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Show THE DELUGE tj DA3D GRAIIAM PIILLIRS, Author of "THE'COSTM? cwx)&?r skis' tv ti osBs-KS2ixzz can&ivy? CHAPTER XXIX. Continued. Tho first news I got was that Hill Van Nest hud disappeared As soon eo the Stick Kxcbango opened, Nil-lonal Nil-lonal Coal becamo tho feature. Hut. nstead of "wash sales," Iloebuck, -aiiRdon and Melville wero thorn-icIvch, thorn-icIvch, through various brokers, buy ng the stocks In large quantities to coop tho prices up. My next letter van as brier as my first philippic: "lllll Van Nest Is nt tho liotol j 'rankfort, Nowaik, under tho namo of riioinas I.owry. He was In telephonic, lommiinlcatlou with President Mel-Mile, Mel-Mile, of tho National Industrial bunk, '.wlco yesterday. "Tho underwriters of tho National Coal company's now Issues, fright-1 ned by yesterday's exposure, hnvo compelled Mr. Itoobuck, Mr. Mowbray Mow-bray l.angdon and Mr. Molvlllo them-lolvcs them-lolvcs to buy. So, yesterday, thoso threo gentlemen bought with jonl monoy, with their own money, Inrgo quantities or stocks which nro worth loss than hair what they paid tor them. "Thoy will contlnuo to buy theso stocks so long as tho public holds aloor. Thoy daro not let tho prices slump. Thoy hopo thnt this storm will blow over, and thnt then the Investing In-vesting public will forget and will roliovo thorn of their load."v I had ndded: "Hut this storm won't blow over. It will becomo n cyclono." I struck that out. "No prophecy," snld I to myself. "Your rule, Ironclad, Iron-clad, must bo racts, always facts; only facts." Tho gambling section of tho public took my hint nnd rushed into tho market; tho burdon of protecting tho underwriters was doubled, nnd moro nnd moro of tho hoarded loot was disgorged. That must havo been a costly day ror, 10 minutes artor tho Stook Hxchango closed, ltocbuck sent tor mo, "My compliments 16 him," Bald I to his mcBsongor, "but I am too busy. I'll bo glad to see him hero, however. "You know ho dares not como to you," said tho messongcr, Schilling, president or the, National Manufactured Manufac-tured Food company, Bomotlmes called tho Poison TniBt. "If ho did, nnd It wero to got out, thoro'd bo a panic." "Probably," ropllod I with a ahrug. "That's no affair of mine. I'm not ro-oponslblo ro-oponslblo ror the rotten conditions which these so-called financiers havo produced, and I shnll not bo disturbed by the crash which must como." Schilling gave mo a gcnulno look or mingled pity and admiration. "I.rup-poso "I.rup-poso you know what you're about," said he, "but I think you'ro making u mistake." "Thanks, Ned," said I ho bad been my head clork a fow yearn before, and I had got him tho chance with ltoebuck which ho had Improved so well. "I'm going to have some fun. Can't llvo hut once." My "dally letters" had now ceased to bo advertisements, md becomo nows, Bought by nil tho newspapers ot this country nnd of the big cities In Croat Ilrltaln. I could havo mado a largo Raving by no longer paying my sixty-odd regular papers for Inserting thorn. Hut I Nvus looking too far ahead to blunder Into that fatal mistake. mis-take. Instead, I slgnod a year's contract con-tract with each ot my papors, they guaranteeing to print my advertisements, advertise-ments, I guaranteeing to protect them against loss on libel suits. I organized organ-ized a dummy news bureau, nnd through It gut contracts with tho tole-graphic tole-graphic companies. Thus Insured against tho cutting of my communications communica-tions with tho public, I was ready for tho real campaign. It began with my "History of tho National Coal company." I need not repeat that famous history hero I nood recall only tho main iKilntH how I proved that tho common stock was actually worth Iobh than two dollars a Blmro. thut tho bonds woro worth loss than twenty-flvo dollars In tho huu-drvd, huu-drvd, thnt both stock and bonds woro Illegal; my detullod recital ot tho crlmoB or Itoobuck, Molvlllo and I.nng-don I.nng-don lu wrecking mining propeitloH, In wrecking coal railways, ln ojecting American labor nnd substituting helota from eastern Kuropo; how they had swindled nnd lied and bribed; how thoy had twisted tho books ot tho companion, how they wcro planning plan-ning to unload tho mass or almost worthless securities nt high prices, thou to gut from undor tho mnrkvjt and lot tho bonds and stocks drop down to whoro thoy could buy them In ou terms that would yield thorn more thun 2C0 por cent on the actual capital capi-tal Invested. Less and dearer coal; lower wages and moro Ignorant laborers; labor-ers; enormous prollta absorbed without with-out meroy Into a fow pockets. On tho day tho seventh chnptor of this history appeared, tho telegraph companies notlflod mo that thoy would transmit no moro ot my mattor. Thoy feared tho consequences In :tbol suits, oxplalnod Mosoby, gonoral managor of ono ot tho companies. "Hut I guarantee to protect you," said I. "I will kIvo bond la any amount you ask." "We can't take the risk, Mr. Illark-lock,' Illark-lock,' replied he Tho twlnklo In his oyo told mo why, nnd also that ho, ilko fvory ono else In tho country except ex-cept the clique, wns In sympathy with me. , My lawyers found nn honest Judge, and I got an Injunction that compelled tho companies to transmit under my contracts. 1 suspended tho "History for ono day, and sent out ln place of It nn account of this nttempt to shut mo off rrom the public, "lleroattcr," I said I, In tho last paragraph U my j lettur, "I shall end each day's chapter with n forecast of what the- next day's chapter; Is to be. If for auy reason it falls to appear, tho public will know that somebody has been coerced by Iloebuck, Molvlllo & Co." XXX. ANITA'S SECRET. That attcrnoon or, was ittlionext? I happened to go homo early I havo nover been nblo to keep nllvo anger against' nny ono. My nnger against Anita had long ngo died away, had boon succeeded by regret arid romorso thnt I had let my 'nerves, or whatovcr tho accursed causo was, whirl mo Into such an outburst. Not "'KOOIi!' SHE FIUCD AT MB. OH, THU FOOLS WOMEN MAKE JOF MEN" that I regretted having rojected what I still felt was Insulting1 to mo and degrading to to, ; simply thnt my manner should have been dltTeront. Thoro was no necessity or excuse for vlolonco In showing her that I would not. could not, accept from gratitude what only lovo has tho right to glvo. And I had long been casting about for Homo way to apologize not easy to do, when hor distant mannor toward mo mndo It dllllcult for mo to 11 ml overt tho necessary commonplaces to "keep up appearances" boforo tho servants on tho few occasions on which wo accidentally mot Hut, ns I was saying, I camo up from tho office and stretched myself on tho lounge In my prlvato room adjoining ad-joining tho library. I had read myself j Into u dozo, when a servant brought ; mo a card. I glanced nt It ns it lay upon his oxtouded tray. "Uonoral Mousorr," I rend nloud. "What doos I tho damned rascal want?" I nskod. j Tho Borvaut smiled. He kncw na well as I how Mention, nftor I dismissed dis-missed him with a present, 'of Blx I months' pay, had given thb nows-I nows-I papors tho Btory or, rnthor, jils vcr-I vcr-I slon of tho i.tory -of my of oris to educnto mysel; In tho "arts an I graces ot a gentleman " "Mr. Monsort says ho wUhcr to boo you particularly, sir," said he "Well I'll boo him," Bald . I do-Bplsod do-Bplsod him too much to djslljco him, and I thought ho might possibly bo In want Hut that notion vnnlshed'tho Instant I sot eyes "lion him. Ho was obviously at tho very top of tiro wayo, "Hollo, Monson," wa my greeting, In It no reminder of -his treachery. "Howdy, Hlacklock." said he. "l'vo como on a llttlo errand for Mrs. Lang-don." Lang-don." Thun, with that nasty grin of ntH "You know, I'm looking after things for her slnco tho bust-up." 'No, I didn't know," said I curtly, hupprosslng my instant curiosity. What does Mrs. Langdoir want?" "To Bee jou for Just a few minutes -whenover It Is convenient." "If Mrs. Lnngdon has business with mo, I'll bco her at my office." said 1. Sho was ono of tho fashionables that had got herself Into my black books by hor treatment ot Anita slnco tho break with tho Ellerslys. I "Sho wishes to como to you hero this attcrnoon, It you aro to bo at I homo. Sho asked mo to Bay thnt hor I business is Importnnt and very prl- i vote." I hesitated, but I could think ot no good excuse for refusing. "I'll bo horo an hour," n!d I. "Good day." Ho gavo me no time to change my mind. Something perhaps It was his curious expression as ho took himself him-self off mndo mo begin to regret Tho moro I thought of tho mattor, tho less I thought of my having mado nny civil concession to a woman who had acted so badly toward Anita and myself. Ho had not been gono a quarter or an hour beforo I w6nt to Anltn In her sitting room. Always, tlio Instnnt I eatared tho oitter door. ot her part of aar house, that power-ful. power-ful. Intoxicating fascination that she had Tor mo began to tako possession or my senses. It was In every gar-raout gar-raout Bho woro. It scorned to llngor ln any place whero sho had been, for a long tlmo alter she left It Sho was nt a small desk by the window, was writing letters. "May I Interrupt?" snld I. ".Monson was hero a fow minutes ago from Mrs. Langdon. Sho wants to sco mo. I told him I would bco her here. Then It occurred to mo that perhaps I hud been too good-natured. What do you think?" . I could not sco her faco, bst only tho back ot hor hood, and tho loose colls or magnetic hair and tho white nopo or hor graceful neck. As 1 began be-gan to speak, sho stopped writing, udr pen suspended over tho shoot oTj paper. Aftor I onded thoro was i?a, long sllonco. ' 4 "I'll not soo hor," snld 1. "I (don't qulto understand why I yielded."' And I turned to go. v "Walt ploaso," camo from her abruptly. ab-ruptly. Another long eilonco. Then I: "It sho cornea hero, I think tho only person per-son who can properly recolvo her Is you." "No you must seo hor," said Anltn at last. And sho turned round In, hor chair until sho was facing mo. Hor oxprosslon I can not descrlbo It 1 can only say that It gavo mo a sonso of lmpondlng calamity, "I'd rather not much rathor not," said I. "I particularly wish you to seo hor," Bho replied, and sho turned back to hor writing, I saw her pen poised ns If Bho woro nbout to begin; but sho did not begin and I tolt that sho would not With my mind shadowed with vnguo dread, I left that mysterious mysteri-ous stillness, and went back to tho library. It was not long beforo Mrs. Langdon Lang-don was announced. Thoro aro somo wnmon to whom a haggard look Is becoming; be-coming; sho If one of them. Bho was, much thinner than when I last saw hor; Instead of her former restless, petulant, suspicious expression, sho now looked trugtcaltv sail. "May I troublo you to clojo bo door?" sain she, when IV 'rvant had withdrawn j I closed tho door. "l'vo como," alio began, v.lthout seating horself, "to make ysa ns un- happy, I fear, as I am. l'vo hesitated long bofoio coming. Hut I am desperate. desper-ate. Tlu ono hopo I huvo left Is that you snil I between us may bo ablo to to that you and I may be ablo to help each other." I waited. "I supposo there ire pooplo," she went on, "who have never known what It was to really to euro for somo ono else. They would dcaplsa mo for clinging to a man after ho has shown mo that thnt his lovo has ceased." "Pardon mo, Mrs. Langdon,' I Interrupted. In-terrupted. "You apparently think your husband and I are Intlmato frlsnds. llcforo you go nny furthort I must dlsabuso you or that Idea." Sho looked at mo In open astonish-mont astonish-mont "You do not know why my husband has left mo?" "Until n row minutes ago, 1 did not know that ho had left you," I said. "And I do not wish to know why." Her expression or astonishment cjianged to mockery. "Oh!" sho aneerod. "Your wire has fooled you Into thinking It a one-sided affair. Well, I tell you, sho Is ns much to blamo as he more. For ho did lovo mo when ho married mo; did lovo mo until sho got him under her spell ngaln." I thought I understood. "You havo been misled, Mrs. Langdon," said 1 gontly, pitying her as tho victim of her Insane Jealousy. "You havo " "Ask your wife," sho Interrupted angrily. "Hereafter, you can't protend pro-tend Ignorance. For I'll at least bo rovongod. Sho failed utterly to trap him Into, marriage when sho was a poor girl, and " "Boforo you go nny further," said I coldly, "lot mo set you right My wlfo woa nt ono tlmo engaged to youf husband's brother, but " "Tom?" sho Interrupted. And her laugh mado mo'blfo my lip. "So sha told you that! I don't boo how she tfured. Why, ovorybody knows that sho nnd .Mowbray wero engaged, nnd that ho broke It off to marry mo." All In an Instnnt everything that had been confused In my affairs nt homo and down town becamo clear. I understood why I had been pursued relentlessly In Wall street; why I had been unablo to mako tho least Impression Im-pression on tho barrlors betweon Anita nnd myself. You will imaglno that somo tcrrlblo emotion at onco dominated mo. Dut this Is not a romanco; only tho veracious chronicle chroni-cle of certain busman beings. My first emotion was rcllof that It was not Tom Langdon. "I ought to have known Bho couldn't euro for him," said I to myself. I, contending with Tom Langdon for a woman's lovo had always mado mo shrink. Dut Mow. bray that was vastly different. My respect for myself and tar Anita roso "No," said I to Mrs. Langdon, "my wlfo did not toll mo, nover spoko of It What I said to you was puroly n guess of my own. I had no Intorest In tho matter and haven't I havo absoluta confidence In my wlfo. I fool ashamed that you havo provoked mo Into saying say-ing so." I opened tho door. "I am not going yet," said sho an grlly. "Yesterday morning Mowbray nnd Bho woro riding together fn tho Itlvorsldo drlvo. Ask her groom." "What of It?" sa.d I. Thon, as she did not rise, I rang tho belj. When tho servant camo, I said: "Please toll Mrs. Hlacklock that Mrs. Langdon Is In tho library and that I am hero, and gavo you tho mesBogo." As soon as tho sorvant was gono, sho said: "No doubt sho'll Ho to you. Thoso women that steal other worn-on's worn-on's proporty nro usually clevor at fooling their own silly husbands." "I do not Intend to ask her," I replied. re-plied. "To ask her would bo an Insult In-sult Sho mado no comment boyond a scornful toss qr tho head. Wo both had our gaze fixed upon tho door through which Anita would enter. Whon sho finally did nppear, I, artet ono glanco nt her, turned It must have been triumphantly upon hoi accuser. I had not doubted, but whoro Is tho faith that Is not the strongor for confirmation? And confirmation con-firmation thoro wns ln tho very at-mosphoro at-mosphoro round that stately, still figure Sho looked calmly, llrst nt Mrs. Langdon, then at mo. , "I sont for you," snld I, "bocaiwo I thought that you, rathor than I, should roqUQjit Mrs. Lnngdon to leavo your house." At thnt Mrs. Langdon was on nor feet, and blazing. "Fool!" sho flared ut mo. "Oh, tho fools women mnko ol men!" Then to Anltn: "You you - Hut no, I must not permit "you to drag mo down to your lovol. Toll your husband toll him that you wer riding with my husband In tho IUvor-sldo IUvor-sldo drlvo yesterday. I stopped between her and Anita. "My wlfo will not answer you," Bald I. "I hope, Madam, you will sparo us tho necessity of a painful scone. Hut leavo you must nt onco." Sho looked wildly round, claspod her hands, -urddenly bust Into tears. It sho had but known, sho could havo hnd hor own way aftor that, without any attempt from mo to opposo hor. For sho waa evidently unutterably wrotclrod and no ono know bolter than I tho sufferings of tinretrrrned lovo. Hut sho had. given mo up; slowly, sobbing, sho loft tho room I opening tho door for hor nnd closing It behind hor. "I almost broke down mysolf," said 1 to Anita. "Poor woman! How can you bo so cnlm? You women In your rotations with oach other are- uryn tory." (To be Contlmrod.) |