The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-03-12
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Il didn't aean to be offensive no
drawled.
i suppose you can't help it," 81
Plank very gently. Some people can
you know And there was another
lence, broken by Mortimer whose en-
tire bulk was tfngling with a mixture.
OF surprise and amusement over his
protege's developing ability TO tax
care OF himself Did you say tina.
Stephen Slward is in westbury, Billy
mo; he's in town" replied Fleet
wood. Il took his horses up to hunt
with. He isn't hunting, you know
Il didn't know. Nobody ever sees
him anywhere" said Mortimer -
guess his mothers death cut him up
Fleetwood lifted his empty glass and
gently shooA the ice In it, THAT. an
the other business-is enough to cut
any man up, isn't itY"
You mean the action of the Lenoy
club?" asked Plank seriously.
Yes. He's resigned from this club
too, hear. Somebody told me that he
has made a clean sweep of all his
clubs That's foolish. A man may be
an ass to join too many clubs, but he's
always a fool to resign from any Of
'em You ask the weatherwise what
resigning from a club forecasts. It's
the first ominous sign in young man 5
career"
Under cover of a rapid fire exchange
of pleasantries between Fleetwood and
O'Hara. Plank turned to Mortimer.
hesitating:
81 rather liked Siward when 1 met
him at Shotover," he ventured. I'm
very sorry he's down and out"
HE drinks" shrugged Mortimer di-
luting his mineral water with Irish
whisky He can't let it alone. Hes
like all the Siwards.'
Mortimer doesn't care for Siward.
but he's an awfully good fellow. all the
same" sail Fleetwood, turning to
Plank. Hes been an ass, but who
hasn't? | like him tremendously, and
I feel very bad over the mess he made
Of 1t after that crazy dinner | gave ~
nv rooms. What? You hadn't heard
of it? why. man. it's the talk of the
clubs"
Il suppose that is why l haven't
heard" said Plank simply. My elEb
/ life is still in the future"
"Oh!" said Fleetwood, with an inyoi-
untary stare, surprised, trthe uncopl-
Portable vet somehow liking Plan,
and not understanding why.
Mortimer continued desultory dis
eussion with O'Hara concerning very
private dinner which somebody told
somebody that somebody had given 70
Quarter and the Intercounty Electric
people. which. if true. plainly indicat-
ed who was financing the IntercouAtS
scheme and why Amalgamated stock
had t1lmbled again Yesterday and VIII
might be looked for from the AlgoL-
ouin Trust company's president
+ .Amalgamated Electric doesn't seem
TO like it little bit" said O'Hafts.
"Ferral. B vether and Sivard are II
If M to Their necks, and if Quarter 3
really the god ii the machine and
he really is doing stunts with Anal Y
mated Electric and is also mixing fees
win une lntercounty crowd, why 10
is virtually paralleling his own roao'
and why, in the name of common
sense is he doing that? He'll kill It,
that's what he'll do
HE can afford TO kill it," observed
Mortimer. punching the electric out
ton and making Il significant gesture
toward his empty glass as the servant
entered "A man like Quarrler can al
ford to kill anything.
yes. but why kill Amalgamated
Electric? Why not merge? Why, It
crazy thing to do; it's a devil OF a thing
to do TO parallel your own Hne! IN
sisted O'Hara. THAT is dirty work.
People don't do such things these days.
Nohodv tears up dollar bills for the
pleasure of tearing
Nobody knows what Quarter wiz
do" muttered Mortimer who mad trieo
hard enough to find out when the nrst
luminous rumors arose concerning
Amalgamated, and the first lracuo1aI
declines left the street speechless ana
stupefed.
O,Hera sat froviling and lingering
h,s glass LAS matter Of fact he
aaid "a little cold logic shows US tnai
Quarter isn't in 1t AT MI. No aiie Nc
would ruin his own enterprl. NheH
+bara Is no need to. lis people Az
openly supporting AmaltHma''a ~
hammering Intercounty, ana, oeaiies'
there's Ferrall in it, and Mrs. tefI1a
= orarrier's cousin: and there's Bel
wather in It. and Quarter is engage
70 marry Sylvia Lands, who Is BE-
watber's niece. It's scrap with Har-
rtngton's crowd, and the wheels IN
.ide 81 wheels are like Chinese boxes.
Who knows what 1t means? Only IT'S
n,ain that Anal gamated is safe, II
onarrier wants it to be. And unless ne
does he's crazy."
Mortimer. squirting sideways a,
plank and seeing him still occupied
with Fleetwood turned oluhuy on
O'Hara: :. -
..saa here. what do you mean by De
r,t,,,l. gs ha orOwled. y IN