The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-01-11
THE CHANCE
THAT CANE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

fore his desk. In a corner of the
room the ticker was clicking out It's
message, but he paid no heed to it.
From the streets outside came mems
voices uplifted in mingled despair
and rage
Throgmorton street was like pande.
monium. Men seemed to have lost
their reason. Many were shouting in
vectives against this man who sat
alone in his empty offices. People did
not know that he was here. Some
declared he had bolted from the coun-
try; others were equally positive he
would stay and face the music. These
last had judged his character accur-
.ately.
The schemes which that wonderful
financial genius had built. up, and in
which the public had placed conf
dence and their money, had fallen to
the ground in one fatal hour. Per
haps there was hardly soul in Lon
don who would have believed it, yet
the fact remained that Reuben Stern
was himself beggared.
He left his Office, passed from the
place which had seen his triumphs
and finally reached the West End En-
tering one of the fashionable streets
to Mayfair, he paused before house.
Then, setting his mouth little more
grimly, he walked up the steps, and,
ringing the bell, asked to see Lady
Gertrude Kingsley
She detected at once the anxiety in
his eyes, and came hurriedly for
ward.
"Reuhen!" she exclaimed. What is
wrong?'
what is it," she questioned again.
Tell me at once, pleased"
II am ruined!"
He spoke the words in dull, life
less tone, and watched her face The
color died away from it. The sweet
mouth suddenly hardened. The eyes
lost their softness. Every feature
stiffened. She glanced at him in
amazement.
"Ruined!p she murmured. "What
do you mean?"
"My plans have all miscarried. All
that yesterday was mine l have lost,
except the most precious thing of all,
and that is your love!"
She laughed hardly.
did you think me a sentimental
schoolgirl? Was it likely that l should
.ove man who sprang from obscur-
ity, from nothing? Let me be frank
with you in this hour. My sisters
have, most of them, married well. l
meant to marry rich man. would
have preferred man of good family;
but when you proposed you were too
good match for me to refuse. AS
for love; am the woman do you sup
pose, who would let love influence
her? 1 would have made you an ex-
cellent wife, I have no doubt.
should have liked to be the mistress
Of great London house. I wanted
to entertain, to be woman of real
Importance in my world. And you
led me to imagine that every am
bilious social dream of mine should
be realized" She paused for mo-
ment, and then went on in a low,
checking voice, And now you have
the audaf. ty to ask me to share your
poverty
Her gaze was pitiless in its cold
ness. A CULVER of rage shook her.
Her restless hands were tearing at
the flowers in her bosom. She was
suffering an agony of disappointment
She lhad felt so secure; had gloried
In the anticipated social triumph
which this mans money was to pur-
chase for her; had even boosted of
the future among her own set, and
of the rich gifts it would hold for
her And now to see every promise
it had contained melted away.
''Will you please go now?" she
said.
The Atlantic liner was blowing it's
swift passage through the sea on its
homeward way to England. The day
was brilliantly fine, and the smoke
that rose in a floating column from
the steamers tunnels was the only
dark patch against the cloudless sum-
mer sky. Two people were slowly
pacing the upper deck-a man and a
woman. The former was Reuben
siuce that time, four years ago, when
his failure had caused sensation
in the financial world.
During the official investigation of
his bankruptcy he had remained in
England; but this concluded, he sail
ed at once for the United States. And
In these four years, commencing at
the bottom again, he had regained a
certain standing among the minor f.
nanciers of that country.
But the longing to return to Eng.
land had come over him, and, badly
In need Of a rest, he had decided to
go there on brief holiday. His COM
panion was woman whose acquaint-
ance he had formed some weeks back
at a mutual friends house. 1t was
with certain degree of pleasure that