The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-02
CHAPTER XVI.
A Meeting Between Gentlemen.

Hello, wheaton,, Sdlu MdISIdFc,
cheerfully. "I've had the DEVILS own
time finding YOU
He advanced upon Wheaton and
shook him warmly by the hand. Then,
this having been for the benefit of
the Waterman, he said, in low tone:
Let's go into the directors room,
Jim, I want to see you
The main bank room was only dim
ly lighted, but cluster of electric
lights burned brilliantly above the di-
| rectors' mahogany table, around
which were chairs Of the Bank Of
England pattern.
Have a seat Mr.. Margrave," said
door open, but Margrave closed it
carefully. Porter's bundle of papers,
| in it's manila wrapper, lay on the ta-
| BILE, and Wheaton sat down close
to 1T.
what you got there, greenbacks ?"
leaving for Canada, don't miss the
| train on my account"
THAT isn't funny said Wheaton,
severely.
ooh, wouldn't be SO damned sem
sitive," said Margrave, throwing open
his overcoat and placing his hat on
the table in front of him. II guess
you amt any better than some of the
rest of en-
II suppose you didn't come to say
that" said Wheaton. He ran his. fin
| gers over the wax seal on the packet.
He wished that It were" back in Por-
| ter's box. sst z- q! II sgE2
! I'VE were having a little talk. this
afternoon. Pim," began Margrave in
a friendly and familiar tone, about
/ Traction matters. AS I remember it,
in our last talk, it was understood
tthat;if I needed your little bunch Of
ETraction shares you'd let me have em
! PoEter,s SICK continued Margrave,
1 watching Wheaton sharply with his
I sma lLhkeen eyes. ~~,y>, :.,s;
~ Yes he's sick" repeated Whea-
4 ton, 80
f. Ties. pretty damn sick
4. II. suppose you mean he is very
! sick;rI don't know that it's SO seri-
Fous.st 7 was at the house this eve
if .:Coinforting the daughter, no
Z, sdoubt,''' with a sheer. Now, Jim,
I'm going to say something to you
a and I don't want you to give. back
ANY prayer-meeting talk. The chances
waited a moment to let the remark
sink into Wheaton's consciousness,
and then he went on: Il guess he
won't be able to vote his stock to-
morrow I suppose you've got it or
know where it is" He eyed the bun
i Vic I'll WA1CA w ASdlOll llduO dt lldL
moment rested nervously, and Whea-
ton sat back in his chair and thrust
his hand into his trousers pockets,
looking unconcernedly at Margrave.
Il want that stock, Jim,' said the
railroader, quietly, land I want you
= to give 1t to me tonight"
| "Margrave,' said Wheaton, and it
was the first time he had so addressed
him, you must be crazy, or fool"
Things are going pretty well with
you, Jin," Margrave continued, as if
| in friendly canvass of Wheaton's fu-
ture, "You have a good position
here; when the old mans out of the
way, you can marry the girl and be
i president of the bank. It's dead easy
I for a smart fellow like you. It would
be too bad for you to spoil such pros
Il poets right now, when the game is
all in your own hands, by falling to
help a friend in trouble Wheaton
said nothing and Margarve resumed:
You're trying to catch on to this
damned society business here, and I
want you to do it. haven't got any
objections to your sailing as high as
you can. I know all about YOU. I
gave you your first job when you
came here
"I appreciate al that. Mr.. Mar
grave" Wheaton broke in. you said
the word that got me into the Clark
son NATIONAL and T have never for
gotten it,
"Well, I don't want you to- forget
1t. But see here: as long as recon-
mended you and stood by you when
you were a ratty little train butcher,
and without knowing anything about
you except that you were always on
hand and kept your mouth, shut, I
think you owe something to me-"
He bent forward IN his chair, which
creaked under him, as he shifted his
bulk. Zone night last fall. just be-
fore the knights Of Midas show, a
drunken scamp came into my yard
!, and made a nasty row.. I was about
to turn him over to the police when
he began whimpering and said he
knew you. He wasn't doing any par
ticular harm. and I gave him a. quar-
ter and told him to get out; but he
wanted to talk. He said Mar
, grave dropped his voice and fastened
: his eyes on Wheatorl-'h he was a long
: lost brother of yours. He was pretty
drunk, but he seemed clear on your
family history, Jim. He said he'd
done time once, back in Illinois, and
: got you out of scrape. He told me
his name was William Wheaton, but
!. that he had lost it, in. the shuttle
somewhere and was known as Snyder
. gave him q quarter and started him
/ toward aPorter,s, where 4. knew you
, We're doing the society act. I heard
afterward that he found YOU
1 . KS -.