Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-23

loungfng.
wait a minute, Eddie. protested
Miss Heating. What's your hurry2"
And then she almost snapped out,
"What is 1t. Mr.. Rigby?"
II merely wanted to ask il you have
sufficient time to let me dictate few
short letters that ought to go out to-
day" said Bobby sarcastically. And
then added with mock apology: Don't
move, Mr.. Deever. If you're not in
Miss Keating's way, you're certainly
not in mine
"a great josher!' that young woman
was heard to comment admiringly.
You may wake up some morning to
find that I'm not" said Bobby soberly.
Whereupon Miss Heating rose and
strobe to the other end of the room and
took her place beside Bobbys desk.
Bobby dictated half dozen incense
quential letters before coming to the
one which troubled him most. For
many minutes he stared refiectively at
the typewriter message from New
York. Miss Heating frowned severely
and tapped her little foot somewhat
impatiently on the floor But Bobby
would not be hurried. His reflections
We're too serious. This letter from
New York had come with force suf-
ficient to drive out even the indignant
thoughts concerning one Miss Clegg.
For the life of him Bobby Rigby could
not Immediately frame n reply to the
startling missive. Eddie Deever stirred
restlessly on the window ledge.
Don't hurry, Eddier' called Miss
Heating distinctly and insinuatingly.
"Oh, guess I'll be goingr' he called
back. beginning to roll cigarette. Il
have some reading to do today" Mr..
Deever was tall, awkward and homely
and a lot of other things that would
have discouraged less self satisfied
''lady's man" Judge Smith said he
was hopeless, but that he might do bet
ter after he was twenty-one.
What are you reading now, Eddie?'
asked Miss Heating, complacently ey-
ing Mr. Rigby. "'RaflesT
Law, you idiot!' said Eddie scorn-
fully, going out of the door.
"Oh, Well, the law is never in a
hurry, don't you know? It's like JUS
,tice-the slowest thing In town" she
called after him as his footsteps died
away.
Ready" said Bobby, resoiutely.
Take this, please" And slowly and
carefully he proceeded to dictate:
Mr. Denis Harbert. New York:
Dear Denis-I cannot tell you how much
your letter surprised me. What you say
seems preposterous. There must be a
mistake. 1t cannot be this man. know
him quite well, and he seems straight
as string and gentleman too. His son
you know as well as l. There isn't bet
ter fellow In the world. Mr.. B. has a
fairly good business here. His transac-
lions open and aboveboard. I'm sure
have never heard word said against
him or his methods. You are mistaken
that's all there is about it.
You might investigate little further
| and. assuring yourself, do all in your
power to check such stories as you re-
| late. OF course I'll DO as you suggest,
hut I'm positive I car find nothing dis
4 creditable in his dealings here.
Keep me posted on everything. AS ever,
yours.
Miss Keating's anxiety was aroused
After very long silence she took the
reins into her own hands. rs Mr.
Briggs in trouble?' she asked at a ven
ture. Mr.. Briggs was the only client
| she could think of whose name began
| with B.,
Briggs? What Briggs?" asked Bob
by, relighting his pipe for the fourth
time.
why, our Mr.. Briggs answered
Miss Heating CURLY.
''I'm sure don't know, Miss Keat
ing. Has he been around iately?"
II thought you were referring to hin
in that letter. she said sIccinctly.
"Oh, dear me, no; another party al
together, Miss Heating. Isn't the type
| writer in working order this morn
| ing?" he asked, eying her machine in
nocently. She shifted and started tt
reply, but thought better of it, Their
she began pounding the keys briskly.
1T works like charm" she sho
back genially.
The letter that caused Bobby sucf
perturbation came in the morning mail
His friend had laid bare some of thu
old stories concerning James Banse
mer and cautioned him not to becom,
involved in transactions with the for
mer New Yorker. Harbert's state
mcnts were positive in character, ani
he seemed to know his case thoroughly
we'll While the charges as they cam.
to Rigby were general, Harbert hat
said that he was quite ready to be spe
cific.
All day long the letter hung like &
cloud over young Mr.. Rigby He wa,
to have lunched with Graydon and wa.
much relieved when young Bansemel
ltelephoned that he could not join him
Rigby found himself in a very uncom
{! Portable position. If the stories from
New York were true, even though b,
knew none of the inside facts, Gray
don's father was pretty much Of /,
scalawag, to say the least He wa
not well acquainted with the lawyer
but he now recalled that he never ha.
liked the man. Bansemer had impress
ed him from the beginning as heart
less. designing, utterly unlike his cleal
hearted son.
| Bobby loved Graydon Bansemer il
the way that one man loves tru
friend. He was certain that the sol
knpw nothing of those saadys tfansac