The Nevada County picayune., 1911-06-23

Deuslue, gazing nungrlly into niS set features, waiting for the arrival of the | nurse whom Dexter was to send. The | physician had been an hour gone, leav- | ing her in state more tranquil, reas- | sured. West was by no means out of | danger. but the chances were in his | favor
 The man was in drugged stupor, strychnine spurring his laggard heart action, morphine soothing him. Pres | ently the woman bent forward, very cautiously, and slipped the clinical | thermometer between his parted lips West stirred uneasily, and his teeth | clicked against the glass tube. Then again he lapsed into coma She with drew the thermometer, saw that 1t re- | corded an even one hundred, and was glad.
 A second later, entirely without warning, West had cast the blankets aside, and was sitting bolt upright, jabbering in frenzy of delirium The | woman gave a hurried order to the waiting servant to telephone Dexter, and returned to her husbands side 'Belden-" he was iterating with savage emphasis; "Belden- Bel den-''
 | Hush, dear" Gently she forced him back, until his head rested upon the pillow, and as gently sponged his | moist brow with ice water. He proved | tractable enough, and seemed grate | ful for the cold applications but the | morphine was stimulating his unhelm- ed imagination with wavelike ac- tion and he would talk, and did, by | fits and starts.
 By degrees. listening intently, she began to piece together a comprehen- sive statement of what lay upon his mind, that had sapped his strength un- til the sun had found him an easy vic tim. One phrase-"Belden broke faith"-served as starting point; with 1t as guide she was able to se- lect fragments from Vests incoher- ent ramblings, and to join them to- gether. mosaic-like, until she under stood it all.
 "Belden broke faith-promised to buy at eighty-broke his contract said he'd examined roadbed and roll ing stock-come to conclusion that bonds were not worth the market would pay sixty-damned scoundrel- need cash for Ontario deal-square with him-desperate fix-million put me on my feet, easy-make him pay par"
 Under the treatment of the phyai- clan and the nurse West subsided into silence. But the woman had heard enough to enable her to grasp the situation very completely
 She debated the matter throughout the long, dreary night, an odd, hard light gleaming in her eyes.
 That morning the market opened firm; Net Common was in demand at one hundred and nineteen, an advance of two points overnight; Bennington Fours had dropped four points, to fifty-f1ve.
 Belden smiled grlmly as he scanned the opening prices on the tape To his ears the gossip of the ticker was sweet music; everything was going as he had wished. Nothing could be bet ter, from his point of view He dropped the paper ribbons into the ticker basket, and began to pace up and down the length of his private office, with a stealthy, catlike tread, glancing from side to side with some thing furtive in his manner. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he allowed his head to droop as he chuck led sourly
 Tausig, his partner, read the covert triumph in Belden's manner and him. self consulted the tape. He likewise smiled broad. contented smile, as he turned away from the basket; but moment later he began to think.
 "Belden," he began, aggressively He was his partners precise antithe- sis-a heavy, rotund, red-faced, push ing" type
 "Eh?" Belden desired to know, stopping and facing him.
 Tausig doffed his aggressiveness un- der that searching scrutiny. How much higher are you going to let Net go ne inquired. With plafntive defer ence.
 Before l decide to liquidate?" ask. cd Belden, leering. Well say one hundred and twenty-five, Tausig. Then We can begin to unload-quietly, you know-and besides, Bennington FourG will be down to fifty by that time"
 Tausig sucked uneasily at an ex- pensive cigar
 T thought you said you would cash in this morning." he defended him self. surlily.
 T did, 1 did" squeaked Belden But things happen you know. I've changed my mind: think now it's safe to boost Net Common a little higher and to hold of on the bonds a wee bit longer
 "Why?" demand Tausig f1atly