Page:Harris Dickson--Old Reliable in Africa.djvu/71

 Signorina sprang up and led Miss Stanton to the deck.

Reifenstein was standing near the forward screen, talking confidentially with the other two. Colonel Spottiswoode flattened himself against the wall as Aurora dragged the unwilling girl and went running past. Signorina Certosa rushed up behind Reifenstein, pulled him around, put both hands upon his shoulders and kissed his cheek: "Oh! you generous, generous darling" The German stepped back amazed; the Italians looked on with blank and stupid faces. "How splendid of you—princely!" Aurora continued unbrokenly. "And when I heard you say 'seven hundred and eighty-five dollars' I thought you were taking no interest in my benefit—oh!"

None of the men had spoken. "Seven eighty-five," Reifenstein repeated vaguely, then reached out and took the card from Aurora's hand, his own card, with the ink spot. "Who sent this?" he asked.

"You sent it with the money, such an odd amount—seven hundred and eighty-five dollars." The three men glanced wonderingly at each other until an idea occurred to Reifenstein. He turned and strode off with the card in his hand.

Half-way down the long deck Colonel Spottiswoode was standing. Reifenstein went directly