The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-04
THE EVENING STORY
Manzanita's Rise.
BY Louise Merrifield.

l
! only nineteen: You're a dear old fellow,
| or course, and all that, but when it comes
! TO choice between you and the future
! that lies ahead of Lola Ramonez, I'm
afraid you'll pine alone, Tommy"
Are they as beastly rich as all that?"
Iommy glowered at the seascape visible
three days out from Point Comfort, bound
Tor Colon. Tommy had looked forward
70 the trip Tor months. AS seventeenth
cousin, more or less to Wendell Mills, he
was included in that gentleman's business
retinue. To the general public Tommy
was the senator's confidential secretary
Fanny Mills frankly liked the young
ster. She had never become completely
emancipated from the comfortable middle
senator's plunges into Cuban plantations
and Venezuelan concessions had upset her.
1t took all of Tommy's tact and CHEEKY
teasing to keep her steady on her course.
why, Tommy. her father is the silver
mine man. don't you know, the one the
senator helped to get his railroad con-
cession through. 1 don't know myself how
they did it and don't want to. 1t makes
me nervous every time he comes near
steve. but his wife's mighgty sweet, and
so is Lola. Pretty, isn't she, Tommy?
Tommy looked down to where Lola was
dancing with four five other couples
on the deck. She was with Beardsley
The girls low laugh drifted over to
where she sat Her head with its mass
shoulder. Tommy thought. Her lips
were parted. and her eyes-no. Tommy
could not detect just the expression in
them that instant, but he said something
under his breath and tossed his cigarette
overheard.
Have you said anything at all to herr"
II have" retorted Tommy
Mr.. Jones is a friend of her fathers.
I heard Steve say he was the New York
end of the wire
He'll be the Atlantic end of the wire
if he doesn't let Lola alone Tommy re-
marked savagely. There's the senator's
buzzer. Excuse me-"
l. al Il ', InDIr tn-x o-6 Ia
companionway, and Lola stopped dancing
at sight of his face Jones waited for her
with a look of placid compliance that de-
noted proprietorship!
you're not dancing?" Lola smiled.
'+And you're worried. too. Is it this hor-
rible business again ?''
Sorry, but the buzzer calls me. I must
obey"
do you know whether the senator has
heard from my father by wireless?" She
spoke in a lower tone and trifle hurried
ly. 'Mr. Jones was telling me no word
had come"
He's "a" Tommy checked his senti-
ments. There have been several mes
sages from your father 1 myself gave
two to the steward this morning, and he
said he would hand them to your maid"
II did not receive them" Her dark
our dance. please, Miss Lola" called
Jones lazily.
Meet me here in half an hour" said
Tommy.
ator's genial face looked thoubled.
Tommy, boy, we're in a mess he
plunged at once ..Beardsley has, been
monkeying with stocks Ramona gave him
the reins and he queered him.
Intentionally?
''Oh, he'll wriggle out of it. We've tried
to run the mine on clean lines. I've put
enough cash into it to keep 1t firm, and
the stocks been going up few points
steadily. We've been willing to wait de,
Velopments, RamoneZ and I. There's real
stuff down in the hole, and 1 know it.
I'm not bit afraid Beardsley works in
the other way He's been flashing the
color too soon. The stocks so full of
gas now that another puff and she'll blow
up in mid air."
Tommy leaned forward thoughtfully.
Ramonez her two messages from her
father. She didn't get them. I wouldn't
put it past oJnes to have bribed the stew
ard to drop them overheard"
Not overheard came Jones' placid
voice behind them. "I have them in my
pocket. Do you know what they said ?"
He lit cigarette, and smiled at the
two men.
Return New York by rail. That was
one: What's the other, Tommy"
Jones diScredited," Tommy prompted,
his eyes keen With challenging anger.
And you kept them after bribing the
''why not?" Jones asked coolly.
Mills tossed in slip of paper to Tom
my.
Dixon, the wireless operator, sent that
to me ten minutes ago. You can read it
aloud"
Tommy obeyed. "Manzanita doomed to
death Jones crooked. Loss complete"
these South Americans and their volcanic
temperaments. He paused a moment.
Tommy, looking past him, saw Lola and
Mrs. Mills enter the cabin and stand
listening. "Ramonez is just as crooked
as anyone else If you like to that
word in deals of this sort. So were you, |
senator. You Joined hands with us two, |
and assured us you could land the con-
cession through your pull in Washing |
ton"
asSit still. Tommy" warned the old sem
ator. |
IT had no money to put in. My share |
was brains. I was to handle the New |
York end and get stock listed, keep it |
the men who buy. And for that I got |
what? Orders to remember my place.
lone of your orders was not to make |
a move in booming the stock until we |
gave the word. wasn't it? You had no /
authority to start 1t up until 1t was on /
ly swell it. You know why I am going /
south on this trip. Man, those concessions |
aren't ours yet The papers aren't signed. |
AS a cold matter of fact we've got no |
than we have Kimberley in South Africa. |
not a bit You've let the horses run /
away, Jones. And another thing" the
senator's voice was a bit husky here. He
stock doesn't belong to me. 1 bought it
for Tommy here He's worked for me
about seven years, since he came out of
college. Now, Jones, I'm going to let
Manzanita can go to the bottom of the
sea if he likes. I'm going to put Tommy
Burns here at the head of the new COM
pany, and
L.ola's soft contralto voice from
.sPardon Senator Mills, Ny fortune