The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-26
}A WOMAN'S {
 { ENCHANTMENT{ 5 ( By William Le Queux 2 Copyright, 1909, by z William Le Queux
Copyright, 1909, by William Le Queux

Copyright, 1909, by William Le Queux
 
 (Continued.)
 CHAPTER VI. GRANNY MAKES A CURIOUS RE-
 I was back in my chamber about o'clock that same afternoon, se0ed writing a letter, when the door bell rang, and I rose and opened it.
 On the threshold stood Granny Cough.
 My heart stood still for a moment.
 "Hulloa! old man. Come in," l managed to say, and he followed me
 He was smartly dressed in what he called his business kit. namely. a per- fect-htting frock coat and silk hat, which he wore when interviewing peo- mopolitan. he hated such garb. pre- fering the ease of the dark flannel lounge suit and the soft-fronted print shirt. But he had to don the shiny in order, he always declared, to pro- duce an impression.
 Been out on business-eh? I ask ed, as he sank into an armchair. saw his face was a trtfle haggard and in his eyes was an expression such as I had never seen there be- fore.
 yes" he replied, simply. "Got . drink handy?"
 I went to the cupboard and got out some whisky and soda. Then, when he had swallowed a stiff <glass-which by the way, was Quite unusual to hin1-he sighed, took cigarette from the box offered and lit it with due delfberation.
 i've been out in the country. I'm only just back" he said, volunteering the information.
 I pretended not to have been round to judge him.'
 Business, suppose"
 ''Yes, he responded, emphatically. "I met Cartier. the big banker of Lyons. wants me to go to America to do some business for him."
 well. if it pays. go,' said.
 He blew a cloud of smoke slowly from his lips and answered.:
 'The game he's on requires too much bluff. my dear boy. I'm not up to it just now.''
 "Because you're hipped, Granny. Roumania is not the only country in the world where concessions are to be picked up."
 "'T know that" he cried, impatient ly. "But this business Of Carriers is a big game of blun-simply to bluff lawful rights and get its shares for ourselves"
 "well. Granny. if there's a man in Europe who can play that game. it's yourself" I declared.
 My dear Phil" he said, raising his finger and laughing. ''Im a philoso- pher, as you know. make lots of money. but never keep any: When Granny Cough has money the world has moneyi You know that. I give it all away. And when haven't any well, I easily find mugs who'll give me some. You've known me for a ried over the future? Have I ever been glum?"
 "Not until just recently'' "Ah! I have cause-now. There's future depends upon me procuring the necessary funds to make her happy" he said, suddenly serious. "Yes, Ral- ston, I've been a fool. ought to have kept the money I had. This time last year I had, in the Credit Lyonnais, about eight thousand pounds Today all the money I possess in the world is in my pocket-about twenty pounds. And yet"
 t'Yet what?"
 : "And yet I have ideas-big ideas.'
 'I know that. Your schemes are always colossal just as your con founded cheek is!'
 He laughed heartily. When we were ed matters.
 ''Yes, I suppose I've got a bigger amount of cheek than most people. But my dear fellow, it pays. It seems sleep and I get the money I want. They pay me for prospective conces- sionS and advance me money for ex- penses in business that as men they sharpiest business men here in your city of London can be put to sleep by little hypnotism properly applied. I don't He-oh, dear no! I only pre- sent the facts of my various schemes in a rosy glow of light, as it were! And they get dazzled-and put their hands into their pockets. always for the benefit of Granny Cough"
 And he laughed, his great blue eyes fixed upon me.
 Could this man, so easy-going. so careless, and yet so generous, be an assassin? No-a thousand time no!
 He lit a fresh cigarette. and lean- ing back again in his chair. said:
 Carlyle was quite right when he said that the world was peopled most ly with fools. A clever man can just use his fellowpen to his own advan- tageproviding he is bold enough to face sudden danger"
 "AhI there are few men like your self, Granny" I remarked.
 '1 am a wide man-Tve got big ideas, and I can work 'em," he de-
 
 open to criticism. quite admit that. But you1l agree that there are few hnanciers or successful business men those who give big sums to chari- ties and hospitals and figure in the birthday honors-who can put their hands upon their hearts and say there have never been guilty of a bit of sharp practice"
 'I quite believe you," d said. '"The smug Puritanisn of the great major ity is a mere veneer of religious re- spectability, and the magistrate who fines a boy for playing pitch and toss will, on the same day, do a deal on the stock exchange"
 My dear fellow" Cough said, eff you only knew half the story of my adventures in search of a fortune you'd hold the world in the greatest con- tempt. I'll tell you what happened only a few months ago. I was in Copenhag gen and a trifle hard up, when received word that a big concession in the Adriatic had been given by the Hungarian government to a German syndicate. The latter