f -Kf iwtj w-',:i vTwnm im w "W. -.r.' ' "' r arH , 'Tw .r J ' v- " i , ivF' .. ; f 'v'7- ;-- rv ijeTY',v "3 , -'vjj" ' f. 'is.uiW f, v -'. . & 5. m ?'Oi y j,; V-V-J. -- '.. ' v 'V f -y -v . THE VAGRANT DUKE ? By GEORGE GIBBS fcthor of "The Splendid Outcast," "The Yellow Dove," "The Secret A"1""' Witness," Etc. i copurloM. itt, fm D. AtsUton A 0o. t -THIS DEGIN8 TIIE STOBY r Nicholaevitch, Russian iL.a nuke, exiled 61 revolution. ."e, to this country on a British Mo. working at a stUcard. A jeU 'a M tUuord,' Jim Coast, urges him I tvjoiri Mm in a some shadu scheme, Ut'character unexplained, hut Peter rctu,cs. Peter, a Peter Nichols, tuumci charge or a group oj men l"uh estate of Jonathan K. Jo Oiire, whose duty it is to see thai EVENING . PUBLIC LEDGER---PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, . Zdider : : : 1921 .' ... nnM"iiiil 4A1 AntJAft n man, the man McOulre fears, Irtakt the guard, leaves a usarntng tni arranges a meeting. McOuire laiPtter meet the man. While theu fall a shot is fired and the stranger, Wfe Kennedy, ts injured. Ho Zptcti Peter of having fired the fioiand rushes hm. Thev fight, and u ttrangcr collapses, ftvith thctr facet Close logcwcr m wig oornnrjj tktv recognise each other. Hatch I, Jim Coast. They compare mnln "You say UcGuire told you j," says Coast. "Nothing," i, Peter. "It is not my business." AND HEBE IT CONTINUES THE ex-waltor laughed. "He knows hia business. Quiet ns death, ain't he? He's tot a right to be. And Mired. He's got a right to be scared, too. I'll 8Car0 ,llm wor6 before I'm through with him. He broke oft with a laugh and then. "Funny to find you guardin' bim against me. House all locked men with gun; I over the place. Ho wanted one of those BUTs to kilt me, didn't he? Hut I'm too slick for him. No locked doors rtn keep out what 8 scarm' Miko He" broke off suddenly and held up his empty glass. "Another drink of the whlfkv. mon gars, and I'm yer friend J.. Ufa Peter was still curloim, so he obeyed ind after cleaning up the mess they hnd made ho sank into a chair, studying the worn features of his old compnnlon. Ho bid taken the precaution to pull in the heavy shutter of the window which had been'opened and to locic tno door. Peter did not relish the idea of a murder com mitted In this cabin. "Not apt to como now, nro they, pti? well. let 'em." ho answered hlmwlf with a shrug. "But they won't If McGuIre has his way. Murder Is the only thing that will suit McGulrc's .A. If- ....' ,1 fhat nnf with wit. around. Ain't he the slick one though? I was watchln' for just what hippened. That's why I stayed In the trce so long llstcnln'. Ho must of llnncd In like a snake. How he did it I don't know. I'm a worso snake than ho is, but I always rattle before strike." , . , Hit lunched araln dryly. "I've got him rattled all O. K. Mebbe he'd of shot stroighter if he hadn't been. He used to could dead shot. But I reckon his talents nro runnln' different "Millions he has they say, mon vleux. mtllioas. And I'll get my share of en." Jim Coast smoked for a moment in contented silence. "Ste here, Fete. I like you. Always did. 8traight as a string you are. Tou've done me a good turn tonight. You might of put me out killed me hn you had me down " "I'm no murderer, Jim." "Bight. Nor I ain't either. I don't want to hurt a hair of McGuire's head. Every one of 'em Is precious as refined gold. I want him to Hve to keep on livin' and makln' more money because the more money he's got tho more I'll get Bee." "Blackmail," said Peter shortly. Coast glanced at him. shrugged and laughed. ,rCall It that If yon like. It's a dirty word, but I'll stand for It, secin' it'i you. Blackmail 1 What's n Filter's tin hut blackmail for good service? What's a lawyer's fee from a corporation but money paid bv men to keep them out of the -tail? What's a breich of promise case? Blackmail lfgal blaskmall. I'm doin' nothin' lose in' nothin more than a million other men but I'm not workin with a lawyer. I'll turn th( trirW nlono What would you Bay if I told you that half of every dollar McGulre has got is mine a full half to say nothin' of payment for the years I was wandcrin' in grubbin' over the face of the earth, while he was livin' easy. Uh ! You're surprised. You'd better be. For that's the God's truth, mon ami." lou mean he he " Pftrr'c. scared all right bent It like n cotton tall. Seems a shame to take tho money, Pete n real shame." He laughed uproariously, then saun tered easily over to the tablo, took an other of Peter's cigarettes nnd snnk into tho easy chair again. Peter eyed him In silence. He wa nn unwelcomo guest, but ho hadn't yet gratified Peter's curiosity. "Well, what nro you going to do?" asked Peter. "Me?" Const Inhaled Peter's ciga rette lukurlously, nnd smiled. "I'm goln' West, pronto to get my facts straight all at the expense of the pnrty of the first 'part. I might stop off at tho Grand Canyon first for the view. I need a rest, Pete. I ain't ns young ns I was or I mightn't of let you put me out so easy tonight. I'm glad of that, though. Wouldn't like to of done you hurt" "And then ?" naked Peter stead ily. "Then? Oh, I'll beat It down to nisbce nnd nsk a few questions, I junt want to hook up a few things I don't know with the things I do know. I'll travel light, but comfortable. Five thousand dollars mokes n hrnn nt dlf. ference In your point of view and other people's. I'll be nn Eastern millionaire looKin lor investments. And what I won't know about Jonathan K. Mc Ouire, alias Mike McGulre, won't be worth knowln'." Ho broke off, nnd his gianco raugnt tno interested expression uu mo incc or nis host. "H-m. Curious, ain't you, Pete?" "Yes," sold Peter frankly. "I am, Of course it's uono of my business. but " "But you'd like to know, just the same. I get you." Ho flicked off the nsh pf his elgorctte and picked up his wnisKy glass. "Well ," he went on, i uont see why I shouldn t tell you some of it that i. It won't do nny harm for you to Know the kind of skunk you're workin' for. There's some of It that nobody on Cod's earth will ever know but me and Mike McGulre unicss oc slips up on one of his pay iiicuis, ana tnen everybody's goln' to know. Everybody but his daughter Coast was silent a long moment while he drained tho whisky and slowly set the glass down upon tho tnble. The shadows upon his face were unpleasant, darkened perceptibly ns they marked the years his thoughts followed, and tho Hihm at his lips nnd nostrils became more deeply etched in bitterness and ugly re solve. "It was down In the Snn Luis valley I first mo,t up with Mike McGulre. He was born in Ireland, of poor but honest parents, ns tho books tell us. He changed his name to 'Jonathan K.' when he made his first 'stake.' That meant he was comin' up In the world ." , e and Mike -worked together up in Colorado, punchln' cattle, harvestin'. ranchin' generally. We were 'buddies. rnon gars, like you an' me, entin' sleepln' together as thick as thieves. He bad a familv somewhere, same ns m the wife hnd a little money, but her old man made him quit some trouble. "After a while we got tired of workin' for wiigos. grub-stoked, and beat It for the mountains. That was back In nineteen one or two. I reckon. We found a vein up above Wagon Wheel Gap. It looked good nnd wo stnked out claims and worked it. hardly stop- t.v .fc vi rivvji. vuunk riujijjfn THE GUMPS The Gumps Give a Party for Mrs. By Sidney Si ' . .MKT A WtmDEP.fJL ' 'HOME NOO HAVE MR. GUMP AkNb OU MVVT BE VMP- ' WEIL 1VS THE omx UVTL- I'VE tried em u.- ME VOO HWE BEAMWOL HOME &VT No 06HY "TO HNVE OlAE ONE U SMM T wrm OU-r . x - i .. untiv vnii -r -njiUly La-c oro-ov-Jfvl nR toctlMINA "too MOCV zrx MRS. ZAHVER. ,SiVOUL.v Srs.VrACi- CARLO'S - ERES THE MAM- HEO CRfVZY ABCWt VoU- VHY DOW'Y oU FtHtMEMY- LO0K- EVEJR.VTHNei - OH WHJOT r MATt TOR 00 WW N0U U6H JEALsi - VoUfc. BEAOT AND COLTURE- CAW tCTURE oU M MNt' EXE WALVONG DovM TUE A'SLE TOaETefc- Vllr MV H-W Pt ,& v,i, V..-' T 8xHYrhtJ- . M CAM HEA VHE PEOP -SA WAT A hAELOVJ4 COOPL'L 0 ?ER.FECTLS AATEX-- WOVi HA?py THE BRITE LOpVCS -'SHE TI?H,VT MAK.RX HN'M 10R. VU5 MONCX- WATS A ?U.t uoe atch- aw tove- ATER ALL THATS EVEWWlNO TWERE IH ThE V4 0.Lt- iX . i rr-M Mi m! - ' BLiM mrx Vlfv rf 9 I t 1 r I Mrfim ; pin' credulity was strained and he failed to finish his query. "Oh, you don't believe? Well, vou needn t. But there's no blackmail when you only take what helnnrs in run Tho money the money that made his mil lions was as much mine ns his. I'm going to have my share with compound interest for fifteen years nnd perhaps a bit more." ' if lou. surPrle n?0- But u seems that ll mere s anv mtflrn in ..., i.i could establish it legally .' '"" ,uu iu v-oasi inugned again. wTher?.'a a nuicker a safer way than tlai. a.1. m taHin' U-" He nl,etl hi" or .. 6a4'1,aud went on- leaning far PetJ v.ble townrd Petcr- "Voyons. roil an ViC.n"e ?rae UBhoro- l mn(le '!," t0 P'y my game. You Turned me down. It's not too late to tn'cVZ' minh .Th0 old man trusts with thrC VOul(,n ot scnt -vou t lust Jiiht 'i113"'116" and you're fixed n li hl1 ?? a hand- Throw that 1 1 Jh.B! Lwa.nt. a"d I'" we p.; . "" iui inc. to ifd? Sb00k his bcad B,owly I side tra'SJ,n1, He pa7S mo wc- I'm no wasn'tmn;Tra!t,or,!" ho weercd. -no ml& n7ftP,ar,tlcuIar ab0t you. Ho ference '-Lj!11 tl,at raskcs no dlf- neaid Jim"??0 " be" from thp cor w and Jim Coast sprang to his feet. "'llcatlnBteltTP1T';: "Pained Peter. McoS 2Snow " iD!TtIrnumcnt- ,"Thnfs toward it but pnn.lIe t0VL nPd movPd arm. Coast caught him by the "TO?rr!ed; h?" he said wKh ,i kw." lauehT,e"ph '5. y.u B.ot me 1I him I'm ,.ii,ir n . " Prisoner Coast, Ing. 1 . damn q,uictkel.!.rsredt. Hie he bell tlnfcl.momwlt' th?'nl bok dot h'I !'"? !d aaln. and thci "k dovn th; rZlx aBHn' nnd theu All right. vV' LI1 ,s. Nichols. ik . ' . uuut nr rrntn i. ji. Kennedy nS thha8 Xmi5' Yo.14 I,lt n you. lUSA8. ,"h.0.u.y- ' ' Yes. nen. AT ""' .icuuire. eat th phu Jlhoulde: TTn'a I'vn 4naf )-..! All right---. What lnV I do with' hZ ""ilT-' What Ilello' Let him hlm 8 1 t,i i't. blm wn : ., vu'a bet h.M uV . urcu uoast. with n gasp and a shrug. "Well, the long nn snort of that, mon vleux. n a year of hard work with only n thou sand or so apiece to show for it. U was onlv a pocket. Holl!" II0 broke on in disgust nnd spat into the fire place. "Don't talk to me about your goia mines, niere nin t any 6ucb ani mai. well. Mike saved his. I spent mine. Faro. You know an' women. Then I got hurt. I was as good ns ocao mit i puned through. I nin t ensy to kill. When I came around, I chored for a while, doin' odd jobs when I could get 'era and got n 'lttlo money together nnd went to Pueblo. When I struck town I got pretty drunk nnd busted a faro bank. I never did havo any luck when I was sober." "Yes, you've told me about that," said Peter. "So I did on the Bcrmudinn. Well. it was at Pueblo I met up with Mik McGuire, nnd we beat it down into Arizona, uhore tho copper was. liih bee was only a row of wooden shacks, but wo got some backin', bought nn outfit nnd went out prospectin' along the Mexican border. And what with 'greasers' and thievln' redskius it was wine job in those days. But wo made friends all right enough and found out tome of the thlngh we wanted to know. "Now, Pete. If I tell to you all that went on in thnt long trail into the Gila Desert and what happened when we got what we went for, you'd know us much as I do. You'd know enough to hold up Miko McGuiro yourself it you'd n mind to. This is where the real story stops. What happened In between is my secret and Miko Mc Guire's. AVo found the mine we were lookin' for That's burc How we got it you'll never know. But wo got it. And here's where the real story begins ngaln. We were miles out in the Gila Do&crt and if ever there's u hell jn i trtli. it's theie. ..unl, locks, rocks and sand and tho sun. It was hell with the coer off, and no mis take. No witer within u hundred miles. "Now, this is whore the line Eje tnliun huml of Miko McGulre shows itself. Wo were rich. Any fool witli half an eye could see thnt. The place was lous fairly lousy! It was ours " Coust's brow darkened nnd his eves glittered strangely as a darting demon of tho past got behind them. "Yes ours, aaere blou ! Any man who went through what wo did deserved It, by G ! We were rich. There was plenty enough for two, but McGulre didn't think so. And here's what he does to me. In tho middle of tho night while I'm asleep be sneaks away as neat as )ou please, with tho horses nnd the pack -mules aud the water, leavln' mu uioiie with nil tho money in the world, nnd n devourin tulrst. morn than hundred miles from nowhere. ' "Murder," muttered Peter. Coast nodded. "You bet jou. Mur der. Nothin' less. Oh, liq knew whnt he was ubout all right. And I saw it quick. Death! That's what It mvam. Slow but sure. Hadn't I been the bones bleaching all along the trail? He left me thcro to die. He thought I would die. Dios! That thirst!" Const reached for tho pitcher and splashed rather than poured a glass of water which ho gulped down avidly. "There was nothin' for it but to try afoot for Tucson, which was duo East. Every hour I waited would of mnda me an hour nearer to bcln a mummy. So I set out through the hot sand, the sun burnln' througli mo, slowly parcuiu' my blood. My tongue swelled. I must of gono in circles. "Days passed nights when I lay gnspln on my back, like a fish out of water, tryln' to suck moisture out of dry air. Then the red sun again up over the edge of that fur nace, mockln' nt mo. I was as good as dead and I knew it. Only tho mummy of me, parched black, stumbled on, fnllin', Kruggllji' up agnln, fnllin' at last, bit In' nt tho snnd like a mad dog. " "Horrible," muttered Peter. SOMEBODY'S STENOG Jones Isn't Worrying About the Lost Mr. Smithers TVlE. BOSS HAS BEEJ LOST rnmr'M iftll hv Public Jv1irir Company FIVE DAYS MOW AJD MO "TRACE OF HIM. SJRAH6B. HE 5AID HE VMS GCnlG To PlkEVILLE Ml THE MO0HTAHS OH HIS VACATIOAJ. MISS CFLA6E FAIDS HE AiEVER WAS AT THE HOTE.U THERE. A DETECTIVE HAS STARTED OUT TO FA1D HIM, SURE HE CAM FASTEAi SOME. CRIMB Oh HIM . OUR HEROINE IS ALSO HoT OH HER BOSS' TRAIL HOPIMfi TO WARAJ HM .' MRS. SMITHERS IS IM TEARS. SHE THIWKS HER HOSBAvb HAS DESERTED HER. VAHERES The Boss WHILE VAJE AWAIT DEVELOPS EAlTS IAJ THE MY5TERV LET 1S ASAiaj DWEJ-u UPOAi THE PACT THAT JOHW dOWES AT OCEAAJ ClTr SoT HIS THAI ?ARlOADS OF PIPE OK. By II ay ward WHAT HAS TEM CARU9ADS OF PiPE -3?T To DO WITH THe AA1SS1NS MP. SMfThBRS , -54.V-V VOU '. WE ASK H&U THE -SAt OUESTIOH .SAYS I . BUT T5U MUST ADMIT ATHIS IS A PEACEFUL QCM SCEA4E SO REST 4fJR M1A4D LOOKIMG AT. IT ' while we Dope c?ot Tomorrows 5Tf?iP. i -sias- s WHILE; w uurc CUI -"viCKCVV wJKMb , (L? A (Saab Jor) "r : ) IF X bo -3AV ) v ". S.rT MYSELF V J TiSSll?. 99 ir ----. R J , A. -E.- HA.YUC.Rb - Tho Young Lady Across the Way TIIE TERRIBLE-TEMPERED MR. BANG - By FONTAINE FOX j SCHOOL DAYS -:- .:. .:. Bg DWIG WMfflfll ftffKf oKc: oM THC ULocK KKoWS THAT T, VJyjfiBsWmkWamsWII! Mi L 0 ' npyfflll Mfts. 5ang has er THE. fitvJ laundress '. 17 WmSSUtTH " KJIw, WSK ': ;L-W collars. L I Ml mM$tfm&ffl ?"K,i- 1 B . -5 th- m? l vVv "iT Vv7N jfejWJa5j W t Z" tw5tK? 6eu W - 0- K jm . w i av - isw "yji hj 4iu , m m&w n m m h.v .Km mmrm LJP-J m, i m&- JMll 58iPiiii '.. y$$gt&& (J f TiKT5 of Khowusocc ifjlliii'lifa . .. -..,.. ..., Tho young lady across the way says she 6aw by tho paper that we hove n very short pickle crop this year, but she supposes one can take two short picklca just as easily ns o,ne long one. MOVIE FAN Little Norman NoUedge 7j USr LooK AT THAT MOVIE KlO OUT THERE HAVIN&AG'LOI?iouS TltAE. WHEa THE OTHER KIPS ARE IN SCHOOL LEAK.AJNG SonTHN&! - , . 5 HERE VOUMG AAN- WHV AREN'T 0- ATTaJPivG THE MolE-SCHooL VVITH THE f?ESr OF THE CHlLDKE.Nl KIPS LIKE VOU KNOW Tviice A5 (AUC.H AS iou ou&H-r to Ka;ov AMP NOT HALF AS MUCH AS T SH O OLD l Nv DEAf? -ioVNQ, LADV- MAV I irvCrtfPM V.OUTHAT T Ucl.ig .ea.. U IECENTLV RECEivED THREE DEGf?Ji AT COLLEGE- THAT 1 HAvE. WMlTTEV SEVEW 0OOK.S AMD e.VK So MAvy ? "P' rlcht lfi21 iiv public L-iccr C'ompnnv By Beeze VOC WILL EXCUSE ME- t HOPE- U I AstA NOW AFTERS THE FrAL rjUTTElSFLW WHOSE SHOULDER. t HAE OiSCOVD- WHsJ C ROUND lsrTO PoADrt naillQE quiT p I vfPiS PENS APLE For CLEANING LENTfij L ?i ) oF 'WEA CAMERAS- t nusr hasten S5 a WaNO NOT HALF AS MUCH A; r- HnHHx J.M ,iagn-o sHouupr ( ii ) PHoTo-PLAvsf 'HB --5iyw- SRW- IHK .( . -JBETl JyUJ) -77ST. r. "- SsHFV .-v -- .7'V Wr-f8 .,, .4 'WE?" .J3s5ilw. ..)( S- " i S I r V" "--.hs5w- ..-V.jisr- SrtW-- PETEYTliat Camping Trip L I 1 . II '- vm yr.p : : : C. i4. Foi(it . . f - vie u aiMB op r W f - 6 opp! Sj tt .11 J&& ?&, I To Covers Iap JIM we: Top o This - YjZzffi f r"" ) UaT9 rJffi YJMhffV)r j !1n,ews ago v: her-elf WyMw uk- tm$&&Z ? AM IUDIAW MAiDEIJ jiL, sktMU' ' 3)0MT z. S o- Ct' n ssk spwH, i -j iiLi s m, "Ji-wf-Mr-isl-t0.UG ' - V.' y 1W 71 l " " i0? WVSMWEXM&M ) A &233 ' s ia '. r Dtroi JME ', 1 IMIIil V llr PZW? MiM, W l . .T-r-: 1-.- v " H ftii ifv -pr yyfeg g.j46v -WUF..lT J ' ' J ' 4 ' "' ' ' " ' M L-' M-S ?,'- ' " UN mill flP JCmW '- - - '- - '.. , ,. .,, ..... J , , roA M V i 4 -o , w-Jl 'He's V OONTINUED TOMORROW l 4-, io
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers