Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-23

NHA3&<hHRs OeaVOrlnR TO aQapD themselves TO cir
cumstances. The Red House was pal
pably unsafe
It was not until the third day after the dis
aster that Lpp, carrying washing-sta on his
brawny shoulder stumbled in the debris at the
halldoor and turned up letter from the pile of
glass and plaster the floor. He brought it to
Jordison in the harness-room, which the latter
had fitted up his own particular sanctum.
Jordison looked at the postmark and saw that
it was three days old. But he opened it without
any feelings of annoyance at the delay On the
outside the letter was dull and unnteresting-a
business envelope, addressed in clerks hand
writing. But, before he had finished reading it,
his face white the paper it was written
on, and he rose to his feet with a look of fear
and rang the bell.
When Jordison had returned to England some
months previously, he had resigned his seat on
the board of the motor company, but decided to
leave all his savings in business which promised
so WELL and which he had himself built up to
high position in the motor world. The other di-
rectors of integrity and ability, and
he had every reason to believe that he had left
his money in safe hands.
This letter however, broke in upon his security
like thunderbot. 1t was written by a grabbed
and methodcal old French lawyer, who had been
something of a friend to Jordson in Paris. The
following is translation:
Dear Mr.. Jordison: / write to tell you that
Jacquart ct Gle. are on their last legs Sell your
interest before the news becomes public property.
The financier, whom we supposed to be wealthy,
and who has as you know, taken your place on the
board, has played ducks and brakes with the
whole concern He enlarged the business to such
an alarming extent that the other directors re-
fused to sanction the expenditure without some
personal guarantee for the additional capital that
would be required. This guarantee was given by
Jules Iansten, and the company has shone
splendidly the strength of it. But l happen
to have found out that this Lansten is an adven-
turer who lives by his wits, and that his guaran-
tee is not worth the paper it is written
have ascertaned this for a fact, and all Paris
will know it before the week is out. The com
pany has committed itself to enormous payments
Payday will arrive shortly Sell by telegram at
once. The shares stand high.
"With my most profound salutatons, l am, my
dear Mr. Jordison, yours,
''HENRI DUCHELLE."
Jordson read and reread the letter again and
again, in the hope that he had not translated it
correctly and that he might have missed the true
purport of its contents. But they were too clear,
and he reused himself for action. Lpp entered
the room in answer to the bell. ,Jordison wrote
out telegram to some brokers in Paris, instruct
ing them to sell all his holding in the Jacquart
company, but to do it in such manner as to
least disturb the market. And then he told Lipp
to get the motor-car ready. But scarcely had the
man left the room when boy rode slowly up
on a red bicycle and delivered telegram at the
door It was brought up to Jordison, who tore it
open, and took in its contents at glance
"Jacquart in liquidation. Shares unstable.
Hope you have sold already.
'DUCHELLE"
The thin piece of pink paper huttered gently to
the floor from Jordson's fingers He sat as still
as though he had been carved out of stone. His
white face drawn and haggard, mere pale
mask of flesh, with two burning eyes that were
fixed on the dirty panes of the little window
hare md
re-echoed through his brain
Yet he could not grasp the full meaning of the
words, till his eye fell Bysouths account, which
he had received that morning, and which lay open
on the table
| One hundred and seventyive poundsl
The piece of paper brought the truth home to
| him-the hard incontrovertibe truth. He was
ruined man, powerless, feeble, helpless man. He
suddenly staggered to the tiny table, sank into a
chair bowed his head, raised it again and looked
| into the fire. Then his hand stole into his
pocket and he felt the cold steel of his revolver
For few minutes he fingered it lovingly, as
though it were indeed friend. Then he laughed
bitterly. Was this the only way?
His brief spell Of madness was past. His strong
will reasserted itself. Rage and disappointment
were thrust into the background He was the
old William Jordison again. cold, hard calculating
a man with purpose that no accident nor un,
| toward circumstances could alter He paced up
and down the room with knitted brows, and a
mouth closely tight with determination money!
Money Money!" was the song that now echoed
through the brain.
His medtations interrupted by the en-.
trapce of Susanson, the most despicable of the
three precious scoundrels he had chosen for his
servants. He was plump aud self-satisfed, an
excellent cook, for he had once been chef in
large restaurant, where he lost his situation and
liberty by defrauding his employers out of one
thousand pounds in various accounts with trades
men. He received twelve months Imprisonment