Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-05
|CHAPTEp
EIGHT
(Continued.)

(Continued)
Saw you at Westbury, think, y
said Fleetwood politely to Plank as
the two lifted their glasses to one an
other
Il hunted there for day or two
replied Plank modestly. 'lf it's that
big Irish thoroughbred you were rid
ing that you want to sell, I'd like a
look III IL Miss Page doesn't fancy
him"
Fleetwood laughed and glanced
amusedly at Plank over his glass. ut
isn't tlat rse, Mr.. Plank. That's
Drumcsit, Stephen Siward's famous
horse He interrupted himself to ex-
change greetings with several men who
came into the room rather noisi!y
their spurs resembling across the oak
en- floor One of them. Tom O'I1ara
Joined them, slamming his crop on the
desk beside Plank and spreading him
self over an armchair. from the seat
Of which he forcibly removed Morti
mer's feet without excuse.
Drink? or course ! want drink,
he replied irritably to Fleetwood lone
three ten, several. Billy, whose weasel
bellied pinto was that you We're kick
ing your heels into in the park? Some
Of the squadron men asked me-the
major. Oh, beg pardon! Didn't know
you were trying to stick Mortimer with
him. He might do for the troop am
characteristics What? Oh, yes; met
Mr.. Blank-I mean Mr.. Plank-at
Shotover, think. How dye do? Had
the pleasure of potting your tame
pheasants. Rotten sport, you know
What do you do it for, Mr.. Blank?"
What did you come for if it's rot
ten sport?" asked Plank SO simply that
it took O'Hara moment to realize he
had been snubbed.
II didn't mean to be offensive" he
drawled.
II suppose you can't help It," said
Plank very gently. Some people can't,
you know" And there was another 81
lence, broken by Mortimer, whose en-
tire bulk was tingling with mixture
of surprise and amusement over his
protege's developing ability to take
care Of himself. did you say that
Stephen Siward is in Westbury. Billy?
NO; he's In town. replied Fleet
wood. II took his horses up to hunt
with He isn't hunting, you know"
II didn't know. Nobody ever sees
him anywhere" said Mortimer II
III 1, 1, n ,,f -
Fleetwood lifted his empty glass and
gently shook the ice in 1t. '"That, and
the other business-is enough to cut
any man up. isn't it,"
you mean the action Of the Lenox
club?" asked Plank seriously.
Yes. He's resigned from this club.
too, hear. Somebody told me that he
has made clean sweep of all his
clubs That's foolish. A man may be
an ass to join too many clubs, but he's
always a fool to resign from any of
'em. You ask the weatherwise what
resigning from a club forecasts. It's
the first ominous sign in young mans
career"
Under cover of rapid fire exchange
Of pleasantries between Fleetwood and
O'Hara, Plank turned to Mortimer,
hesitating:
II rather liked Siward when I met
him at Shotover," he ventured. I'm
very sorry he's down and out"
HE drinks" shrugged Mortimer, d.
luting his mineral water with Irish
whisky. "He can't let 1t alone. He's
like all the Siwards.'
Mortimer doesn't care for Siward,
but he's an awfully good fellow, all the
same" said Fleetwood, turning to
Plank. Hes been an ass, but who
hasn't? like him tremendously, and
I feel very bad over the mess he made
of 1t after that crazy dinner l gave In
my rooms What? You hadn't heard
of 1t? Why, man, it's the talk Of the
clubs"
81 suppose that is why haven't
heard" said Plank simply. MY club
life is still in the future"
"Oh!" said Fleetwood, with an invol-
untary stare, surprised, trif1e uncom-
Portable, yet somehow liking Plank,
and not understanding why.
Mortimer continued a desultory dis
cussion with O'Hara concerning a very
private dinner which somebody told
somebody that somebody had given to
Quarter and the Intercounty Electric
people, which, If true, plainly indicat-
ed who was financing the 1ntercounty
scheme and why Amalgamated stock
had tumbled again yesterday and what
might be looked for from the Algon-
quin Trust company's president.
"Amalgamated Electric doesn't seem
to like it little bit" said O'Hara.
"Ferrall, Belwether and Siward are in
it up to their necks, and if Quarter Is
really the god in the machine and If
he really is doing stunts with Amalga-
mated Electric and is also mixing feet
with the Intercounty crowd, why, he
is virtually paralleling his own road,
and why, in the name of common
sense, is he doing that? He'll kill 1t,
that's what he'll do"
''He can afford to kill it," observed
Mortimer, punching the electric but
ton and making significant gesture
toward his empty glass as the servant
entered. "a man like Quarter can at
ford to kill anything" @4
Eyes, but why kill Amaagamated
Electric? Why not merge? Why, it's a
crazy thing to do; it's a devil OF q thing
to do, to parallel your own liner in
o,eted n,Har. .That is dirty work.