Page:Harold Titus--Timber.djvu/173

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TIMBER
165

Pancake to investigate with the knife of his self-seeking unsheathed, ready to strike at the first weakness Taylor might show.

And now it was so easy! Marcia had given him the best reason for hope that he had encountered in weeks. John Taylor, wanting to use his father's money for the gain of unborn generations! He smiled as he lay there. He would see Luke's face darken, could hear his stinging outburst.

Again his mind went back to Marcia. All winter she had toyed with him clandestinely in Florida. In Detroit he had seen much of her and the flirtation had been brisk—and tonight for the first time she had surrendered her lips and after she had given to him the information which seemed to open the way to an attainment of his dreams.

He sat up abruptly and stared out the window.

Had that been conscious? Had she realized, as he realized, the possibilities of this change in John's ambition? He drew a hand slowly through his hair and laughed quietly.

"You devil!" he whispered and laughed again, as if he had been fooled, and admired the wit that fooled him.

As surely as two ships in a motionless sea move toward one another, just that certainly will like personalities drift toward their kind. Rogue finds rascal; male flapper unerringly meets his congenial companion; intelligence discovers intelligence.

Marcia Murray had gone by the time Rowe awakened and Jim Harris was alone in the dining room when Phil entered. The men spoke gravely across the soiled linen,