Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-10-24
CHAPTER Ill.
Mr.. Bivens Calls.

~TUART walked next morning
"a with a sense of hopeless de-
~ preston. What strange mad
ness had come we the woman
he loved? They had never discussed
money before. Bivens was the only
explanation.
A letter was on the hall rack which
had been sent by a messenger. He
broke the seal with nervous haste. 1t
was from Bivens asking him to call
his Office telephone at II o'clock.
He tore the note into tiny pieces,
stepped into the parlor and threw them
into the CRATE. Some one was play
ing an old fashioned southern melody,
and the tenderest voice accompanied
the piano. He walked to the door of
the music room.
1t was Harriet Woodman, She look
ed up with a start.
ooh, Jim. I didn't know you were
therev"
"It was beautiful, little pal"
eyes, I knew you'd like that piece. l
heard you humming it one day. That's
why I got it,"
"What a sweet voice you have, child,
so clear. so deep and rich and full Of
feeling. I didn't know you could sing"
II didn't either until I tried"
"You must study music,' he said.
with enthusiasm.
The girl clapped her hands and leap
ed to her feet, e%xclaiming:
evil you be proud Of me. Jim, if
can sing?"
"Indeed 1 WILL" was the earnest an
swer.
The laughing eyes grew serious as
she slowly said:
s"Then I'll do my level best. Pm off.
Goodby."
On reaching his Office on lower Broad
way Stuart rang Bivens' telephone, and
the president of the American Chemi-
cal company made an engagement tc
call at once.
Stuart was grateful for the timely
call Of a client who kept him in con-
sultation for fifteen minutes while Biv-
ems patiently waited his turn in the re-
ception room.
The first view Of Bivens was always
unimpressive. He was short, thin and
looked almost frail at first glance. A
second look gave the impression Of
wiry reserve force in his compact
thinning slightly on top. which gave
him the appearance Of much greater
age than he could really claim. His
thin features were regular, and his
face was covered with a thick black
beard which he kept trimmed to a
keen point on the chin. His most strik-
King features were a high massive fore
head, abnormally long for the size of
his body, and a pair of piercing, bead
like black eyes.
He rarely spoke except to a purpose,
and his were quiet. almost
furtive. He had thus early in his
career gained a nickname that was pc
culiarly significant in Wall street. He
was known as the Weasel
His whole makeup, physical and men.
tai, was curiously complex, a mixture
Of sobriety and greed, piety and cruel.
ty, tenderness and indomitable will,
simplicity Of tastes with boundless
ambition.
His friendship for Stuart and his def
erence to him personally and socially
dated from their boyhood in North Car
DINA, and particularly from an Incl.
dent which occurred in their college
days. Bivens' father had been q no.
torious coward in the Confederate army
and had at last deserted the service.
On Bivens' arrival at college, a partic-
ularly green freshman, Stuart had dis
covered a group Of his classmates haz-
ing him. They had forced the cow
ards son to mount a box and repeat to
the crowd the funny stories about the
"valor" of his father. The bow. scared