The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-04-13

tlouS, rev sympatnetic, some tri-
umphantiy vindictve. Everywhere he
was regarded as a beaten man. Now
and then a gray uniformed floor boy
handed him messages. which he read
leisurely and 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-
lngly. He seemed too dazed by mis-
fortune even to disguise his chagrin.
A somewhat different Cherub De-
vine 1t was, however, who met his
half dozen iieutenants that night be-
hind the seclusion Of safely locked
doors on the tenth door of q gaudy
big hotel. He had become an alert,
masterful, confident person, who thrill
ed those about him by a 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
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 It went. All that afternoon
the contest waged. Now the price of
p, y. and N. stocks slumped desper-
FOL q ell
Other stocks we're affected. The
whole list quaked and quivered as the
struggling giants of finance wrestled
heedlessiy about the arena.
Placidly smoking q fat. black cigar
and fitting comfortably back in one
Of Walloway & Co.'S mahogany Office
chairs, Cherub Devine received bull
letins from 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 I'm his eyes.
I'VE lack fifty shares" be announc-
ed briefly.
"Then that's fifty we must get to-
morrow morning" responded the
Cherub.
ut 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, y. and Ms annual meeting is held
at noon tomorrow, and the Bates-R
mer crowd has practically got us beat
| en- now. IL we only had fifty shares
more we could wipe them of 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 it 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
lacked, Nick?''
Fifty" gloomily responded Mr.. Wal
loway, his head between his hands.
"And about how much would they
be worth to me just nowT
worth! Why, anything-three hun
dred, five hundred, a thousand dol
lars share If you could get them
which you can't"
mo" responded the Cherub. ;'Well,
what do you say to those?" and he
tossed the long envelope to Walloway.
That young man took his head from
between his hands and glanced re
proachfully at the Cherub. 1t was no
| time for joking. But he took the pack
ct and began q spiritless investigation.
Suddenly he jumped to his feet
"Devinew he exclaimed hoarsely.
Sure" The Cherub was watching
him with calm interest.
And there are twenty-five-ffty-
one hundred shares!'
Fright again, Nick"
"But where on earth-Cherub, are
! you a wizards"
Just make note Of it that l owe
| the Countess Vecchi n hundred thou-
sand dollars. Guess / can AFFORD to
bull the market a little on her ac-
count, ehY
Afford to! Why, Devine, this gives
you control of the road. You've got
the Bates-Rimmer crowd under your
thumb. You've won, man; you've
wonp
tTo BE coNTINUED.1