Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-03-15
Continued

dry. The small outside holders have
load See here"-and he pointed to q
newspaper on his knee-''fifty lots Of
fered during the first half hour today
and the quotations dropping by quar-
ter points. Why, you can't stop em,
man. They've got you on the run"
'Yes, yes, 1t looks like It, l know.
But wait until I've had a chance at
Them. Let me think this thing over"
AR. Nicholas Walloway withdrew
into his corner of the smoking COM
partment to stare absentmindedly out
Of the window. The Cherub was soon
apparently engaged in a profound con-
temptation of the end of his cigar.
You would not have guessed, TO look
at him, that he was considering any
thing more serious than the flavor Of
the tobacco. Not until they were on
the ferry did he break the silence
Then, briefly and crisply, he outlined
his plan Of action. Nick WallOway
heard him through with glow of ad-
miration in his eyes.
IF you can do that, Cherub you'll
win" he declared; but if the scheme
slips up
"Then I'm down and out. But It's
got to go through" and Mr.. Devines
mouth lost some of its cherubic curves.
You'll do your part. Nick. Oh. it
will be easier than you think! They'll
never suspect you're in it. And don't
try to report until IL tonight. Then
you know where TO come-private din
ing room, tenth floor. I'll have 'em all
there at H."
When Cherub Devine appeared on
the floor half hour before closing
time the rumors Of his defeat were
passing from mouth to mouth. The
-Rimmer retainers were indulg-
ing il a war dance of victory.
Silently the Cherub passed to his ac-
customed corner and began tearing
pieces Of paper into small bits with
the same calm, unhurried air of alb
straction as usual. Many glances were
bestowed on him. most of them Gu
rious. few sympathetic, some tri-
umphantly vindictive. Everywhere he
was regarded as q beaten man. Now
and then gray uniformed floor boy
handed him messages, which he read
leisurely aud as leisurely reduced to
fragments. Just as the session closed
Pop Rimmer passed near him and
turned to favor him with an apelike
leer. The Cherub blinked unrespond-
ingly. He seemed too dazed by mis-
fortune even to disguise his chagrin.
A somewhat different Cherub De
vine it was, however, who met his
half dozen lieutenants that night be-
hind the secluslon Of safely locked
doors on the tenth floor of a gaudy
big hotel He had become an alert.
masterful, confident person, who thrill
ed those about him by revelation of
unguessed resources and unsuspected
reserves Of force.
The climax of the struggle was
reached during Thursday. Along
about the noon hour the members of
the Bates Rimmer combination were
forced to admit that the Cherub was
still in the fight. They made the ad-
mission with profane unction. They
did not understand why 1t was SO.
They only knew that IN some mysteri-
Gus manner their triumphant career
had been checked.
Thus 1t went All that afternoon
the contest waged. Now the price Of
p, u. and n. stocks slumped desper-
ately, now it skyrocketed amazingly.
Other stocks were affected. The
whole list quaked and qulvered as the
struggling giants Of finance wrestled
heedlessly about the arena.
Placidly smoking a fat, black cigar
and fitting comfortably back in one
Of Walloway & Co.'s mahogany office
chairs. Cherub Devine received bull
letins frGm the front. That was the
position in which Nick Walloway
found him when, after the day was
over. he rushed In, haggard of face
and with an anxious look In his eyes
1--WE lack fifty shares" he announc-
ed briefly.
"Then that's fifty we must get to-
morrow morning." responded the
Cherub.
1T can't be done" declared Wallo-
way, dropping hopelessly into a chair.
''The country has been raked with a
fine toothed comb. We can't get hold
of another share. I'm sorry, Cherub,
but I've done my best for you. The
p, H. and MS annual meeting is held
Mt noon tomorrow, and the Bates-Rim-
mer crowd has practically got US beat
en- now. If we only had fifty shares
more we could wipe them off the face
of the earth"
you're as bad as the countess"
chuckled the Cherub amicably. Then
as this reflection recalled something
to his mind he thrust his hand into an
inner pocket of his coat and drew out
a long envelope, at which he stared
blankly.
A twinge of guilt pricked his con-
science. There-he had completely for
gotten the first errand with which she
had intrusted him. Doubtless 1t was
to exchange this stock for cash that
she had been so anxious to come to
the city. Perhaps she had been ex-
pecting a remittance by every mail.
shamefacedly he opened the envelope
to make an idle examination Of the
contents. At the first glimpse his ex-
preston changed. Hastily he ran
through the documents, then showed
them back into the envelope.
A moment later he asked quietly,
"How many shares did you say we
1o.t.oa kr;ol- ~