Earl Derr Biggers

“ FISHER, hero of seventy crossings, was, of course, one of that group, and he complimented the ranchman on his digestion. In those five days, when the rain was on the sea and the liner almost helpless in the wash of the waves, their isolation brought them very close together. They began to know each other by their first names. To the man from Texas his new-found friend was more or less a mystery. Sometimes Fisher seemed very young to him; he looked again, and there were many marks of age on Fisher's face. Sometimes he thought the stranger the frankest of men ”

“ He came closer. "Ten thousand lire," he added softly. "Not a centesimi less."
"Two thousand dollars," Merrill answered. You've got your nerve. Take me to jail." He put on his hat. "I suppose I can communicate with the embassy," he said.
"If you like," agreed the Italian. "Three other men of your nation, caught as you are caught, have communicated. It does little good. There are negotiations—what you call red tape—a long time is taken. Meanwhile you wait in prison."
Merrill paused. He cursed Henry Howard Fisher under his breath. ”

“ If you could have seen him there at the rail, broad-shouldered. handsome, with the look of one who would always be a boy at heart, you would not have wondered that in the letter now resting in his pocket, Celia Ware renounced forever her cherished career. In a hundred galleries abroad she had seen the figures of men great artists had thought worthy of their marble, and her waiting lover suffered in comparison with none of these.
A wall of fog had risen now between Merrill and the country he was leaving, but still he stood at the rail, lonely and staring. ”

“ I have too: they're beautiful. It was hard for Joe Deming to believe. Joe was consul at Rio—gave this Fisher all his savings—five hundred. Why? Fisher asked for them: so pretty." She laughed. "I've seen many of them at work," she said. "Fisher is the best. Go on mixing with him if you like: to know him is a liberal education. But sew your money up tight, boy, and laugh at him if he talks business. If you do that, there's no reason why you shouldn't mingle with a very charming man of the world at little cost to yourself. I'll be going on."
"Wait," cried Merrill. ”

“ The liner plodded on, into a world of sunny days and moonlit nights. To those who lived in that world the thought of Europe bleeding to death began to seem a nightmare and a delusion. The decks, the lounge, the smoking room were crowded now with many men traveling on many errands. Still daily in each other's company, the big clean ranchman and the hero of many shady deals spent much of their time Fisher spoke no more of those mythical acres in Italy. His tongue was often oily in praise of Merrill as a judge of men ”

“ MERRILL thought. Had a man cast this slur on the honor of his new friend, he would have been quick and hot to defend him. But he saw in the eyes of this eccentric old lady nothing but sincerity and truth. She was no doubt quite right. She had been about a bit. She knew. His delightful companion of the decks and the saloons was nothing but a con man de luxe.
Later that evening, during a pleasant chat with Fisher in the smoking room. came his opportunity to make use of his knowledge. Fisher had been watching while the ranchman sipped a highball—liquorless and smokeless himself, as always. ”

“ He turned and looked the Italian in the eye.
"See here," he said, "you've saved your country's honor. That's enough, ain't it? What will you get by dragging me off to jail? Nothing. If you could see your way clear to letting this matter drop I might make you a very handsome present."
The man drew himself up to his full height, which was little.
"You insult," he said, "me, my position, my Government. It is unworthy of you. Come, signor."
"Five hundred dollars," said Merrill. "No; I'll put it in your money: it sounds more. Two thousand five hundred lire—a neat little sum. ”

“ Anyhow, she told him to come for her. and they're to be married over there: in Florence. Ain't that a devil of a sissy name for a town?"
"It's an Italian name, I believe," responded the major. "Miss Ware struck me as a singularly attractive young woman. I'm sure I congratulate your brother most heartily."
"Oh, Celia's all right." said Merrill. "How she'll pan out on a ranch I don't know, but she's a mighty fine girl, even if she did drag poor old Bob all them thousands of miles to Italy."
“We must send him his thousand," mused the major. "No man wants to be broke on his wedding day." ”

“ Often the ranchman tried to discover some business connection of his friend. but in vain. "You'll find a volume of my poems on sale at Brentano's in New York," said Fisher one day, and thereby became an even greater mystery to the Texan. Indeed, save for those acres in Italy, no earthly business seemed to hold him.
The fifth day the rain ceased, and the waves began to calm. A few of the suffering passengers crept cautiously on deck. "They remind me," said Bob Merill to Fisher, "of old Job Peters, our town atheist back home, the first time he went into the Methodist church. ”

“ Meekly he submitted to their picturesque extortions, He felt lonely, lost, overwhelmed.
And those delighted Neapolitans were quick to realize his state of mind. Dazed Americans had once been no novelty, but scarce they were in these war times, and the more to be cherished. ”

“ Major Tellfair studied the roll. "These seem to be banknotes issued in Italy, each for a thousand lire—"
"Correct," laughed Merrill. "And there's ten of them—ten nice new notes for a thousand lire each—the identical ten I handed over to a greasy little Dago in the Bank Ditallyuh, or whatever you call it. That slick Fisher told me they was banked where I'd never get them, but he was wrong—dead wrong."
He leaned back in his chair and laughed again.
"Major, I'm a happy man. I'm married to the finest girl in Texas—and that means the world. ”

“ Merrill stood, trying to realize that in this glittering, unreal landscape men could point out a spot as home. The liner slowed down and took aboard passengers from a small launch that flew the Italian flag. The ranchman hurried below; it was time for dinner, but. like the others, he could eat little. However, Cook had commanded, so he made the effort. Then he went to his stateroom for the last time, to gather his hand baggage and tip his wistful steward. He was on the point of returning to the deck when the door of his stateroom opened suddenly and Fisher rushed in. His face was white ”

“ He stepped over and took the gold elephant of the handle in both his hands. It came off, and from a hollow in the wood the emissary of the Government removed a thin roll of paper and held it up before Merrill's startled eyes.
"So, you carry nothing, eh?" The Italian spread the papers out on a table. Merrill saw that the topmost sheet was covered with crosses, waving lines, writing. "What is this? A map of the Champagne district in France: of trenches, of the distribution of forces. Information for Austria, a country with which Italy has been at war a month and over. ”

“ Merrill answered, "but it would In foolish to deny it's music to my ear. Now that our cards are all on the table, we can go on being friends as before. Why not, Henry?"
"No reason," agreed Fisher heartily. "I will have a drink if you insist. Yes Bob, you've called me. You're a good judge of men. Bob. You're safe anywhere." He paused a moment thoughtfully. "Most men are as easy as children. ”

“ Italy decked itself in the glad habiliments of summer for their honeymoon: the sea was glittering glass when they sailed over it for home. The last week in July brought them, happy, once more to the Silver Star.
ON a certain very hot morning early in August, Clay Garrett opened the door of that Texas bank as the clock on the City Hall struck nine. Two minutes later, according to his custom, Major Tellfair entered, nodded to Clay and the boys, and passed on into his office. ”

“ My name is Henry Howard Fisher."
Two days Merrill had spent in Manhattan, and his heart was hungry for companionship. Quickly he revealed his name. mentioned Texas, the Silver Star, and suggested a drink.
"Sorry," said Mr. Fisher. "I don't touch it."
"Come and have a cigar then," Merrill offered. It developed that neither did the abstemious Mr. Fisher smoke. Merrill looked him over again, a trifle suspiciously this time. Men were not made thus in the neighborhood of the Silver Star. But Fisher's face was frank and winning. ”

“ Perhaps he would not have been so unhappy had he known that by those two days of delay he had done Bob Merrill a most unexpected service. For he had caused the ranchman to break his sacred contract with Thomas Cook & Son to leave Rome on an appointed day, and thereby enabled him—
BUT we are far, far ahead of the story. ”

“ That stick was given to me: a present from a friend."
"Signor, the weakest of stories is that—"
"But it's the truth."
"You will have the opportunity to explain: later. But I advise that you find some story more plausible. It matters little, however. You are captured completely. Prison, signor, and—perhaps—the firing squad."
"Prison nothing. It would take a hundred like you to put me there."
"Then the hundred shall be found."
"I'm leaving for Florence this afternoon. I've an appointment there: with a lady." Merrill faced him helplessly. ”

“ He thought of Celia—of her happy eager letter-that had been waiting for him at Naples.
All right," he said. "Come over to the bank with me and I'll cash in on my letter of credit. I'd like to fight this, but I can't afford to be held up now."
They went out into the sunlight, the Italian carrying the ebony stick. At the Banca d'Italia Meriill showed his passport and canceled his letter, receiving in return ten Italian notes, each good for a thousand lire, along with a little small currency that represented the difference in exchange. ”

“ Merrill said, also with a smile. "He's been in Italy less than a week too—they work fast, them boys. Bob had two thousand dollars small change, along with all his tickets, which he bought from this man Cook in New York. I hope they didn't clean him out of those too. Well, it serves him right for wandering off the range. He ain't got no business over on the other side"
The major cleared his throat. ”

“ June ll, breakfast and 'lunch at hotel, take train Statione Centrally three o'clock p. m. for Rome, dinner on train, arrive Rome seven o'clock, stop Hotel Quirinal—"
“You don't stay long in Naples," Mr. Fisher commented.
"Friend," replied Bob Merrill, "I don't stay long anywhere until I get to Florence. Expect to do a little sight-seeing on the return trip to Naples, where I get a boat back home. You see, Mrs. Merrill will be with me then."
And to this stranger he frankly told what took him abroad.
"Youth on the prow and pleasure at the helm," quoted Mr. Fisher delightedly. ”