Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-04-12


bank every night for weeks 1t did
not cause comment. II was like War
rem Blake. people thought. TO he work.
ring early and late. No one who had
not the key would have detected in
c the widened eyes and imperceptibly
twitchIng nostrils q hint OF the racliing
anxiety within Ills palIor would
have been attributed TO the garish gas
Hight overhead. Quite deliberately he
added up the column of1igures before
him. They spelled his crime.
Very cIeyerly. very characteristical-
~. he had gone about IL. Hampden.
he knew, caught In the big dcal into
which Warren had followed him. had
dfifted into it, had hardly realized, ms
in the heat or necessity he asked the
cashier to certify checks for which
there were mo funds. that 1t was a
crime. Not so with Warren. In cold
blood, with nice calculation of the
chances, he had stepped over the line
that be had never before crossed.
Once over, he had gone far. 1t had
been a gamblers chance, the kind
that many men take safely, and, when
staken, had seemed all in his favor.
But now the luck was running the
other way. II the market sagged fur
ther, he would be done for.
No one, II told, would have believ-
cd why he had done it-because the
bank was breaking anyhow under the
load of worthless paper, most Of it a
legacy from his predecessor, and only
4 great deal OF money could save it
II had been his pride to carry along
an institution for the shakiness Of
which he was not responsible. It had
become his life. He had risked all,
even his own little carefully accumu-
lated fortune, to save all, though ne
had made It point Of honor not to
risk the trust properties in his keep
ing-he somehow made a distinction.
IL the market should sag. how should
be payf Hampden, though bankrupt,
would be able to work out Of the hole.
he could always get money some
where. But Hampden could not
hence would not. try to save both
How then should he. Warren Blake,
pay7 With shame, certainly. With
money-out Of the question.
II the market should sag! Suddenly
came to him the sure foreknowledge
that 1t would sag. Z For an instant
panic filed him. He put the books
IN their places, then began fumbling
around a dusty shelf In dark corner
Of the vault until his fingers found and
drew forth an oblong pasteboard box.
he opened It and looked at what lay
within. he took It out and played
With Il. The cleaning. blue black
thing seemed to hold a horrible fasci-
nation for him. 1t cost him an ef-
fort to put it away. he set the time
lock, closed the vault and left.
John Dunmeade. having reached
home, put his horse away in the stable.
IT was past IL o'clock and he was
tired. But he was not sleepy and
he hated to 60 In out Of the clear.
sftIl night. So he strolled uptown. in
tending to have a pipe with Haig be-
fore going to bed. His way took him
mast the bank just as Warren stepped
out. The latter stopped.
..Working late, aren't your" said
John.
II often do" He hesitated. "Are
ron out for a walkg'
.Down to Haig's. VIII you so
aleng?' John asked politely.
"a part Of the. way. If you don't
mind. Sometimes, when I've been
working hard. like to talk to some
one to forget myself. How are the pri-
naaries goingY'
-The primaries? Bad. In fact, they
couldn't be worse
81 thought as much. I'm sorry. I'd
IKE to see you VIM
John was thoroughly surprised. Il
supposed you were against me"
aPye always voted for you. You are
f,tted for public service. You have
something apart from mere intellect
md ability. and, far rarer. the capacity
70 feel what we all accept in theory
b,,f not in fact-your relation to other
man: / wish / could feel-could have
fcIf II. Whatever gave you that fine
sixth sense won't let you quit. 1t will
carry YOU to the end-through weak
ness and strength" -,
Something In the mans voice rather
thsn m what he said arrested Johns IN
+.rest. ..Do you really think that. War
rem
.srhere are things that one knows.
rbov halted. having reached the home
!, sjias Hicks. where Hais had his
ICONS The cigar Warren had been
s,nol,iuc had gone out He struck n
mstrh to reHght it. He held the fam
.n. taper before him for an instant
,na,,er than was necessary and John
sui, ,S see IDS face 1t was composed
s ,,,,s pale. the eyes extraordinarily
bright,
Pr