Wichita eagle., 1889-08-18
with diamonds: Could raise even part
of the sunni

Time-tire! that was everything. /
remembered another Oriental story, and
found morentary consolation IN II.
The sultan said to q wise man, esSince
you are SO learned and can doeyerything,
pray teach my ape to recite verse of
Haiz within the year. Fail, and off goes
your head" Certainly" replied the
wise man, who walked away apparently
unconcerned. Some friend asked him
why he was troubled so little, and this
wise mans reply was: 81 must have pa
tience, because the chances are really not
so much against me. One year is long
time. In the twelvemonth the sultan
might die, or the ape or l." Did that
wise man at once arrange to poison the
ape or the sultan? What else could have
made him SO cocksTre?
studied the grand total of my iabil-
tiles, learned what was its proportion to
the people of the United States, to the
worlds population. l laid some very
bold schemes. I constructed a martin
gale, based on the calculation of chances.
might make myself a political power,
settle down on something or other-one
of the necessities of life-have it pro-
tected, then manufacture it, and prevent
anybody else from making or disposing
of it. That struck me as the most plau-
sible of all my plans.
Thirty days! That was so short! Bust
ness, said, after all, must have the ele-
ment of romance, and time for its de-
velopment. The Italian street corner
vender always will roast peanuts, because
he is wanting in imagination.
Then my train of thought took another
track, ''How are great fortunes made:"
[ asked. Has not Balzac said, lie secret
des grandes fortunes, sans cause appa-
rente, est un crime oublie, parce quill a
etc proprement fait?" If I only dared!
All Peter Duff wanted was some little of
his former nerve.
Rapidly fed the days. My wife noticed
the change in me. l concealed the vult
ure that was, SO to speak, leaving but
veneer of NE, thinner shell than has a
Boulak mummy case.
On the morning of the 9th I sat
gloomily at my desk. l had found moth
ing, and yet looked ahead at the con-
sequences Of my default. It would con-
vulSe two, perhaps three, continents. If
at the coming fair at Nijuii-Novgorod
times were hard | would be the cause of
it. Russians, Tartars, Chinese, Arne-
mans would curse Peter Duff Knowing
that the crash must inevitably come,
might [ not give the tip to Chicago, New
York, London, Paris, Berlin. Amsterdam
Of the impending disaster, and induce
fnancierS to go short on the whole
products Of the globe? But how would
that avail me? Logically, it seemed alb
surd; and yet if men could they would
foreStal an earthquake, discount del
uge, and take or give the odds on cata-
clysm with the same easy grace as does
q bookmaker at the Suburban.
When that dread day of reckoning
came l was fitful, feverish, dazed. Every
Jingle of the bell would echo through my
brain. So far Nemesis had not come,
but knew he was coming. I came to
appreciate the exact moment when he
looked at date in his black book. He
was striding through the streets. He
had taken a horse car. | could see him
reading his paper coolly, calmly, uncon-
cernedly. An accident to street car?
Why are they so rare?
The bell changed. By the movement
downstairs l knew that Bella Maginnis
was disputing with the iceman as to the
bulk of the piece of ice. Bella always
was keenly alive to the interests of her
employers.
Its not only a schmal bit, but
dhurty bit besoides, yer a-lavin' me; as
if my leddy's money wasn't as bright
and clane as onybody Uses in the strate."
Evidently the iceman was parsimoni-
ously infiexible, for I heard Bella declare
him ''a chate."
Then came the grocer's lad, the butch
er's boy, who were received and dis
missed with fieas in their ear. "And
me a-doin' me livil Dist to tidy up, a.
clanin' this intry fure, and yer a-tramp-
oisin' thru it,"
/ suspected big tub of water some
where induced disputativeness on her
part.
Then the tocsin sounded. Ny hour
had come. There was no reprieve. Il
waited with bated breath 1t was his
clutch on the bellpull. / heard the
dreary croak. What were the exact
words did not know. 1t was only the
sound of it l caught. Then
an irascible brogue.
AN OF a-tellin' yer, sor, that Pater
Duff-or Daft, is it?-no more lives here
than Daffy Pater, by the token that olive
been alvin here, man an hi, for six
mortal yares, wild plenty to ate and |
dhrinh, an wages paid reg'lar. An it's |
a-bodderin' me yer are, inthistin' that |
Duffy, which his Christian name, SO seq
you, is Pater, lives here, an me a-talkin' |
English to yez as he don't, and nivir did, !
nor wull.
But. my good girl, who does live
here, them said the voice, in an at |
tempt to soften the croah.
"Oim none of yer good gurls, sor. and |
kape dacent tongue in yer ugly mouth" /
Then l heard that wooden oath a door |
makes when it slams 10. Presently there /
vas another ring. 1t was an accumulated |
ing, not prolonged.
See here. Its no use. You are try
pg to shield this man Duff He lives
here. i saw him. lie did not deny it.
am a-coming in"
"A-comin' in, are ye? Divil Bit Not
while there's dhrop of blud to defnd |
ne masther and misthress, sor. It's wio-