| Show INI 1 I 1 S F 11 si 21 by v arf FREDERI FREDERICK CIK JOHN BURT I 1 pr 7 I 1 AL UPHAM A M A ADAMS 1 AMS author ol of th doctrine etc et lf DT BY all rt g abts 1903 KT BY I 1 K U cram tia able I 1 reer vod I 1 A J D a M w CHAPTER continued you remember that I 1 was speaking ot of the remarkable success of 0 a nest ern era man named blake well here la Is a letter from him this is hat hal he writes new york june Z dear sir I 1 am informed that you told bold an equity in ten thousand shares i ot of the L 0 railroad company I 1 have customers b ho are interested in this property and represent them in negotiations now pending it Is possible your interests mity may be condery con conserved gery by conferring with me dit dil this matter I 1 shall be pleased to lo meet you at your earliest ConVen lenco to B gentleman ot of your experience an injunction to secrecy Is 16 necessarY tin awaiting the pleasure ot of it conference la in my and trusting that it may result to our mutual advantage t remain f t very truty truly bourg JAMES BLAKE president james blako blake col co that Is oua odd st W said jessie the generals face glowed with pleasure do you own ten thousand shares ot of stock in a railroad papa 1 I own an equity in that amount of stock in au an alleged railroad he be said bald with a efm smile an equity Is something yea think you own and hope to realize on but do not expect to do not bother your head bead about it pel from whom is your letter prom from mr air morris he wishes to call somo some evening this week all ah um m the general cleared his throat and appeared to be concerned only indirectly suppose you intile mr air morris to take dinner with us wednesday evening 1 I have no engagement tor for We wednesday dries evening said jessie carel carelessly s sl y 1 I will write and ask him I 1 to C call I 1 at that time alm 1 I have hava riot not told you ot of t tho he change in mr morriss affairs said general n 16 S L 0 IV le F J 4 inlall I 1 it I 1 11 C V 11 0 r e I 1 I 1 t I 1 va r e I 1 I 1 V f I 1 Y 1 I I 1 TL r I 1 3 I 1 X 1 I 1 I 1 1 P r I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 11 I 1 X I 1 I 1 J I 1 I 1 I 1 1 t 11 aw V 71 I 1 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 4 11 1 7 1 I 1 fill I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 r carden with some eagerness nor have I 1 mentioned my good fortune in consequence ot of that change and y our good fortune e Is 13 what papa asked jessie without lifting her eyes A much more important position 11 has been awarded to me with a 0 cor respond lo increase in emolument edt replied general garden carden with in more ore of 0 dignity than of 0 pride jessie threw her arms around her fathers neck and spoke tender words of congratulation we will talk no more of money and other gloomy things she declares with a laugh which brought the roses to her cheeks checks 1 I am g going cling to play tor for you listen to this papa she ran her fingers oer the keys of 0 the piano the liquid notes swelled into the intoxicating melody of 0 a gypsy dance and am d quivered with the trilling ot of birds among the trees for half an hour jessie played then she began a spirited recital ot of her exer lences abroad she mimicked the staid old german professors processors and the general laughed until the tears coursed down his cheeks general carden made an early appointment with ith james blake and was as promptly admitted to the private office of the famous operator it if you have no objection general said james blake niter after the usual commonplace mon place remarks which preface business transactions explain the exact status 0 of this block or of 4 0 stock there Is no secret about it replied the former banker A number ot of years ago I 1 became convinced that the L 1 0 railroad had a brilliant future I 1 purchased fifteen flate en thousand shares on speculation tham the panic swept the country not dreaming that my bank would be ba involved I 1 decided to protect my 1 L 0 stock and ac cordingly bought it in at fifty paying the sum of in cash then the arasta crasta camo came and my bank act ct under v ith the others randolph nor mor rig was my principal creditor mr air arthur morris consented as a personal favor to lend lead me two hundred thousand dollars on the stock interest and other charges have since accumulated until mr morris morria has now a claim of against tho the stock at what price does mr morris pro pose peso to rac sacrifice the stock asked blake at twenty six all james blako blake made a rapid calculation on a writing pad 1 I have a proposition to make you general garden carden he said eald 1 I will advance you the money to exercise your option on the condition that ou on do so when it drops to 26 you will deposit the stock with me and place it in a pool to be handled at my discretion As an evidence of my ay good faith I 1 now olter offer you 35 tor for your stock eight points more than the market price after meeting the morris claim this will leave you a balance of 11 general garden carden looked inlo the handsome face of the young man who calmly made this proposition for some borne moments he be was silent but the be I 1 1 1 tf alil d h awoke and nd the courage of youth caroe came back bach i 1 I 1 will ill follow your our advice mr i make he be said firmly imy my one ambition Is to insure the happiness ot of lily iny daughter you vou must be sure of your ground and I 1 am content to rely on oil sour judgment ludio nent I 1 therefore accept your original offer mr air blake and will sign alga an aa agreement to that effect blake tailed a legal subordinate and in general cadilena Ca tilenA ruen ulc die the terms of tho contract duplicate copied of abich were signed rind fand I 1 1 should till pleased and hon honored bred said general carden Carde ii III an be arose to go to have you accept the tha hambla hospitality of 0 my temporary home it if bod have no other engagement dive with tit 14 on thursday evening 1 I 1 have none and shall do myself that pleasure until then adieu general garden carden james blake alalie shook hands aanas with the general and turned and entered john burts burls private office ailts its all right john he be exclaimed with the enthusiasm of a boy you have managed it better belter yourself I 1 have his option and a contract which gives vs us absolute control hes a dignified and at times a crusty old gentleman but he stood in proper ao amo of the famous firm of james blake company did general garden carden say anything about his daughter asked john with anxious eagerness has she returned from europe 1 I think the fair jessie Is in now york at this very moment said blake sa illing as he be noted the flash of joy in the others eyes im not I 1 s supposed u to know that ho he has a d tighter daughter L and you cautioned mo me to be very careful to say nothing which might ht arouse bis big suspicions but he invited me to dine with nith him at the bishop residence on thursday evening ot of course you accepted 1 I should say I 1 did laughed blake how would you ou like to take my place john very much jim there was a wistful tar far away expression in the deep gray eyes 1 I must wait a time et not long I 1 hope never mind old roan men said blake heartily 1 I hope you on may live to dine with her a million ll 11 ones mes and that in future years eara an oll chap named blake may occasionally be permitted to have a seat scat at the table bud and that he be may bo be surrounded by a new and increasing generation of sturdy young john burts and fair and radiant little jessie burts thank you jim returned john burt burl ills his expressive face aglow with pleasure when that happy day comes you roust must bring mrs blake and the children with you CHAPTER breaking old tits ties on the thursday afternoon atte moon following his big interview with general carden blake strolled into his favorite club lie he was chatting alling di with kingsley when arthur morris arrived and at the first opportunity led blake to a secluded corner pallon me old chap I 1 dont do nt often talk business after hours apologized morris ou will excuse me for mentioning a little stock matter wont you certainly morris upa up morris looked cautiously around and dropped his voice to a vil lisper once in a while I 1 get hold of a good thing ani an ive got one now he began theroa theres going to be a boom in L 0 I 1 yes what h makes you iou think so morris bawn 1 go into old chap but you buy a little L 0 when it drops below 26 it ill 11 take a jump of eight or ten points take my word for it old chap much obliged to you morris blake took out his memorandum book and carefully made a note of 0 the proffered advice 1 I imagine youve got control of the stock you tell me old man ill do my own oan guessing we wa yankees ore are great on guessing make ordered his coachman to drive to the bishop residence he lay back on the cushioned seat and laughed softly to think that such a hound Is ia engaged to jessie carden I 1 tsar miss carden Is too fond of money well moneys a good thing but it I 1 were a woman I 1 marry morris it if he had a billion and johns got enough to buy bay and sell him the carriage drew up at the bishop residence general carden greeted blake in the draw ing room it was restful to contemplate template coa this abode to breathe the air of 0 domestic luxury and to contrast it with the frigid ele cle ganco of the bachelor apartments where his big recent years had boon been spent blakes eyes man wandered dered along the hie ft valls nils until the rested resist on a por that ot of jessie carden he plated in the middle ot of a sentence hla big eyes rive d on the canvas I 1 I 1 A po portrait aalt ot at my daughter jessie one ODB of 0 Stein bachs best production product lom exclaimed general carden with fatherly aprile mistaking blakes amazement for polite admiration she returned fumed from abroad only a few days ago 0 ali ah here she comes now As aa he be spoke poke blake heard beard the taint faint rustle of 0 bilk and the music of 0 laughing voices the por lieres parted and mrs airs bishop entered with jessle and ter her cousin edith hancock with old school dignity general carden presented james blake there Is 8 born in every mans brain the image of an ideal woman the iha ignis lateus of 0 lancy fancy hovering above the shampa of realism james blakes ideal was dethroned dethroner tho the no mo most he looked into jessie gardens cardens eca he felt the mysterious thrill of her presence after afler a delightful hour spent over dinner during which blar blake was as in daw lively humor the young I 1 ladles es I 1 left eft the general and his guest to the enjoyment of cigars for the tha first time in lifis his life lc blake would millin willingly gly have sacrificed the soothing delights of the weed lie he was glad when his host gave the signal and conducted him to the draa drawing ing room where they found jessie and awaiting them i at the generals request jessie played several of 0 his favorite sele selections edith standing by her side and deftly turning the music pages page lor for her then they sang a duet a german folk song jessies voice was a pure contralto coat ralto tender rich and wonderfully der fully expressive in its lt umbra timbre blake was passionately fond of music and though he had bad been given little opportunity to cultivate his big decided natural talents was wag nevertheless an excellent singer and a capable critic that was grand ho exclaimed his handsome faco face aglow with admiration mi ration of the rouble music 1 I have bave never heard beard wanderers rendered more exquisitely please favor mo me bilth der tannenbaum will III you willingly said eald jessie as edith smiled her assent but der tannenbaum Is much more effective with a tenor part you sing do you not mr blake something tells mo me you do im sure mr blake sings asserted edith come mr blake tho the general shall be ba our audience 1 I have been charged with mith singing but never by such fair accusers laughed blake stepping forward 1 I trust the general will not mete out a punishment to fit the crime sing the english translation and I 1 will do my best to carry a part blake acquitted himself famously in san francisco clubs and social circles his bis clear strong voice had added to his bla popularity but never did he bo sing so well as on that night standing anding el by jessie gardens cardens side to be continued |
