The Ne'er-Do-Well

by Rex Beach

  XVI

  "8838"

  For a few days after this conversation the Master of Transportation wasin doubt as to what course he should pursue. In the end he did nothing,and the letter from St. Louis was permanently filed away. There wereseveral reasons for this action. For one thing, he was a salaried man,and could not afford to lose his job. What influenced him most,however, was his genuine liking for Anthony. He could not bring himselfto attach much weight to the suspicious circumstances connected withhim. Being a man of sufficient courage to back his own judgment, hedecided that no matter what might have been the past of Frank Wellar,alias Jefferson Locke, Kirk Anthony was entitled to another chance.

  The first thing Kirk did when pay-day came was to enclose the greaterpart of his salary in an envelope and send it to John Weeks, with anote explaining that he had withheld only enough for his own actualneeds, and promising to continue reducing his indebtedness by a likeamount monthly. He was surprised beyond measure to have the remittancepromptly returned. The brief letter that accompanied it brought him aflush of discomfort. What the deuce had made Mrs. Cortlandt do that?For a time he was undecided whether to be offended at her conduct orgratified, and he had not settled the matter to his satisfaction whenhe called upon her that evening.

  "Weeks wrote me you had squared my account with him," he said,awkwardly. "I'm tremendously obliged, of course, and--I'll give this toyou instead of him." He offered her the envelope with his pay enclosed.

  "Don't be silly, Kirk," she said, in a matter-of-fact tone. "I didn'twish Weeks to have any opportunity to talk. You need this money and Idon't."

  "Perhaps I should have offered it to Mr. Cortlandt."

  "Stephen knows nothing about the Weeks affair. If you choose to regardmy little favor as a debt, however, please let it run on until you arebetter able to pay."

  But Anthony remained inflexible, and at last she accepted his profferwith some impatience.

  "You are the most foolish person I ever knew," she remarked. "Can't youunderstand that such obligations don't exist between friends? A fewdollars mean nothing."

  "A few dollars mean a good deal to me just now."

  "You have the most disappointing way of receiving favors. I had adecent position for you, but you would go to collecting fares. I hopeyou have had enough of it by now, and are ready to take something worthwhile."

  "Not until it comes naturally. No hop-skip-and-jump for mine."

  Edith sighed. "It is terribly dull for me here at present," she said."Mr. Cortlandt is very busy; I have no one to talk to; no one to amuseme. Why, I've scarcely seen you since you went to work."

  "It is flattering to be missed."

  "Will you come to the dance to-morrow night?"

  He shook his head.

  "The music is good; you will meet some nice people. If you remember,one of your qualifications for a position was that you are a goodwaltzer."

  "I can't mingle with the 'quality.'"

  "Be sensible. This is an invitation."

  "I am getting sensible fast. I've learned something about Canalconditions. What would people say if Mrs. Stephen Cortlandt were seendancing with the new collector of No. 2?"

  "My dear boy, do you suppose Mrs. Stephen Cortlandt cares what thesepeople say?"

  "Mr. Stephen Cortlandt might."

  "Mr. Stephen Cortlandt isn't snobbish, either."

  "One has to be on the Canal Zone. Besides, to tell the sordid truth, Ihaven't any clothes."

  Edith silently extended the envelope in her hand; but he laughed.

  "Perhaps I'll come to the next dance. I'll be rich then. See!" Heshowed her a long slip of paper consisting of five coupons, eachnumbered "8838."

  "Lottery tickets!"

  He nodded. "Allan had a very particular dream about the number eight,so I invested five dollars 'silver' on his hunch. You know he has themost wonderful dreams. There was one about a whale--it was appallinglyvivid."

  "But you don't bet on all these miraculous whales and things?"

  "Oh no. The whale was a little too much for me. But I thought I'd takea chance on the number eight, it didn't seem quite so apocryphal."

  "But why did you select such a ridiculous combination? It isn't likelythat the eight will come out three times in four."

  "It's the number of my automobile license." Kirk sighed at the memoryof his new French car. "You don't object to such gambling?"

  "Hardly," laughed Edith, "when I have a ticket for the same drawing.Every one does it, you know."

  "If I win the capital prize I'll come to the next party and claim allthe dances you will allow me."

  "Not much encouragement in that for a lonely lady."

  "Oh, I'm the luckiest chap in the world. The drawing comes off nextSunday, and it happens that I've been shifted to No. 6 for a few trips,so I'll have a chance to see the fun."

  "If you were a little less quixotic and weren't so remarkably afraid ofgetting more than your deserts, you could come to all these dances."

  "I'm sorry," he acknowledged, "but I have to do things in my own way."

  It was a welcome change for him to sleep as late as he wished on Sundaymorning, and he enjoyed the privilege to the full. Inasmuch as No. 6did not leave until one o'clock, he had ample time in which to witnessthe lottery drawing, a thing he had been curious to see since he hadfirst heard of it. This form of gambling was well recognized, itseemed; not only the natives, but all classes of Canal Zone workers,engaged in it freely. On every street corner women sold tickets dayafter day, and, as the drawings were conducted under rigid governmentsupervision, the lottery had come to be regarded as a sort of publicinstitution, quite as reputable as an ordinary church raffle.

  Allan, vastly excited, was of course waiting to accompany him, and,when Kirk had finished a leisurely breakfast, the two strolled idlydown into the city.

  "Oh, boss," exclaimed the negro, "I feel that we shall h'experiencegood-fartune to-day."

  "Did you buy a ticket?"

  "No, sar, I reinvested all my monies travelling on those railroadtrains."

  "Now see how foolish you are. If you'd stayed at home you might havebought the winning number to-day."

  "I prefer to h'accompany you. But--I have been thinking to make you aproposition of partnership. Master h'Auntony. I will stay home anddream numbers which you can purchase with your salary. In that mannerwe shall certainly burst this lottery."

  "Oh, I see! You'll sleep while I rustle the coin to play. What's youridea of a fair division of the profits?"

  "It is sometimes exceedingly fatiguing to dream," said Allan,defensively. "Sometimes one wastes an entire day and has no success."

  "That's merely a question of diet. I could make you dream your headoff."

  "But I do not desire the profits, however, for being partners with you.I would like you to have plenty of monies, that is all. I love you,sar."

  "Don't! You embarrass me."

  "It is true, chief, I would die and--"

  "Yes, yes, kill yourself."

  "I pray to God h'every day that some bad man will h'assault you inorder that I may die for you." The Jamaican was growing excited, asusual when he dwelt upon this subject. "I would h'enjoy to shed myblood for you, sar. I would like to see it running--running--running--"He waved his arms wildly.

  "Don't bleed to death."

  "I wish to suffer and scream and groan, so that you will be knowing--"

  "Never mind. I think I get the idea. But I'm not going to allow it, andI'm not going to allow you to dream--you sleep too much as it is.Besides, your dreams are no good. Look at that whale dream of yours,for instance."

  "Oh, sar, the 'fish' number did not win, to be sure, but 'water' did."

  "But you didn't dream about water, it was about fish, 'vivid' fish."

  "I did not chance to think of the water," acknowledged Allan, "butthere was the whale lying upon the h'edge of the h'ocean, h'all thetime."

  The drawing, which was for a capital prize of fifteen thousand dollars"silve
r," had drawn a larger crowd than usual, and when the two reachedCathedral Square they found the lottery building thronged tooverflowing with the usual polyglot elements that make up theseLatin-American gatherings--negroes, Indians, Panamanians, Spaniards,Americans--while in the Plaza itself other groups were waiting to hearthe report.

  By dint of considerable effort Kirk succeeded in working his waythrough the wide double doors, and, being much above the averageheight, he was able to get a good view of the proceedings. Upon aplatform a group of ceremonious officials were gathered about arevolving wire cage, so arranged that it could be whirled rapidly uponits axis. Into it were put ten ivory spheres, resembling billiard-ballsin size and appearance. When this had been done, the cage was closed,and a very badly frightened twelve-year-old girl was selected at randomfrom the audience, then lifted to the stage, where it required thecommands and entreaties of her excited parents to prevent her fromdissolving in tears. At a word from the master of ceremonies the cagewas spun until the ivory balls inside leaped and capered like captivesquirrels. Then at another signal it was stopped. The door was openedand the little girl reached in a trembling hand and selected a sphere.It proved to be hollow, with two halves screwed together, and in fullsight of the assembly it was opened, displaying a bit of paper inside.

  "Ocho!" cried the announcer, and a card bearing the numeral "8" wasraised. The paper was replaced inside the ivory ball, the ball itselfwas dropped into the wire cage, the door was closed, and once more thecage was spun.

  Kirk was much interested in the scene, not from any faintest hope thathe would draw a prize, but purely from the novel atmosphere and colorof the thing. While his eyes were busiest, and just as the childprepared to draw another ball, he felt a clutch upon his arm, and,glancing down, beheld the glowing black eyes of Senor Ramon Alfarezfixed upon him.

  Alfarez was dressed immaculately, this time in civilian's white linen,his ferocious little mustachios carefully pointed, his cheeks freshlyshaven and talcumed, his slender feet encased in white canvas shoes. Awonderful Guayaquil hat, the creamy straws of which were no thickerthan silk threads, crowned his sleek, raven locks. It must have cost asmall fortune. He carried a dapper little cane, with which he tappedhis former prisoner to attract his attention.

  At sight of him Kirk drew down his brows and said, gruffly:

  "Don't poke me with that umbrella."

  He turned away, but again Alfarez touched him with the rattan.

  "I will spik' wit' you, hombre," he said.

  "If you keep jabbing me with that crutch I'll break it, and then youcan't walk home."

  Ramen jerked his head toward the square outside in an imperiousfashion, and Kirk, curious to learn the cause of this unusualexcitement, followed him without demur. When they had reached thestreet the Spaniard turned with flashing eyes and a mirthless smile.

  "Well!" he said, dramatically.

  "Pretty well. How goes it with you?"

  "So! You 'ave socceed in your cowardly attemp'."

  "My what?"

  "I am lose my poseetion as Commandante of Police."

  "You don't say so!" Kirk's face broke into a smile of real pleasure.

  "Ha! Makes it you to laugh, then?" exclaimed the Panamanian, excitedly."Per'aps you shall answer to those detestable actions, senor."

  "Perhaps! I see you blame me for the loss of your job. Well, maybe youwon't beat up the next American you get your hands on."

  "Bot--I 'ave another poseetion!" Ramen exulted.

  "Indeed! Are you 'behind the ribbons' at the local Wanamaker's?"

  "I 'ave been promote! I am appoint' yesterday by his Excellency thePresidente to be his secretary. So! Those dastardly attack of yours istranspire to my blessing. It will be always so."

  "I suppose it's a good job, but you ought to be selling poison in adrug-store. Did you call me out to hear this news?"

  "Si!" Alfarez nodded his head vigorously. Then, narrowing his eyes, hesaid, meaningly, in a voice that none might overhear, "Panama issometimes very on'ealthy city for fat Americans." He ran a hostileglance up and down Anthony's burly frame. "It is the climateper'aps--of too great 'eat."

  "In other words, you intend to make it hot for me, eh?"

  "I?" The ex-commandant shrugged his shoulders in eloquent denial. "Ishall do not'ing, bot--if you are wise man you will not displayyourself to the dangers of these climate; you will return 'ome."

  "Say! I've a good notion to punch your head."

  Alfarez paled slightly.

  "Soch would be most dangerous, for in Chiriqui prison there is at thepresent some fatal disease." He laughed sneeringly. "The senor is reechman's son, eh? Those do not geeve the appearance."

  With supreme insolence he touched one of the buttons upon Kirk's linenuniform with his cane, whereat the American snatched the stick out ofhis hand, broke it, and tossed it into the street. His blood was up,and in another breath he would have struck the Spaniard, regardless ofconsequences, but just at that moment Allan, dashed out of the crowdcrying, breathlessly:

  "Oh, boss! Oh, BOSS! Glory to God, it is true! OH-H-H GLORY!" SeizingKirk's hands, he kissed them before the other could prevent, then ranon frantically: "Come quick! Come! Come! Come!"

  "Look out!" snapped Kirk, angrily. "What's happened?"

  "The dream! The dream is come! Oh, God, sar! You--you have won thecapital prize, sar!"

  Alfarez's exclamation, as much as the boy's wild hysteria, broughtAnthony to himself.

  "NO! Honest, now! What's the number?" he exclaimed.

  "H'eight, h'eight, three, h'eight," sobbed the Jamaican. Kirk made adive for his coat-pocket, while Allan continued in a rising voice:

  "Glory to God, sar! Glory to God! It is fifteen thousand dollars'silver.' I thought I should h'expire from fright. Oh, I--Quick! Praisebe--Do not say you have lost the ticket or I shall die and killmyself--"

  "Here it is!" In his hand Anthony waved a slip of paper, out of whichleaped four big, red numbers-"8838."

  "Carraho!" came from behind him, and he turned to behold Alfarez, lividof face and with shaking hand, fling a handful of similar coupons afterthe broken cane. Without another word or a glance behind him, thePanamanian made off across the Plaza, barely in time to, escape thecrowd that surged around the two he had quitted.

  Bombarded by a fusillade of questions in a dozen tongues, jostled by aclamoring, curious throng, the lucky owner of 8838 fought his way backinto the lottery building, and, as he went, the news spread likeflaming oil.

  There it was, plainly displayed, "8838"! There could be no possiblemistake, and it meant fifteen thousand silver pesos, a princely fortuneindeed for the collector of No. 2.

  Promptly at five minutes to one o'clock that afternoon, Allan Allan,late of Jamaica, strode through the Panama railroad station andflaunted a first-class, round-trip ticket to Colon before the eyes ofhis enemy, the gateman. He was smoking a huge Jamaican cigar, and hispockets bulged with others. When he came to board the train, he calledloudly for a porter to bring him the step and, once inside, selected ashady seat with the languid air of a bored globe-trotter. He patronizedthe "butcher" lavishly, crushing handful after handful of lemon-dropsnoisily between his teeth and strewing orange peel and cigar ashes onthe floor with the careless unconcern that accords with firmlyestablished financial eminence. He spat out of the window, he waved adignified greeting to his countrymen gathered upon station platforms,he halted hurrying brakemen to inquire times of arrival and departure,and in general he had the time of his young life.

  Only when Kirk appeared upon his rounds did he forego his haughtycomplacency. Then his wide lips, which nature had shaped to a perpetualgrin, curled back as they were intended, his smile lit up the car, andhe burst into loud laughter.

  "Enjoying yourself?" inquired his hero.

  "Passably, sar, passably!" Then, with a painful assumption ofseriousness: "How is the train, sar, may I ahsk?"

  "On time."

  "Rarely it is so, as a general thing. It is fartunate h'indeed that
youconsented to run her this time."

  "In a hurry to get to Colon?"

  "Quite so. It is h'impartant that I h'arrive promptly to-day. I havebusiness h'affairs." His countenance assumed tortured lines as heendeavored to maintain his gravity, then failing in his attempt, heburst suddenly into a gale of merriment that sent forth a shower ofpeanuts and lemon candy. "Praise God, boss, we are 'appy gentlemento-day, are we not?"

  Kirk found that the report of his good-fortune had spread far and wide;he was halted a score of times for congratulations; operators at thevarious stations yelled at him and waved their hands; Runnels wired"Hurrah!" at Gatun. A certain respect was in these greetings, too, forhe had suddenly become a character.

  As yet, however, he had not fully considered what this windfall meantto him. His first thought had been that he could now discharge hisdebts, go back to New York, and clear himself before the law. Yet themore he thought of it the less eager he became to return. Seventhousand five hundred dollars in gold to Kirk Anthony, of Panama,Collector, was a substantial fortune. To Kirk Anthony, of Albany,Distributor, it was nothing. Suppose he went home and squared hisaccount with the police, what would he do then? Nothing, as usual.Here, he was proving that the Anthony breed was self-supporting, atleast. And there was another reason, the weightiest of all. Long beforehe had reached the end of his run he realized that not one hundredtimes the amount of this capital prize would tempt him to leave Panamabefore he had seen Chiquita.

  Chiquita was beginning to seem like a dream. At times during the pastweek he had begun to wonder if she were not really a product of his ownimagination. His fancy had played upon her so extravagantly that hefeared he would not know her if ever they came face to face. His mentalpicture of her had lost all distinctness; her face was no longerclear-cut before his mind's eye, but so blurred and hazy that even tohimself he could not describe her with any accuracy.

  This was most unsatisfactory, and he reproached himself bitterly forthe involuntary faithlessness that could allow her image to grow dim.He was almost without hope of seeing her again. And then, with theinconsequence of dreams and sprites, she appeared to him.

  It was but a glimpse he had, and a tantalizing flash of recognitionfrom her eyes. It happened in the dusk during the confusion thataccompanied the arrival of No. 7 at Panama, and it came with asuddenness that stunned him. The station was jammed with a roaringflood of negroes, another crowd was forcing its way through the exitsin the high iron fence, the street was a crush of Spiggoty coaches.

  Kirk had volunteered to assist an old lady, and his arms were full ofbundles as he guided her between the clicking teeth of a turnstile. Hewas helping her into a carriage when he heard the sharp clatter ofhoofs upon the brick pavement, and looked up to see a fine Peruvianmare hitched to a tan-colored surrey skirting the confusion. A blackcoachman was driving, and there were several people in the carriage.Kirk cast it a casual glance, and just as he looked it swept into theglare of an electric light. Out from the back seat shone a perfect ovalface, with soft, luminous eyes. It was just as he had pictured it, onlymore beautiful.

  Kirk nearly upset his little old lady, who was struggling into herequipage. He swept his armful of bundles into the coach, seized hisscandalized companion under the arms, and deposited her bodily upon aseat. Without waiting to hear from her, he dashed away through thebedlam. Under horses' heads he went, past flying hoofs and scrapingwheels, jostling pedestrians, and little, brown policemen, until he hadreached the outskirts of the crowd, where he vaulted into a vacantvehicle and called upon the driver to whip up.

  "Quick! Quick! Follow that tan-colored surrey! I'll give you a dollargold not to lose sight of it."

  With the blandest of smiles the coachman started his horses, then,turning, he inquired, politely:

  "'Otel Tivoli?"

  "No, NO! Follow that carriage!"

  "No sabe Ingles!" said the coachman.

  Before Kirk had succeeded in making him understand, the street hadbecome jammed with carriages and the Peruvian mare was lost to sight.After a half-hour of futile clattering back and forth, Kirk dismissedthe driver.

  But there was no doubt that she had recognized him, and nothing nowcould prevent him from continuing his search. The trouble was that hispresent occupation allowed him no opportunity. He was tied to therailroad except at night.

  It was perhaps two weeks later that a serious shake-up occurred in theoffice force, of which no one seemed to know the cause. There was a madscramble for advancement all along the line, in which Kirk took nopart. But unexpectedly Runnels summoned him to his office.

  "How would you like an inside position?" said the Master ofTransportation, eying him keenly.

  "So soon?"

  "I said I'd advance you if you made good." He paused an instant, thensaid, deliberately, "When you get the hang of things here you'll have achance to be my assistant."

  Kirk opened his eyes in amazement.

  "Gee! That's great! But do you think I can get away with it?"

  "Not at once. It will take time, of course, and you'll have to worklike the devil." Runnels regarded him curiously, recalling the letterso carefully filed away. Then he yielded to his natural impulse.

  "Look here, Anthony," he said, "I'm partly selfish in this, for Ibelieve you're the sort I'm going to want within the next year. Thesuperintendent has had an offer from a big system in the States, andhe's going to quit when his vacation comes. He likes me, and he saysI'll probably step into his shoes. Do you understand what that means?I'll need fellows I can count on--fellows who won't double-cross me tomake a dollar for themselves, or knife me when my back is turned. I'vegot to have an efficient, noiseless organization. Otherwise we'll allgo under, for we'll be into politics up to our necks. I think you're mysort, so if you'll stick to me I'll help you, and for every step I takeI'll drag you up one."

  "It's a go!" The two young men clasped hands heartily. Runnels hadstruck the right note. Beside his former desire to prove himself a man,Kirk now felt a strong sense of loyalty to the one who had recognizedhis worth. This was no mere matter of promotion. He and Runnels wouldwork shoulder to shoulder. A sense of responsibility descended uponhim. For the first time he thoroughly understood the spirit of theardent toilers who were giving their best to the Big Job. He was reallyone of them now, and the thought electrified him.

  When he told his good news to Mrs. Cortlandt, her surprise was socleverly simulated that he never dreamed that she had been at greatpains to bring this thing about. Not that Runnels was indisposed to actupon his own initiative, but the circumstances that had made his actionpossible had been due to her. It was hard to help a man against hiswill; but she profited by experience, and took the line of leastresistance.

  The young man himself did not inquire too closely into the occasion ofhis advancement, and Edith Cortlandt was but little in his mind. He wasconsumed with the thought of Chiquita. He hoped that his new work wouldallow him more control of his time, and perhaps put him in the way oflearning her name. He could move in better society now. Meanwhile helaid other plans. He took Allan into his confidence, and told himfrankly that he was in love with a woman he did not know.

  Of course his faithful follower was delighted, and made extravagantpromises of aid.

  "Now that the dry season has come," said Kirk, "people must be livingat the Savannas, and I want you to haunt the region round thatswimming-pool until you discover who she is. You must be my detective."

  "Oh, boss, I would--"

  "Don't tell me you'd die and kill yourself for me. I want you to liveand find this girl for me. I'll take you out to-day, after officehours, and show you the place; then you'll have to do the rest. Youtalk Spanish, you know. But, above all, don't tip off."

  "Tip h'off? What shall I be climbing, sar?"

  "I mean you mustn't tell a soul."

  "Never fear, boss. H'Allan will discover your female."

  "And don't call her a 'female,' it sounds indecent. Remember, she has aBajan with her, six feet tall, nam
ed Stephanie. Who knows? Maybe youcan win Stephanie for yourself." Kirk chuckled at the thought.

  "No, sar, if you please. Those Bajan 'oomen is all very disagreeable."

  "You understand, I can't quit work to go looking for the girl, becauseI've simply got to tend to business. But I'll spend Sunday out there ifyou haven't already discovered her. Now, I'll chant this all over againon the way out, so you won't forget anything."