The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-02-14

John Dunmeade weren't such a stub
born fool he would be just the man to
meet Brent with" He spoke angrily.
The others gave respectful If surprised
assent.
In the financial district of the Steel
City was no June day relaxation. In
the exchange was a bowling, frenzied
mob struggling desperately to speed
advancing fortune or to retain that
which was vanishing in the Alabama
Iron and Coal squeeze.
A glutton by methods that would
have done credit to the robber barons
had raped the treasure developed by
weaker brethren. And now greater
barons, more gluttonous, springing upon
him in an unguarded moment. by like
methods were tearing the spoils from
his grasp. But no one saw joke
Before it could end two great banking
houses would be bankrupt, at least one
daring. arrogant speculator sensation
ally ruined and thousand little greedy
ones made penniless.
The mad scramble rose to climax.
In his office the man who was the
storm center stood over the ticker
He had struggled, with the unthinking
valor born of desperation, against the
unwavering, relentless attacks made
upon him. They had forced him back,
farther and still farther back to his
inner lines of defense, into the last
ditch. Driven out of that he had
made last vain stand. Now he
awaited the slaughter. He glared fix
edly at the tape in his hand.
Suddenly the fixity broke up in an
insane helpless rage that demanded
physical expression. From his twist
ed mouth came an inarticulate, wolfish
cry. With a convulsive jerk he snap
ped off the tape-kicked the ticker un-
til it fell with a crash. A clerk in
the outer office heard the noise and
rushed in. Immediately, frightened
by what he saw, he withdrew, closing
The door behind him.
Stephen Hampden was not good to
look upon as he rushed up and down
the room, striking and kicking at the
objects in his way. His face was pur-
ple-convulsed. He poured out unin-
telligible imprecations on the "curs,"
the "crooks.' the TRAITORS who had
broken him. He had no thought for
those upon whom he in his turn had
fallen, He was obsessed by the pas
sion of his defeat.
The paroxysm spent itself. He flung
himself, painting and still glaring, into
chair. The telephone rang. He
paid no attention to it.
The clerk, trembling, opened the
door. you're wanted on the long dis
tance, Mr.. Hampden. It's
Il won't talk to them!" Hampden
snarled back.
The clerk withdrew, then reappear.
ed. BEG pardon, Mr.. Hampden," he
insisted timidly, "but it's Mr. Blake
of New Chelsea. He says he must
talk to you"
"All right" Hampden caught up
the telephone. He waited until the
click told him that the clerks receiver
had been hung up, then snapped: This
is Hampden. What do you want|
The precaution was unnecessary
The message was strangely worded
1t would have meant nothing to an
outsider. But Hampden had the key.
He hung up the receiver. And for q
moment he allowed himself to be
beaten down. Fear before danger in
Cured in the heat of battle and now
become imminent, terrible, through the
folly of another, ousted rage. Mere
defeat, bankruptcy, paled before this
4, fear steadied him, cleared his brain
He wasted no time in futile regrets
His mind darted hther and thither
swift and calculating, pondering and
rejecting a hundred avenues of escape
from the peril which must be avertet
before he could set out to recOup his
losses. There was no thought of saw
ing Warren Blake-Only himself.
Late in the day he went QUITO beg
the mercy he had never shown.
Katherine Hampden was alone that
evening, She was often alone nova
days, but not entirely because, as she
had told John Dunmeade, she had
DCCi tlpNlSllSu a bCl III Oll llC SllSii ~
served for unmarriageable females
There were many men who would have
gladly undertaken to relieve her soil
tude. But these found her extremely
unapproachable. Those whom she
would have welcomed most gladly hat
least time for dalliance in drawing
rooms.
The truth was, she was disappointed
Mature perception. quickened by {
glimpse of different ideal of life, hat
seen beyond the false setting of TO
nance behind which men seek to hide
the ugliness of the greedy, unscrupu
lous scramble for gold. She would have
married Gregg had it not been for the
fact that the acid of his calling was
etching more and more clearly upoI
his frank, clean exterior picture o