The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-04-19
CHAPTER Il--(Contlnued.)


at our noon luncheon. 1t was Satur.
day afternoon and my work was fin
ished for the week. He. came into the
place where sat and dropped heavily
into a seat beside me. His appearance
caused me TO whirl upon him. His
face was drawn tense as the skin OF
q drum, his eyes were heavy as
though with q great WEAKNESS, and
his hands aspen in their shakiness.
He had the haunted look of a man
who has been crushed, soul and body,
by some appalling disaster. Marvel
ing at the evil transformation which
had come over him, let my hand
fall upon his shaking fingers.
what Is it, Bruce?" l cried sharp.
~. He blotted the perspiration from
his face and answered me hoarse as
crow.
1T is all up. They have wiped me
out clean as whistle. Had every
thing could rake and scrape on
System stock, and she has gone
straight to the bottommost pit Of in
ferno. And l was forty thousand to
the good and was going to quit for.
ever at fifty thousand and marry
Clare" He burst into tears. And
now can't marry her, for am
ruined, busted, blown up, shot to
pieces. If any one should. give me
an automobile couldn't raise the
wind to fill its tires" His head
dropped forward, and wiping his eyes
dry no sat with chest heaving. l
stared at him.
"How much did It sink?" l asked
slowly after moment. He waved his
hands helplessly.
1T didn't sink; 1t didn't take time
to do that It just plunged. dived,
ounded-dropped like ton of lead
in vacuum. l was wiped out before
could yell keno and crook finger.
Oh, the miserable shame of It.! Ass
unspeakable! Fool unmentionable!
Idiot unutterable! Ass! Idiot! Fool"
Shocked but helpless surveyed
him in silence. Presently his voice
arose again. this time angrily.
"But that stock Is only temporarily
Knocked down, and Is bound to come
up smiling long before the count. 1t
was that damnable published lie that
started the panic, and the scare will
be over in "a hours when the truth Is
known. If l only had $4,000 more
couM get back in good shape In nc
time. But can't beg, borrow or steal
one-tenth Of that sum. I'm an alley
infesting, free-lunch pauper who CAM
even sell his soul because Old NICE
figures he'll get 1t anyway free gratis
And there's our dear Uncle Abner sit
ting up there In his den this very min
ute blowing his fingers and nose
through $4,000 that he has Just col
iected in currency. I was up to SCI
him in q dying effort to get him Il
stake me, but he only grinned at M
Nike a totem pole and kept on count
ing the bales Of yellow backs until
wanted to yell and had to run ava
to get shut of It," He got upon hi
feet and in his anger banged the tabl
with q metal object which he ha
tightly clenched in his fist.
"But I've simply got to get ten tho'
sand for a month or two, ! tell yo'
and I'm going to do It," Then SUI
denly subsiding be turned to me
helpless Importantly. "You couldn
spare me anything in the shape OF
advance, could you, old man?"
The pathos of the appeal touche
me. but shook my head. mo, Bruc
I can give you nothing to specula'
WITH" replied quietly. He got U
with a despairing shrug of his shor
ders. nodded a hurried goodby ar
was off on what was doubtless son
last despairing quest. saw no goo
IN attempting to detain him and Their
fore made no effort to call him bac
Thoughts Of what he had told n
filled my mind to the exclusion OF
else. 1t was bad news. very bad ne"
indeed, and knew that Clare Wou
knew she did, she would take b
troubles deep into her own heart. Al
1t was a miserable shame, too. For
thousand dollars was magnifice
start along the road to fortune for
man only twenty-eight years old, a.
It would probably be many years
fore he could climb that high aga
The suddenness of the catastrop
was a distinct shock to me- For
hour pondered over 1t deeply, thu
arising, took my own departure hon
ward.
Uncle Abner was still nosing arou
among his stacks Of currency as
entered. He glanced up at me qui'
ly as opened the door, then, ignori
me, picked up thousand dollar
and began talking to 1t.
Look at me, you beauty. OF coul
you don't know how got you,
I'm going to tell you. l schen
for you days and laid awake Tor
nights. sweat for you and
traps for you and denied myself
you. and finally I got you. You
me . pretty chase, but IN the en-
captured you because had my o
Get upon you. And why did VI
you? Because you are the conesn'
ton q stored energy. All nave