Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-06-13
CHAPTER III.

REQUItEM ENTS OF MIR. SHELF
MIR. Theodore Shelf wanted to drag
Cambel off there and then to his own
business room on the first noor to dis
cuss further this great project which
he had In his head, but Cambel thought
mt to remain where he was. Mr.. Shelf
nodded significantly toward the new
Corners as much as to hint that n third
person with them would be distinctly
an announcement third. Cambel turned
10 them. cue in hand. and proposed Il
game of smoker.
That's precisely wha we came up
for" said Amy Rivers promptly. Ham
tlton. get out the balls. Mr.. Cambel,
will you put the billiard balls away,
so that they don't get mixed?"
They played and talked merrily. Their
conversation turned on the wretched
show at the recent Academy. which
they agreed was a disgrace to IL civil
lied country. and Cambel made him
self interesting over the art of paint
ing IN Paris, mural. facial and ON can
vas. When he chose, he could be very
interesting. this man London had nick
named the great traveller. and he gem
orally chose, not being i'll naturel.
Mr.. Theodore Shelf left the billiard
room with a feeling beneath his waist
coat mi oh akin to seasickness. Firs.
or all that plain spoken Patrick Cam
bel had not over politely hinted that
ne was u canting hyprocrite and had
showed cause for arriving at this con-
clusion. This was true. but that didn't
make 1t any the more digestive. And,
secondly. h. himself In a moment of
excitement had let drop to this same
perniclous Camoel (who, after all. was
d comparative strangely u proposal to
make the sum of $500. 900 at one coup.
True. he had not mentioned the means,
hllf (Nanlhnt hn1 Mt nnoa ,o,,I,J.l (.
was to be gained by robbery. and he,
Theodore Shelf. had not denied the i'm
parchment.
Consequently Mr.. Shelf went direct
to his own room. locked the door and
fortified his nerves with ii liberal two
myers or brandy. Then he munchod Il
roHee bean I'm Difference to the blue rib
bon on his coat lapel, replaced the
cognac bottle in tine inner drawer of
MS inner safe and sat down to think.
III only he had understood Canbel,
snd. better still. knew whether he
might trust him.! There was a fortune
to be had. Yes. n fortune. And it was
wanted badly. The great firm of Marin
aduke Rivers & Shelf. which called it
Eelf Agents to the Oceanic Steam
transport company" but which really
ran the line of steamers which traded
under the flag. might work prosperous
to the outer eye and might still rear
$4,000 dIIIOIIS III ITSI
shipping firms of London port. But
the man who Dragged aloud that he
owned 1t all. from offices to engine oil.
knew otherwise. He had MORTGAGES
cut In every direction, so
c~dnnsngly hidden that only he himself
was aware OF their vast total. He knew
that the firm was rotten, lock, stock
and barrel. He knew that Trough n
one OF twenty channels a breakup
might come any day. and following on
the heels of that. a smash which would
De none the pleasanter because from
us size and devastating effects it would
live down into history.
He. Theodore Shelf, would assuredly
not be in England to face 1t. Since his
commercial barometer had reached
stormy" and still showed signs of
steady descent ne had beer transmit
ting carefully modulated doles to GER
a South American banks and had
even gone SO far as to purchase-under
a nom d'escroc-a picturesquely sit
uated hacienda o N the upper waters of
the Rio Paraguay.
There. in case the cyclone broke. the
treaties would cease from
troubling. and the weary swind!er
would be at we'll fed rest.
But Mr.. Theodore Shelf had no Inst
for this tropical retirement. He liked
the powers of his present pinnacle In
the city. and he loved the halo which
he wore among the improving young
men. Ana. moreover. that howl Of ex-
ecrution from every class Of society
which would make up his paean OF de-
feat was an opera which he very natur-
ally shrank from sitting through.
AS he thought of these things he
hugged closer to him the wire haired
FOX terrier which sat upon his lap.
George. old friend" a Mr.. Shelf
III things do go wrong. l believe you're
Tho only fhtnc 1fufsNv len n-.l ..Aa-N
won't turn against me-
George slid out a red tongue and
licked the angle Of Mr.. Shells square
chin. Then he retired within himself
again and looked sulky. The door had
opened. n Mrs. Shelf stood on the
like between George and Mrs. Theodore
Shell.
You alone. Theodore? 1 thought Mr..
Cambel was here. However. SO much
the better. l have wanted to speak
with you all the morning. Do turn
that nasty dog away"
George was not evicted as Mr.. Shelf
inquired CURLY what his wife was
pleased to want. She seldom invaded
this business of his. and when
n did 1t was for a purpose which he
was beginning to abhor.
She came to the point at once by
q him q letter which was most
sSnA SVPpCA pidtc. nc TeaO IL through
with brief. sour comment.
HIM! Bank! Your private account
overdrawn. That's the third time this
year, Laura. Warning seems to be no
use. You are determined to know
what ruin tastes like"
Ruin. pshaw! You don't put me OF
with that silly tale. To begin with. I
don't believe It for an instant, and even
lf It were true I'd rather be ruined
than retrench. You and can AFFORD
to be candid between ourselves, Theo-
dore. You know perfectly well that we
have gained our position in society