The coward escaped it with a bullet through his head,
after he had brought ruin on his home and family."
She shuddered as she looked about her, as though in fancy she saw
herself turned from the palace into the street.
"Mr. Knapp is not a man to lose," I said.
"Mr. Knapp is a strong man," she said with a proud straightening of her
figure. "But the whirlpool can suck down the strongest swimmer."
"But I suspect Mr. Knapp makes whirlpools instead of swimming into
them," I said meaningly.
"Ah, Henry," she said sadly, "how often have I told you that the best
plan may come to ruin in the market? It may not take much to start a
boulder rolling down the mountain-side, but who is to tell it to stop
when once it is set going?"
"I think," said I, smiling, "that Mr. Knapp would ride the boulder and
find himself in a gold mine at the end of the journey."
"Perhaps. But you're not telling me what Mr. Knapp is doing."
"He can tell you much better than I."
"No doubt," she said with a trace of sarcasm in her voice.
"And here he comes to do it, I expect," I said, as the tall figure of
the King of the Street appeared in the doorway opposite.
"I'm afraid I shall have to depend on the newspapers," she said. "Mr.
Knapp is as much afraid of a woman's tongue as you are. Oh," she
continued after a moment's pause, "I was going to make you give an
account of yourself; but since you will tell nothing I must introduce
you to my cousin, Mrs. Bowser.
Pages:
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107