Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1906-08-31

power was surprised when Lang.
don appeared in my Office a few min.
utes later.
He was a tallish, slim man, care
fully dressed, With a bored, weary
look and slow, bored way of talk.
ing / had always said that II ! had
not been myself should have wished
to be Langdon.
His expression, as he came into my
Office, was one Of cynical amusement,
as II he were saying to himself: Our
friend Blackjack has caught the swoll.
en- head at last" Not a suggestion
OF i'll humor. of resentment at my i'm.
pertinence-for, in the circumstances,
had been guilty of an impertinence.
Just languid. amused patience with
the frailty Of a friend. Il see," said
ne, that you have got Textile up to
S."
he was the head Of the Textile
trust, which had been built BY his
orother-in-law and had fallen to him
In the confusion following his broth.
er-in-laws death. As he was Just then
needing some money for his share in
the National Coal undertaking, he had
directed me to push Textile up toward
par and unload him Of two or three
hundred thousand shsres-he. OF
course, to repurchase the shares after
he had taken profits and Textile had
dropped back to its normal so.
I'll have II up to IS by the middle
OF next month" said l. "And there
think we'd better stop"
Stop at about 90" said he. THAT
Will give me all | find III need for
this Coal business. don't want to be
bothered with hunting up an invest.
ment."
shook my head. 81 must put II up
10 within point or two of par" | de.
clared. In my public letter I've been
saying 1t would go above IS, and I
never deceive my public"
He smiled-my notion OF honesty
Always amused him. AS you please"
ne said, with shrug. Then | saw a
serious look-just a fleeing fash OF
warning-behind his smiling mask.
and he added carelessly: BE careful
about your own personal play. I
doubt If Textile can be put any
higher"
1t must have been my mood that
prevented those words from making
the impression on me they should
nave made. Instead of approaching
at once and at its full value this char.
acteristic and amazingly friendly sig.
nal OF caution, ! showed how stupidly
inattentive | was by saying: Some.
thing doing? Something newr
But he had already gone further
than his notion Of friendship war.
ranted. So he replied: "Oh. no
simply that everything's uncertain
nowadays"
My mind had been all this time on
those Manasquale mining properties
now said: Has Roebuck told Won
that l had to buy those mines on nv
own ACCOUNT"
Yes, ne said. He hesitated, and
again ne gave me a look whose mean.
ing came to me only when it was too
late. Il think, Blackjack, you'd bet.
ter turn them over to me-"
Il can't" l answered. 81 gave NV
word"
AS you please" said he.
Apparently the matter didn't inter.
est him. He began to talk of the per.
formances Of my little two.year.old
Beachcomber; and after 20 minutes
or SO, he drifted away. 81 envy Won
your enthusiasm" he said, pausing in
my doorway. Wherever am. | wish
were somewhere else. Whatever
I'm doing, | wish l were doing some.
thing else. Where do you get all this
JOY Of the fight? What the devil are
you fighting for?"
He didn't wait for a reply.
thought over my situation steadily
Tor several days. / went down to nv
country place. looked everywhere
among all my belongings, searching
searching, restless, impatient. AT last
knew what allied me-what the Iack
was that yawned so gloomily from
everything | had once thought beauti.
iui' had once found sufficient. | was
In the midst Of the splendid, terraeed
pansy beds my gardeners had inst 60,
out; l stopped short and Slapped NV
nigh. "A woman" exclaimed
That's what need. A woman-the
right sort Of woman wife!"