The Springfield herald., 1912-02-09
CHAPTER m.-tcontlnusd.,

CHAPTER Il.-(continued.)
happened to meet Bruce one day
at our noon luncheon. 1t was satur-
day afternoon and my work was nm
1shed for the week. He came into the
place where sat and dropped heavily
into 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. I let my hand
fall upon his shaking fingers.
What Is It, Brucs?" cried sharp
~. He blotted the Precipitation from
his face and answered me hoarse as
crow.
1T Ia all up. They have wiped me
out clean as a whistle. Had every
thing l 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 AL its tires" His head
dropped forward. and wiping his eyes
dry he sat with chest heaving.
stared at him.
How much did 1t sink?" asked
slowly after moment. He waved his
hands helplessly.
1T didn't sink: it didn't take time
to do that. 1t just plunged. dived,
sounded-dropped like a ton OF lead
in a vacuum. l was wiped out before
I could yell keno and crook a finger.
Oh, the miserable shame Of 1t! 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 only had 100000 more
II could get back In good shape in no
= tine. But can't beg, borrow or steal
s-tenth Of that sum. I'm an alley
esting, free-lunch pauper who can't
ven sell his soul because Old Nick
figures he'll get 1t anyway free gratis.
= I'd 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
lected in currency. was up to see
him In dying effort to get him to
stake me. but he only grinned at me
like a totem pole and kept on count
ing the bales of yellow backs until
wanted to yell and had to run away
to get shut of it." He got upon his
feet and in his anger banged the table
with a metal object which he had
tightly clenched in his hst.
But I've simply got to get ten thou
sand for month or two. tell YOU
and I'm going to do it." Then sud
denly subsiding he turned to me in
helpless Importantly. You couldn't
spare me anything in the shape OF an
advance. could you. old MANI
The pathos of the appeal touched
me, but 1 shook my head. No, Bruce
can give you nothing to speculate
with" l replied quietly. He got up
with a despairing shrug of his Shout
ders, nodded a hurried goodby and
was of on what was doubtless some
last despairing quest. l saw no good
in attempting to detain him and there
fore made no effort to call him BACK
Thoughts of what he had told me
filled my mind to the exclusion OF al
else. 1t was bad news. very bad news
indeed, and l knew that Clare ~ouie
knew she did. she would take nj,
troubles deep into her own heart. AM
1. was a miserable shame, too. For'
thousand dollars was q magnlncen
start along the road to fortune for
man only twenty-eight years old, ant
1t would probably be many years De
fore he could climb that high again
The suddenness of the catastrophe
was a distinct shock to me. For al
hour 1 pondered over it deeply, then
arising, took my own departure home
ward.
Uncle Abner was still nosng aroune
among his stacks Of currency as
entered. He glanced up at me quick
ly as opened the door, then. ignorin,
me, picked up thousand dollar OIL
and began talking to 1t.
Look at me, you beauty. or course
xyou don't know how l got you, pu
I'm going to tell you. scheine.
for you days and laid awake ior Wv
nights. sweat for you ana J. sc
traps for you and denied myseh ~
you. and finally got you you rev
me q pretty chase. but In the emu
captured you because l had my sou
set upon you. And why did l wan
your Because you are the concenti .,
ton of stored energy. All l have u
do is turn you loose In the worid a,,'