Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-06-08
CHAPTER III.

REQUIREMENTS OF MR. SHELF.
Mr. Theodore Shelf wanted to drag
Cambel off there and then To his own
business room on the first floor TO dis
cuss further this great project which
he had in his head. but Cambel thought
fit 10 remain where ne was. MI. Shelf
nodded significantly toward the new
| COmerS, as much as 10 hint that a third
person with them would be distinctly
an nconVenient third Cambel turned
70 them, cue in hand, and proposed a
game Of smoker.
That's precisely what we came up
tor" said Amy Rivers promptly. Ham
llton get ont the balls Mr. Cambel,
VIII you put the billiard balls away,
so that they don't get miXed?"
Iney played and talked mCrrily Their
conversation turned on the wretched
show az the recent Academy which
they agreed was Il disgrace 10 a civil
,iZed 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
lrally chose, not being III natured.
Mr. Theodore shelf left the billiard
room with a feeling beneath his waist
coat mi ch AKIN to seaSiCkness First
bel had not over politely hinted that
he was o canting hyprocrite and had
showed cause for arriving at this con-
clusion. This was true but that didn't
make II any the more digestive. And.
secondly he himself in a moment of
excitement had let drop TO this same
pernicious Cambel (who. fter all was
4 comparative stlangCr) q proposal 10
make the sum Of c 100000 at one coup.
True he had not mentioned the means,
but Cambel had at once concluded il
was to be gained by robbery. ana he,
Theodore Shelf had not denied the inn
peachment.
Consequently Mr.. Shelf went direct
to his own room, locked the door and
fortified his nerves with q liberal two
fingers of brandy. Then ne nunched Il
coffee bean In difference to the blue rib
hon on his coat lapel, replaced the
cogn&s bOttle In the inner drawer Of
his inner safe and sat down 20 think
If only he had understood Cambel.
Fnd better still, knew whether he
might trust him! There WAS fortune
10 be had. Yes a fortune And il was
wanted badly The great firm of Marin
aduke Rivers & Shelf, which called it,
self 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 StiQ rear
its head haughtily among the first
shipping firms Of London port But
the man who Dragged aloud that he
owned it all. from offices to engine oil
knew otherwise. He had MORTGAGES
cut in cycry direction. mortgages SO
cdnningly hidden tn&t Crly he himself
was aware of their vast total He EacN
that the firm was rotten, lock- stock
and o2lrel He knew that through any
one of twenty channels breakup
ff.II 40.
the neels OF that, a smash which would
be none the pleasanter because from
its size ana devastating effects il would
live ioWn into history.
He. Theodore Shelf, would assuredly
not be In England to face it, Since his
commercial barometer had reached
stormy and still showed signs of
steady descent he had been transmit
ting carefully moduated doles to Ger
tain South American banks and had
even gone so far as to puTchase-under
a nom descroc-a picturasquely sit
uated hacienda on the upper waters Of
the Rio Paraguay.
There in case the cyclone broke. the
e1tradtcn treaties would cease from
troubling and the weary sWindler
would be a well fed rest.
But Mr. Theodore Shelf had no lust
/ for this tropical retirement He liked
the powers OF his present pinnacle in
ne wore among the improving young
men. And, moreover, that howl Of ex-
ecratiOn 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
/ huggcd closer TO him the wire haired
fox terrier which sat upon his lap.
George, old friend said Mr.. Shelf
III things do go wrong / believe you re
the only thing living I'm England which
won't turn against me.
George slid out q red tongue and
licked the angle of AIr. Shefs square
chin. Then he retired within himself
again and looked sulky. The door had
opened ana Mrs Shelf stood on the
mat-There was a profound mutual dis
like between George ana Mrs. Theodore
Shelf
You alone, Theodore? thought Mr..
Canbel Was here However, so much
the better | have wanted to speak
With you all the morning, Do turn
that nasty dog away"
George was not eyicted as Mr.. Shelf
inquired curtly what his wife was
pleased to want. She seldom invaded
this business room of his, and when
she did ii was for a purpose which he
was beginning 10 abhor
She came to the point at once by
handing him a letter which was most
ly in copper plate. He read it through
with brief sour comment.
HIN! 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 off
with that silly tale. To begin with |
don't believe if for an instant and even
If it were true ia rather be ruined
than retrench. You and l can afford
to be candid between ourselves, Theo-
dore. You know perfectly well that we
have gained our position in society
purely and solely by purchase"
To my cost | do know it, But, hav-
ing paid your entrance fee at least
eight times over, / think you might be
content with an ordinary subscription
That ball last night for instance"-
was necessary. And / couldn't az
ford to do the thing otherwise than
gorgcousiy."
"Gorgeously! Do you think I'm
Croesus, Laura, TO pay for gearing one
room with red roses, and another with
pink and another room with Marshall
Niels for fools to Tit in during one
short night2 This mornings paper in
forms me that those flowers came by
special express from Nice and cost
$500
And yet you twit me with extrava-
cancel All the papers have got in that
paragraph, as / took care they should,
and everybody will read it, Yet the
flowers only cost a paltry c 800. so that
in credit / am & 200 to the good be-
cause l have clearly given the bali of
the season Theodore you are short
1ighted You are a fool to your own
profit. BY myself ! shall make you a
baronet this year, and if you had only
worked in your own interests half as
hard as l have done you could have
gone into the house OF lords.
TITLES" said Shelf grimly for peo-
pie Of our stamp are only given for di-
rect cash outlay in almshouscs or pic
ture galleries or political clubs. Before
hey n 70 hnafnN.nA a l.