The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-21
BY HENRY M. HYDE
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"T want to know the real reasons for
it.
" Did she tell your
"She told me half a dozen times she
didn't love me-
"Well, young man. he said. I can't
give you any better reason than that
You say" broke In Peter Potter, that
Mr.. Winters tainted down at the bank
yesterday"
Yes Old man Wagner came in about
2 O'clock and called him into the di-
rectors' room. When Mr.. Winters came
out an hour later he looked ten years
| older. His face was white, and when he
sat down at his desk l saw that his hands
were shaking. A little bit later he keeled
over and fell off his chair. We sent him
home. and he wasn't down to the bank at
all today"
Peter Potter said nothing. He was
rocking back and forth now-heels, toes,
heels, toes. His heavy eyebrows were
pulled far down, his sunlSen head thrust
far forward from his shoulders. Never
had his resemblance to a great bird of
prey, posing itself for fight, been more
striking.
Ike Wagner" he asked finally. Billy
Maginn sullenly nodded his head in ass
sent Hes a director in the bank" the
boy said.
In the cold, gray eyes of the privateer
glowed wicked light. You come back
here at s o'clock tomorrow night, Billy"
he said. And don't say word to any
body about what has happened
Billy Maginn went out and Peter Pot
ter sat down to his scrap books. He had
two whole volumes devoted to the career
Of Isaac Wagner He read them through
from the beginning. 1t was a tremendous
story. Born the son of butcher in
Hungary, Wagner had come to the United
States forty years before, an ignorant.
half-savage, bull-chested lout of a boy.
BY piecing together scattered bits of in
formation, the privateer could make out
the whole record of his career. Starting
in a country slaughter house in the prairie
village of Chicago, where he killed steers
with his own hand, Wagner had climbed
reentlessly upward until now he was the
master of the provision trade of the
world. He could stretch out his hand
and the governors of dozen great states
would jump through his fingers. In far
corners of the earth his name was known
and feared. Now, I'm his later years, all
his Unsuitable ambition was centered in
his only son, Isaac Wagner, Jr., young
man chiefly celebrated so far for his SEN
sational escapades with chorus girls. Re
Gently the elder Wagner had built him
self a Gothic castle on the Lake Shore
Drive, and was beginning to chop his way
into society with his hitherto invineible
cleaver of a master butcher
Another big scrap book was filled with
clippings about Thomas Winters and his
family That also Potter read carefully.
Then, until 8 o'clock he lay awake, try
ing to figure out what possible hold
Wagner could have on the president of
the Ninth National bank and what pos
sible interest he could have in forcing
Mr.. Winters to compel his daughter to
break her engagement with young Billy
Maginn.
BY o'clock the next morning the pri-
vateer was in his office There, in rapid
succession. he held conferences with half
n dozen of the most important brokers on
La Sale street. Clarence Darling, who
acted as Potter's agent in the case of
the senator's daughter and who is
standard authority of the gossip OF the
Smart Set. was also consulted. BY noon