Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-04-15

Knothole, too, some day."
"Do-do you mean it," ventured
Plank, turning red with delight.
MEAN it? Indeed do-if you do.
Sit here Ring for whatever you want,
or perhaps you'd better go down to the
sideboard. I'm not to be trusted with
the odor in the room just yet"
81 don't care for anything" said
Plank.
Whenever you please, then. You
know the house, and you don't mind
my being unceremonious, do your
NO" said Plank.
"Goodr' rejoined Siward, laughing.
81 expect the same friendly lack OF
ceremony from you"
But that for Plank was impossible.
All he could do was to care the more
for Siward without crossing the Dor
der line so suddenly made free. All he
could do was to sit there, rolling and
unrolling his gloves into wads with his
clumsy, highly cOlored hands, and gaze
consciously at everything in the room
except Siward.
On that day at Plank's shy sugges-
ton they talked over Siward's bust
ness affairs for the first time After
that day, and for many days, the sub
iect became the keynote to their inter-
course, and Siward at last understood
that this man desired to do him serv-
ice absolutely and purely from dis
interested liking for him and as an ex-
preston Of that liking; also he was un-
txpectedly made aware of Plank's Sc
fenely unerring business sagacity.
As for the quid pro quo, Siward had
insisted from the first on business
arrangement. The treachery of Major
Belwether through sheer fright had
knocked the keystone from the syndi-
cate, and the dam which made the
golden pool possible collapsed, shower
/ ing Plank's brokers, who worked pa
tiently with buckets and mops.
The double treachery of Quarter
was now perfectly apparent to Plank
Siward, true to his word, held his stock
in the face Of ruin. Kemp Ferrall, fu-
rious with the major and beginning to
suspect Quarter, came to Plank for
consultation.
Then the defense formed under Plank.
Legal machinery was set in motion,
meeting followed meeting until Har-
rington cynically showed his hand and
Quarter smiled his rare smile, and the
fight against Intercounty was on in
the open, preceded by furious clamoT
of charge and countercharge in the col
umns of the daily press.
That Quarter had been guilty of
something or other was the vague i'm
preston of that great news reading
public, which, stunned by the reitera-
ton of figures in the millions, turns to
{ the simpler pleasures of a murder trial
Besides, whatever Quarter had done
was no doubt done within the chalk
marked courts of the game, though
probably his shoes may have become
little dusty.
Siward, at his desk, the May sun
shine pouring over him, sat coming
the heaps of typewriter sheets, striv-
ing to see between the lines some sign
Of fortune for his investments. Gum
BILE knocked presently. Siward raised
his perplexed eyes.
Miss Page, sir"
"Ohr' said Siward doubtfully. Then,
"Ask Miss Page to come up"
Marion strolled In a moment later,
exchanged vigorous hand shake with
Siward, pulled up a chair and dropped
into it. She was in riding habit and
boots, faultlessly groomed, as usual,
her smooth pale hair sleek in its thick
knot, collar and tie immaculate as her
| gloves.
"Wen," she said, "any news Of your
ankle, Stephen?"
81 inquired about my ankle" said
Siward, amused, "and they tell me fl
is better, thank you"
"Sit horse pretty soon?" she asked
dropping one leg over the other and