a bird, or anything like that."
+
+"What a funny man you are!"
+
+"Do you promise?"
+
+"Yes, yes."
+
+"Do you live around here?"
+
+"Of course."
+
+"Why do you want this orchid?"
+
+"To put it in the house."
+
+Instead of beginning his climb, the young man lounged idly against the
+tree.
+
+"Funny how I found you, wasn't it?" he remarked. "I mean it's funny I
+should have stumbled right on you this way--there's only one of you and
+one of me, and--er--this country is so big! I might have gone some
+other way and then perhaps we'd never have met." He contemplated this
+contingency for an instant. "And if you hadn't spoken I'd never have
+seen you, either."
+
+"But I had to speak. You could not cross above."
+
+"Awfully nice of you. Some people would have let me go away."
+
+"But the orchid, senor. Do you fear to climb so high?" she inquired,
+with the faintest gleam of amusement at his obvious effort to prolong
+the conversation.
+
+"Oh no!"
+
+He cast about for something further to talk about, but, failing to find
+it, began slowly to clamber upward, supporting himself upon the natural
+steps afforded by the twining vine and the protuberances of the trunk
+itself.
+
+When he had reached the first fork, he turned and seated himself
+comfortably, peering downward through the leaves for a sight of her.
+
+"Not gone yet!" he exclaimed. "That's good."
+
+"Are you out of breath that you stop so soon?"
+
+He nodded. "I need to rest a minute. Say, my name is Anthony--Kirk
+Anthony." Then, after a pause, "I'm an American."
+
+"So am I, at least I am almost. My mother was an American."
+
+"You don't say!" The young man's face lighted up with interest, and he
+started eagerly down the tree-trunk, but she checked him promptly.
+
+"The orchid!"
+
+"Oh yes!" He reseated himself. "Well, well, I suppose your mother
+taught you to speak English?"
+
+"I also attended school in Baltimore."
+
+Anthony dangled his legs from his perch and brushed aside a troublesome
+prickly pod that depended in such a position as to tickle his neck.
+"I'm from Yale. Ever been to New Haven? What are you laughing at?"
+
+"At you. Do you know what it is which you are fighting from your neck?"
+
+"This?" Kirk succeeded in locating the nettle that had annoyed him.
+
+"Yes. It is cow-eetch. Wait! By-and-by you will scratch like
+everything." The young lady laughed with the most mischievous, elf-like
+enjoyment of this prospect.
+
+"All right. Just for that, I will wait."
+
+Now that the first surprise of meeting was over, Kirk began a really
+attentive scrutiny of this delightful young person. So far he had been
+conscious of little except her eyes, which had exercised a most
+remarkable effect upon him from the first. He had never cared for black
+eyes--they were too hard and sparkling, as a rule--but these--well, he
+had never seen anything quite like them. They were large and soft and
+velvety, like--like black pansies! That was precisely what they were,
+saucy, wide-awake black pansies, the most beautiful flower in all
+creation; and, while they were shadowed by the intangible melancholy of
+the tropics, they were also capable of twinkling in the most roguish
+manner imaginable, as at the present moment. Her hair was soft and
+fine, entirely free from the harsh lustre so common to that shade, and
+it grew down upon her temples in a way that completed the perfect oval
+of her face. His first glimpse had told him she was ravishingly pretty,
+but it had failed to show how dainty and small she was. He saw now that
+she was considerably below the usual height, but so perfectly
+proportioned that one utterly lost perspective. Even her thick, coarse
+dress could not conceal the exquisite mould in which she was cast. But
+her chief charm lay in a certain winsome vivacity, a willful
+waywardness, an ever-changing expression which showed her keenly alive
+and appreciative. Even now pure mischief looked out of her eyes as she
+asked:
+
+"Have you rested enough to attack the orchid?"
+
+"Yes." He roused himself from his trance, and with a strangely leaping
+heart proceeded carefully to detach the big air plant from its
+resting-place. The wonderful flower, nodding to his touch, was no more
+perfect than this dryad whom he had surprised.
+
+"Don't break it," she cautioned as he came gingerly down the tree. "It
+is what we call 'Espiritu Santa,' the 'Holy Spirit' flower. See, it is
+like a white bird."
+
+"First one I've seen," he said, noting how the purity of the bloom
+enhanced the olive of her cheek. Then he began another fruitless search
+for a topic of conversation, fearing that if he allowed the slightest
+pause she would send him away. But all his thoughts were of her, it
+seemed. His tongue would frame nothing but eager questions--all about
+herself. At last in desperation he volunteered to get another orchid;
+but the suggestion met with no approval. There were no more, she told
+him, of that kind.
+
+"Maybe we can find one," he said, hopefully.
+
+"Thank you. I know them all." She was looking at him now as if
+wondering why he did not make a start, but wild horses could not have
+dragged him away. Instead of picking up his gun, he inquired:
+
+"May I rest a moment? I'm awfully tired."
+
+"Certainly. You may stay as long as you wish. When you are rested the
+little path will bring you out."
+
+"But you mustn't go!" he exclaimed, in a panic, as she turned away.
+"Oh, I say, please! You wouldn't do a thing like that?"
+
+"I cannot speak to you this way, sir." The young lady blushed prettily.
+
+"Why not, I'd like to know?"
+
+"Oh!" She raised her hand and shook her head to express the absolute
+impossibility of such a thing. "Already I have been terrible. What will
+Stephanie say?"
+
+"You've been nothing of the sort, and who is Stephanie?"
+
+"She is a big black woman--very fierce. It is because of Stephanie that
+the fairies have gone away from here."
+
+"If we wait a minute, maybe they'll come out."
+
+"No. I have waited many times and I never saw them."
+
+"Somehow I feel sure we'll see 'em this time," he urged. Then, as she
+shook her head doubtfully: "Good heavens! Don't you want to see 'em?
+I'm so tired that I must sit down."
+
+The corners of her eyes wrinkled as she said, "You are not very strong,
+senor. Have you been ill?"
+
+"Yes--no. Not exactly." He led her to a bamboo bench beside the palm
+hut. "I've been hunting. Now won't you please tell me how you chanced
+to be here? I thought these country places were unoccupied at this
+season."
+
+"So they are. But, you see, I am doing a penance."
+
+"Penance! You?"
+
+"Oh yes. And it is nothing to laugh about, either," she chided, as he
+smiled incredulously, "I am a bad girl; I am disobedient. Otherwise I
+would not allow you to speak to me alone like this. You are the first
+gentleman I have ever been so long in the company with, Senor Antonio."
+
+"Really?"
+
+"Now I will have to do more penance." She sighed sadly, but her eyes
+were dancing.
+
+"I don't understand this penance affair. What do you do?"
+
+She lifted a fold of her coarse denim dress. "For six months I must
+wear these garments--no pretty ones. I must not go out in public also,
+and I have been sent here away from the city for a time to cure my
+rebellious spirit."
+
+"Those dresses must be hot."
+
+"Oh, very uncomfortable! But, you see, I was bad."
+
+"Not very bad?"
+
+"Indeed. I disobeyed my father, my uncle, everybody." For the first
+time her eyes grew bright with anger. "But I did not wish to be
+married."
+
+"Now, I see. They wanted you to marry some fellow you don't like?"
+
+"I do like him--"
+
+"You did exactly right to refuse. By all means stand pat, and don't--"
+
+"'Stand pat.' I have not heard that word since I was in Baltimore."
+
+"It's awful to marry somebody you don't like," he declared, with such
+earnest conviction that she inquired, quickly:
+
+"Ah, then are you married?"
+
+"No! But everybody says it's positively criminal to marry without love."
+
+"The gentleman is very handsome."
+
+He shuddered, "Beware of handsome men. If you have any idea of
+marriage, select a large, plain man with blue eyes and light hair."
+
+"I do not know such a person."
+
+"Not yet, of course; that is, not well enough to marry him."
+
+"It is not nice to speak of such things," said the young lady, primly.
+"And it is not nice also to speak with strange gentlemen who come out
+of the forest when one is doing penance. But I am a half American, you
+know. Perhaps that is what makes me so bad."
+
+"Will you catch it for talking to me?"
+
+"Oh yes. It is not allowed. It is most improper."
+
+"Then I suppose I'd better leave." Anthony settled himself more
+comfortably upon the bench. "And yet there is nothing really wrong
+about it, is there? Why, it's done every day in my country. Besides,
+who's going to know?"
+
+"The padre. I tell him everything."
+
+"You girls down here have a pretty tough time of it; you are guarded
+pretty closely, aren't you?"
+
+She gave him a puzzled look.
+
+"I mean, you don't have any liberty. You don't go out alone, or let
+fellows take you to lunch, or to the matinee, or anything like that?"
+
+Evidently the mere mention of such things was shocking. "Oh, senor,"
+she cried, incredulously, "such terrible actions cannot be permitted
+even in your country. It is awful to think of!"
+
+"Nonsense! It's done every day."
+
+"Here it would not do at all. One's people know best about such things.
+One must be careful at all times. But you Americans are so wicked!"
+
+"How does a fellow ever get acquainted with a girl down here? How does
+he get a chance to propose?"
+
+But this frank questioning on so sacred a topic was a little more than
+the young lady was prepared to meet, and for the moment confusion held
+her tongue-tied.
+
+"One's people attend to that, of course," she managed to say, at
+length, then changed the subject quickly.
+
+"Do you live in Panama?" she asked.
+
+"Yes. I work on the railroad, or will, in a few days."
+
+"You are so young for such authority. It must be very difficult to
+manage railroads."
+
+"Well--I won't have to run the whole works--at first. I'm beginning
+gradually, you know--one train at a time."
+
+"That will be easier, of course. What did you say is your whole name?"
+
+"Kirk Anthony."
+
+"Keerk! It has a fonny sound, has it not?"
+
+"I never noticed it. And yours?"
+
+"Do you speak Spanish?" She regarded him curiously.
+
+"Not a word."
+
+"My name is Chiquita."
+
+He repeated it after her. "It's pretty. What is your last name?"
+
+"That is it. If I told you my first name, you could not use it; it
+would not be proper."
+
+"It ought to be something like Ariel. That means 'spirit of the air and
+water,' I believe. Ariel Chiquita. No, they don't go together. What are
+you laughing at?"
+
+"To see you scratch your neck."
+
+Anthony became conscious of a growing sensation where the strange pod
+had dangled against his skin, and realized that he had been rubbing the
+spot for some time.
+
+"You did not know it was the cow-nettle, eh?"
+
+"You enjoy seeing me suffer," he said, patiently.
+
+"You do not soffer," she retorted, mimicking his tone. "You only eetch!
+You wish me to sympathize."
+
+"See here, Miss Chiquita, may I call on you?"
+
+"Oh!" She lifted her brows in amazement. "Such ideas! Of a certainly
+not."
+
+"Why?"
+
+"You do not onderstand. Our young men do not do those things."
+
+"Then I'll do whatever is customary--really I will, but--I'm awfully
+anxious to see you again--and--'
+
+"I do not know you--My father--"
+
+"I'll look up Mr. Chiquita and be introduced."
+
+At this the young lady began to rock back and forth in an abandon of
+merriment. The idea, it seemed, was too utterly ridiculous for words.
+Her silvery laughter filled the glade and caused the jealous waterfall
+to cease its music.
+
+"No, no," she said, finally. "It is impossible. Besides, I am doing
+penance. I can see no one. In the city I cannot even sit upon the
+balcony." She fetched a palpably counterfeit sigh, which ended in a
+titter.
+
+Never had Kirk beheld such a quaintly mischievous, such a madly
+tantalizing creature.
+
+"Say! You're not really going to marry that fellow!" he exclaimed, with
+considerable fervor.
+
+She shrugged her shoulders wearily. "I suppose so. One cannot forever
+say no, and there are many reasons--"
+
+"Oh, that's the limit. You'll go nutty, married to a chap you don't
+care for."
+
+"But I am naughty, now."
+
+"Not 'naughty'--nutty. You'll be perfectly miserable. There ought to be
+a law against it. Let me call and talk it over, at least. I know all
+about marriage--I've been around so many married people. Promise?"
+
+"I cannot let you 'call,' as you say. Besides, for two weeks yet I must
+remain here alone with Stephanie." She regarded him mournfully. "Every
+day I must do my penance, and think of my sins, and--perhaps look for
+orchids."
+
+He saw the light that flickered in the depths of her velvet eyes, and
+his heart pounded violently at the unspoken invitation.
+
+"To-morrow?" he inquired, breathlessly. "Do you intend to hunt orchids
+to-morrow?"
+
+Instead of answering she started to her feet with a little cry, and he
+did likewise. Back of them had sounded an exclamation--it was more like
+the snort of a wild animal than a spoken word--and there, ten feet
+away, stood a tall, copper-colored negress, her eyes blazing, her
+nostrils dilated, a look of utmost fury upon her face. She was fully as
+tall as Kirk, gaunt, hook-nosed, and ferocious. About her head was
+bound a gaudy Barbadian head-dress, its tips erect like startled ears,
+increasing the wildness of her appearance.
+
+"Stephanie!" exclaimed the girl. "You frightened me."
+
+The negress strode to her, speaking rapidly in Spanish, then turned
+upon Kirk.
+
+"What do you want here?" she cried, menacingly. She had thrust her
+charge behind her and now pierced him with her eyes.
+
+"Miss Chiquita--" he began, at which that young lady broke into another
+peal of silvery laughter and chattered to her servant. But her words,
+instead of placating the black woman, only added to her fury. She
+pointed with quivering hand to the path along the creek-bank and cried:
+
+"Go! Go quick, you man!" Then to her charge: "You bad, BAD! Go to the
+house."
+
+"Miss Chiquita hasn't done anything to make you huffy. I came out of
+the woods yonder and she was good enough to direct me to the road."
+
+But Stephanie was not to be appeased. She stamped her flat foot and
+repeated her command in so savage a tone that Kirk perceived the
+uselessness of trying to explain. He looked appealingly at the girl,
+but she merely nodded her head and motioned him to be gone.
+
+"Very well," he said, regretfully. "Thank you for your assistance,
+miss." He bowed to the little figure in blue with his best manner and
+took up his gun. "This way out! No crowding, please."
+
+"Adios, Senor Antonio," came the girl's mischievous voice, and as he
+strode down the path he carried with him the memory of a perfect oval
+face smiling at him past the tragic figure of the Bajan woman. He went
+blindly, scarcely aware of the sun-mottled trail his feet were
+following, for his wits were a-flutter and his heart was leaping to
+some strange intoxication that grew with every instant.
+
+It threatened to suffuse him, choke him, rob him of his senses; he
+wanted to cry out. Her name was Chiquita. He repeated it over and over
+in time to his steps. Was there ever such a beautiful name? Was there
+ever such a ravishing little wood-sprite? And her sweet, hesitating
+accent that rang in his ears! How could human tongue make such
+caressing music of the harshest language on the globe? She had called
+him "Senor Antonio," and invited him to come again to-morrow. Would he
+come? He doubted his ability to wait so long. Knowing that she agreed
+to the tryst, no power on earth could deter him.
+
+What a day it had been! He had started out in the morning, vaguely
+hoping to divert his mind with some of those trite little happenings
+that for lack of a better term we call adventures in this humdrum
+world. And then, with the miraculous, unbelievable luck of youth, he
+had stumbled plump into the middle of the most wondrous adventure it
+was possible to conceive. And yet this wasn't adventure, after all--it
+was something bigger, finer, more precious. With a suddenness that was
+blinding he realized that he was in love! Yes, that was it, beyond the
+shadow of a doubt. This mischief-ridden, foreign-born little creature
+was the one and only woman in the world for whom the fates had made him
+and brought him across two oceans.
+
+That evening he sat for a long time alone on the gallery of his hotel,
+his spirit uplifted with the joy of it, a thousand whispering voices in
+his ears. And when at last he fell asleep it was to dream of an olive,
+oval face with eyes like black pansies.
+
+
+
+
+XIV
+
+THE PATH THAT LED NOWHERE
+
+
+When "Senor Antonio" awoke the next morning he lay for an instant
+striving to recall what it was that had haunted his sleeping hours,
+what great event awaited him. Then, as it rushed through his mind, he
+leaped out of bed and dashed headlong into the bath-room. This was
+to-morrow! It had been ages in coming--he recalled how even his
+slumbers had dragged--but it was here at last, and he would see
+Chiquita.
+
+He sang as he stepped under his shower, and whistled blithely as he
+dressed himself. What a glorious country this Panama was, anyhow! How
+good it was to be young and to be in love! He never had been so happy.
+A man must be in love to sing before breakfast. But the afternoon was
+still a long way off, and he must be content to dream until the hour
+came.
+
+He was too early for the Cortlandts, and he breakfasted alone. When he
+strolled out upon the veranda for his smoke he found Allan waiting for
+him, as usual. The Jamaican had not missed a morning so far, and it was
+only by a show of downright firmness that Kirk had been able to get rid
+of him at any time during the day. The black boy seemed bent upon
+devoting his every waking hour to his hero, and now, finding himself
+regarded with friendly eyes, he expanded joyously.
+
+"Got you some games yesterday?" he inquired.
+
+"Yes. And I'm going again to-day."
+
+"Plenty games over yonder is, but it is very fatiguing to get them.
+To-day I go along for showing you the way."
+
+"Not a bit like it. I'm going alone."
+
+"Oh no, boss!"
+
+"Oh yes, boss! I accidentally shot the last man I hunted with--killed
+him." Kirk stared tragically at his companion, but Allan was not to be
+so easily deterred.
+
+"I shall pahss behind you, boss."
+
+"I'd love to have you, of course--but I'm too careless."
+
+"Praise God, you must not go h'alone in that case, or something will
+befall you! I shall h'imitate the birds and call them out before you to
+fire at."
+
+"Fire AT! I don't fire at things, I hit 'em."
+
+"Yes, sar. In that case we shall procure plenty of games."
+
+"See here! I'm going alone, understand? I have an engagement with a
+Naiad."
+
+"'Ow much a month will you be getting for such h'engagements?"
+
+"Naiads don't pay in money, they give you smiles and kind words."
+
+"Better you continue then as train collector. There is great
+h'opportunity for stealing."
+
+"My job won't be ready for a few days, and meanwhile I have become a
+huntsman. I intend to go out every afternoon."
+
+"H'afternoons is no good for wild h'animals; they are sleeping. Walk
+they in the h'early morning, for the most part, very quietly."
+
+"That's true of some wood creatures, but the kind I hunt dance along
+the edges of pools in the afternoon. Say, did you ever feel like
+dancing?"
+
+"No, sar."
+
+"Come around on the back porch and I'll teach you a buck-step. I feel
+too good to sit still."
+
+But Allan refused this proffer firmly. Such frivolous conduct was
+beneath his dignity.
+
+"I 'ave h'important things to disclose," he said, mysteriously.
+
+"Indeed."
+
+"Yes, sar. Last night I dreamed."
+
+"You've got nothing on me; so did I."
+
+"I am walking on the h'edge of the h'ocean when I h'encountered a
+whale--a 'uge whale."
+
+"Swam ashore to rest, I suppose?"
+
+"No, sar; he was dead. It was very vivid."
+
+"Well, what has a vivid dead whale to do with me?"
+
+"This!" Allan brought forth a sheet of paper, which he unfolded
+carefully. "There is the number--the 'fish number,' sar."
+
+"Why, this is a Chinese lottery advertisement."
+
+"I got it for the very purpose. It would pay us to h'invest some money
+on the 'fish number.'"
+
+"Nonsense! I don't believe in dreams. You say yourself they are false."
+
+"Never such a dream as this, boss. It was very vivid."
+
+"I've got no money."
+
+Allan folded the paper disconsolately and thrust it into his pocket.
+"It is fartunate h'indeed," said he, "that you will be working soon,
+Master h'Auntony. And those P. R. R. was very fartunate also for
+getting you to h'accept a position, very fartunate h'indeed."
+
+"Do you think I will raise the standard of efficiency?"
+
+"Most of those railroad persons are vile people. They threw me h'off
+the train with such violence that my joints are very stiff and
+h'inflamed. I should h'enjoy being boss over them for a while."
+
+"Why don't you ask for a job?"
+
+"I have decided to do so, and I am asking you now for an h'engagement
+as brakesman."
+
+"I can't hire you. Go to the office."
+
+"Probably there are h'already brakesmen on your train."
+
+"I have no doubt."
+
+"In that case I shall ride with you as private person."
+
+"Ride back and forth every day?"
+
+"Those are my h'expectations, sar."
+
+"That costs money."
+
+"You will be collector," remarked the negro, calmly. "I should like to
+see those train people h'expel me, in that case."
+
+"Well! I can see trouble ahead for one of us," laughed Anthony. "They
+don't allow 'dead-heads.'"
+
+But Allan replied with unshaken confidence: "Then you should secure for
+me a pahss."
+
+Kirk found it extremely difficult to escape from his persistent shadow
+that afternoon, and he succeeded only after a display of armed
+resistance.
+
+It was the hottest part of the day when he set out, gun on arm, yet he
+never thought of the discomfort. After skirting the city, he swung into
+the fine macadam road that had brought him home the night before, and
+much sooner than he expected he arrived at the little path that led
+into the forest. He knew that he was trespassing again, and the
+knowledge added to his delight. As quickly as possible he lost himself
+in the grateful shade and followed the stream-bank with beating heart.
+His head was full of vague hopes and plans. He meant to learn the true
+story of Miss Chiquita's penance and find some means of winning her
+away from that other lover, of whom he had already thought more than
+once. He determined to make his love known without delay and establish
+himself as a regular suitor.
+
+As upon the previous day, he broke into the glade before he suspected
+its presence, to find the same golden light-beams flickering in the
+shadowed depths and to hear the little waterfall chuckling at his
+surprise. There was the tree from which she had called to him, yonder
+the bench where they had sat together.
+
+Of course, he was too early--he wanted to be, in order not to miss an
+instant of her company, so he seated himself and dreamed about her. The
+minutes dragged, the jungle drowsed. An hour passed. A thousand fresh,
+earthy odors breathed around him, and he began to see all sorts of
+flowers hidden away in unsuspected places. From the sunlit meadows
+outside came a sound of grazing herds, the deep woods faintly echoed
+the harsh calls of tropic birds, but at the pool itself a sleepy
+silence brooded.
+
+Once a chattering squirrel came bravely rustling through the branches
+to the very edge of the enchanted bower, but he only sat and stared a
+moment in seeming admiration, then retreated quietly. A yellow-beaked
+toucan, in a flash of red and black and gold, settled upon a mirrored
+limb; but it, too, stilled its raucous tongue and flitted away on
+noiseless pinions as if the Naiads were asleep.
+
+In the moist earth beside the bench Anthony saw the print of a dainty
+boot, no longer than his palm, and he promptly fell into a rhapsody.
+What tiny hands and feet she had, to be sure, and such a sweetly
+melancholy face! Yet she was anything but grave and gloomy. Why, the
+sunlight dancing on that waterfall was no more mischievous and merry
+than she. The slight suggestion of sadness she conveyed was but the
+shadow of the tropic mystery or the afterglow of the tragedy that had
+played so large a part in this country's history. The fact that she was
+half American perhaps accounted for her daring, yet, whatever the other
+strain, it could not be ignoble. Mrs. Cortlandt's figure of the silver
+threads in a rotting altar-cloth recurred to him with peculiar force.
+
+But why didn't she come? A sudden apprehension overtook him, which grew
+and grew as the afternoon wore away.
+
+It was a very miserable young man who wandered out through the fragrant
+path, as the first evening shadows settled, and bent his dejected steps
+toward the city. Evidently something had occurred to prevent her
+keeping her tryst, but he determined to return on the morrow, and then
+if she did not come to follow that other path right up to the house,
+where he would risk everything for a word with her. He wondered if she
+had stayed away purposely to test him, and the thought gave him a
+thrill. If so, she would soon learn that he was in earnest; she would
+find him waiting there every afternoon and--after all, why confine
+himself to the afternoon when she was just as likely to appear in the
+morning? He resolved to go hunting earlier hereafter, and give the
+whole day to it. Meanwhile, he would make cautious inquiries.
+
+It was considerably after dark when he reached the hotel, and his
+friends had dined; but he encountered Mr. Cortlandt later. If Edith's
+husband suspected anything of what had occurred a night or two ago, his
+countenance gave no sign of it. For some reason or other, Kirk had not
+been troubled in the slightest by the thought that Cortlandt might be
+told. He could not imagine Edith making him the confidant of her
+outraged feelings. Besides, would such a strangely impassive person
+resent any little indiscretion in which his wife might choose to
+indulge? Kirk did not know--the man was a puzzle to him.
+
+Cortlandt's voice was thoroughly non-committal as he inquired:
+
+"Where have you been keeping yourself?"
+
+"I've been hunting, to kill time."
+
+"Any luck?"
+
+"No, none at all. I started too late, I guess."
+
+"By-the-way," continued the other, "your friend Allan has been
+besieging Edith, imploring her to use her influence to get him a
+position. He has set his heart upon going to work with you."
+
+"He is becoming a positive nuisance. I can't get rid of him."
+
+"I never saw such hero-worship."
+
+"Oh, all niggers are hysterical."
+
+"Let me give you a bit of advice, Anthony. Remember there are no
+'niggers' and 'whites' in this country--they are both about equal. The
+President of the republic is a black man, and a very good one, too."
+
+"That reminds me. I hear he is to be succeeded by the father of my
+friend, Alfarez."
+
+Cortlandt hesitated. "General Alfarez is a candidate. He is a very
+strong man, but--"
+
+"I am glad there is a 'but.'"
+
+"It isn't settled, by any means. The successful candidate will need the
+support of our government."
+
+"I suppose the Alfarez family is one of the first settlers--Mayflower
+stock?"
+
+"Oh, worse than that. The name runs back to Balboa's time. General
+Alfarez is very rich, and very proud of his ancestry. That is one thing
+that makes him so strong with the people."
+
+"What are some of the other leading families?" Kirk artfully inquired.
+
+"There are a number. The Martinezes, the Moras, the Garavels--I
+couldn't name them all. They are very fine people, too."
+
+"Do you know the Chiquitas?"
+
+Cortlandt's face relaxed in an involuntary smile.
+
+"There is no such family. Who has been teaching you Spanish?"
+
+"Really, isn't there?"
+
+"'Chiquita' means 'very small,' 'little one,' 'little girl,' or
+something like that. It's not a family name, it's a term of endearment,
+usually."
+
+Kirk remembered now how the girl's eyes had danced when she asked him
+if he spoke her language. It was just like her to tease him, and yet
+what a pretty way to conceal her identity!
+
+"What made you take it for a proper name?"
+
+"A-a little girl told me."
+
+"Oh, naturally. All children are 'Chiquitas' or
+'Chiquitos'--everything, in fact, that is a pet."
+
+Kirk felt somewhat uncomfortable under the older man's gaze of quiet
+amusement.
+
+"But these other families," he went on in some confusion--"I mean the
+ones like those you just mentioned--they sometimes intermarry with
+Americans, don't they?"
+
+"No, not the better class. There have been a few instances, I believe,
+but for the most part they keep to themselves."
+
+"How would a fellow set about meeting the nice people."
+
+"He wouldn't. He would probably live here indefinitely and never see
+the inside of a Panamanian house."
+
+"But there must be some way," the young man exclaimed in desperation.
+"There must be dances, parties--"
+
+"Of course, but Americans are not invited. The men are easy to get
+acquainted with, charming, courteous, gentlemanly, but I dare say you
+will leave Panama without so much as meeting their wives or sisters.
+But why this consuming curiosity? Has some senorita struck your fancy?"
+
+In spite of his effort to appear unconcerned, Kirk felt that he looked
+abominably self-conscious. Without waiting for a reply, Cortlandt
+continued to give him information as if he enjoyed it.
+
+"I suppose one reason why so few Americans marry Panamanians is that
+our men like at least to get acquainted with their brides before
+marriage, and that is impossible in this country. A man never sees a
+girl alone, you know. When he calls to court her he wooes the whole
+family, who vote on him, so to speak. That doesn't appeal to us who
+originated the mother-in-law joke. There aren't many Northern chaps who
+would consent to select a wife by pointing her out like a bolt of
+calico on a top shelf."
+
+Kirk suddenly realized to the full how egregious his request to call
+must have appeared to the Spanish girl. What a fool he had been, to be
+sure! For a moment he lost himself in a contemplation of the
+difficulties so unexpectedly presented. He was brought to himself by
+the words:
+
+"--to-morrow you will go to work."
+
+"What's that?" he broke forth in a panic. "I can't go to work
+to-morrow; I'm going hunting."
+
+Cortlandt eyed him curiously.
+
+"I didn't say to-morrow. I said Runnells 'phoned that he would be ready
+for you day after to-morrow. What is the matter with you? Have you lost
+your head over shooting, or don't you care to work?"
+
+"Oh, neither," he said, hastily. "I merely misunderstood you. Of
+course, the sooner the better."
+
+"Yes, as you say, the sooner the better," said Cortlandt, with a shade
+of meaning. "Well, good-night, and good-luck to you in your shooting!"
+
+It was with much less self-assurance that Kirk set out again on the
+next morning, for this was his last day of grace, and he realized that
+unless he accomplished something definite it might be a considerable
+time before he could continue his quest. In view of what the girl had
+said regarding her engagement, delays seemed particularly dangerous.
+
+He haunted the vicinity of the meeting-place all the morning, but no
+one came, and a heavy shower at midday drove him into the palm-thatched
+hut for shelter. When it had passed he put an end to his indecision and
+boldly took the other path. At least he would find out where she lived
+and who she was. But once again he was disappointed. The trail led out
+through the grove to the rain-drenched pasture, where it disappeared,
+and, instead of one house, he saw three, half hidden in foliage and all
+facing in the opposite direction. They stood upon the crest of a hill
+fronting the road, and he realized that the pool might be the
+bathing-place for the inmates of one or all of them.
+
+Up past the grazing stock he went and around to the front of the
+nearest residence, which proved to be a low, rambling, bungalow affair
+with many outhouses smothered in a profusion of vines and fruit-trees.
+Evidently it was unoccupied, for heavy wooden shutters barricaded the
+windows, and no one answered his knock, although some pigeons perched
+upon the tile roof cooed at him in a friendly manner. He struck across
+lots to the next house, but met with no better success, and he
+approached the third dwelling with a certain hesitation, for it was his
+last chance. It was more pretentious than the rest, and stood proudly
+upon the highest point of the ridge, up which ran a private road
+guarded by twin rows of stately royal palms, whose perfectly rounded
+trunks seemed to have been turned upon some giant lathe. The house
+itself was large, square, and double-galleried. It was shaded by lofty
+hard-wood trees and overlooked a sort of formal garden, now badly in
+need of care. The road was of shell, and where it entered the grounds
+passed through a huge iron gate suspended upon concrete pillars. The
+whole place had an air of wealth and exclusiveness.
+
+Here, too, the windows stared at him blindly, and he saw no evidence of
+occupation; yet he advanced and pounded vigorously on the door. Failing
+to rouse any one, he paused to take a general view of the surroundings.
+Scattered upon every side were other winter homes, some bleaching
+nakedly in the open, others peeping out from luxuriant groves, some
+mean and poor, others really beautiful and impressive. He knew that he
+was in the heart of Panama's exclusive winter colony, where her wealthy
+residents came to avoid the heat.
+
+Unwilling to acknowledge himself beaten, he plodded from one place to
+another, calling at all the nearest houses, finding most of them
+locked, and begging a glass of water where he chanced to be more
+fortunate. Nowhere did he see the girl or the Barbadian woman, nowhere
+did he receive an intelligible answer to his questions. The caretakers
+looked upon him with suspicion, and made it known that he was
+unwelcome, while their women retreated at sight of him. Even the
+children were unfriendly. Once, indeed, he heard the name that had been
+ringing so steadily in his ears, and it gave him a wild thrill until he
+discovered that it was only a negress calling to her child. Afterward
+it seemed that he heard it everywhere. On his disconsolate journey home
+it was spoken twenty times, being applied indifferently to dogs, cats,
+parrots, and naked youngsters, each mention causing him to start and
+listen.
+
+Whether the girl had been playing with him, or whether she had been
+prevented from keeping her word, was of little moment now. He loved her
+and he intended to have her! He shut his teeth grimly and made a vow to
+find her if he had to invade every home in Las Savannas, or pull apart
+the walls of Panama.
+
+
+
+
+XV
+
+ALIAS JEFFERSON LOCKE
+
+
+It was fortunate for Kirk, on the whole, that his last expedition had
+proved a failure, for his methods were none of the most discreet; and
+it was as well, perhaps, that his work on the railroad intervened to
+prevent further wild incursions.
+
+He was detailed to ride No. 2, which left Panama at 6.35, returning on
+No. 7, which arrived at 7.00 P.M. For a few days he made the run in
+company with the train collector, whose position he was destined to
+fill; and, as the duties were by no means difficult, he quickly
+mastered them. He had quarters assigned to him, and regretfully took
+leave of his luxurious room and bath at the Tivoli. He also donned cap
+and linen uniform, and became an insignificant, brass-tagged unit in
+the army of Canal workers. Ordinarily he would have resented this loss
+of individuality, but the novelty of the thing appealed to him, and he
+brought a great good-nature to his work, deriving sufficient amusement
+from it to prevent it from growing tiresome.
+
+For a time it offended his fastidious taste to be forced to elbow his
+way through superheated coaches jammed with shrieking, cackling,
+incoherent negroes. They were all utterly hysterical, and apparently
+possessed but one stubborn idea--to refuse payments of fares. But in
+time he grew to enjoy even this.
+
+He was glad of his new-found independence, moreover, for, though it did
+not cancel his obligation to the Cortlandts, it made him feel it less
+keenly. As for his quarters, they were quite tolerable--about the same
+as he had had at boarding-school, he reflected, and the meals were
+better. They were not quite up to Sherry's or Martin's, it was true,
+but they cost only thirty cents, and that had advantages. Certainly he
+could not complain of a lack of incident in his new life. On his first
+trip to Colon and back he had nine disputes and two fights, and threw
+one man off--a record achievement, he was told, for a beginner.
+
+A further diversion was furnished by Allan, who appeared early in the
+morning and all but assaulted the gateman, who refused to let him pass
+without a ticket. It took the entire station force to prevent him from
+starting for Colon as Kirk's guest. He considered it a matter of course
+that his friend should offer him the courtesies of the road, and he
+went away at last, wofully disappointed but not discouraged.
+
+On the evening of that eventful day, instead of returning to his new
+quarters, Kirk proceeded to walk the streets in search of a certain
+face. He strolled through the plazas; he idled in front of the most
+pretentious residences; he tramped wearily back and forth through
+dim-lit, narrow streets, gazing up at windows and balconies, harkening
+for the tone of a voice or the sound of a girl's laughter. But he was
+without the slightest success, and it was very late when he finally
+retired, to dream, as usual, of Chiquita.
+
+Several days passed, and he began to feel a little dull. He was making
+no progress in his quest, and he did feel the lack of congenial
+society. Then one evening there came a note from Edith Cortlandt
+briefly requesting him to come and see her.
+
+He was a little surprised, yet he was conscious of a certain relief. He
+had not felt like intruding upon her with further explanations and
+apologies; but since she wished him to come--perhaps they could meet,
+after all, in a natural way. He wanted to get rid of the wretched
+misunderstanding that lay between them. If he were to leave the country
+that night never to return, he would want to feel that he had parted on
+good terms with the woman who had befriended him.
+
+Promptly at eight o'clock he presented himself.
+
+"I'm a laboring man now," he said, as he stood before her, "and I
+usually hold my cap in my hand and shuffle my feet when talking to
+ladies. Pray excuse my embarrassment."
+
+She did not respond to the lightness of his tone. Her glance seemed
+intended to warn him that she meant to be serious.
+
+"I suppose you are wondering why I sent for you," she remarked, after a
+perceptible interval, and Kirk felt instantly that their old relations
+could not at once be resumed. "I have discovered something very
+important, and I felt that you ought to know."
+
+"Thank you," said Kirk, humbly. "It was very kind."
+
+"You see," she went on, with a certain hesitancy, "you confided your
+story to me so frankly I felt under a certain obligation." She made a
+little dramatic pause. "I've discovered who Jefferson Locke is!"
+
+"No! Who is he?" Kirk was instantly all attention, for the announcement
+came as something of a shock. He had almost forgotten Locke.
+
+"His real name is Frank Wellar, and he is an absconder. He was a
+broker's clerk in St. Louis, and he made off with something like eighty
+thousand dollars in cash."
+
+"Good heavens!" said Anthony. "How did you find out?"
+
+"A bundle of New York papers--they came to-day."
+
+"Where did they catch him?"
+
+"They haven't caught him. He has disappeared completely--that's the
+strangest part of it. Your detective didn't die, after all."
+
+"He recovered, did he? I'm mighty glad of that."
+
+"Yes, but you aren't out of the woods yet. I can't understand why the
+police haven't discovered your whereabouts. You left New York openly
+under the name of Locke--"
+
+"Perhaps it was so easy they overlooked it." He smiled ruefully. "I'd
+hate to be arrested just now when I'm getting to be such a good
+conductor."
+
+"Don't worry about that until the time comes. I'll get you the papers
+later." She showed no immediate intention of rising, however, but sat
+regarding her visitor with slightly heightened color. He began to feel
+embarrassed. It seemed to be his fate to receive benefits at this
+woman's hand, whether he willed it or not.
+
+He got to his feet with an effort, and said, looking down upon her:
+
+"I must go now; but first I want to make you feel how grateful I am for
+your kindness and for your continued trust in me. I haven't deserved
+it, I know, but--" He turned as if to leave, but faced her again as he
+heard her pronounce his name. He was surprised to see that there were
+tears in her eyes.
+
+"Kirk," she said, "you're an awfully good sort, and I can't stay angry
+with you. Do you know you've made it rather hard for me staying away
+all this time?"
+
+"I thought you never wanted to see me again."
+
+"You shouldn't take so seriously what a woman says under such
+circumstances. It's embarrassing. It makes things seem worse than they
+are." She hesitated, as if to emphasize the difficulty of such candor.
+
+Kirk said, gently:
+
+"Does that mean that we can forget all about it and be good friends
+again? Does it mean that you'll forgive me?"
+
+"I can't quite promise that," she answered. "But there is no need of
+your avoiding me; and it's absurd for you to feel as you do, that you
+can't accept any little services from me that might help you in your
+work. I'm still interested in your success."
+
+"You're tremendously good," he answered, really touched. "I can't say
+anything, except that I'll try to be worthy of your kindness."
+
+She gave him a half-distressed look, then smiled brightly.
+
+"We won't talk of it any more," she said--"ever. Now do sit down and
+tell me what you have been doing all this time. How have you been
+getting along with your work?"
+
+"All right, except one morning when I overslept."
+
+"Overslept? Oh, Kirk!" she said, reproachfully.
+
+"You see, I never got up so early before, except to go duck-hunting,
+and this is different. Did you ever try rising at five-thirty--in the
+morning, I mean? You've no idea how it feels. Why, it's hardly light!
+You can't see to brush your teeth! I suggested to Runnels that we send
+No. 2 out at eight-thirty instead of six-thirty--that's early enough
+for anybody--but he didn't seem to take kindly to the thought."
+
+"What did he say when you reported?"
+
+"I didn't consider it proper to listen to all he said, so I retired
+gracefully. From what I did hear, however, I gathered that he was
+vaguely offended at something. I tried to explain that I had been out
+late, but it didn't go."
+
+Edith laughed. "Perhaps I'd better telephone him."
+
+"Oh no, you needn't do that."
+
+"But surely you were called in time?"
+
+"Please don't. That's the first thing Runnels yodelled at me when I
+showed up. He's a nice fellow, but he's too serious; he lets little
+things bother him. He'll cool off eventually."
+
+Time passed quickly in such an interchange of pleasant trivialities,
+and, although Kirk felt that he was making an unconscionably long call,
+he could not well leave while his hostess seemed bent on detaining him.
+It was late when he said good-night, and, after returning to his
+quarters, with characteristic perversity he proceeded to sit up,
+smoking cigarette after cigarette, while he tried to set his thoughts
+in order. He was grateful to Mrs. Cortlandt, and immensely pleased to
+learn that the man injured in the affair in New York had not died. But
+something must be done about Chiquita. That was the important thing
+now. He wrestled with the problem for a long time in vain. He was
+afraid to go to bed for fear of oversleeping again, and decided to stay
+up until train-time. But at length drowsiness overcame him, and for the
+few remaining hours he dreamed lonesomely of an oval face and big,
+black, velvet eyes.
+
+He did not really miss his rest until the next afternoon, when the heat
+and the monotonous rumble of the train, together with its restful
+swaying, sent him off into a delicious doze, from which he was awakened
+by a brakeman barely in time to escape discovery. Thereafter he
+maintained more regular habits, and while no one but the luxury-loving
+youth himself knew what effort it required to cut short his slumbers in
+their sweetest part, he never missed his train, and in time the early
+hours ceased to be a hardship.
+
+In the days that followed he tried his very best to make good. Every
+evening he had to himself he spent in search of the Spanish girl. Aside
+from his inability to find her, and an occasional moment of misgiving
+at the thought of Frank Wellar, alias Jefferson Locke, Kirk had but one
+worry, and that was caused by Allan. Never a day passed that the
+worshipful black boy did not fairly hound him with his attentions;
+never a nightly journey down into the city that Allan did not either
+accompany him or, failing permission to do so, follow him at a safe
+distance. For a time Anthony rebelled at this espionage, but the
+constant effort of refusal grew tiresome after a while, especially as
+the Jamaican did just as he pleased anyhow, and Kirk ended by letting
+him have his way. But this was not all. Allan insisted upon
+accompanying his friend upon his daily runs back and forth across the
+Isthmus. At first he succeeded in slipping past the gateman in some
+miraculous manner, and, once aboard the train, behaved as if free from
+all further responsibility. He made it plain, in fact, that he was
+Anthony's guest and boon companion, and considered the exchange of
+money quite unnecessary, if not even insulting. Day after day Kirk
+argued with him, even threatening to throw him off; but Allan ignored
+the arguments with bland good-nature and looked upon the threats as the
+display of an excruciating sense of humor. He continued to visit and to
+gossip on terms of the closest intimacy, and began, moreover, to
+exercise a certain proprietary right over Kirk, following him through
+the train to see that no harm befell him, and seizing the slightest
+opportunity to engage him in conversation.
+
+Anthony explained time after time that there were probably spotters on
+the run, and that this conduct was sure, sooner or later, to get them
+both into trouble. To all of which Allan listened attentively and
+agreed with all earnestness. But the next morning invariably found him
+back again with some excuse.
+
+"I can't h'explain it, chief," he acknowledged, on one occasion. "Every
+day swear I to cease, but it is of no h'avail. Ever you been in love
+with a female, sar?"
+
+"What has that to do with it?"
+
+"It is much the same. I can't h'allow you to leave me. I would die and
+kill myself, but--"
+
+"Rats!"
+
+"Yes, sar. It is very h'annoying, is it not?"
+
+"Do you want me to lose my job?"
+
+"Oh, MON!"
+
+"I'm going to speak to the boss, if you don't let up. I don't want to
+get fired."
+
+"Never mind you, for these h'engagements. I will work for you."
+
+Becoming really concerned lest he should be accused of withholding
+fares, Kirk did speak to Runnels, explaining fully, whereupon a watch
+was set, with the result that on the very next morning Allan was chased
+out of the railroad yards by an unfeeling man with a club. Failing for
+a second time to evade the watchful eyes of the gateman, he ranged back
+and forth beyond the iron fence like a captive animal, raising his
+voice to heaven in weird complaint. He was waiting when the train
+pulled in that evening, glued to the iron bars, his eyes showing as
+white in the gloom as his expansive grin of welcome.
+
+For several days this procedure was repeated with variations, until the
+dreadful threat of arrest put an end to it. Allan had conceived a
+wholesome respect for Spiggoty police, and for a few days thereafter
+Kirk was rid of him. Then one morning he reappeared as usual in one of
+the forward coaches.
+
+"How the deuce did you make it?" asked Anthony.
+
+Allan proudly, triumphantly, displayed a ticket, exclaiming:
+
+"It is of no h'avail to prevent me, boss!"
+
+"That ticket is good only to Corozal, the first station. You'll have to
+get off there." But when Corozal had been passed he found Allan still
+comfortably ensconced in his seat.
+
+"Now, boss, we shall have fine visits to-day," the negro predicted,
+warmly, and Kirk did not have the heart to eject him.
+
+At the other end of the line Allan repeated the process, and thereafter
+worked diligently to amass sufficient money to buy tickets from Panama
+to Corozal and from Colon to Mt. Hope, relying with splendid faith upon
+his friend to protect him once he penetrated past the lynx-eyed gateman.
+
+Runnels accepted Kirk's explanation, and so far exceeded his authority
+as to make no objection. Allan, therefore, managed to spend about half
+his time in company with the object of his adoration.
+
+Although the Master of Transportation never referred to his
+conversation with Kirk on the occasion of their trip through Culebra
+Cut, he watched his new subordinate carefully and he felt his
+instinctive liking for him increase. The young fellow was in earnest,
+he decided, in his effort to succeed on his own merits, and had not
+been posing when he offered to start at the bottom. It gave Runnels
+pleasure to see how he attended to his work, once he had settled down
+to it.
+
+Accordingly, it afforded him an unpleasant surprise when he received a
+printed letter from a St. Louis detective agency relative to one Frank
+Wellar, alias Jefferson Locke (last seen in New York City November
+25th), and offering a substantial reward for information leading to his
+arrest. The communication reached Runnels through the usual channel,
+copies having been distributed to the heads of various departments. It
+was the description that caught his attention:
+
+"White; age, twenty-eight years; occupation, clerk; eyes, bluish gray;
+hair, light, shading upon yellow; complexion, fair; height, six feet;
+weight, one hundred ninety pounds. No prominent scars or marks, so far
+as known, but very particular as to personal appearance, and considered
+a good athlete, having been captain of U. of K. football team."
+
+There was but one man in Runnels' department whose appearance tallied
+with all this, and it gave the Master of Transportation a start to note
+how very complete was the identification. Nevertheless, he held the
+letter on his desk, and did nothing for a time except to question his
+new collector upon the first occasion. The result was not at all
+reassuring. A few days later, chancing to encounter John Weeks, on his
+way across the Isthmus, he recalled Kirk's mention of his first
+experience at Colon. By way of an experiment he led on the consul to
+speak of his former guest.
+
+"Anthony? Oh yes," wheezed the fat man. "I see you've got him at work."
+
+"You and he are friends, I believe. I thought you'd be interested to
+know he's getting on well. In fact, he's the best collector I have."
+
+"We're hardly friends," said the consul, cautiously. "I suppose he's
+all right--must be or Cortlandt wouldn't have taken him up; but there's
+something about him I don't understand. Either he's on the level, or
+he's got the nerve of a burglar."
+
+"How so?"
+
+"Well, I know he isn't what he claims to be--I have proof. He's no more
+Darwin K. Anthony's son than--"
+
+"Darwin K. Anthony!" exclaimed the railroad man, in amazement. "Did he
+claim that?"
+
+"He did, and he--" The speaker checked himself with admirable
+diplomatic caution. "Say, he's taught me one thing, and that is that it
+doesn't pay to butt into other people's business. I played him to lose,
+and he won; and I got into a fine mess over it." Weeks wrinkled his
+face into a ludicrous expression of mournful disgust. "I couldn't pick
+a winner if there were two horses in the race and one of them had a
+broken leg. Whether his name is Anthony or Locke makes no difference to
+me. I got in 'Dutch' for meddling, and Alfarez lost his job for
+arresting him. It's only a damn fool who gets stung twice in the same
+spot. I'm through."
+
+"You'll get your money. Anthony told me he'd square up on pay-day."
+
+Weeks snorted at this. "Why, I've got it already. I've been paid. Mrs.
+Cortlandt sent me her check." He stared at his companion curiously.
+"Funny, isn't it, how I got called down and Ramen Alfarez got fired on
+his account? What does it mean?" He winked one red eye in a manner that
+set Runnels to thinking deeply.
+
+
+
+
+XVI
+
+"8838"
+
+
+For a few days after this conversation the Master of Transportation was
+in doubt as to what course he should pursue. In the end he did nothing,
+and the letter from St. Louis was permanently filed away. There were
+several reasons for this action. For one thing, he was a salaried man,
+and could not afford to lose his job. What influenced him most,
+however, was his genuine liking for Anthony. He could not bring himself
+to attach much weight to the suspicious circumstances connected with
+him. Being a man of sufficient courage to back his own judgment, he
+decided that no matter what might have been the past of Frank Wellar,
+alias Jefferson Locke, Kirk Anthony was entitled to another chance.
+
+The first thing Kirk did when pay-day came was to enclose the greater
+part of his salary in an envelope and send it to John Weeks, with a
+note explaining that he had withheld only enough for his own actual
+needs, and promising to continue reducing his indebtedness by a like
+amount monthly. He was surprised beyond measure to have the remittance
+promptly returned. The brief letter that accompanied it brought him a
+flush of discomfort. What the deuce had made Mrs. Cortlandt do that?
+For a time he was undecided whether to be offended at her conduct or
+gratified, and he had not settled the matter to his satisfaction when
+he called upon her that evening.
+
+"Weeks wrote me you had squared my account with him," he said,
+awkwardly. "I'm tremendously obliged, of course, and--I'll give this to
+you instead of him." He offered her the envelope with his pay enclosed.
+
+"Don't be silly, Kirk," she said, in a matter-of-fact tone. "I didn't
+wish Weeks to have any opportunity to talk. You need this money and I
+don't."
+
+"Perhaps I should have offered it to Mr. Cortlandt."
+
+"Stephen knows nothing about the Weeks affair. If you choose to regard
+my little favor as a debt, however, please let it run on until you are
+better able to pay."
+
+But Anthony remained inflexible, and at last she accepted his proffer
+with some impatience.
+
+"You are the most foolish person I ever knew," she remarked. "Can't you
+understand that such obligations don't exist between friends? A few
+dollars mean nothing."
+
+"A few dollars mean a good deal to me just now."
+
+"You have the most disappointing way of receiving favors. I had a
+decent position for you, but you would go to collecting fares. I hope
+you have had enough of it by now, and are ready to take something worth
+while."
+
+"Not until it comes naturally. No hop-skip-and-jump for mine."
+
+Edith sighed. "It is terribly dull for me here at present," she said.
+"Mr. Cortlandt is very busy; I have no one to talk to; no one to amuse
+me. Why, I've scarcely seen you since you went to work."
+
+"It is flattering to be missed."
+
+"Will you come to the dance to-morrow night?"
+
+He shook his head.
+
+"The music is good; you will meet some nice people. If you remember,
+one of your qualifications for a position was that you are a good
+waltzer."
+
+"I can't mingle with the 'quality.'"
+
+"Be sensible. This is an invitation."
+
+"I am getting sensible fast. I've learned something about Canal
+conditions. What would people say if Mrs. Stephen Cortlandt were seen
+dancing with the new collector of No. 2?"
+
+"My dear boy, do you suppose Mrs. Stephen Cortlandt cares what these
+people say?"
+
+"Mr. Stephen Cortlandt might."
+
+"Mr. Stephen Cortlandt isn't snobbish, either."
+
+"One has to be on the Canal Zone. Besides, to tell the sordid truth, I
+haven't any clothes."
+
+Edith silently extended the envelope in her hand; but he laughed.
+
+"Perhaps I'll come to the next dance. I'll be rich then. See!" He
+showed her a long slip of paper consisting of five coupons, each
+numbered "8838."
+
+"Lottery tickets!"
+
+He nodded. "Allan had a very particular dream about the number eight,
+so I invested five dollars 'silver' on his hunch. You know he has the
+most wonderful dreams. There was one about a whale--it was appallingly
+vivid."
+
+"But you don't bet on all these miraculous whales and things?"
+
+"Oh no. The whale was a little too much for me. But I thought I'd take
+a chance on the number eight, it didn't seem quite so apocryphal."
+
+"But why did you select such a ridiculous combination? It isn't likely
+that the eight will come out three times in four."
+
+"It's the number of my automobile license." Kirk sighed at the memory
+of his new French car. "You don't object to such gambling?"
+
+"Hardly," laughed Edith, "when I have a ticket for the same drawing.
+Every one does it, you know."
+
+"If I win the capital prize I'll come to the next party and claim all
+the dances you will allow me."
+
+"Not much encouragement in that for a lonely lady."
+
+"Oh, I'm the luckiest chap in the world. The drawing comes off next
+Sunday, and it happens that I've been shifted to No. 6 for a few trips,
+so I'll have a chance to see the fun."
+
+"If you were a little less quixotic and weren't so remarkably afraid of
+getting more than your deserts, you could come to all these dances."
+
+"I'm sorry," he acknowledged, "but I have to do things in my own way."
+
+It was a welcome change for him to sleep as late as he wished on Sunday
+morning, and he enjoyed the privilege to the full. Inasmuch as No. 6
+did not leave until one o'clock, he had ample time in which to witness
+the lottery drawing, a thing he had been curious to see since he had
+first heard of it. This form of gambling was well recognized, it
+seemed; not only the natives, but all classes of Canal Zone workers,
+engaged in it freely. On every street corner women sold tickets day
+after day, and, as the drawings were conducted under rigid government
+supervision, the lottery had come to be regarded as a sort of public
+institution, quite as reputable as an ordinary church raffle.
+
+Allan, vastly excited, was of course waiting to accompany him, and,
+when Kirk had finished a leisurely breakfast, the two strolled idly
+down into the city.
+
+"Oh, boss," exclaimed the negro, "I feel that we shall h'experience
+good-fartune to-day."
+
+"Did you buy a ticket?"
+
+"No, sar, I reinvested all my monies travelling on those railroad
+trains."
+
+"Now see how foolish you are. If you'd stayed at home you might have
+bought the winning number to-day."
+
+"I prefer to h'accompany you. But--I have been thinking to make you a
+proposition of partnership. Master h'Auntony. I will stay home and
+dream numbers which you can purchase with your salary. In that manner
+we shall certainly burst this lottery."
+
+"Oh, I see! You'll sleep while I rustle the coin to play. What's your
+idea of a fair division of the profits?"
+
+"It is sometimes exceedingly fatiguing to dream," said Allan,
+defensively. "Sometimes one wastes an entire day and has no success."
+
+"That's merely a question of diet. I could make you dream your head
+off."
+
+"But I do not desire the profits, however, for being partners with you.
+I would like you to have plenty of monies, that is all. I love you,
+sar."
+
+"Don't! You embarrass me."
+
+"It is true, chief, I would die and--"
+
+"Yes, yes, kill yourself."
+
+"I pray to God h'every day that some bad man will h'assault you in
+order that I may die for you." The Jamaican was growing excited, as
+usual when he dwelt upon this subject. "I would h'enjoy to shed my
+blood for you, sar. I would like to see it running--running--running--"
+He waved his arms wildly.
+
+"Don't bleed to death."
+
+"I wish to suffer and scream and groan, so that you will be knowing--"
+
+"Never mind. I think I get the idea. But I'm not going to allow it, and
+I'm not going to allow you to dream--you sleep too much as it is.
+Besides, your dreams are no good. Look at that whale dream of yours,
+for instance."
+
+"Oh, sar, the 'fish' number did not win, to be sure, but 'water' did."
+
+"But you didn't dream about water, it was about fish, 'vivid' fish."
+
+"I did not chance to think of the water," acknowledged Allan, "but
+there was the whale lying upon the h'edge of the h'ocean, h'all the
+time."
+
+The drawing, which was for a capital prize of fifteen thousand dollars
+"silver," had drawn a larger crowd than usual, and when the two reached
+Cathedral Square they found the lottery building thronged to
+overflowing with the usual polyglot elements that make up these
+Latin-American gatherings--negroes, Indians, Panamanians, Spaniards,
+Americans--while in the Plaza itself other groups were waiting to hear
+the report.
+
+By dint of considerable effort Kirk succeeded in working his way
+through the wide double doors, and, being much above the average
+height, he was able to get a good view of the proceedings. Upon a
+platform a group of ceremonious officials were gathered about a
+revolving wire cage, so arranged that it could be whirled rapidly upon
+its axis. Into it were put ten ivory spheres, resembling billiard-balls
+in size and appearance. When this had been done, the cage was closed,
+and a very badly frightened twelve-year-old girl was selected at random
+from the audience, then lifted to the stage, where it required the
+commands and entreaties of her excited parents to prevent her from
+dissolving in tears. At a word from the master of ceremonies the cage
+was spun until the ivory balls inside leaped and capered like captive
+squirrels. Then at another signal it was stopped. The door was opened
+and the little girl reached in a trembling hand and selected a sphere.
+It proved to be hollow, with two halves screwed together, and in full
+sight of the assembly it was opened, displaying a bit of paper inside.
+
+"Ocho!" cried the announcer, and a card bearing the numeral "8" was
+raised. The paper was replaced inside the ivory ball, the ball itself
+was dropped into the wire cage, the door was closed, and once more the
+cage was spun.
+
+Kirk was much interested in the scene, not from any faintest hope that
+he would draw a prize, but purely from the novel atmosphere and color
+of the thing. While his eyes were busiest, and just as the child
+prepared to draw another ball, he felt a clutch upon his arm, and,
+glancing down, beheld the glowing black eyes of Senor Ramon Alfarez
+fixed upon him.
+
+Alfarez was dressed immaculately, this time in civilian's white linen,
+his ferocious little mustachios carefully pointed, his cheeks freshly
+shaven and talcumed, his slender feet encased in white canvas shoes. A
+wonderful Guayaquil hat, the creamy straws of which were no thicker
+than silk threads, crowned his sleek, raven locks. It must have cost a
+small fortune. He carried a dapper little cane, with which he tapped
+his former prisoner to attract his attention.
+
+At sight of him Kirk drew down his brows and said, gruffly:
+
+"Don't poke me with that umbrella."
+
+He turned away, but again Alfarez touched him with the rattan.
+
+"I will spik' wit' you, hombre," he said.
+
+"If you keep jabbing me with that crutch I'll break it, and then you
+can't walk home."
+
+Ramen jerked his head toward the square outside in an imperious
+fashion, and Kirk, curious to learn the cause of this unusual
+excitement, followed him without demur. When they had reached the
+street the Spaniard turned with flashing eyes and a mirthless smile.
+
+"Well!" he said, dramatically.
+
+"Pretty well. How goes it with you?"
+
+"So! You 'ave socceed in your cowardly attemp'."
+
+"My what?"
+
+"I am lose my poseetion as Commandante of Police."
+
+"You don't say so!" Kirk's face broke into a smile of real pleasure.
+
+"Ha! Makes it you to laugh, then?" exclaimed the Panamanian, excitedly.
+"Per'aps you shall answer to those detestable actions, senor."
+
+"Perhaps! I see you blame me for the loss of your job. Well, maybe you
+won't beat up the next American you get your hands on."
+
+"Bot--I 'ave another poseetion!" Ramen exulted.
+
+"Indeed! Are you 'behind the ribbons' at the local Wanamaker's?"
+
+"I 'ave been promote! I am appoint' yesterday by his Excellency the
+Presidente to be his secretary. So! Those dastardly attack of yours is
+transpire to my blessing. It will be always so."
+
+"I suppose it's a good job, but you ought to be selling poison in a
+drug-store. Did you call me out to hear this news?"
+
+"Si!" Alfarez nodded his head vigorously. Then, narrowing his eyes, he
+said, meaningly, in a voice that none might overhear, "Panama is
+sometimes very on'ealthy city for fat Americans." He ran a hostile
+glance up and down Anthony's burly frame. "It is the climate
+per'aps--of too great 'eat."
+
+"In other words, you intend to make it hot for me, eh?"
+
+"I?" The ex-commandant shrugged his shoulders in eloquent denial. "I
+shall do not'ing, bot--if you are wise man you will not display
+yourself to the dangers of these climate; you will return 'ome."
+
+"Say! I've a good notion to punch your head."
+
+Alfarez paled slightly.
+
+"Soch would be most dangerous, for in Chiriqui prison there is at the
+present some fatal disease." He laughed sneeringly. "The senor is reech
+man's son, eh? Those do not geeve the appearance."
+
+With supreme insolence he touched one of the buttons upon Kirk's linen
+uniform with his cane, whereat the American snatched the stick out of
+his hand, broke it, and tossed it into the street. His blood was up,
+and in another breath he would have struck the Spaniard, regardless of
+consequences, but just at that moment Allan, dashed out of the crowd
+crying, breathlessly:
+
+"Oh, boss! Oh, BOSS! Glory to God, it is true! OH-H-H GLORY!" Seizing
+Kirk's hands, he kissed them before the other could prevent, then ran
+on frantically: "Come quick! Come! Come! Come!"
+
+"Look out!" snapped Kirk, angrily. "What's happened?"
+
+"The dream! The dream is come! Oh, God, sar! You--you have won the
+capital prize, sar!"
+
+Alfarez's exclamation, as much as the boy's wild hysteria, brought
+Anthony to himself.
+
+"NO! Honest, now! What's the number?" he exclaimed.
+
+"H'eight, h'eight, three, h'eight," sobbed the Jamaican. Kirk made a
+dive for his coat-pocket, while Allan continued in a rising voice:
+
+"Glory to God, sar! Glory to God! It is fifteen thousand dollars
+'silver.' I thought I should h'expire from fright. Oh, I--Quick! Praise
+be--Do not say you have lost the ticket or I shall die and kill
+myself--"
+
+"Here it is!" In his hand Anthony waved a slip of paper, out of which
+leaped four big, red numbers-"8838."
+
+"Carraho!" came from behind him, and he turned to behold Alfarez, livid
+of face and with shaking hand, fling a handful of similar coupons after
+the broken cane. Without another word or a glance behind him, the
+Panamanian made off across the Plaza, barely in time to, escape the
+crowd that surged around the two he had quitted.
+
+Bombarded by a fusillade of questions in a dozen tongues, jostled by a
+clamoring, curious throng, the lucky owner of 8838 fought his way back
+into the lottery building, and, as he went, the news spread like
+flaming oil.
+
+There it was, plainly displayed, "8838"! There could be no possible
+mistake, and it meant fifteen thousand silver pesos, a princely fortune
+indeed for the collector of No. 2.
+
+Promptly at five minutes to one o'clock that afternoon, Allan Allan,
+late of Jamaica, strode through the Panama railroad station and
+flaunted a first-class, round-trip ticket to Colon before the eyes of
+his enemy, the gateman. He was smoking a huge Jamaican cigar, and his
+pockets bulged with others. When he came to board the train, he called
+loudly for a porter to bring him the step and, once inside, selected a
+shady seat with the languid air of a bored globe-trotter. He patronized
+the "butcher" lavishly, crushing handful after handful of lemon-drops
+noisily between his teeth and strewing orange peel and cigar ashes on
+the floor with the careless unconcern that accords with firmly
+established financial eminence. He spat out of the window, he waved a
+dignified greeting to his countrymen gathered upon station platforms,
+he halted hurrying brakemen to inquire times of arrival and departure,
+and in general he had the time of his young life.
+
+Only when Kirk appeared upon his rounds did he forego his haughty
+complacency. Then his wide lips, which nature had shaped to a perpetual
+grin, curled back as they were intended, his smile lit up the car, and
+he burst into loud laughter.
+
+"Enjoying yourself?" inquired his hero.
+
+"Passably, sar, passably!" Then, with a painful assumption of
+seriousness: "How is the train, sar, may I ahsk?"
+
+"On time."
+
+"Rarely it is so, as a general thing. It is fartunate h'indeed that you
+consented to run her this time."
+
+"In a hurry to get to Colon?"
+
+"Quite so. It is h'impartant that I h'arrive promptly to-day. I have
+business h'affairs." His countenance assumed tortured lines as he
+endeavored to maintain his gravity, then failing in his attempt, he
+burst suddenly into a gale of merriment that sent forth a shower of
+peanuts and lemon candy. "Praise God, boss, we are 'appy gentlemen
+to-day, are we not?"
+
+Kirk found that the report of his good-fortune had spread far and wide;
+he was halted a score of times for congratulations; operators at the
+various stations yelled at him and waved their hands; Runnels wired
+"Hurrah!" at Gatun. A certain respect was in these greetings, too, for
+he had suddenly become a character.
+
+As yet, however, he had not fully considered what this windfall meant
+to him. His first thought had been that he could now discharge his
+debts, go back to New York, and clear himself before the law. Yet the
+more he thought of it the less eager he became to return. Seven
+thousand five hundred dollars in gold to Kirk Anthony, of Panama,
+Collector, was a substantial fortune. To Kirk Anthony, of Albany,
+Distributor, it was nothing. Suppose he went home and squared his
+account with the police, what would he do then? Nothing, as usual.
+Here, he was proving that the Anthony breed was self-supporting, at
+least. And there was another reason, the weightiest of all. Long before
+he had reached the end of his run he realized that not one hundred
+times the amount of this capital prize would tempt him to leave Panama
+before he had seen Chiquita.
+
+Chiquita was beginning to seem like a dream. At times during the past
+week he had begun to wonder if she were not really a product of his own
+imagination. His fancy had played upon her so extravagantly that he
+feared he would not know her if ever they came face to face. His mental
+picture of her had lost all distinctness; her face was no longer
+clear-cut before his mind's eye, but so blurred and hazy that even to
+himself he could not describe her with any accuracy.
+
+This was most unsatisfactory, and he reproached himself bitterly for
+the involuntary faithlessness that could allow her image to grow dim.
+He was almost without hope of seeing her again. And then, with the
+inconsequence of dreams and sprites, she appeared to him.
+
+It was but a glimpse he had, and a tantalizing flash of recognition
+from her eyes. It happened in the dusk during the confusion that
+accompanied the arrival of No. 7 at Panama, and it came with a
+suddenness that stunned him. The station was jammed with a roaring
+flood of negroes, another crowd was forcing its way through the exits
+in the high iron fence, the street was a crush of Spiggoty coaches.
+
+Kirk had volunteered to assist an old lady, and his arms were full of
+bundles as he guided her between the clicking teeth of a turnstile. He
+was helping her into a carriage when he heard the sharp clatter of
+hoofs upon the brick pavement, and looked up to see a fine Peruvian
+mare hitched to a tan-colored surrey skirting the confusion. A black
+coachman was driving, and there were several people in the carriage.
+Kirk cast it a casual glance, and just as he looked it swept into the
+glare of an electric light. Out from the back seat shone a perfect oval
+face, with soft, luminous eyes. It was just as he had pictured it, only
+more beautiful.
+
+Kirk nearly upset his little old lady, who was struggling into her
+equipage. He swept his armful of bundles into the coach, seized his
+scandalized companion under the arms, and deposited her bodily upon a
+seat. Without waiting to hear from her, he dashed away through the
+bedlam. Under horses' heads he went, past flying hoofs and scraping
+wheels, jostling pedestrians, and little, brown policemen, until he had
+reached the outskirts of the crowd, where he vaulted into a vacant
+vehicle and called upon the driver to whip up.
+
+"Quick! Quick! Follow that tan-colored surrey! I'll give you a dollar
+gold not to lose sight of it."
+
+With the blandest of smiles the coachman started his horses, then,
+turning, he inquired, politely:
+
+"'Otel Tivoli?"
+
+"No, NO! Follow that carriage!"
+
+"No sabe Ingles!" said the coachman.
+
+Before Kirk had succeeded in making him understand, the street had
+become jammed with carriages and the Peruvian mare was lost to sight.
+After a half-hour of futile clattering back and forth, Kirk dismissed
+the driver.
+
+But there was no doubt that she had recognized him, and nothing now
+could prevent him from continuing his search. The trouble was that his
+present occupation allowed him no opportunity. He was tied to the
+railroad except at night.
+
+It was perhaps two weeks later that a serious shake-up occurred in the
+office force, of which no one seemed to know the cause. There was a mad
+scramble for advancement all along the line, in which Kirk took no
+part. But unexpectedly Runnels summoned him to his office.
+
+"How would you like an inside position?" said the Master of
+Transportation, eying him keenly.
+
+"So soon?"
+
+"I said I'd advance you if you made good." He paused an instant, then
+said, deliberately, "When you get the hang of things here you'll have a
+chance to be my assistant."
+
+Kirk opened his eyes in amazement.
+
+"Gee! That's great! But do you think I can get away with it?"
+
+"Not at once. It will take time, of course, and you'll have to work
+like the devil." Runnels regarded him curiously, recalling the letter
+so carefully filed away. Then he yielded to his natural impulse.
+
+"Look here, Anthony," he said, "I'm partly selfish in this, for I
+believe you're the sort I'm going to want within the next year. The
+superintendent has had an offer from a big system in the States, and
+he's going to quit when his vacation comes. He likes me, and he says
+I'll probably step into his shoes. Do you understand what that means?
+I'll need fellows I can count on--fellows who won't double-cross me to
+make a dollar for themselves, or knife me when my back is turned. I've
+got to have an efficient, noiseless organization. Otherwise we'll all
+go under, for we'll be into politics up to our necks. I think you're my
+sort, so if you'll stick to me I'll help you, and for every step I take
+I'll drag you up one."
+
+"It's a go!" The two young men clasped hands heartily. Runnels had
+struck the right note. Beside his former desire to prove himself a man,
+Kirk now felt a strong sense of loyalty to the one who had recognized
+his worth. This was no mere matter of promotion. He and Runnels would
+work shoulder to shoulder. A sense of responsibility descended upon
+him. For the first time he thoroughly understood the spirit of the
+ardent toilers who were giving their best to the Big Job. He was really
+one of them now, and the thought electrified him.
+
+When he told his good news to Mrs. Cortlandt, her surprise was so
+cleverly simulated that he never dreamed that she had been at great
+pains to bring this thing about. Not that Runnels was indisposed to act
+upon his own initiative, but the circumstances that had made his action
+possible had been due to her. It was hard to help a man against his
+will; but she profited by experience, and took the line of least
+resistance.
+
+The young man himself did not inquire too closely into the occasion of
+his advancement, and Edith Cortlandt was but little in his mind. He was
+consumed with the thought of Chiquita. He hoped that his new work would
+allow him more control of his time, and perhaps put him in the way of
+learning her name. He could move in better society now. Meanwhile he
+laid other plans. He took Allan into his confidence, and told him
+frankly that he was in love with a woman he did not know.
+
+Of course his faithful follower was delighted, and made extravagant
+promises of aid.
+
+"Now that the dry season has come," said Kirk, "people must be living
+at the Savannas, and I want you to haunt the region round that
+swimming-pool until you discover who she is. You must be my detective."
+
+"Oh, boss, I would--"
+
+"Don't tell me you'd die and kill yourself for me. I want you to live
+and find this girl for me. I'll take you out to-day, after office
+hours, and show you the place; then you'll have to do the rest. You
+talk Spanish, you know. But, above all, don't tip off."
+
+"Tip h'off? What shall I be climbing, sar?"
+
+"I mean you mustn't tell a soul."
+
+"Never fear, boss. H'Allan will discover your female."
+
+"And don't call her a 'female,' it sounds indecent. Remember, she has a
+Bajan with her, six feet tall, named Stephanie. Who knows? Maybe you
+can win Stephanie for yourself." Kirk chuckled at the thought.
+
+"No, sar, if you please. Those Bajan 'oomen is all very disagreeable."
+
+"You understand, I can't quit work to go looking for the girl, because
+I've simply got to tend to business. But I'll spend Sunday out there if
+you haven't already discovered her. Now, I'll chant this all over again
+on the way out, so you won't forget anything."
+
+
+
+
+XVII
+
+GARAVEL THE BANKER
+
+
+These were busy days for the Cortlandts. They entertained constantly,
+and the occasions when they dined without from one to a dozen guests
+became so exceptional as to elicit remark around the hotel. Most of
+their efforts were devoted to certain Panamanians of the influential
+class, and in company with one or more of these Cortlandt made frequent
+trips to the various quarters of the Republic, sometimes absenting
+himself for days at a time.
+
+During these intervals his wife assumed the direction of affairs, and
+continued to entertain or be entertained. Her energy and resource
+seemed inexhaustible. The officials of both governments treated her
+with punctilious respect, and the prestige gained in this way she used
+to enhance her reputation as a hostess. Soon she became the social
+dictator of the city, and the most exclusive circles, American and
+Panamanian alike, allowed her to assume control.
+
+The result was just what had been designed. Tourists and visiting
+newspaper people spoke glowingly of the amity between the two nations,
+and wondered at the absence of that Spanish prejudice of which they had
+heard so much. Those who chanced to know the deeper significance of it
+all, and were aware of the smouldering resentment that lay in the Latin
+mind, commented admiringly upon her work, and wondered what effect it
+would have upon the coming election. Already this event had cast its
+shadow ahead, bringing memories of the last election with its
+disturbances and ragged uncertainty. That had been a pregnant epoch.
+Armed guards, hidden behind American walls, had listened to the growing
+clamor and prepared to fire. American marines had been held in
+readiness to take such action as might have convulsed the other
+watchful World Powers.
+
+Since then the fuse had burned steadily, if slowly. As the time drew
+near, there were those who openly predicted trouble. Others scoffed at
+the idea, although they claimed that this would be the last election
+ever held in Panama. But all united in declaring that, whatever the
+work to which the Cortlandts had been assigned, they were doing it well.
+
+No one but the woman herself and her husband really understood the
+tremendous difficulties of their task or the vital issues at stake.
+Although they seemed to be making progress, they knew that they were
+dealing with a people not only excitable and egotistic, but steeped in
+guile, and distrustful by nature. The fire was close to the magazine.
+But this was Edith Cortlandt's chosen field, and she brought to bear a
+manlike power of cool calculation, together with a brilliant intuition
+of her own. Never had her tact, her knowledge of human nature, her keen
+realization of political values been called into such play as now. So
+triumphantly did she exercise these qualities that all who came into
+contact with her recognized the master mind directing the campaign,
+and, consciously or unconsciously, relegated her husband to the
+background.
+
+To the Latin intellect this display of power, on the part of a woman,
+was a revelation. She knew the effect she produced, and made the most
+of it.
+
+Old Anibal Alfarez was, perhaps, the last fully to appreciate her. He
+did, however, learn in time that while he could successfully match his
+craft against that of the husband, the wife read him unerringly. The
+result was that he broke with them openly.
+
+When news of this reached the members of the Canal Commission, they
+were alarmed, and Colonel Jolson felt it necessary to make known their
+views upon the situation. Accordingly, a few nights later, the
+Cortlandts dined at his handsome residence on the heights above
+Culebra. After their return to Panama, the Colonel, in whom was vested
+the supreme authority over his nation's interests, acknowledged that
+his acquaintance with diplomacy was as nothing compared with Edith
+Cortlandt's.
+
+It was to Colonel Bland, in charge of the Atlantic Division, that he
+confessed:
+
+"In all my life I never met a woman like her. Cortlandt, as you know,
+is a clever fellow, and I flatter myself that I'm no mental invalid;
+but we were like children in her hands. He sided with me at first, but
+she talked us both around in spite of ourselves. I agree with her now,
+perfectly, and I am content to let her have free rein."
+
+"General Alfarez is the strongest man in the Republic," said Colonel
+Bland. "As Governor of Panama Province, he's the logical next
+President. Besides that, he has the machinery behind him. I don't see
+who there is to defeat him."
+
+"We argued the same thing. She thinks Garavel is the proper man."
+
+"Garavel is a banker; he's not a politician."
+
+The chief-engineer laughed.
+
+"All Spanish-Americans are politicians, Colonel; they can't help it."
+
+"Would he accept?"
+
+"It is her business to find out. I had my doubts."
+
+"But could he win? It would be a calamity if he had American backing
+and failed; it would mean a disaster."
+
+"Cortlandt has been working carefully, and he has been in all the seven
+Provinces. He admits that it might be done; and she is certain. You
+see, their part in the Colombian affair makes them strong with the
+leaders, and they have already whipped the foreign influences into
+line. Of course, it will mean a fight--Alfarez won't give up
+easily--but, if Garavel should be the next President, it would be a
+fine thing for both countries."
+
+The other commissioner shook his white head doubtfully. "I supposed it
+was all settled; Cortlandt himself told me Alfarez was a good man the
+last time I talked with him. My God, it seems to me we've got enough on
+our hands without being guardians for a two-by-four republic filled
+with maniacs. We've got to finish this job on time. I can't understand
+this change of sentiment."
+
+"Oh, it isn't settled. There is ample time for anything to happen. When
+the psychological moment comes, Cortlandt will be in position to swing
+his influence whichever way he thinks best."
+
+"Well, it's a puzzling situation," Colonel Bland admitted. "And I wish
+it were over." Then he branched off on the subject of a cargo of cement
+which had not been up to standard and might have to be rejected.
+
+Over at Panama the Cortlandts were looking for a house to lease.
+Affairs had reached a point where it seemed advisable to give up their
+quarters at the Tivoli and enter into closer contact with the life of
+the Spanish city. One reason for the move was the necessity for a
+greater privacy than the hotel afforded, for the time was not far
+distant when privacy might prove of paramount importance.
+
+Meanwhile they gave a ceremonious little dinner, the one and only guest
+being Andres Garavel, the banker.
+
+Of all the charming peoples of Central America there are, perhaps, none
+more polished and well-bred than the upper-class Panamanians. Of this
+agreeable type, Senor Garavel was an admirable example, having sprung
+from the finest Castilian stock, as a name running back through the
+pages of history to the earliest conquests attested. Other Garavels had
+played important parts in the troubled affairs of Guatemala, and it was
+the banker's proud boast that one of his ancestors had assisted
+Alvarado to christen the first capital of that country--the city of St.
+James the Gentleman--in 1524. The name had later figured prominently in
+Antigua, that Athens of the New World where the flower of Spanish
+America gathered. A later forebear had fled southward at the time of
+the disturbances incidental to the revolt of the colonies, but in his
+departure there had been no disgrace, and since that time the Garavels
+had worthily maintained the family traditions of dignity and honor.
+
+The present bearer of the name was of distinguished appearance. He was
+swarthy of skin, his hair was snow-white, and he had stern, black eyes
+of great intelligence. In size he was not above the medium, but his
+manner fully made up for any deficiency of stature. He was courtly and
+deliberate, evincing a pride that sprang not only from good blood but
+from good deeds. His poise was that of a man with heavy
+responsibilities, for Andres Garavel was a careful banker and a rich
+one. He was widely travelled, well-informed, an agreeable talker, and
+the conversation at Mrs. Cortlandt's table did not lag.
+
+"I am so disappointed that your daughter could not come," Edith told
+him for the second time. "I'm afraid she objects to our American
+informality."
+
+"No, no, my dear lady," said their guest. "She admires American
+customs, as I do. We are progressive--we have travelled. In my home, in
+my private life, perhaps, I am Panamanian, but in my business and in my
+contact with other peoples I am as they are. It is the same with my
+daughter."
+
+"When you Latins really become cosmopolitan you are more so than we
+Americans," Cortlandt acknowledged. "We assume foreign airs and customs
+that please us and forget to retain our own, while you--well, with
+Germans you are German, with Englishmen you are English, and yet you
+never forget to be Spaniards."
+
+The banker smiled. "My daughter has had a wide education for a child.
+She has travelled, she speaks five languages--and yet, underneath it
+all she is a Garavel and hence a Panamanian. She is all I have, and my
+life is hers."
+
+"When we are settled in our new house we hope to see something of you
+both."
+
+"You have effected a lease of the Martinez home, I believe?"
+
+"Yes. Do you know it?"
+
+"As my own. You are indeed fortunate to secure so fine a place. I wish
+that in some way I might be of service to you."
+
+"The wish is mutual," Cortlandt answered, meaningly, but Senor Garavel
+concealed any recognition of the tone by a formal bow, and the meal
+progressed with only the customary small talk to enliven it.
+
+As soon as the three had adjourned to the Cortlandt's suite the host of
+the evening proceeded to approach the subject in his mind as directly
+as the circumstances permitted. Through a series of natural transitions
+the conversation was brought around to politics, and Garavel was
+adroitly sounded. But he displayed little interest, maintaining a
+reserve that baffled them. It was impossible to betray him into an
+expression of feeling favorable to their views. When at last he
+consented to show his awareness of the suggestion so constantly held
+out, he spoke with deliberate intention.
+
+"General Alfarez is my respected friend," he said, with a quietness
+that intensified his meaning, "and I rejoice that he will be the next
+President of Panama."
+
+"You, of course, know that there is opposition to him?"
+
+"All Panama knows that."
+
+"General Alfarez does not seem to be a friend of the United States."
+
+"There are few who hold the views I do. He is a man of strong
+character, he has no commercial interests to influence him as I have,
+and so we differ. Yet I respect him--"
+
+"It is precisely because of those views of yours that I wish to consult
+you," said Cortlandt, slowly. "In all the Republic there is no one so
+progressive as you. May I speak frankly?"
+
+Garavel inclined his white head without removing his intense, dark eyes
+from the speaker.
+
+"Don Anibal Alfarez can never be President of Panama!"
+
+The banker made no visible movement, yet the effect of this positive
+declaration was almost like that of a blow. After a pause he said:
+
+"May I tell him you said so?"
+
+"If you wish, but I do not think you will."
+
+The hearer let his eyes flit questioningly to Mrs. Cortlandt's face to
+find her smiling at him.
+
+"Believe me, dear lady," he said, "I suspected that there were grave
+reasons for this interview, but as yet I am at sea. I am not a
+politician, you know. I shall have no voice in our political affairs."
+
+"Of course we know that, Senor Garavel, and of course there are grave
+reasons why we wished to talk with you. As Stephen has said, General
+Alfarez cannot be President--"
+
+"Madame," he said, coldly, "Panama is a republic. The voice of the
+people is supreme."
+
+"Down in your heart do you really think so?" She was still smiling at
+him. "No! The United States is supreme."
+
+"Ah! That day will come, perhaps--I have said so; I look forward to it
+as the best solution, but--"
+
+"The day has come."
+
+"Even so, Alfarez is an honorable man, a strong man, and the wealthiest
+man in our country. He is a politician--"
+
+"But he is not a friend of our country."
+
+"I am not so sure." Garavel frowned at his cigar for a moment, while
+the room became silent. "What has this to do with me, madame?" he
+asked, at last.
+
+"Can't you guess?" The intensity of her look caused him to rise
+hurriedly and cast a quick glance from one to the other.
+
+"You are also a rich man, a man of ability," said Cortlandt, quick to
+seize the momentary advantage. "Your name is second to none in all
+Central America. The next President must possess intelligence, honor,
+ability; he must be a friend of our people. There is no one better--"
+
+"Impossible!" exclaimed the banker, in a strange voice. "_I_? No, no!"
+
+"And why not? Have you never had political aspirations?"
+
+"Of course. All men have dreams. I was Secretary of Finance under
+Amador, but the Garavels have never really been public men. Politics
+have been a curse to our house. My grandfather--"
+
+"I know," broke in Mrs. Cortlandt. "But times have changed. Panama has
+seen her last revolution, and she needs a business man at her head.
+Presidents are not made now by rifle and sword, and the man with the
+machete must give way to the man with a capacity for handling big
+affairs. There will be no more swineherd Presidents like your
+Guatemalan countryman Corera, nor tyrants like Zelaya. Panama is a
+healthy country, with no national debt; she is growing, developing. She
+holds the gateway to the Western World, and her finances must be
+administered wisely. You, Mr. Garavel, are one of the few who are
+clear-headed enough to see that her destiny is linked with ours, and
+there is no one who can direct her so well as you."
+
+"It is impossible!" repeated Garavel, his agitation growing more
+pronounced. "General Alfarez is my friend. His son will be my son."
+
+"Ramon! Is Ramon engaged to your daughter?"
+
+"Yes," exclaimed the banker, shortly. He began to pace the room.
+
+"What difference would that make, if the young people love each other?"
+
+"Certainly," Cortlandt agreed. "They are not children."
+
+"As for love, Ramon loves, and--my daughter will love also, once she is
+married, for she is a Garavel."
+
+"If Ramon isn't satisfactory to her, ought you to force her
+inclination?" Mrs. Cortlandt offered, eagerly. But the banker flung his
+arms aloft in a gesture of half-humorous despair.
+
+"Oh-h! These young ladies!" he cried. "They do not know what they want.
+What pleases to-day, displeases to-morrow. It is 'Yes' and 'No,' 'Yes'
+and 'No,' until one must decide for them. That, after all, is best." He
+paused abruptly. "This comes upon me like a flood, my friends. I am
+swept away, and yet I--I will need to think seriously."
+
+"Certainly."
+
+"To an honorable man the salary will mean nothing. I have many affairs;
+I fear I cannot afford this sacrifice."
+
+"Would you retire in favor of some one who could afford it?"
+
+"Alfarez is honest."
+
+"Alfarez cannot be President."
+
+"It would require a great deal of money. I am considered a rich man,
+but I have discounted the future, and my enterprises--" He flung out
+his arms. "I have spread out. I must be careful. It is not alone MY
+money that I have invested."
+
+"It will require very little money," said Cortlandt. "I have been from
+David to Darien, from Bocas to Colon and I know the public sentiment."
+
+"Speaking of David," his wife added; "it was you who first projected
+the railroad to that point, Senor Garavel."
+
+"Yes, I saw that it was needed. It would make Panama," he said, simply.
+
+"Under your administration it can be built. Mr. Cortlandt can assure
+you of our government's earnest co-operation. That would not be the
+case if General Alfarez were elected. Perhaps the Colombian boundary
+can be settled. There also our influence might avail. Those two steps
+forward would make the name of Garavel as famous in Panama as it is in
+Guatemala."
+
+"Those are important issues for any loyal Panamanian," he admitted.
+
+"And you love your daughter--you say your life is, hers. Your honor
+would be hers also. Senorita Garavel would have no cause to regret her
+father's presidency."
+
+"Oh, it is useless to argue," smiled the Spaniard. "I am weak. I am
+human. I am also patriotic, and I realize that our little country must
+look to your great one for its stimulus. Our life must be moulded after
+yours. For years I have dreamed of a railroad to David, which would
+some day form a link in the great system that will join the three
+Americas. I have pictured our inland jungles replaced with homes; a
+great traffic flowing from end to end of the Republic. But I have also
+seen that our people would not profit by it. The languor of the tropics
+is in their blood, and you Yankees would be needed to inspire them."
+His voice shook with emotion as he went on: "They are good, simple
+people, no more than children, and I love them. A gracious Providence
+gave us the key to the world's commerce, but we could not use it. It
+needs all our wisdom now to adapt ourselves to the conditions that have
+arisen. 'Andres Garavel, President of the Republic of Panama!' It has a
+sweet sound, my friends, and yet--I have fears."
+
+"Let's take them one by one," laughed his host, "and prove them
+imaginary. I see a great good-fortune in store for you."
+
+It was midnight before Senor Andres Garavel, the banker, bade his
+friends good-bye. When he descended the hotel steps to his carriage, he
+held his white head proudly erect, and there was new dignity in his
+bearing. As he was whirled homeward behind his spirited Peruvian mare,
+a wonderful song was singing in his heart.
+
+
+
+
+XVIII
+
+THE SIEGE OF MARIA TORRES
+
+
+The faithful Allan was not long in fulfilling his mission. Such
+devotion as his, it seemed, could hardly fail, and, if there had been a
+hundred Chiquitas, doubtless he would have corralled them all. He
+conveyed the impression that, if it had been necessary to journey
+beyond the grave and bring back the ghost of some dead-and-gone
+Chiquita, he would have gloriously succeeded. One morning, a few days
+later, he appeared to Kirk, bursting with importance and news.
+
+"Well, sar! I have discovered your female," he announced, pompously.
+
+"No? What's her name? Who is she?"
+
+"Her is named Maria Torres, sar, and resides in the small 'ouse you
+h'observed upon the 'ill."
+
+"Did you SEE her?" Anthony could hardly believe his ears.
+
+"Oh yes, very h'extensively."
+
+"What does she look like? Is she dark?"
+
+"Very dark, sar."
+
+"And small?"
+
+"Not too small," opined Allan.
+
+"Of course, just right. And her eyes, like--like--"
+
+"H'ink! Spots of h'ink. Oh, it is she, Master h'Auntony."
+
+"Jove! I believe it is! You're an ace, Allan. You're my ace of spades."
+Out of pure joy he began to pummel him playfully. "Why don't you
+rejoice? Lift up your voice and sing. Maria Torres! It's a heavenly
+name--Why don't you make a joyful noise?"
+
+Allan voiced a feeble hurrah.
+
+"It was only by chawnce that I h'encountered her, boss, for she is
+residing in the city. I h'ascertained all those facts--"
+
+"Good! Find the street and number, quick! I'm going a-wooing! Say! When
+these Spaniards court a girl they hang around her window and roll their
+eyes, don't they? Me for that! I'll haunt the Torres neighborhood until
+she shows herself, or die in the attempt. I'll play their game. I'll
+get a guitar, I'll--Oh, from this moment I'm a Spaniard of the
+Spaniards. I'm the incarnation of ten thousand fiery cavaliers. I'll
+stand in front of her house until she sends me a chair. Maria Tor--What
+the deuce are you loafing for? Get a move on; hustle those kidney feet
+of yours. Don't come back until you have located her; for to-night--ah,
+blessed night! My life's romance begins in earnest. GET OUT!"
+
+Allan fled while Kirk proceeded to dream over his breakfast of bacon
+and cold-storage eggs.
+
+He was beaming when he appeared at the office. He sang, he whistled, he
+performed his duties with a joyous uproar that interfered seriously
+with all around him and set the whole place in confusion. Nor did his
+spirits lessen when, later in the day, Allan informed him that the
+residence of Senor Luis Torres, whom the gods had selected as father to
+the delectable Maria, was at number 89 Avenida Norte.
+
+Anthony did not taste his dinner that evening. As darkness settled he
+planted himself conspicuously on the corner opposite No. 89 and began
+to study the premises.
+
+It was a trifle disappointing to note that Chiquita lived in such poor
+style; the place was not at all impressive. The first floor of the
+building was given over to a Chinese bazaar, and the upper story seemed
+neither extremely clean nor at all modern. But, although this clashed a
+bit with his preconceived ideas, he knew that many of the nicest
+Panamanian families lived in modest quarters.
+
+His natural impulse was to apply boldly at the door, but he had learned
+something of local customs, and he determined to give no possible
+ground for offence. After she had recognized him and seen his
+willingness to follow the habit of her Spanish suitors, it would be
+feasible, perhaps, to adopt a more Americanized method. Meanwhile, he
+must run no risk of antagonizing her people.
+
+In the Central American scheme of courtship patience plays a large
+part. It is the young man's practice to martyr himself until the sight
+of him becomes such a reproach that the family must perforce express
+its sympathy. Although this procedure struck Anthony as ludicrous in
+the extreme, its novelty was not without charm, and he had lived
+through such a period of torturing uncertainty that the mere fact of
+the girl's presence was compensation enough for his pains.
+
+For an hour he stood motionless, staring at the upper windows of No.
+89. Then his feet began to hurt, and he paraded slowly back and forth
+"playing the bear," as he had heard it termed. Another hour passed, and
+he discovered that, if his presence had not been marked by the members
+of the Torres household, it was at least exciting comment elsewhere in
+the neighborhood. Faces appeared at near-by windows; he heard sounds of
+muffled merriment which made him uncomfortable; passers-by smiled at
+him and dropped encouraging remarks which he could not translate. The
+little policeman, lounging at the next corner, watched him complacently
+and agreed with his neighbors that the Americano was undoubtedly a
+fine-appearing lover.
+
+Kirk took his stand at last beneath a street light and gazed
+languorously upon the windows opposite until his eyes ached as well as
+his feet. At last a curtain parted, and he saw the flash of a white
+dress back of it. His heart leaped; he raised his hat; there was a
+titter from beyond the iron grating. Presently another figure was dimly
+revealed. The watcher held his position stubbornly until the last light
+in the Torres house winked out, then limped homeward, warmed by the
+glad conviction that at least he had been recognized.
+
+Promptly at seven o'clock on the following evening he returned to his
+post, and before he had been there five minutes knew that his presence
+was noticed. This was encouraging, so he focused his mental powers in
+an effort to communicate telepathically with the object of his desires.
+But she seemed unattuned, and coyly refrained from showing her face. He
+undertook to loiter gracefully, knowing himself to be the target of
+many eyes, but found it extremely hard to refrain from sitting on the
+curb, a manifestly unromantic attitude for a love-lorn swain. He swore
+grimly that, if usage required a suitor to make an exhibition of
+himself before the entire neighborhood, he would do the job thoroughly.
+It did not cheer him to reflect that the girl had a keen sense of humor
+and must be laughing at him, yet he determined to put in a week at this
+idiotic love-making before he attempted anything else. Later in the
+evening he was rewarded by the glimpse of a handkerchief cautiously
+waved, and he was delirious with joy as he hobbled homeward.
+
+Night after night he spent assiduously studying the cracks and
+blemishes in the stucco walls of No. 89 Avenida Norte, encouraged by
+the occasional flutter of a hand or a soulful sigh from behind the lace
+screen at the third window from the corner. But when Sunday came he was
+in no mood to continue this roundabout and embarrassing mode of
+courtship longer. He made an early start from his quarters, taking
+Allan with him.
+
+"I'll catch her going to mass," he explained, hopefully. "I've just got
+to put an end to this performance."
+
+"Will you h'accost her h'openly?" inquired Allan.
+
+"You bet! If she runs away you trip her up. Oh, it's great to be in
+love!"
+
+"Without doubt, sar."
+
+"She's a corker, isn't she?"
+
+"I do not know as to that," Allan demurred. "What may be a carker?"
+
+"I mean she's beautiful."
+
+"Oh, h'indeed so! And her h'eyes--like h'ink spots, as you say."
+
+"Was she wearing a denim dress when you saw her?"
+
+"Yes, yes," eagerly agreed the negro. "Oh, there is no mistake. It was
+a red dress."
+
+"No, it wasn't. It was blue."
+
+"H'exactly, sar--a sort of reddish blue."
+
+"And she was--petite?"
+
+"Rather more dark, I should say."
+
+"I mean she was small."
+
+"Oh, it is the same female. It is h'exciting, is it not?"
+
+Kirk acknowledged that it was exciting, for, now that he had a full day
+in which to besiege No. 89, he felt certain of gaining a word at least
+with his inamorata. He was in good time, it seemed, for hardly had he
+taken his customary station before the Cathedral bells awoke the
+slumberous echoes of the city.
+
+"Praise God, she will be coming soon!" Allan exclaimed. "I shall
+h'expire from fright. Look! There! THERE!"
+
+Down the wide stairs leading from the living-rooms of Senor Torres came
+two women, and the negro danced in excitement. As they emerged upon the
+sidewalk the younger one flashed a glance at the men opposite, and Kirk
+saw that she was a mulatto--evidently a housemaid. His eager eyes flew
+back to the entrance. Allan hissed at him:
+
+"Yonder goes! Quick, or you will be losing she."
+
+"Where?"
+
+"There! The young female in w'ite. It is h'indeed the Senorita Torres."
+
+"THAT!" Anthony stared at the girl amazedly as she cast him a second
+and more coquettish flash of her black eyes. "Why, damn it, that--why,
+she's a--NIGGER!"
+
+"No, no!" shrilly expostulated the Jamaican. "It is she. H'alas! They
+have turned the corner."
+
+Kirk wheeled upon his detective in overwhelming disgust. "You idiot!"
+he breathed. "That girl is a 'dinge.' So, SHE'S the one I've been--Oh,
+it's unspeakable! Let's get away from here."
+
+"You h'informed me in particular that she is dark," protested Allan.
+
+"Come on!" Kirk dragged his companion away as fast as he could. His
+thoughts were too deep for tears. As soon as his emotion permitted
+coherent speech, he launched into a tirade so eloquent and picturesque
+that Allan was reduced to a state of wondering awe. Pausing at length
+in his harangue, he turned smouldering eyes upon the black boy.
+
+"I ought to punch you right in the nose," he said, with mournful
+calmness. "Let me feel your head." Allan obediently doffed his cap, and
+Kirk rapped the woolly cranium with his knuckle. "Do you feel that? Is
+there any sensation?"
+
+"Yes, sar! Shortly I shall suffer a swelling." Allan stroked the spot
+tenderly.
+
+"It's all imagination; there's no feeling to solid bone. You've got an
+ivory 'nut,' my friend, just like a cane."
+
+"Ivory-nuts grow upon trees, sar, in the Darien region."
+
+Anthony regarded him sourly. "The Brunswick-Balke people never turned
+out anything half so round and half so hard. That burr of yours is a
+curio. I told you Chiquita was small and beautiful and dainty and--Oh,
+what's the use! This dame is a truck-horse. She's the color of a
+saddle."
+
+"Oh, she is not too dark, sar." Allan came loyally to the defence of
+Miss Torres. "Some of the finest people in Panama is blacker than that.
+There is but few who are h'all w'ite."
+
+"Well, SHE'S all white, and I want you to find her to-day--TO-DAY,
+understand? You gallop out to the Savannas and make some inquiries." He
+shook his fist in Allan's face. "If you don't learn something this
+trip, I'll have your lignum-vitae cranium in a bowling-alley by dark.
+Lord! If I only spoke Spanish!"
+
+Allan reluctantly departed, and Kirk went back to his quarters in high
+displeasure. It seemed as if the affair had actually left a bad taste
+in his mouth. He could not compose his features into anything like a
+decently amiable expression, but went about with a bitter smile upon
+his lips. Every time some new aspect of his grotesque and humiliating
+mistake occurred to him he suffered a nervous twinge. That afternoon a
+card was brought to him bearing the ornate inscription in a beautiful
+Spencerian hand:
+
+PROFESSOR JESUS HERARA THE HERARA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
+
+Reconciling himself as best he could to the prospect of an interview
+with some importunate stranger, he grudgingly consented to have the
+visitor brought in. Professor Herara was not alone. He was accompanied
+by a very short, very fat man, whose smooth skin had the rich, dark
+coloring of a nice, oily Cuban cigar.
+
+"Senor Anthony, it is?" inquired the Professor, bowing ceremoniously.
+
+"That's my name."
+
+"It is my privilege to consult you upon a business of importance."
+
+"I'm afraid you have the wrong party. I don't care to learn shorthand."
+
+"Ah, no, it is not concerning my academy. Allow me to present Senor
+Luis Torres."
+
+Kirk felt the room begin to revolve slowly.
+
+"My friend does not possess a card at the moment, eh?" continued the
+Professor.
+
+The little, rotund man bowed, his hand-polished, mahogany features
+widening in a smile.
+
+"'Sveree hot wedder!" he exclaimed.
+
+"He begs one thousand pardons for not speaking of your language the
+more perfectly, and so he is request of me to be his interpreter."
+
+Something urged Kirk to flee while there was yet time, but the father
+of Maria Torres was between him and the door, and he could not bring
+himself to push the little man out of the way. So he bade them both be
+seated in the only two chairs which the room contained, while he rested
+gingerly upon the edge of the bed. The new-comers let their eyes roll
+curiously about the chamber, and an embarrassing silence descended.
+Senor Torres maintained a set smile designed to be agreeable; Professor
+Herara, serene in the possession of his linguistic acquirements,
+displayed the insouciance of an undertaker. Together they beamed
+benignantly, almost patronizingly, upon the young man. Plainly they
+meant to put him at his ease--but they failed. At length, after
+clearing his throat impressively, the interpreter began again:
+
+"Of course, you have been expecting this visit, senor?"
+
+"N--not exactly."
+
+"My friend is deeply disappointed that he has not the honor of before
+meeting you."
+
+"I am flattered, but--"
+
+"Indeed, yes! Then you are perhaps acquainted with Senor Torres by
+reputation? You know who he is?" Professor Jesus Herara raised his
+brows and inclined his head like a polite school-teacher endeavoring to
+encourage a diffident pupil.
+
+"I regret that I do not."
+
+"He is one of our most estimable citizens. He is possess' not only of
+the magnificent residence at No. 89 Avenida Norte, but also of a
+comfortable abode at Las Savannas, and he has a large trade in sponges
+and hides. His place of business you will have noticed upon the
+water-front, perhaps?"
+
+Kirk wiped his brow nervously and cursed Allan.
+
+"And now, as for you, senor?" The principal of the Herara College of
+Business awaited an answer with unctuous deference. Evidently
+attributing the young man's silence to modesty, he went on, helpfully:
+"Senor Torres has instituted inquiries, and ascertained your excellent
+position with the P. R. R., but he would know more, if soch is not
+disagreeable to you."
+
+"Well--I--there isn't much to tell. It is my first job."
+
+This was quickly put into Spanish, whereupon Mr. Torres nodded with
+vigor, as if this information were indeed gratifying--nay, splendid.
+
+"It is agreeable to my friend to ascertain your industry, and I may say
+you are most highly spoke of at the railroad office. Therefore, Senor
+Torres affords you an invitation to call at his residence on Thursday
+evening."
+
+"That's awfully--nice," gasped Anthony; "but--er--what's the idea?"
+
+"Ah!" The interpreter beamed; Mr. Torres beamed. They combined to
+radiate a gentle effulgence which was most disquieting. "It is indeed
+pleasing to encounter a gentleman so truly modest, so possessed of
+delicacy; but I may say that Senor Torres is look with favor upon your
+suit. Of course"--he checked Kirk's hasty words--"it is not completely
+settle, by no means; the young lady is but partly won. However"--he
+winked one black eye reassuringly--"as friend of the family I bid you
+not to permit discouragement and despair."
+
+Anthony broke out in desperation: "Hold on! Let me explain! There's
+been an awful mistake."
+
+"Mistake?" The tone was blandly incredulous.
+
+"Yes. I'm not in love with Miss Torres."
+
+Professor Jesus Herara stared at the speaker as if his mastery of the
+English language was, after all, incomplete. Torres, seeing that he was
+missing something, interpolated a smiling inquiry; then, as his
+interpreter made the situation clear, his honeyed smile froze, his
+sparkling eyes opened in bewilderment. He stared about the room again,
+as if doubting that he had come to the right place.
+
+"There's really a mistake," Kirk persisted. "I don't even know Miss
+Torres."
+
+"Ah! Now I understand." The Professor was intensely relieved. "It is
+precisely for that purpose we arrived. Bueno! You admire from a
+distance, is it not so? You are struck with the lady's beauty; your
+heart is awakened. You are miserable. You pine away. You cannot find
+courage to speak. It is admirable, senor. We understand fully, and I,
+who know, assure you of her many virtues."
+
+"No, it's nothing like that, either. I have no doubt Miss Torres is
+altogether charming, but--I--there's just a mistake, that's all. I'm
+not the least bit in love with her."
+
+"But, senor! Is it not you who have stood beneath her window nightly?
+Is it not you who have laid siege to her these many days?" The
+speaker's eyes were glowing with anger as he turned to make his inquiry
+clear to the young lady's father.
+
+Mr. Torres began to swell ominously.
+
+"If you'll just let me explain. I'm in love with a young woman, true
+enough, but it doesn't happen to be Miss Torres. I thought it was, but
+it isn't."
+
+There was another vibrant exchange of words between the Spaniards.
+
+"You were making sport, then, of my friend--"
+
+"No, no! It's another person altogether."
+
+"Who?"
+
+"I don't know her name."
+
+"WHAT?" Herara was about to burst forth when his friend nudged him and
+he was obliged to put this amazing declaration into Spanish. Senor
+Torres breathed heavily and exploded an oath.
+
+"I met her in the country and made a mistake in the town houses," Kirk
+floundered on. "I never knew till this morning that I was on the wrong
+trail. It is all my fault. I thought the lady's name was Torres."
+
+"Eh? So you love one whom you do not know? Incredible!"
+
+"It does sound a little fishy."
+
+"And it is a grave affront to my friend. How will the senorita
+understand?--she in whose breast is awakened already an answering
+thrills?"
+
+"I'm mighty sorry. If you wish, I'll apologize in person to Miss
+Torres."
+
+At this Herara cried out in horror; then, after a brief colloquy with
+the father, he rose stiffly, saying: "I offer no words from my friend.
+For the present he does not believe, nor do I. Inquiries will be
+institute, of that be assured. If you have deceived--if your intentions
+were not of the most honorable"--the head of the Herara Business
+College glared in a horrible manner--"you will have occasion to regret
+those foolish jokes."
+
+Kirk tried to explain that his present regrets were ample for all time,
+but, bowing formally, the visitors withdrew, leaving him to revile anew
+the name of Allan Allan.
+
+When the black boy returned, foot-sore but cheerful, his appearance was
+the signal for an outburst that left him disconsolate and bewildered.
+He apologized over and over for his little error, and tried to
+reinstate himself by announcing, with a confidence he was far from
+feeling, that this time he had identified the elusive Chiquita beyond
+the peradventure of a doubt. This welcome intelligence did much to make
+Kirk forget his wrath.
+
+"What's her name?" he inquired, eagerly.
+
+"Fermina, sar."
+
+"Are you sure?"
+
+"H'entirely. But it will not h'avail to be courting of those ladies,
+Master h'Auntony."
+
+"Is there more than one?"
+
+"Two of they--sisters--very rich. They h'occupy the 'ouse h'adjoining
+Senor Torres."
+
+Allan spoke in a hushed voice, and shook his head as if to show the
+hopelessness of aspiring to such aristocracy. Surely Kirk knew of the
+Ferminas? Arcadio Fermina was the owner of the pearl-fishery concession
+and a person of the highest social distinction. He was white, all
+white, there was no doubt on that score. Undoubtedly Chiquita would
+prove to be his daughter and a joint heiress to his fabulous fortune.
+But she was not the sort to be courted from the street, even Allan knew
+that much; for, after all, such a procedure was followed only by the
+middle classes, and in this instance would result in nothing less than
+disaster.
+
+It sounded reasonable, and Kirk allowed himself to be half convinced.
+It was no later than the following day, however, that Runnels pointed
+out two young ladies who were driving past and informed him that they
+were the Misses Fermina.
+
+"Their old man has made a fortune out of the Pearl Islands," he
+remarked. "They say those girls have the finest collection of pearls in
+Central America."
+
+Kirk gazed after them eagerly, but it took no more than a glance to
+show him that they were not even distantly related to the object of his
+search. Once more he set Allan upon the trail with instructions to find
+out who lived in the large house upon the hill--the one with the
+driveway of royal palms--and not to return without the information. But
+by now the Jamaican was beginning to weary of this running back and
+forth and to consider the quest a vain imagining. So, being wishful to
+dream another lottery number, he brought back with him a fanciful tale
+designed to quiet his employer and to assure himself ample leisure in
+the future.
+
+"Master h'Auntony, your female is gone," he informed him, sadly.
+
+"Gone! Where?"
+
+"Somewhere--on a ship."
+
+"Are you sure?"
+
+"There is no doubt, sar. Her name is Garavel, and she h'occupies the
+big 'ouse on the 'ill. I discovered those h'impartant facts from the
+Bajan 'ooman."
+
+"Stephanie! You saw her? By Jove! Then you are right this time. Quick!
+tell me all you learned."
+
+Allan lied fluently, elaborately, and, finding his hero plunged into
+despair, resigned himself gratefully to another period of blissful
+idleness. This was much the simplest way, he decided; for even should
+Kirk meet a Garavel or a Fermina, there was no chance of his winning
+her, and love, after all, is but a passing impulse which may be
+summoned or banished at will by such simple mediums as charms. The boy
+did go out of his way to ease his benefactor's malady by taking a lock
+of his own fuzzy wool and placing it beneath Kirk's mattress, after
+certain exorcisms.
+
+There followed a period of blank dejection. Kirk's first
+disappointment, when the girl had failed to keep her tryst, was as
+nothing compared to this, for now he felt that she was unattainable. He
+did not quite give up hope; so many strange experiences had befallen
+him since his involuntary departure from New York that it all seemed
+like a dream in which anything is possible. But he was deep in the
+doldrums when, with magic suddenness, the scene changed, and his long
+discouragement came to an end.
+
+
+
+
+XIX
+
+"LA TOSCA"
+
+
+The winter season was at its height now. For weeks there had been no
+rain, and the Pacific side of the Isthmus was growing sere and yellow
+beneath the ceaseless glare of the sun. The musty dampness of the rainy
+season had disappeared, the steady trade-winds breathed a dreamy
+languor, and the days fled past in one long, unending procession of
+brilliant sameness. Every ship from the North came laden with tourists,
+and the social life of the city grew brilliant and gay. There were
+receptions, dinners, dances; the plazas echoed to the strains of music
+almost nightly. Now that Nature smiled, the work upon the Canal went
+forward with ever-growing eagerness. Records were broken in every
+department, the railroad groaned beneath its burden, the giant human
+machine was strained to its fullest efficiency.
+
+Young Anthony mastered the details of his work very rapidly, for
+railroading had been bred into him. He needed little help from Runnels,
+and soon began to feel a conscious grasp of affairs as surprising to
+himself as to his chief. Being intensely interested in his work, he
+avoided all social entanglements, despite repeated invitations from
+Mrs. Cortlandt. But, when the grand-opera season began, he made an
+exception, and joined her box-party on the opening night.
+
+It seemed quite like old times to don an evening suit; the stiff, white
+linen awakened a pang of regret. The time was not far distant when he
+had felt never so much at home as in these togs; but now they were hot
+and uncomfortable--and how they accentuated his coat of tan!
+
+There was a somewhat formal dinner in the Cortlandts' new home, at
+which there were a dozen guests; so Kirk had no opportunity of speaking
+with his hostess until they had reached the theatre, where he found
+himself seated immediately behind her.
+
+"I've scarcely seen you lately," she said, at the first opportunity.
+"You're a very neglectful young man."
+
+"I knew you were getting settled in your house, and we've been
+tremendously busy at the office."
+
+"I began to think you were avoiding us."
+
+"You must know better than that."
+
+She regarded him shrewdly over her shoulder. "You're not still thinking
+of--that night at Taboga? You haven't seemed the same since."
+
+He blushed, and nodded frankly. "I can't help thinking about it. You
+were mighty nice to overlook a break like that, but--" Unconsciously
+his eyes shifted to Cortlandt, who was conversing politely with a
+giggly old lady from Gatun.
+
+She tapped his cheek lightly with her fan. "Just to show you how
+forgiving I am, I am going to ask you to go riding with me. The late
+afternoons are lovely now, and I've found a good horse for you. I
+suppose you ride?"
+
+"I love it."
+
+"Wednesday, at five, then." She turned to another guest, and Kirk
+leaned back to take in the scene about him.
+
+Like most Latin-American cities, Panama prides herself upon her
+government theatre, which is in truth very beautiful. Although it
+remains dark most of the year, its brief period of opera is celebrated
+by a notable outpouring. To-night the magnificent white-and-gold
+auditorium was filled to the topmost gallery, and the two circles of
+boxes were crowded with the flower of Panamanian society, tourists from
+the North, and Americans from the whole length of the Canal Zone. Kirk
+himself had seen to running a theatre special from Colon, and
+recognized all six of the Commissioners, with their families. It was an
+exceedingly well-dressed audience, and although the pit was plentifully
+sprinkled with men in white, the two lower galleries were in solid
+full-dress. Bejewelled women in elaborate gowns lent the affair almost
+the elegance of a night at the Metropolitan, while the flash of many
+uniforms made the scene colorful.
+
+Suddenly the orchestra broke into the national air, and with a great
+rustling and turning of heads the audience rose to its feet. In the
+centre box of the first tier, ornately hung with flags and a coat of
+arms, Anthony beheld a giant black man of majestic appearance, drawn to
+his full height and flanked by a half-dozen aides in uniform, all at a
+stiff military salute.
+
+"That is President Galleo," Edith told him.
+
+"Jove! He's a regal-looking chap," Kirk exclaimed.
+
+"He's very much of a man, too, yet even here there is a color line.
+Nobody acknowledges it, but the old Castilian families are keenly aware
+of it just the same."
+
+As the last measured strain died out the audience reseated itself, the
+introduction to "La Tosca" sounded, and the curtain rose. Although the
+names of the performers were unknown to Kirk, their voices were
+remarkably good, and he soon became absorbed in the drama. A sudden
+lonesomeness surged over him as he recalled another night when he and
+Darwin K. Anthony had heard these same notes sung. But then they had
+sat enthralled by the art of Caruso, Scotti, and the ravishing
+Cavalieri. It had been one of the rare hours when he and his father had
+felt themselves really in sympathy. The Governor had come down for some
+fabulous directors' meeting, he remembered, and had wired his son to
+run in from New Haven for the evening. They had been real chums that
+night, and even at their modest little supper afterward, when the old
+gentleman had rowed with the waiter and cursed his dyspepsia, they had
+laughed and chatted like cronies. Yet a week later they had quarrelled.
+
+With an unexpected access of tenderness, Anthony Jr. longed to see once
+more that tumbled shock of white hair, that strong-lined face; to hear
+again the gruff tones of that voice he loved so well. After all, there
+were only two Anthonys left in the world, and he had been to blame. He
+acknowledged that he had been a ne'er-do-well. No wonder his father had
+been harsh, but still--old Darwin K. should not have been so
+domineering, so ready to credit all he heard. Kirk pressed his lips
+together and swore to make good, if for no other reason than to show
+his dad.
+
+As the curtain fell on the first act, he rose with the others and,
+accompanied by Mrs. Cortlandt, made his way down the long passageway
+and out into a brightly lighted, highly decorated foyer filling now
+with voluble people. It was a splendid room; but he had no eyes for it.
+His gaze was fixed upon the welcome open-air promenade outside, and his
+fingers fumbled with his cigarette-case.
+
+"Oh, wait, please," he heard Edith say, "I want you to meet some one."
+
+He had done little except respond to meaningless introductions all the
+evening, and nothing could have pleased him less at the moment. But,
+somewhat awkwardly, he began to edge his way through the press in the
+wake of his hostess. The next moment he halted and stood stock-still in
+helpless surprise.
+
+There, not a yard away, was the girl of his dreams demurely bowing to
+Edith Cortlandt, her hand upon the arm of a swarthy man whom Kirk knew
+at once as her father. He felt the blood rush blindingly to his head,
+felt it drumming at his ears, knew that he must be staring like a man
+bereft. Mrs. Cortlandt was speaking, and he caught the name "Garavel"
+like a bugle-call. They turned upon him, the Spanish gentleman bowed,
+and he saw that Chiquita's little white-gloved hand was extended toward
+him.
+
+She was the same dainty, desirous maid he had met in the forest, but
+now splendidly radiant and perfect beyond his imagining. She was no
+longer the simple wood-sprite, but a tiny princess in filmy white,
+moulded by some master craftsman. As on that earlier meeting, she was
+thrilling with some subtle mirth which flickered on her lips or danced
+in the depths of her great, dark eyes.
+
+How he ever got through that wild introductory moment without making a
+show of himself, Anthony never knew, for his first overwhelming impulse
+was to seize the girl and never let her escape. It was the same feeling
+he had had at Las Savannas, only ten times harder to resist. The
+general confusion, perhaps, helped to hide his emotion, for around them
+eddied a constant human tide, through which at last came Mr. Cortlandt
+and the other members of his party. There were more introductions, more
+bows and polite exchanges of words which had the maddening effect of
+distracting Miss Garavel's attention. Then, by some glorious miracle,
+Kirk found himself moving toward the open air at her side, with Mrs.
+Cortlandt and the banker in advance of them.
+
+"Oh, Chiquita," he said, softly, "I thought I'd NEVER find you. I've
+hunted everywhere."
+
+At the tremulous intensity of his tone, she gave an uncertain laugh and
+flashed him a startled glance.
+
+"Chiquita is not my name," she said, reprovingly.
+
+"Yes, it is; it must be. I can't think of you by any other. Hasn't it
+been whispering at my ears ever since you said it? It has nearly driven
+me mad."
+
+"Senor Antonio! I have seen you but once."
+
+"I have seen you every day, every hour-"
+
+"Indeed?"
+
+"I can't see anything else. Don't you understand?"
+
+"You forget that we have but just been introduced."
+
+"Don't be offended; you see, I can't realize that I have found you at
+last. When I learned you had gone away, I thought I would surely-"
+
+"I have been nowhere."
+
+"Didn't you go away on a ship?"
+
+"That is absurd! I have remained always in my father's house."
+
+"Then wait until I catch that boy of mine! Didn't you know I was
+looking for you? Couldn't you FEEL it?"
+
+"Indeed, why should I imagine such things?"
+
+"Why, if you couldn't feel a thing like that, you can't love me."
+
+"Of a certainly not," she gasped. "You should not joke about such
+things."
+
+"I'm not joking; I never was so serious in my life. I-I'm afraid I
+can't tell you everything-it all wants to come out at once. Why didn't
+you come back as you promised?"
+
+"It was Stephanie-she is such a ferocious person! I was brought to the
+city that day-but no, senor. I did not promise. I said only 'perhaps.'"
+
+"Have you done your penance?"
+
+"It was finished yesterday. This is the first time I have been out. Oh,
+it is delightful. The music-the people!"
+
+"And I can come to see you now?"
+
+"Very well do you know that you cannot. Have you not learned our
+customs?" Then, with an abrupt and icy change of tone: "I forget. Of
+course you are familiar with those customs, since you have become the
+wooer of Miss Torres."
+
+"Oh, Lord! Where did you hear about that?"
+
+"So! It is true. You are fickle, senor-or is it that you prefer dark
+people?"
+
+"I was looking for you. I thought it was you behind those curtains all
+the time." He began a flurried defence of his recent outrageous
+behavior, to which Miss Garavel endeavored to listen with distant
+composure. But he was so desperately in earnest, so anxious to make
+light of the matter, so eager to expose all his folly and have done
+with it, that he must have been funnier than he knew. In the midst of
+his narrative the girl's eyes showed an encouraging gleam, and when he
+described his interview with Torres and Heran their surprise and
+dramatic indignation, she laughed merrily.
+
+"Oh, it wasn't funny at the time," he hastened to add. "I felt as
+though I had actually proposed, and might have to pay alimony."
+
+"Poor Maria! It is no light thing to be cast aside by one's lover. She
+is broken-hearted, and for six months she will do penance."
+
+"This penance thing is a habit with you girls. But I wasn't her lover;
+I'm yours."
+
+"Do not be foolish," she exclaimed, sharply, "or I shall be forced to
+walk with my father."
+
+"Don't do that. Can't you see we must make haste while the curtain is
+down?"
+
+"I do not see. I am strolling in search of the cool air." She bowed and
+smiled at some passing friends. She seemed very careless, very
+flippant. She was not at all the impetuous, mischievous Chiquita he had
+met in the woods.
+
+"See here!" he said, soberly. "We can't go on this way. Now that I've
+met your father, I'm going to explain my intentions to him, and ask his
+permission to call on you."
+
+"We have a--proverb, senor, 'Ir por lana, y volver trasquilado,' which
+means, 'Take heed lest you find what you do not seek.' Do not be
+impetuous."
+
+"There's only one thing I'm seeking."
+
+"My father is a stern man. In his home he is entirely a Spaniard, and
+if he learned how we met, for instance"-even under the electric light
+he saw her flush-"he would create a terrible scene." She paused in her
+walk and leaned over the stone balustrade, staring out across the
+ink-black harbor.
+
+"Trust me! I shan't tell him."
+
+"There are so many reasons why it is useless."
+
+"Name one."
+
+"One!" She shrugged lightly. "In the first place I care nothing for
+you. Is not that enough?"
+
+"No, indeed. You'll get over that."
+
+"Let us imagine, then, the contrary. You Americans are entirely
+different from our people. You are cold, deliberate, wicked-your social
+customs are not like ours. You do not at all understand us. How then
+could you be interested to meet a Spanish family?"
+
+"Why, you're half American."
+
+"Oh yes, although it is to be regretted. Even at school in your
+Baltimore I learned many improper things, against which I have had to
+struggle ever since."
+
+"For instance?"
+
+"Ah," she sighed, "I saw so much liberty; I heard of the shocking
+conduct of your American ladies, and, while I know it is quite wrong
+and wicked, still-it is interesting. Why, there is no other nice girl
+in all Panama who would have talked with you as I did in the forest
+that day."
+
+"But what has all this to do with my coming to see you?"
+
+"It is difficult to explain, since you will not understand. When a
+young man is accepted into a Spanish house, many things are taken for
+granted. Besides that, we do not know each other, you and I. Also, if
+you should come to see me, it would cause gossip, misunderstanding
+among my friends."
+
+"I'll declare myself in advance," he promised warmly.
+
+"No, no, no! We Spanish-Americans do not care for strangers. We have
+our own people and we are satisfied. You Yankees are not very nice; you
+are barbarous; you assume such liberties. Our young men are gentle,
+modest, sweet--"
+
+"Um-m! I hadn't noticed it."
+
+"This is the first time I have ever talked so freely with a gentleman,
+and I suppose it is immodest. After all, it is much better that old
+people who are of more experience should discuss these questions."
+
+"But don't you want to have a voice in your own affairs?" he eagerly
+urged. "Do you really want your relatives to tell you whom to meet,
+whom to love, and whom to marry?"
+
+She answered, frankly: "Sometimes I feel that way. Yet at other times I
+am sure they must know best."
+
+"I don't believe you are the sort to shut your eyes and do exactly as
+you're told."
+
+"I do rebel sometimes. I protest, but it is only the American blood in
+me."
+
+"If you'd learn to know me a little bit, maybe you'd enjoy having me
+around the house."
+
+"But I cannot know you, any more than you can know me," she cried, with
+a little gesture of despair at his dullness. "Don't you see--before we
+could get acquainted nicely people would be talking?"
+
+"Let's try. You're living at the country place again, aren't you?
+Suppose I should get lost some day--tomorrow, for instance?"
+
+"No, no! Listen. It is the warning bell, and we must return."
+
+The crowd was filing into the theatre now. They fell in behind Senor
+Garavel and Mrs. Cortlandt.
+
+"I'm going hunting again tomorrow," prophesied Kirk, "and I'm almost
+certain to lose my way-about three o'clock."
+
+"You should take with you a guide."
+
+"That's not a bad idea. I'd like to talk it over with you. Suppose we
+have another stroll after the next act?"
+
+"I shall be with my father. Never before have I enjoyed so much
+liberty." She sighed gratefully.
+
+"Oh, I detest your blamed, straitlaced Spanish customs," he cried,
+hotly. "What do they amount to, anyhow? I love you. I do, I do-"
+
+She laughed and darted to her father's side.
+
+"Don't you think Miss Garavel is a pretty girl?" Mrs. Cortlandt
+questioned, as they strolled toward their box.
+
+"She's a dream." Anthony's tone left nothing unsaid.
+
+"You got along together capitally. Most of the senoritas are
+impossible."
+
+"By the way, what is her name?"
+
+"Gertrudis. Rather pleasing, I think."
+
+Kirk thought so, too. In fact, it pleased him so greatly that he
+thought of nothing else during the entire second act of "La Tosca." It
+was even sweeter than the music of her hesitating accent.
+
+When, after an age, the curtain fell for a second time, he escaped from
+his companions, mumbling some excuse or other, and made haste to find
+her again. But as he approached he felt a sudden pang of jealous rage.
+
+Ramon Alfarez was beside her, and the two were chatting with an
+appearance of intimacy that made him furious. Close at hand stood
+Garavel, deep in conversation with Colonel Jolson.
+
+"Ah, Ramon, I wish you to meet Mr. Anthony," said Gertrudis. "So! You
+have met before?"
+
+"In Colon," Kirk explained, while Alfarez scorched him with his eyes.
+"Mr. Alfarez was very hospitable to me."
+
+"Yes," the Spaniard exclaimed. "It is my great regret that Senor
+Ant'ony did not remain for longer."
+
+"Ramon is with the President's party this evening. He is Senor Galleo's
+Secretary, you know."
+
+"I informed you concerning those good fortunes some time since, eh?"
+Ramon's insulting stare made Kirk long to take him by the throat.
+
+"Yes, you told me. I suppose it is a fine position."
+
+Alfarez swelled pompously. "I 'ave many responsibilities."
+
+"It brings you very close to the Chief Executive, no doubt."
+
+"I 'ave indeed the honor to be his intimate!"
+
+"He's the tallest negro I ever saw," Kirk said, simply, at which the
+haughty Ramon seemed about to explode, and Miss Garavel quite
+shamelessly giggled.
+
+"That is funny," she exclaimed. "But you must not tease Ramon. You
+understand, the voice of the people has made Galleo President, but no
+one forgets that he is not one of us."
+
+Her youthful countryman twisted his mustache with trembling fingers.
+
+"It is politics!" he declared. "And yet Galleo is a great man; I am
+honor' to be his Secretary. But by the grace of God our next President
+will be w'ite."
+
+"Ramon's father, Don Anibal, you know." Gertrudis nodded wisely at the
+American. "We are very proud of Ramon, he is so young to be high in
+politics."
+
+"Eh! Yes, and many of our bravest patriots 'ave been black men."
+
+"Oh, we've had some brave negroes, too," Kirk acknowledged.
+
+"So! You see!" Alfarez was triumphant.
+
+"The greatest fighter we ever had was a colored chap."
+
+"Ah!"
+
+"His name was Gans--Joe Gans."
+
+"You are still joking," said Miss Garavel. "In Baltimore I read the
+newspapers about that Gans. He was a-box-fighter, what?"
+
+"Exactly. But he never carried a Secretary."
+
+Alfarez's countenance was sallow as he inquired:
+
+"Does Senor Ant'ony discover our climate to be still agreeable?"
+
+"Very. It hasn't grown too warm for me yet."
+
+"We are but approaching our 'ot season." The speaker's eyes snapped.
+
+"Oh, I'll stand the heat all right, and the mosquitoes, too."
+
+"Eh! Do not be too sure. The mosquito makes a leetle buzzing-but it is
+well to take warning. If not, behol', some day you grow ver' seeck."
+
+Heretofore Kirk had hated Ramon in a careless, indifferent sort of way,
+feeling that he owed him a good drubbing, which he would be pleased to
+administer if ever a fitting time arrived. But now, since he saw that
+the jackanapes had the audacity to love Gertrudis, his feeling became
+intense. The girl, of course, was fully alive to the situation, and,
+although she evidently enjoyed it, she did her best to stand between
+the two men.
+
+As for Alfarez, he was quick to feel the sudden fierce hostility he had
+aroused, and it seemed to make him nervous. Moreover, he conceived that
+he had scored heavily by his last retort, at which Kirk had only
+smiled. It therefore seemed best to him to withdraw from the
+conversation (annoyingly conducted in English), and a few moments later
+he stalked majestically away. This was just what Kirk wanted, and he
+quickly suggested the balcony. But Gertrudis was obstinate.
+
+"I must remain with my father," she said.
+
+"May I sit beside you, then? I've been thinking of a lot of things to
+say. I always think of bully remarks when it's too late. Now I've
+forgotten them. Do you know, I'm going to nestle up to your father and
+make him like me?"
+
+"Again you are speaking of that subject. I have known you but an hour,
+and you talk of nothing but my father, of me, of coming to call."
+
+"Well, I can't think of anything else."
+
+"You are too bold. Spanish fathers do not like such young men. But to
+hear me talk!" She flushed slightly. "I have lost all modesty to speak
+of those things. You force me to embarrass myself."
+
+"I was an instantaneous success with Miss Torres' father. He was ready
+to send a dray for my trunks."
+
+"Let us discuss other things."
+
+"I haven't the strength. You once spoke of a chap your people had
+picked out. It isn't-Alfarez?"
+
+She let her dark eyes rest upon his a moment, and his senses swam. Then
+she nodded slowly.
+
+"You do not like him?"
+
+"Just like a nose-bleed. The day you and I are married I'm going to
+send him a wreath of poison ivy."
+
+"It pleases you always to joke."
+
+"No joke about that. You won't give in, will you?"
+
+"There is no question of force nor of surrender, senor. I insist now
+that we shall speak of other things."
+
+A few moments later he was constrained to rejoin his hostess' party.
+
+"When are you going back to Las Savannas?" he asked, as he reluctantly
+arose.
+
+"To-morrow."
+
+"The hunting ought to be good-"
+
+But she frowned at him in annoyance, and he left her, after all,
+without knowing whether he had gained or lost ground. Of one thing only
+he was sure-their meeting had been in some respects a disappointment.
+She was not by any means so warm and impulsive as he had supposed. Her
+girlishness, her simplicity, her little American ways, cloaked a deep
+reserve and a fine sense of the difference in their positions. She
+could be Spanish enough when she chose, he perceived, and he felt, as
+he was intended to feel, that the little lady of quality he had met
+to-night would be much harder to win than the girl of the woods. The
+plague of it was that, if anything, he was more in love with the
+definite and dazzling Gertrudis Garavel than he had been with the
+mysteriously alluring Chiquita. If only she were all American, or even
+all Spanish, perhaps he would know better how to act. But,
+unfortunately, she was both-just enough of both to be perplexing and
+wholly unreliable. And then, too, there was Alfarez!
+
+
+
+
+XX
+
+AN AWAKENING
+
+
+He was in no more satisfactory frame of mind when, on the next
+afternoon, he shouldered his gun and set out for the country. He went
+directly to the fairy pool, and waited there in a very fever of
+anxiety. Despite the coolness and peace of the place, he felt his
+pulses throb and his face burn. If she came, it would mean everything
+to him. If she stayed away-why, then he would have to believe that,
+after all, the real Gertrudis Garavel had spoken last night at the
+opera, and that the sprightly, mirthful little maid who had bewitched
+him on their first meeting no longer existed. An odd bashfulness
+overtook him. It did not seem to him that it could possibly have been
+he who had talked to her so boldly only the evening before. At the
+thought of his temerity he felt almost inclined to flee, yet he would
+not have deserted his post for worlds. The sound of a voice shot
+through his troubled thoughts like a beam of sunlight through a dark
+room.
+
+"Oh, Senor Antonio! How you startled me!"
+
+Instantly his self-possession came back. He felt relieved and gay.
+
+"Good-afternoon, queen!" He rose and bowed politely. "I thought I saw
+one underneath the waterfall just now."
+
+"Who would have expected you to be here?" she cried, with an extreme
+and obviously counterfeit amazement that filled him with delight.
+
+"I'm lost," he declared; then, after one look into her eyes, he added,
+"Absolutely, utterly, irretrievably lost."
+
+"It is very fortunate that I chanced to be passing, for this is a
+lonely spot; nobody ever comes here."
+
+"Well, I hardly ever lose myself in busy places. Won't you sit down?"
+
+"Since we have met quite by accident, perhaps it would not be so very
+improper," She laughed mischievously.
+
+"You know I've been lost now for several months. It's a delightful
+feeling-you ought to try it."
+
+She settled uncertainly beside him like a butterfly just alighting,
+ready to take flight again, on the instant.
+
+"Perhaps I can help you to find your way, senor?" she said, with
+ingenuous politeness.
+
+"You are the only one who can, Miss Garavel. I don't know that I ever
+told you, but I'm in love."
+
+"Indeed?"
+
+"I am the most miserably happy person in the world, for I have just
+this moment begun to believe that the young lady likes me a little bit."
+
+"Oh! But I forgot the real reason why I came. I have something I must
+tell you."
+
+"All right. But honestly now, didn't you WANT to come?"
+
+She turned upon him in a little burst of passion. "Yes!" she cried. "Of
+course I did! I wished to come, madly, senor. There is no use to lie.
+But wait! It is wholly because I am a-what you call fleert-a very sad
+fleert." No one could possibly describe the quaint pronunciation she
+gave the word. "It makes my heart patter, like that"--she made her
+little fingers "patter"-"to be wooed even by a Yankee. But I do not
+love you in the least. Oh no! Even if I wished to do so, there are too
+many reasons why I could not, and when I explain you will understand."
+
+"I know; it's Ramon Alfarez. You're half-way engaged to him--but you
+know you don't love him."
+
+"Ah! It is not too sure. He is of fine family, he is rich, he is
+handsome-not possibly could I care for any man who was not all of
+those. All my life I have thought him a very sweet gentleman, and for a
+long time it has been agreed that I should be his wife. Even all the
+young ladies are furious at me, which is very nice also-so it is only
+because I am disobedient that I rebelled. But I was punished for my
+evil disposition." She sighed mournfully. "And now it is all arranged
+once more."
+
+"Is it really signed, sealed, stamped, and delivered in the presence
+of?"
+
+"No, no; but 'Arco siempre armado'-"
+
+"Of course. Is that a prescription?"
+
+'"A bow long bent grows weak.' And there are so many reasons why I
+should say yes."
+
+"You haven't mentioned any that would be binding in law."
+
+"My father's wish. Is not that sufficient?"
+
+"You disregarded that once."
+
+"That was but a flutter. All the time I knew I should be Ramon's wife
+when the time arrived. But it made him so unhappy that I was quite
+pleased. Only for those ugly blue dresses, I would have greatly enjoyed
+my penance. Perhaps I could refuse to wed a man my father chose for me,
+but no nice Spanish girl would dare to wed a man her father did not
+like. Do you see?"
+
+"But it's no cinch your father won't positively hunger for me, once we
+get chummy."
+
+"And I for Ramon? How sad that would be, eh?"
+
+"Really, now, couldn't you bring yourself to marry a chap who wasn't
+aristocratic, rich, and handsome? You know that's a tough combination.
+Most aristocratic people are poor, and the rich ones have dyspepsia."
+
+"Oh no! I am quite certain."
+
+"Suppose I should show you a family tree that you couldn't throw a
+stone over?"
+
+"It would not do at all. I am so extravagant."
+
+"I fully intend to be rich, some time."
+
+"But you are not handsome, senor." Her eyes travelled over him with a
+mischievous twinkle. "You are too beeg."
+
+"I'm very durable; I'd last a long time."
+
+She shook her dark head decisively, and he saw the lights that rippled
+in her profuse crown of hair.
+
+"You are too different, you disregard our customs, you are bold. You
+continue to come here against my wishes, which no Spanish gentleman
+would dare to do."
+
+"Oh, I'm no Spanish gentleman. I'm just an emotional blond; but I'm
+bound to marry you."
+
+"If one of my countrymen found me so indiscreet as to talk with him
+alone like this, he would go away and never come back. I am amazed at
+you, senor. Have you no pride?"
+
+"Not a bit; and now that I have met all your objections, let's arrange
+the details. Shall it be a church wedding?"
+
+She laughed deliciously. "What a nice game it is we have played! But
+now I must talk seriously."
+
+"You witch!" he breathed. "Do you think I could ever give you up?"
+
+She checked him gravely. "Truly, it was just a game--and yet it was not
+altogether so, either. But here is what I came to say. The strangest
+thing has happened-not until last night after the opera did I even
+dream of it, and-even now I cannot believe. Oh, I am so proud!"
+
+"More bad news for me, I suppose."
+
+"Yes. But such good news for me that I am sure you will be glad."
+Timidly he reached out and touched a fold of her white dress. She
+seemed to be slipping from him. "Coming home from the theatre my father
+told me-oh, the most wonderful thing! He said-but how shall I speak of
+such a secret?"
+
+"Evidently you don't intend to."
+
+"I promised very faithfully not to tell, so-he is to be the next
+President of Panama."
+
+"Pres--" Anthony stared at her in frank amazement. "Why, I thought old
+man Alfarez--"
+
+"It seems your country does not like him because he hates
+Americans-see? This is the work of that Mr. Cortlandt. Think! Is it not
+wonderful? Now that you know the truth, you must see at once that by no
+means could I marry to a person like you."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Ohe! Don't you understand? I shall be the finest lady in the Republic.
+All men will adore me. I will have suitors-not one or two as now, but
+many. I will be 'the beautiful Senorita Garavel,' for all the great
+people are beautiful. I shall be proud, also, and I shall not even
+speak to Yankees any more. My father will be the most famous man of all
+the Republic-perhaps in the whole world, I don't know."
+
+"I don't think it will make any difference with him when he knows who I
+am."
+
+"Then you also are a great man, eh?" She hitched herself about, to face
+him more squarely. "That is truly interesting. He would scarcely wish a
+railroad conductor to address the daughter of President Garavel."
+
+"Oh, I've been promoted since I was out here last. Anyhow, I guess my
+dad is pretty nearly as good as anybody in Panama."
+
+"He is, then, of blue blood?"
+
+"No! Red."
+
+"Oh, but a gentleman!"
+
+"He is now. He used to be a brakeman."
+
+"You appear to be-proud of such a thing! How strange! My father's blood
+runs back to the conquistadors; even in the earliest books one finds
+Garavels. They were conquerors, they ruled this country and all these
+people."
+
+"That's something to be proud of, but it isn't everything. High-bred
+horses run well, but they can't pull. It's the old farm nag that
+delivers the merchandise. But I'll tackle your father, and I'll promise
+to vote for him."
+
+"You are very fonny." She gazed at him seriously, one tiny foot curled
+under her, her chin nestling into her palm.
+
+"Do you love me?"
+
+"Not one single speck. I merely like you to make love at me and cause
+my heart to jomp! But that is not fair to you, is it?-since you can
+have no hope."
+
+The little hypocrite continued to voice words of warning and denial,
+though her eyes invited him, and for a long time they continued this
+delightful play of pleading and evasion. But at last Chiquita jumped up
+with a great appearance of alarm.
+
+"Heavens! the time," she cried. "I have stayed too long by much.
+Stephanie will miss me."
+
+He rose and stretched out his hand as if to hold her.
+
+"Shall I come again to-morrow?"
+
+She grew suddenly earnest.
+
+"No, no, senor. That is something you should not ask. If ever we are to
+meet again, it must be with my father's consent. Please! Do not urge,
+for truly I would have to refuse." She let her palm rest in his an
+instant, and her cheek went scarlet as he pressed it to his lips. Then
+she said: "Go, Mr. Brazen One. How greatly it surprised me to find you
+here I cannot say. It gave me such a start! And, Senor Antonio--my
+father may be found any day at his bank." Before he could detain her
+she was gone, flitting up the path with just one flashing smile of
+mischief over her shoulder.
+
+Anthony went home with his head in the clouds. All his doubts were now
+at rest; for while Chiquita had stubbornly denied him all
+encouragement, he felt sure that her heart had answered. It was in the
+highest spirits, therefore, that he opened a letter he found awaiting
+him, and read as follows:
+
+DEAR KIRK,--I hope you are heartily sick of yourself and ready to do
+something decent for a change. Knowing your aristocratic habits as I
+do, I realize you must owe a lot of money by this time, and your new
+friends must be getting tired of you. I have been expecting you to draw
+on me daily, and am taking this occasion to warn you in your own
+expensively acquired college English that "THERE IS NOTHING
+DOING"--except upon one condition. If you will agree to behave yourself
+in future, I will pay your debts, send you West, and give you a job as
+operator at forty dollars a month. BUT--you will go where I send you,
+and you will stay where you are put. I will do the thinking for both of
+us and judge of your associates. Maybe if you prove to be any good at
+all, I will arrange with the police to let you spend your vacations in
+"that dear New York," which still shows signs of your red--paint brush.
+I would be pleased to have an apology by return mail, so that I may
+meet you in New Orleans and start you off once more on the road to
+decency and self-respect. You will never be a success at anything, but
+I am always ready to do my duty. This is my last offer, and if you
+refuse you may distinctly and definitely go to the devil. As ever,
+
+Your loving father, DARWIN K. ANTHONY.
+
+P.S.--I can get GOOD operators for thirty dollars a month. The extra
+ten dollars is pure sentiment.
+
+Kirk had known in advance just about what the letter contained, and now
+laughed aloud. It was so like the old gentleman! Why, he could almost
+hear him dictating it.
+
+Spurred by his present exhilaration, he wrote an answer, which he read
+with a good deal of satisfaction before sealing it up.
+
+DEAR DAD,-Your affectionate letter, with the kind offer to take charge
+of a siding out in the Dakotas, is at hand. I would like to help you
+along with your business, but "Upward and onward" is my motto, and
+you'll have to raise that salary a bit. I am drawing two hundred and
+twenty-five dollars a month at present, quarters furnished and
+promotion promised. I have made some good investments, and there are no
+debts to settle. Enclosed find my last bank statement, which will
+doubtless prove a great disappointment to you.
+
+If you need a good Master of Transportation, I would be pleased to
+consider an offer at any time, provided the salary is satisfactory, but
+your proposal to edit my acquaintances is out of the question. My
+decency and self respect are doing well, thank you, and I like the
+climate.
+
+Outside my window a mocking-bird sings nightly, and I have a tame
+rabbit with ears like a squirrel and baby-blue eyes--also a Jamaican
+negro boy who, I fear, could not stand our harsh Northern winters.
+
+The salary would have to be about six thousand a year. As always,
+
+Your devoted and obedient son, KIRK.
+
+P.S.--I would not care to locate farther west than Buffalo. My wife
+might not like it.
+
+"If he survives the first part, that tag line will put him down for the
+count," mused the writer, with a grin. "And, yet, something tells me he
+will not embrace my offer. Ah, well! Promotion is slow." He whistled
+blithely as he sent Allan off to the post-office.
+
+Kirk lost no time in calling at the bank, but was disappointed to learn
+that Senor Andres Garavel had left the city for an unexpected business
+tour of the Provinces and would not return for at least two weeks. At
+first he was inclined to doubt the truth of this statement, but a
+casual inquiry from Mrs. Cortlandt confirmed it, and, cursing his luck,
+he sought distraction where he could most easily find it.
+
+In the days that followed he saw nothing of Gertrudis, but a good deal
+of Edith Cortlandt. She had redeemed her promise of getting him a good
+horse-something rare in this country-and he was grateful for the
+exercise, which came as a welcome relief from his indoor toil. They
+rode almost daily; he dined at her house, and once again made one of
+her party at the opera. Soon their old friendly intercourse was going
+on as if it had never been interrupted.
+
+As for Edith, this unsatisfying, semi-public intimacy came to be quite
+as much a pain as a pleasure to her. During these past few weeks she
+had been plunged in a mental turmoil, the signs of which she had
+concealed with difficulty. She had fought with herself; she had tried
+to reason; she had marshalled her pride, but all in vain. At last she
+awoke to the terrifying certainty that she was in love. It had all
+begun with that moment of impulsive surrender at Taboga. The night
+following had been terrible to her. In its dark hours she had seen her
+soul for the first time, and the glimpse she got frightened her.
+Following this, she became furious with herself, then resentful toward
+Anthony; next she grew desperate and reckless.
+
+She began to look upon her husband with a quickened curiosity, and
+found him a stranger. For years she had made allowance for his
+weaknesses, ignoring them as she ignored his virtues; but never before
+had he appeared so colorless, so insignificant, above all so alien. She
+had barely tolerated him hitherto, but now she began to despise him.
+
+If Cortlandt was aware of her change of feeling and its cause, his
+method of dealing with her showed some keenness. Silent contempt was
+what she could least endure from him of all men; yet this was just what
+his manner toward her expressed-if it expressed anything. Beyond those
+words as they were leaving the island, he had said nothing, had never
+referred to the incident, had not so much as mentioned Anthony's name
+unless forced to do so, and this offended her unreasonably. She caught
+him regarding her strangely at times with a curious, faltering
+expression, but he was so icy in his reserve, he yielded so easily to
+her predominance, that she could divine nothing and turned the more
+fiercely to her inward struggle. Even if he did suspect, what then? It
+was no affair of his; she was her own mistress. She had given him all
+he possessed, she had made a man of him. He was her creature, and had
+no rights beyond what she chose to give. They saw less and less of each
+other. He became more formal, more respectfully unhusbandlike. He spent
+few daylight hours in the house, coming and going as he pleased,
+frequenting the few clubs of the city, or riding alone. On more than
+one occasion he met her and Anthony on their horses. Only before
+others, or at their frequent political councils, were they quite the
+same as they had been.
+
+Of Anthony, on the other hand, she arranged to see more than ever,
+flattering him by a new deference in her manner, making him feel always
+at ease with her, watching him vainly for the least sign of awakening
+desire. In their frequent rides they covered most of the roads about
+the city, even to the ruins of old Panama. Then they began to explore
+the by-paths and trails.
+
+One afternoon they turned into an unfrequented road that led off to the
+jungle from the main highway, walking their horses while they marvelled
+at the beauty of the foliage. The trail they knew led to a coffee
+plantation far up among the hills, but it was so little travelled that
+the verdure brushed them as they went, and in many places they passed
+beneath a roof of branches. Before they had penetrated a quarter of a
+mile they were in the midst of an unbroken solitude, shut off from the
+world by a riotous glory of green, yellow, and crimson. They had not
+spoken for a long time, and were feeling quite content with the
+pleasant monotony of--their journey, when they burst out into a rocky
+glen where a spring of clear water bubbled forth. With a common impulse
+they reined in; Twenty feet farther on the trail twisted into the
+screen of verdure and was lost.
+
+"What a discovery!" exclaimed Edith. "Help me down, please, I'm going
+to drink."
+
+Kirk dismounted and lent her a hand; the horses snorted appreciatively,
+and stepping forward, thrust their soft muzzles eagerly into the
+stream, then fell to browsing upon the tender leaves at their shoulders.
+
+Edith quenched her thirst, shook the cramp from her limbs, and said:
+"Some time we will have to see where this road leads. There may be more
+surprises beyond." She broke a flower from its stem and fastened it in
+Kirk's buttonhole, while he gazed down at her with friendly eyes.
+
+"You're looking awfully well lately," he declared.
+
+Glancing up, she met his gaze and held it for an instant. "It's the
+open air and the exercise. I enjoy these rides with you more than I can
+say." Something in her look gave him a little thrill of embarrassment.
+
+"I think I'll give Marquis and Gyp their dessert," he said, and,
+turning aside, began to gather a handful of the greenest leaves. The
+instant his eyes were off her, she took the horses by their bridles,
+swung them about, and with a sharp blow of her riding-crop sent them
+snorting and clattering down the trail. Kirk wheeled barely in time to
+see them disappearing.
+
+"Here!" he cried, sharply. "What are you doing?"
+
+"They bolted."
+
+"They'll hike straight for town. Now I'll have to chase--" He glanced
+at her sharply. "Say, why did you do that?"
+
+"Because I wanted to. Isn't that reason enough?" Her eyes were reckless
+and her lips white.
+
+"You shouldn't do a thing like that!" he cried, gruffly. "It's foolish.
+Now I'll have to run them down."
+
+"Oh, you can't catch them."
+
+"Well, I'll have a try at it, anyhow." He tossed away his handful of
+leaves.
+
+"Silly! I did it because I wanted to talk with you."
+
+"Well, those horses wouldn't overhear."
+
+"Don't be angry, Kirk. I haven't seen you alone since that night."
+
+"Taboga?" he said, guiltily. "You're not going to lecture me again? I'm
+sorry enough as it is." Never in all his life had he felt more
+uncomfortable. He could not bring himself to meet her gaze, feeling
+that his own face must be on fire.
+
+"What a queer chap you are! Am I so unattractive that you really want
+to rush off after those horses?" He said nothing, and she went on after
+a moment of hesitation: "I have known men who would have thought it a
+privilege to be left alone with me like this."
+
+"I--have no doubt."
+
+"You remember, for instance, I told you there was one man at Taboga
+whom I did not wish to see?"
+
+"Yes--at the sanitarium."
+
+"Well, something like this happened once--with him--and I told Stephen."
+
+"And did you tell Mr. Cortlandt what I did?"
+
+"Do you think I would have come riding with you if I had?" She shook
+her head. "Kirk, I used to think you were an unusually forward young
+man, but you're not very worldly, are you?"
+
+"N-no--yes! I guess I'm as wise as most fellows."
+
+"Sometimes I think you are very stupid."
+
+He began firmly: "See here, Mrs. Cortlandt, you have been mighty good
+to me, and I'm indebted to you and your husband for a whole lot. I am
+terribly fond of you both."
+
+She clipped a crimson bloom from its stem with a vicious blow of her
+crop, then, with eyes fixed upon the fallen flower, broke the awkward
+pause that followed.
+
+"I suppose," she said, half defiantly, "you know how things are with
+Stephen and me--everybody must know, I suppose. I have done a lot of
+thinking lately, and I have made up my mind that the last appeal of
+what is right or wrong lies with one's self. I'm not going to care any
+longer what the world thinks of my actions so long as my own heart
+justifies them. Happiness--that is what I want, and I will have it--I
+will have it at any cost. It is my right. Because a woman marries
+without love, is it right for her to forego love all her life? I think
+not."
+
+She looked up, and with a change of tone ran on swiftly: "I have
+studied you for a long time, Kirk. I know the sort of man you are. I
+know you better than you know yourself. Very lately I have begun to
+study myself, too, and I know, at last, the sort of woman I am." She
+drew near and laid a hand on each shoulder, forcing him to look
+straight into her eyes. "I am not like most women; I can't do things by
+halves; I can't temporize with vital things; I prefer to experiment,
+even blindly. I used to think I was born to rule, but I think now that
+a woman's only happiness lies in serving; and I used to believe I was
+contented, when all the time I was waiting for something and didn't
+know it. Don't be silly now; you're just like every other man."
+
+"I can't pretend to misunderstand you, although--Listen!" He cut his
+words short. "Here comes some one."
+
+She turned her head, as from the direction their mounts had taken came
+the sound of approaching hoots.
+
+"Natives from the hills." She nodded carelessly toward the purple
+mountains back of them. But the next moment she gave a little gasp of
+consternation. Out from the overhung path, with a great rustling of
+leaves, came, not the expected flea-bitten Panama horse, but a familiar
+bay, astride of which was Stephen Cortlandt. He was leading Marquis and
+Gyp by their bridles, and reined in at sight of his wife and her
+companion.
+
+"Hello!" he said. "I caught your horses for you."
+
+"Jove! That's lucky!" Kirk greeted the husband's arrival with genuine
+relief. "They bolted when we got down to take a drink, and we were
+getting ready for a long walk. Thanks, awfully."
+
+"No trouble at all. I saw them as they came out on the main road."
+Cortlandt's pigskin saddle creaked as he bent forward to deliver the
+reins. He was as cool and immaculate as ever. He met Edith's eyes
+without the slightest expression. "Nice afternoon for a ride."
+
+"If I had known you were riding to-day you might have come with us,"
+she said.
+
+He smiled in his wintry fashion, then scanned the surroundings
+appreciatively.
+
+"Pretty spot, isn't it? If you are going back, I'll ride with you."
+
+"Good enough. May I give you a hand, Mrs. Cortlandt?" Kirk helped Edith
+to her seat, at which her husband bowed his thanks. Then the three set
+out in single file.
+
+"Which way?" inquired Stephen as they reached the highroad.
+
+"Back to town, I think," Edith told him, "And you?"
+
+"I'm not ready yet. See you later." He raised his hat and cantered
+easily away, while the other two turned their horses' heads toward the
+city.
+
+
+
+
+XXI
+
+THE REST OF THE FAMILY
+
+
+The time for Senor Garavel's return having arrived, Kirk called at the
+bank, and found not the least difficulty in gaining an audience.
+Indeed, as soon as he had reminded the banker of their former meeting,
+he was treated with a degree of cordiality that surpassed his
+expectations.
+
+"I remember quite well, sir," said Garavel--"'La Tosca.' Since you are
+a friend of Mrs. Cortlandt I shall be delighted to serve you."
+
+Now that they were face to face, Kirk felt that he distinctly approved
+of Chiquita's father. This dignified, distinguished-looking gentleman
+awaited his pleasure with an air of leisurely courtesy that would have
+made him under other circumstances very easy of approach. But there was
+a keenness in his dark eyes that suggested the futility of beating
+round the bush. Kirk felt suddenly a little awkward.
+
+"I have something very particular to say to you," he began,
+diffidently, "but I don't know just how to get at it."
+
+Garavel smiled graciously. "I am a business man."
+
+"This isn't business," blurted Kirk; "it's much more important. I want
+to have it over as quickly as possible, so I'll be frank. I have met
+your daughter, Mr. Garavel"--the banker's eyes widened in a look of
+disconcerting intensity--"and I am in love with her--sort of a shock,
+isn't it? It was to me. I'd like to tell you who I am and anything else
+you may wish to know."
+
+"My dear sir, you surprise me--if you are really serious. Why, you have
+seen her but once--a moment, at the theatre!"
+
+"I met her before that night, out at your country place. I had been
+hunting, and on my way home through the woods I stumbled upon your
+swimming-pool. She directed me to the road."
+
+"But even so!"
+
+"Well, I loved her the first instant I saw her."
+
+"I knew nothing of this. If you had reason to think that your suit
+would be acceptable, why did you not come to me before?"
+
+"I couldn't. I didn't know your name. I was nearly crazy because I
+couldn't so much as learn the name of the girl I loved!" Kirk plunged
+confusedly into the story of his search for Chiquita.
+
+"That is a strange tale," said Senor Garavel, when he had finished--"a
+very strange tale--and yet you did well to tell it me. At present I do
+not know what to think. Young men are prone to such romantic fancies,
+rash and ill-considered. They are, perhaps, excusable, but---"
+
+"Oh, I suppose you can't understand how a fellow falls so deep in love
+on such short acquaintance, but I have been brooding over this for
+months--there's nothing hasty or ill-considered about it, I can assure
+you. I am terribly hard hit, sir; it means everything to me."
+
+"If you would tell me something about yourself, I might know better in
+what light to regard this affair."
+
+"Gladly--though there isn't much to tell. Just now I'm working on the
+P.R.R. as assistant to Runnels--the Master of Transportation, you know.
+I like the work and expect to be promoted. I have a little money--just
+enough to give me a fresh start if I should lose out here, and--oh,
+well, I'm poor but honest; I suppose that's about the size of it." He
+paused, vaguely conscious that he had not done himself justice. What
+else was there to say about Kirk Anthony? Then he added as an
+afterthought:
+
+"My father is a railroad man, in Albany, New York."
+
+"In what capacity is he employed, may I ask?" said Garavel, showing
+something like real interest.
+
+Kirk grinned at this, and, seeing a copy of Bradstreet's on the
+banker's table, turned to his father's name, which he pointed out
+rather shamefacedly. Senor Garavel became instantly less distant.
+
+"Of course the financial world knows Darwin K. Anthony," said he. "Even
+we modest merchants of the tropics have heard of him; and that his son
+should seek to win success upon his own merits is greatly to his
+credit. I congratulate you, sir, upon your excellent progress."
+
+"I hope to make good," said Kirk, simply, "and I think I can." Then he
+flushed and hesitated as a realization of the situation swept over him.
+Could he gain the favor of Chiquita's father under false pretences?
+Surely it was only just that a man should stand upon his own merits,
+and yet--it didn't seem quite right. At length, he said, with an effort:
+
+"I ought to tell you, sir, that I am not on good terms with my father,
+at present. In fact, he has cast me off. That is why I am here
+supporting myself by hard work, instead of living in idleness. But I'm
+beginning to like the work--and I'll make good--I'll do it if only to
+show my father his mistake. That's what I care about most. I don't want
+his money. It's easier to make money than I thought. But I must
+succeed, for his sake and my own."
+
+Despite his embarrassment, his face shone with sudden enthusiasm. He
+looked purposeful and aggressive, with a certain sternness that sat
+well upon his young manhood. Garavel lifted his brows.
+
+"May I inquire the cause of this--estrangement?"
+
+"Oh, general worthlessness on my part, I suppose. Come to think of it,
+I must have been a good deal of a cross. I never did anything very
+fierce, though." He smiled a little sadly. "I don't wonder that I fail
+to impress you."
+
+A quick light of thought flashed through the banker's eyes. He was a
+keen judge of men.
+
+"Well, well," he said, with a trace of impatience, "there is no need to
+go into the matter further. Your proposal is impossible--for many
+reasons it is impossible, and yet--your spirit is commendable."
+
+"Does that mean you won't even allow me to see your daughter?"
+
+"It would be useless."
+
+"But I love Gertrudis," said Kirk, desperately.
+
+Garavel looked a trifle pitying.
+
+"You are by no means the first," he said; "I have been besieged by
+many, who say always the same thing--without Gertrudis they cannot,
+they will not, they should not live. And yet I have heard of no deaths.
+At first I was greatly concerned about them--poor fellows--but most of
+them are married now, so I not do take your words too seriously." He
+laughed good-naturedly. "You unemotional Americans do not love at first
+sight."
+
+"_I_ do, sir."
+
+"Tut! It is but admiration for a beautiful girl who--I say it--is
+wicked enough to enjoy creating havoc. Take time, my boy, and you will
+smile at this madness. Now, let us talk of something else."
+
+"It is no use, sir, I have it bad."
+
+"But when you make such a request as this, you assume to know the young
+lady's wishes in the matter."
+
+"Not at all. Without your consent I don't believe she'd allow herself
+to even like me. That is why I want to fix it with you first."
+
+"In that, at least, you are quite right, for Gertrudis is a good girl,
+and obedient, as a general rule; but--it is impossible. Her marriage
+has been arranged."
+
+"Do you think that is quite fair to her? If she loves Ramon Alfarez---"
+
+Once again Garavel's brows signalled surprise. "Ah, you know?"
+
+"Yes, sir. I was about to say, if she really loves him, I can't make
+any difference; but suppose she should care for me?"
+
+"Again it could make no difference, once she had married Ramon. But she
+is too young to know her own mind. These young girls are
+impressionable, romantic, foolish. I can see no object in deliberately
+courting trouble. Can you? In affairs of the heart it is well to use
+judgment and caution--qualities which come only with age. Youth is
+headstrong and blinded by dreams, hence it is better that marriage
+should be arranged by older persons."
+
+"Exactly! That's why I want you to arrange mine." The banker smiled in
+spite of himself, for he was not without a sense of humor, and the
+young man's sincerity was winning.
+
+"It is out of the question," he said; "useless to discuss. Forgetting
+for the moment all other considerations, there is an obstacle to your
+marriage into a Spanish family, which you do not stop to consider--one
+which might well prove insurmountable. I speak of religion."
+
+"No trouble there, sir."
+
+"You are, then, a Catholic?"
+
+"It was my mother's faith, and I was brought up in it until she died.
+After that, I--sort of neglected it. You see, I am more of a Catholic
+than anything else."
+
+"What we call a 'bad Catholic'?"
+
+"Yes, sir. But if I were not, it wouldn't make any difference. Chiquita
+is my religion."
+
+"Who?" The father started.
+
+"I--I call her that," Kirk explained, in confusion. "To myself, of
+course."
+
+"Indeed! So do I," said Senor Garavel, dryly. For a moment he frowned
+in meditation. There were many things to consider. He felt a certain
+sympathy for this young man, with his straightforwardness and artless
+brusquerie. Moreover, though the banker was no great respecter of
+persons, the mention of Darwin K. Anthony had impressed him. If Kirk
+were all that he seemed, he had no doubt of the ultimate reconciliation
+of father and son. At all events, it would do no harm to learn more of
+this extraordinary suitor, and meanwhile he must treat him with respect
+while carefully guarding his own dignity against possibly impertinent
+advances.
+
+"She has been promised to Ramon," he said, at last, "and I have
+considered her future quite settled. Of course, such arrangements are
+frequently altered for various causes, even at the last moment,
+but--quien sabe?" He shrugged his shoulders. "She may not wish to
+entertain your suit. So why discuss it? Why make plans or promises? It
+is a matter to be handled with the greatest delicacy; there are
+important issues linked with it. Where there is the prospect of an
+alliance between two houses--of business or politics--you will
+understand that according to our ideas, those considerations must
+govern--absolutely. Otherwise--I do not know--I can say nothing to
+encourage you except--that, for a young man I have known so very short
+a time"--he smiled genially--"you have impressed me not unfavorably. I
+thank you for coming to me, at any rate."
+
+The two men rose and shook hands; Kirk was not altogether cast down by
+the result of the interview. He understood the banker's allusion to the
+possible change of arrangements, and felt sure from what Chiquita had
+told him that the marriage with Ramon could not take place after the
+true nature of Garavel's political aspirations became known. In that
+case, if all went well, it did not seem impossible that Garavel would
+give his consent, and then Gertrudis alone would remain to be won. If,
+on the other hand, her father refused his permission--well, there are
+many ways of winning a bride. Kirk believed in his lucky star, and had
+a constitutional inability to imagine failure.
+
+The truth was that Andres Garavel had not hesitated long after that
+memorable night at the Tivoli before accepting the brilliant prize
+which the Cortlandts had dangled so alluringly before his eyes, and,
+the decision once made, he had entered into the scheme with all his
+soul. He was wise enough, however, to leave his destiny largely in
+their hands. This meant frequent councils among the three, a vast
+amount of careful work, of crafty intrigue, of untiring diplomacy, and,
+although his candidacy had not as yet been more than whispered, the
+purple robe of power was daily being woven, thread by thread.
+
+It was not long after Kirk's visit to the bank that Garavel, during one
+of these conferences, took occasion to bring up the young man's name.
+Cortlandt had been called to the telephone, and Edith was left free to
+answer without constraint.
+
+"I have seen you and him riding quite frequently," her guest remarked,
+with polite interest. "Is he, then, an old friend?"
+
+"Yes, we are very fond of him."
+
+"Your Mr. Runnels believes him most capable; we were speaking of him
+but yesterday."
+
+"Oh, he will be successful, if that's what you mean; I shall see to
+that. He has his father's gift for handling men---"
+
+"You know his father?"
+
+"Not personally, only by reputation. Kirk will be promoted soon,
+by-the-way, although he doesn't know it. He is to replace Runnels as
+soon as he is able."
+
+"Remarkable--and yet I have seen the marvels you work, dear lady. But
+is not this a strange sphere of activity for the son of Darwin K.
+Anthony?"
+
+"Oh, he had some kind of falling-out with his father, I believe, which
+occasioned his coming here. There was nothing really to Kirk's
+discredit--of that I am perfectly sure."
+
+"It would be unfortunate, indeed, if this breach between father and son
+should prove serious."
+
+"Oh, I dare say it won't. Kirk is certain to succeed, and old Anthony
+will come round, if I know American fathers."
+
+Garavel smiled, well pleased that he had treated his recent visitor
+with proper consideration. After all, why not invite the young fellow
+to his house? That would be rather a significant step according to
+Spanish custom; yet he need not be bound by it. He could put a stop to
+the affair at any time. Besides, despite his frequent protestations to
+the contrary, he was somewhat influenced by his daughter's desire for
+more liberty. It was not fair to her, he thought in his heart, that she
+should know only Ramon. One reason especially appealed to his pride. If
+a break came between him and Alfarez, Ramon must not appear to have
+jilted Gertrudis. If, meanwhile, she had another suitor, and one of
+distinguished family, the affair would wear a better look. It cannot be
+denied that the name of Darwin K. Anthony rang musically in his ears.
+
+"The boy has the right stuff in him," Edith went on. "He began at the
+bottom, only a few months ago, preferring to work his way up, though he
+was offered a first-rate position to begin with."
+
+She would have said more, but just at that moment her husband entered.
+"You were saying that Alfarez suspects," said Cortlandt, addressing
+Garavel. "Has he said anything?"
+
+"Not to me, as yet, but he surely must know; the rumors must have
+reached him. He is cold--and Ramon acts queerly. I feel guilty--almost
+as if I had betrayed a friend."
+
+"Nonsense! There is no room for fine scruples in politics. We mustn't
+be in too great a hurry, though. Things are going smoothly, and when
+the time comes you will be called for. But it must be the voice of the
+people calling. Bocas, Chiriqui, Colon--they must all demand Garavel."
+Cortlandt sighed. "I shall be very glad when it is over." He looked
+more pale, more bloodless, more world-weary than ever.
+
+"You need have no fear that it will cause serious trouble between you
+and the General," Mrs. Cortlandt assured Garavel. "Ramon should be able
+to effect peace, no matter what happens."
+
+"Ah, I am not so sure that there will be a marriage between Gertrudis
+and him. Young ladies are most uncertain when allowed the slightest
+liberty."
+
+"Is she growing rebellious?" Cortlandt inquired. "If I were you, then,
+I wouldn't force her. A loveless marriage is a tragic thing."
+
+His wife nodded her agreement.
+
+"Not exactly rebellious. She would do whatever I asked regardless of
+her own feelings, for that is the way we Spaniards bring up our
+daughters, but--she is cold to Ramon, and he, I believe, is suspicious
+of my intentions toward his father. Therefore, the situation is
+strained. It is very hard to know what is right in a case of this sort.
+The young are impressionable and reckless. Often what seems to them
+distasteful is in reality a blessing. It is not every love-match that
+turns out so happily as yours, my dear friends. Well, I suppose I am
+weak. With Gertrudis I cannot be severe; but unless it becomes
+necessary to make conditions with my old friend Alfarez, I should
+prefer to let the girl have her own way."
+
+As Cortlandt escorted his caller to the door, the Panamanian paused and
+said, with genuine solicitude:
+
+"You look badly, sir. I am afraid you work too hard. I would not easily
+forgive myself if this affair of ours caused you to fall ill."
+
+"Oh, I am all right--a little tired, that's all. I don't sleep well."
+
+"It is worry over this thing."
+
+Cortlandt smiled crookedly. "I am not the one to worry; I am not the
+one at the head. Surely you know what people say--that I am her
+office-boy?"
+
+Garavel found it hard to laugh this off gracefully. "You are too
+modest," he said. "I admire the trait, but I also chance to know the
+wonderful things you have accomplished. If people say such things, it
+is because they do not know and are too small to understand your
+voluntary position. It is very fine of you to let your wife share your
+work, senor." But he shook his head as the door closed behind him,
+really doubting that Cortlandt would prove physically equal to the
+coming struggle.
+
+It was about this time--perhaps two weeks after Kirk had replied to his
+father's letter--that Runnels called him in one day to ask:
+
+"Do you know a man named Clifford?"
+
+"No."
+
+"He dropped in this morning, claiming to be a newspaper man from the
+States; wanted to know all about everything on the Canal and--the usual
+thing. He didn't talk like a writer, though. I thought you might know
+him; he asked about you."
+
+"Me?" Kirk pricked up his ears.
+
+"I gathered the impression he was trying to pump me." Runnels eyed his
+subordinate shrewdly. "I boosted you."
+
+"Is he short and thick-set?"
+
+"No. Tall and thin." As Kirk merely looked at him in a puzzled way, he
+continued: "I suppose we're all suspicious down here, there's so much
+of that sort of thing. If he has anything on you--"
+
+"He's got nothing on me."
+
+"I'm glad of that. You're the best man I have, and that shake-up I told
+you about is coming off sooner than I expected. I'd hate to have
+anything happen to you. Do you think you could hold down my job?"
+
+"WHAT? Do you really mean it?"
+
+"I do."
+
+"I think I could, if you would help me."
+
+Runnels laughed. "That remark shows you haven't developed Isthmitis,
+anyhow."
+
+"What is that?"
+
+"Well, it's a sort of mental disorder most of us have. We believe
+everybody above us is incompetent, and everybody below us is after our
+jobs. You'll get it in time--even some of the Commissioners have it."
+
+"It goes without saying that I'd like to be Master of Transportation,
+but not until you're through."
+
+"Well, the old man has had another row with Colonel Jolson, and may not
+wait for his vacation to quit. I'm promised the vacancy."
+
+"Then you have seen the Colonel?"
+
+"No--but I have seen Mrs. Cortlandt. I felt I had a right to ask
+something from her in return for what I did for you. I know that sounds
+rotten, but you'll understand how it is. Colonel Jolson wants his
+brother-in-law, Blakeley, to have the place, but I'm entitled to it,
+and she has promised to fix it for me. If I go up, you go, too; that's
+why I was worried when this Clifford party appeared."
+
+"There IS something, I suppose, I ought to tell you, although it
+doesn't amount to much. I was mixed up in a scrape the night I left New
+York. A plain-clothes man happened to get his head under a falling
+bottle and nearly died from the effects."
+
+"What was the trouble?"
+
+"It really wasn't the least bit of trouble, it was fatally easy. We
+were out on a grape carnival, six of us. It was an anti-prohibition
+festival, and he horned in."
+
+"There is nothing else?"
+
+"Nothing."
+
+"Well, this Clifford party is stopping at the Hotel Central. Better
+look him over."
+
+"I will," said Kirk, feeling more concern than he cared to show, but
+his apprehension turned out to be quite unfounded. On inspection,
+Clifford proved to bear no resemblance whatever to Williams, nor did he
+seem to have any concealed design. He was a good sort, apparently, with
+a knack of making himself agreeable, and in the weeks that followed he
+and Kirk became quite friendly. Meanwhile, no word had come from Senor
+Garavel, and Kirk was beginning to fret. But just as he had reached the
+limit of his patience he received a note which transported him with joy.
+
+Senor Andres Garavel, he read, would be in the city on the following
+Tuesday evening, and would be pleased to have him call.
+
+Even with his recent experiences of Spanish etiquette, Kirk hardly
+realized the extent of the concession that had been made to him. He
+knew nothing of the tears, the pleadings, and the spirited championship
+of his cause that had overborne the last parental objection. It was
+lucky for him that Chiquita was a spoiled child, and Garavel a very
+Americanized Spaniard. However, as it was, he went nearly mad with
+delight, and when Tuesday came round he performed his office-work so
+badly that Runnels took him to task.
+
+"What the devil has got into you the last few days?" he exclaimed,
+irritably.
+
+"I'm going to see a certain party to-night and I can't contain myself.
+I'm about to blow up. That's all."
+
+"Woman, eh?"
+
+Kirk grinned. "It has taken months, and I'd begun to think I wasn't
+wanted. Oh, I've had a battle."
+
+"Anybody I know?"
+
+"Yes, but I can't talk about her. There's a man in the case, see! I'm
+going slow to start with."
+
+Runnels, who had never seen Kirk with any woman except Edith Cortlandt,
+formed his own conclusions, helped a bit, perhaps, by the memory of
+that conversation with John Weeks on the day of their ride across the
+Isthmus. That these conclusions were not pleasing to him, he showed
+when he returned to his office. He stood an instant in thought, looking
+rather stern, then murmured, half aloud: "That's one thing I wouldn't
+stand for."
+
+Kirk had hard work to refrain from shaving himself twice that evening,
+so overcareful was he about his toilet, yet his excitement was as
+nothing compared to that of Allan, who looked on with admiration
+tempered by anxious criticism. The boy, it seemed, appropriated to
+himself the entire credit for the happy ending of this affair.
+
+"It will be a grand wedding, sar," he exclaimed. "H'Allan will be there
+for giving you away."
+
+"You don't know enough about me to give me away," Kirk returned,
+lightly.
+
+"I shall be needing some h'expensive garments for the ceremony. I would
+h'ahsk you to be so kind--"
+
+"Not too fast. It hasn't gone quite that far yet."
+
+"But I shall need to have those garments made by a tailor, and that
+will require time. They will be made precisely to resemble yours, then
+nobody can tell h'us apart."
+
+"That's considered genuine flattery, I believe."
+
+"Would you do me a favor, Master h'Auntony?"
+
+"Surest thing you know."
+
+"I shall be waiting in the street to-night. Could you h'arrange to
+h'ahsk those fatal questions h'adjoining the window so that I might
+h'overhear?"
+
+"NO! And I don't want you prowling around outside, either. You're not
+to follow me, understand! I have enough on my mind as it is."
+
+The residence of Senor Garavel is considered one of the show places of
+Panama. It is of Spanish architecture, built of brick and stucco, and
+embellished with highly ornamental iron balconies. It stands upon a
+corner overlooking one of the several public squares, guarded from the
+street by a breast-high stone wall crowned with a stout iron fence.
+Diagonally opposite and running the full length of the block is a huge
+weather-stained cathedral, the front of which is decorated with holy
+figures, each standing by itself in a separate niche. In the open
+church tower are great chimes which flood the city with melody, and in
+the corner fronting upon the intersecting street is a tiny shrine with
+an image of the Madonna smiling downward. It is only a little recess in
+the wall, with barely room for a few kneeling figures, but at night its
+bright radiance illumines the darkness round about and lends the spot a
+certain sanctity.
+
+Contrary to the usual custom, the Garavel mansion has a narrow yard,
+almost smothered in tropical plants that crowd one another through the
+iron bars and nod at the passers-by. Riotous vines half screen the
+balconies: great overhanging red-tiled eaves give the place an air of
+coziness which the verdure enhances. A subdued light was glowing from
+the lower windows when Anthony mounted the steps and rang.
+
+An Indian woman, clad in barbarous colors, her bare feet encased in
+sandals, admitted him, and the banker himself met him in the hall. He
+led the way into a great barren parlor, where, to Kirk's embarrassment,
+he found quite a company gathered. His host formally presented him to
+them, one after another. There were Senor Pedro Garavel, a brother of
+Andres; Senora Garavel, his wife, who was fat and short of wind; the
+two Misses Garavel, their daughters; then a little, wrinkled, brown old
+lady in stiff black silk who spoke no English. Kirk gathered that she
+was somebody's aunt or grandmother. Last of all, Gertrudis came shyly
+forward and put her hand in his, then glided back to a seat behind the
+old lady. Just as they were seating themselves another member of the
+family appeared--this time a second cousin from Guatemala. Like the
+grandmother, he was as ignorant of English as Kirk was of Spanish, but
+he had a pair of frightfully intense black eyes with which he devoured
+the American. These orbs exercised an unusual effect upon the caller;
+they were unwinking, the lids were wide open, and the brilliance of the
+pupils was heightened by the startling whiteness surrounding them. They
+were like the eyes of a frightened horse.
+
+It was very trying to be the target of so many glances and to know that
+he was being studied like a bug beneath a microscope, yet Kirk managed
+to keep a degree of self-possession, making up his mind to display a
+modest reticence that could not help appearing admirable. But he soon
+found that this did not suit. Instead of resuming their conversation,
+the entire assemblage of Garavels waited calmly for their caller to
+begin, and he realized in a panic that he was expected to make
+conversation. He cast about madly for a topic.
+
+His host helped him to get started, and he did fairly well until one of
+the Misses Garavel began to translate his remarks to the old lady and
+the ferocious cousin from Guatemala. As their replies were not rendered
+into English, he was left stranded. He knew that his whole salvation
+lay in properly impressing his auditors, so he began again and
+floundered through a painful monologue. It was not at all pleasant. It
+was like being initiated into some secret order. These strange people
+sitting so stiff and watchful formed an inquisitorial body. The night
+suddenly turned off swelteringly hot; perspiration began to trickle
+down his brow, his collar became a tourniquet, and he cast appealing
+glances at the silent figure hidden demurely behind the rustly old lady
+in the black harness. The look of mingled pity and understanding she
+gave him somewhat revived his fainting spirit, and he determined to
+stick it out until the family were ready to retire and allow him a word
+with her alone. But, idle hope! Gradually it dawned upon him that they
+had no such intention. To relieve the strain, he became facetious and
+told funny stories; but this was an unlucky experiment, for his
+witticisms fell with a ghastly hollowness. No one laughed save the
+grandmother and the Guatemalan cousin, who could not understand, and at
+this Kirk fled helter-skelter from the realms of humor.
+
+By now his collar had given up the struggle and lain limply down to
+rest. The whole experience was hideous, yet he understood quite well
+that these people were not making sport of him. All this was only a
+part of their foreign customs. They were gentlefolk, reared to a
+different code from his--that was all--and, since he had elected to
+come among them, he could only suffer and be strong.
+
+In time he became sufficiently inured to the situation to take in the
+details of the room, which were truly markable. To begin with, the
+parlor walls entirely lacked the sort of decoration to which he was
+used; the furniture, costly and rare in itself, was arranged stiffly in
+a square about the room, the precise geometrical centre being occupied
+by a great urn of impressive ugliness. A richly carved mahogany
+"what-not" against one wall was laden with sea-shells and other curios.
+At various points about the room were many statuettes, vases, and
+figures, of every conceivable size and shape--some of bisque, others of
+common pottery, a few of exquisite marble--all standing upon the floor.
+A tremendous French chandelier of sparkling crystal cascaded downward
+from an American ceiling of pressed metal; at regular intervals around
+the wall were panels painted to resemble marble. Crouched upon a rug in
+one corner was a life-size figure of what seemed to be a tiger,
+perfectly colored and made of porcelain. It had tremendous glass eyes,
+larger even than the cousin's from Guatemala, and they shone with a
+hypnotic intensity that was disturbing. Kirk wanted to kick it and cry
+"Scat!" Hidden in other desolate quarters of the room were similar
+studies in animal life. These anomalous surroundings by turns depressed
+him and provoked an insane desire to laugh.
+
+What he ever talked about during that evening he never quite
+remembered. At one time the Cholo girl who had admitted him entered
+noiselessly, bearing silver plates of fruit, and shortly afterward he
+found himself trying to balance upon his knee a plate of pineapple
+soaked in spice and wine, a fork, a napkin starched as stiffly as a
+sheet of linoleum, and a piece of cake which crumbled at a look. It was
+a difficult bit of juggling, but he managed to keep one or two of the
+articles in the air almost continuously.
+
+When it came time to leave he expected at least to be allowed a
+farewell word or two with Gertrudis, but instead he was bowed out as
+ceremoniously as he had been bowed in, and, finding himself at last in
+the open, sighed with relief. He felt like a paroled prisoner, but he
+thought of the girl's glance of sympathy and was instantly consoled. He
+crossed slowly to the Plaza, pausing a moment for a good-night look at
+the house, then, as he turned, he caught a glimpse of a figure slinking
+into the shadows of the side-street, and smiled indulgently. Evidently
+Allan had been unable to resist the temptation to follow, after all,
+and had hung about hoping to overhear his hero at his best. But when he
+had reached his quarters he was surprised to find the boy there ahead
+of him.
+
+"How did you beat me home?" he inquired.
+
+"I have been waiting h'impatiently ever since you went out. To be sure,
+I have had one little dream--"
+
+"Didn't you follow me to the Garavels'?"
+
+"Oh, boss! Never would I do such."
+
+Seeing that the negro was honest, Kirk decided that somebody had been
+spying upon him, but the matter was of so little consequence that he
+dismissed it from his mind.
+
+"And what said your female upon your proposal of marriage?" Allan
+inquired. "Praise God, I shall h'expire of suspense if you do not
+cha-at me the truth."
+
+"Oh, there was a chorus of her relatives in the room. They sat in my
+lap all the evening."
+
+"Perhaps it is fartunate, after all. This senorita is rich 'ooman, and
+therefar she would be h'expensive for us."
+
+Kirk managed to drive him forth after some effort, and straightway
+retired to dream of timid Spanish girls who peeped at him from behind
+old ladies, porcelain tigers that laughed inanely at his jokes, and
+Guatemalan gentlemen with huge hypnotic eyes of glass.
+
+
+
+
+XXII
+
+A CHALLENGE AND A CONFESSION
+
+
+Although Runnels had spoken with confidence of the coming shake-up in
+the railroad organization, it was not without a certain surprise that
+he awoke one morning to find himself actively in charge of the entire
+system. He lost no time in sending for Kirk, who took the news of their
+joint advancement with characteristic equanimity.
+
+"Now, there is nothing cinched yet, understand," the Acting
+Superintendent cautioned him. "We're all on probation, but if we make
+good, I think we'll stick."
+
+"I'll do my best to fill your shoes."
+
+"And I have the inside track on Blakeley, in spite of Colonel Jolson,
+so I'm not alarmed. The break came sooner than I expected, and now that
+we chaps are in control it's the chance of our lifetimes."
+
+Kirk nodded. "You're entitled to all you get, but I've never quite
+understood how I managed to forge ahead so fast. Why, there are dozens
+of fellows here who know more than I, and who could do better. I've
+been mighty lucky."
+
+"You don't really call it luck, do you?" Runnels looked at him
+curiously.
+
+"I'm not conceited enough to think I'm a downright genius."
+
+"Why, the Cortlandts engineered everything. It was they who arranged
+your promotion to the office in the first place, and they're behind
+this last affair. They have stood back of you at every step, and,
+incidentally; back of me and the other boys."
+
+"When you say 'they' you of course mean 'she'."
+
+"Of course. One has to recognize him, though--as the head of the
+family. And he really did have a part in it, too; at least, if he had
+been against us we never would have won."
+
+"I can't pretend that I didn't suspect," said Kirk slowly, "but I did
+hope I'd made good on my own merits."
+
+Runnels laughed. "You have made good all right, or you couldn't go
+forward; but this is a government job, and fellows like us aren't big
+enough to get through on our own merits. One has to be a real
+world-beater to do that. If the Cortlandts hadn't backed us, some other
+chaps with influence would have stepped in above us. Take Blakeley, for
+instance. He is nothing extra, and he doesn't know half as much about
+this business as I do; but he's the brother-in-law of Colonel Jolson,
+and he'd have landed the job sure if it hadn't been for our friends.
+You'd better let your conscience take a nap."
+
+"I'd like to show the Cortlandts that we appreciate what they've done,
+but we can't openly thank her without humiliating him. I'd like to give
+him something."
+
+"Suppose we give him a quiet little supper, some night, and tell him
+frankly how grateful we are. He's the sort to appreciate a thing like
+that, and it would be a delicate way of thanking his wife, too."
+
+"Good! I'll speak to the other fellows, and now the Acting Master of
+Transportation is going to shake with the new Acting Superintendent,
+and wish him every success."
+
+Runnels grasped the outstretched hand.
+
+"Say, Anthony," he said, "we're young and we have a start. I have what
+you lack, and you have what I lack; if we stick together, we'll own a
+railroad some day. Is it a go?"
+
+"You bet!"
+
+With a warm glow in his breast, the new Master of Transportation
+plunged into his duties. He really was making a success, it seemed,
+although it was a bit disappointing to learn that he owed so much of it
+to Edith Cortlandt. At the same time he couldn't help thinking that his
+efforts had entitled him to reasonable success, and, anyhow, it was
+pleasant to feel that at no point in his scramble up the ladder had he
+elbowed off some other man more deserving, perhaps, than he. This last
+advancement, too, was very timely, for it would surely have its effect
+upon Andres Garavel.
+
+But his new work brought new troubles and worries. Runnels helped him
+whenever he could, yet Kirk was left largely to his own devices, and
+learned for the first time what real responsibility was like. He began
+to sleep shorter hours; he concentrated with every atom of
+determination in him; he drove himself with an iron hand. He attacked
+his task from every angle, and with his fine constitution and unbounded
+youthful energy he covered an amazing quantity of work. He covered it
+so well, moreover, that Runnels complimented him.
+
+This stress of labor served one purpose for which he was very grateful;
+it separated him from Edith Cortlandt and took his mind from that
+occurrence in the jungle. Ever since the day of his last ride with her,
+he had been tortured with the most unpleasant thoughts. He confessed to
+forgetting himself briefly that night at Taboga, but he had believed
+that she understood--that she regarded him only as a chum and a
+companion. Therefore her open surrender, coming so unexpectedly had
+dumfounded him. As he looked back upon the incident now, it seemed
+inconceivable, yet her words, her expression, her reckless abandon at
+that moment, were too significant to allow of misunderstanding. Still,
+by dint of determination and stern attention to his tasks, he was able
+to put the matter almost wholly from his mind.
+
+Soon after his promotion he received from Andres Garavel a warmly
+worded note of congratulation, and some few days later an invitation to
+dine, which he accepted eagerly.
+
+The dinner proved to be another disappointing ordeal, for again he was
+allowed no opportunity of speaking with Gertrudis, and had to content
+himself with feasting his eyes upon her. But although the family were
+present en masse, as on the former occasion, they unbent to a
+surprising degree, and he found them truly gracious and delightful. He
+realized, nevertheless, that he was under the closest scrutiny and upon
+the strictest probation. The Garavels still held him at a noticeable
+distance, and he was far from feeling wholly at ease.
+
+Later in the evening he found himself alone with Chiquita and the old
+Spanish lady, and, knowing that the latter could not understand a word
+of his tongue, he addressed himself to the girl with some degree of
+naturalness.
+
+"I was sorry for you the last time, senor," she said, in reply to his
+half-humorous complaint, "and yet it was fonny; you were so frightened."
+
+"It was my first memorial service. I thought I was going to see you
+alone."
+
+"Oh, that is never allowed."
+
+"Never? How am I going to ask you to marry me?"
+
+Miss Garavel hid her blushing face behind her fan. "Indeed! You seem
+capable of asking that absurd question under any circumstances."
+
+"I wish you would straighten me out on some of your customs."
+
+"What, for instance?"
+
+"Why does the whole family sit around and watch me? I don't intend to
+steal any bric-a-brac. They could search me just as well when I go out."
+
+"They wish to satisfy themselves as to your character, perhaps."
+
+"Yes, but a fellow feels guilty causing them to lose so much sleep."
+
+She gave him an odd look, smiling timidly.
+
+"As for to-night, do you attribute any meaning to my father's request
+that you dine with us?"
+
+"Of course. It means I wasn't blackballed at the first meeting, I
+suppose. After I've become a regular member, and there is nothing
+missed from the lodgerooms, I'll be allowed to proceed in the ordinary
+manner."
+
+She blushed delightfully again. "Since you are so ignorant of our ways
+you should inquire at your earliest convenience. I would advise you,
+perhaps, to learn Spanish."
+
+"Will you teach me? I'll come every evening."
+
+She did not answer, for the old lady began to show curiosity, and a
+conversation in Spanish ensued which Kirk could not follow.
+
+When it came time for their chaperon to leave, she excused herself with
+royal dignity, and, going to the door, called Stephanie, the giant St.
+Lucian woman. Not until the negress had entered did the grandmother
+retire, which showed, so Kirk imagined, that even yet the Garavel
+household had no more confidence in him than in a badgeless building
+inspector. He was not grateful for the change, for he did not like
+Stephanie, and, judging from the sombre suspicion of the black woman's
+glances, the feeling was mutual. The conversation took perforce a less
+personal nature in her presence, yet Kirk departed with a feeling of
+exaltation. Beyond doubt his suit was progressing, slowly, perhaps, but
+still progressing.
+
+His understanding of Spanish customs received a considerable
+enlargement on the following day, when he met Ramon Alfarez outside the
+railroad office. Ramon had evidently waited purposely for him, and now
+began to voice some unintelligible protest in the greatest excitement.
+
+"You'll have to play it all over again," Kirk advised him. "I'm only
+just learning to conjugate the verb 'amar.' What seems to be the
+trouble this time?"
+
+"Ha! For the moment I forgot your ignorance, but onderstan' this,
+detestable person, it is time you shall answer to me."
+
+"Cheerfully! Ask your questions slowly."
+
+"Onderstan' further," chattered the Spaniard, "regardless of the
+'appenings to me, it shall never come to pass. Soch disgraceful
+occurrence shall never transpire; of that be assure', even if it exac'
+the las' drops of blood in the veins of me. I 'ave despised you, senor,
+an' so I 'ave neglec' to keel you, being busy with important affairs of
+government. Bot, 'ow am I reward for those neglec'? Eh!" Alfarez
+breathed ferociously through his nostrils.
+
+"I don't know, I'm sure. What is your reward?"
+
+"Very well are you aware, PIG."
+
+"Nix on those pet names," the American ordered, gruffly.
+
+"You 'ave insolt me," cried Ramon, furiously, "and now you 'ave the
+insolence to interfere in my affairs." He paused dramatically. "Make it
+yourself ready to fight on to-morrow."
+
+"What's the use of putting it off? I couldn't make your weight in that
+time. I'll do it now, if you say."
+
+"No, no! Onderstan' we shall fight like gentlemen. I shall keel you
+with any weapon you prefer."
+
+"By Jove!" Kirk exclaimed, in amazement. "This is a challenge; you want
+to fight a duel! Why, this reads like a book." He began to laugh, at
+which Ramon became white and calm. "Listen," Kirk went on, "I'll tell
+you what we'll do; we'll fight with fire-hose again. I suppose you want
+satisfaction for that ducking."
+
+"I prefer to shoot you, senor," the other declared, quietly. "Those
+marriage shall never occur until first I walk upon your dead body. As
+matter of honor I offer you this opportunity biffore it is too late."
+
+"I guess you have been drinking. You're a little premature in talking
+about my marriage, aren't you?"
+
+"So! You fear to confess the truth! Oh, I am not to be deceive'. All
+Panama is speaking of those engagements to Senorita Garavel. Come,
+then, must I insolt you further?"
+
+Kirk replied, dryly, looking the Spaniard over with, cold blue eyes.
+"No! I think you've gone about far enough."
+
+"You riffuse?" exclaimed Ramon, triumphantly.
+
+"Look here!" said Kirk, "I've had enough of this." He advanced
+threateningly, and the Spaniard nervously gave way. "I don't fight
+duels; it's against the law. In my country it's a crime to kill a man
+in cold blood; and we don't tie a fellow up and beat him when he's
+helpless and then offer him the HONORABLE satisfaction of either
+committing murder or being killed. They're not wearing duels this
+season." His hands clenched involuntarily. "I don't want to hurt you,
+Alfarez, but I may not be able to help it if you don't keep out of my
+way."
+
+He left the fiery little Panamanian still scowling and muttering
+threats, and went his way wondering vaguely how his attentions to
+Chiquita had become so quickly known. He was informed later in the
+afternoon.
+
+As he left the office for the day he was handed a note from Mrs.
+Cortlandt requesting him to call at once, and, summoning a coach, he
+was driven directly to her house. Unlike the Garavel home, the house
+which the Cortlandts had leased was set upon the water-front, its rear
+balcony overlooking the sea where it lapped the foundation of the city
+wall. It was a delightful old place, shut off from the street by a yard
+filled with flowering plants and shrubs, and, though flanked in true
+Spanish fashion by stores and shops, it was roomy and comfortable.
+
+Edith kept him waiting a moment before she descended, dressed for her
+afternoon ride.
+
+"You see, I haven't given up my horse in spite of your neglect," she
+said, as she gave him her hand, "You got my note?"
+
+"Yes, and I came straight from the office."
+
+"I suppose you know what it is about and are wondering how I heard the
+news."
+
+"What news?"
+
+"Your 'engagement.'" She laughed with an amusement that did not ring
+quite true.
+
+"You're the second one to speak about that. I'm not engaged."
+
+"Of course not. Don't think for a moment I believed it. I was calling
+on some Spanish people this afternoon and heard the report--I admit it
+was a shock. When I learned the details I knew at once you ought to be
+told before it developed into something embarrassing. Come into the
+other room; there is a breeze from the water." She led him into the
+parlor, from which the open windows, shielded now by drawn shutters,
+gave egress to the rear porch with its chairs and hammock.
+
+"Dear, dear! You foolish boy, you're always in trouble, aren't you? You
+really don't deserve to be helped. Why, you have avoided me for weeks."
+
+"The new arrangement has swamped us with work. I have had no time to go
+out."
+
+"Indeed! You had time to run after the first pretty Spanish face you
+saw. I'm really angry, though I suppose I can't blame you. After all,
+she is charming, in her way."
+
+"You mean Miss Garavel?"
+
+"Yes. Didn't you realize what you were doing?"
+
+"I realized what I was trying to do."
+
+"Naughty! But why select her of all people? There are dozens of others
+who could amuse you and whose people would not object. Andres Garavel
+isn't that sort; he is a rich man, he has political ambitions, he's a
+very proud sort. Now, I suppose I must get you out of this difficulty
+as best I can. You ought to be more careful."
+
+"Please!" he said, crossly. "I could understand better what you are
+talking about if I knew just what this difficulty is."
+
+"Why, this silly 'engagement' of yours. Don't pretend to be so stupid."
+
+"Ramon Alfarez heard that same report, and very courteously invited me
+to wait a few minutes while he killed me. It's tremendously flattering
+to be linked up with Miss Garavel, of course, but I haven't asked her
+to marry me."
+
+"But you've seen her; you have called at her house!"
+
+"Sure! Twice; at the invitation of the old gentleman. All the little
+Garavels were lined up like mourners."
+
+"And you dined there last night. Is that all you have seen of her?"
+
+"N-no! I've seen her at Las Savannas. That's why I went hunting so
+often."
+
+At this confession, which Kirk delivered with sheepish reluctance, Mrs.
+Cortlandt drew herself up with an expression of anger.
+
+"Then this has been going on for some time," she cried. "Why, Kirk, you
+never told me!"
+
+"Why should I?"
+
+She flushed at this unconscious brutality, but after a moment ran on
+bravely; "Oh, well, I suppose any man would enjoy that sort of an
+adventure, particularly with such a pretty girl, but why did you let it
+go so far? Why did you let them commit you?"
+
+"Am I committed?"
+
+Her look was half offended, half incredulous. "Are you trying to be
+disagreeable, or is it possible you don't know the meaning of those
+invitations to call, and to dine with the family, and all that? Why,
+they expect you to MARRY her. It is all settled now, according to the
+Spanish custom. The whole town is talking about it, I can't understand,
+for the life of me, how you ever allowed yourself to go there the
+second time and to DINE." Seeing the look in his face, she cried,
+sharply, "You don't mean--that you're in earnest?" She was staring at
+him as if disbelieving her eyes.
+
+"Certainly, I'm in earnest."
+
+Edith turned away abruptly.
+
+"I hope you're not joking," said Kirk. "Jove! I--I'm knocked clear off
+my pins." A tremendous wave of excitement surged over him. "So, that's
+what Alfarez meant. That's what SHE meant last night when she told me
+to look up--" He broke off suddenly, for Edith's face had gone
+chalk-white.
+
+"But, Kirk, what about me?" she asked, in a strained voice.
+
+There was deathlike silence in the room.
+
+"You can't LOVE her," said the woman. "Why, she's only a child, and
+she's--Spanish."
+
+They stood motionless, facing each other. At last Kirk said, gravely
+and deliberately,
+
+"Yes, I love her better than anything in the world and I want to marry
+her. I could give up my country, my dad--anything for her."
+
+Pressing her gloved fingers to her temples she turned her head blindly
+from side to side, whispering as if to herself:
+
+"What will become of me?"
+
+"Don't," he cried, in a panic, and cast a hurried look over his
+shoulders. "You'll be overheard--you'll be seen. You don't know what
+you're saying. Where's Cortlandt?"
+
+"At his club, I suppose. I don't know--I--I don't care." Then the
+paralysis that had numbed her vanished, and she spoke with quivering
+intensity. "You've been dishonest with me, Kirk."
+
+"Don't act this way," he ordered, roughly. "I'm terribly fond of you,
+but I never knew--"
+
+"You MUST have known."
+
+"I knew NOTHING. I chose not to think. What I saw I forgot. I supposed
+you merely liked me as I liked you."
+
+"That night at Taboga!" she flared up. "What about that? Couldn't you
+tell then? I fought--fought--fought--but I had to give up. You haven't
+forgotten--those wonderful hours we had together?" She began to sob,
+but steadied herself with an effort. "You say you didn't know, then
+what about that afternoon in the jungle? Oh, you're not blind; you must
+have seen a thousand times. Every hour we've been alone together I've
+told you, and you let me go on believing you cared. Do you think that
+was right? Now you are shocked because I admit it," she mocked. "Well,
+I have no pride. I am not ashamed. It's too late for shame now. Why,
+even my husband knows."
+
+With an exclamation he seized her by the arm. "You don't mean that!" he
+cried, fiercely. But she wrenched herself away.
+
+"Why, do you think, I made a man of you? Why did I force you up and up
+and over the heads of others? Why are you in line for the best position
+on the railroad? Did you think you had made good by your own efforts?"
+She laughed harshly. "I took Runnels and Wade and Kimble and the others
+that you liked and forced them up with you, so you'd have an
+organization that couldn't be pulled down."
+
+"Did--did you do all that?"
+
+"I did more. I broke with Alfarez because of what his son did to you. I
+juggled the politics of this country, I threw him over and took
+Garavel--Garavel! My God! What a mockery! But I won't let you--I won't
+let that girl spoil my work." Her voice trailed off in a kind of
+rasping whisper. She struggled a moment for composure, then went on:
+"It was I who promoted you to Runnels' position--he'll tell you that.
+It was I who put ideas of advancement into his head. I fostered this
+quarrel between Jolson and the Superintendent, and I've used Runnels to
+break trail for you. Why? Ask yourself why! Oh, Kirk," she cried, "you
+mustn't marry that girl! I'll make you a great man!"
+
+"You seem to forget Cortlandt," he said, dully.
+
+She gave a scornful laugh. "You needn't bring Stephen in. He doesn't
+count. I doubt if he'd even care. Our marriage amounts to
+nothing--nothing. You'd better consider ME, and the sacrifice I'm
+willing to make."
+
+"I'm not going to listen to you," he cried. "I suppose I've been a
+fool, but this must end right here."
+
+"You can't marry that girl," she reiterated, hysterically. She was half
+sobbing again, but not with the weakness of a woman; her grief was more
+like that of a despairing man.
+
+"For Heaven's sake, pull yourself together," said Kirk. "You have
+servants. I--I don't know what to say. I want to get out, I want to
+think it over. I'm--dreadfully sorry. That's all I can seem to think
+about now." He turned and went blindly to the door, leaving her without
+a look behind.
+
+When he had gone she drew off her riding-gloves, removed her hat, and
+dropped them both upon the nearest chair, then crept wearily up the
+stairs to her room.
+
+A moment later the latticed wooden blinds at the end of the parlor
+swung open, and through the front window stepped Stephen Cortlandt.
+Behind him was a hammock swung in the coolest part of the balcony. The
+pupils of his eyes, ordinarily so dead and expressionless, were
+distended like those of a man under the influence of a drug or
+suffering from a violent headache. He listened attentively for an
+instant, his head on one side, then, hearing footsteps approaching from
+the rear of the house, he strolled into the hall.
+
+A maid appeared with a tray, a glass, and a bottle. "I could not find
+the aspirin," she said, "but I brought you some absinthe. It will
+deaden the pain, sir."
+
+He thanked her and with shaking fingers poured the glass full, then
+drank it off like so much water.
+
+"You're not going out again in the heat, sir?"
+
+"Yes. Tell Mrs. Cortlandt that I am dining at the University Club." He
+went slowly down the steps and out through the flowering shrubs.
+
+
+
+
+XXIII
+
+A PLOT AND A SACRIFICE
+
+
+Kirk never passed a more unpleasant night than the one which followed.
+In the morning he went straight to Runnels with the statement that he
+could take no part in the little testimonial they had intended to give
+Cortlandt.
+
+"But it's too late now to back out. I saw him at the University Club
+last evening and fixed the date for Saturday night."
+
+"Did you tell him I was in the affair?"
+
+"Certainly. I said it was your idea. It affected him deeply, too. I
+never saw a chap so moved over a little thing."
+
+Kirk thought quickly. Perhaps Edith had spoken rashly in her
+excitement, and her husband did not know her feelings after all.
+Perhaps he only suspected. In that case it would never do to withdraw.
+It would seem like a confession of guilt.
+
+"If he has accepted, that ends it, I suppose," he said, finally.
+
+"What has happened?" Runnels was watching him sharply.
+
+"Nothing. I merely wish I hadn't entered into the arrangement, that's
+all. I've ordered a watch for him, too, and it's being engraved. I
+wanted to give him something to show my own personal gratitude for what
+he and his wife have done for me. Lord! It took a month's salary. I
+know it's a jay present, but there's nothing decent in these shops."
+
+"Look here! I've wanted to say something to you for some time, though
+it's deuced hard to speak of such things. Maybe I have more moral
+scruples than some people, but--" Runnels stirred uncomfortably in his
+chair. "Steve Cortlandt has put us where we are--you understand, when I
+speak of him I include his wife, too. Well, I like him, Kirk, and I'd
+hate to see him made unhappy. If a chap loves a married woman, he ought
+to be man enough to forget it. Rotten way to express myself, of
+course--"
+
+Kirk looked the speaker squarely in the eyes as he answered: "I don't
+understand what you're driving at. I haven't the least interest in any
+married man's affairs--never have had, in fact. I'm in love with
+Gertrudis Garavel, and I'm engaged to marry her."
+
+"The devil!"
+
+"It's a fact. I didn't know until last night that I'd been accepted."
+
+"Then just forget what I said. I was going north on a south-bound
+track--I ran ahead of orders. I really do congratulate you, old man;
+Miss Garavel is--well, I won't try to do her justice--I had no idea.
+Please pardon me."
+
+"Certainly! Now that it's settled I'm not going to let any grass grow
+under my feet."
+
+"Why, say! Garavel is to be the next President! Jove! You ARE lucky!
+Cortlandt told me last night that the old fellow's candidacy was to be
+announced Saturday night at the big ball; that's how he came to accept
+our invitation. He said his work would be over by then and he'd be glad
+to join us after the dance. Well, well! Your future wife and
+father-in-law are to be his guests that night, I suppose you know."
+
+"Then they have patched up a truce with Alfarez? I'm glad to hear that."
+
+"It's all settled, I believe. This dance is a big special event. The
+American Minister and the various diplomatic gangs will be there,
+besides the prominent Spanish people. It's precisely the moment to
+launch the Garavel boom, and Cortlandt intends to do it. After it's
+over, our little crowd will have supper and thank him for what he has
+done for us. Oh, it will be a big night all around, won't it? Do you
+realize the skyrockety nature of your progress, young man? Lord! You
+take my breath."
+
+"It does seem like a dream. I landed here with a button-hook for
+baggage, and now--Say, Runnels, her eyes are just like two big black
+pansies, and when she smiles you'll go off your trolley."
+
+"Your promotion came just in time, didn't it? Talk about luck! We ought
+to hear from Washington before Saturday and know that our jobs are
+cinched. This uncertainty is fierce for me. You know I have a wife and
+kid, and it means a lot. When you give Cortlandt that watch you'll have
+to present him with a loving-cup from the rest of us. I think it's
+coming to him, don't you?"
+
+"I--I'd rather you presented it."
+
+"Not much! I can run trains, but I can't engineer social functions.
+You'll have to be spokesman. I suppose jobs and increased salaries and
+preferments, and all that, don't count for much with a young fellow who
+is engaged to the fabulous Miss Garavel, but with the Runnels family
+it's different. Meanwhile, let's just hold our thumbs till our
+promotions are ratified from headquarters. I need that position, and
+I'm dying of uneasiness."
+
+The night had been as hard for Edith Cortlandt as it had been for Kirk,
+but during its sleepless hours she had reached a determination. She was
+not naturally revengeful, but it was characteristic of her that she
+could not endure failure. Action, not words or tears, was the natural
+outlet of her feelings. There was just one possible way of winning Kirk
+back, and if instead it ruined him she would be only undoing what she
+had mistakenly done. As soon after breakfast as she knew definitely
+that her husband had gone out, she telephoned to General Alfarez,
+making an appointment to call on him at eleven.
+
+It was the first time she had ever gone to see him, for she was in the
+habit of bringing people to her, but this was no ordinary occasion, and
+she knew the crafty old Spaniard would be awaiting her with eagerness.
+
+Her interview with him was short, however, and when she emerged from
+his house she ordered the coachman to drive directly to the Garavel
+Bank. This time she stayed longer, closeted with the proprietor. What
+she told him threw him into something like a panic. It seemed that
+Anibal Alfarez was by no means so well reconciled to the death of his
+political hopes as had been supposed. On the contrary, in spite of all
+that had been done to prevent it, he had been working secretly and had
+perfected the preliminaries of a coup which he intended to spring at
+the eleventh hour. Through Ramon, he had brought about an alliance with
+the outgoing Galleo, and intended to make the bitterest possible fight
+against Garavel. Such joining of forces meant serious trouble, and
+until the banker's position was materially strengthened it would be
+most unwise to announce his candidacy as had been planned. The General
+had worked with remarkable craftiness, according to Mrs. Cortlandt's
+account, and Galleo's grip upon the National Assembly was so strong as
+to threaten all their schemes. She did not go into minute
+details--there was no need, for the banker's fears took fire at the
+mere fact that Alfarez had revolted. He was dumfounded, appalled.
+
+"But it was only last week that we were assured that all was well," he
+cried in despair.
+
+She shrugged her shoulders. "One is privileged to change his mind
+overnight, I suppose. Politics is not a child's game."
+
+"Oh, I am sorry I ever entertained the proposal. To be defeated now
+would do me immeasurable harm, not only in my pride, but in my business
+affairs. My affiliations with the government are of the closest--they
+must be, for me to live. To be a candidate, to make the fight, and to
+be beaten! What consideration will come to the firm of Garavel
+Hermanos, think you?"
+
+"Not much, but you are not so deeply committed that you cannot
+withdraw."
+
+This cool suggestion brought the expected outburst. "Rather than such a
+disgrace," cried Garavel, "I would go to certain defeat. One's pride is
+not for sale, madame. What has caused this so sudden change of
+sentiment?"
+
+"Ramon is partly to blame. He is just as proud as you or as his father.
+When he heard of your daughter's engagement to our friend Anthony--"
+
+"Ah! Now I see it all." His face darkened. "So, this is my reward for
+heeding your advice in regard to Gertrudis. She should have wed Ramon,
+as was intended, then I would have had a lever with which to lift his
+father from my path. Very well, then, there is no engagement with this
+Anthony. It may not be too late even yet to capture Ramon."
+
+"The city is already talking about Gertrudis and Kirk."
+
+"No word has been spoken, no promise given. There is not even an
+understanding. It is merely an old custom that has caused this report.
+He seemed a pleasant fellow, she had dreams, so--I yielded. But do you
+suppose I would allow my great ambition to be thwarted by the whim of a
+girl--to be upset by a stranger's smile? Bah! At their age I loved a
+dozen. I could not survive without them." He snapped his fingers. "You
+see now the truth of what I told you when we first spoke of my
+daughter. It is the older heads that must govern, always. I should have
+foreseen this effect, but Ramon was offended, and he said too little.
+Now, I admire his spirit; he is desperate; he will fight; he is no
+parrot to sit by and see his cage robbed. So much the better, since he
+is the pivot upon which this great affair revolves. You see what must
+be done?"
+
+"Certainly."
+
+"Come! We will see my friend Anibal at once."
+
+But Mrs. Cortlandt checked him, saying, quietly:
+
+"That is all right as far as it goes, but you forget the other young
+man."
+
+Garavel paused in his heavy strides across the room.
+
+"Eh? How so? Gertrudis will not marry this Anthony."
+
+"Perhaps she loves him."
+
+"Love is a fancy, a something seen through a distant haze, an illusion
+which vanishes with the sun. In a month, a year, she will have
+forgotten; but with me it is different. This is my life's climax; there
+will be no other. I am a Garavel; I have looked into the future and I
+cannot turn back. I think also of Panama herself. There are great
+issues at stake."
+
+"But how will you handle Anthony?"
+
+Garavel looked at her blankly. "He is in my way. He is ended! Is not
+that all?"
+
+"I am glad you are practical; so many of you Latin-Americans are
+absurdly romantic."
+
+"And why should I not be practical? I am a business man. I love but two
+things, madame--no, three: my daughter, my success, and--my country. By
+this course I will serve all three."
+
+"Since you take this view of it, I am sure that with Ramon's help we
+can dissuade Don Anibal from his course. The General is sensible, and
+doesn't want a fight any more than you do. If your daughter will
+consent--"
+
+"My dear lady, give yourself no uneasiness. She does not know the
+meaning of rebellion. If necessary--but there is not the slightest
+question. It is done."
+
+"Then let me look up Ramon. He and I will approach the General
+together." She gave him her neatly gloved hand. "Things are never so
+bad as they seem."
+
+"And I thank you for your promptness, which alone, perhaps, has saved
+our hopes and our ambitions." He escorted his caller to her carriage,
+then hurriedly returned to his office.
+
+That afternoon Kirk received a formal communication from the banker
+which filled him with dismay. It ran:
+
+MY DEAR MR. ANTHONY,--To my extreme distress, I hear a rumor that
+Gertrudis is to become your wife. I assure you that neither she nor I
+blame you in the least for this unfortunate report; but since busy
+tongues will wag upon the slightest excuse, we feel it best that no
+further occasion for gossip should be given, I am sure you will
+co-operate with us.
+
+Sincerely and respectfully, your friend, ANDRES GARAVEL.
+
+A sense of betrayal crept over him as he read. What the letter
+signified, beyond the fact that Mr. Garavel had changed his mind, he
+could not make out, and he resolved to go at once and demand an
+explanation. But at the bank he was told that the proprietor had gone
+home, and he drove to the house only to learn that Senor Garavel and
+his daughter had left for Las Savannas not half an hour before. So,
+back through the city he urged his driver, across the bridge, and out
+along the country road.
+
+Darkness had settled when he returned, raging at the trickery that had
+been practised upon him. If they thought to gain their point by sending
+him on wildgoose chases like this, they were greatly mistaken. He
+proposed to have Chiquita now, if he had to burst his way to her
+through barred doors. Never in all his easy, careless life had anything
+of moment been denied him, never had he felt such bitterness of
+thwarted longing. Reared in a way to foster a disregard of all
+restraint and a contempt for other people's rights, he was in a fitting
+mood for any reckless project, and the mere thought that they should
+undertake to coerce an Anthony filled him with grim amusement. He had
+yielded to their left-handed customs out of courtesy; it was time now
+to show his strength.
+
+What folly he might have committed it is hard to tell, but he was
+prevented from putting any extravagant plan into operation by a message
+from the girl herself.
+
+As he dismissed his coachman and turned toward his quarters, Stephanie
+came to him out of the shadows.
+
+"I have been waiting," she said.
+
+"Where is Chiquita? Tell me quickly."
+
+"She is at the house. She wants to see you."
+
+"Of course she does. I knew this wasn't any of her doing. I've been
+hunting everywhere for her."
+
+"At nine o'clock she will be in the Plaza. You know the dark place
+across from the church?"
+
+"I'll be there."
+
+"If we do not come, wait."
+
+"Certainly. But, Stephanie, tell me what it is all about?"
+
+The black woman shook her head. "She is sick," she said, in a harsh
+voice, "that is all I know. I have never seen her act so." From her
+expression Kirk fancied that she held him responsible for her
+mistress's sufferings.
+
+"Now, don't be angry with me," he made haste to say. "I'm sick, too,
+and you're the only friend we have. You love her, don't you? Well, so
+do I. and I'm going to make her happy in spite of her father and all
+the rest. Run along now, I won't keep you waiting to-night."
+
+Long before the appointed time he was at the place of meeting, but
+scarcely had the city chimes rung out nine when he saw two women emerge
+from the dark side-street next the Garavel mansion and come swiftly
+toward him.
+
+He refrained from rushing out to meet them, but when they were close to
+his place of concealment he stepped forward, with Chiquita's name upon
+his lips and his arms outstretched. She drew away.
+
+"No, no, senor!" she cried. "I sent for you because there was no other
+way--that is all. My father would not let you come to the house. You
+will not think me bold?"
+
+"Of course not."
+
+"I could not let you go until you knew the truth. You do not--believe
+it was my fault?"
+
+"I don't know what to believe, because I don't know what has happened.
+All I know is that I got a note from your father. But that won't make
+me let you go."
+
+She clung desperately to the Bajan woman as if afraid to trust herself
+near him. "Wait--wait," she said, "until you have heard it all."
+
+Never had she appeared so beautiful as now, with her face white, her
+bosom heaving, as the half-light dimly revealed.
+
+"No matter what it is, I'll never give you up," he declared, stubbornly.
+
+"Ah! I feared you would say those very words; but you must do it, just
+the same. It will be hard for us both, I know--but--" She choked and
+shook her head as the words refused to come.
+
+Stephanie laid a great copper hand soothingly upon her shoulder, and
+growled at Kirk in a hoarse, accusing voice:
+
+"You see?"
+
+"Tell me first why I must give you up?"
+
+"Because, in spite of all, I am to marry Ramon," Gertrudis said,
+wretchedly.
+
+"Who said so?"
+
+"My father. He has forbidden me to think of you, and ordered that I
+marry Ramon. Sick or well, living or dead, I must marry him."
+
+"I'm hanged if you do!"
+
+"It is those miserable politics again. If I do not obey, my father
+cannot be President, do you see?" Pausing an instant to master her
+agitation, she hurried on. "To be President means a great deal to him
+and to our family; it is the greatest honor that has ever come to a
+Garavel. Senor Alfarez is terribly angry that I refused to marry his
+son, to whom since I was a little child I have been engaged. Ramon also
+is furious; he threatened to kill himself. So, it comes to this then:
+if I will not bind myself to the agreement, Senor Alfarez will contest
+the election--I do not know how you say those things--but my father
+will be defeated--perhaps he will be humbled. Many other terrible
+things which I cannot understand will happen also. If I agree, then
+there will be no opposition to his plans. He will be President, and I
+will be a grand lady."
+
+"I won't stand for it. They're making you a sacrifice, that's all. What
+kind of a father is it who would sell his daughter--"
+
+"No, no! You do not understand. He is proud, he cannot accept defeat,
+he would rather give his life than be humiliated. Furthermore--he
+wishes me to marry Ramon, and so that ends it." Her lips were trembling
+as she peered up at him to see if he really understood.
+
+"Let them rave, dear. What does it matter who is President? What does
+anything matter to you and me?"
+
+"He says I am too young to know my own mind, and--perhaps that is true,
+Senor Antonio; perhaps I shall soon forget you and learn to love Ramon
+as he loves me, I do not know--"
+
+In spite of the pathetic quaver in her voice, Kirk cried with jealous
+bitterness:
+
+"You don't seem to object very strongly; you seem to care about as much
+for Alfarez as you do for me. Is that it?"
+
+"Yes, senor," she said, bravely.
+
+"You are lying!" declared Stephanie, suddenly.
+
+The girl burst into a perfect torrent of weeping that shamed him. Then,
+without any invitation, she flung herself recklessly into his arms and
+lay there, trembling, palpitating like an imprisoned bird. "Forgive me,
+dear," he exclaimed, softly. "I knew better all the time. You mustn't
+think of doing what they ask; I won't allow it." His own heart-beats
+were shaking him, and he hardly knew what he was saying. The sight of
+her grief maddened him. It was as if they had taken advantage of his
+helpless little maid to hurt her maliciously, and his indignation
+blazed forth. She looked up with eyes gleaming through her tears and
+said, brokenly:
+
+"Senor, I love you truly. You see, I cannot lie."
+
+Her breath intoxicated him, and he bent his head to kiss her, but
+Stephanie tore her roughly from his arms. The woman showed the strength
+of a man, and her vulture-like face was working fiercely as she cried:
+
+"No! She is mine! She is mine! She is a good girl."
+
+"Stephanie! She loves me, don't you see?"
+
+"No, no!" The black woman drew the girl into the shelter of her own
+arms.
+
+"Oh, I am wicked," Gertrudis said. "I love you, Keerk--yes, I love you
+very dearly, but my father--he refuses--I must obey--he has the right,
+and I must do as he wishes."
+
+"Come with me now. We'll be married to-night," he urged; but she only
+clung to Stephanie more closely, as if to hold herself from falling.
+
+"You are very sweet to me," she said, with piteous tenderness, "and I
+shall never forget the honor; but you see I cannot. This is more to my
+father than his life; it is the same to all our family, and I must do
+my duty. I will pray for strength to keep from loving you, senor, and
+some day, perhaps, the dear God will hear. You must do likewise, and
+pray also for me to have courage, I could not let you go away thinking
+this was my doing, so I sent for you. No, one must obey one's people,
+for they are wise--and good. But one should be honest."
+
+The tears were stealing down her cheeks, and she thrilled to his
+pleadings as to some wondrous music, yet she was like adamant, and all
+his lover's desperation could not shake her. It was strange to see this
+slender, timid slip of a girl so melting and yet so cruelly firm. He
+appealed to Stephanie, but she was as unresponsive as a bronze image.
+Seeing that his urging only made matters worse, he said, more gently:
+
+"You are exalted now with the spirit of self-sacrifice, but later you
+will see that I am right. I am not discouraged. A thousand things may
+happen. Who knows what to-morrow may bring? Let's wait and see if we
+can't find a way out. Now that I know you love me, I have the courage
+to face anything, and I am going to win you, Chiquita. I have never
+lost in all my life, and I don't intend to begin now. I'll see your
+father in the morning, and I'll be here again, to-morrow night--"
+
+But at this Gertrudis cried out: "No, no! I cannot meet you again in
+this manner." And Stephanie nodded her agreement.
+
+"Then I'll see you the next night, that is Saturday. You are coming to
+the big ball at the Tivoli with him and the Cortlandts--I must see you
+then, so make sure to be there, and meanwhile don't give up."
+
+"Oh, there is no hope."
+
+"There is always hope. I'll think of something."
+
+"We must go," said the Barbadian woman, warningly.
+
+"Yes, yes! It is of no avail to resist," came the girl's choking voice.
+She stretched out her little hand, and then, looking up at him, said,
+uncertainly: "I--may never speak with you again alone, senor, and I
+must pray to--cease loving you; but will you--kiss me once so that I
+may never forget?"
+
+He breathed a tender exclamation and took her gently to his breast,
+while the negress stood by scowling and muttering.
+
+The memory of that long, breathless moment lived with him for years.
+Strangely enough, at the touch of her lips he felt his courage forsake
+him--it ran out like water. He became weak, fearful, despairing, as if
+it were his life that was ebbing away. And the pang when she drew
+herself from him was like a bayonet-thrust. Even when she and Stephanie
+had melted into the shadows, he stood motionless under the spell of
+that caress, its ecstasy still suffusing him.
+
+He found himself following slowly in the direction they had taken in
+the hope of catching just one more glimpse of her, but as he emerged
+from the darkness of the park he paused. There across the street, in
+the little open shrine set in the corner of the great cathedral, she
+was kneeling before the shining figure of the Madonna. The candle-glow
+that illumined the holy image and shone out so hopefully against the
+gloom showed her crouched close before the altar, her dark head bowed
+in uttermost dejection. Outside, and barely revealed, stood the tall,
+gaunt Bajan woman, silent, watchful, and forbidding.
+
+With a painful grip at his throat Kirk watched until the girl rose and
+hurried away into the shadows. Then he, too, turned and made his way up
+the street, but he went slowly, unseeingly, as if he had beheld a
+vision.
+
+For the first time in his life he was a prey to fear. A thousand panics
+clamored at him, his mind began working with the exaggerated speed of a
+person in dire peril. Once more, as upon that night when he had first
+called at her father's house, he turned abruptly at the corner to stare
+at her window, and again he surprised a figure skulking after him.
+Without a moment's hesitation he made after it at a run, but the fellow
+dodged into the Plaza and disappeared among the shrubbery. Not caring
+to pursue the chase into those lurking shadows Kirk desisted, certain
+only of one thing--that he was not Allan who was trailing him. He
+recalled the oft-repeated threats of Ramon Alfarez, and returned to his
+quarters by way of the lighted thoroughfares.
+
+
+
+
+XXIV
+
+A BUSINESS PROPOSITION
+
+
+Edith Cortlandt's interview with the rival candidates for the
+Panamanian Presidency formed but a part of her plan. She next held a
+long conversation with Colonel Jolson, to the end that on Friday
+morning Runnels heard a rumor that threw him into the greatest
+consternation. It was to the effect that instead of his succeeding to
+the office of Superintendent, he was to retain his old post, and that
+Colonel Jolson's brother-in-law was to supersede him. Although the word
+was not authoritative, it came with sufficient directness to leave him
+aghast. If true, it was, of course, equivalent to his discharge, for it
+meant that he could not even continue in his former position without
+putting himself in a light intolerable to any man of spirit. Since he
+was entitled to the promotion, had been promised it, in fact, and had
+made his plans accordingly, there was no course open except
+resignation. If he did not resign voluntarily, he knew that his new
+superior would eventually force him to do so, for Blakeley would build
+up an organization of his own, and in it there would be no place for
+one who had aspired to the highest office.
+
+Inasmuch as his assistant was concerned in this threatened calamity,
+Runnels made haste to lay the matter before him. At first Kirk was
+inclined to take it as a joke, but his friend quickly brought him to a
+more serious frame of mind.
+
+"No," he said, "Blakeley has finally put it over. He's wanted this
+position for a long time, and I guess the Cortlandts weren't strong
+enough to prevent it--or else they have broken with the Colonel."
+
+"Didn't he promise you the job?"
+
+"Sure! But what are promises? I've been double-crossed, that's all. It
+means I must quit."
+
+"Of course. I'm trying to figure out what it will mean to me."
+
+Runnels smiled grimly. "The same thing it would mean to me if I stayed,
+I'd go back to my desk; in a month I'd have a row with Blakeley, no
+matter what I did; then I'd be fired and have a tough time getting a
+job with another railroad. Of course, the Cortlandts might do more for
+you than they would for me, and you might be able to hang on."
+
+"Then this would seem to end our fine hopes, eh?"
+
+"Rather!" Runnels broke out, bitterly. "I've worked like a nigger,
+Kirk, and I deserve promotion if anybody ever did. This other fellow is
+a dub--he has proven that. Why, I've forgotten more railroading than
+he'll ever know. Every man on the system hates him and likes me; and on
+top of it all I was PROMISED the job. It's tough on the wife and the
+kid."
+
+He stopped to swallow his emotion. He was a single-purposed, somewhat
+serious man, a little lacking in resilience, and he could not meet
+misfortune with Kirk's careless self-confidence.
+
+"I gave this job the best I had in me," he went on, "for I had the idea
+that I was doing something patriotic, something for my country--that's
+the way they used to talk about this Canal, you know. I've put in four
+years of hell; I've lost step with the world; I've lost my business
+connections in the States; and I haven't saved up any money, I CAN'T
+quit, and yet I'll have to, for if I'm fired it'll mean I'll have to go
+back there and start at the bottom again. Those people don't know
+anything about these damned politics; they'll think I made a failure
+here in government work, and I'll have to live it down. Still, I
+suppose I ought not to kick--it's happening all the time to other
+fellows who came down here with hopes as high as mine--fellows who have
+given even more to the job than I have. What are YOU going to do?"
+
+Kirk started. "Oh, I don't know. I was thinking about you. This job
+doesn't worry me, for I'm on my feet at last, and I know I have the
+goods with me--they can have my position and welcome. Now, about you. I
+haven't spent much of that lottery coin. It's in the bank, all that
+Allan hasn't used, and half of it is yours, if you'll take it. You and
+Mrs. Runnels and the kid, and Allan and I--and one other party--will
+hike back home and get something else to do. What do you say?"
+
+Runnels' voice shook as he answered: "By Jove! You're the--real stuff,
+Anthony. I'll think it over." He turned away as if ashamed of his show
+of feeling, only to whirl about with the question, "Who is this 'other
+party'?"
+
+"My wife."
+
+"Good Lord! You're not married?"
+
+"No, but I'm going to be. You talk about YOUR troubles; now listen to
+mine. I'll make you weep like a fog." Briefly he told his friend of the
+blow that had so suddenly fallen upon him.
+
+"You ARE up against it, old man," agreed Runnels, when he had heard
+all. "Garavel has set his heart on the Presidency, and he'll pay any
+price to get it. It's the same all over Central America; these people
+are mad on politics. There are never more than two parties, you
+know--the Wanters and the Hasers. The Wanters are out and the Hasers
+are in; that's what makes these wicked little revolutions at every
+change of the moon--it isn't a question of policy at all. Now, if Miss
+Gertrudis were an American girl, she might rebel, elope, do something
+like that, but she's been reared with the Spanish notions of obedience,
+and I dare say she will submit tamely because she doesn't know how to
+put up a fight. That's an admirable characteristic in a wife, but not
+very helpful in a sweetheart."
+
+"Well, she's half American," said Kirk.
+
+"What do you mean by that?"
+
+"I mean the game isn't over. I carried the ball forty yards once for a
+touchdown in the last ten seconds of play, and Yale won. I had good
+'interference' then, and I need it now. Somebody'll have to run ahead
+of me."
+
+Runnels smiled. "I guess you can count on me. What is the plan?"
+
+For the next half-hour the two talked earnestly, their heads together,
+their voices low.
+
+"I don't believe it will work, my boy," Runnels said at last. "I know
+these people better than you, and yet--Lord! if it does come off!" He
+whistled softly. "Well, they may kick the political props out from
+under us, but there will be an awful crash when we hit. Now, don't
+mention this rumor about Blakeley. I want to see Steve Cortlandt first."
+
+"Cortlandt! By-the-way, do you happen to remember that he's to be our
+guest for supper to-morrow night? Kind of a joke now, trying to thank
+him for what he's done, isn't it?"
+
+"Not at all. It may be our one chance of salvation; he may be the one
+person who can help us."
+
+"Well," Kirk reflected, "I have a good deal to thank him for, I
+suppose, outside of this, and I'll go through with my part."
+
+He proceeded at once to put his plan into execution, his first step
+being to rent a room at the Tivoli, taking particular care to select
+one on the first floor in the north wing. That evening he and Allan
+moved. It was a simple process, yet he felt that he was engaged in the
+most momentous act of his Hie. As to its outcome much depended upon
+Runnels and much more upon himself--so much, in fact, that when he came
+to look at the matter coldly he confessed the hope of success was
+slender. But such as it was he clung to it desperately.
+
+Runnels telephoned during the evening that he had been equal to his
+part of the task, so there remained nothing to do but wait for the hour
+of the dance.
+
+Over and over Anthony asked himself if he were not foolish to pin his
+faith to so slight a chance, but he could find no answer. He slept
+little amid his new surroundings that night, and awoke Saturday morning
+thrilled with the certainty that his life's crisis was but a few hours
+away.
+
+It was considerably after dark on Saturday evening that John Weeks,
+American Consul at Colon, received a caller who came to him direct from
+the Royal Mail steamer just docked. At first sight the stranger did not
+impress Mr. Weeks as a man of particular importance. His face was
+insignificant, and his pale-blue eyes showed little force. His only
+noticeable feature was displayed when he removed his hat. Then it could
+be seen that a wide, white scar ran from just over his temple to a
+point back of his right ear.
+
+He made his name known as Williams, which, of course, meant nothing to
+the consul, and while drinking one of Weeks' high-balls, inquired idly
+about the country, the climate, and the people, as if in no hurry to
+come to his point. Weeks watched him shrewdly, convinced at last by his
+visitor's excessive caution that his first judgment had been wrong, and
+that the man was more knowing than he seemed. Mr. Williams was likewise
+studying the fat man, and when he had satisfied himself, came out
+openly with these words:
+
+"I'm looking for a chap named Wellar. He landed here some time late in
+November."
+
+"Friend of yours?"
+
+"Um--m--not exactly." Mr. Williams ran a hand meditatively over the
+ragged scar on his scalp, as if from force of habit.
+
+"Wellar? I never heard of him."
+
+"He may have travelled under another name. Ever hear of a fellow called
+Locke?"
+
+The consul's moist lips drew together, his red eyes gleamed watchfully.
+"Maybe I have, and maybe I haven't," said he. "Why do you want him?"
+
+"I heard he was here. I'd enjoy meeting him again."
+
+"What does he look like?"
+
+Mr. Williams rattled off a description of Kirk Anthony so photographic
+that the consul suddenly saw a great light.
+
+"Yes, I know him all right," he confessed, warmly. "He's a good friend
+of mine, too; in fact, he lived with me for a while." Misconstruing the
+eager expression that came to his caller's face, he rose heavily and
+thrust out a thick, wet hand. "Don't let's beat about the bush, Mr.
+Anthony; your son is safe and well and making a name for himself. I'm
+happy to say I helped him--not much, to be sure, but all I could--yes,
+sir, I acknowledge the corn--and I'm glad to meet you at last. I have
+been waiting for you to arrive, and I'm glad you dropped in on me. I
+have a lot of things to talk about."
+
+But the other stared upward impatiently. "No, no! You've got me wrong.
+I'm a detective, and I'm after your friend Wellar, alias Locke, alias
+Anthony. He's wanted for embezzlement and assault and a few other
+things, and I'm going to take him." The indistinctive Mr. Williams
+spoke sharply, and his pale blue eyes were suddenly hard and bright.
+
+Weeks stared open-mouthed for an instant. "Then you're really not
+Darwin K. Anthony?" he gasped.
+
+"Certainly not. Here's the warrant. I'm sorry this chap is your pal,
+but--"
+
+"My pal! Hell, I hate him like the smallpox. Good thing you spoke or
+I'd have sold you a cocoanut grove. I KNEW he was wrong. Embezzler, eh?
+Well, well!"
+
+"Eighty thousand, that's all, and he's got it on him."
+
+"You're wrong there; he was broke when he landed. I ought to know."
+
+"Oh no! He came down on the Santa Cruz; I've seen the purser. He
+travelled under the name of Jefferson Locke. There's no mistake, and he
+couldn't have blown it all. No, it's sewed into his shirt, and I'm here
+to grab it."
+
+Weeks whistled in amazement. "He IS a shrewd one. Eighty thou--Lord, I
+wish I'd known that! He's here, all right, working for the railroad and
+living at Panama. He's made good, too, and got some influential
+friends. Oh, this is great!"
+
+"Working, hey? Clever stall! Do you see that?" Williams inclined his
+head for a fuller display of the disfiguration over his ear. "He hung
+that on me, with a bottle. I damn near died." He laughed disagreeably.
+"He'll go back, and he'll go back quick. How do I get to Panama?"
+
+Weeks consulted his watch hastily.
+
+"You've missed the last train; but we'll go over together in the
+morning. I want to have a hand in this arrest for reasons of my own; I
+don't like him or his influential friends." He began to chuckle
+ponderously. "No, I don't like his influential friends, in particular."
+
+While this scene was being enacted on the north side of the Isthmus,
+Kirk Anthony, over at the Tivoli Hotel, was making himself ready for
+the ball with particular pains. Even his personal appearance might have
+a bearing upon the outcome of this adventure, and he dared not overlook
+the slightest advantage.
+
+Allan regarded him admiringly from many angles.
+
+"Oh, Master h'Auntony," he exclaimed, rapturously, "you are beautiful!"
+
+"Thanks! Again thanks! Now, can you remember to do as I have told you?"
+
+"I would die--"
+
+"DON'T say that again, I'm too nervous. Here are your instructions,
+once more. Keep both doors to this room locked and stand by the one to
+the veranda! Don't let any one in except Mr. Runnels and the man he'll
+bring. DON'T--LEAVE--THIS--SPOT, no matter what happens. Does that
+penetrate your teakwood dome? Does your ivory cue-ball encompass that
+thought?"
+
+"I shall watch this h'apartment carefully, never fear."
+
+"But I do fear. I'm scared to death. My hands are go cold they are
+brittle. Remember, when I knock, so, let me in instantly, and keep your
+wits about you."
+
+"H'Allan never fails, sar. But what is coming to pahss?"
+
+"Never mind what is coming to pass. This is going to be a big night, my
+boy--a very big night." Kirk strolled out into the hall and made his
+way to the lobby.
+
+Already the orchestra was tuning up, the wide porches were filling with
+well-dressed people, while a stream of coaches at the door was
+delivering the arrivals on the special from Colon. It was a very
+animated crowd, sprinkled plentifully with Spanish people--something
+quite unusual, by-the-way--while the presence of many uniforms gave the
+affair almost the brilliance of a military function. There were marine
+officers from Bas Obispo, straight, trim, brown of cheek; naval
+officers from the cruisers in the roadstead, clad in their white
+trousers and bell-boy jackets; army officers detailed from Washington
+on special duty; others from the various parts of the work itself.
+
+Kirk wandered about through the confusion, nodding to his friends,
+chatting here and there, his eyes fixed anxiously upon the door.
+
+Clifford approached and fell into conversation with him.
+
+"Great doings, eh? I came up from the Central just to see what these
+affairs are like. Did you see to-night's paper?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Garavel is going to run for President. This is a kind of political
+coming-out party."
+
+"So I believe."
+
+"It looked like a fight between him and General Alfarez, but they've
+patched it up, and the General is going to withdraw. Garavel is to have
+Uncle Sam's congratulations and co-operation. It's a joke, isn't it,
+this international good feeling?"
+
+"Excuse me." Anthony saw Runnels searching the room with anxiety. He
+hurried toward him and inquired, breathlessly:
+
+"Have you got him?"
+
+"Sure, I showed him your room."
+
+"Did you lock him in?"
+
+"Certainly not."
+
+"He'll get away."
+
+"Oh no, he'll be on the job. Has she come?"
+
+Kirk shook his head. "Gee! I'm nervous." He wiped his brow with a
+shaking hand.
+
+"Don't weaken," Runnels encouraged. "I'm beginning to believe you'll
+pull it off. I told my wife all about it--thought we might need
+her--and she's perfectly crazy. I never saw her so excited. Let me know
+as soon as you can which dance it will be. This suspense--Gad! There
+they are now! Go to it, old man."
+
+Into the lobby came a mixed group, in which were Andres Garavel, his
+daughter, Ramon Alfarez, and the Cortlandts. Kirk's face was white as
+he went boldly to meet them, but he did his best to smile
+unconcernedly. He shook hands with Edith and her husband, bowed to
+Gertrudis, then turned to meet her father's stare.
+
+"May I have a word with you, sir?"
+
+Garavel inclined his head silently. As the others moved on he said:
+"This is hardly a suitable time or place, Mr. Anthony."
+
+"Oh, I'm not going to kick up a fuss. I didn't answer your note,
+because there was nothing to say. You still wish me to cease my
+attentions?"
+
+"I do! It is her wish and mine."
+
+"Then I shall do so, of course. If Miss Garavel is dancing to-night I
+would like your permission to place my name on her programme."
+
+"No!" exclaimed the banker.
+
+"Purely to avoid comment. Every one knows I have been calling upon her,
+and that report of our engagement got about considerably; it would set
+people talking if she snubbed me. That is the only reason I came to
+this dance. Believe me, I'd rather have stayed away."
+
+"Perhaps you are right. Let us have no unpleasantness and no gossip
+about the affair, by all means. I consent, then." Garavel's voice
+altered and he said, with more of his natural geniality, "I am very
+glad you take the matter so sensibly, Mr. Anthony; it was, after all,
+but a dream of youth."
+
+"And permit me to offer my congratulations upon the honor your country
+is about to bestow upon you." Conversing in a friendly manner, they
+followed the rest of the party.
+
+As the banker appeared upon the threshold of the ballroom a murmur ran
+through the crowd; faces were turned in his direction, whispers were
+exchanged, showing that already the news had travelled. Conscious of
+this notice and its reason, Garavel drew himself up; he walked with the
+tread of an emperor.
+
+Kirk ignored Ramon's scowl as he requested the pleasure of seeing
+Chiquita's programme; then pretended not to notice her start of
+surprise. After a frightened look at her father, she timidly extended
+the card to him, and he wrote his name upon it.
+
+As he finished he found Mrs. Cortlandt regarding him.
+
+"Will you dance with me?" he inquired. "Yes. I saved the fourth and the
+tenth." As he filled in the allotted spaces, she said, in a low voice,
+"You are the boldest person! Did Mr. Garavel give you leave to do that,
+or--"
+
+"Of course! Thank you." He made his way out of the press that had
+gathered and toward the open air. He was shaking with nervousness and
+cursed all government hotels where a man is denied the solace of a
+drink.
+
+Runnels pounced upon him just outside.
+
+"Well, well, quick! Did you make it?"
+
+"Number nine."
+
+"Good! I was gnawing my finger-nails. Whew! I'm glad that is over. Now
+pull yourself together and don't forget you have the first dance with
+Mrs. Runnels. There goes the music. I--I'm too rattled to dance."
+
+Anthony found his friend's wife bubbling with excitement, and scarcely
+able to contain herself.
+
+"Oh, I'll never live through it, I know," she cried, as soon as they
+were out upon the floor. "How CAN you be so calm?"
+
+"I'm not. I'm as panicky as you are."
+
+"And she, poor little thing! She seems frightened to death."
+
+"But--isn't she beautiful?"
+
+Mrs. Runnels admitted the fact cheerfully, and at the same time noted
+how her partner's muscles swelled and hardened as Miss Garavel glided
+past in the arms of Ramon Alfarez. It gave her a thrill to see a real
+drama unfolding thus before her very eyes.
+
+To Kirk, Chiquita had never appeared so ravishing, nor so purely
+Spanish as to-night. She was clad in some mysterious filmy white stuff
+that floated about her form like a mist. The strangeness and brilliance
+of her surroundings had frightened her a little, and the misery at her
+heart had filled her wide, dark eyes with a plaintive melancholy. But
+she was entirely the fine lady through it all, and she accepted the
+prominence that was hers as the leading senorita of the Republic with
+simple dignity and unconcern. The women began to whisper her name, the
+men followed her with admiring glances. At every interval between
+dances she was besieged by gayly clad officers, civilians in white--the
+flower of her own people and of the American colony as well--all eager
+to claim her attention or to share in her shy, slow smile.
+
+Now and then her eyes strayed to Kirk with a look that made his blood
+move quicker. It boded well for the success of his plans, and filled
+him with a fierce, hot gladness. But how the moments dragged!
+
+General Alfarez entered the room amid a buzz of comment. Then, as he
+greeted his rival, Garavel, with a smile and a handshake, a round of
+applause broke forth. The members of the Commission sought them both
+out, and congratulations were exchanged. At last the Garavel boom was
+launched in earnest.
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt expressed a desire to sit out the fourth dance.
+
+"So, your engagement to Miss Garavel is broken?" she began, when she
+and Kirk had seated themselves in two of the big rockers that lined the
+porch.
+
+"All smashed to pieces, running-gear broken, steering-knuckle bent,
+gasolene tank punctured. I need a tow."
+
+"You take it calmly."
+
+"What's the use of struggling? I'm no Samson to go around pulling down
+temples."
+
+"Did you expect her to yield so tamely?"
+
+"I didn't know she had yielded. In fact, I haven't had a chance to talk
+to her."
+
+"But she has. Mr. Garavel told me not an hour ago that as soon as he
+explained his wishes she consented to marry Ramon without a protest."
+
+"A refusal would have meant the death of the old man's chances, I
+presume. She acted quite dutifully."
+
+"Yes. If she had refused Ramon, I doubt if we could have saved her
+father. As it is, the General withdraws and leaves the field clear, the
+two young people are reunited, quite as if you had never appeared, and
+you--My dear Kirk, now what about you?"
+
+"Oh, I don't count. I never have counted in anything, you know. That's
+the trouble with good-natured people. But is it true that Garavel is
+practically elected?"
+
+"General Alfarez couldn't very well step in after he had publicly
+stepped out, could he? That would be a trifle too treacherous; he'd
+lose his support, and our people could then have an excuse to take a
+hand. I'm tremendously glad it's all settled finally, I assure you. It
+was a strain; and although I'm sorry you got your fingers pinched
+between the political wheels, I'm relieved that the uncertainty is
+ended."
+
+So far they had been speaking like mere acquaintances, but now Kirk
+turned upon her a trifle bitterly.
+
+"I think you worked it very cleverly, Mrs. Cortlandt," he said. "Of
+course, I had no chance to win against a person of your diplomatic
+gifts. I had my nerve to try."
+
+She regarded him without offence at this candor, then nodded.
+
+"Yes. You see, it meant more to me than to you or to her. With you two
+it is but a romance forgotten in a night. I have pretty nearly outlived
+romance."
+
+"You think I will forget easily? That's not flattering."
+
+"All men do. You will even forget my part in the affair, and we will be
+better friends than ever."
+
+"Suppose I don't choose to accept what it pleases people to hand me?"
+
+"My dear Kirk!" She smiled. "You will have to in this case. There is
+nothing else to do."
+
+He shook his head. "I hoped we could be friends, Mrs. Cortlandt, but it
+seems we can't be."
+
+At this she broke out, imperiously, her eyes flashing.
+
+"I ask nothing you can't give. I have never been denied, and I won't be
+denied now. You can't afford to break with me."
+
+"Indeed! Why do you think that?"
+
+"Listen! I've shown you what I can do in a few months. In a year you
+can be a great success. That's how big men are made; they know the
+short-cuts. You are too inexperienced yet to know what success and
+power mean, but you are beginning to learn, and when you have learned
+you will thank me for breaking up this foolish romance. I don't ask you
+to forget your manhood. I ask nothing. I am content to wait. You want
+to become a big man like your father. Well, Runnels will be out of the
+way soon; Blakeley amounts to nothing. You will be the Superintendent."
+
+"So! That's not merely a rumor about Blakeley? Runnels is fired, eh?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"If I choose not to give up Chiq--Miss Garavel, then what? It means the
+end of me here, is that it?"
+
+"If you 'choose'! Why, my dear, you have no choice whatever in the
+matter. It is practically closed. You can do nothing--although, if you
+really intend to make trouble, I shall walk inside when I leave and
+inform the old gentleman, in which case he will probably send the girl
+home at once, and take very good care to give you no further
+opportunity. Ramon is only too anxious to marry her. As to this being
+the end of you here, well, I really don't see how it could be
+otherwise. No Kirk, it's for you to decide whether you wish to be shown
+the secret path up the mountain or to scale the cliffs unaided. There
+are no conditions. You merely mustn't play the fool."
+
+"And if I don't agree you will tell Mr. Garavel that I'm going to make
+trouble?" He mused aloud, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
+She said nothing, so he went on cautiously, sparring for time.
+
+"Well, inasmuch as this seems to be a plain business proposition,
+suppose I think it over. When it comes time for our next dance, I'll
+say yes or no."
+
+"As you please."
+
+"Very well. The music has stopped; we'd better go in."
+
+As they rose she laid her hand upon his arm and he felt it tremble as
+she exclaimed:
+
+"Believe me, Kirk, this isn't at all easy for me, but--I can't bear to
+lose."
+
+
+
+
+XXV
+
+CHECKMATE!
+
+
+Anthony had no partner for the eighth dance, and was very glad of it,
+for he could not have carried off the necessary small talk. As it was,
+he felt that his excitement must be patent to those around him. His
+mind was filled with tormenting doubts, his chance for success seemed
+so infinitely small, his plan so extravagantly impracticable, now that
+the time had come!
+
+As the music ceased and the dancers came pouring out into the cool
+night air, Runnels approached with his wife.
+
+"Well, are you equal to it?" he asked.
+
+Kirk nodded; he could not speak.
+
+"Why, you look as cold as ice," exclaimed the woman, half-resentfully.
+"I'm the only one who seems to feel it. I--I'm positively delirious. My
+partners look at me in the strangest way, as if they thought I were
+liable to become dangerous at any moment."
+
+"Not too loud!" her husband cautioned, then to Kirk: "Good-luck, old
+man. Lord! I need a bracer." His words stuck in his throat, and Kirk
+realized that he was himself the calmest of the three. Together,
+Runnels and his wife strolled off through the crowd, disappearing in
+the direction of the north wing of the hotel.
+
+It seemed ages before the orchestra struck up; Kirk began to fear that
+something had happened to the musicians. He edged closer to the door
+and searched out Chiquita with his eyes. There she was, seated with her
+father, Colonel Bland from Gatun, and some high officer or
+other--probably an admiral. Ramon Alfarez was draped artistically over
+the back of her chair, curling his mustache tenderly and smiling
+vacantly at the conversation.
+
+Kirk ground his teeth together and set his feet as if for the sound of
+the referee's whistle. He heard the orchestra leader tap his
+music-stand; then, as the first strains of the waltz floated forth, he
+stepped into the ballroom and made toward his sweetheart. All at once
+he found that his brain was clear, his heart-beats measured.
+
+Of course she saw him coming; she had waited all the long evening for
+this moment. He saw her hand flutter uncertainly to her throat; then,
+as he paused before her, she rose without a word. His arm encircled her
+waist, her little, cold palm dropped into his as lightly as a
+snowflake, and they glided away together. He found himself whispering
+her name over and over again passionately.
+
+"Why--why did you do this, senor?" she protested, faintly. "It is very
+hard for me."
+
+"It is the last time I shall ever hold you--this way."
+
+She faltered, her breath caught. "Please! My father is looking. Ramon--"
+
+"Have you agreed to marry him?"
+
+"Yes! No no! Oh, I have prayed to the Virgin every hour. I cannot, and
+yet I must. See! I cannot waltz, senor, I have s-stepped upon you. Take
+me back to my seat."
+
+For answer he pressed her closer to his breast, holding her up without
+effort. The incense from her hair was robbing him of his wits, his old
+wild desire to pick her up and carry her away swept over him.
+
+"Don't--esqueeze--me--so!" she exclaimed. "I cannot hold back--the
+tears. I am so unhappy. If I could die quickly--now."
+
+"Let us go out on the porch."
+
+"No, no! We must remain in my father's sight. Will you take me to my
+seat?"
+
+"No, I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to say." He spoke
+low and earnestly. "Try to show nothing in your face, for they are
+watching us." Seeing her more composed and attentive, he went on:
+
+"Don't stop dancing now, when I tell you. Chiquita dear, you must marry
+me, to-night, right away! I have arranged everything. No, don't look up
+at me until I have finished. Try to smile. I've planned it all out and
+everything is in readiness. I have a room just around the corner of the
+veranda; there's a judge waiting for us, and Runnels and his wife--"
+
+"You are mad!" she gasped.
+
+"No, no. We'll slip through one of the French windows, and we'll be
+back again before they miss us. Nobody will know. I tell you they're
+waiting. If we are missed they'll think--it doesn't matter what they
+think, you'll be my wife, and Ramon can't marry you then. We'll say
+nothing about it until your father is elected President."
+
+"Senor, one cannot be married in a moment. I am Catholic--the banns--"
+
+"I've thought of all that, but a civil marriage is binding. We'll have
+the religious ceremony afterward; meanwhile this will stop Ramon, at
+least. I promise not to see you again until you send for me, until your
+father's hopes are realized. You may wait as long as you wish, and
+nobody will know. They tricked you, Chiquita dear; I can't explain, but
+it wasn't all politics, by any means. Oh, girl! Don't you understand, I
+love you--love you? It's our only chance." The words were tumbling from
+his lips incoherently; he was pleading as if for his life, while she
+clung to him to support herself. Through it all their feet moved
+rhythmically, their bodies swayed to the cadences of the waltz as they
+circled the ballroom. He guided her among the other whirling figures,
+under the very eyes of her father and her fiance, while more than one
+of the onlookers commented upon the handsome appearance of these young
+people, the one so stalwart and blond and Northern, the other so chic
+and dark and tropical.
+
+He knew it was her lifelong loyalty, her traditional sense of
+obedience, that made her hesitate.
+
+"It was treachery to both of us," he urged; "they imposed upon your
+father, but when he has won he'll forgive us. I know what I'm saying;
+Mrs. Cortlandt told me to-night."
+
+"Mother of God!" she exclaimed, faintly. "Is it that I am dreaming?"
+
+"They are waiting for us; the dance is half over already. I love
+you--better than all the world. Do you remember two nights ago? You
+kissed me then, and--I--I can't live without you. We'll go away
+together, you and I, through all the world--just we two." She trembled
+against him. "Quick!" he cried in her ear. "We're coming to the spot.
+They can't see us now. If you feel weak, hold to my arm until we are
+outside."
+
+She gave a hysterical, choking sob that was half a sigh; then her eyes
+flashed upward to his--they were wide and bright and shining--her lips
+were parted, her body was lithe and full of life. She slipped from his
+embrace, whispering:
+
+"Yes, yes! Quickly, senor!" And the next instant they were out upon the
+wide gallery with the dance behind them. "Hurree, hurree! Or they will
+follow."
+
+Together they fled along the north wing of the hotel; the girl was
+panting, with one hand held to her bare throat; but there was no need
+for him to help her, for she ran like a fawn.
+
+"Here!" He swung her around the corner and rapped sharply at a door.
+
+"Quickly! Quickly!" she moaned. "For the love of--"
+
+With terrific force the door was fairly jerked from its hinges and
+slammed to behind them. The next moment Allan's big body was leaning
+against it, as if the wall were about to fall inward upon him. Runnels
+leaped forward with an exclamation, his wife stood staring, her face as
+white as snow. With them was the genial gray-haired judge from Colon,
+whom Kirk had met at the Wayfarers Club on the night of his arrival.
+
+"You made it!" Runnels cried, triumphantly.
+
+"Miss Garavel!" his wife echoed. "Thank Heaven you came!"
+
+"Quick, the music will stop! Judge, this is Miss Garavel--you must
+marry us just as fast as you can."
+
+"I presume you consent?" the judge asked, with a smile at the girl.
+
+"I--I want to be happy," she said, simply. Her bosom was heaving, her
+pansy eyes were fastened upon the magistrate with a look of pleading
+that drove the smile from his lips. She clung to Anthony's arm as if
+she feared these strangers might tear him away.
+
+"You understand, Judge, she's of age; so am I. They want to force her
+to marry a man she doesn't--"
+
+The muffled strains of music ceased. There came the faint clapping of
+hands.
+
+"Madre de Dios!" Miss Garavel cried. "We are too late." She beat her
+little palms together in desperation.
+
+There was a breathless interval. Then the music began again, and to its
+throbbing measures the marriage ceremony was performed. As the last
+word was pronounced, Mrs. Runnels burst into tears and hid her face
+against her husband's breast. Runnels himself held forth a shaking hand
+to Kirk, then patted the bride clumsily upon her shoulder.
+
+"I know you will be happy now, Mrs. Anthony," he said.
+
+With an incoherent cry of delight, Kirk folded his wife in his arms,
+and she kissed him before them all.
+
+"Senor, I will love you always," she said, shyly.
+
+During the progress of this scene, Allan Allan of Jamaica had stood
+frozen with amazement, a door-knob wedged firmly into the small of his
+back, his eyes distended and rolling; but when Mrs. Runnels collapsed,
+as at a signal he too dissolved in tears.
+
+"Oh, glory to God, boss," he sobbed, "you is a beautiful bridegroom!"
+
+"Come, we must get back, the music has stopped again." Kirk turned to
+the judge. "Nothing is to be said until Miss Gar--Mrs. Anthony gives
+the word; you understand? I can't thank you all half enough. Now,
+Allan, see if the coast is clear, quickly!" He was still in a panic,
+for there yet remained a chance of discovery and ruin. One more instant
+of suspense, then the two stepped out; the door closed softly behind
+them and they strolled around the corner of the north wing and into the
+crowd. It had all happened so quickly that even yet they were dazed and
+disbelieving.
+
+"My wife!" Kirk whispered, while a tremendous rush of emotion swept
+over him. She trembled in answer like a wind-shaken leaf. "You're mine,
+Chiquita! They can't take you away." His voice broke.
+
+"I am still dreaming. What have I done? Oh-h--they will know; in my
+face they will read the truth. But I do not care. Is--it indeed true?"
+
+They were at the entrance to the ballroom now, through which they had
+come a few minutes before, and, pausing, she gave him a half-serious,
+half-timid glance.
+
+"Senor, I do not know if some time you will be sorry for this action,
+but I shall never cease loving you. I prayed hourly to the Blessed
+Virgin, and she heard. Now, I shall perish until you come."
+
+"When you give me leave; through steel and stone, through fire and
+water."
+
+"Quick, for the one more time, call me--that--" She hesitated, blushing
+vividly. "I will hear it in my dreams."
+
+"My wife!" he whispered, tenderly.
+
+"Ho! Chiquita mia!" her father cried, as they came to him. "There you
+are then. I have missed you." His eyes smouldered as he gazed
+suspiciously at Kirk.
+
+"Ah, but I was too warm," she said, easily. "Yonder by the door we have
+been standing in the night breeze. And where is Ramon?"
+
+"He is looking for you."
+
+"One would think him a jealous husband already," she exclaimed,
+lightly. Then, extending her hand coolly to Kirk, "I thank you, senor,
+for the--dance."
+
+Her husband bowed. "I shall not soon forget it." To the father he
+added, in a low voice: "I thank you, also, for your courtesy. We have
+been discussing your daughter's marriage during the dance, and it is my
+one greatest hope that she will never regret it."
+
+The banker acknowledged the words ceremoniously. "Love is a thing that
+comes and goes; marriage alone can bind it. Some day you will thank me,
+and then perhaps you will honor our house again, eh?"
+
+"I shall be happy to come whenever you wish." As he walked away, the
+banker said, with relief:
+
+"He takes it well; he is proud--almost like a Spaniard."
+
+Kirk moved through the crowd as if in a trance, but he was beginning to
+realize the truth now; it surged over him in great waves of gladness.
+He longed to shout his news aloud. What luck was his! The world was
+made for him; there was no such thing as adversity or failure--Chiquita
+was his wife! All Christendom might go to pot for all he cared; that
+marvellous fact was unalterable. Yes, and he could speak his mind to
+Mrs. Cortlandt. His tentative acceptance of the terms she made sickened
+him. He wanted to rid himself of this false position as soon as
+possible. What mattered her threats? What did he care for the things
+she could give or withhold when all the glad open world was beckoning
+to him and to his bride? Success! Riches! He could win them for
+himself. Chiquita was all and more than they, and he was a god!
+
+In the midst of his rhapsody he heard a bell-boy speaking his name, and
+smiled at him vacantly as he turned away. But the negro followed him
+persistently, saying something about a letter.
+
+"Letter? I have no time to write letters. Oh, I beg pardon, letter for
+ME?" He took the missive from the silver tray and stuffed it
+absent-mindedly into a pocket, fumbling meanwhile for a tip. "I don't
+seem to have any money, my boy, but money, after all, means nothing."
+
+"It is h'impartant, sar."
+
+"Oh yes, the letter. Very well." He opened the envelope and pretended
+to read, but in reality the sheet held nothing for him but a ravishing,
+mischievous face, with pansy eyes. He must have stood staring
+unseeingly at it for several seconds. Then the dancing visions faded
+and the scrawl stood out plainly:
+
+Williams, detective, St. Louis, arrived at Colon this evening on the
+Prince Joachim. You'd better take it on the run.
+
+It was written upon Tivoli paper, but the hand was strange and it was
+not signed.
+
+"Well!" Kirk came suddenly to himself, and a spasm of disgust seized
+him. "What a rotten inconvenience!" he said aloud. But before he had
+time to measure the effect of this new complication the swelling music
+reminded him that this dance belonged to Mrs. Cortlandt and that her
+answer was due.
+
+She was waiting for him in the gallery, and motioned him to the chair
+adjoining hers.
+
+"I can't two-step and talk at the same time," she said, "and here we'll
+be quite private."
+
+Kirk remained standing. "What I have to say won't take long. I've made
+up my mind, and I--"
+
+Edith interrupted him with a lightness that her look belied:
+
+"Oh, let's not discuss it. I don't want you to answer. I don't want to
+think of it. I just want to forget--and to plan. You understand how I
+feel?" She faced him with eyes bright and lustrous, her red lips parted
+in a smile. She was a very beautiful woman, Kirk realized--a very
+compelling, unusual woman, and one whose capabilities seemed unbounded.
+He began dimly to perceive that all women have great capabilities for
+good or evil, depending largely upon the accident of their environment,
+and with this thought came the feeling that he must speak frankly now
+or prove himself worse than base. If only she were of the weakly
+feminine type his task would be far easier. But it was hard to strike
+her, for the very reason that he knew she would take the blow bravely
+and meet its full force.
+
+"I must answer," he said. "I don't want to pretend; I'm not good at
+lying. I can't go through with any such arrangement as you suggested.
+Why, the very idea is positively--fierce. You've been awfully nice to
+me, but I had no idea of--this. Besides, Cortlandt's an awfully decent
+chap, and--and, well," he concluded, lamely, "there are lots of
+reasons."
+
+"Oh no! There is only one reason; all the others count for nothing."
+She spoke in a voice that he could scarcely hear.
+
+"Perhaps! But it's--just impossible."
+
+"You know what it means?" She stared at him with hard, level eyes. "I'm
+not a moderate person--I can't do things by halves. No! I see you don't
+think of that, you are mad over this Garavel girl. But you can't get
+her." Something in his dazzled, love-foolish smile enraged her. "So!
+You are planning even now. Well, then, understand there are practical
+reasons, political reasons, why you can't have her. If Garavel were
+insane enough to consent, others would not. She is part of--the
+machine, and there are those who will not consent to see all their work
+spoiled. That is altogether apart from me, you understand. I can build,
+and I can destroy--"
+
+"There's nothing more to say," he interrupted her, quietly, "so I'd
+better excuse myself."
+
+"Yes! I would prefer to be alone."
+
+When he had bowed himself away she crushed the fan in her hand, staring
+out across the lights of the city below, and it was thus that Cortlandt
+found her a few moments later, as he idled along the veranda, his hands
+in his pockets, a cigarette between his lips. He dropped into the empty
+chair beside her, saying:
+
+"Hello! Thought you had this with Anthony?"
+
+"I had."
+
+"What's the trouble?"
+
+"There is no trouble." She began to rock, while he studied her profile;
+then, conscious of his look, she inquired, "Aren't you dancing?"
+
+"No, just looking on, as usual. I prefer to watch. You have broken your
+fan, it seems." He flung his cigarette into the darkness and, reaching
+out, took the fan from her hand. She saw that his lips were drawn back
+in a peculiar smile.
+
+"Well! Is that so strange?" she answered, sharply. "You seem--" She
+broke off and looked deliberately away from him.
+
+"Row, eh?" he inquired, softly.
+
+She could barely hold back her hatred of the man. He had worked
+powerfully upon her nerves of late, and she was half hysterical.
+
+"Why do you take pleasure in annoying me?" she cried. "What ails you
+these last few weeks? I can't stand it--I won't--"
+
+"Oh! Pardon! One quarrel an evening is enough. I should have known
+better."
+
+She turned upon him at this, but once more checked the words that
+clamored for utterance. Her look, however, was a warning. She bit her
+lip and said nothing.
+
+"Too bad you and he don't hit it off better; he likes me."
+
+There was no answer.
+
+"He's giving me a party after the dance, sort of a gratitude affair. A
+delicate way to acknowledge a debt, eh?"
+
+She saw that his hand shook as he lit a fresh cigarettes, and the
+strangeness of his tone made her wonder. "You know very well it is
+Runnels' doing," she said.
+
+"Oh, there are six of them in it altogether, but Anthony originated the
+little surprise. It's intended for you, of course."
+
+"I don't see it. Are you going?"
+
+"I accepted."
+
+"What do you mean by that?"
+
+"Bah! They won't give it," he said, harshly.
+
+"And why not? I think it is rather nice of those chaps. Of course,
+Runnels would like to ingratiate himself with you--"
+
+"Funny spectacle, eh? Me the guest of--Anthony!"
+
+There was a trace of anxiety in her voice as she answered, and, though
+she spoke carelessly, she did not meet his eyes.
+
+"I--I'd rather you'd make an excuse. I'll have to go home alone, you
+know."
+
+He raised his brows mockingly. "My DEAR! I'm to be the honored guest."
+
+"Suit yourself, of course."
+
+A marine officer approached, mopping his face, and engaged her in
+conversation, whereupon Cortlandt rose languidly and strolled away
+through the crowd that came eddying forth from the ballroom.
+
+Meanwhile, Kirk had found Runnels, who was looking for him, eager to
+express his congratulations and to discuss their exploit in detail.
+
+"I've just taken the wife home," he explained. "I never saw anybody so
+excited. If she'd stayed here she'd have given the whole thing away,
+sure. Why, she wasn't half so much affected by her own marriage."
+
+"I--I haven't pulled myself together yet. Funny thing--I've just been
+watching my wife dancing with the man she is engaged to. Gee! It's
+great to be married."
+
+"She's the dearest thing I ever saw; and wasn't she game? Alice will
+cry for weeks over this. Why, it's the sob-fest of her lifetime. She's
+bursting with grief and rapture. I hope your wife can keep a secret
+better than mine, otherwise there will be a tremendous commotion before
+to-morrow's sun sets. I suppose now I'll have to hang around home with
+my finger on my lip, saying 'Hist!' until the news comes out. Whew! I
+am thirsty."
+
+Anthony did not tell his friend about the detective in Colon and his
+mysterious warning, partly because he was not greatly disturbed by it
+and trusted to meeting the difficulty in proper time, and partly
+because his mind was once more too full of his great good-fortune to
+permit of any other interest. Now that he had some one to whom he could
+talk freely, he let himself go, and he was deep in conversation when
+Stephen Cortlandt strolled up and stopped for an instant to say:
+
+"Quite a lively party, isn't it?"
+
+Kirk noticed how sallow he had grown in the past few months, and how he
+had fallen off in weight. He looked older, too; his cheeks had sunken
+in until they outlined his jaws sharply. He seemed far from well; a
+nervous twitching of his fingers betokened the strain he had been
+under. He was quite as immaculate as usual, however, quite as polished
+and collected.
+
+"How is our little 'stag' coming on?" he asked.
+
+"Fine! Everything is ready," said Runnels. "You won't expect an
+elaborate layout; it's mostly cold storage, you know, but we'll at
+least be able to quench our thirst at the Central."
+
+"Then it's really coming off? I was--afraid you'd forgotten it."
+Cortlandt cast a curious glance at Kirk, who exclaimed, heartily:
+
+"Well, hardly!" Then, as their prospective guest moved off, "What a
+strange remark!"
+
+"Yes," said Runnels, "he's a queer fellow; but then, you know, he's
+about as emotional as a toad."
+
+
+
+
+XXVI
+
+THE CRASH
+
+
+Kirk had no further chance of speaking with his wife, for after the
+dance she was whisked away, leaving him nothing but the memory of an
+adoring, blissful glance as she passed. With Runnels and Cortlandt and
+the rest, he was driven to the Hotel Central, where they found a very
+attractive table set in a private dining-room. It was a lively party,
+and Kirk's secret elation enabled him to play the part of host with
+unforced geniality. The others joined him in a hearty effort to show
+their guest the high regard in which they held him, and if Cortlandt
+did not enjoy himself, it was entirely his own fault.
+
+Toward Kirk, however, he preserved a peculiar attitude, which only the
+young man's self-absorption prevented him from noticing. If he had been
+less jubilant, he must have felt the unnatural aloofness of the other
+man's bearing; but even had he done so, he would doubtless have
+attributed it to Cortlandt's well-recognized frigidity.
+
+At the propitious moment, Runnels, who had reluctantly agreed to share
+the social responsibility, made a little speech, explaining that he and
+his boys had been sensible from the first of their guest's interest in
+them, and were deeply grateful for it. They were all working together,
+he said, and what helped one helped another. They had banded together,
+and now tendered him a token of their regard in a form which he could
+preserve.
+
+"It's a little late," he smiled, "in view of the rumor that has been
+going round within the last day or so, but, no matter what happens to
+any one of us in the readjustment of our department, we appreciate the
+help you have given us collectively."
+
+He handed a handsome loving-cup to Cortlandt, who thanked him
+appropriately, then waited courteously for the party to break up. But
+Anthony rose, saying:
+
+"I simply have to say a word on my own account, fellows, for I owe Mr.
+Cortlandt more than any of you."
+
+The object of these remarks shot a swift, questioning glance from his
+stony eyes, and raised a hand as if to check him. But Kirk ran on
+unheeding:
+
+"I want to thank him before all of you for what he has done for me
+personally. When I landed in Panama I was a rotter. I'd never worked,
+and never intended to; I rather despised people who did. I represented
+the unearned increment. I was broke and friendless, and what ideas I
+had were all wrong. This is something you don't know, perhaps, but no
+sooner had I landed than I got into trouble of the worst sort, and Mr.
+Cortlandt got me out. He was my bail-bond; he put me up at his hotel;
+gave me clothes, and paid my way until I got started. I was a stranger,
+mind you, but he's been just like one of my own people, and if I ever
+succeed in doing anything really worth while, it will be due to the
+start he gave me."
+
+Though the words were commonplace enough, they carried a sincere
+message, and Cortlandt saw by the faces about him that the others were
+pleased. His own gaunt features turned more sallow than ever. The
+memory of what he had heard on the porch of his own house a few
+afternoons ago, of what he had seen at other times, of his wife's
+telltale behavior on this very evening, swept over him, fanning anew
+the sullen emotions he had cherished all these months. How far would
+this fellow dare to go, he wondered? What motive inspired him thus to
+pose before his friends, and openly goad his victim under the cloak of
+modesty and gratitude? Was he enhancing his triumph by jeering at the
+husband of whom he had made a fool? He dropped his eyes to hide the
+fury in them.
+
+"I want to give you a little remembrance of my own." Anthony was
+speaking directly to him. "It isn't much, but it means a good deal to
+me, and I hope it will have some sort of personal association for you,
+Mr. Cortlandt." He drew from his pocket a plush case and took from it a
+very handsome thin Swiss watch with the letters "S. C." artfully
+enamelled upon the back. Runnels, who knew the local shops, wondered
+how it had been procured in Panama. The others openly expressed their
+admiration.
+
+Cortlandt accepted the gift mechanically; then, as it touched his
+flesh, a sudden color mounted to his cheeks, only to recede, leaving
+them bloodless again. He stared at it uncertainly, then looked up and
+ran his eyes slowly around the table. They came to rest at last upon
+the broad frame of the giver, crowned with its handsome, sun-tanned
+face and close-cropped shock of yellow hair. Anthony was all that he
+was not--the very embodiment of youth, vigor, and confidence, while he
+was prematurely aged, worn, and impotent.
+
+They noted how ill he appeared, as if he had suffered from a jungle
+fever, how his well-cut evening clothes refused to conceal the frail
+lines of his figure, and how the hollows in his cheeks added to his
+age. But for the first time since they had known him they saw that his
+eyes were alive and burning dully.
+
+"I really didn't expect this," he began, slowly, as he rose. "Anthony
+exaggerates; he is too kind. But since he has chosen to publicly call
+attention to our relations, I will confess that what he tells you is
+all true. He was everything he says when he first came to Panama. He
+did get into trouble, and I helped him out; he had no money, and I put
+him up as my guest; he needed work, and I helped to place him. Through
+my assistance--partly, at any rate--he has made a man of himself. He
+has been welcome at my house, at my table; he has come and gone as he
+pleased, like one of the family, you might say. But those are little
+things; they count for nothing." He smiled in a way that seemed
+ironical, his lips writhed away from his teeth until his visage
+resembled a death-head. His tone had gripped his hearers, and Anthony
+stirred uneasily, thinking this an odd way of accepting a gift.
+
+Unclasping his long, white fingers, Cortlandt held up the watch to
+public view.
+
+"In payment for my poor friendship he has given me this magnificent
+thing of gold and jewels, the finest I ever saw. I never counted upon
+such gratitude. It is too much, and yet a man cannot refuse the gift of
+his friend and not seem ungracious, can he? Somewhere in the Orient
+they have a custom of exchanging gifts. No man may accept a thing of
+value without making adequate return, and it has always struck me as a
+wise practice." He turned full upon Kirk for the first time since he
+had begun speaking, and his voice rose a tone as he said: "I can't let
+the obligation rest entirely upon me. We have been friends, Anthony,
+and I am going to give you something in return which I have prized
+highly; it would be counted of great value by some." Once more he
+paused and drew his lips back in that grimace of mockery--it could no
+longer be termed a smile. "It is this--I am going to give you--my wife.
+You have had her from the first, and now she is yours." For one
+frightful moment there was no sound; even the men's breathing was
+hushed, and they sat slack-jawed, stunned, half-minded to believe this
+some hideous, incredible jest. But the maniacal light in Cortlandt's
+eyes, and Anthony's chalk-white, frozen countenance soon showed them
+the truth. Some one gasped, another laughed hysterically, the sound
+breaking in his throat. Cortlandt turned away gloatingly.
+
+Kirk was the last to recover his powers, but when they did revive they
+came with a prodigious rush. He plunged upward out of his chair with a
+cry like a wounded animal, and the others rose with him. The table
+rocked, something smashed, a chair was hurled backward. The room broke
+into instant turmoil. Kirk felt hands upon him, and then went blind
+with fury, struggling in a passion too strong for coherent speech. He
+was engulfed in chaos. He felt things break beneath his touch, felt
+bodies give way before him.
+
+How or when Cortlandt left the room he never knew. Eventually he found
+himself pinned in his chair, with Runnels' white face close against his
+own and other hands upon his arms. His first frenzy quickly gave way to
+a sickening horror. Some one was commanding him to be still, to create
+no scene; but those were not words, they were simply mutterings that
+conveyed no meaning.
+
+"It's a lie! The man's crazy!" he cried, hoarsely; then, as his
+companions drew away from him, he rose to his feet. "Why are you
+looking at me like that? I tell you it's a damned lie! I never--"
+
+Runnels turned to the table, and with shaking hand put a glass to his
+lips and gulped its contents. Wade and Kimble exchanged glances, then,
+avoiding each other's eyes, took their hats from the hooks behind them.
+
+"Wait! Bring him back!" Kirk mumbled. "I'll get him and make him say
+it's a lie." But still no one answered, no one looked at him. "God! You
+don't believe it?"
+
+"I'm going home, fellows. I'm kind of sick," Kimble said. One of the
+others murmured unintelligibly, and, wetting a napkin, bound up his
+hand, which was bleeding. They continued to watch Kirk as if fearful of
+some insane action, yet they refused to meet his eyes squarely. There
+was no sympathy in their faces.
+
+The knowledge of what these actions meant came to him slowly. Was it
+possible that his friends believed this incredible accusation? The
+thought made him furious, too agitated as yet to realize that such a
+charge made under such circumstances could not well prove less than
+convincing. As he began to collect himself he saw his plight more
+clearly. His first thought had been that Cortlandt was insane, but the
+man's actions were not those of a maniac. No! He actually believed
+and--and these fellows believed also. No doubt they would continue to
+think him guilty in spite of all that he could do or say; for after
+this shocking denunciation it would take more than mere words to prove
+that he had not betrayed his friend and benefactor. It was incredible,
+unbearable! He wanted to shout his innocence at them, to beat it into
+their heads; but the more he expostulated the more distant they became.
+
+One by one they took their hats and went out, mumbling good-night to
+one another, as if intending to go home singly in order to avoid all
+discussion of this thing that had fallen among them Runnels alone
+remained.
+
+"YOU don't believe I did--that?" Anthony asked, in a strained voice.
+
+"I--I think I do." There was a miserable silence, and then: "It isn't
+the thing itself, you know, so much as the rotten--underhanded
+advantage you took. If he'd been a stranger, now--Honestly, isn't it
+true?"
+
+Kirk shook his head, listlessly. "I wouldn't lie to you."
+
+Runnels drew a deep breath.. "Oh, come, now, the man MUST have known
+what he was saying. Do you realize what it means--if--well, if he were
+mistaken? It would be bad enough if he were not, but this would be ten
+times worse. Don't you see?"
+
+"I don't see much of anything yet. I'm stunned."
+
+"Ugh! To make it public that way, he must be made of iron." Runnels
+shuddered; then, with cold eyes on Kirk, continued: "He must have
+known, Anthony. Men don't do things like that on suspicion."
+
+"He misunderstood our friendship," said Kirk, heavily, then roused
+himself for a last plea. "Look here!" he cried. "You know Cortlandt and
+you know me. The man was insanely jealous! I know it sounds weak, but
+it's the truth, and it's all I can say. I'll go mad if you doubt me."
+
+Runnels' face showed the pain he felt, but his eyes looked incredulous.
+
+"Another thing," Kirk went on, desperately: "do you suppose that if
+what you believe were true I could have the inhuman nerve to come here
+to-night? That would make me a fool or a monster!"
+
+"I don't know," said Runnels.
+
+"You do know. You know ME. If we weren't such friends I wouldn't argue
+with you like this, but--I can't bear it. And to-night of all--" He
+broke off sharply. "My God! I'd forgotten that I'm married! Suppose
+Gertrudis hears of this! If it ever gets to her--I--believe I could
+kill him."
+
+"Don't talk like that."
+
+"I never really thought I could take a person's life, but if she heard
+she might believe; everybody else seems to believe. Understand, she
+hardly knows me. She might--she might--" Anthony seized his temples in
+despair.
+
+Runnels took a sudden illogical decision. He never knew exactly what
+had influenced him, but his whole past knowledge of Anthony surged up
+in him with a force that he could not resist. He found that he could
+not really believe him capable of this abomination any more than he
+could believe it of himself. Little of our life is ruled by reason, and
+it is something else than logic that produces the last feeling of
+conviction. Here, this something was present where logic was lacking.
+
+He laid his hand on Kirk's shoulder. "Take it easy, old man," he said.
+"I believe you. I've always known that they didn't get along together,
+although--well, I won't try to understand it. He may not do anything
+further, and these fellows won't mention what happened here; they
+can't."
+
+"You know we're only half married," moaned Kirk, hardly heeding him.
+"Women are apt to be jealous, aren't they, Runnels? What do you suppose
+she'd do?"
+
+"Don't worry about that. I'm thinking about Cortlandt. If he finds out
+he's mistaken, what will HE do?"
+
+"He'll have to find out. I'm going to tell him. His wife will tell him.
+Good God! Do you see what an awful light it puts me in? You don't doubt
+me, do you, really, old man?"
+
+"No--but what a night this has been! It seems a year old. Come along,
+now, you must get out of here. You must turn in."
+
+"Oh, I don't feel as if I'd ever sleep again until this thing is
+cleared up." His anguish swept over him in a fresh tide. "Those boys
+think I did that trick to the man who befriended me!"
+
+"Well, don't let's talk about it any more; we can't stay here all
+night, anyhow. The waiters are wondering what this row is about. I
+think we'd better take a walk." Runnels dragged his companion out,
+trying to calm him as best he could.
+
+In passing through the deserted lobby of the hotel, they saw Clifford
+idling about; but they were too much absorbed to wonder what had kept
+him up so late. By the clock across the Plaza they saw it was two hours
+after midnight as they stepped into the street; then, finding no
+coaches in sight, they set out to walk toward Ancon, both badly in need
+of the open air.
+
+A moment later Clifford followed them, taking pains to keep at a
+distance.
+
+Now that the full import of Cortlandt's accusation had sunk into his
+mind, Kirk lapsed into a mood of sullen bitterness. He said little, but
+his set face worried his companion, who was loath to bid him goodnight
+even when they were close to the Tivoli. After they had parted Runnels
+was upon the point of going back and offering to spend the night with
+him, but thought better of it. After all, he reflected, his
+apprehensions were probably quite unfounded. Anthony was too sensible a
+chap to do anything he might repent of, now that his gust of passion
+had died down. So he went on homeward wondering vaguely how Cortlandt
+would dare to meet his wife, or, if he really found himself mistaken,
+how he could ever summon courage to look his hosts in the face.
+
+Instead of passing through the office, Kirk mounted to the porch of the
+Tivoli and entered his room from the outside, as he and Chiquita had
+done earlier that evening. He found Allan waiting, and bursting with a
+desire to gossip, but cut him short.
+
+"Get my street-clothes, I'm going out." He tore the white tie from his
+throat as if it were choking him.
+
+"It is too late, sar. You will be h'exposing yourself to a fever in the
+mist," expostulated the boy; but Kirk would not hear argument.
+
+"Come along if you want to, I can't sleep. I want to walk--walk until
+I'm tired."
+
+Mystified and frightened at this behavior, Allan obeyed. "Never have I
+h'observed you so h'angry, boss," he observed. "Is it Ramon Alfarez?"
+His eyes began to roll in excitement, for the spectacle of his master's
+agitation never failed to work upon him powerfully.
+
+"No, not Ramon; another. I've been hurt, Allan. I can't explain, for
+you wouldn't understand, but I've been hurt."
+
+The negro's lips drew apart in an expression of ape-like ferocity, and
+he began to chatter threats of vengeance, to which Kirk paid little
+heed. A few moments later they went out quietly, and together took the
+rock road down toward the city, the one silent and desperate, the other
+whining like a hound nearing a scent.
+
+
+
+
+XXVII
+
+A QUESTION
+
+
+Edith Cortlandt did not retire immediately upon her return from the
+ball. Her anger at Anthony's behavior kept her wakeful, and the night
+had turned off so dead and humid that sleep was in any case a doubtful
+possibility. It was the lifeless period between seasons when the trades
+had died out, or, at best, veered about bafflingly, too faint to offer
+relief. The cooling rains had not set in as yet, and a great blanket of
+heat wrapped the city in its smothering folds. The air was still and
+tainted, like that of a sick-room. Through Mrs. Cortlandt's open
+windows came hardly a sound; even from the sea below rose only a faint
+hissing, as if the rocks at the water's edge were superheated. Earlier
+in the evening the temperature had been bearable, but now it had
+reached an intensity to strain tired nerves to the snapping-point. It
+was the sort of night in which ailing children die and strong minds
+feel the burden of living. No relief was to be had, and the slightest
+physical effort was a misery.
+
+She was still sitting there at a late hour when she heard the outside
+door close and Cortlandt's footsteps mounting the stairs. She was glad
+he had his own room and never entered hers at such an hour, for even to
+talk with him in her present state of mind and body would have been
+more than she could bear.
+
+She was unreasonably annoyed, therefore, when he came boldly into her
+chamber without even knocking, for all the world like a welcome lover.
+To conceal her irritation, she kept her face turned from him and
+continued fanning herself listlessly. She was reclining in a wicker
+chair, lightly clad in a filmy silk negligee, which she mechanically
+drew closer.
+
+"Rather late for good-nights," she said, coldly.
+
+"I've just come from Anthony's supper-party."
+
+His voice made her look round sharply. She saw that his linen,
+ordinarily stiff and immaculate, was sodden and crumpled, his collar
+limp, his forehead glistening with drops of moisture. She could not
+remember ever having seen him in such a state. His appearance affected
+her queerly. In him this dishevelment was shocking.
+
+"What ails you, Stephen?" she cried. "Have you been drinking?"
+
+"No. I didn't drink much. I brought you something."
+
+He took the loving-cup from its flannel bag and set it upon the table.
+"They gave me this."
+
+"It is very pretty, though I don't care for such things."
+
+"And this too." He tossed the watch with its enamelled monogram into
+her lap.
+
+"Ah! That's very handsome."
+
+"Yes, I thought you'd like it; it's from Anthony." He laughed, then
+shuddered, as though a cold wind had bitten through his sodden garments.
+
+"Why--you seem excited over these souvenirs. You surely expected--"
+
+He broke in--a thing he rarely did while she was speaking:
+
+"Anthony made a speech when he gave it to me--a very nice speech, full
+of friendship and love and gratitude." He repeated Kirk's words as he
+remembered them, "What do you think of that?"
+
+"I think he expressed himself very frankly. But why do you tell me now,
+when the morning will do just as well? I'm prostrated with this heat."
+
+"He actually acknowledged his debt in public."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt's eyes widened. This was not the man she knew. At this
+moment he was actually insistent, almost overbearing, and he was
+regarding her with that same ironical sneer that had roused her anger
+earlier in the evening.
+
+"Well, come to the point," she cried, irritably. "I don't understand
+what you are getting at. If you didn't wish to accept anything from
+him, why did you go?"
+
+He began to chuckle, apparently without reason. His shoulders shook,
+feebly at first, then more violently; his flat chest heaved, and he
+hiccoughed as if from physical weakness. It was alarming, and she rose,
+staring at him affrightedly. The sight of her increased his mirthless
+laughter. He continued to shudder and shake in uncontrollable hysteria,
+but his eyes were bright and watchful.
+
+"Oh, I--I--took it all in--I let him p-put the noose around his own
+neck and tie the knot. Then I hung him." His convulsive giggling was
+terrible, forecasting, as it did, his immediate breakdown.
+
+"Stephen!" she exclaimed, in a shocked tone, convinced that his mind
+was going. "You are ill, you need a doctor. I will call Joceel." She
+laid her hand on his arm.
+
+But he sniggered: "N-no! No! I'm all right. I t-t-t-t--" A
+stuttering-fit seized him; then, with an effort of will, he calmed
+himself. "Don't think I'm crazy. I was never more sane, never cooler,
+in here." He tapped his head with his finger. "But I'm tired, that's
+all, tired of waiting."
+
+"Won't you go to your room and let me call a doctor?"
+
+"Not yet. Wait! He told them what I had done for him, how I'd made a
+man of him when he was broke and friendless, how I'd taken him into my
+home like one of my family, and then I went him one better. I
+acknowledged it all and made them hear it from my lips too. Then--" He
+paused, and she steeled herself to witness another spectacle of his
+pitiable loss of self-control. But instead he grew icy and corpse-like,
+with lips drawn back in a grin. "What do you think I said? Can't you
+guess? I couldn't let him get away with that, could I? I played with
+him the way you have played with me. Think!"
+
+Her face went suddenly ashen. He stood before her grimly triumphant,
+enjoying his sense of mastery and deliberately prolonging her suspense.
+
+"Well, I told him before them all that I intended to give him something
+in return, and I did. I--gave--him--YOU."
+
+She stared at him uncomprehendingly.
+
+He nodded. "I said he'd had you from the first and that now I'd give
+you to him."
+
+She gave an unintelligible cry, standing now, as if petrified. He went
+on:
+
+"I knew all the time that I was in the way, but my work is done at
+last, so I'll step out. But--you both got more than you bargained for,
+didn't you?"
+
+"God! You didn't tell him that? You didn't say THAT--before those men!
+Oh-h!" She shrank back, drawing the gauzy silk robe closer about her
+breast. Her hands were shaking, her hair, which had fallen free when
+she rose, cascaded about her neck and shoulders. She let her eyes
+wander about the room as if to assure herself that this was not some
+hideous nightmare. Then she roused to sudden action. Seizing him by the
+shoulders she shook him roughly with far more than her natural
+strength, voicing furious words which neither of them understood.
+
+"Oh, I did it," he declared. "He's yours now. You can have him. He's
+been your lover--"
+
+She flung him away from her so violently that he nearly fell.
+
+"It's a lie! You know it's a lie!"
+
+"It's true. I'm no fool."
+
+She beat her hands together distractedly, "What have you done? What
+will those men think? Listen! You must stop them quickly. Tell them
+it's not so."
+
+He seemed not to hear her. "I'm going away to-morrow," he said, "but
+I'll never divorce you, no matter what you do; and I won't let you
+divorce me, either. No, no! Take him now, if you want him, but you'll
+never be able to marry him until I'm gone. And I won't die soon--I
+promise you that, I'm going to live."
+
+"You can't go--"
+
+"There's a boat to-morrow."
+
+"Don't you see you must stay and explain to those men? My God! They'll
+think you spoke the truth; they'll BELIEVE what you said."
+
+"Of course they will," he chattered, shrilly. "That's why I did it in
+that way. No matter what you or he or I can do or say now, they'll
+believe it forever. It came to me like a flash of light, and I saw what
+it meant all in a minute. Do YOU understand what it means, eh? Listen!
+No matter how you behave, they'll know. They won't say anything, but
+they'll know, and you can't stand that, can you? Even if you could fool
+me once more against the evidence of my own eyes and ears, and convince
+me that your lies are true, it wouldn't do any good with them."
+
+"'Evidence!' You have no evidence."
+
+"No? What about that night at Taboga? You were mad over the fellow
+then, but you didn't think I saw. That day I caught you together in the
+jungle--have you forgotten that? Didn't you think it strange that I
+should be the one to discover you? Oh, I pretended to be blind, but I
+followed you everywhere I could, and I kept my eyes open."
+
+"You saw nothing, for there was nothing."
+
+"He's been with you day and night. You have been together constantly,
+and I knew what was going on. But I waited, because I wasn't strong
+enough to revolt--until to-night. Oh, but to-night I was strong!
+Something gave me courage."
+
+In all their married life she had never known him to show such stubborn
+force. He was like granite, and the unbelievable change in him,
+upsetting all her preconceived notions of the man, appalled her. There
+had been times in the past when they had clashed, but he had never
+really matched his will with hers, and she had judged him weak and
+spiritless. Now, therefore, failing to dominate him as usual, she was
+filled with a strange feeling of helplessness and terror.
+
+"You had no right to accept such evidence," she stormed.
+
+"Bah! Why try to fool me? I have your own words for it. The other
+afternoon I came home sick--with my head. I was on the gallery outside
+when you were pleading with him, and I heard it all. You talked that
+night about Taboga, your guilty kisses and other things; you
+acknowledged everything. But he was growing tired of you. That, you
+know, makes it all the more effective." He smiled in an agonized fury.
+
+"You--cur!" she cried, with the fury of one beating barehanded at a
+barred door. "You had no right to do such a thing even if I were
+guilty."
+
+"Right? Aren't you my wife?"
+
+The look she gave him was heavy with loathing. "That means nothing with
+us. I never loved you, and you know it. You know, too, why I married
+you. I made no secret of it at the time. You had what I wanted, and I
+had what you wanted; but you were content with the bargain because I
+gave you money, position, and power. I never promised anything more
+than that. I made you into something like a man. You never could have
+succeeded without me. All you have is due to me--even your reputation
+in the service. Your success, your influence, it is all mine, and the
+only thing you gave me was a name; any other would have done as well."
+
+He shrank a little under this tirade, despite his exaltation.
+
+"Marriage!" she continued, in bitter scorn. "A priest mumbled something
+over us, but it meant nothing then or now. I have tolerated you because
+you were useful. I have carried you with me as I carry a maid or a
+butler. I bought a manikin and dressed it up and put breath into it for
+my own convenience, and I owe you nothing, do you understand--nothing!
+The debt is all on your side, as you and I and all the world know."
+
+"Who made me a manikin?" he demanded, with womanish fury, a fury that
+had been striving for utterance these many years. "I had ambitions and
+hopes and ability once--not much, perhaps, but enough--before you
+married me. I was nothing great, but I was getting along. I had
+confidence, too, but you took it away from me. You--you absorbed me.
+You had your father's brain, and it was too big for me; it overshadowed
+mine. In a way you were a vampire; for what I had you drained me of. At
+first it was terrible to feel that I was inferior, but I loved you, and
+although I had some pride--" He choked an instant and threw back her
+incredulous stare defiantly. "I let myself be eliminated. You thought
+you were doing me a favor when you put me forward as a figurehead, but
+to me it was a tragedy. I COULDN'T HELP LETTING YOU DO IT. Do you
+realize what that means to a fellow? I quit fighting for my own
+individuality, I became colored by you, I took on your ways, your
+habits, your mental traits, and--all the time I knew what was
+happening. God! How I struggled to remain Stephen Cortlandt, but it
+would have taken a BIG man to mould you to his ways, and I was only
+average. I began to do your work in your particular style; I forgot my
+ambitions and my dreams and took up yours. That's what I fell to, and
+all the time I KNEW it, and--and all the time I knew you neither cared
+nor understood. My only consolation was the thought that even though
+you never had loved me and never could, you at least respected our
+relation. I clung to that miserably, for it was all I had left, all
+that made me seem like a man. And yet you took away even that. I tried
+to rebel, but I had been drugged too long. You saw Anthony, and he had
+the things I lack; you found you were not a machine, but a living
+woman. He discovered the secret I had wasted away in searching for, and
+you rewarded him. Oh, I saw the change in you quickly enough, and if
+I'd been a man instead of what I was, I'd have--but I wasn't. I went
+spying around like a woman, hating myself for permitting it to go on,
+but lacking strength to stop it. But to-night, when he got up before
+those other men and dangled my shame before my eyes, I had enough
+manhood left in me to strike back. Thank God for that at least! Maybe
+it's not too late yet; maybe if I get away from you and try--" His
+voice died out weakly; in his face there was a miserable half-gleam of
+hope.
+
+"I never knew you felt like that. I never knew you COULD feel that
+way," she said, in a colorless voice. "But you made a terrible mistake."
+
+"Do you mean to say you don't love him?"
+
+"No, I have loved him for a long time--I can't remember when it began."
+She spoke very listlessly, looking past him as if at a long-familiar
+picture which she was tired of contemplating. "I never knew what love
+was before; I never even dreamed. I'd give my life right now--to undo
+what you have done, just for his sake, for he is innocent. Oh, don't
+sneer; it's true. He loves the Garavel girl, and wants to marry her."
+
+"I know all that. I overheard you in the parlor below."
+
+"Listen, please! I don't remember what I said then, and it doesn't
+matter; you took too much for granted. We must talk plainly now,
+before"--she pressed her palms to her temples as if they were
+bursting--"before it becomes impossible. I never lied to you, Stephen.
+Is that true?"
+
+"I used to think so."
+
+"I'm going to tell you the whole truth now without sparing myself. It
+began, I think, at Taboga, that night when he kissed me. It was the
+only time he ever did such a thing. It was dark, we were alone, I was
+frightened, and it was purely impulse on his part. But it woke me up,
+and all at once I knew how much he meant to me. I would have yielded
+utterly to him then if he had let me, but he was panic-stricken. He
+spoke of you, he apologized; I never saw a man in more misery. When I
+had time to realize the truth I tried to fight it off. But it was no
+use, and at last I gave up. After that I put myself in his way
+deliberately. I offered him opportunities continually, but he never
+seemed to see them. That day in the jungle I was desperate at his
+indifference, and I drove the horses away when he wasn't looking. I
+struck them with my crop--and I actually threw myself at him as boldly
+as I could, regardless of consequences. But he was like ice; he was
+speaking of you when you came. It has always been the same. When I
+discovered that he cared for that girl--well, if you overheard you must
+know. I frightened Garavel into dismissing him, and I set out to break
+him, just to show him that he needed me. To-night I offered to divorce
+you and make him all and more than I've made you, but he scorned me.
+That's the truth, Stephen. If we believed in oaths, I would swear it."
+
+No one who knew the woman could have disbelieved her, and to the
+husband who knew her every mental and moral trait this bald, hopeless
+confession came as a crushing anti-climax to his great effort. It left
+him not the slightest doubt that she was honest. He said, dully, in a
+feeble attempt to right himself:
+
+"You are shielding him. You want to make me out wrong." But she knew he
+knew.
+
+"Those are the facts. Heaven knows they are bad enough, but they are by
+no means so bad as you thought. And I'm your wife, Stephen. That thing
+you did was brutal; those men will talk. I was guilty, no doubt, in my
+thoughts, but I'm young, and you have no right to blight my life and my
+reputation--yes, and yours--by a thing like that. We will have to meet
+those men. What are you going to do?"
+
+"I don't know," he said. "In all my life I never felt but one moment of
+power, and that, it seems, was false. For years I have longed to show
+myself a man, and now--what have I done? What have I done? I am no
+monster." He moaned and sank limply into a chair, folding together in
+an attitude of dejection that was pitiful. He raised his head and broke
+out at her in a last spasm of desperation, as a dying ember flares even
+while it crumbles. "My God! why couldn't you be consistent? Why did you
+go half-way? Why couldn't you be all good or all bad and save me this?"
+
+"All women are half good and half bad."
+
+"I can't blame you for not loving me, I suppose," he mumbled. "No woman
+of your kind could love a man like me."
+
+"Those men!" she said, in a way that made him writhe.
+
+"Wait until I--think. I must think."
+
+"You can't think now, and neither can I."
+
+"We must." He wrung his hands. "They'll never believe me--" There was a
+long silence.
+
+"Perhaps in the morning we can see a way out."
+
+"That's it." He nodded. "You go to bed and I'll think. I'm trying to
+think now, but this heat is suffocating me and my head is tired." He
+brushed a hand feebly across his brow. "If it would only rain I--could
+think better."
+
+"Yes, and we must think of Anthony, too. No matter how you blame me,
+you must realize that he was innocent, and perhaps, after all, he is
+the one that you wronged deepest. He will have to meet those men, and
+they were his friends."
+
+Despite the breathless oppression of the night, she shivered. "_I_
+never can meet them now, and I don't see how you will dare to, knowing
+that you were wrong."
+
+"Don't!" he pleaded. "The other was bad enough, but this--Tell me what
+to do!"
+
+"I can't. I don't know myself. All I can see is that those men will
+never cease to believe, no matter what you tell them." She groped her
+way to the window, but there was no relief even in the open air.
+By-and-by she heard him sigh, then rise and say "Good-night."
+
+As she prepared for bed an hour later she heard him still stirring
+about in his quarters, but afterward, as she lay staring into the black
+night, she was so busied with the frightful fancies that swarmed about
+her that she did not detect his cautious footsteps when he stole out of
+his chamber, closing the door softly behind him.
+
+
+
+
+XXVIII
+
+THE ANSWER
+
+
+Kirk was roused from a heavy, senseless slumber the next morning by a
+vigorous rapping at his door. He lay still for a time, vaguely
+resentful of the noise, then glanced at his watch, and found, with a
+shock, that it was quite late. Realizing only that he was due at the
+office, he leaped out of bed. He opened the door and Runnels rushed in.
+
+"Have you heard?"
+
+"I heard your infernal pounding; that's what woke me up."
+
+Runnels calmed his excitement, which Kirk now observed was intense.
+
+"Where did you go after I left you last night?"
+
+"I came here, of course." As the memory of the previous night swept
+over him he scowled.
+
+"Did you stay here?"
+
+"No. I went out again, and was out nearly all night trying to walk it
+off."
+
+Runnels' face blanched, and he drew back.
+
+"Then of course you know?"
+
+"What?"
+
+"About Cortlandt. He's dead!"
+
+It was Kirk's turn to start and grow pale. The last cobweb was swept
+from his brain, and he gasped:
+
+"DEAD! When? Where? How did it happen?"
+
+"Nobody knows just how. He was found on the sea-wall near Alfarez'
+house, shot."
+
+"Shot! Good Lord!"
+
+"It happened some time early this morning, and the whole city is
+talking about it. I came to you the first thing."
+
+"We'd better hurry down there. Mrs. Cortlandt must be all broken up."
+Kirk began to dress hastily, but paused as his friend stammered:
+
+"Wait! I--I--let's understand each other first. I met Wade just now.
+The news has rattled him, and he's been talking."
+
+"What do you mean?"
+
+"Did you see Cortlandt again after I left you?" Runnels swallowed hard.
+
+Kirk whirled about and faced him. "Great heavens! No! See here, that
+idea is ridiculous."
+
+Runnels sank weakly into a chair and mopped his face. "I'm glad to hear
+you say that. It frightened me just the same, for I remembered you
+acted so queerly when I left you, and Wade seemed to think,
+perhaps--When you said you'd gone out again, it knocked me flat,
+understand?"
+
+"I can prove where I was, for Allan was with me. I couldn't sleep, so I
+tried to walk off my excitement. No, no. I couldn't do a thing like
+that. I thought last night that I could, but--I couldn't, really."
+
+"I'm afraid Wade will tell all about the party if we don't stop him."
+
+"Then we'd better hunt him up." Kirk resumed his dressing, while
+Runnels consulted his watch.
+
+"No. 5 is due in twenty minutes. We'll probably find him at the office."
+
+Together they hastened to the railroad building, Runnels telling all he
+knew of the tragedy as they went along. Cortlandt's body, it seemed,
+had been found about daylight by a Spiggoty policeman, who had
+identified it. Becoming panic-stricken at the importance of his
+discovery, he had sounded the alarm, then reported directly to the
+Governor, whose house was close by. It was General Alfarez himself who
+had informed Mrs. Cortlandt over the telephone of her husband's death.
+The whole city was alive with the news, the police were buzzing like
+bees. Rumors of suicide, murder, robbery were about, but no one seemed
+to know anything definite. Colonel Jolson in his motor-car had just
+come from Culebra, and Colonel Bland was on No. 5 from Gatun, hence
+Runnels' desire to be at the station.
+
+"It was suicide," Kirk averred, with conviction. "The man was insane
+last night, and that accounts for what he said about me. He's been sick
+for a long time."
+
+"If those boys will only keep their mouths shut!" Runnels said,
+anxiously. "There's no telling what these Spiggoties might do if they
+heard about that row."
+
+"Cortlandt was an American."
+
+"But it happened in Panama, and it would be their affair."
+
+Although it was Sunday, the four young fellows who had taken part in
+the entertainment on the night before had gathered in the office, and
+at the appearance of Runnels greeted him eagerly. Toward Kirk, however,
+they maintained a disheartening constraint.
+
+The Acting Superintendent began to caution them tersely.
+
+"Boys, there's no use to tell you that we must keep still about what
+happened last night. Kirk thinks Cortlandt's mind was unbalanced; but
+whether it was or not, he left a widow, and what went on at that supper
+must never leak out."
+
+"Why do you think he was crazy?" Wade inquired.
+
+"His actions last night would show it," Kirk answered. "The man must
+have been out of his mind to believe or to say such a thing."
+
+"You mean, then, that he shot himself?"
+
+Kirk nodded.
+
+"I don't agree with you. I've seen crazy people, but he was as sane as
+any of us. And I don't believe in secrecy, either. I think we ought to
+be entirely frank about the matter. The truth never hurt anybody."
+
+"It's a bad business," said Runnels, "and it's something I for one
+don't want to be mixed up in. I've heard rumors already about some sort
+of a quarrel at our party, so I'm afraid you fellows have been talking."
+
+Wade acknowledged it recklessly. "Yes, I'll answer for my part, and I'm
+not going to make any promise of secrecy, either. If that affair had
+anything to do with Steve Cortlandt's death, it ought to be known, so
+the man who did it can be made to answer."
+
+Into the office behind them came Ramon Alfarez and two Panamanian
+policemen, one evidently a sergeant.
+
+"Eh, there you are!" Alfarez cried, as he caught sight of Kirk. Then he
+said something in Spanish to the sergeant, who advanced and laid hands
+upon the American. "You are arrest'."
+
+"What for?"
+
+"Gentlemen, you will be so kind as to geeve the names, yes? The jodge
+will desire to make inquiries regarding those sopper to Senor Cortlan'
+las' night."
+
+"What am I arrested for?" Kirk demanded.
+
+"Come! You are arrest'. That is enough."
+
+At that moment the building began to shake and reverberate, as No. 5
+rolled in from Colon, bearing John Weeks, American Consul, and Mr.
+Williams, of St. Louis, in one of the forward coaches. As the two
+hurried out through the turnstiles, they found the street blocked by a
+considerable crowd, evidently interested in something quite apart from
+the arrival of the morning train. But before they could learn the
+cause, out from the near-by building came Ramon Alfarez, accompanied by
+several policemen and a group of railroad employes, among whom was Kirk
+Anthony.
+
+"There he is!" wheezed the consul, clutching at his companion's arm.
+"Get him now, before his friends." But Williams had been even quicker
+of eye than his fat guide, and was plunging through the crowd toward
+his quarry. He thrust the policemen and the curious onlookers aside
+and, laying hold of Anthony, cried in triumph:
+
+"Well, Mr. Jefferson Locke, I want you."
+
+"Hello, Williams! You got around finally, didn't you?" Kirk smiled at
+him.
+
+A little man in blue uniform was attempting to take the prisoner in
+charge, but the detective disregarded him.
+
+"It won't do you any good to resist," he went on. "I've come to get
+you."
+
+Runnels elbowed his way forward with a question.
+
+"Oh, I've got a warrant for him," Williams declared. "What for? Well,
+for one thing he embezzled eighty thousand dollars, and I'm going to
+take him back."
+
+"Eh? W'at is this?" Alfarez bustled into the conversation. "Embezzle?
+He is then a t'ief?"
+
+"Exactly. If you're the inspector I'll ask you to make this arrest for
+me. I believe we're on foreign ground."
+
+"That's right, Alfarez," came the voice of John Weeks, anxious to have
+a word in the affair. "I'll vouch for Mr. Williams. This chap is a
+smooth one, but his name isn't Anthony at all, nor Locke, either; it's
+Wellar; and he's wanted for other things besides embezzlement." Turning
+his triumphant little red eyes upon the prisoner, he puffed, "Got you,
+didn't we?"
+
+"I regret you 'ave arrive' so late," smirked Alfarez. "The gentleman is
+already arrest' for the murder of Senor Cortlan'. He will first answer
+to that, I assure you."
+
+Kirk nodded. "Too bad, Williams! I'm sorry you didn't come last night."
+
+They went on down the street, leaving the detective staring and Weeks
+open-mouthed.
+
+"Cortlandt murdered!" the consul gasped. "Lord! And to think I
+nourished that viper at my breast."
+
+Williams wheeled and cursed the fat man furiously. It was during the
+lunch-hour that Ramon Alfarez called at the Garavel home, finding the
+banker and his daughter still loitering over their midday meal and
+discussing the topic that had electrified the whole city.
+
+"Ah, Ramon!" the old gentleman began, eagerly. "Be seated and tell us
+quickly the latest news. A terrible thing, was it not, this death of
+our good friend? I have been to see his unfortunate widow, but even yet
+I cannot believe it to be true."
+
+"Yes. A terrible thing! It was only last night that we saw him well and
+happy."
+
+Although Alfarez was trembling with eagerness to tell his news, he also
+meant to extract the greatest possible satisfaction from it, and now
+bent an inquiring glance upon Gertrudis. His look turned to one of
+malicious triumph as he saw that he was, indeed, the first to bring the
+tidings of Anthony's arrest; for the girl's acceptance of his suit had
+by no means wiped out the memory of her momentary preference for his
+rival, and he had hastened hither straight from the police barracks,
+delighting in the chance to make her suffer.
+
+"So fine a man," the father was saying. "He was, indeed, my good
+friend. It is shocking."
+
+"Yes, and to think he should have been killed in this cowardly manner!"
+
+"Killed! Is it believed that he was murdered? Caramba! I supposed he
+had shot himself. That was the gossip an hour ago." Garavel was deeply
+affected, and motioned for the dishes in front of him to be removed.
+
+Ramon nodded. "There are suspicious circumstances, it seems. Last
+night, after the ball, he had a serious quarrel--one of those American
+fights, almost. That much is known."
+
+Gertrudis, who had remained silent until now, her dark eyes clouded
+with distress, said, sympathetically:
+
+"And the poor lady! She must suffer terribly."
+
+"Ah, perhaps! One cannot always tell!" Ramon shrugged and smiled.
+
+"What do you mean?" cried Garavel. "This quarrel you speak of?
+Continue, Ramon, I am consumed with eagerness."
+
+"Upon leaving the Tivoli last night, Senor Cortlan' dined with six of
+his friends at the Central. There was drinking. The waiters have been
+questioned; also, one of the men who was present has recounted to me
+what occurred. It seems that for a long time Senor Cortlan' has been
+jealous of his wife."
+
+"Impossible! Jealous? My dear Ramon, an admirable lady."
+
+"I--I shall leave you, perhaps?" questioned Gertrudis, modestly, as she
+rose, but Ramon exclaimed:
+
+"No, no! By all means remain. I have remarkable things to disclose,
+amazing news that will interest you. There was a serious altercation,
+and Senor Cortlan' openly accused his enemy before all the others. It
+was most dramatic, it was terrible! There was a scene of violence, the
+other man made threats."
+
+Garavel breathed an incredulous exclamation.
+
+"Ah, but wait! It was Senor Cortlan's best friend, too, the man for
+whom he had accomplished many favors whom he accused." He noted with
+mingled anger and satisfaction the pallor that was creeping into the
+girl's cheeks. "You would never guess. It was--I hesitate, and yet you
+are bound to learn, my dear friends, it was this Ant'ony."
+
+His moment had indeed been worth waiting for. It even went far to atone
+for the sense of injury under which he smarted; for the banker was
+stricken speechless, and his daughter went deathly white. Her eyes
+began to fill with horror.
+
+Garavel was the first to recover himself. "Infamous! It is
+unbelievable! The wretch, then, had betrayed his friend."
+
+"He is indeed a villain. That much I have always known."
+
+"It is a lie!" said the girl, quietly. She had risen and was standing
+straight, a tragic little figure.
+
+"Gertrudis!" her father admonished. "You hear what Ramon has said."
+
+"Yes!" said Ramon. "He deceived Senor Cortlan' very nicely; it had been
+going on for months."
+
+"It is a lie!" she repeated. "He loved no one but me."
+
+"Gertrudis!" The banker was shocked beyond measure at what he
+considered his daughter's jealousy. "Those are not nice words. He told
+you so, yes; but if he would betray his best friend, he would deceive
+you also. It was our great good-fortune to be done with him in time.
+You will see now that I did well in sending him off--eh, Chiquita?"
+
+"No! I do not believe you."
+
+Ramon had not counted upon such a spirit, and, his anger getting the
+better of him, he sneered: "I should not have spoken. I did not know
+you still care."
+
+"She does not care," Garavel declared, loudly.
+
+"Ah, but I do. I love him very dearly."
+
+The two men were upon their feet in an instant, staring at her, the
+elder in amazement, the younger with rage and resentment blazing from
+his countenance.
+
+"Silence!" thundered the banker. "Yonder stands your affianced husband."
+
+"It is a mistake--" she persisted, gently.
+
+"No, no, no! There is no mistake," chattered Ramon. "Those other men
+have told all, and your Ant'ony is now in the Carcel under guard. It
+was I who saw to his arrest." The slender figure swayed, a tiny olive
+hand fluttered to her breast.
+
+"Ramon, you must not heed her, she is upset. This is but a girl's
+foolish fancy, and it will pass. The man was handsome, and he cast a
+spell over her."
+
+"Nor is that all," Ramon ran on, excitedly. "He is not at all the man
+he pretended to be, even his name is false. This morning there arrived
+an American officer of police to arrest him on other charges. He is a
+thief, it seems, having stolen eighty thousand dollars 'gold' from his
+employers. Oh, there is no mistake. Within the hour I have been talking
+with this detective, and he has the papers of proof. It will be in the
+newspapers, every one will know shortly. Last night, when Senor
+Cortlan' made his accusation, there was a frightful quarrel, and
+Ant'ony swore to kill him. At dawn the poor husband is found shot on
+the sea wall. Is not that enough?"
+
+"It is indeed!" gasped the father. "You see, then, my child, from what
+you were saved. This should be a day of thanksgiving to you as it is to
+me. For this deliverance I shall erect a cross of stone on the hill by
+our house, so that all our lives we may offer a prayer when our eyes
+rest upon it. Come, now, it is Ramon who has unmasked this person. Have
+you no thanks to give him?"
+
+"But it is not true," maintained the girl, simply, and her eyes were as
+steady as altar flames.
+
+"Eh? Well! He is in the barracks at this moment," snarled Ramon, "and
+there he shall remain, I promise you, until he goes to Chiriqui or--"
+
+Gertrudis turned to her father.
+
+"Take me to him, please. I must go at once to the Carcel."
+
+But he only answered her with a stare of amazement. "Go!" he murmured,
+after an instant. "Have I lost my senses?" He began to summon his
+indignation for a terrific outburst.
+
+"Yes, I must go, for he is my husband. We were wed last night."
+
+There was a moment of absolute silence, during which the clatter of a
+passing coach sounded loudly in the room. Then--
+
+"Mother of God!" the banker ejaculated, hoarsely, and sank into the
+seat from which he had arisen. Ramon was staring from one to the other,
+his head turning jerkily.
+
+The girl raised her face proudly. "Yes! I am his wife, although I had
+not expected to tell you so soon; therefore, you see I must go to him
+quickly, or he will think I believe these lies."
+
+"You are mad! Do you know what you are saying?"
+
+"Oh yes. The judge from Colon married us during the dance. I would have
+liked a church wedding; but that will come later. The Senor Ronnels and
+his wife were there also, and they will tell you. It made me very
+happy. You see, I prayed the Virgin that I might be happy, and she
+heard. Oh, I offered so many prayers, and all last night I lay awake
+giving thanks for my great happiness, which even yet I cannot believe."
+Her face was transfigured by a look that left the two men no choice but
+to believe.
+
+"A civil marriage!" stammered Ramen.
+
+"A civil marriage, indeed!" said Garavel, in a choking voice. "So that
+is where you were when I believed you to be dancing!" He burst forth
+violently, pounding the table with his clenched fist until the dishes
+danced, his brilliant black eyes flashing beneath their thatch of
+white. "But I will not have it, understand! You are betrothed. You have
+given your word to Ramon."
+
+"Ah, but I never loved him. You compelled me to consent, because you
+said you could not be President unless I married him. And that was not
+so. Ramon deceived you. Now it is all right. You will be President, and
+I can be happy."
+
+Ramon's suspicion kindled on the instant. He turned upon the banker.
+"So! I begin to see! That was a trick, then, to betray my father."
+
+"But wait!" Gertrudis exclaimed, sharply. "Did you not trick us also?
+Did you not use the General, your father, to make me give up the man I
+love? Which of us, then, is the better?"
+
+Andres Garavel spoke threateningly, menacingly, to his daughter.
+"Enough! Our word was given, and you have broken it! You have brought
+disgrace to our name. Can a Garavel be President of the Republic with
+his daughter wed to a murderer?"
+
+"He is not that!"
+
+"It was no marriage, and it will not stand. I will have it annulled.
+Such things are easily done, Ramon. She is no wife. The man was a
+criminal, a fugitive, even when he forced her to marry--"
+
+"No, no! You cannot do that. It was I who asked him to marry me." The
+girl lied tremulously, panic-stricken at the threat. "Before God, I am
+his wife!" she maintained. "And if this marriage has a flaw, then I
+will stand beside the prison gates and remarry him as he comes forth."
+
+"He will not come forth," Ramon declared, harshly.
+
+"Oh yes! And now will you take me to him?"
+
+"NO!" her father bellowed. "You are my daughter, you are under my roof,
+and here you shall stay until you give up this madness and this man."
+
+"That I can never do," she retorted, proudly. "You see, I am not all
+Spanish, I have in me also the blood of his people, and that makes me
+steadfast. I could not doubt him if I wished."
+
+"I forbid you to go near him. Come! Do you promise?" She inclined her
+dark head. "I must learn more of this affair at once. You will find
+your senses, miss, or if you do not you will spend your life in
+meditation and prayer--that much I promise you."
+
+"I do not wish to enter a convent," she said, with white lips. "I wish
+to be happy. When Keerk is free I shall go to him. Now, if you please,
+I--think I shall go away." She turned and went out of the big
+high-ceilinged room, and not until she had reached the hall did her
+feet waver or her head droop.
+
+When the two men were alone, Garavel said, brokenly: "She is the first
+to bring disgrace upon our name. Is there absolute proof that the man
+is guilty, Ramon?"
+
+"Proof?" Alfarez turned dazed eyes from the door through which
+Gertrudis had gone. "Proof? I believe so. I have not thought much of
+the matter as yet, but--I think there will be proof in plenty. Oh yes!"
+
+"Come then. I must go to see him. Perhaps--oh, God! Perhaps what? My
+head is afire, my heart is broken for you, my poor boy."
+
+
+
+
+XXIX
+
+A LAST APPEAL
+
+
+That was not a pleasant interview for Anthony. His surroundings were
+not such as to lend him assurance, and Garavel's grief at his
+daughter's disgrace was really distressing. Moreover, the unequivocal
+threat to annul the marriage filled him with alarm. His only
+consolation came from the fact that Gertrudis had made known the truth
+without the slightest hesitation. That showed that she was loyal, at
+any rate. Kirk tried to assure his caller that he would have no trouble
+in proving his innocence, but Garavel seemed very little concerned with
+that phase of the affair, and continued to bewail the dishonor that had
+fallen upon his name.
+
+Kirk's pride arose at this, and he exclaimed with some heat:
+
+"My dear Mr. Garavel, if you are so blamed sure that I did all these
+things, why did you come to see me?"
+
+"It was to learn if she spoke the truth."
+
+"Oh, we're married, right enough. And you'll have some difficulty in
+breaking it up before I get out."
+
+"You expect, then, to prove your innocence easily?"
+
+"I do."
+
+"But I hear there are other serious charges."
+
+"It is quite the same with them."
+
+"But--suppose you should not clear yourself of this--murder--would you
+wish to drag down my daughter's name?"
+
+"Of course not."
+
+"I understand you have not spoken of this marriage. Perhaps you might
+consent to remain silent. If by any chance you should be convicted of
+guilt, what satisfaction could you derive from injuring me and mine?"
+
+"None at all, sir."
+
+"I am rich," Garavel went on, meaningly. "If you are acquitted, I
+might, perhaps, arrange amply for your future--upon conditions."
+
+"In other words, if I am to be hanged or shot or whatever it is they do
+to people down here, you'll expect me to keep my mouth shut on general
+principles, and if I'm acquitted you'll pay me well to disappear. Is
+that it? Well, there is some family pride to that." He laughed lightly.
+
+"My political future may depend upon it."
+
+"If I can help you in that way I'll gladly keep silent as long as you
+wish, but I don't think I care to make any further terms."
+
+"Make sure of this," snapped the father, "your marriage will be
+annulled, no matter what you prove or fail to prove. Already Chiquita
+is repentant, and I shall not rest until she is free. You have done me
+a great injury, and I shall not forget it."
+
+On the following morning the leading American attorney of the city
+called at the jail, announcing that he had been retained as counsel,
+but refusing to tell who had employed him. Supposing, of course, that
+he had been sent by friends who wished no publicity in the matter, Kirk
+did not press him for information. Together they outlined their defence
+as best they could. With characteristic optimism, Kirk insisted upon
+treating the charge against him as of little consequence, and it was
+not until he had undergone his preliminary hearing that he fully
+realized the gravity of his situation.
+
+To his unspeakable indignation, the officer who had discovered
+Cortlandt's body swore that he had seen the deceased pass him shortly
+before the time of his death, evidently taking a walk along the water's
+edge for relief from the heat, and that immediately afterward--perhaps
+a minute or so--the prisoner had also passed, going in the same
+direction! There was a street light close by, he said, and there could
+be no possible mistake as to Anthony's identity. A few moments later
+there had been a pistol-shot, muffled, but unmistakable, and the
+policeman had hastened in the direction from which it came. The
+prisoner had appeared suddenly out of the darkness and hurried past. In
+the politest manner possible, the witness declared, he had questioned
+him regarding the shot, but Mr. Anthony had neither stopped nor
+answered; on the contrary, he had broken into a run. The officer had
+considered this strange behavior, but, being at all times most
+respectful toward Americans, he had made no effort to detain him.
+Passing on, he had found the body of the dead man. A revolver was
+beside it. It was shocking! It had quite upset the witness. He had
+blown his whistle, and seeing a light in the Governor's mansion close
+by had called there for assistance. Soon afterward another officer had
+arrived upon the scene.
+
+When this amazing testimony was translated to Kirk he was astounded;
+but his indignation was as nothing to that which swept over him when a
+servant in the Alfarez household swore to having actually witnessed the
+murder.
+
+This fellow declared that he had been troubled greatly with a
+toothache. Toward morning of the night in question, too restless for
+sleep, he had gone out upon the sea wall. Even now, his face was
+swollen, and he made a determined effort to show the court the
+particular tooth which had made him an unwilling beholder of the
+tragedy. Overcome by exhaustion, he had fallen asleep after a time, and
+he was awakened by the sounds of a quarrel. On opening his eyes, he saw
+two Americans, one of whom was Senor Cortlandt, and the other Kirk
+Anthony. Being utterly ignorant of their language, he had no means of
+knowing what was said, nor did he consider the altercation serious
+until the large man shot the Senor Cortlandt. Then, being
+terror-stricken at what he had beheld, he had run away, entirely
+forgetting his toothache, which, by the grace of God, was quite gone.
+That was all he knew of the matter. He recognized Anthony as the man
+who had done the shooting. He was troubled greatly with toothaches.
+
+It all seemed like some grotesque, practical joke, and Kirk at first
+could not believe that the evidence of these witnesses could have
+weight. But he soon became convinced that this was no laughing matter.
+Since they had perjured themselves so readily, it was evident that some
+determined influence was back of them, and how far that influence might
+carry it was hard to tell. The reason for it was all very simple, of
+course, and yet he was at a loss how to combat it. Wade was called next
+and told the story of that damning incident at the supper-party, being
+corroborated by the others. Then there were several witnesses who swore
+to inconsequent things, such as waiters at the Hotel Central, and the
+doctor who had examined Cortlandt.
+
+For once in his careless life the young man realized that he was face
+to face with something bigger and stronger than his own determination,
+and it daunted him. He began to see that he had underestimated these
+foreigners, for it seemed an easy matter to convict an innocent man in
+these Central American courts. He recalled certain ridiculous stories
+of Spanish justice which he had laughed at; he remembered Mrs.
+Cortlandt's vivid tale of an execution she had once beheld in the
+court-yard of Chiriqui prison; and suddenly he decided to cable for
+Darwin K. Anthony--the one man who was strong enough to save him.
+
+When it came time for him to speak, he told a straight story about his
+own actions on that night, and he was corroborated by Allan; but he
+knew that their words had little weight against that other testimony.
+Of course, he was remanded for trial, and that night the newspapers of
+the city were crowded with columns of sensational reading-matter
+bearing upon the crime.
+
+Anson, the lawyer, gave him a ray of encouragement as he left.
+
+"Don't go too much on this hearing," he said. "I think we'll pull you
+out all right."
+
+"You THINK! I dare say Ramon Alfarez can get a dozen men to perjure
+themselves as easily as he got those two."
+
+"Exactly. But I have a little coup that I intend to spring at the right
+moment."
+
+"For Heaven's sake, tell me what it is."
+
+"I'm sorry, but I can't just yet. In the first place, one must handle
+these people exactly right or they explode."
+
+"But give me an idea at least. I'm really interested in the outcome of
+this case, you know."
+
+Anson smiled. "Of course you are, and I'll tell you as soon as I can,
+but not now."
+
+"These Spiggoties would enjoy standing me up against a wall with my
+head in a rag--they'd make it a holiday and ring all the bells in town."
+
+"I can't assure you that it isn't serious," Anson acknowledged,
+gravely, "for it is--any time an American goes to court in this country
+it is serious--but that doesn't mean that we'll lose."
+
+"You may be a good lawyer," said Kirk, ruefully, "but you're a blamed
+poor comforter. I--I wish my dad was here; he'd fix it. He wouldn't let
+'em convict me. He's great, my dad is. He can swear--like the devil."
+His voice caught, and his eyes were unusually bright as he turned away
+to hide his emotions. "I like him better than any man I've ever met,
+Anson. And you watch him come when he hears I'm in trouble."
+
+He wrote a lengthy cablegram, which the lawyer, with a peculiar smile,
+agreed to despatch at once. He spent a sleepless night. In the morning
+a message came signed by Copley--Kirk's heart leaped at the familiar
+name--saying that Darwin K. Anthony had left Albany for the West on
+Sunday night, and could not be located for a few days.
+
+"He was never gone when I needed money," the son mused. "He'll be
+worried when he hears about this, and he has enough to worry him as it
+is. I'm mighty sorry, but--I simply must have him."
+
+Anson brought in the day's papers, which alluded, as usual, to
+Cortlandt's death as a murder, and printed their customary sensational
+stories, even to a rehash of all that had occurred at the stag supper.
+This in particular made Kirk writhe, knowing as he did that it would
+reach the eyes of his newly made wife. He also wondered vaguely how
+Edith Cortlandt was bearing up under all this notoriety. The lawyer
+brought the further news that Allan was in captivity as an accessory to
+the crime, and that henceforth Kirk need expect but few visitors.
+Somebody--probably Ramon Alfarez--had induced the officials to treat
+their prisoner with special severity.
+
+During the days which followed, Kirk suffered more than he chose to
+confess even to his attorney. In the first place, it was hard to be
+denied all knowledge of what was going on--Anson would tell him little,
+except that he was working every day--and, then, too, the long hours of
+solitude gnawed at his self-control. Runnels managed to see him once or
+twice, reporting that, so far as he could learn, Chiquita had
+disappeared. He took a message from Kirk to her, but brought back word
+that he could not deliver it. Kirk wondered if she could really believe
+those frightful half-complete newspaper accounts, or if she had been
+unable to withstand the combined weight of her whole family, and had
+given up. It was almost too much to hope that a girl reared as she had
+been could keep her mind unpoisoned, with all those lying tongues about
+her. And, besides, she had the Spanish ideas of morality, which would
+make the actions of which he was accused seem doubly shocking. The more
+he speculated upon the cause of her silence, the wilder grew his
+fancies, until it became a positive torture to think of her at all.
+Instead, his thoughts turned to Edith Cortlandt in a curiously
+uninterested way. Her attitude was a problem. Perhaps she would leave
+him to his fate. Reviewing the circumstances coldly, he could hardly
+blame her.
+
+It was on Sunday, a week after his arrest, that she came to him. He was
+surprised to see the ravages that this short time had made in her, for
+she was pale and drawn and weary-looking, as if from sleeplessness.
+Strange to say, these marks of suffering did not detract from her
+appearance, but rather enhanced her poise and distinction. She was not
+even veiled. On the contrary, she had driven openly to the police
+barracks, and ordered her coachman to wait in the street outside, then
+demanded to be shown to Anthony's cell.
+
+"I'm awfully glad to see you, Mrs. Cortlandt," he said, as she extended
+her hand. "But do you think it was wise for you to come?"
+
+She shrugged. "People can say no more than they have already said. My
+name is on every tongue, and a little more gossip can make matters no
+worse. I had to come. I just couldn't stay away. I wonder if you can
+realize what I have been through."
+
+"It must have been terrible," he said, gently.
+
+"Yes, I have paid. It seems to me that I have paid for everything I
+ever did. Those newspaper stories nearly killed me, but it wasn't that
+so much as the thought that you were suffering for my acts."
+
+"I'm very sorry. You never thought for a moment that I did what they
+claim?"
+
+"No, no! It has all been a mistake from the first. I was sure of that."
+
+"You heard what those two men testified?"
+
+"Bah! That is Ramon Alfarez--but he can do nothing."
+
+"Nothing! I don't call a week in the Bastile 'nothing.' Why, he has
+perjured two witnesses already, and I dare say he'll have the whole
+native population swearing against me when the trial comes up."
+
+"Never mind. I have had no time to do anything as yet. There were--so
+many things to be attended to." She shuddered and sank down upon the
+edge of his cot. "Stephen had a great many friends in various parts of
+the world; I have been swamped with cablegrams."
+
+"If my dad were here he'd have me free in a jiffy; he can do anything."
+
+"I don't think we'll need him," she said, in a way that comforted him
+somehow, though the feeling shamed him. She laid a soft hand upon his
+arm, and, looking up eagerly into his face, exclaimed: "You will
+forgive me for what I said that night at the hotel, won't you? I didn't
+really mean to injure you, Kirk, but I was half hysterical. I had
+suffered so these last few months that I was ready to do anything. I
+was torn by two great desires, one to remain what I am and have always
+been, and the other--well, the other was the stronger, or would have
+been if you had allowed it. I never dreamed there was a way out of my
+misery, a way so close at hand; but somehow even before General
+Alfarez' voice on the 'phone told me what had happened, I knew, and
+I--I felt--"
+
+"I know you had a great deal to put up with," he said, "but for both
+our sakes I wish it had come in some other way."
+
+"Oh, I don't care," she cried, recklessly. "The one thing I can grasp
+in all this turmoil, the one thing that rings in my ears every moment,
+is that I am free, FREE! That is all that matters to me. You showed
+your loyalty to Stephen more than once, and, though your scruples
+angered me, I honor you for them now. I can see, too, that you had no
+choice but to put me off even that night of the dance. But my chains
+are broken, and it is all different now."
+
+"Your husband's death can make no difference with us, Mrs. Cortlandt,"
+he said, gravely.
+
+"We have talked openly before, and there is no need to do otherwise
+now. You mean by that that you don't care for me, but I know better. I
+believe there is a love so strong that it must find an answer. Although
+you may not care for me now as you care for--some one else--I KNOW that
+I can make you forget her and put me in her place. I know men, and I
+know you. I came here prepared to be honest--shameless, if you like. I
+am young, I have money, I have power; I work for the love of doing
+things, and you are learning to do the same. I can help you, oh, so
+much! We can win happiness together just as easily as we can win
+material success, and that is ours now for the asking. It dazzles me to
+think of it, Kirk. It is like a glimpse of paradise, and I can show it
+all to you." She was bending forward, her lips parted, the color
+gleaming in her cheeks, her whole face transformed by a passionate
+eagerness.
+
+"Wait!" he said, harshly. "You force me to break my word. I don't want
+to tell you this, but--I am married."
+
+She rose slowly, her eyes fixed in bewilderment upon his, her hand
+clutching at his sleeve.
+
+"You--never told me that! It was some mad college prank, I suppose."
+
+"No, no. I married Gertrudis Garavel that night at the Tivoli."
+
+"Oh, that can't be. That was the night of the dance."
+
+"It is quite true."
+
+Mrs. Cortlandt stared about the squalid cell dully.
+
+"Miss Garavel! Why didn't you tell me? Why isn't she here? Why does she
+leave you alone? No, no! You hardly know each other. Why, she's not old
+enough to know her own mind--"
+
+"But I know my mind, and I love her."
+
+Her white hands strained at each other as she steadied her shaking
+voice. "Love!" she cried. "You don't know what love means, nor does
+she. She CAN'T know, or she'd be here, she'd have this prison torn
+block from block."
+
+"I suppose her father would not let her come," said Kirk, slowly, but
+Edith did not seem to hear him. The realization of her broken hopes was
+coming home to her poignantly.
+
+"My happiness!" she exclaimed. "I have been unhappy so long! And I
+seemed to see it just within my reach. Oh, Kirk, she thinks you are
+guilty, she hasn't faith."
+
+"You have no right to say that."
+
+"See! I came to you when I was married and asked you to take me; I'll
+do the same with you now."
+
+"You don't know what you're saying. You're hysterical, Mrs. Cortlandt.
+I love Gertrudis so deeply that there's no room in me for anything
+else, and never will be. Heaven only knows what they have made her
+believe about me, but I don't care; I'll upset this little plot of
+Alfarez's, and when she learns the truth she will come back again."
+
+"This little plot!" Edith cried, in distraction. "And I suppose you
+wish me to give you back to her?"
+
+They confronted each other a moment in silence.
+
+"But I won't help her," she went on. "I'm not that sort. I'm a selfish
+woman. I've always been selfish because I've never had anybody to work
+for. But I have it in me to be generous."
+
+"I'm sorry," he said. "You have suffered, I know. Don't trouble any
+more about me--please."
+
+She stared at him defiantly, although her whole frame was shaking as if
+from an ague.
+
+"Oh, I'd rather face the gallows as you face it than what is before me,
+and I'm not sure I could help you, after all. You are in Latin America
+now, remember, and your enemies are strong."
+
+"I am Darwin K. Anthony's son," he protested. "He won't allow it."
+
+"Bah! He is an American, and these are Spanish people. You have seen
+how they like us, and you have seen what Alfarez can do. He's rich, and
+he'll perjure more witnesses, he'll manipulate the court with his
+money. Yes, and I'd rather he succeeded than see you--No, no! What am I
+saying? L-let me go; let me get away from here!" She broke down, and
+went sobbing out into the corridor. The iron door clanged to behind her.
+
+On the same afternoon, Mr. Clifford, accompanied by Anson, the lawyer,
+took the 3.20 train for Colon. As soon as he arrived, he called up
+Colonel Jolson, to request that the Commissioner's motor-car should,
+without fail, await him at ten o'clock sharp on the next morning, with
+an open track ahead of it. Strangely enough, the Colonel agreed very
+readily.
+
+
+
+
+XXX
+
+DARWIN K. ANTHONY
+
+
+About noon on Monday, Edith Cortlandt received a caller. The name she
+read on the card her maid handed her gave her a start of surprise, and
+set her wits whirling in speculation.
+
+"Show him into the drawing-room," she said, at length. "I'll be right
+down."
+
+As she descended, a few moments later, she was greeted by a gigantic
+old man with a rumbling voice, who, instead of seating himself in the
+drawing-room as he had been requested, had flung open the carefully
+closed shutters to admit more light, then kicked aside whatever
+articles of furniture happened to be in his way. He was now pacing back
+and forth with the restlessness of a polar bear.
+
+"How do you do, Mrs. Cortlandt?" he began, at sight of her, his big
+voice flooding the room. "I'm sorry to disturb you under the
+circumstances."
+
+"You are Mr. Anthony?"
+
+"Yes, madam. You'll pardon my intrusion. I knew your husband slightly,
+and I've heard about you. I extend my sympathy."
+
+She bowed. "When did you arrive?"
+
+"Just now; came across in one of those damned joy-wagons--fifty miles
+an hour. We hit a nigger on the way, but we didn't stop. I know
+everything, madam. What I didn't know before I landed, I learned on the
+way across the Isthmus, so don't let's waste time. Hell of a position
+for you to be in--I understand and all that--and I'm sorry for you. Now
+let's get down to business, for I must get back to New York."
+
+It was impossible not to feel Darwin K. Anthony's force; it spoke in
+his every tone and action. It looked out from his harsh-lined features,
+and showed in his energetic movements. He was a great granite block of
+a man, powerful in physique, in mind, and in determination. He had
+Kirk's eyes, Mrs. Cortlandt noted, except that they were deeper set,
+more fierce and eager.
+
+She was not used to being overridden, and his masterful air offended
+her.
+
+"In what way may I be of service to you?" she inquired, coldly.
+
+"I want my boy," he said, simply, and she began to see that underneath
+his cold and domineering exterior his heart was torn by a great
+distress.
+
+"You know all the circumstances, of course?"
+
+"I do. That's why I came straight to you. I know you're the keystone of
+the whole affair, so I didn't waste time with these other people.
+Kirk's a damned idiot, and always has been; he isn't worth the powder
+to blow him to--excuse me--I mean he's just a ne'er-do-well; but I
+suppose I'll have to do my duty by him."
+
+"I understand that has always been your attitude."
+
+"Exactly! I got sick of his performances and cut him off; couldn't
+stand for him any longer. I tried my best to make a man out of him, but
+he wouldn't have it, so we severed our connections absolutely. I just
+kicked him out. Sorry I didn't do it sooner."
+
+"If you have cut him off, why do you care what becomes of him?"
+
+Darwin K. Anthony's eyes dimmed, but his voice rose fiercely. "He's my
+boy, and I've a right to treat him any damned way I please, but nobody
+else is going to abuse him! These Spaniards can't do it! I'll teach
+them to lay hands on my--boy." He tore a handkerchief from his pocket
+and blew a blast into it. "I'll tear their little Republic to pieces,"
+he shouted. "I'll buy the whole works and throw it away. I'll buy their
+President and their courts and their whole infernal population, and if
+they won't sell I've got enough men to take it. Hell's bells, madam, do
+you think these little black people can shoot MY son? I don't care what
+he's done, they've got to give him up. And he's going back with me.
+He's going home; I--I--want him."
+
+"Why have you come to me?" she queried.
+
+"Because you must know the truth, if anybody does, and I want your
+help." His voice softened suddenly, and he regarded her with a gentle
+kindness that was surprising. "I've heard all about you and Kirk. In
+fact, I've known what was going on all the time, for I've had a man on
+his track night and day. You may know him--Clifford? Well, he followed
+Kirk that night after the supper to your husband, but Anson didn't dare
+call him to the stand at the hearing for fear this Alfarez would
+perjure more of his black-and-tans." He ground his teeth in rage. "By
+God! I'll get that Ramon, if it costs me a million--they can't stand
+for such things even here. But I want MORE proof; I want to snow him
+under absolutely, completely."
+
+"So Clifford is your man?"
+
+"Yes! I took him off my system and sent him down here as soon as I got
+Kirk's idiotic, impudent letter--" The old man began to sputter with
+indignation. "What d'you think he wrote me, Mrs. Cortlandt? He had the
+impudence to turn down a good job I offered him because 'his wife might
+not like our climate!' Imagine! And I had positively begged him to come
+back--on any terms. Of course, it gave me an awful scare, and I lost no
+time in learning if it was true. Thank God, he had sense enough not to
+do that!"
+
+"Then you don't know?"
+
+"Know what?"
+
+"That he is married."
+
+"DAMNATION!" roared Anthony, furiously.
+
+She nodded. "A Miss Garavel. They were married a--week ago." She broke
+down miserably and hid her face in her hands. He strode to her with a
+light of understanding in his eyes. Laying a great hand upon her
+drooping head, he exclaimed with wonderful softness:
+
+"My dear Mrs. Cortlandt, I'm very sorry for you, indeed I am. How the
+boy ever let you go for any other woman I don't see, but he's always
+been a fool--that's why he never cared for me. Now, now, try to face it
+squarely--all good women are brave, and you're a good woman. We both
+love him, and I know we can save him if we pull together."
+
+"Yes, yes!" She raised her drawn, white face eagerly to his. "It will
+only take a word, but I have been like a mad woman. I couldn't bear to
+give him up, and when I learned the truth I thought I could let
+him--suffer. But I couldn't. Oh, I couldn't, and I knew it all the
+time. I was distracted, that is all. You see I have no shame in telling
+you this, for he is the first and only man--"
+
+"I know." He patted her in a way that said more than words.
+
+"I couldn't have stood out much longer."
+
+"Then you have proof?" His face was wild with eagerness.
+
+"This. Take it quickly. I only found it last night. It had been mislaid
+in the confusion. I meant to give it up, I really did." With clumsy
+fingers she drew from the front of her dress an unsealed letter and
+handed it to him. "Stephen was not a bad man, you see, and he had no
+intention of wronging an innocent person."
+
+Darwin K. Anthony's pallor matched hers as he read the sheet, then he
+exclaimed, weakly, "Thank God! Something told me to come straight to
+you. Something always tells me where to find the heart of things."
+
+"Quick! You must lose no time," she exclaimed. "He is in prison, and
+the place is frightful. I will go with you to the Mayor. Ah, I'm very
+glad he will get his freedom from your hands. I was so weak. When this
+is done I shall go back North and try to live it out. But I love him
+very dearly, Mr. Anthony." Her lip trembled piteously. "And I could
+have done so much for him."
+
+Grim-faced and scowling he re-read the letter in his hand during the
+moment it required for Edith to make ready. The injustice that had been
+done his blood roused every passion in him. He had himself well in
+hand, however, and he restrained his yearning to burst forcibly into
+the police barracks and take his boy to his heart. He determined there
+should be no possible slip--and he longed ferociously to meet Ramon
+Alfarez.
+
+Kirk was considerably surprised that afternoon when a sergeant and two
+policemen came to his cell, signifying that he was to accompany them.
+He could not make out where they were taking him, and, despite their
+unusual politeness, they were dense to all inquiries. It was a bright,
+hot afternoon, and the city seemed very beautiful and desirous as he
+was driven through it; but the whole procedure filled him with
+uneasiness. He was sure that it had nothing to do with his trial, or
+Anson would have posted him, and he began to fear that it might concern
+his marriage. Perhaps Chiquita was ill, dying, or perhaps they were
+trying to annul the bond. The smiling little officer only shook his
+head, shrugged, and chattered unintelligibly at his questions.
+
+The coach drew up at last before a large, white building, and he was
+told to descend. Up a flight of stairs he was escorted, his pulses
+quickening with apprehension, down a long corridor, and into a large
+room, where he saw Runnels, Colonel Jolson, Anson, Clifford, a dozen or
+more Panamanian officials, and--he stopped in his tracks as his eyes
+fell upon a huge, white-crowned figure that came to meet him. His heart
+leaped wildly, a great drumming set up in his ears, something gripped
+his throat with agonizing pressure and robbed him of speech.
+
+A certain harsh yet tender voice pronounced his name. He felt his hands
+crushed in his father's palms, found the old man's arm about his
+shoulders, and saw the deep-set, steel-blue eyes he loved so well wet
+and shiny. Then, for once and for all time, he realized that in the
+whole wide world there was but one man who really mattered, one man for
+whom he honestly cared. A sudden sense of security swept over him,
+banishing all his fears. The room with its smiling faces became blurred
+and distant; a thousand words of endearment sprang to his lips. What he
+really said was:
+
+"Hello!" And even that he pronounced as shyly as a girl.
+
+"My kid!" the old man said, shakingly. "H-how have they treated you,
+Buster?" It was a nickname he had given his son when he was a sturdy,
+round-faced urchin of eight, and which he had laid away regretfully in
+lavender, so to speak, when the boy grew to manhood.
+
+"You came, didn't you?" Kirk said, in a voice not at all like his own.
+"I knew you'd come."
+
+"Of course I came, the instant Clifford cabled me that these idiots had
+arrested you. By God! They'll sweat for this. How are you anyhow, Kirk?
+Dammit, you need a shave! Wouldn't they give you a razor? Hey!
+Clifford, Colonel Jolson, come here! These scoundrels wouldn't give him
+a shave." Darwin K. Anthony's eyes began to blaze at this indignity,
+and he rumbled on savagely: "Oh, I'll smash this dinky government--try
+to convict my kid, eh? I suppose you're hungry, too; well, so'm I.
+We'll be out of here in a minute, then you show me the best place in
+town and we'll have a decent meal, just we two, the way we used to.
+I'll pay the bill. God Almighty! I've missed you, Buster."
+
+"Wait, dad." Kirk was smiling, but his heart ached at his father's
+emotion. "I'm a jail-bird, you know. They think I--killed a fellow. But
+I don't care much what they think now."
+
+"That's all over," Clifford broke in. "We've squared that, and you'll
+be discharged in ten minutes."
+
+"Honest?"
+
+"Certainly," said the old gentleman. "Cortlandt shot himself. Anybody
+but a blithering Spanish ass would have known it at the start. We have
+a letter he wrote to his wife an hour before he did it. She just found
+it and turned it over. She left here a moment ago, by-the-way, all
+broken up. She's a great woman, Kirk. That's not all, either. Clifford
+followed you that night, and knows you didn't go near Cortlandt. Oh,
+you should have seen 'em jump when we flashed it on 'em all at once and
+they learned who I was!"
+
+"But those men who swore they saw me?"
+
+"Bah! We've got that little Dago with the mustache, and both his
+witnesses. If they don't send him up, I'll run in a shipload of my
+brakemen, and we'll push this Isthmus overboard and him with it."
+
+"I knew you could fix things."
+
+"Fix 'em! Fix 'em! That's EASY! Say, how have you been getting along,
+anyhow?"
+
+"Great!"
+
+"And you married one of these Panamanicures, eh?" The father scowled.
+"Lord! I can trust you to make a fool of yourself."
+
+"Say, dad. She's only--so big." Anthony Junior indicated his wife's
+stature, smiling rapturously.
+
+"Dwarf, eh?"
+
+"Oh no!"
+
+"Love her?"
+
+"DO I? It's fierce."
+
+"Humph! You'll have to get over it. I'll pay your debts and take care
+of you, but I can't stand a mulatto around me."
+
+"There aren't any debts, and she's not a mulatto. She's a--dream."
+
+"They're waiting, Mr. Anthony," Clifford made bold to say. "I think
+we'd better get this over with."
+
+Kirk paid little attention to the formalities of the next few minutes.
+He was too busy with thoughts of his amazing good-fortune, his mind was
+too dazzled by the joy of freedom. Allan appeared from somewhere and
+clung to him in an ecstasy of delight. Colonel Jolson, Runnels, Anson,
+even the Panamanian officials shook hands with him. He accepted their
+congratulations mechanically, meanwhile keeping very close to his
+father's side.
+
+Some time later he found himself out in the open sunlight a free man
+once more, with Darwin K. Anthony and Runnels on either side of him.
+But before he had gone a block, he halted suddenly, saying:
+
+"Williams! I'd forgotten him and his warrant."
+
+"He's fixed," Runnels explained. "While your father and Mrs. Cortlandt
+and Colonel Jolson were getting you out of jail, Clifford and I told
+him the truth. He's rather a decent fellow. They have caught the real
+Jefferson Locke, or whatever his name is."
+
+"No!"
+
+"Yes; a week ago. He landed in Boston; couldn't stay away from his own
+country any longer. Williams hadn't heard of it."
+
+"What has become of Higgins?" Kirk inquired of his father.
+
+Anthony Senior exploded:
+
+"Oh, he's back scorching up the Tenderloin as usual, but you'll have to
+cut him out, or I'll leave you here. That's final, understand?"
+
+"I intend to stay here, anyhow."
+
+"Huh?" The old man turned with a start. "I'm damned if you do." Then,
+savagely: "What do you suppose I came down here for? I'm lonesome. I
+want you to come home."
+
+Kirk smiled craftily and looked at Runnels. "Well, what can you offer?
+I'm doing pretty well as it is, and I can't afford to lay off."
+
+His father in turn appealed to the Acting Superintendent. "See! It's
+nothing less than blackmail. Is he any good, Mr. Runnels?"
+
+"If there weren't so much politics in this job, he'd be Master of
+Transportation of the P. R. R. That's doing pretty well, isn't it?
+We're both going to quit and look for new work."
+
+"Do you drink, Kirk?"
+
+"I haven't even had an alcohol rub since I left New York. But, dad, if
+you place me, you'll have to take care of Runnels, too. He knows more
+about railroads than--you do."
+
+Mr. Anthony grunted a trifle sceptically at this and murmured: "He must
+be a bright young man. I suppose what he doesn't know, you do. Well,
+how would you both like to come North and give me some lessons?"
+
+"Do you mean it?" they cried in chorus.
+
+"I do."
+
+"Oh, there's Allan, too, he'll have to go."
+
+"Any cats and dogs you'd like to have drawing salary from me? Now let's
+go somewhere and eat. I haven't tasted anything to speak of since
+Clifford's message came."
+
+"If you don't mind, I--I'd like to stop at the Garavels' for a minute,"
+Kirk said, longingly, and his father scowled.
+
+"I'd forgotten this--wife of yours."
+
+"She's not there," Runnels hastened to say. "I've tried to find her,
+but I was told she was out at the country place."
+
+"Then I think I'd rather drive out there than eat. Won't you go with
+me, dad?"
+
+"Well--yes! I want to see this banker fellow, and--I'm not so damned
+hungry, after all. We'll settle this thing right now."
+
+ The afternoon sun was still an hour high when Kirk Anthony came
+down the hill from the Garavels' home and crossed the meadow toward the
+forest glade he knew so well. The grateful coolness of evening was
+stealing downward, and Nature was roused from her midday lethargy. It
+was the vibrant, active hour when odors are freshest and spirits rise.
+The forest was noisy with the cry of birds, and flocks of shrill-voiced
+paroquets raised an uproar in the tallest trees. The dense canopy of
+green overhead was alive with fluttering wings; the groves echoed to
+the cries of all the loud-voiced thicket denizens. The pastured cattle,
+which had sauntered forth from shaded nooks, ceased their grazing to
+stare with gentle curiosity at the hurrying figure. Of course they
+recognized a lover speeding to his tryst, and gave him passage, shaking
+their heads at one another and wagging their ears in knowing fashion.
+
+He faltered a bit despite his haste, for this nook had grown sacred to
+him, and even yet he felt that it was haunted. The laughter of the
+waterfall helped to drown the sound of his approach, but he surprised
+no dancing wood-sprites. Instead, he saw what filled his heart with a
+greater gladness than he had ever known.
+
+Chiquita was there, huddled upon the seat where they had rested
+together, one foot curled beneath her like a child, her head bowed down
+disconsolately. From one brown hand, now drooping listlessly, a few
+wild flowers had scattered, and her slim figure was clad once more in
+the stiff, coarse denim dress of blue. Her other hand was toying with
+her beads mechanically, as if the fingers had learned their task from
+long practice. Her dusky eyes were fast upon the lights that wavered in
+the pool.
+
+As if to prove that the spot was really peopled by kind spirits, a
+gentle voice seemed to whisper the news to her, and she turned to find
+him smiling at her. She rose and met him with her hands outstretched,
+her face transfigured.
+
+After a time she leaned backward in his arms, and said, gravely: "You
+see! When one says many, many prayers, the good saints always answer.
+The padre told me that I should never cease until you came, but I grew
+very tired, senor."
+
+"And you never doubted me?"
+
+"Oh no!"
+
+"I'm free, you know."
+
+"Of course! What else were my prayers for? Had my father allowed, I
+would have gone to your prison, but he forbade it, so I had no choice.
+But every hour I prayed that he might give me leave, and I think his
+heart was yielding."
+
+"I'm sure of that," he told her, "for I have just come from him."
+
+It was some time later, when the sun was dipping, that voices sounded
+outside the wall of verdure, and Kirk heard Andres Garavel saying:
+
+"Of a certainty I shall try that experiment, senor, for the ticks in
+this country are a pest to cattle. A little to the right, and you will
+find the path--So!"
+
+An instant later the two white-haired men appeared.
+
+"Hello! There you are, eh?" Darwin K. Anthony exclaimed, gruffly.
+"Where's that girl?" He paused and let his hostile eyes rest upon
+Gertrudis.
+
+She saw a great, forbidding giant of a man scowling down at her with
+eyes like Kirk's, and she came forward timidly, holding out her hands.
+She was smiling up at him faintly.
+
+"You are Keerk's father, yes? You are the Senor Antonio."
+
+Mr. Anthony uttered a curious, choking exclamation, and gathered her
+gently in his arms. When he looked up, his eyes were wet and his
+deep-lined face was working.
+
+"I couldn't wait any longer," he apologized humbly to his son. "I had
+to come and see her."
+
+"Ah, then I hope you will like me," she said in her grave, quaint way.
+
+"Your father has told me everything"--Garavel laid a hand upon his new
+son's shoulder--"and we have become good friends already. I fear I owe
+you a great apology, my boy; but if I consent that you take my little
+girl away to your country, will that be reparation?"
+
+"Then you WILL let her go with us?" Kirk cried, happily.
+
+"If she doesn't go, I'll stay," Anthony Senior rumbled. "I--I don't see
+how you ever did it, you're such a blamed fool. Now let's go back to
+the house, it's sundown."
+
+"We'll be along directly," his son assented.
+
+"There are chills in the evening air," Mr. Garavel protested.
+
+"I'm sorry, but we were waiting for the fairies. They were almost in
+sight when you frightened them away."
+
+Gertrudis nodded. "It is quite true, Senor Antonio. We heard them all
+about, everywhere." She placed her little hand in Kirk's, then checked
+her father's remonstrance, saying:
+
+"Oh, it is quite proper for us to walk home together, even in the dark;
+we are married now, you know."
+
+"Come on, Garavel," exclaimed Darwin K. Anthony. "You understand how it
+is." Together they went out through the fragrant path a little way,
+then old man Anthony paused and called back to his son, wistfully:
+"But, I say, Kirk, don't stay too long; we're lonesome."
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Ne'er-Do-Well, by Rex Beach
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