The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-08-28

nc tOtU ne EHOTtU u tu6 none OF mig
business"
then all the members have sent you con-
tributions, so perhaps that accounts for
it. By the way; have you seen Gibberts
lately?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
well, it strikes me he is acting
rather queerly lately. If you ask me, I
don't think he is quite sane. He has
something Oh his mind"
"He told me, said the new member,
with some hesitation, "but really I
don't think I'm justified in mentioning
it, though he did not tell it in conf
dence, that he was the rightful heir to
a property in"- ,
"Oh, we all know that story!'' cried
the club unanimously.
81 think It's the club whisky" said
one of the oldest members. 81 say it's
the worst in London"
"Verbal complaints not received.
Write to the committee, put in John
son
"If Gibberts had a friend in the club,
which l doubt, that friend should look
after him. I believe he will commit
sulClue y6t.
These sayings troubled Shorely as he
walked back to his Office. He sat down
and wrote a letter asking Gibberts to
call. AS he was writing, McCabe, the
business manager of The Sponge, came
in.
whats the matter with the old
sheet this week:'' he asked.
Matter? / don't understand you"
II have just sent an order to the
printer to run off an extra 10, 900, and
here comes in a demand from Smiths
for the whole blooming lot The extra
1000 were to 60 to different news
agents who have sent repeat orders, SO
/ have told the printers now to run off
at least 20, 900 and keep the plates on
the press. I never read The Sponge my.
self, so I thought l would drop in and
ask you what the attraction is. This
rush is unnatural"
Better read the paper and find out, -
said Shorely, who had the usual edito-
rial contempt for the business manage
ment.
81 would if there were not so much
of your stuff in it, " retorted McCabe,
who had a fixed belief that were it not
for the expensive and useless luxury of
an editor a paper might pay.
Next day McCabe reported a bewil-
dering increase in orders. He had a ju-
bilant ''we've done it at last" air that
exasperated Shorely, who felt that he
alone should have the credit. There
had come no answer to the note he had
sent Gibberts, so he went to the club in
the hope of meeting him. He found
johnson and asked him if Gibberts had
been seen there that day.
mo-" said johnson, "but | saw him
yesterday, and what do You think he
was doing? He WIS in a gnnshop OF the
Strand buying cartridges for that vii
famous looking seven shooter of his.
asked him what he was going to dc
with a revolver in London, and he told
me shortly it was none of my business,
which struck me as so accurate a sum
ming up of the situation that I came
away without making further remark.
If you wan any more stories by Glib
berts, you should look after him."
Shorely found himself rapidly verg
Ing lutO u Stdt6 VI NERVOUSNESS fSBdTu
ing Gibberts. He was actually begin
ming to believe that the novelist medi
tated some wild action which might
! involve others in disagreeable compli
cation. Shorely had no desire to be &C
cessory either before OF after the fact
l He hurried back to the office and Their
l found Gibberts' belated reply to hi
note. He hastily tore it open, and tn
reading of it completely banished wha
little self control he had left:
DEAR S~HoRRLy-I know why you want b
see me, but / have so many affairs to settl
that it is impossible for me to call upon you
= However, have no fears. l shall stand to m,
bargain without any goading from you. Onl
q few days have elapsed since the publication
3 Of the story, and Ibid not promise the TRACED
{ before the week was out. ! leave for Ghanno
Chase this afternoon. You shall have you
T pound of flesh and more. Yours,
l BROMLEY GIBBERTs.
Shorely was somewhat pale about tn
. lips when he finished this scrawl. H
flung on his coat and rushed into tn
street. Calling a hanson. he said
!, Drive to- Kidner's. inn as quickly q
: you can. No. To-"