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DAKOTA CITY IIEUAL1)
JOHN H. REAM, Publisher.
DAKOTA CITY,
NEBRASKA.
LIARS' LITERATURE.
There mint be a contest on for
tory telling, fa the reading public
aro bolng handed somo "lemons" un
awares, or, II there Isn't, tho strangest
things over aro happening. Tho lamp
post that wabbled was Just plain,
Implo drunk, wo know about that,
but no won't say any moro, says tho
Now Orleans Picayune Then tho
Plymouth Rock hen and tho cold
storage affair, too, made us olt up
and tako notice, but now comes Into
court a North Yakima fanner and ho
tells this without ovon blushing. Ho
ays ha fired Into a flock of gecso and
brought down two. He had also cast
off the Yakima rlvor bank a fishing
lino with several hooks on It, bo he
could hunt and fish at the same tltno.
You know theso Yakima farmers aro
dcucedly clovor Ho wns surprised
to see anotlior gooso rise in the air , ft . rl of i, ovcr inc0, ton years
again and again, only to fall to the , Ueforo, tho curtain had fallon upon
ground. Upon Investigation ho dls- tholr honeymoon,
covered that tho gooso waB caught on I gho wns accufltomed to say that for
a set line nearly GOO .feet long with CO ton hours of tho duy, from eight In
hooks set nt Intervals. A section of tho morning to six In tho evening,
tho line was on the land and the Tom West was a moro monoy-mnklng
itoose had swallow.! on. nf iho halts, machlno, with no ond In Wo savo tno
Mimi r or w all o i iyilh. i
iMHmMMMWMBMMMMMii""1 "
a 4 i a n
-By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
i
i
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-
Copyright, by Blreet A timltb.
1113 qulot of tho brenkfast
room was uihiuidgu omy
by tho subduod rustlo of
tho papor In West's hands
and tho purring of tho cof
fee machlno by his wlfo'H
olbow.
Frowning Bllghtly In hor
preoccupation, tho woman
romnrkod tho sllonco, and
uassod It ovor: It wau a
part of hor dally llfo had
Following up tho lino ho found It
down a hole under a stump. Pulling
on the line, ho dragged out a snarling,
snapping otter and on 18-pound Gor
man carp. It's nearly tlmo for some
one to tell how a diamond necklace
was got out of a "lobster," and then
school can qulL
A French paper In conducting a vot
ing contest for tho purpoeo of decid
ing what In tho opinion of a majority
of ltn readers aro the virtues most to
be desired In women. Each reader 1b
requested to name ten virtues. So far
sixty virtues have been named. Tho
Brat seven have always been at the
top of the poll since tho beginning of
the ballot. In the following order:
Goodness, orderliness, devotion, thrift,
gentleness, Intelligence and amiabil
ity. It is noted that will power comes
twenty-fourth in the list, which Is a
long way down, considering that devo
tion Is third, and which Indicate that
not a few of the voters ore men.
However, the virtue of mceknsBB Is
the sixtieth and last In tho list, and
has received only 00 votes, whllo tho
votes for the first throo In the Hat
ranged between 17,000 and 19,000.
Atlantic City is getting vory moral.
Not content with regulating bathing
suits, tho colons havo now decreed
that no oyster may go through the
streets without having nil Its Bhell on.
It seems, however, that waiters have
been carrying the luclous, blynlvn In
the open oxposod to various gorms;
and tho provision of tho health author
ities is to bo regarded as a sanitary
precaution and not another act of
prudery.
Ohio has more colleges than any
other state. It requires special en
deavor to raise ono institution Into
fame above Its rivals, when so many
exist The boys of West Lafayette
college achieved this distinction by
putting oil Into tho milk of the ulrls'
dormitory. Twenty girls were made
violently 111. Some duy civilization
Will bo so gcnoral that It will exist
even among collego studonts.
One man asserts that blondes are
going out of fashion and that btg feot
for women are coming in. The critics
of the sex will Immediately seize
upon these facts, especially tho latter,
to prove that women are walking too
much over tradition and conservatism
In their campaign for moro rlghta,
thus sacrificing fatr complexion and
small feet.
Dr. Wiley, the government authority
on pure foods, mnkeB a doleful Indict
ment of the American people. He says
we eat too much, drink too much,
work too much, Bleep too much, loaf
too much and take medlclno too much.
Would the doctor admit that some of
us talk too much? If so, could he do
It without a self-conscious bliiih?
manipulation of tho markot, no con
coptlon of anything in tho world savo
bank and rallwoy stat6menta, divi
dends, tickorn and tho obb nnd flow
of prices. Aftorwnrds, from C p. m.
to 8 a, m., ho wns a normal human bo
lng with almost human interests, in
cluding a wife.
Therein sho did West Justico, and
Bomo lnjuatlco. In point of fact, tho
man adored Mb wlfo aftor business
hours. But It wnB most truo that ho
forgot hor completely throughout the
Wall streot working day. And to that,
porhaps, may bo attributed his remark
ablo buccobs to tho absolute concen
tration of all hlo faculties upon the
mnttor In hand; which gonorally con
sisted In tho "bearing of somo secur
ity which other men ndmlrod, but
which West looked upon with tho Jaun
diced oyo of tho skeptic confirmed In
hla pessimism bo far ns stock vnluos
woro concerned.
As for his wlfo, for tho tlmo bolng
hor thoughts as woll as hor slim whito
Angers woro bualod about tho tall cop
per pot In which (Iik coffoo browed.
Now, with a llttlo nod of satisfaction,
sho placed tho extinguisher ovor tho
flamn of tho nlcohol lump, and glanced
tonUitlvoly toward hor husband, as
though foarful of disturbing him.
Of West, only his fingers woro visi
ble; roughhown, blunt, heavy fingers
that conveyed a dlntlnct lmprosslon of
tho mnn's charactor, as tho world saw
It. Thoy gripped nlmost flercoly tho
cdguH of the morning papor, which hn
hold outsprend so ns thoroughly to
aurtaln himBolf from hlB wlfo's gazo.
Behind It ho maintained an unbroken
sllcnoo; his big, broad brow thrust
forward aggresslvoly, his lips Bet nnd
tenso, his gray oyos fairly dancing up
and down tho serried columns of flg-
uros, ns ho to use his own phraso
toro tho heart out of the mnrkot re
port, Tbo woman gazed upon tho Angara
with a tenilornosn glowing doop In hor
eyes; somehow thoy BUggeBtcd to hor
very clearly tho mnn Bho know so well
that man whom tho Btreot reckoned
ruthless, but whom sho loved with nil
her bolng, and who loved her In return
with a devotion almost womanish
after business hours again.
In tlmo Wost lowered tho paper un
til Its upper odgo was lovol with the
bridge of his noso. Ho stnrod at hor
absont-nttndudly; tho creature man
was assorting Its dostro for refresh
ment, though tho business man wob
lost In a pondering of mon nnd meas
ures. "Coffoo ready?" ho domandod,
nnd promptly returned his gazo to tho
Hit of tho previous day's transactions.
"Ready," Bho replied, quickly and
cloarly, "and waiting, Tom." She
droppod thu lndlsponnnblo two lumps
of sugar Into Wont's cup, nddod tho
croam, then brimmed it with tho
steaming black liquor.
As she hnd anticipated for she
studied tho man closely tho Round of
hor votoo nnd tho stir of the table
waro dtntractod the current of his
thought. Reluctantly ho folded tho
nows Bheut, and laid It nt tho sido of
his plate, accapted tho cup, and begun
to stir tho coffee with his spoon, mo
i notonouHly, an though ho foared It
might loBe vlrtuo through Inaction,
, mcnnwhllo glnrtng nt his pinto,
I Sho foroboro to question htm, sho
' knew that before long ho would begin
I to talk. Always, ovor slnco sho could
Interlarded his
Strange, Isn't It, how the tired busi
ness man will perk un and tnke a
briBhtor view of llfo in tho nftpmoon i romombor, ho had
as the hands of tho clock approach broaWast wlth one-sided discussion,
U hour of throo- that is. when It Is ' a nl!?0.nt ",tt.wajr" of "l0
I bucmi, nuu uu mo i i.i ii uu uuiipuuca IU
be playing theroln at tho particular
not raining and the baseball team Is
In town.
It Is announced by an English sci
entist that our winters will gradually
get warmer during the next 400 years,
but he warns us that after the year
14 there will be a change for the
worse. Let us by all means enjoy the
sunshine while we may.
A Philadelphia preacher announces
that summer resorts are tho starting
places of disagreements leading to di
vorce. It Is not likely that his decla
ration will have a serious effect upon
the summer resort business.
The automobile mile record s now
25.40 seconds, and the locomotive Is
distanced. The aeroplane may, how
ever, become a competitor.
Ono of the feminine moralists ad
vises women to have an aim In life.
Who ever heard of a woman hitting
anything she aimed atT
No war now In the known earth,
unless In tUo vicinity of Fez. Thore
It is a habit of the Moors which Eu
rope cannot atop.
Another German dirigible has been
wrecked on a tree. It Is up to Ger
many to quit ballooning or cut down
Its forests.
tlmo.
And so, Inevitably, It camo to pass.
Presently ho dropped tho spoon and
began to ubo his fork; and, "Funny
thing about Ilelden," ho observed, talk
ing moro nt, than to, her.
"Yes?" with the rising Inflection.
"Yes. Funny thing about Belden
and myself. We've beon fighting tooO
and nail for the last flvo yearn or bo,
and now It Just happens that we're
both hard up at tho same tlmo. Co
incidence,"
"How do you know he la hard upT"
"Don't know It." Ho was looking
nt her now, and Interestedly, but sho
saw that ho had forgotten hor. Tho
enthusiasm of logical deduction pos
sessed htm thoroughly; his Imagina
tion waa wrapped with tho Joy of pono
tratlug a rival oporator's socrot Ho
was happily formulating Into phrnsoB
tho tnlo that yesterday's ticker tnpo
and today's market roport had told to
him, "Don't know It from Bolden'n
own lips, thnt Is. Hut ho'a rigging
tho market ballooning Not Com
mon "
"Not Common!" Bho Inquired,
pusclod.
"Now England Transit, common,"
ho translated, lmpatlontly; "hts pot
stock. Ho wants to boost It by wnsh
sales ns high ns tho markot will stand,
and then he's going to unload at a big
profit. He plans to add tho Bonnlng
ton extension to the New England
Transit system, and ho uoeds money
to buy In tho bond lssuo. Uonnlngton
extension," ho contlued, as though try
ing to ninko It perfectly cleur to him
cclf, beyond poHKlhlllty of orror, "Is a
big Indopendont trolloy lino running
north out of Hartford. U'b practically
bankrupt, nnd will default on tho In
terest, duo on tho first, for Its first
mortgago four-por-cent bonds. Boldon
wants to buy them In, bo thnt ho can
forodoHO on tho minute, and mako
Bennington extension a part of Now
England Transit. Slick, Isn't ho?"
But West wau not asking a question
to bo nnHworcd, for ho continued, al
most without a break; "Bolden found
out that ho wouldn't get 'oni for a
song yesterday," ho said, chuckling.
"Bennington Fours are Belling at fifty
nlno, and n drug on tho markot nt
that. But I'm holding n block on be
half of n Western syndicate, and Bol
den has ngruud to pay mo eighty for
'em. I gavo him to understand that
thoy'd never bo a cent cheaper, bo ho
hnd to knucklo under, nnd pass mo
his word to tho dnal."
"Yob," Bho breathed, vaguoly, not
greatly Interested.
Wost paused to swallow his coffoo,
thon snt back and watched tho cur
tains bellying In tho warm Juno
breeze thnt had nccosa through tho
open window
'Tell you what," -ho broke out, se
riously, "It was a great rollof to mo
when I closed the transaction. I stnnd
to got thrco or four hundred thousand
out of It, nnd I need rendy money tho
worst way, mysolf. That last rlso In
Ontario pinched mo badly, and the
bankw aro beginning to fight Bhy of
my pnpor," Ho frowned, teetering ab
stractedly on two legs of his chair;
thon suddenly pulled out his watch.
"Hollo!" ho nnnouncod. "I'll havo to
hustlo. 'By, Boss."
West nroso, came around to hor
chair, nnd bont over to kiss bin wlfo.
It was something that hnd taken placo
overy business morning for leu years,
and still there wns nothing porfunc
tory nbout thnt kiss. Thore woro
etrcaks of grny In tho hair above tho
man's tomplos, nnd a maze of lino
wrinkles around tho corners of his
eyes; both hnd como In tho duration
of their married daya, but West's
heart was imaged, lilt) ardor unabated.
The woman dreaded to think thnt tho
dny wob ovor to dawn when he would
know that caress for a habit, a for
mality; to hor It meant such n vory
great deal.
Sho lifted hor lips to his, nnd they
wera baroly parted; her eyelid" droop-
od heavily, and she sighed fnlntly,
For tho lnstnnt ton years droppod
from tholr liven; West's gazo glorified
tho Ann curvo of her cheek, tho full
Bweop of hor bnro throat; nnd he
caught at his breath sharply.
Also ho noticed n llttlo anxious
puokor botwecn hor browB, for which
ho laid tho blame nt the door of tho
opprcsalvo wenthor, nor undorBtood In
tho 1 nut that fear for him chlllod her
heart.
"Look hero, m'doar," he suggostcd,
In a Boveroly practical tono, nu ho
straightened up. "Don't you think
you'd bettor run up to Newport?"
"And lenvo you hero, nlono, to
stnnd tho heat? No," she decided,
firmly. "When Tom West tnkCH n
vacation, his wlfo will. Meanwhile,
nothing worries me so much as tho
knowlodgo thnt you aro working
hard flavlng your life out, doar.
careful today, won't you for
sake?"
"For no ono olso's, Bess," ho laugh
ed, lightly.
A mlnuto later Bho waa standing In
tho window's cmbrnsure, screening
herBelf In thu folds of Its light drap-
ory, watching her hiiHband as ho ran
down tho Bteps nnd strode off toward
tho olevntod Rtutlon. And thoro sho
Ungorod long, thinking, anxlouH for
him. Ho was strong, sho would con
cede; but ho had much to endure
weighty mentnl bunions, wearing bod
ily fntlguo, And tho day grow very
hot Indeed. Fioui tho strnot tho dusty
baked smell of tho asphalt camo up
to hor In gront. sultry puffs, and deep,
ptnuoiiB parallels worn being marked
In tho softened paving by tho wheels
of a passing huckster's wngon, n
huckster who swaggered bareheaded
In tho sunglnro, yawping Infernally.
In tho early afternoon a thunder
storm camo growling out of Jersoy,
and Blulcod tho BwoltorlngBtrootB with
tepid water But the relief It brought
In Its wnke was but tompornry. Later
tho boat again boenmu well-nigh un
bearable. It was us though tho city
lay submerged In n torrid son, whoso
lnvlslblo, glowing waves swopt through
tho streets. So that tho loast movo
mont becamo oxortlon; and exertion
was own brother to exhaustion
To dreBB for tho evening was nn or
deal, but ono to bo faced with a smile.
For Tom liked to And her Just bo; It
was good to hint, when ho hnd slough
ed tho cares of the day, to see hor
fresh, unwllted.
Later, she recalled that It was whllo
she struggled to nttln horaelf with tho
grudged assistance of n cross maid,
thnt she wns suddenly convinced by a
subtly psychic, womanly Intuition thnt
something wnR amiss, either with Tom
or with Toiii'b affairs.
But fnrebodliiKs such ns that nro
! sternly to bo relegnted to tho limbo of
superstitions until tho event provos
their excuse.
Sho was at tho head of the stairs
when tho door opened and West
slumped forward Into the butlor's
arms; crumpled, enervnted, crushed
by thu withering heat. In another In
Btant sho was by his nldo, abruptly
composed, mtstroas of herself and of
hor fears, tor this was wbnt sho had
been awaiting, this that contingency
the fear of which had hold hor by hor
boy's sldo when she might havo boon
materially comfortable nt the sea
shore.
Ills forohoad was like a hot tllo to
too
Bo
my
J hor palmi dry, hnrd, slightly glazea
His face was a pallid mask, his lips
fovorlRh, and dry. nnd craekod. like a
utalo crust. Instinctively she know
what was first to be dono.
"Ico wntorl" sho demanded, of tho
servants, as sho ripped West's collar
from his shirt. "And cracked Ice
quick! Telephono for Dr. Dextor; toll
him to como nt onco. It's It's llfo
or doath "
At midnight Bho wan sitting by his
bcdsldo, gazing hungrily Into his net
featuros, wnitlng for tho arrival of tho
nurao whom Dexter was to send. The
physician had been an hour gone, leav
ing her In a etato moro tranquil, reas
sured. Wost waa by no means out of
dnngor, but tho chnnces woro In hlB
favor.
Ho lay like a log, swathed In blnn
kots, without motion snvo for tho
slow, almost Imperceptible heave of
his stortorouH resplrntlon. Tho wo
man sat ub quietly, tensely strung, el
bow on knoe, lips pressed tight
against hor knilcklcs. Sho could do
naught but watch, wait and tako
Wost's temperature overy quarter
hour. "If It goes nbovo ono hundred
and four," Dextor had told hor, "put
him In tho Ico bath again and send
for me."
Tho man was in a drugged stupor,
ntrychnlno spurring his lnggnrd heart
nctlon, morphine soothing him. Pres
ently the woman bent forwnrd, very
cautiously, nnd slipped thu clinical
thermometer between his parted lips.
Wost Htlrred uneasily, nnd his teeth
clleked against tho glnfls tube. Thon
again ho lapsed Into comn. Shu with
drow tho thermometer, snw that It re
corded nn oven ono hundred, and was
Kind.
A second later, entirely without
warning, Wost had cast tho blankets
aside, and wns sitting bolt upright.
Jnbberlng In n frenzy of delirium. Tho
womnn gnvo n hurried ordor to tho
wnitlng sorvnnt to telephone Dextor,
nnd returned to her husband's sldo.
"Bolden " ho wns Iterating with
Bnvngo emphasis; "Bolden Bol
den "
"Hush, dear." Gently sho forced
him back, until his head rested upon
tho pillow, and ns gently Bpongcd hla
moist brow with Ice water. Ho proved
tractablo enough, and Beemed grate
ful for the cold applications; but tho
morphine was stimulating his unhelm
ed imagination with a wavelike ac
tion; nnd he would talk, and did, by
fits and starts.
By degrees, listening Intently, sho
began to piece together n comprehen
sive fltntoment of whnt lay upon his
mind, that had sapped his strength un
til tho sun had found him nn easy vic
tim. Ono phrase "Bolden broke
fnlth" served as a starting point;
with It nu n guldo she was nblo to se
lect fragments from West's Incoher
ent rnmbllngs, nnd to Join them to
gether, mosaic-like, until she undor
Btood It all.
"Boldon broke faith promised to
buy nt eighty broke his contract
said he'd examined loadbed and roll
ing stock como to conclusion thnt
bonds woro not worth tho mnrket
would pay sixty damned scoundrel
need ensh for Ontario deal square
with him desperate Ax million put
me on my leet, easy mnKe him pay
pnr "
Under tho trentmont of the phyal
clnn and the nurso West subsided into
alienee. But tho womnn had heard
enough to enablo her to grasp the
altuntlon vory complotoly.
West needed rendy money for his
various enterprises. If he did not get
It, his failure was Inevitable from
whnt ho hinted. Although thero would
romnln hor private fortune, compara
tive poverty confrontod tho woman,
though that was an nothing by the
Bide of tho rcsultnnt loss, of hor hus
band's prestige among his associates
In "tho Street." If Belden should
triumph, If ho should succeed In ob
taining tho Bonnlngton Extension
Fours nt his own price, West's portion
would bo ruin. .
Sho debated tho matter throughout
tho long, drenry night, an odd, hard
light gleaming In her oyes.
That morning the mnrket opened
Arm; Not Common wns In demand nt
ono hundred nnd nineteen, nn advance
of two points overnight; Bennington
Fours had dropped four point, to
flfty-Avo
Bolden smiled grimly, ns ho scanned
tho opening prices on tho tape. To his
oars tho gossip of tho tlckur was
Bweot music; everything wob going as
ho had wished. Nothing could be bet
tor, from his point of view
Ho was un undersigned man, dark,
wizened and by no means ntrnblo; his
business associates disliked him with
rnro heartiness nnd unanimity nnd
masked their dlsllko; Just ns the
Streot cordially hated him nnd kept
Us knlfo out of sight, behind Its back.
Ills nnmo waa not savory, but It was a
power In tho Ananclnl world; tho re
spect which was not given him per
sonally, wns more or less cheerfully
nccorded to his genius, his InAnlle
generalship.
He dropped the papor ribbons Into
tho tlckor banket, and began to pace
up and down tho length of his private
office, with n stealthy, catllko tread,
glancing from sido to sldo with some
thing furtlvo In his tnnnner. His hands
were clasped behind his back, nnd ho
allowed his head to droop as ho chuck
led sourly.
Tauslg, his partner, road tho covert
triumph In Belden'a mnnner, and him
self consulted tho tnpo. Ho likewise
smiled a broad, contented smile, ns he
turned away from the basket; but a
moment Intor ho began to think.
"Bolden," ho began, aggresslvoly.
Ho was hts partner's precise antithe
sis a heavy, rotund, red-fneed, "push
ing" typo.
"Eh?" Bolden desired to know,
stopping and facing him.
Tnublg doffed his aggressiveness un
der that searching scrutiny. "How
much hlghor nro you going to let Net
go?" he Inquired, with plaintive defer
onco. "Boforo I decldo to liquidate?" ask
ed Boldon, leering. "Well, say one
hundred and twonty-Avo, Tauslg. Then
we can begin to unload quietly, you
know and besides, Bennington Fours
will bo down to Afty by that time,"
Tauslg sucked uneasily at an ex
pensive cigar.
"I thought you said you would cash
In this morning," he defended htm
self, surlily.
"I did, I did," squeaked Belden.
"But things happen you know. I'vo
changed my mind, I think now It's
safo to boost Not Common a llttlo
hlehcr. nnd tn hold off on tho bonds n
v.ee bit longer."
"Why?" demand Tauslg, flatly.
"Thero'B West "
"Haven't you heard tho nows?" Bol
den's tono was expressive of extreme
surprise. "West's out of the running:
we've got n clear track ahead of ub."
"What struck West?" Tauslg's small
oyos widened,
"The sun struck Wost," sneered
Belden. "Ho went nway from here
rather excited yesterday afternoon. Ho
didn't soem to think I hnd treated him
prettily. I suppose ho ran around nnd
got overhented U'b nono of my busi
ness." Belden wnved a deprecating
hand, disclaiming responsibility. "But
he's flnt on his back, und tho Street
doesn't know why."
"Umm," Tnuslg mumbled his grntl
Acntlon. "And Hollwedol," ho added,
naming West's partner, "1b a shrimp.
Ho hasn't got tho nerve to attempt
reprisals, without West to back him
up. That's vory nice very."
"Yes," Belden whined agreement;
"and West won't gej ovor Afty for his
bonds If I decide to nllow him that."
Ho Bldled over to tho ticker, nnd
fondled tho tape. "Ono hundred and
twenty," ho announced, drearily. "You
bco, Tnuslg, how tho Street believes
In me." He laughed nastily. "Send out
orders to sell ton thousand when wo
strike twenty-flve," ho ndded. "Sell
'em In thousand-share lots, you know
ono lot to a brokor."
Tauslg arose and wnddled out, grin
ning. Bolden resumed his pacing to
and fro, Bcowllng at the floor. Pres
ently he stopped nt the ticker again,
and remained there, Angering tho fast-
flowing ribbon for several minutes,
motionless as a statue. Then ho scur
ried hastily over to his desk and press
ed a llttlo mother-of-pearl button on
Its edge.
"I want Mr. Chellborg," ho snnrled
at tho boy who answered his sum
mons. "Mr. Chellborg," he told one of hlR
confidential brokers who presently ap
peared, "I want you to And out who Is
buying uennington Fours, ana ana
who the dovll Is selling Net Com
mon!" The ticker chattered off tho informa
tion that somebody had sold "Net,"
Ave hundred shnres at one hundred
nnd nineteen; nnd somebody elso had
bought "B. Fours," eighty bonds nt
flfty-slx. It was Just half-past ten.
Just nt that moment an obliging
Central had established telephonic
connection between the uptown branch
near the Waldorf-ABtorla of William
Wise & Sons, bankers and brokers,
nnd the mnln, downtown, office of the
snmo concern. It was a fairly reputa
ble house, ono doing n large commis
sion business through several
hrnnrhp't RnmA nf wlilnh nnri In tmr.
tlcular that ono near tho Waldorf,
boasted a "special customers' room
for Indies."
On the uptown end of the wire was
a Eomowhnt excited and excitable, but
experienced, young mnn, who acted ns
mnnnger of tho branch office. He ear
nestly desired a word with tho head of
tho Arm, nnd was presently accommo
dated,
Just what ho had to say Is not of
record, but his communication was re
ceived with nttentlve respect by Mr.
Wllllnm Wise, who nt once consulted
tho ticker with nn nlr of nlnrmod In
terest. Then he sat down ami rocked
In his desk chnlr, frowning nt the cell
ing, for tho space of three minutes by
the clock. Aftor which he summoned
his hend bookkeeper and desired In
formation. "John," ho inquired, "how much Not
Common arc we carrying for our per
sonal account?"
Ho was told flvo thousand shares.
"1 think," WIso meditated, after the
clerk hnd departed, "that, all things
considered, wo may consider the rlso
In Net a thing of tho past. We will
soil before the break comes; and while
we are about It, It might be a good
scheme to lump In two or thrco thous
and shnres short."
And ho telephoned the board mem
ber of the Arm to that effect, using
the Arm's private wire to tho Ex
change floor and carefully modulating
his volco so thnt no ono but tho mnn
at tho other end of tho wire could pos-.
slbly overhenr his instructions.
Not wishing to nlnrm the mnrket,
and so loso tho advantage of a few
fraction of a point, he waited n ren
sonnblo period of time fully Ave min
utes tn order to permit tho board
member to execute his orders, before
advising tho customers of tho Arm
(confidentially, of course) to "unload
on Net Common, and sell short for a
quick break."
In tho menntlme, Belden. having
vlowed with disgust his pet's loss of
ono point on a strong market, decided
to boost the price a trifle "to give It
a dose of tonic," ns Tnuslg put It. In
ordor to accomplish his deslro, Mr
Belden comuilnslonod some twelve
brokers who woro accustomed to exe
cute his orders without "giving up"
tho name of their principal, to sell
Net Common In amounts varying from
ono hundred to one thousand shares;
In nil, twenty thousand. And at the
same tlmo ho Instructed nn equal num
ber of similarly trained traders to buy
In a llko manner twenty-thousand
Net Common.
Barring untownrd developments this
transaction, by which Belden's right
hnnd sold to Belden'a left a practlao
nicknamed "washing snles by match
orders" by the Street, and ruled
against by the governing committee
would havo resulted In creating a gen
eral Impression thnt Net Common wns
very grently desired on nil hnnds,
Unfortunately, JuBt as this was Inl
tinted, Messrs. Wllllnm Wlso & Sons
offered eight thousand Net Common;
so that tho supply exceeded the mo
mentary demand, and the prlco Inevi
tably "slumped." Within tho next ten
minutes Mr Wlso's customers, noting
on his kindly ndvlco. dumped eleven
thousand two hundred shares on the
Aoor, causing a further decline. And
n tltmn somouoay uimnown oecamo
scared and decided to sell, and some
body else came to the same conclu
sion, nnd yet nnother somobody caught
the Infection of distrust; the result
being that Net Common was quoted
at one hundred thirteen.
Belden and Tauslg, glued to the
ticker's side by an Invincible dismay,
swore and considered ways and means
by which they might "peg" the price;
meaning, to Ax It beyond possibility of
further declines. But beforo thoy had
tlmo to make up their minds as to th-
wisest courso to bo uursued. Ho.i I
wedel, board member of Hollwedel &
West, amiably snsnulted Not Common
with a snndbag ton thousand shares
which, landing In tho midriff of Bel
den's "pet," knocked out of It a deal
of wind and four points from the mnr
ket price. This, in Its turn, had the
effect of shaking out a largo number
of stop orders; whereupon tho Street
In a fit of genuine hysterics, poured
selling orders Into tho Exchnngo so
furiously thnt tho traders woro stam
peded and glad to get rid of Net Com
mon nt any old price; nnd everybody,
Including Bolden nnd Tnuslg, sworo
nmazedly to find thnt It waa worth
only ono hundred and one.
And then, while this panlafcy feeling
held, Hollwedol, having deftly covcrod
through other brokers his ten thous
and shorts, suddenly proclaimed with
a loud voice that he had twenty-flvo
thousnnd Net Common to dispose of.
It was ns If n strong man, after a
long nnd exhausting run, hnd abruptly
been set upon by an Ill-tempered per
son with an ax and a deslro for the
strong man's llfo, Net Common drop
nod like n loc Hollwedol snlllncr nnd
covering nnd selling ngaln with most
relentless activity.
About the Now England Transit
post on the Exchange floor men camo
to blows In their efforts to dispose of
a stock for which, It seemed, no ono
had tho slightest use In tho world.
Other securities, and especially the
more weak ones, suffered proportion
ately because of the shock to public
confidence. When the big clock In
Trinity's tower boomed forth the hour
of three, a long, deep sigh of relief,
that was almost a gasp, went up from
the nervouB Street; Net Common was
a-begging at eighty-three.
In tho private offlce of Mr. Belden,
of Bolden & Tnuslg, thero was gloom.
Tho two partners were limp and un
hnppy, facing each other across tho
basket that held miles and miles of
paper tape stnmped with tho details of
disaster well-nigh Irreparable. Bel
den's sallow face was dark and for
bidding; ho kopt a dogged silence
while he conned the written reports of
his lieutenants. Tauslg. on the other
hand, had lost a great deal of his rud
dy, wholesome appearance, and ho
muttered curses automatically. Both
hnd forgotten, for the time being, that
there was such a security as Benning
ton Fours on the list. After a while,
exasperated by Belden's continued re
ticence, Tnuslz snapped at him a ques
tion for the hundredth tlmo:
"Who did it?"
Belden glanced nt him slowly, in
curiously. "How do I know?" he asked. Tnu
slg replied by a comprehensive nnn
themn of Thomas West and all his
works. Belden said, patiently: "It
wasn't West, I tell you; he's out of his
hend."
"Then who was It?" howled Tauslg.
"Hollwedel?"
Bolden shook his head.
"Hollwedel sold no more than half
a dozen others," he answered. "Be
sides, he'd bo afraid."
Tauslg gathorcd himself together,
his big frame shaking with emotion.
IIo wnved nn impotent Ast in the air,
and there wore tears In his eyes, as
ho demanded the one hundred and
first time:
"Then who tho hell wns it?"
She had been preparing herself
against It for ten long days, yet It was
with a feeling akin to terror that Mrs.
West saw Hollwedel shutting behind
him the door to her husbnnd's bed
room, when he mode his first visit
of condolence after he had received
tho news of his partner's misfor
tune. He was a heavy man, not unlike
Tauslg In build; not quite ns physic
ally huge as West. If his spirit was
a shrimp's, his appearance belled him.
It Is conceivable that Tauslg, who but
mirrored the opinion of the Street,
had been mistaken, that thero was
mettle In Hollwedel, dosplto the fact
that he never acted on his own inltla
tivo; a clrcumstnnco for which Holl
wedel sometimes accounted with char
acteristic frankness.
"My Judgment's bad," he would ex
plain. "I'm always splitting a pair of
openers to draw to a bob-tall flush
when 1 follow my own Inclination.
Now, West's different: seldom fizzles
Therefore, I permit him to play th
game for the two of us. It's cheaper.
that way."
Temporarily Mrs. West was afraid
of Hollwedel; the man was frank, and
might be counted upon to blurt out
things which are preferably left un
said. She considered him tho last man
of her acquaintance whom sho would
select to "break It gently" to anyone
bereaved And so thinking, sho roso
nnd made ns though sho would leave
the two together futllely, however.
"Mrs. West!" Hollwedel bowed.
"Don't eo. please," he added, nlmost
pleasantly. And, "Stny with mo, dear,"
West seconded, in a thin, brittle voice.
Perforce she yielded She east ono
Imploring glance upon Hollwedel
which ho fnlled to catch and sat
down very sedately, folding her hnnds
In her lop and playing with her wed
ding ring, the whilo n nervous, diffi
dent smile betrayed her Inward agita
tion. Contrasted, tho two men bulked
big even the convalescent, gaunt and
hnggnrd though he was, was massive
and sturdy by her side, who seemed so
frailly feminine. Anxiety and the
wearing watches of long nights had
wnsted her.
To prove thnt ho was not wholly
down nnd out. West must needs rise
from his Invalid chair and advanco to
greet Hollwedel,
"Sit down, old mnn." ho snld, "and
tell me all about It. You can't know
how glad 1 am to seo you. Toll mo the
truth I can't get nnythlng out of Bess
or Dexter, beyond thnt 'It's all right,
and that you turned the tables on Bol
den tn great shape. Tell mo how you
did It"
"Eh"' gasped Hollwedol He sank
Into n chair with tho air of an nston
lshod elephant; and looked confusedly
nt Mrs. West.
West's temper was worn thin by
days of maddening Iteration of the
statement thnt ho was too weak to
talk about business.
"Don't say 'Eh!'" he cried, peovlsh
ly. "Man, I'm starving for news of
the Street Don't act as though "
lie stopped, his eyes lighting savagely
In tholr doop Bocketa. "My God!" he
cried. "Havo they lied to mo? Isn't
it trim tlmt Beldon- "
"Belden," said Hollwedol, recovering
hastily, "la meek ns a llttlo lanib.
Ho's been tnught n lesson nil right, but
1 didn't hnve much to do with It. I
don't understand this." Indeed, ho
was evidently somewhat bewildered.
"Hasn't Mrs. West told you "
Mrs. West looked nt him beseech
Inly; this tlmo ho saw It, and stopped
ngapo.
"Why, I nevor suspected but that
" ho blundered.
"I'll go mad " West began, an
grily. His wlfo Interrupted.
'Tell him all, Mr. Hollwedol," she
said, faintly. "If you don't mind, Tom,
I'll go "
"No, stay!" ho commanded. "There's
something funny going on, nnd I pro
pose to know what it is. Now, Holl
wedel "
Hollwedel stammered,
"Well, It Isn't much," he said, "that
I had to do with the deal," ho added,
hastily. "Mattor of fact, I only acted
as an agent, under orders. Of course,
you understand, I thought they were
your orders, and obeyed them Im
plicitly."
"Orders?" queried West.
Mrs. West averted her fnco.
"I I hope you won't bo angry.
Tom," sho faltered, tremulously.
"I'll bo angry If I don't get this
straight from tho beginning," said
West. "Go on, Hollwedel. I promise
to control myself nnd not to Inter- '
rupt."
"Well," said Hollwedel; and stop
ped. "Well!" ho plunged desperately
at his narrative, "tho morning after
you wore sunstruck, Mrs. West called
at tho office. Mind you, I hadn't any
notion that you were even nlllng. She
snld thnt you hnd broken your arm
your right arm."
"Why?" demanded tho startled con
valescent. "To explain why you couldn't send
mo written Instructions, by your own
hand," suggested Hollwedel.
"Yes," assented Mrs. West, timidly.
"And," tho brokor continued, "It wns
necessnry to get around Belden. You
had given her full details of how I wns
to go about the business. Mrs. West
Instmcted me. I thought that It was
mighty risky, but that made it seem
all tho moro as though It came from
you, West. It was a scheme to knock
the bottom out of Net Common, In or
der to keep Belden on tho anxious
seat whllo we quietly bought up a ma
jority of the Bennington Fours. I ob
jected because wo hadn't rendy money
enough to put It through, but Mr
Wost overcame that by pledging her
porsonal fortune to old WInant. That
gave us enough to operate with."
"Bess," cried West, "you you did
that "
"Walt!" advised Hollwedel. "You
promised to go easy Mrs. West start
ed the ball rolling by going to Wise's
uptown room nnd selling Ave hundred
Net Common short. Inasmuch as you
wero known to have been conferring
with Belden tho day before nnd Mrs.
West being your wife, presumably ta
king a flyer for pin money on your
advice, young Wise jumped at the con
clusion thnt Net Common was due to
break Just ns we hnd Agured ho
would. He telephoned his pnpa, and
tho Wise clique unloaded on the min
ute. That staggered Belden. and be
fore he got over It, everybody was
bearing Net. I sold ten thousand
short, just to help things along, and
Belden took the count. Then I soaked
them with twenty-flve thousand shnres
nnd Net dropped like n sinker. She
closed nt cighty-threo, with Boldon
choking to death; and we covered nnd
cashed In to a beautiful tunc.
"In the meantime, I'd been cabling
the English Investors for their Ben
ningtons, and got n big block from
over there, besides what I picked up
on the Street during the slump and
while Belden was getting his second
wind. Flnnlly, I had corraled over
hnlf the bond Issue, which Mrs. West
nnd I locked up In our safe deposit
vault. Pretty soon day or two
Belden camo around, said he's recon
sidered, that he'd take our block at
the prlco agreed upon eighty. I told
him Just how things stood. We hold
tho majority of the Fours: but we
didn't wnnt them. Wo didn't care to
foreclose. I told him he could havo
them at pnr Ho swore ho'd have
jour blood, West nnd gavo In. Ho
had to. I don't know where he got tho
money, but I do know that we cleared
nearly a million on tho operation. And
your wife's responsible."
Hollwedel stopped nbruptly. Mrs.
West started, nnd quivered n little
with n fearful glndneRs that sho had
dono this thing for him, for her hus
band But she feared to meet his oyo
West remained still In his chair, star
ing at tho culling After a while a
tense, silent Interval he passed his
hand over his oyes
"My wife!" he said, softly, and
arose. lie took a step or two toward
her, and paused. "A million!" ho whis
pered. "Oh, good Lord!" He ad
vanced until he towered abovo her,
while sho sat with bowed head and a
Aim of dimness clouding her vision.
"My wlfo!" snld West, brenthlessly.
"Bess "
She looked up nt him, hor face shin
ing. "I I had to, dear," she said. "I
couldn't help It things wero so des
perate. Something had to bo done,
nnd it seemed to mo that you would
have dono Just that."
"But but how could you know how
to flank Belden."
"How could I help knowing. Tom?"
sho defended herself. "For ten years
you've been telling mo just what, to do
Just how you wero acting In similar
emergencies. I didn't know It until
the tlmo came, but you'vo educated
mo thoroughly in tho ways of tho
Street, dear, and the lenst I could do
for you was to make use of tho knowl
edge which you had given mo!"
Sho broke off with a half sob. West
stnrod, nmazed.
"Do you mean," ho stammered, a
queer sensation as of choking obstmct
Ing his utterance. "Do you mean that
Just by talking to you In tho mornings,
sweetheart But I never thought
you cared "
"Yes," Bho replied, vaguely.
Suddenly his arms wero about her.
Hollwedel heard him cry, brokenly,
"Why, Boss!" And thon Hollwedel
went to tho window, nnd stood there,
looking out. for a long time.
1
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