Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-09-22

him and he fed 1t upon his dreams
dreams of power, The Chicago broker
sent him Demonstrations and forecasts
which the old man threw away In dis
gust They were fools, all of them. He
asked no mans suggestions they were
afraid of him. he assured himself. when
the reports were contrary to his own
Ideas; and when they conceded with
his own notions he flattered himself
that they proved his own wisdom. He
made good his margins as fast as call
ed on, but continued to buy October
corn. basing his purchases on a short
crop. Always 1t was corn, corn. corni
He waited patiently for Balcomb to
report, for II he could get fifty thou
sand dollars more to put into corn his
triumph would be all the greater. He
waited feverishly for the hour which
the promoter had set and when Bal
comb appeared he could scarcely con-
ceal his impatience. He had Just
learned by consulting the files of old
newspapers at the public library that
there was a certain perlodicity in the
fall of frosts There seemed to him
every reason for thinking that early
frosts were to be expected and he was
anxious to increase his investment IN
October contracts. 1t was the great
est opportunity OF lifetime; to lose
1t was to miss chance that wise
Providence would hardly again put in
to his hands.
There was a CLEAN of excitement in
the old mans eyes which Balcomb did
not fall to note. He found pleasure
in playing with Ezra Dameron, the
hard old reprobate who had always ex-
acted the last ounce of flesh. He quot
ed again from Doctor Bridges, imput-
ing to that gentleman sentiments that
were original in Balcomb's fertile brain,
though none the less noble for being
purely fictitious. Balcomb enjoyed his
own skill at lying. and it was a high
testimony to the promoters powers
that Ezra Cameron believed a good
deal that Balcomb told him.
well. sir" said Balcomb, presently,
after he had given a resume Of one OF
Doctor Bridges Easter sermons, "I've
been thinking over your proposition
about the lots, and I'm sorry"
The old mans face fell and Balcomb
SO easily played upon.
"-sorry," Balcomb continued, that
can't do anything in the matter"
He paused and made a feint of drop
ping his hat to continue the suspense
as long as possible.
along the lines you indicated
the other day."
"Oh, yes, to be sure! I remember
that it was rather a large proposition"
said Dameron, recovering himself and
smiling in tolerance of Balcomb's fail
ure
Yes; the sale of those lots means
time and work, and, as l understood
you, you wished to avoid both Well, |
l don't blame you. 1 feel myself that
1 should prefer to have some other fell
low tackle the job. These mechanics |
can't pay more than a hundred or so
dollars a year on property. I have |
friends who went through that in the |
building associations of blessed mem
ory."
Il don't believe need any lnforma-
tion on the subject" said Dameron, in
IF you can't handle the
lots"
Il haven't said that, Mr. Dameron.
What l said was that I couldn't do It
In the way you Indicated 1t would
take long time to sell those fifty lots
on payments to working people. But
have a better plan. l propose selling
them in a bunch"
"Oh!" exclaimed the old man, non
though his face flushed
with returning hope.
"vas arpe hunches a ra moro In M,
line. But my friends that may pos
sibly interest can't carry them for their
health or yours or mine. You'll have to
make a good easy price on them If we
do any business. There are only two
or three factories In that neighborhood
and there may never be any more
And they're getting ready to stick a
whole lot of fancy street Improvements
down there. 1t may cost a thousand
dollars to stop that"-and Balcomb
grinned cheerfully.
"I can't countenance any irregular
dealing" said the old man, severely.
"Of course you can't! You're going
to turn that over to me. 1t isn't regu-.
lar, but, as the saying is, it's done.
You've got to see man that knows a
man that knows another man that has
the ear of the Board of Public Works.
There's nothing in it to make a Chris
tian gentleman shy. l see only the first
mani" And Balcomb laughed his
cheerful, easy laugh and stroked his
beard Now, Mr.. Dameron, I'll give
you twenty thousand dollars for those
lots as they lie. That's cash."
(To be continued.)