Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-10-07

shouted so that the whole Office could
hear. Il know what you're driving at,
lodging around. You needn't tell me-
l know. You want me to pay for your
! stupidity. Well, / won't. It's your
funeral II you stayed in the game too
long-not mine. Where's Andy?"
! Gage was sent for, and he hustled
to the office posthaste, sure Of some
mistake.
Il want to see you-alone," the wiz
ard repeated stubbornly.
Jenkins started to say something.
hesitated and stopped altogether
Andy nudged him and led the way to
his private Office. The next moment
/ the door was closed and he and Dun
can were alone.
Whats all this rubbish hear?"
Andy laughed, awkwardly nervous.
Jenkins is scared. He's somehow got
some fool idea into his head you're
going to knife us. You-why, it's bosh
and moonshine! You"
In the first place." the other re-
quested on the start, please don't get
theatrical Heroics are crude and
won't help you any. You're whipped
beaten, squelched!" He lounged on
the table, half on, half off, leaning on
his knee, laughing coolly, triumphant
ly. Pm prepared to admit I'm what
the lady of the drama calls a false
friend. I'm a rascal-anything. But
swore to get you Gage, and l have,
d-n you!"
| Gage was stricken dumb. He stood
where he was, quivering, his nostrils
blowing, his young, shrewd face gray
and wild. The blood pounded in his
brain, clogging his thought. 1t was too
| horrible to understand. Duncan-his
friend-the man he had trusted-hated
! him!
| "WhatS-what's the game?" he
mouthed, not realizing he spoke at all.
The game! The camel" the sheer
| ing wizard said after him. Don't you
know hate you? Don't you know I've
despised you for years? Haven't you
realized | love-aye, love-Joan Rick
ard, the girl you married? No, you
don't know, so Ill tell you, Andy
Gage!" His voice rose sharply, quick
| ly, and he painted. L do, do, do-all
OF these things! How I've waited,
waited, waited, endless waits, weary
waits And now my chance has come.
Cod my chance has comet" The walls
of the room were his cage now, re-
straining his frenzied pacing beating
| him back. 81 knew how the cat would
jump, knew the market was top-heavy.
loaded up to the muZzle on Seaboard
| Traction. | went-nowhere Thought
I'd be weakling and let you bleed
me, hey! Why, you easy-keep off
there" he suddenly yelled.
But Gage, Infatuated, goaded by his
taunts, was flying for his throat, sink
ing his fingers there, crashing to the
! floor with the man who had betrayed
him. The whole office was in an up
roar. Clerks, headed by Jenkins,
poured in upon the two battling men,
squirming and cursing on the carpet.
They had to pry them apart, Duncan
gasping, bloody and frightened, his
coat ripped and twisted, his flower
gone; Gage unhurt, insane to rend and
tear. A minute of chaotic confusion
and-the wizard of the tape had van
ished.
Jenkins e. Co.'S course was run. 1t
was hopeless to even attempt to con-
tinue business. Everything had to be
sacrificed overheard to meet a settle
ment of eighty cents on the dollar.
! Duncan's revenge was complete, OBJ
! literating.
jenkins, who was luckily bachelor,
went west to end his days on a hum
drum farm of his sisters. You'll
come to the surface again." he said to
Gage on leaving They can't keep a
good man down-if he's young. And
see here, my boy. don't you ever go
and forget Wizard Duncan!"
And Gage, miserable because he de-
served all the blame, had squeezed his
honest old withered hand. 'I'll square
our score!" he vowed stoutly The
mills of the gods will help. I'm living
for that How I'll stamp him into the
ground if | ever get the opportunity"
Andy went around among his finan-
cial friends to see where he stood II
don't want favors," he said to them. II
want work and chance to retrieve.
Yes, | am down, but I'm not quite
out. I'm coming back"
Newcomb, of Newcomb & Hatch,
had the most to offer. Sure, old man,
I'll do what / can. But look here. how
did you get crippled? Some custom
err" he insinuated. But such hard,
level look had crept into Cages eyes
that he FASTENED on. We want a tele-
phone clerk-twenty dollars a week"
1t wasn't much of a place for Andy,
but false pride was but a symbol with
him. He was out to get fresh grip
and ii mattered not where he caught
hold. The duties of telephone clerk
are not complicated, but VITAL the
handspring of nearly every transac-
ton on the floor of the stock exchange
Orders are telephoned to the board
over private wires from the various
Offices. The order is written on a pad
by the man at the exchange end of the
connection. and forwarded to be exc