the drums of jeopardy-第23节

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Fact。　　He　had　never　been　shy　of　women。　　He　had　somehow　preferred　to
play　comrade　instead　of　gallant；　and　all　the　women　had　taken
advantage　of　that；　used　him　callously　to　pair　with　old　maids；　faded
wives；　and　homely　debutantes。

What　impellent　was　driving　him　toward　these　introspections？　　Kitty；
Molly's　girl。　　Each　time　he　saw　her　or　thought　of　her　…　the　uninvited
ghost　of　her　mother。　　Any　other　man　upon　seeing　Kitty　or　thinking
about　her　would　have　jumped　into　the　future　from　the　spring　of　a
dream。　　The　disparity　in　years　would　not　have　mattered。　　It　was　all
nonsense；　of　course。　　But　for　his　dropping　into　the　office　and
casually　picking　up　the　thread　of　his　acquaintance　with　Kitty；　Molly
　…　the　memory　of　her　…　would　have　gone　on　dimming。　　Actions；
tremendous　and　world…wide；　had　set　his　vision　toward　the　future；　he
had　been　too　busy　to　waste　time　in　retrospection　and　introspection。
Thus；　instead　of　a　gently　rising　and　falling　tide；　healthily
recurrent；　a　flood　of　mixed　longings　that　was　swirling　him　into
uncertain　depths。　　Those　emeralds　had　bobbed　up　just　in　time。　　The
chase　would　serve　to　pull　him　out　of　this　bog。

He　heard　a　footstep　and　looked　up。　　The　nurse　was　beckoning　to　him。

〃What　is　it？〃

〃He's　awake；　and　there　is　sanity　in　his　eyes。〃

〃Great！　　Has　he　talked？〃

〃No。　　The　awakening　happened　just　this　moment；　and　I　came　to　you。
You　never　can　tell　about　blows　on　the　skull　or　brain　fever　…　never
any　two　eases　alike。〃

Cutty　threw　down　his　napkin　and　accompanied　the　nurse　to　the　bedside。
The　glance　of　the　patient　trailed　from　Cutty　to　the　nurse　and　back。

〃Don't　talk；〃　said　Cutty。　　〃Don't　ask　any　questions。　　Take　it　easy
until　later　in　the　day。　　You　are　in　the　hands　of　persons　who　wish
you　well。　　Eat　what　the　nurse　gives　you。　　When　the　right　time　comes
we'll　tell　you　all　about　ourselves；　　You've　been　robbed　and　beaten。
But　the　men　who　did　it　are　under　arrest。〃

〃One　question；〃　said　the　patient；　weakly。

〃Well；　just　one。〃

〃A　girl　…　who　gave　me　something　to　eat？〃

〃Yes。　　She　fed　you；　and　later　probably　your　life。〃

〃Thanks。〃　　Hawksley　closed　his　eyes。

Cutty　and　the　nurse　watched　him　interestedly　for　a　few　minutes；　but
as　he　did　not　stir　again　the　nurse　took　up　her　temperature　sheet　and
Cutty　returned　to　his　eggs。　　Was　there　a　girl？　　No　question　about
the　emeralds；　no　interest　in　the　day　and　the　hour。　　Was　there　a
girl？　　The　last　person　he　had　seen；　Kitty；　the　first　question；　after
coming　into　the　light：　Had　he　seen　her？　　Then　and　there　Cutty　knew
that　when　he　died　he　would　carry　into　the　Beyond；　of　all　his　earthly
possessions　…　a　chuckle。　　Human　beings！

The　yarn　that　reporter　had　missed　by　a　hair　…　front　page；
eight…column　head！　　But　he　had　missed　it；　and　that　was　the　main　thing。
The　poor　devil！　　Beaten　and　without　a　sou　marque　in　his　pockets；　his
trail　was　likely　to　be　crowded　without　the　assistance　of　any
newspaper　publicity。　　But　what　a　yarn！　　What　a　whale　of　a　yarn！

In　his　fevered　flights　Hawksley　had　spoken　of　having　paid　Kitty　for
that　meal。

Kitty　had　said　nothing　about　it。　　Supposing　…　

〃Telephone；　sair；〃　announced　the　Jap。　　〃Lady。〃

Molly's　girl！　　Cutty　sprinted　to　the　telephone。

〃Hello！　　That　you；　Kitty？〃

〃Yes。　　How　is　Johnny　Two…Hawks？〃

〃Back　to　earth。〃

'When　can　I　see　him？　　I'm　just　crazy　to　know　what　the　story　is！〃

〃Say　the　third　or　fourth　day　from　this。　　We'll　have　him　shaved　and
sitting　up　then。〃

〃Has　he　talked？〃

〃Not　permitted。　　Still　determined　to　stay　the　run　of　your　lease？〃
Cutty　heard　a　laugh。　　〃All　right。　　Only　I　hope　you　will　never　have
cause　to　regret　this　decision。〃

〃Fiddlesticks！　　All　I've　got　to　do　in　danger　is　to　press　a　button；
and　presto！　　here's　Bernini。〃

〃Kitty；　did　Hawksley　pay　you　for　that　meal？〃

〃Good　heavens；　no！　　What　makes　you　ask　that？〃

〃In　his　delirium　he　spoke　of　having　paid　you。　　I　didn't　know。〃
Cutty's　heart　began　to　rap　against　his　ribs。　　Supposing；　after　all；
Karlov　hadn't　the　stones？　　Supposing　Hawksley　had　hidden　them
somewhere　in　Kitty's　kitchen？

〃Anything　about　Gregor？〃

〃No。　　Remember；　you're　to　call　me　up　twice　a　day　and　report　the　news。
Don't　go　out　nights　if　you　can　avoid　it。〃

〃I'll　be　good；〃　Kitty　agreed。　　〃And　now　I　must　hie　me　to　the　job。
Imagine；　Cutty　！　　…　writing　personalities　about　stage　folks　and
gabfesting　with　Burlingame　and　all　the　while　my　brain　boiling　with
this　affair！　　The　city　room　will　kill　me；　Cutty；　if　it　ever　finds
out　that　I　held　back　such　a　yarn。　　But　it　wouldn't　he　fair　to　Johnny
Two…Hawks。　　Cutty；　did　you　know　that　your　wonderful　drums　of　jeopardy
are　here　in　New　York？〃

〃What？〃　barked　Cutty。

〃Somebody　is　offering　to　buy　them。　　There　was　an　advertisement　in
the　paper　this　morning。　　Cutty？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃The　first　problem　in　arithmetic　is　two　and　two　make　four。　　By…by！〃

Dizzily　Cutty　hung　up　the　receiver。　　He　had　not　reckoned　on　the
possibility　of　Kitty　seeing　that　damfool　advertisement。　　Two　and
two　made　four；　and　four　and　four　made　eight；　so　on　indefinitely。
That　is　to　say；　Kitty　already　had　a　glimmer　of　the　startling　truth。
The　initial　misstep　on　his　part　had　been　made　upon　her　pronouncement
of　the　name　Stefani　Gregor。　　He　hadn't　been　able　to　control　his
surprise。　　And　yesterday；　having　frankly　admitted　that　he　knew
Gregor；　all　that　was　needed　to　complete　the　circle　was　that
advertisement。　　Cutty　tore　his　hair；　literally。　　The　very　door　he
hoped　she　might　overlook　he　had　thrown　open　to　her。

Thaddeus　of　Warsaw。　　But　it　should　not　be。　　He　would　continue　to
offer　a　haven　to　that　chap；　but　no　nonsense。　　None　of　that　sinister
and　unfortunate　blood　should　meddle　with　Kitty　Conover's　happiness。
Her　self…appointed　guardian　would　attend　to　that。

He　realized　that　his　attitude　was　rather　inexplicable；　but　there
were　some　adventures　which　hypnotized　women；　and　one　of　this　sort
was　now　unfolding　for　Kitty。　　That　she　had　her　share　of　common
sense　was　negligible　in　face　of　the　facts　that　she　was　imaginative
and　romantical　and　adventuresome；　and　that　for　the　first　time　she
was　riding　one　of　the　great　middle　currents　in　human　events。　　She
was　Molly's　girl；　Cutty　was　going　to　look　out　for　her。

Mighty　odd　that　this　fear　for　her　should　have　sprung　into　being　that
night；　quite　illogically。　　Prescience？　　He　could　not　say。　　Perhaps
it　was　a　borrowed　instinct　…　fatherly；　the　same　instinct　that　would
have　stirred　her　father　into　action　…　the　protection　of　that　dearest
to　him。

If　he　told　her　who　Hawksley　really　was；　that　would　intrigue　her。　　If
he　made　a　mystery　of　the　affair；　that；　too；　would　intrigue　her。　　And
there　you　were；　'twixt　the　devil　and　the　deep　blue　sea。　　Hang　it；
what　evil　luck　had　stirred　him　to　tell　her　about　those　emeralds？　
Already　she　was　building　a　story　to　satisfy　her　dramatic　fancy。　　Two
and　two　made　four　…　which　signified　that　she　was　her　father's
daughter；　that　she　would　not　rest　until　she　had　explored　every　corner
of　this　dark　room。　　Wanting　to　keep　her　out　of　it；　and　then　dragging
her　into　it　through　his　cupidity。　　Devil　take　those　emeralds！　　Always
the　same；　trouble　wherever　they　were。

The　real　danger　would　rise　during　the　convalescence。　　Kitty　would　be
contriving　to　drop　in　frequently；　not　to　see　Hawksley　especially；　but
her　initial　success　in　playing　hide　and　seek　with　secret　agents；
friendly　and　otherwise；　had　tickled　her　fancy。　　For　a　while　it　would
be　an　exciting　game；　then　it　might　become　only　a　means　to　an　end。
Well；　it　should　not　be。

Was　there　a　girl！　　Already　Hawksley　had　recorded　her　beauty。　　Very
well；　the　first　sign　of　sentimental　nonsense；　and　out　he　should　go；
Karlov　or　no　Karlov。　　Kitty　wasn't　going　to　know　any　hurt　in　this
affair。　　That　much　was　decided。

Cutty　stormed　into　his　study；　growling　audibly。　　He　filled　a　pipe
and　smoked　savagely。　　Another　side；　Kitty's　entrance　into　the　drama
promised　to　spoil　his　own　fun；　he　would　have　to　play　two　games
instead　of　one。　　A　fine　muddle！

He　came　to　a　stand　before　one　of　the　windows　and　saw　the　glory　of
the　morning　flashing　from　the　myriad　spires　and　towers　and　roofs；
and　wondered　why　artists　bothered　about　cows　in　pastures。

Touching　his　knees　was　an　antique　Florentine　bridal　chest；　with
exquisite　carving　and　massive　lock。　　He　threw　back　the　lid　and
disclosed　a　miscellany　never　seen　by　any　eye　save　his　own。　　It　was
all　the　garret　he　had。　　He　dug　into　it　and　at　length　resurrected
the　photograph　of　a　woman　whose　face　was　both　roguish　and　beautiful。
He　sat　on　the　floor　a　la　Turk　and　studied　the　face；　his　own　tender
and　wistful。　　No　resemblance　to　Kitty　except　in　the　eyes。　　How
often　he　had　gone　to　her　with　the　question　burning　his　lips；　only
to　carry　it　away　unspoken！　　He　turned　over　the　photograph　and　read：
〃To　the　nicest　man　I　know。　　With　love　from　Molly。〃　　With　love。　　And
he　had　stepped　aside　for　Tommy　Conover！

By　George！　　He　dropped　the　photograph　into　the　chest；　let　down　the
lid；　and　rose　to　his　feet。　　Not　a　bad　idea；　that。　　To　intrigue　Kitty
himself；　to　smother　her　with　attentions　and　gallantries；　to　give　her
out　of　his　wide　experience；　and　to　play　the　game　until　this　intruder
was　on　his　way　elsewhere。

He　could　do　it；　and　he　based　his　assurance　upon　his　experiences　and