The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-10-08
CHAPTER XII.
A PROBLEM IN HIGH FINANCE.

~ r DAVIS perturbation over
MI the arrival of his financial
V hacker and silent partner in
the fortune-telling enterprise
may be better understood when II is ex-
piained that. profitable though the es-
Enlistment had proven TO the actor in
the brief period OF its operation, il had
been far otherwise 70 Andrus < Bodine
in fact. the brokerage firm had up 70
date not a penny TO show in return for
the thousands they had advanced to-
ward fitting up the house and getting
the business on its feet.
They. It will be remembered. under the
agreement. were not to share in the
fees or other emoluments Of the con-
corn. but were to reap an indirect re-
ward through the increased volume Of
speculation diverted their way as a re-
ssit OF Edythe's predictions
SO FAR however, II must be con-
feEsed that al Andrus & Bodine had
made out OF the deal they could have
put In their eve. and that. too, with
out the slightest discomfort.
Most OF the clients who had dropped
their 80 IN the slot and sought light at
Ven had been Of Dorothy Brents kind.
interested more in the affairs OF the
heart than Of the market.
Wall Street men, despite Ralph :
confident prediction al the inception Of
the scheme, had been conspicuous
among the visitors b. their absence,
throne-room had so FAR served little
other than an ornamental purpose
Let IT not be imagined, either, that
Andrus & Bodine had overlooked this
failure 20 carry out the contract.
They were not ignorant OF the rush
Of the credulous 20 Countess Zicka S
door, and Of the bank account which
Davis Was piliDg up, and as they
thought Of the thirty thousand they
had put into the venture. they growled
vocnerously over so inequitable d.
vision OF the spoil
Little as the world knew IL. a squad
of blindly trustful investors was prac-
tically a necessity 10 Andus & Bo-
dine at that period
They had in an unguarded moment
taken over tho stock OF a more or les;
probleDatic irrigation project out in
Idaho with the Idea Of financing IL and
putting it through 30 completion; buI
the failure Of one or two other enter
prises had left a dead weight on THEN
hands, and unless they could find some
one 10 help lift part OF their burden
u was certain 20 crush them into ex-
II was this condition OF Affairs
which had induced BOdine TO lend AT
ear 10 Davis plausible representation
snd persuade the more cautious An.
drus In countenancing the actor s
But three weeks had now passed and
not single sucker had come
through Double Eye" as Idaho Irrf.
cation Company stock was termed upor
the curb. languished with no bidders
Andrus & BOoine, with funds tied UP
credit exhausted. and heavy obligations
impending. could plainly see the hand
writing on the wall.
Unless they could work Off a gooC
sized block or Double Eye within tn
next couple OF weeks. they would b'
forced into ba nkruptcy.
In this extremity they had natural,
been rather SOLICITORS iu demanding Of
Davis why he did not make good: and
IL rmHs Har.s.
able 10 smooth them down with eX
cuses and more or less reasonable ey
plantations. they We're now FAST cOminl
10 the limits Of their patience.
In fact. only that morning the part
ners had been engaged in a decided,
peevish conference over the matter.
Are you aware. old AHdrus had
asked after "A detected study OF the
caiendar s'fbst these Irnive-saI rms
Company notes fan due IN exactly ter
Good Lord. man" Bodlne turned or
him with a snarl. you are worse thar
a crosk king raven Every morning fol
q week N has been the same question
Am ] aware that those Universal Trus
Company notes fall due IN fourteen, thir
teen, twelve, eleven, ten Gaysff mimick
ing the others lugubriOus tones as Do
spoke
"Of course 7 .tm aware Of IL. not
being a. fol or IN my dotage. but
don't see what good n does 10 have the
fact perpetually stuck under my nose.
IF you had lived Ia ancient times
Andrus. you would have been one 81
those cheerful functionarics whose dutA
~ was to wake up the king every morn
ing with reminder that Some day n
would have 10 die"
The senior partner, however. remain
ed unmOved By this petulant Outburst
"It Is not d question OF what ! may
or may not say" he retorted EiOOmily
1T Is a question Of what we are COINS
10 do"
What we are going 20 dO2" Bodins
gave a shrug OF his shoulders. THAT
Is an easy one. Unless some one turns
up 70 relieve MS Of a bunch OF Double
Eyes we are going smash
Andrus grOancd scDulchral,y. and
tuggcd at his white side whishcrs
'if YOU hadn't thrown away that
thirty thousand dollars on your grin
ming monkey OF an actor friend, lac