The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-01-11


sickening perfumes, into the pure air
of Gods heaven.
/ signed the bill, and we went afoot
up the avenue. Sam, as l saw with
good deal of amusement. was trying
to devise some subtle, tactful way or
attaching his poor, clumsy little sue
tion-pump to the we'll of my secret
thoughts.
What is it Sammy" said l at last.
What do you want to know that
you're afraid to ask me?"
Nothing" he said hastily. I'm
only bit worried about-about you
and textile. Matt,"-this in the tone
of deep emotion we reserve for the
attempt to lure friends into confiding
that about themselves which will give
us the opportunity to pity them. and.
If necessary, to sheer off from them
Matt, | do hope you haven't been
hard hit?"
Not yet" said easily. DRY your
tears and put away your black clothes.
Your friend, Tom Langdon, was a lit
tie premature"
I'm afraid I've given you a false
impression" Sam continued, with an
overeagerness to convince me that did
not attract my attention at the time.
Tom merely said, L hear Blackjack
is loaded up with textile shorts, -
that was all. A careless remark.
really didn't think of it again until
saw you looking so black and glum."
That seemed natural enough, so
changed the subject AS we entered
his house, | said:
I'll not go up to the drawing-room.
Make my excuses to your mother,
will you? I'll turn into the little
smoking-room here. Tell your sister
and say I'm going to stop only mo-
ment."
Sam had just left me when the but
the name, sir-wishes to speak to you
on the telephone"
/ had given Ellersly's as one of the
places at which | might be found,
should it be necessary to consult me.
| followed the butler to the telephone
closet under the main stairway. AS
soon as Ball made sure it was |, he
began:
I'll use the code words. I've Just
seen Fearless, as you told me to-"
Fearless-that was Mitchell, my spy
in the employ of Tavistock, who was
my principal rival in the business of
confidential brokerage for the high
6nanoiare OVas eofd UMyhaf dOao
he say?"
There has been a great deal OF
heavy buying for a month past"
Then my dread was well founded
textiles were to be deliberately rock
eted. who's been doing it?" asked.
"He found out only this afternoon.
It's been kept unusually dark. It"
who? Who?" l demanded.
Intrepid" he answered.
Intrepid-that is, Langdon-Mow-
bray Langdon!
The whole thing was planned care
fully" continued Ball, land is coming
off according to schedule. Fearless
brother brought from him to-day"
So it was no mischance-it was an
assassination. Mowbray Langdon had
stabbed me in the back and fed.
did you hear what l said?" asked
Ball. us that YOU"
Yes" | replied.
oh" came in relieved tone from
the other end of the wire. You were
so long in answering that l thought
I'd been cut off. Any instructionsY'
NO" said |. "Good-by."
heard him ring off, but sat there
for several minutes, the receiver still
to my ear / was muttering: Lang
don, Langdon why - why-why?"
again and again. Why had ne turned
against me? Why had he plotted to
destroy me-one of those plots so fire.
quent in Wall street-where the assas-
sin steals up, delivers the mortal blow,
and steals away without ever being
detected or even suspected? l saw
the whole plot now-I understood Tom
Langdons activities, l recalled Now
bray Langdon's curious phrases and
looks and tones. But-why-why-
why? How was l in his way?
1t was all dark to me-pitch-dark.
returned to the smokingroom, light
ed a cigar, sat fumbling at the new
situation. l was in no worse plight
than before-what did 1t matter who
was attacking me? In the circum-
stances, a novice could now destroy
me as easily as a Langdon. Still,
Balls news seemed to take away my
courage. l reminded myself that
was used to treachery of this sort,
that / deserved what was getting be-
cause | had, like a fool, dropped my
guard in the fight that is always on
every-man-for-hims But l remind
ed myself in vain. Langdon's smiling
treachery made me heart-sick.
Soon Anita appeared-preceded and
heralded by faint rustling from soft
and clinging skirts. that swept my
nerves like love-tune.
think my torment must have some
how penetrated to her. For she was
"a. II. a a