The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-04
Chapter.


- ORDE mounted the office stairs
 next day with a very heavy
 step. The loss of the North
 Star and of the two schooners meant great deal to him at that time. '1 can't understand why Floyd start ed" said Orde He ought to know better than to face sure prospects of fall blow, Tn tan his soul for that. all right"
 I'm partly responsible" said New mark.s
 Your cried orde.
 1Yes. You see that Smith & Nab ley shipment was important enough to strain a point for-and it's only twen- ty-four hours or so-and it certainly didn't look as if 1t were going to blow. Poor Floyd feels bad enough"
 Orde began to appreciate his circum- stances. The loss on the cargo of .-uppers" represented $20.O00 fin money. As for the North Star and her con- sorts. save for the insurance, they were simply eliminated The loss of SGQ.000 or SO on them, however. did not mean a diminution of the compa- ny's present cash resources to that amount and so did not immediately affect Orde's calculations as to the payment of the notes which were now soon to come due.
 Orcie disappeared for a week. his organizing abilities claimed for the he returned to the office Newmark showed him contracts for the construc- ton of three new vessels.
 GsT ho with S3o.OO0 of it on long time"
 ''without consulting mer- cried Orde
 Newmark explained that he had real ly been taking advantage of lucky opportunity
 "Otherwise." he finished, ''we shouldn't have been able to get the job done for another year. If that big Cronin contract goes through-wen. you know what that would mean in the shipyards-nobody would get even look in- And Mcleod Is willing to give us a price to keep his men busy. So. you see. had to close at once"
 Its good chance. all right" ad- mitted Orde. but it never occurred to me we'd build any more vessels untfl we'd recovered a little"
 Uncovered" Newmark repeated coldly. 'I don't see what recovered has to do with it If the mill burned down awe'd rebuild, wouldn't we? And as we're making $15.O0O a year out of our freighting it seems to me too good business to let slip into other hands" ]"
 .I suppose so," agreed Orde-
 Therefore I had to act without you" Newmark finished.
 .'of corrs-." agreed Orde drearily.
 -Joe," replied orde. 1T don't think rn stay downtown this morning. I"- .Newmark glanced up keenly
 'You don't look werl,- said he; kind of pale around the giIls; bilious"
 Orde closed his desk and went out Newmark. turned back to his papers From an inner pocket he produced a cigar. The corners of his mouth slow ly curved in grim smile.
 Orde immediately set into motion the machinery of banking to borrow on the California timber. Taylor took charge of this, as the only man in Monrovia who had Orde's confidence. At the end of a necessary delay Orde receiv-, ed notice that the west had been heard from. He stepped across the hall to the lawyers office.
 .Well, Frank" said he, glad we managed to push it through with so little troubIe.'
 Taylor arose. shut carefully the door into his outer office, walked to the window, looked contemplatively out upon the hotel back yard and returned to his desk.
 But there is trouble" said he curtly.
 What's the matter?" asked Orde.
 'The banks refuse the loan."
 Orde stared at him in blank astonish- meut.
 ''what grounds can they possibly have for thatY'
 Its about the tftle.D
 But I thought you went over the title"
 'I did" stated Taylor emphatically, "and I'll stake my reputation as a law yer that everything is straight and clear from the land office itself I've wired for an explanation. and we ought surely to know something defi- nite by tomorrow
 For the first time in his business ca- reer real anxiety gnawed Orde's vi- tals. He had been in many tight places, but somehow heretofore sue cess or failure had seemed to him about immaterial. like points gained or conceded in the game Now the game itself was at issue. Property. reputation and the family's future were at stake Therefore he awaited further news with the greatest impa-