| Show 2 f J I I I I I 1 1110 LN S. S I II By FREDERICK JOHN O N BURT II UPHAM ADAMS DAMS 1 Author of The The Kidnapped Millionaires Millionaires' Colonel Monroes Monroe's Doctrine Etc c COPYRIGHT 1902 BT DY All rights 1903 BT BY UPHAM ADAMS ADAM f reserved I A. A J. J BIDDI X CHAPTER Continued When I made my start flosses bosses 1 J was tickled to death If I sold solda a boss hoss an made twenty dollars' dollars profit That ten thousand dollars meant the 1 t sellin of more than five hundred rte tosses an all alii I had to do was to reach s i 5 out an take it An I gazed at that money an thought how It would look ook in In my bank book an I said to him r Mr Morris 1 says I Im your man y An then seem how easy It was to 41 1 reake money here In this city coun coun- y oil ell I made a deal with him by which I was to buy up six other aldermen an anA A turn em over to him same as If it they were ere a a lot of bosses or bags of or potatoes pota pota- rO toes Then w we drew up an agreement 0 r I to lo vote for the ordinances s an gave it I f- f r to Mr Morris Here Mr Chairman Is Is the duly certified copy of or that coni con- con i tract tract Part of the money was in cashan cash cashar an ar 1 the rest In a certified check an ant an i L i i rave tave brought It here for your inspect c. c i tion tion You will note that It is signed by f Mr Arthur Morris and drawn on his C t bank v Now Mr Chairman an members s' s i of this honorable body said Sam t turning and facing his astonished list- list J J i eners criers I want to say to you that I have lave changed my mind about voting tj F- F for fer these ordinances My lawyer tells I l CHAPTER I The Love of a Man for a Woman It was not the fault of or the chef cher o or r of the service that Arthur Morris di did aid d rot enjoy his dinner J Jessies Jessie's beauty f once charmed him now Inspired inspire d him bim with jealous rage For Blake he felt unalloyed hatred and for Gen C Carden den a a. a contempt which he did not no ot ottry t try fry to conceal He Impatiently awaited await await- ed the morrow when he hoped t to 0 crush Ja James es Blake to to extinguish th the e general He prayed the news of or th the e councils council's decision might be brought t thim to o him at dinner As he brooded a messenger boy approached approached ap ap- and handed Morris an envelope en en- Ali Ah I presume this is It he exclaimed ex ex- exclaimed claimed He adjusted his monocle e with elaborate care broke the envelope envelope lope l- l ope and read My Dear Morris The Cosmopolitan Cosmopoli Cosmopoli- tan franchises were defeated by a practically unanimous vote Rounds Round and six others charge you with bribery Rounds exhibited your certified check Am on my way to the Hoffman House Meet me there at once Destroy this H The note fell from the speculators speculator's s nand hand and fluttered to the floor He III 11 t U c 4 J i I f f 0 Y J f ff f i I l 1 l TO 70 5 F T GOOD Clow 2 IMS me I dont don't have to keep thi this agree agee- agreement agreement ment with Mr Morris an an Im I'm goin to sacrifice that ten thousand dollars 1 an an the ten thousand more which A. A would have been mine when these ordinances or oro finances pass Acting on the advice advIce of ot m my lawyer I therefore turns this this this' mon money y over to you with the certified a iJ check cLeck an n the agreement we signed fj you for your kind attention Y to this explanation I votes no 0 A scene of r wildest confusion contusion followed fol fol- lowed towed Half Hal of or the members were on lii their feet demanding recognition The The I j chairman pounded his gavel Into slivers In a vain attempt to restore i. order The storm gradually subsided L and Alderman Hendricks secured recognition recognition rec rec- from the chair h In view of ot the remarkable statements statements state state- ments made by my colleague he said r I move a postponement of ot the vote 1 i and the appointment of a committee i to Investigate these curious charges f There were vigorous protests and the chair ruled that the vote must proceed Each of or the six aldermen associated associated as as- with Sam Rounds substantiated ed fd le re charges made and deposited the bribery money with the chairman Realizing that defeat was Inevitable all of ot the excepting Alderman Alderman Alder Alder- man Hendricks recorded their votes against the ordinances A motion to adjourn was declared passed and the excited mob poured Into the corridors I J I stared wildly around but no words ds came to his lips Any answer boss The piping voice oice of the messenger boy as he stood cap In hand recalled him to earth arth No No Nobe be he said pushing his chair from the table and rising unsteadily to his feet feeL Im going night Good-night Forty five cents boss demanded the messenger Get out of the way damn you Pay this boy Blake and he rushed for tor the dressing room Blake picked up the note and tore it into irto pieces He knew the purport of or orthe the message which had caused the t precipitate departure of Arthur MorrIs but he did not disclose it r Some Important Wall street matter I suppose he ventured In answer answel to the questioning surprise of Jessie and Edith His expression positively frightened frightened fright fright- ened me said Edith Did you notice notice no no- notice tice how white he turned when he read that note It must have been awful Perhaps his father Is dead 1 The Impending overthrow of Morris fed the flames of James Blakes Blake's im Im- patience According to the falsehood ho hr had told John Burt Jessie was due to arrive In New York In a few days He saw a thousand chances for the exposure of his duplicity to one for Its success success Only In Jessies Jessie's presence did J his surmount his fears He Invented Invented In In- I vented innumerable schemes and dismissed dis dis- dismissed missed L' them one by one One chance i I remained an an immediate proposal its unhesitating acceptance and a hasty I marriage He would carry the citadel I of or her heart by storm and bear her i away in the confusion and turmoil of the coming battle Women have been won In a day he mused and by knights knights' less welli well i armed than myself Ill I'll propose tomorrow tomorrow to to- tomorrow morrow night She must accept me meshe meshe meshe she she will me Then an immediate immediate Immediate Imme imme- diate marriage and a trip to Europe Why should that not win Its It's got to win Ill I'll make it win Thus argued James Blake Blak during a lull in the conversation This was worthy of or his reckless nature He could not turn back The smoke of or burning bridges was behind him th the e spoils oils of conquered love awaited his onward march It seems impossible that I have known you only a week he s said Id rals rals- in int ing his eyes lo looking king tenderly int Into o Jessies Jessie's face I feel as If ir Id I'd been n acquainted D with you for years and not no t for a few brief days Millions of lovers have voiced th the he e same fame discovery and millions more will do it again You are singularly forgetful forgetful- laughed Jessie of or o our r early acquaintance acquaint acquaint- ance In Rocky Woods That Was no not Dot t weeks but years ago agog agol I I 1 must give Mr lily Morris Morrs credit fo for tor r that bit of or imagination said Blake It has bas bec become me a reality to me and I Itan can tan see y you you u as you were back in those e years and picture you among th the e Tocks rocks and fields we knew so well well D Do you t go there this season Miss Carden Carden Car Car- den en We Ve leave on the Thursday evening boat was the reply Nothing could have suited Blake better He would tell feil tell John Burt that Jessie had post post postponed I p ned her departure from France H He s then would plead ill HI health and join J Jessie ssie in Iii Hingham and their marria marriage and wedding trip should f follow lIow Th first cards had fallen in hi his hiJ favor anbe an and andie ie be e determined to press his advantage Ia 41 May I 1 I call morrow to-morrow evening and not not plead business with the gener general i as a pretext he asked boldly I Imay Imay Imay may not get another chance t to see you before you leave You see Im I'm already presuming o on of these years rears of friend- friend ship sl-ip Gen Carden Garden attends a banquet tomorrow tomorrow to to- tomorrow morrow evening but Edith and I will willbe willbe be at home and well we'll be delighted if you'll drop in to relieve the monotony ony replied Jessie Uncle Tom plays a splendid hand and at whist and you youcan youcan youcan can take papas papa's place Blakes Blake's spirits mounted high as hope fed the springs of his longing The h hour ur was late when he be bade his fellow fellow- guests good night good night at the c carriage door end his being thrilled with the touch 0 ol of her hand and the light of her smile a at al Darting parting Blake strolled slowly up the avenue avenue ave ave- nue In the direction of or his apartments He had not cot gone two squares when he hemet met John Burt In all the years In is San Francisco and New York this was the the first first time they had met metin In a public thoroughfare One of the horses hauling hauling haul haul- ing a wagon laden with stage settings had fallen and blocked the street Blake concealed his confusion by looking up and down the street for forc a c carriage He finally hailed balled a driver and ard Id I'd they were rapidly driven to his his his' apartments We must perfect our plans for tomorrow tomorrow to to- morrow said John The city council council council coun coun- cil defeated the Cosmopolitan franchises franchises fran fran- to-night to and I shall move against L L. O. O to morrow to-morrow morrow morning Tho The voice was calm but It held a note of or triumph and of quiet dence It hinted at no suspicion and BI Blake ke drew drew- drewa a long breath of f relief ashe as ashe ashe he thought of his third escape He shuddered to think of what would have happened had Gen Carden Garden postponed his departure from the dining dining din ing room by a few minutes H He pictured pictured pic pic- John Burt entering the room his bis steady gaze fixed first on himself and then on Jessie Carden Garden So vivid was the Imaginary picture that he felt all the tho horror of the situation This is my last speculative campaign campaign cam cam- aign said John For years I have tt la J J Af f. f jf I r S r 1 been a gold grubbing gold grubbing and money moneymakIng money money-mak- mak making ing machine and I hope my better instincts instincts In in- have survived the strain We V shall triumph to-morrow to and when It Itis itis is ended you shall be in fact as well wella a ac a. a in name the head of or the firm of or James Blake Company I can retire from active participation In Its affairs r ras rs as s quietly as I entered and you yon have f fairly irly won von whatever of or prestige attaches attaches at at- to the name Before Blake could find words to reply reply reply re re- ply the carriage stopped In front of or his apartment They entered and und found Hawkins awaiting themI them I Im myself making m making myself at home Blake he said Ive kept your man busy getting getting get get- ting Ung cigars and refreshments Lets Let's get down to business gentlemen Its It's past midnight and well we'll need all the thed d we can get For nearly two hours they worked at the plans for the battle which was to come At times Blake was absorbed ab- ab I In the discussion again his mind wandered to the woman he be would buy at the price of ot his honor Then he thought of ot John Burts Burt's princely pledge and like a flash there came to him an impulse impulse- which thrilled his hiE very y soul with a happiness in which were throbs of ot poignant pain Not many blocks away another conference conference con con- ference was in progress Staid bank dh directors and financiers associated with Arthur Morris had been aroused from th their Ir slumbers and were assembled assembled assem assem- bled in hIs bis rooms Bewildered for the moment by the unexpected blow Mor Mor- Mor- Mor Morris ils ris took measures for defense Kb lith a vigor vigor- which was keyed by a sense sense- of imminent danger His suspicion that James Blake was the cause of ot his I became certainty when a a reporter reporter re- re porter Informed him that Blake and 6 Samuel L L. Rounds were boyhood companions com- com and that the latter had bad been seen feenIn in Blakes Blake's offices The east was crimsoned with sun sunlight sun sun- light before the conference e ended ded The weary men of money left Morris Morris' Morris Morris' rooms and sought a a. few hours of lest st t facing r f y before before the ordeal eal mutual Jr protection projection th they y had had formed d' d a a pool h had d pledged themselves lve t to sup a lp port the market against the expected f oJ 0 onslaught of Blakes Blake's millions Why were these masked millions drawn up in battle array array Why did men of vast affairs wait walt with drawn k 1 faces fares and bated wreaths wreaths- the hour t w wren when en the he clash of opposing fortunes J e should sound the signal for merciless merciless' merciless conflict Because of a woman woman woman-a a woman pure as an opening bud and gentle as the dew which kisses it lr Why had James Blake proved false t to the man who unselfishly befriended him Why had he sought repay loyalty loyalty loy loy- with ith alty with alty-with perfidy Because of a woman woman woman-a a woman rj whose loving loving- heart was incapable of ot deceit To be continued i |
