Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1908-10-22
CHAPTER VII.

III L F4Il Il.
White as marble, the president of the
greatest iron and steel combine on earth
staggered back from the ticker standing
in one corner of his private Office. and
gasped wild, frantic word 'Incredible !"
Around him was the busy hum of in
dustry, the air clouded with constant
steam and smoke, the jar of giant ham
mers, the whirr and whistle of wheel and
valve.
At one corner of this vast industrial
city was his own nest of luxury, one Of
a suite of Offices magnificent enough for
a prince: there he stood. A man sud-
denly transixed, the white paper strip
playing out from the ticker dropped from
his grasp, a queer rattle sounded in his
throat. and then he felt something give
way, and the plate glass windows danced
dazzled and he fell in a senseless heap
across the rich velvet tufted rug.
1t was two months after the thrilling
events that he'd eliminated in the strange
peril of beautiful Claire Tremaine in her
stranger rescue by the man who was at
once her master and her mnion.
Little had the powerful confederation
rected the doings of the great metal trust,
rocked of the insIdious power that, in
visible but potent was slowly undermin-
ing the bold. strong work of years-they
knew not. for they feared not.
And now blow lad fallen-one And
they drea med not its source, not even its
import.
For some minutes the great magnate
lay stretched, lump of clay. Then the
door opened. Jauntily smoking cigar,
Percy Kane entered the apartment.
His eye was bright, his step firm. There
was joy in his face-a new emotion that
somewhat toned down the hard. sordid
lines of his sclfishness and avarice. He
checked himself in surprise and then in
dismav. and. rooted. stood staring blank
ly at the PROSTATE form at his feet.
"Worthington, man what is this?" he
exclaimed.
A cold sneer began to play over his Lip
as the natural thought came to him that
the president had tarried too long at the
elegant private buffet in the interior re-
ception room. Just now, however, the
figure stirred. There was a moan, then
weird, convulsive shudder.
The sufferer sat up. his hand voidly,
confusedly brushing his brow.
"Something snapped"' he maundered
"Snapped:' chall, ,nged Kane, with ir.
ritation.
Yes :"
"Where?"
in my head! I was-I was"
Iaboriously the president struggled to
his feet. He fa!tGed toward the nearest
chair. Then as he sank into it his white
face grew still whter. \ sharp cry es.
capped his lips, and ae pointed a trembling
finger at the srake-like strip of ribbon,
upwinding-llr.w lnding, from the ticker,
remorseless as some ghoul Of fate telling
off the fortunes made unmade, at the
stroke of the pendulum on the stock ex
change of New York City, FIVE hundred
miles away.
Look ~ he shivered-"and read ~
ooh. you mean-" began Kane COOL
", passing toward the telegraph instru-
ment-then sudden excitement made
him 90 quicker. for he began to estimate
the source of his confrere's emotion.
lie snatched up the snake-like coil
deft practiced finger and eye ran along
the narrow strip indented with harsh. dots
and dashes.
"The deuce he muttered, and his fine
white teeth cenched and met through the
Havana.
"Destruction :" he almost shouted after
a second lightning-like scan of the rib
bon, and the cigar dropped from between
his lips, and gray color began to creep
from the brow downward over his star
tied, his appalled, face.
(To be continued.)