t's your ship?"

"_Lusitania._"

"What'll I tell Stein?"

"Tell him I'll be back in a month. You look out for my end. I'll be
back in time."

"Will you cable me?"

"Sure. And if you get any later information about Max today, call me
at the Knickerbocker. We'll dine there and then go aboard."

"I get you.... Say, Eddie, I'm that worried! If this break of yours
don't kill our luck----"

"Don't you believe it! I'm going to fight for what I got till someone
hands me the count. She's the first thing I ever wanted. I've got her
and I guess I can keep her.... And listen: there's nothing like her in
all God's world!"

"When did you do--it?" demanded Stull, coldly.

"This morning at eleven. I just stepped over here to the garage. I'm
talking to you from the bar. She's back by this time and waiting, I
guess. So take care of yourself till I see you."

"Same to you, Eddie. And be leery of Max. He's _bad_. When they disbar
a man like that he's twice as dangerous as he was. His ex-partner, Abe
Grittlefeld, is a certain party's attorney of record. Ask yourself
what you'd be up against if that pair of wolves get started after you!
You know what Max would do to you if he could. And Minna, too!"

"Don't worry."

"I _am_ worrying! And you ought to. You know what you done to Max.
Don't think he ever forgets. He'll do you if he can, same as Minna
will."

Brandes' stolid face lost a little of its sanguine colour, where he
stood in the telephone box behind the bar of the Gayfield House.

Yes, he knew well enough what he had once done to the disbarred lawyer
out in Athabasca when he was handling the Unknown and Venem, the
disbarred, was busy looking out for the Athabasca Blacksmith,
furnishing the corrupt brains for the firm of Venem and Grittlefeld,
and paying steady court to the prettiest girl in Athabasca, Ilse
Dumont.

And Brandes' Unknown had almost killed Max Venem's blacksmith; Brandes
had taken all Venem's money, and then his girl; more than that, he had
"made" this girl, in the theatrical sense of the word; and he had
gambled on her beauty and her voice and had won out with both.

Then, while still banking her salary to reimburse himself for his
trouble with her, he had tired of her sufficiently to prove unfaithful
to his marriage vows at every opportunity. And opportunities were
many. Venem had never forgiven him; Ilse Dumont could not understand
treachery; and Venem's detectives furnished her with food for thou