Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-05-20


"Please disregard it,"
IF you wish"
II do. Ii is not worth while" And
as Plank made no comment, II have
no further interest in the matter. Do
you understands
mo-" said Plank doggedly.
II have nothing more 10 say. | am
sorry. We dine at g." concluded Syl-
via hurriedly.
Plank hung up the receiver and sat
eying 1t for awhile in silence. Then
his Jaw began TO harden and his under
lip protruded and he folded his great
hands. resting them In front of him
on the edge OF the desk, brooding there.
with eyes narrowing like sleepy
giant at prayer.
When Leila entered In her evening
wraps she found him there, so i'm
mersed IN reverie that he failed TO
hear her, and she stood a moment at
the doorway, smiling to herself. think
ing how pleasant 1t was to come down
ready for the evening and find him
there, as though he belonged where
he sat and was part OF the familiar
environment.
Recently she had grown younger in
a smooth skinned, full Tipped way-so
much younger that II was spoken of.
Beverly" she said, IL am ready"
Plank stood up, dazed from his rev
erie, and walked toward her. His
white tie had become disarranged
She raised her hands, hating him, and
pulled 1t into shape for him, conscious.
ly innocent of the intimacy.
THANK YOU" be said. "Do you
know how pretty you are this even
ing?'
Eyes. was very happy at my mir
ror. Do you know, the withered years
seem to be dropping from me like
leaves from an autumn sapling. And
l feel young enough to say so poetic
ally. Did Sylvia try to fiirt with you
over the wireT"
Eyes, as usual" he said drily, de.
scending the stairs beside her.
"And really you don't love her any
more?' she queried.
Scarcely" His voice was low and
rather disagreed bic, and she looked up.
II wish knew what you and Sylvia
find TO talk about so frequently, II
you're not In love-"
But he made no answer, and they
drove away to the Belwether house, a
rather wide. old style mansion OF
brown stone, with a stoop dividing its
ugly facade, and a series OF unneces.
sary glass doors blockading the vesti.
bule.
A drawing room and reception room
fianked the marble tiled hall. Behind
these the dining room ran the width
OF the rear.
There were half dozen people there
lounging informally between the living
room on the second floor and Sylvia's
apartments in the rear-the residue
from a luncheon and bridge party Civ
en- that afternoon by Sylvia to a score
or so of cardinal women. A few of
these she had asked TO remain for an
Informal dinner and a desperate game
later-the sort of people she knew we'll
enough to lose to heavily or win from
without remorse-Grace Ferrall, Ma.
rion Page, Agatha Caithness. Trusting
to the telephone that morning, she had
secured the Mortimers and Quarter.
falling three men. and now the party.
with Plank as Mortimer's substitute,
was complete all thorough gamesters
sex mattering nothing in the prepa
ration.
In Sylvia's boudoir Grace Ferrall
and Agatha Caithness sat before the
fire; Sylvia, at the mirror OF her dress
er, was correcting the pallor Incident
to the unbroken dissipation of a bril-.
liant season; Marion, with her inevita.
BILE cigarette, wandered between Syl
Was quarters and the library, where
Quarter and Major Belwether were
sitting In low voiced confab.
Leila, greeted gayly from the bou-
DOR, went in. Plank entered the libra.
~, was mauled effusively by the ma
jor. returned Quarters firm hand
shake and sat down with an inquiring
smile
"Oh, yes. we're out for blood to-
night" Uttered Major Belwether
grasping Quarters arm humorously
and shaking 1t to emphasize his words
"a habit that Quarter thoroughly dis
liked. Sylvia had a lot OF women
here playing for the season score, so
! suggested she keep the pick Of them
fo- dinner and call In few choice
ones to make a night of It."
ITS agreeable to me-" said Plank,
still looking at Quarter with the same
inquiring expression. which that gen.
tleman presently chose to understand.
II haven't had a chance to look into
that matter" he said carelessly. "Some
day when you have time to 20 over
it,
II have time now" said Plank.
There's nothing to go over There's no
reason for any secrecy All / wrote
you was that l proposed to control the
stock OF Amalgamated Electric and
that I wished your advice in the mat.
ter"
II could not give you any advice
offhand on such an extraordinary sug-
gestion," returned Quarter coldly. "If
you know where the stock is you'll
understand"
DO you mean what II is quoted at
OF who owns itT' interrupted Plank.
who owns II. Everybody knows
where Il has dropped to. | suppose.
Most people know. too. where 1t is
held"
yes. do"
and who is manipulating IT," added