Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-15

ton. But if he understood things that were in
his daughters mind better than she under
stood them herself-well, that suggested pos
sibiitles OF pretty state OF things.
THE entrance of Valentine into the library
cut short his reflections. What is it?'
he asked shortly Valentine was not supposed
to intrude on this one hour of the day, unless
it was with matter of serious Importance.
6 have two letters for Miss Beaumont" he
said. carried them away by mistake. When
| saw the return card Tropical Products Com
pany' in the corner of the envelop, l did not
look closely enough at the address to perceive
that it read Miss Christabel and not Mr..
Christopher"
Valentine made his explanation to the father,
not to the daughter, to whom, presumably, it
was due; and at the end of it he handed the
two letters to him and not to the girl.
Beaumont took them and looked curiously at
the two envelopes 1t was full half minute
before he reluctantly put them into the girls
outstretched hand; an interval during which
the secretary unobtrusively disappeared
They're undoubtedly for you," he con-
coded. Lets see what they have to say"
The worst of it was, he could not guess what
it could mean. It was trap or trick of some
sort, certainly; but what? Smith was his only
enemy in this fight that was worth giving two
thoughts to- and Smith, laid up with broken
arm, had been left marooned on Horse Island.
1t was physically impossible, Beaumont
thought that he should have already reached
New York.
Geography was not one of the great finan-
ciers specialties or he would have known that
his ten-hour voyage in the Pheasant to Kings
ton had taken him long way out OF the short
est route between Horse Island and New York;
neither did he know that the Santiago, which
sailed from Georgetown about the time he was
leaving Kingston, was one of the feetest ships
in the coastwise trade.
If he had known these things, he would have
felt a good deal less comfortable about that
pirate treasure.
A LREADY Christabel had the first letter out
of its envelop. "In read it aloud" she
said.
miss CHRIsTABEL BEAUMONT [etc.l
Dear Madam take pleasure in inform
ing you that there were purchased to-day for
your account II,2I6 shares of stock of the
Tropical Products Company, which stock is
now registered on Our books to your name.
The certificates will be delivered to you at
your convenience.
This stock was purchased from the treas
ury of the company, being all that remained
of an issue authorized number of years ago,
but unsod because of provision in the charter
forbidding its sale below par Iou are, there
fore, the first owner of this stock. Conse-
quently, although our books have been closed
for a week against any registry OF transfers OF
title, this sale IS held not to constitute trans
fer, and you will have the privilege of voting
these shares, either in person or by proxy, at
the annual meeting of the stockholders to
morrow. Formal notification of the time and
place of the meeting, is inclosed herewith.
Yours very respectfully
And a signature" Christabel concluded.
that no one could possibly read. But what
in the world does it meant" she went on, look
ing up at her father in wide eyed astonish
ment. You didn't buy it for me. did you?
But it's eleven thousand shares. That
that's more than million dollars!"
Beaumont returned her gaze with look
wholly bewildered as her own; in fact, his
establishment was more overpowering than hers
because it struck deeper. With the weapons
of the Street he was one of the greatest fight
ers in the world. He thought he knew every
feint, every thrust, every parry, in the science
of bloodless warfare. Yet here was an attack
that baffed him utterly.
1t was easy to see, of course, that if
wished to wrest the control of the company
away from him, if he happened to know also
that the stock was really worth par and lot
more, and if, in third place, he had the hard
cash to buy it with, he would find the most
vulnerable point in Beaumont's armor in this
unsold treasury stock.
Except a war measure, no man in his
senses would have paid eighty-fve dollars a
share more than the market price for stock OF
the company. But why man should do that.
and then deliberately give the stock to his en-
emy's daughter, practically. to the enemy