The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-07-15
By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
Copyright, by Street 8 Smith.

and today's market report had told to
him. Don't know 1t from Belden's
own lips, that is. But he's rigging
the Notwithstanding Net Com
man,
met Common?" she inquired,
puzzled.
New England Transit, common
he translated, impatiently; This pet
stock. He wants to boost it by wash
Sales as high as the market will stand,
and then he's going to unload at big
profit. He plans to add the Benn1ng-
ton extension to the New England
| Transit system, and he needs money
| to buy in the bond issue. Bennington
extension" he continued, as though try
| ing to make it perfectly clear to him.
self. beyond possibility OF error, lis q
big independent trolley line running
| north out Of Hartford It's practically
| bankrupt, and will default on the In
terest, due on the first. for It's first
| mortgage four-per-cent bonds. Belden
wants to buy them In, SO that he can
| forecIose on the minute, and make
Bennington extension q part Of New
! England Transit. Slick, isn't he?"
But West was not asking question
| to be answered, for he continued, al
| most without break: t'Belden found
| out that he wouldn't get 'em for
song yesterday" he said, chuckling.
bennington Fours are selling at nfty-
nine, and drug on the market at
that. But I'm holding block on be-
half of Western syndicate, and Bel
| den has agreed to pay me eighty Tor
'em. T gave him to understand that
| they'd never be cent cheaper, SO he
had to knuckle under, and pass me
his word to the deal"
eyes," she breathed, vaguely, not
greatly interested.
| West paused to swallow his coffee,
then sat back and watched the cur
tains bellying in the warm June
breeze that had access through the
open window.
.Ten you what" he broke out, Sc
riously, sit was a great relief to me
when closed the transaction. ] stand
4 to get three or four hundred thousand
out of it, and I need ready money the
worst way, myself That last rise in
Ontario pinched me badly, and the
banks are beginning to fight shy Of
my paper" He frowned, lettering abb
stractedly on two legs Of his chair;
then suddenly pulled out his watch.
stHello!" he announced. It'll have to
hustle. by, Bess."
West arose, came around to her
chair, and bent over to kiss his wife.
She lifted her lips to his, and they
were barely parted; her eyelids droop-
i ed heavily, and she sighed family.
For the instant ten years dropped
from their lives; Vests gaze glorif1ed
the firm curve Of her cheek, the full
sweep of her bare throat; and he
caught at his breath sharply.
Also he noticed little anxious
pucker between her brows, for which
he laid the blame at the door OF the
oppressive weather, nor understood in
the least that fear for him chilled her
heart.
Look here, m'dear," he suggested
in severely practical tone, as he
Strengthened up. Don't you think
you'd better run up to Newport?'
/ "And leave you here, alone, to
stand the heat? No." she decided
firmly. .When Tom West takes q
! vacation, his wife will. Meanwhile
nothing worries me SO much as the
knowledge that you are working toe
hard-slaving your life out, dear. Be
careful today, won't you-for my
sake?"
"For no one else's, Bess," he laugh
ed, lightly.
To dress for the evening was an or
deal, but one to be faced with a smile
For Tom liked to find her just so; /
. was good to him, when he had slough
ed the cares of the day, to see he
fresh, unwilted.
Later, she recalled that 1t was Will,
i she struggled to attire herself with thu
i grudged assistance Of a cross maid
that she was suddenly convinced by
subtly psychic, womanly intuition tina
something was amiss, either with Ton
} or with Toms affairs.
But forebodings such as that ar
stern1y to be relegated to the limbo c
!, superstitions until the event prove
their excuse.
} She was at the head of the stair
, when the door opened and Yves
r slumped forward into the butler
arms; crumpled, enervated, crushe
by the whitening heat. In another IL
l. slant she was by his side, abrupt
! composed, mistress Of herself and c
: her fears: for this was what she ha
been awaiting, this that contingenc
the fear Of which had held her by he
i boys side when she might have bee
4 materially comfortable at the Sc;
j, shore.
> His forehead was like hot tile I
= her palm; dry, hard, slightly glazet
His face was a pallid mask, his liz
: feverish, and dry, and cracked, like
8 stale crust Tnstinctive1y she kne'
3 what was first to be done.
) "Ice water!" she demanded, of th
I servants, as she ripped Vests cola
: from his shirt. '.And cracked ice
= quick! Telephone for DR. Dexter; to
. him to come at once. lists Ii
> or death"
) At midnight she was sitting By b