Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-26

his key; reeled would be the better
word, since his brain was whirling.
mere was telegram in his box, and
ne tore 1t open with fresh and sharper
mlsg1vlngs. 1t was from Adair.
Inc SICK mans getting sicker
what is the matter with your pre-
scription? Stock gone off five points,
and the bears are squeezing us to beat
the band Stories flying on the Street
that we are kite without an effective
tail: that the courts will keep us out
of the elevators. What do YOU say?
Ford consulted his watch. There
was barely time to catch the mid
night train for New York. and his de-
termination was taken on the spur Of
the moment. 1t was all or nothing
now.
Hastily writing wire to the cashier
or the Denver bank where he kept his
personal account. and another to
I Adair. and leaving brief notes for
Kenneth and Truitt. he took cab and
mad himself driven at a gallon to
the Union station. He was the last
man through the platform gates, but
he made his train, and was settling
himself in the sleeper when another
telegram was thrust into his hand.
This was from Frisbie. at Saints
Rest; and that is brought more bad
news might be argued from the way
In which he crushed it slowly in his
hand and jammed it into his pocket.
On this day, if never before. he was
! proving the truth Of the old adage
that m1sfortunes do not come sinply.
Upon arriving in New York late the
following evening, he had himself
driven to the Waldorf, where he found
Adair waiting for him. A few words
sufticed to outline the situation. which
the lapse Of another dav had made
more desperate. So far from recover
ing, the falling stock had dropped to
twenty-nine and half, and there was
every indication that the bottom was
not, yet reached
How do you account for it?> asked
Ford, when the dismal tale had been
told.
oh it's easy enough when YOU
know how was the light-hearted re-
joinder "As l wired you, there was
something of a scramble on the floor
of the Exchange last week when we
were fighting to find out whether we
should control our own majority or
let the Transcontinental have it. Our
pool got it's flfty-one per cent, all
right, but in the nature of things the
enemy stood as the next largest stock
| holder in T. S-NN., since we don't need
any more, and nobody else wants it,
all the Transcontinental people have
| to do is to unload on the market. and
down she goes"
Ford looked incredulous and then
wrathful
"Adair, tell me: did l have to stop
my work when my time is worth fifty
dollars minute. and come all the
way to New York to tell you folks
what to do?" he demanded.
Adair's laugh was utterly and ALSO.
lutely care-free.
ut looks that way doesn't it? Have
you got the compelling club up your
sleeve, as usual?"
"A boy might carry it-and swing it,
too,' was the disgusted answer.
when does the board meet again?
Or has it concluded to lie down in
the harness?"
on, 1t gets together every morn
lnG-got the meeting habit, you know.
Everybody's in a blue funk, but we
still have the daily roundup to swap
funeral statistics
"All right Meet me here in the
morning, and We'll go and join the
procession. Can you make it nine
o'clock?"
Sure. It's too late to 90 home.
and I'll stay here. Then you'll be
measurably certain that l can't
escape. May I see the tip end Of the
club?'
NO" said Ford grumpily. "You
don't deserve 1t. Go to bed and store
up head of steam that will carry you
through the hardest days work you
ever hoped to do. Good night"
They met again at the breakfast
table the following morning, and Ford
talked pointedly of everything save
the P S-W. predicament One Of
Adairs past fads had been the collect
ing Of old weapons; Ford discovered
this and drew the young man sRilfuily
into discussion of the medieval
| secrets Of sword-tempering.
1--WE bit of the old Damascus. my
| self" said the engineer. "Tybee-he
was on the Joppa-Jerusalem road IN
the building-picked it up for me.
| Curious piece of old stel; figured and
| Powered and etched and inlaid with
silver. There were jewels in the
| pommel once, I take 1t; the settings
are still there to show where some
practical-turned vandal dug them OUT
| Adair was quite at loss to guess
how old swords and their histories
could bear upon the financial situa-
ton, but he was coming to know Ford
better. Some one had said that It is
only the small men who are careful
and troubled on the eve Of great
battle. So the talk was Of ancient
weapons until the time for action ar
rived; and smooth-faced gentleman
sitting at nearby table and marked
down by Ford-though not by Fords
companlon--listened for some word of
enlightenment on the railroad situa
ton, and was cruelty disappointed.
why wouldn't you TALK" asked
Adair, when they were driving down