The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-06-30

nurse whom Dexter was to sepd. The
pH|5ician mad been an hour gone, Ieay-
ing her in state more Tranquil reas-
aHFed, West was by no means ont r,
favor. IL HiS
ne man was In a drugged stupor.
S'Fychnine squirting his laggard heart
action, morphine soothing him. Pres
/ ehtiy the woman bent forward very
/ cautiously, and slipped the clinical
thermometer between his parted lips.
@st stirred uneasiIy, and his teeth
c1cked against the glass tube. Then
again ne lapsed into coma. She with.
are" the thermometer, saw that # re-
glad. "N-- "a"
A second later. entirely without
warning, West had cast the blankets
ASIDE and was sitting bolt upright.
I@0oeTing In frenzy OF deliriun. The
woman gave hurried order to the
waiting servant to telephone Dexter.
ana returned to her husbands side.
belden--" be was iterating with
savage emphasis; ''Belden- Bel
| den"
Hush, dear" Gently she forced
MIN back, until his head rested upon
the pillow, and as gently sponged his
moist brow with ice water. He proved
tractable enough, and seemed crate
ful for the cold applications: but the
morphine was stimulating his unhelm-
ed Imagination with wavelike &C.
tlon; and he would talk, and did. BY
hts and starts.
By degrees, listening intently, she
began to piece together a comprehen.
siVe statement Of what lay upon his
mind that had Slapped his strength IN
III the sun had found him an easy vic
tim. One phrase-"Belden broke
falth served as a starting point;
with II as guide she was able to Sc
lect fragments from Vests incoher-
ent rambltngs. and to join them to-
gether mosaic-like. until she under.
stood It all.
"Belden broke faith-promised to
buy az eighty-broke his contract
said he'd examined roadbed and roll.
ing stock-come to conclusion that
bonds we're not worth the market
would pay sixty-damned scoundrel-
need cash for Ontario deaI-souare
with him-desperate fx-million nut
me on my feet. easy-make him pay
par"
Under the treatment Of the physi-
clan and the nurse West subsidized 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 cleaning 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
f1fty-fve.
Belden smiled grimly. 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 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
En-" Belden desired to know,
stopping and facing him.
Tausig do1ted his aggressiveness IN
der that searching scrutiny. How
much higher are you going to let Net
co. he inquired, with plaintive defer
epce.
Before I decide to liquidate?" ask
ed Belden. leering. Well, say o-e
hundred and twenty-five. Tsusig. Then
We can begin to unload-Quietly. you
know-and besides. Bennington Fours
will be down to fifty by that time"