Show I y bf f t1 < 0 A I I l RfM + s Ltion f ss 1n H teat I alf 1 1 esa 7riik tort fffi DELUGE finWD GRAHAM PLWLmSAuhar of T7L cos1e QY3fP lSktf dyd E42Q5A2 ZL e Y 1 w APTER XVI Continued st in the lot to you Matt ho plead rtslot sd now Kit to done you a great many PPearancel pu I Ive bavent I ndant Hip 1Shave Dab I cordially I yoU 4 ben the put this isnt a favor Its tern Fed Fears fmustnt ask it Blacklock ho Char tilt loaned you more money rdof da Li I the law allows And I cant aye any more e A F one has been lying to you e 61t is n been believing him said Ouve on to bi Tben I say my request Isnt a recent Ibut business I mean Itt am In oe it-t let you have any moro hoI ed ho-I cant And down came been r i t In a weak vlolent gesture rchard fa I utd forward and laid my hand md allfgel Lijonhls armors arm-ors of tie I lYddltlon to the stock of this con U I in poi lihit I hold In my own name for the dd i > I hold five shares in tho namely name-ly decide man whom nobody knows that I 1 to the hnow If you dont let mo have claims It i Lney that man goes to the dls as the 1 attorney with Information that o staid you In the penitentiary that i itroductl Jjoar company out of business tea rept Into bankruptcy before tomorrow I saved you three years ago of the c 01 you this job against just such d pros fetrgencjr as this Bob Corey that the tf Cod youll toe the mark on In p at t havent done anything that brought i bank In town doesnt do every acks Th totsnt have to do If we didnt cast all cl money to dummy borrowers and or i It Ll tlfy accounts our customers flhenhtf lp J > where they could get accom ired tot done at is I true enough said I But his connj In a position for the moment ration oil el need my friendsand theyve d with Home to me If I dont get the and the I prom r you Ill get it elsewhere idlng UI over the cliff with you and your h time The laws youve been vlolat UlllngneEs eT be bad for the practical bank of Hi ilness but thero mighty good possible i nhhlng ingratitude and trench d will BO chard tt sat there yellow and pinched ith any o hinted every now and then He ill offer i no reply itlon of I ite t sentlrl shook his arm Impatient ywu dea IDa ejes met mine and 1 Used > ds part 13Irs I i going to pull through said I at herb I If I werent Id see to It that you 905 H protected Come whats your to eiph erf Friend or traitor afts to rad round in the eiei tho morning and get for thel iey said he putting on are hopeless look presets just aghed Ill feel easier if I take imer GOTJ 10 I replied Well lix up tho en den and checks at once1 rneys to t at I Its too late he said You ese pa deposit today due Stall e made special arrangements taker a i them I replied lo trial vith act face betrayed him I saw that Adams i stage of that proceeding hud I a sob riser than in shutting off his id Ut puce to evade What scheme ace to din mind I dont know and cani lance a ne Hut he had thought out d 1 with I thing probably something fool aledbjl It would have given me trouble ss stanil F saving him A foolish man obyl H Ughl place is as foolish as ever nstruc prey was a foolish manonly a toseot commits r Orch pmlts crimes that put him m of the i 1er of others The crimes of ally big captains of industry ands ultel and-s of finance are of the kind the aim others in their power I tal T tt up Corey said I Uo you ie field t ratho man to shut a friend in re the imo i lId of a sinking ship Tell DIe mo ant < l0111 I > ou I Mn r was short on textile VI my men lie slowly rellud ailing braced reek v hlni > elf t ° B ° thor I hick dope otle Who I persisted the Te anted l to < know just how far mss than tis was likely to Hjiread persons keeled to ho thinking out a lie ninera e rUtl1 I commanded 1 rotyoduo II couldnt have been one of di 053 ace Who was It Ill not glvc g dis taro eabod1 iai 1 Tom Langdon he finally I redo to conti etked an wcelamatlon ot amuse of dr U I had been assuming that I Item i will IT Brayed wlw by some ono of w Onl > 5 mischances that so often s to sal the best iilans into confusion UI Langdoll I said satirically aa he icn and that warned you against aro tae a friendly act said Corey a res d i the I I are very intimate And he know mow nun how close you and I Uo d Went t tweeted I that you call my loans went on v Tr < at1 U blUSlnt blame him Blacklock le JaF lou for ho 11I1I1Itnt Bald Corey ear ent to He he was a pretty good friend sty v ice liked as friendship goes lea happened to hear yerfl ° now Iloneu tli1 the Langdoim t a cU On keep a sharp panes he operations In their stock dropped PIc nlted t YOUd In to warn mo as a tidal ad tDle do the same thing in Iona ° I i w clrcuuliltances Ho didnt word dch ee Into l about my calling your be frankI II instantly oud or It inyaelf tyou i intended to do he came IlIIta sickly You anticipated me 1 bnderaland said I goodhu i ep1 I dont blame him And 1 I J oi1 J After I had completed toy business at the National Industrial 1 went hack to my office and gathered to L together the threads of my web of defense Then I wrote and sent out to all my news papers and all my agents a broadside against the management of the textile trustIt would be published In the morning in good time for the opening of the stock exchange Before the first quotation of textile could be made thousands on thousands of Investors and speculators throughout the coun try would have read my letter would be believing that Matthew Blacklock had detected the textile trust in a stock Jobbing swindle and had promptly turned against It preferring to keep faith with his customers and with the public As I read over my pronunclamlento aloud before sending It out I found In It a note of conti dence that cheered mo mightily Im even stronger than I thought said I And I felt stronger still as I went on to picture the thousands on thousands thou-sands throughout the land rallying at my call to give battle XVII ANITA BEGINS TO BE HERSELF I had asked Sam Ellersly to dine with me so preoccupied was I that not until ten minutes before the hour set did he come into my mindhe or any df his family oven his sister My = made ass my e me Pn s m haM I over my taco learnNI at least part of the reason for my fNII1 footing at disadvantage before him i had forgotten to shave and Us tin hoard Is heavy and black It has to bo looked I after twice a day Oh face can atoll at my rooms and get my lime condition In tt few minutes sum I BIAlUl put 1 on cvonlK dress too ho suggested You wouldnt want to go In a dinner lacket I cant say why this wag the last straw but It was nother said I my common sense smashing the spell of snobbishness that had begun to reassert itself as soon as I got Into his unnatural un healthy atmosphere Ill go as I am heard and all I only make myself ridiculous trying to be a sheep Im a goat and a goat Ill stay That shut him into himself When he remorged it was to say Some thing doing down town today eh1 A sharpness in his voice and in his eyes too made me put my mind on him more closely and then I saw what I should have seen before that he was moody anti slightly distant Seen Tom Langdon this after noon I asked carelessly He colored Yeshad lunch with him was his answer I smiledfor his benefit Aha thought I So Tom Langdon las been fool enough to take this paroquet Into his confidence Then I said to him Is Tom making the rounds warning the rats to leave the sinking shipWhat What do you mean Matt he demanded de-manded as If I had accused him I looked steadily at him and I Imag ine my unshaven jaw did not make my aspect alluring What did Tom say about me I I Inquired Oh almost nothing We were talk Ing chiefly ofoC club matters ho answered In a fair imitation of his usual offhand manner When docs my name come up there I said He Hushed and shifted I was Just about to tell you ho stammered Uut perhaps you know rfr I e a p 4 t Jill C i t1 e f ffhInIIIk = I Nft I y t i I TOOK IT 1S THOUGH I WERE AFRAID THE SPELL WOULD BE BROKEN first impulse was to send word that I couldnt keep the engagement But I must dine somewhere I reflected and theres no reason why I shouldnt dine with him since Ive done everything every-thing that can he done In my office nuke I had a bath and dresshng room with a complete wardrobe Thus by hurrying a little over my toilet and by making my chauffeur crowd the speed limit I was at Delmonicos only twenty minutes late Sam who hud been late also as usual was having a cocktail and was ordering the dinner I smoked a cigarette cig-arette and watched him At business or at anything serious his mind was all but useless but at ordering dinner and things of that sort ho shone Those small accomplishments of his had often moved me to a sort or pitying contempt as If I one saw a man of talent devoting himself to engraving engrav-ing the Lords Prayer on gold dollars That evening however as 1 saw how comfortable and contented ho looked with not a cure In the world since be was to have a good dinner and a good much cigar afterward as I saw how genuine pleasure he was getting out the of selecting the dishes and giving waiter minute directions for the chef I envied him rooms You must come over to my some after dinner and give me music I said Thanks ho replied but ive bridge promised to go homo and pay and dinner in to Mothers got a few moro are coming afterward I believe Then Ill go with you and talk to sistershe doesnt play your Ho glanced at me In a wa > that Know what ThatHasnt Tom told you He I has withdrawnandyoull have to get another second if you think that Isunless youI suppose youd have told mo If youd changed your mind Since I had become so deeply interested inter-ested in Anita my ambition ambition i ambi-tion to join the Travelers had abut II a-but dropped out of my mind I had forgotten about it said I nut now that you remind mo 1 want my name withdrawn It was a passing fancy It was part and parcel of a lot of damn foolishness Ive been Indulging In for the last few months Dut Ive come to ray sensesand its mo to the wild where I belong Sammy Sam-my from this time on He looked tremendously relieved and a little puzzled too I thought I was reading him like an Illuminated sign Hes eager to keep friends with me thought I until hes absolutely abso-lutely sure theres nothing more in it for him and his people And that guess was a pretty good one It is not to the discredit of my shrewdness that I didnt see It was not hope but fear that mado him try to placate me then what the Langdons baa done Hut Sammy was saying in his friendliest i friendli-est tone Whats the matter old man Youre sour tonight1 Never In a better humor I assured as-sured him and as f spoke tho words they came true What I had been sayIng say-Ing about tbo Travelers and all it represented rep-resented all the snobbery and smirking smirk-ing and rotten pretensemy final and absolute renunciation of it nil acted 1 on me na rvo ten relish n Let en the fellows that used to go up to the mourners bench at the revivals 1 felt as If I had suddenly emerged from the parlor of a dive and Its stench ot sickening perfumes into the pure nlr of nods heaven I elgnpd the bill am We wont afoot up the avenue Sam as I saw with a good deal I of amusement > was trying to douse some nubile tactful way ot attaching his poor clumsy little sue tionpump to the well of my secret thoughts What Is It Sammy said I at fast What do you want to know that youie afraid to ask me Nothing he said hastily Im only a bit worried about about you and textile Mattthls in tho tone of deep emotion wo reserve for thQ attempt to lure friends Into confiding that about themselves which will give us the opportunity to pity them and If necessary to sheer off from them Matt I do hopo you havent boon hard hit Not yet said I easily Dry your tears and put away your black clothes Your friend Tom Lnugdon was a lit tie premature Im afraid Ive given you a falso Impression Sam continued with an overeagerness to convince me that did not attract my attention nt the time Tom merely said 1 hear Blacklock is loaded up with textile shorts that was all A careless remark 1 really didnt think of it again until I saw you looking so black and glum That seemed natural enough so I changed the subject As we entered his house I said Ill not go up to the drawing room Make my excuses to your mother will you Ill turn Into the little smoking raom hero Tell your sister and say Im going to stop only a moment mo-ment Sam had just left me when the butler but-ler came Mr Dall1 think that was the namo sirwishes to speak to you on the telephone I had given Kllorslys as one of the places at which I might bo found should it be necessary to consult me I followed the butler to the telephona closet under the main stairway As soon as Ball made sure It was I ho began Ill use the code words Ive just seen Fearless as you told mo to Fearlessthat was Mitchell my spy In the employ of Tavlstock who was my principal rival In the business of confidential brokerage for tho high financiers Yes said I What does he say There has been a great deal ot heavy buying for a month past Then my dread was well founded textiles were to bo deliberately rocketed rock-eted Whos been doing IU I asked Ho found out only this afternoon Its been kept unusually dark It Who Who I demanded Intrepid he answered Intrepid that Is Langdon Mow bray Laugdont The whole thing was planned carefully care-fully continued Ball and is coming off according to schedule Fearless overheard a final message Intrepid brother brought from him today So it was no mischanceIt was an assassination Mowbray Langdon had stabbed me in the back and fled Did you hear what I said asked Ball Is that you Yes I replied Oh came ip a relieved tone from the other end of the wire You were so long in answering that I thought Id been cut off Any instructions No said I Good by I heard him ring oft but I sat thor for several minutes the receiver still to my ear I was muttering Lang don Langdon why whywhy again and again Why had he turned against me Why had ho plotted to oa destroy moone of those plots so frequent fre-quent in Wall streetwhere the assassin assas-sin steals up delivers the mortal blow and steals away without ever being detected or oven suspected I saw the whole plot nowI understood Torn Langdons activities I recalled Mow bray Langdons curious phrases and I looks and tones DutwhywI1Y why How was 11n his way It was all dark to me pitchdark I returned to the smoking room lighted light-ed a cigar sat fumbling at the now situation I was in no worso plight than before what did it matter who was attacking me In the circumstances circum-stances a novice could now destroy me as easily as a Langdon Still I Balls news seemed to take away my courage I reminded myself that I was used to treachery of this sort that I deserved what I was getting because be-cause I had like a fool dropped my i guard in the fight that is always on everymanforhlmsclf But I reminded remind-ed myself in vain Langdons smiling treachery mado mo heartsick Soon Anita appearedpreceded and heralded by a faint rustling from soft and clinging skirts that swept my nerves like u lovotune I think my torment must have somehow some-how penetrated to her For she was st sweet and friendlyand she could not havo hurt mA worse If I had followed fol-lowed my impulse I should have fallen at her feet and burled my face scorchIng scorch-Ing In the folds of that pale blu faintly ahlmmoring robe of hers Do throw away that huge hideous cigar she said laughing And she took two cigarettes from the box put d both between her lips lit them held one toward mo I looked at her face and along her smooth bare outstretched out-stretched arm nnd at the pink slender I slen-der fingers holding the cigarette I I II took It as if I I wore afraid the spell I would be broken should my linger touch hors Afraidthats It Thats a why I didnt pour out all that was In my heart I deserved 1 to lone her Im taking you away from tin others I bald We could hear tho murmur of muii males l and of uiualo To be Oui lined |