The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-06-18
The Fighting
~ -. By.
Chance. ROBERT v.
c.py4SAL b. PuhaahhaE Company
Copyright BY W. CnAmb1A
(Contaaued.)

into the room.
"Hello. Plank. Glad to see You"
Hello. Are you al right?"
"AIl right. Much Obliged for pulling
me through. Wish you'd pull me
through this Amalgamated Electric
knothole, too. some day"
"Do-do you mean IT." ventured
Plank, turning red with delight.
.AIean it: Indeed l do-if you do
Sit here. Ring for whatever you want
or perhaps you'd better go down to the
gideboard. I'm not to be trusted with
the odor in the room just yet"
81 don't care for anything" said
Plank
"Whenever you please, then. You
know the house, and you don't mind
my being unceremonious, do you?
mo" said Plank.
"Good!" rejoined Siward, laughing
81 expect the same friendly lack OF
ceremony from YOU
But that for Plank was impossible
All he could do was to care the more
for Siward without crossing the Dor
der line so suddenly made free. All he
could do was to sit there, rolling ala
unrolling his gloves into Wads with ms
clumsy. highly colored hands, and gaze
consciously at everything in the roolA
except Siward
On that day at Plank's shy sugges
ton they talked over Siward's bust
ness affairs for the first time After
that day, and for many days, the sub
jecr became the keynote to their inter
course. and Siward at last understood
that this man desired to do him q SCI
Ice absolutely and purely from dis
interested liking for him and as an eX-
preston of that liking; also he was I'M
expectedly made aware of Planks Sc
renely unerring business sagactty.
AS for the quid pro quo, SiWard mad
insisted from the first on a business
arrangement The treachery Of Major
Belwathcr through sheer fright had
knocked the keystone from the sFnal-
cate, and the dam which made the
golden pool possible collapsed, shove
ing Plank's brokers, who worked pa
tIently with buckets and mops
The double treacheIy of Quarter
was now perfectly apparent TO Plank.
siward, true to his word, held his stock
ia the face Of ruin. Kemp Ferrall fu-
rious with the major and beginning 70
suspect Quarter, came to Plank for
consultation.
Then the defense formed under Plank
Legal machinery was set in motion
meeting followed meeting, until Har-
rington cynically showed his hand and
Quarter smiled his rare smile, and the
fight against Intercounty was on in
the open. preceded hy 4 furious clamoE
of charge and countercharge in the col
umns of the daily press.
That Quarter had been guilty OF
something or other was the vague i'm
preston of chat great news reaiing
public, which stunned by the reiteta'
tion of figures in the millions, turns to
the simpler pleasures Of murder trial
Resides. whatever Quarter had done
WAS no doubt done within the chalR
marked courts of the game, though
probably his shoes may have become
little dusty.
Siward at his desk, the May sun
shine pouring over him, sat coming
the heaps of typewriter sheets, strlV'
ing to see between the lines some slsh
of fortune for his investments. Gum
BILE knocked presently Siward raised
his perplexed eyes,
"AIiss Page, sir
"Ohr' said Siward doubtfully. Then
TASK Miss Page to come up"
Marion strolled in moment later
exchanged vigorous hand shake WIZ
Siward. pulled,up chair and dropped
into it. She was in riding habit anu
boots, faultlessly groomed, as usual
her smooth pale hair sleek in lis tblck
knot collar and tie immaculate az bel
gloves.
"Well," she said, amy news oil your
ankle, Stepheh?'
81 inquired about my ankle sad
Sivard. amused, and they tell ne i
is better, thank YOU"
"Sit a horse pretty soonF' she askea
dropping one leg over the other aAq
balancing the riding crop across hei
knee.
"Not for awhile. You have hhe
nav for gallop, Marion" looking
oskance at the sunshine hItefiAs
through the first green leaves Oh tHo
traa outside his window.
ats all right-the day, Where are
your cigarettes, stephen? on | see
Dob,t try to moye-don't be silly
She leaned over the desk, her iftSi
Young face close to his, and REACHED
For the cigarettes The clean cut he'',
the sweetness of her youth ana Ie!s-f
nlnIty. boyish IL its allure. were very
attractive to hlm-lnofe so perhaps be
nouse OF his isolation from the atIhos
phere of women.
"It's all very we'll Marion, your con.
inc here. and It's I'll very sweet o.
~, ,nt n immensely, ne