The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-07-15
a,d family ..1f YOU don't mind, Tom.

SAID. family. n you ao9 mind, Tom
I'll
mo, stayl he comnaas led. Inere,s
something funny going on, and pro-
pose to know what i'll Is. NOW, Hola-
WedeI-''
Hol1Wede1 stamnersd.
aWell. ii isn't much" be said, that
| I had to do with the DEAL he added,
hastily. Matter Of fact, ! only acted
as an agent, under orders. OF eourse'
YOU understand, | thought they were
your orders, and obeyed them i'm
plieit1y.'
ORDERS ~ queried West.
Mrs. West aYerted her face.
tsI--I hope you wont be angry,
Tom, she faItered, TREMENDOUSLY.
sI'll be angry If don't get this
straight from the beginning, said
West, stGo on, Hol1Wede1. { promise
/ to control myself and not TO inter
rupt. 80
well, said HoI1wedel; and stop
ped. ssWell!' he plunged desperately
at his narrative, the morning mi after
you were suust1 tex, Mrs.. West eallea
at the Office. Mind you, hadn't any
/ notion that you were even aillng. she
said that you had broken your arm s.
your right arm. "
seWhy?'' demanded the startled con-
valescent.
ITO explain why you couldn't send
me written instructions, by your own
hand Z suggested HollWedel.
eyes," assented Mrs. West, timid1y.
Sand" the broker continued, 1T was.
necessary to get around Belden. You
had given her full details Of how I was
| to go about the business. Mrs. West
instructed me. thought that It was
| mighty risky, but that made It seem
ali the more as though It came from
you, West. It was scheme to knock
the bottom out Of Net Common, In or
4 der to keep Belden on the anxious
Iseat while we quietly bought up q ma
jority Of the Bennington Fonrs. OBJ
jected because we hadn't ready money
enough to put it through, but Mrs.
i West overcame that by p1edging her
. personal fortune to old Winant. That
gave US enough TO operate with. s
''Bess,p cried West, ayou-you did
!. |sthat"'
ssWait!' advised HoIlWede1. You
!, promised to go easy. Mrs. West start
ed the bali rolling by going to Wise's
uptown room and selling Eve hundred
3 were known to have been comforting
with Belden the day before and Mrs.
! West being your wife, presumably tac
i king a flyer for pin money on your
advice. young Wise jumped at the con-
clusion that Net Common was due to
:. break-just as we had figured he
!, would. He telephoned his papa, and
! the Wise clique unloaded on the min
| ute. That staggered Be1den, and be-
fore he got over It, everybody was
bearing Net. sold ten thousand
short, Just to help things along, and
81 BeIden took the count. Then soaked
them with twenty-five thousand shares
and Net dropped like a sinker. She
J: closed at eighty-three, with Be1den
choking to death; and we covered and
cashed In to a beautiful tune.
In the meantime, I'd been cabling
: the English investors for their Ben
ningtons, and got big block from
over there, besides what I picked up
on the Street during the slump and
: while Belden was getting his second
wind. Finally, had corraled over
! half the bond issue, which Mrs. West
! and I locked up in our safe deposit
! vault. Pretty soon-day or two
Be1den came around; said he's recon
sidered, that he'd take our block at
the price agreed upon eighty. I told
him Just how things stood We held
!. the majority Of the Fours; but we
: didn't want them. We didn't care to
forec1ose. told him he could have
). them at par. He sWore he'd have
9 your blood, West and gave in. He
had to. don't know where he got the
t money, but do know that we cleared
9 nearly million on the operation. And
! your wife's responsible. !"
: Hollwedel stopped abruptly. Mrs
: West started, and quiVered 9 little
. with a fearful gladnegs-that she had
done this thing for him, for her hus
band. But she feared to meet his eye
| West remained still in his chair. star
2 ing THE ceiling After q while
9 tense, silent interva1he passed his
hand over his eyes.
: MY Wife!" he said, softly, and
g arose. He took a step Of tao teWar6
9 her, and paused. "a mil1ion!" he wits
pered, ooh, good Lordts He ad
q vanced until he lowered above her
while she sat with bowed head and {
g film Of dimness clouding her vision
9 my wife!. said West, breathlessly
!, sBess"
{ she looked up at him, her face shin
Y ing.
{, Tt had to, dear" she said. 6
: couldn't help fittings were SO des
perate. Something had to be done
and IT seemed to me that you would
have done just that. 8
: .tBut-but how could you know how
J to flank Be1den. z
Glow could I help knowing, Tom?'
~ she defended herself For ten year,
= you've been telling me just what to d,
Ia