The Nevada County picayune., 1911-06-23

VI pdoocu II oNCi IL dS ! - part of her daily life-had heen a part of it ever since, ten years before. the curtain had fallen upon their honeymoon.
 She was accustomed to say that for ten hours of the day, from eight in the morning to six in the evening Tom West was mere money-making machine, with no end in life save the manipulation of the market, no con. ception of anything in the world save bank and railway statements, divi- dends. tickers and the ebb and flow 10 8 a. m, he was a normal human be- ing with almost human interests, in- cluding wife.
 Therein she did West justice, and some injustice. In point of fact, the man adored his wife after business hours. But it was most true that he forgot her completely throughout the Wall street working day. And to that, perhaps, may be attributed his remark able success-to the absolute concen- tration of all his faculties upon the matter in hand; which generally con- sisted in the bearing of some secur- ity which other men admired, but which West looked upon with the jaun- diced eye of the skeptic confirmed in his pessimism so far as stock values were concerned.
 As for his wife, for the time being her thoughts as we'll as her slim white fingers were busied about the tall cop per pot in which the coffee brewed Now, with little nod of satisfaction she placed the extinguisher over the flame of the alcohol lamp, and glanced tentatively toward her husband, as though fearful of disturbing him.
 Of West, only his fingers were visi- ble; rough-hewn, blunt, heavy fingers that conveyed a distinct impression of the mans character. as the world saw 1t. They gripped almost fiercely the edges of the morning paper, which he held outspread so as thoroughly to curtain himself from his wife's gaze Behind 1t he maintained an unbroken silence; his big. broad brow thrust forward aggressively, his lips set and tense, his gray eyes fairly dancing up and down the serried columns of fig ures. as he-to use his own phrase tore the heart out of the market re- port
 The woman gazed upon the fingers with a tenderness glowing deep in her cnTOnhnx. fhnv tnd to hnr very clearly the man she knew so we'll that man whom the street reckoned ruthless, but whom she loved with all her being, and who loved her In return With a devotion almost womanish- after business hours again.
 In time West lowered the paper un- ul It's upper edge was level with the bridge of his nose. He stared at her absent-mindedly; the creature man was asserting it's desire for refresh ment, though the business man was lost Tn pondering of men and meas ures. Coffee ready?" he demanded, and promptly returned his gaze to the hst Of the previous days transactions.
 Ready" she replied, quickly and clearly, and waiting, Tom" She dropped the indispensable two Jumps oi sugar into Vests cup, added the cream, then brimmed it with the steaming black liquor.
 As she had anticipated-for she studied the man closely-the sound os her voice and the stir of the table ware distracted the current of his thoughts. Reluctantly he folded the news sheet, and laid 1t at the side of nis plate, accepted the cup, and began to stir the coffee with his spoon, mo- hotohously. as though he feared 1t hight lose virtue through inaction, meanwhile glaring at his plate.
 one forebore to question him; she me" that before long he would begin to talk. Always, ever since she could emember, he had interlarded his breakfast with a onesided discussion. "ruhnlng comment on the ways of the sueet' and on the part he happened to oe playing therein at the particular time.
 Ahd so, inevitably. it came to pass. AS uioppcu the spoon anu vesah to use his fork; and, Funny .u'hg about Belden," he observed, talk Hs more at than to- her.
 res with the rising infection.
 res Funny thing about Belden nu myself We've been fighting tooth anu nall for the last five years or so, hn. hu now 1t just happens that we're ,n o'n hard up at the same time. Co Incidence"
 now do you know he is hard up?"
 Dont know it." He was looking ner now, and interestedly, but she a~, @ mat he had forgotten her. The sH'nusiasm of logical deduction pos t,oS sSed m thoroughly: his imagina- troa, oa w"~ wrapped with the joy of pene- was ns rival operators secret. He thn happily formulating into phrases
 '"'e that yesterdays ticker tape