The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-04-13
CHAPTER ~.

The following week Bob returned to
the Office. He had not changed. and
yet he had changed greatly. Rest had
color was good, his step elastic as of
old, and his head was thrown back as
II he were buckled up for the fray and
wanted all to know 1t. Yet there was
something In the eye, In the setness OF
the jaw, In the hair-trigger calm, yet
fiercely savage grip In which he closed
his strong hands on the arms Of his
chair. that told me more plainly than
words that this WAS not the optimistic,
soft.hearted Bob Brownley had
known and loved. could not help
feeling that II had been q leader OF
the Russian terrorists, and this man
who now sat before me had come to
my ken when was selecting bomb.
throwers, should have seized upon
him OF all men as the one to stalk the
czar or his marked minions. Surely
the Iron that had entered Bob's soul a
week before had affected his whole be.
ing. think Beulah Sands had some
such thoughts. For l saw shadow
of perplexity cross her broad, low fore
head after her first meeting with him,
shadow that had not been there
before.
For days after Bob's return | saw
little OF him. | think Beulah Sands
saw less. During stock exchange hours
he spent most OF his time on the floor,
but he executed few OF our orders. He
merely looked them over and handed
them out to his assistants. AS far as
] could learn, he spent much OF his
time there yesterdaying through
hopes graveyards, not uncommon
pastime for active exchange members
whose first through specials have been
open.swltched by the System" tower
man. SO strong had become this habit
OF going about from pole to pole with
bent head and far.of gaze that his
fellow members began to humor and
respect 1t. They all knew that Bob
had gone mp against the Sugar panic
hard. No one knew how hard, but all
guessed from his changed appearance
and habits that 1t must have been a
bone-smashing blow. Nothing so
quickly and so deeply stirs stock ex-
change mans feelings for his brother
member as to know that "They" have
ditched his El Dorado hyer--that is, II
he has been good fellow. They will
humor his every within and patiently
await the day when he shall be again
In normal condition: for all stock
gamblers whom Fate, or the old hag's
hunchback twin, the System" has
dumped, either remain below the sur
face or eventually round to. Every
day as soon as the stock exchange
closed, Bob disappeared, whittier l
could not learn. i had tried once or
twice to draw him out. under pretense
of insisting upon his accepting my
wife's invitation to dine with us. He
always had ready excuse for me to
take to Kate. but that was all. Appar;
emily he had no idea that took any
interest in his movements after bust.
ness hours.
AS for Beulah Sands. there was but
one change noticeable Ia her. When
ever footstep stopped in front OF her
office she looked up from her work
with an expectant. almost appealing
gaze. as though she we're always walt.
ing for some one. l had not seen Bob
In her office since that disastrous
Sugar day, and as he went directly TO
the exchange every morning and left
there every afternoon without return.
Ing to the ONCE, doing all his business
by messenger or over the wire, there
was but little chance of his meeting
her.
November 1st had come and gone.