Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-06-06

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good deal of amusement, wan trying
to devise some SUBTLE tactful way OF
attaching his poor, clumsy little sue.
tion-pump to the well Of my secret
thoughts.
What is it Sammy" said l ct last.
What do you want to know that
you're afraid to ask me?"
Nothing" he said hastily. I'm
only a bit worried about-about you
and textile. Matt,"-this in the tone
of deep emotion we reserve for the
attempt to lure friends into confiding
that about themselves which will give
US the opportunity to pity them, and,
If necessary, to sheer off from them
Matt, l do hope you haven't been
hard hit?"
mot yet" said I easily. Dry your
tears and put away your black clothes
Your friend, Tom Langdon, was a lit
tie premature"
I'm afraid I've given you a false
impression" Sam continued, with an
overeagerness to convince me that did
not attract my attention at the time.
Tom merely said, I hear Blackjack
is loaded up with textile shorts
that was all. A careless remark. I
really didn't think of it again until l
saw you looking so black and glum."
That seemed natural enough, so l
changed the subject, AS we entered
his house, / said:
I'll not go up to the drawing-room.
Make my excuses to your mother.
will you? I'll turn into the little
smoking-room here. Tell your sister
and say I'm going to stop only a mo
ment."
Sam had just left me when the but.
Ter came. "Mr. Ball think that was
the name, sir-wishes to speak to you
on the telephone"
had, given Ellersly's as one Of the
places at which l might be found
should it be necessary to consult me
l followed the butler to the telephone
closet under the main stairway. AS
soon as Ball made sure it was l, he
| began:
"Ill use the code words. I've Just
seen Fearless, as you told me to-"
Fearless-that was Mitchell, my spy
in the employ of Tavistock, who was
my principal rival in the business o.
confidential brokerage for the higt
financiers. YES" said /. what doe:
he say%
"There has been a great deal o.
heavy buying for a month past"
Then my dread was well founded
textiles were to be deliberately rock
eted. who's been doing it?" asked
"He found out only this afternoon
It's been kept unusually dark. It"
"Who? Who?" demanded.
Intrepid" he answered.
Intrepid-that is. Langdon-Mow
bray Langdon!
1.-THE whole thing was planned care
fully" continued Ball, land is coming
off according to schedule. Fearless
overheard a final message Intrepid
brother brought from him to-day"
So it was no mischance-it was a.
assassination. Mowbray Langdon ha'
stabbed me in the back and fed.
did you hear what I said?" aske'
Ball. SIS that you"
YES" l replied.
"Oh," came In a relieved tone fro1
the other end of the wire. you wer
so long in answering that I though
I'd been cut off. Any Instructions"
NO." said l. "Good-by."
I heard him ring of, but I sat ther
for several minutes, the receiver stil
to my ear. l was muttering: Lang
don, Langdon - why - why-why?
again and again. Why had he turne
against me? Why had he plotted
destroy me-one Of those plots so FRI
quent in Wall street-where the assa'
sin steals up, delivers the mortal blow
and steals away without ever bein
detected or even suspected? sa'
the whole plot now-I understood Tol
Langdon's activities, l recalled Nov
bray Langdon's curious phrases an
looks and tones. But-why-why-
why? How was l in his way?
1t was all dark to me-pitch-darl
/ returned to the smoking-room, Ugh
ed a cigar, sat fumbling at the ne
situation. l was In no worse pligl
than before-what did it matter WI
was attacking me? In the circur
stances, a novice could now destrc
me as easily as a Langdon. Sti
Balls news seemed to take away N
courage. 1 reminded myself that
was used to treachery of this sol
that l deserved what l was getting b
cause I had, like a fool, dropped m
!, guard in the fight that is always c
every-man-for-himself But l remin
, ed myself In vain. Langdon's smilir
treachery made me heart-sick.
Soon Anita appeared--preceded ar
heralded by a faint rustling from so
and clinging skirts, that swept n
nerves like a love-tune.
, l think my torment must have som
, how penetrated to her. For she WI
: sweet and friendly-and she could n,
have hurt me worse! If l had IL
: lowed my impulse l should have falle
at her feet and buried my face, score
ing, in the folds Of that pale blu
faintly-shimmering robe Of hers.
| do throw away that huge, hideol
cigar" she said, laughing. And 81
took two cigarettes from the box, p
| both between her lips, lit them, he
4 one toward me. looked at her fac
/ and along her. smooth, bare. on
, stretched arm, and at the pink, sic
der fingers holding the cigarette.
] took 1t as If I were afraid the spe
/, would be broken, should my tinge
touch hers. Afraid-that's it! That
why | didn't pour out all that was
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