Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-09-16
CHAPTER ~.
A Fool and His Money.
Wherein ! spake OF most disastrou

- . Ebhh0 - ~
chances. Shakespeare.
TACK CARLETON stood in front of
the ticker in Turner & Drivers
y office, letting the narrow white rib
bon run lightly through his fingers.
For the he was alone. The big
clock over on the p~ostoffice building
had just doomed slowly the hour OF
II, and the little knot Of customers,
calmly or hurriedly. according to their
several temperaments, had one by one
gone out to lunch, for man must eat,
though black care sit at his elbow
And, indeed, though the little ticker
still buzZed and whirred INCREASINGLY
and the tape, with scarcely a halt or
pause In its onward course, still ran as
smoothly and persistently as ever, for
the moment the worst OF the drive
seemed really to be over So that
presently Carleton lifted his eyes, red
trimmed n tired from the blur o.
black and white beneath them, letting
the quotations run IN unheeded, and
stood with eyes fixed on the spot where,
just visible through the very top of the
tall window, framed in with line and
bar of ~blackened roof and dingy chin
ney top, there smiled cheerfully down
into the gloom of the darkened office a
cloudlcss patch of bright blue sky.
Imperceptibly the sound of the ticker
ceased and the white ribbon began fan
tastically to curl and twist in his hand,
for all unconsciously his fingers had
closed upon It., checking the smoothness
OF its onward flow. The little patch Of
blue sky had sent his thoughts wander
fpa for o6aId A mopaapf bafora he HAD
been standing there in the office won
dering miserably whether to try to pull
cut, while there was yet time, with a
good part of his little fortune gone, OF
whether, with anchors graphing des-
perately for holding ground, to strive
somehow to ride out the storm, And nov
so long had his mind run upon things
trivial and unimportant that, despite
the panic, despite the danger he was in,
thanks to that casual upward glance
he stood already in imagination at tn
first tee at the Country Club. the greer
of the valley lying smooth and fair be
meath him, the couple ahead Just dis
appearing owe the farther dit
Of the hill. and he himself
we~ll-limbered up, driver in hand
in the act of placing the new
white ball on the well-made tee, prop
erly confident Of smashing 1t out Isl
yards away, amid the close-croppet
velvet of the rolling turf. Absolutely
a perfect day. he reflected. for tn,
medal round; no wind, a bright sun
greens quick, yet true-and above al
he felt that he could win. Barnes wal
entered, of course, and Hender-
son himself-he was paired with
him-and Henderson had told Jake
Rogers that since he had changed
his grip he could put it all
over Carleton, match or medal, any
time they met. Rogers, with his little
crooked snee,. had taken Pains, Of
course, to repeat the remark, and while
Jack had laughed and said: "Oh, sure
he a lick me ali right" in his owr
heart of hearts, nevertheless, he knew
that he could trim Henderson. ant
somewhat grimly had awaited his
chance. About 100 would do it. he fig
ured; say a 10 today and an 81 tomor.
row-two such perfect days in success
sion could hardly be-yes. about O
couple Of eighties would do the trick.
His vision faded as swiftly as 1t hao
come. The green of the links had van
ished, and in it's stead the four square
walls Of the office. swinging smoothly
into place. had closed tightly in agar
upon him and his troubled fortunes
With a start, and a half-guilty fush