Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-01-19
CHAPTER TX.


Nathaniel Letton was talking when
the door opened; he ceased, and with
his two companions gazed with con
trolled perturbation at Burning Day
light striding into the room The free.
swinging movements of the trailtrav-
eler We're unconsciously exaggerated in
that stride of his. In truth, it seemed
to him that he felt the trail beneath
his feet.
"Howdy. gentlemen, howdy," he re-
marked, ignoring the unnatural calm
with which they greeted his entrance
He shook hands with them in turn.
striding from one to another and grip.
ping their hands so heartily that Ma
thaniel Letton could not forbear to
vince. Daylight flung himself into a
massive chair and sprawled lazily. with
an appearance of fatigue The leather
grip he had brought into the room he
dropped carelessly beside him on the
floor
I've sure been going some,' he sigh
ed. 1--WE sure trimmed them beautifully,
1t was real slick. And the beauty Of the
play never dawned on me till the very
end. 1t was pure and simple knock
down and drag out And the way they
fell for it was amazin'"
Letton made a dry sound in his
throat Dowsett sat quietly and wait
ed while Leon Guggenhammer strug-
gled into articulation.
You certainly have raised CAIN he
said,
Daylights black eyes flashed in
pleasant way.
Didn't |. thought" he proclaimed,
jubilantly. And didn't we fool EN-!
was teetotally surprised. / never
dreamed they would be that easy.
And now" he went on, not permit
ting the pause to grow awkward, we
all might as well have an accounting
I'm pullin' West this afternoon on
that blamed Twentieth Century" He
tugged at his grip. got it open, and dip
ped into it with both his hands But
don't forget, boys. when you-all want
me to nornswoggle Wall Street anoth-
er flutter. all you-all have to do is
whisper the word Ill sure be right
there with the goods"
His hands emerged, clutching
great mass of stubs. check books, and
brokers' receipts. These he depos-
tied in heap on the big table and
dipping again, he fshed out the strag-
glers and added them to the pile He
consulted slip of paper drawn from
his coat pocket and read aloud:
Ten million twenty-seyen thousand
and forty-two dollars and sixty-eight
cents is my figurin on my expense.
OF course that-alrs taken from the
winnings before VEAL get to figurin
on the whack-up Where's your fig
ures? It must a been mighty big
cleanup"
The three men looked their bepuz-
element at one another The man was
bigger fool than they had imagin-
ed or else he was playing a game
which they could not divine.
Nathaniel Letton moistened his lips
and spoke up,
1T will take some hours yet, Mr..
hdTllSlY GelOTe the Iuli accounting can
be made Mr. Howison is at work upon
ii now We-ah-as you say, 1t has
been a gratifying cleanup. Suppose
we have lunch together and talk it
over I'll have the clerks work through
the noon hour so that you will have
ample time to catch your train"
Dowsett and Guggenhammer mani
tested a relief that was almost OBJ
vious The situation was clearing. 1t
was disconcerting. under the circum-
stances, to be pent in the same room
with this heaYy-muscled, Indian-like
man whom they had robbed They re-
membered unpleasantly the many stor-
les of his strength and recklessness. If
Letton could only put him of long
enough for them 20 escape into the po-
Iced world outside the Office door. ali
would be well; and Daylight showed
all the signs of being put of
I'm real glad TO hear thai" he said
Z don't want to miss that train. and