Show 72 M JOHN BURT hupham UPHAM by FREDERICK AD ADAMS AMS rs K J I 1 1 author of the th kidnapped os colonel coronel Moa rot doctrine 1 etc T 1803 90 UT y 11 A 1902 T all 7 ja kioa K AD A I 1 sa A J D 1 t D aln I 1 jj ia FM CHAPTER 1 continued when I 1 mode made my start bosses I 1 was tickled to death if I 1 sold fold a boss an made twenty dollars profit that ten thousand dollars meant the sellin of more than five hundred losum sn an all I 1 had to do m as to reach out an take jr jl an I 1 gazed at that money an thought how bow it would look in my bank hook book an I 1 said to him mr morris sas I 1 im your marr man A an then seeta how easy it 11 was to meke money here in this city counell council I 1 made a deal with him by which I 1 was to buy up six other aldermen an turn em over to him same again as it if they vere a lot of 0 bosses or bags ot or potatoes then we drew up an agreement ayre ement to vote for the ordinances au an gave it to mr aar morris hero here mr air chairman Is II the duly certified copy of that contract part of 0 the money was in cash or ar the rest in a certified chock check an 1 I 1 love ova brought it here for or your inspection you v hlll III note that it Js Is signed by mr arthur morris and drawn drann on his blink 11 now mr chairman on an members of 0 this honorable body said sam turning and facing his astonished listeners 1 I want to say to you that I 1 have buys changed my mind about voting for these ordinances my afy lawyer tells mo me I 1 dont have to keep tb this Is agreement with mr air morris an 11 im goin gain to sacrifice that ten thousand dollars an tho the ten thousand more which would have been mine v m hen these ordinances din ances pass acting on oil the advice of mi in lawyer I 1 therefore turns this money over to you with the certified check an the agreement wo we signed aou ou for your kind attention to this explanation I 1 votes no A scene ot of wildest contusion confusion tot lol lowed halt half of the members were on their feet demanding recognition tho chairman pounded his big gavel into silvers in a vain attempt to restore order the storm gradually subsided and alderman Hend hendircks ileks secured recognition tion from the chair in view ot of the remarkable state dents made by my colleague ho he said 1 I move a postponement of the vote and the appointment ot of a committee to investigate these curious charges there were vigorous protests and the chair ruled that the vote must proc proceed ced each ot of the six aldermen associated soc socia ted in ft lib ith sam pounds substantiated d the charges made and deposited the bribery money with the chairman realizing that defeat was lne liable nil all ol of the ring excepting alderman hendricks recorded their votes against the ordinances A motion to id jour was declared passed and the excited mob poured into the corridors CHAPTER the love of a man for a woman it was not the tault fault ot of the chat or ot of the abernice sen ice that arthur morris did rot enjoy his big dinner jessies beauty which once charmed him now inspired him with jealous rage for blake bo be felt unalloyed hatred and tor for gen carden a contempt which he did not try iry to conceal ile he impatiently awalt an alt at ed the morrow when ho he hoped to crush james blake to to extinguish the general lie he the news ot or the councils decision might be brou brought lit to him at dinner As he brooded blooded a messenger boy approached pro ached and handed morris an envelope alif ah I 1 presume this Is itt be exclaimed ile ho adjusted his big monocle with elaborate care broke tho the envelope and read 1 I my dear morris the cosmopolitan franchises were defeated by a practically unanimous vote rounds bounds ind six others charge you w with ith bribery rounds exhibited your certified check am on my way to the iloff II offman man house tract meet me there at once destroy this ill 11 II the note fell ell from the speculators hand and fluttered flattered to the floor he stared wildly around but no words came to his lips any answer boss the piping olce oice ol of the messenger boy as aa be stood blood cap in hand recalled him to arth giarth no he said pushing his chair from the table and rising unsteadily to his big teel feet im going forty five cents boss demanded the messenger get act out ot of the way damn you pay this boy blake and he rushed for or the dressing room blake picked up the note and tore it into pieces lie ho know knew the purport of 0 the message which had caused the precipitate departure of 0 arthur morris but he did not disclose it some important wall street matter I 1 suppose ho be ventured in answer to the questioning surprise of 0 jessie and edith I 1 his expression positively frightened me said edith did iou notice how white he be turned when he be read that note it must have been F cm ething awful perhaps his father Is deed decd the impending overthrow ot of morris I 1 fed the flames of james blakes alces im patience according to the falsehood he br had told john burt jessie was duo due to arrive in new york in a few days ile he taw saw a h chances for the exposure of his duplicity to one for its success only in jessies presence did his big hopt hopes B surmount his tears fears ila ho invented innumerable schemes and dismissed then them ono one by one one chance remained an immediate proposal its acceptance and a hasty carriage lie ile would carry the citadel of cl her heart by storm and bear her away in the confusion and turmoil of 0 the he coming battle women have been won in a day lie he mused and by knights less well armed than myself ill propose tse tomorrow night she roust must accept me she will adept me then an immediate marriage and a trip to europe tilly V hy should that not win its got to win I 1 ill make mahe it win thus argued james blake during a lull in the conversation this was worthy of bis big reckless nature lie ile not turn back the smoke of burning bridges was behind him tho the stalls of conquered love awaited its his onward march I 1 it seems impossible that I 1 have bavo known you only a week he said rals ing inc his eyes and looking tenderly into jessies face 1 I feel as it if id been 11 acquainted with you tor for years and not tor for a few brief days I 1 trillions millions of 0 lovers have voiced the fame discovery and millions more will do it again you are singularly forgetful forget lul laughed jessie ot of our early acquaintance in rocity woods that was not weeks but ears ago 1 I must gle mr air morris credit tor for that bit of imagination said eaid blake it has become a reality to me and I 1 cos car see you as you were back in those years and picture you among the rocks and fields w wo 0 know knew so well do aou ou go there this season cliss careen we leave on the thursday evening I 1 I 1 1 l 11 I 1 J P IWAI 1 ap ti V 11 V 1 I 3 11 y 1 1 1 I 1 1 I 1 11 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 1 1 I 1 1 r I 1 k I 1 44 1 1 J 41 11 1 7 1 I 1 L t I 1 t 4 I 1 71 71 VA i I 1 I 1 a 11 11 fl bivil S 1 I 1 I 1 k r 1 J a aal I 1 I 1 I 1 C 11 V al 1 L I 1 K S J ci V I 1 I 1 0 I 1 I 1 f 43 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 1 ll 11 N i 11 1 1 11 I 1 t I 1 7 t wi I 1 II 11 W 1 01 I 1 I 1 I 1 am ey 41 I 1 i M 5 j 0 CJ T I 1 cw c w aa ell boat was the tha reply nothing could have suited blake better lie he would mould tell john burt that jessie had postponed her departure from france lie ho then would plead III health and join jessie in Hing bingham hingham ham and their marriage and wedding trip should follow the first cards had fallen in ills his favor and le ile determined to press his advantage may I 1 call tomorrow to morrow evening and not plead business with inith the general us as a pretext he abood abbed boldly 1 I may not get another chance to see you before you leave you see im already presuming on these years of friend arlend 11 gent gen garden carden attends a banquet tomorrow evening but edith and I 1 will be at home and well vell be delighted it aull drop in to relieve the uny tny replied jessie uncle tom plays a splendid hand band at whist and you can take papas place blakes spirits mounted high as hope fed the springs of his longing the hour boar was late m when ben he be bade bl bis fellow guests goodnight good night at the carriage door end his big being thrilled with the touch oi her hand and the light of her smile at parting slake blake strolled slowly up the avenue in the direction of hla his apartments he had bad not gone two squares when lie he met john burt in all the years in sari san francisco and new york this was the first time they had bad met in a public thoroughfare one of the horses hauling beating a wagon laden w etli stage settings had fallen and blocked the street blako concealed his big contusion confusion by looking up and down the street tor for a carriage ile he finally hailed a driver aad they viero rapidly driven to bl his apartments we must perfect our plans tor for tomorrow said john joba the city council defeated the cosmopolitan franchises tonight to night and I 1 shall move against L 0 tomorrow morning tho the voice was calm but it held a note of triumph and of quiet conal cence it hinted at no suspicion and blake drew a long breath breah of relief as he be thought of his big third escape ile he shuddered to think of what would have happened had gen garden carden postponed his big departure from the dining room by a fe few w minutes he pic erred john durt burt entering the room his bis steady gaze lined fixed first on himself and then on jessie garden carden so vivid was the imaginary picture that he felt all the horror of the situation this Is ray my last speculative earn cam reign said john for ears cars I 1 haie hae been a gold grubbing and money mak ing machine and I 1 hope my better instincts have survived ved the strata strain we shall triumph to tomorrow morrow and when it Is ended you shall be in fact as well n ell a as in name the head bead of the firm of james blake company I 1 can call retire from active participation in its affairs Ls quietly as I 1 entered and you have fairly won whatever of prestige at leabes to the name before disks blake could find words to reply the carriage cair lage stopped in front of bis big apartment they entered and rund hawkins hawking awaiting them im making myself fd 4 home blake he be bald ive kept your man tiny bilay getting g cigars and refreshments let pet get down to business bual nefa gentlemen its past midnight and well need all the loop we can get for nearly two hours hourn they worked at the iho plans for the battle which was to come at times blake was ab partied la in the discussion again lif hla mind wandered to the woman h ha would buy at the price of 0 his bis honor T then h 0 n he thought of 0 t john n burts aig bith joha pr princely in c e ly pledge and like R s a flash sh there cime came to him an impulse which thrilled hit hl very soul with P a happiness in which were throbs of poignant Tant pain nut many blocks away aw ay another con ference was in progress staid bank di lector and financiers associated with arthur morris hid bad been aroused from their slumbers and were assembled in ills his rooms bewildered for the moment by the unexpected blow morits took look measures for defense dc teriso with a vigor which was keyed by a sense ot at imminent danger his suspicion that james blake was the cause of his lefeat became a certainty when a reporter informed him that blake and samuel L rounds were earn corn pauloni lau lati loni long and that the latter had bad been in blakes offices the east wag crimsoned crim with sun bun light before the conference ended the weary men ot of money left morris rooms and sought a few hours of rest before facing the ordeal of the day for mutual protection they had formed formed a pool had pledged themselves to support the iho market against the expected onslaught of blakes millions why were these masked millions drawn up in 4 battlo battle array why did men of vast affairs wait with drawn faces and bated wreaths the hour when the clash of opposing forta fortunes iries should sound the signal tor for merciless conflict because of a woman a woman pure lis as an opening bud and gentle as tho the dew which kisses it it why had james blake proved false to the man who unselfishly befriended him why had be sought to repay loyalty loyally with perfidy because of a woman a woman whose loving heart was incapable of deceit to bo be continued |