Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-07-11

Not at all mysterious" he had said
to the reporters. Mr.. Blackjack
found he would have to go abroad
OF business soon-he didn't know
just when. On the spur Of the mo-
ment they decided to marry" A
good enough story, and | confirmed
1t when | admitted the reporters. I
read their estimates of my fortune
and Of Anita's with rather bitter
amusement-she whose father was
living from hand to mouth; l who
could not have emerged from a forced
settlement with enough to enable me
to keep q trap. Still, when one is
rich, the reputation Of being rich is
heavily expensive; but when one is
poor the reputation of being rich can
be made a wealth-giying asset.
Even as I was reading these fables
Of my millions, there lay on the desk
before me a statement of the exact
posture Of my affairs-A memoran-
dunn made by myself for my own eyes.
and to be burned as soon al l mas.
tered it. On the face of the figures
the balance against me was appalling.
My chief asset, indeed my only asset
that measured up toward my debts,
was my Coal stocks, those brought
and those contracted for; and, while
their par value far exceeded my liza
b~ilities, they had to appear in my
memorandum at their actual market
value OF that day. I looked at the
calendar-seventeen days until the
reorganization scheme would be an.
nounced, only seventeen days!
Less than three business weeks,
and | should be out of the storm and
sailing safer and smoother seas than
had eve known. ITO indulge in
vague hopes Is bad" thought /, but
not to indulge in a hope. especially
when one has only it between him
and the pit" And I proceeded to
plan on the not unwarranted assump.
ton that my Coal hope was a present
reality. Indeed, what alternative had
T. To put it among the futures un.
certainties was to put myself among
the utterly ruined. Using as collat.
eral the Coal stocks l had bought
outright, I borrowed more money,
and with 1t went still deeper into the
Coal venture. Everything or nothing!
since the chances in my favor were
a thousand, to practically none against
me. Everything or nothing!-stnce
only by taking everything could !
possibly save anything at all.
Home! For the first time since I
was a squat little slip of a shaver the
world had a personal meaning for
me. Perhaps, If the only other home
of mine had been less uninviting, !
should not have looked forward with
such high beating of the heart to that
cold home Anita was making for me
No, | withdraw that. 1t is fellows
like me, to whom kindly looks and I'm.
bought attentions are as unfamiliar
as flowers to the Arctic-it is men
like me that appreciate and treas.
ure and warm up under the faintest
show or shadowy suggestion of the
sunshine of sentiment. I'd be q lit
tie ashamed to say how much none
I handed out to beggars and street
gamins that day. l had 3 home to
go to!
AS my electric drew up at the viii
loughby's, a carriage backed to make
room for it. recognized the horses
and the coachman and the crest.
GLOW long has Mrs. Ellersly been
with my wife?" l asked the elevator
boy, as he was taking me up.
about half an hour, sir" he an.
swered. But Mr.. Ellersley-I took
up his card before lunch, and he's
still there"
Instead of using my key. l rang
the bell, and when Sanders opened,
said: rs Mrs. Blackjack in?" in
voice loud enough to penetrate to the
drawing-room.
AS | had hoped, Anita appeared
Her dress told me that her trunks
had come-she had sent for hel
trunks! Mother and father are
here" said she, without looking at me
l followed her into the drawing
room and, for the benefit OF the ser
wants, Mr.. and Mrs. Ellersly and
greeted each other %courteously
though Mrs. Ellersly's eyes and mine
met in a glance like the flash of stee
on steel. I'VE were just going" sale
she, and then | felt that / had ar
rived in the midst of a tempest of un
common fury.
you must stop and make me 9
visit" protested l, with elaborate pc
likeness. To myself | was assuming
that they had come, to make up and
be friends"-and resume their places
at the trough.
She was moving toward the door
the old mar in her wake. Neither oil
them offered to shake hands with me;
neither made pretense of saying good
by to Anita, standing by the window
like a pillar of ice. | had closed the
drawing-room door behind me, as
entered. was about to open it fol
them when ! was restrained by what
saw working in the old woman's
face. She had set her will on es
Gaping from my loathed presence with
out a scene" but her rage at hav
Ing been outgeneraled was too frac
tious for her will.
Ito be Continued.)