Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-08-27
/ dllingford||
| In His Prime !

By GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER
]
Copyright 1913, BY the Bobbs- +
Merrill Co. :.
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: They found Mr.. Steele. in a red era
vat and gray waistcoat, waiting anx-
iously for them at the hotel. Walling.
ford saw him first and thanked his
lucky stars for that He jerked Blackie
into the first entrance to the bar and
handed him 500
Your part In this opera buffet viii
be to keep this Steele person conspicu-
ously hidden" he directed. II have
to work fast, and he'd make me slut
ter"
Blackie took the money listlessly.
do you mind II give him knockout
drops?' he inquired.
Poison him II you want to-" con-
upon the side street from the bar.
slipped into the ladies' entrance and
up the rear stairway to the governors
suit. where he telephoned to the stock
holders OF the long torpid Bang Sun
Engine company. inviting them to the
banquet that night and to tho special
meeting. This exciting and sometimes
almost riotous duty performed and an
appointment made by telephone With
certain Mt. Gettitt, he once moro
slipped down the rear stairway.
Mr.. Gettitt was superintendent of the
electric light plant and was thick
necked party with an acute alcoholic
aura. Its treat to see you. Wal.
lingford." be declared. with fervor. II
beard you was In town before you tele-
phoned. and figured right away
tbere'd be something in 1t for me. You
stung mo the last time With nothing
bnt stock. and there's no market for
waste paper any more. I'll take cash
this time, thank you"
You'll take share in q nice bust.
ness" WalIingford corrected him. ''Tbe
city owns the electric light plant be.
iieve?"
ut thinks II does"
THAT makes your position political
one DOeY the board of aldermen
make any restrictions on your CON
tracts?"
I'VE are all brothers," Mr.. Gettiu
compiacently affirmed.
wallingford drew a paper pad TO-
ward him and produced q lead pencil
The dear friends and fellow stock
solders Of Mr.. Wallingford came to the
meeting with sn1ckering determine
ton to skin him alive and hang his
hide upon the outer wall to dry If he
SO much ~ limited At involving them
in II penny Of expenditure. They had
sat with him, to their cost, at just
such dinners - this; % when the cof-
fee came and Mr.. Wallingford. after
seeing that each man was served. pick
ed his napkin from his lap and laid
II beside his plate. they nudged ono
another and said:
Now we get IL Grip your pocket.
book. Hes going to make speech"
he did. He had been surprised and
panied upon his return to md that. In
his absence. his motives and even his
integrity had been questioned True.
he had sold them some Of his own
stock in the Sun Engine company and
had left the city. but they must 10
member that they had been much
more eager to buy 1t than he had been
to sell.
Hes got Us there" muyabled Shell.
barker Of the Manufacturers bank 10
his neighbor. Pete Scallop. HE led
US like drove Of sheep and made as
beg to tbe sheared The mans q won
derr
Hes I crookr' snapped scallop.
.sWait till he gets through. You'll Sc
he has some big graft to work on ~. !"
AZ for his resigning the presidency
and leaving the city. Mr.. Wallinsford
had other business interests, and -
Mr.. Bangs engine was not at that
time ready for the market, 40 they all
knew when they invested, he could not
afford to remain. 80 in order not to
clog the operations Of the company he
had resigned his once He was sorry
now that he had done 30. As much Is
he liked these gentlemen personally he
was compelled to charge them with
having been remiss in their duties.
not only to themselves, but to him.
The eleven stockholders and the i've
Newspaper men then present looked at
one another in incredulous amaxement
Pete ecaliop recovered bis teeth with
dimculty. President Morley Of tho
CommeGcial hank observed to Mr.. Paul
son: :
II knew IL The man will 30 ngur.
ins In some way or other that We owe
him money"
Mr.. Paulsonb hard eye rolled coldly
In the direction Of Mr.. Wallingford.
and his cheek bones grow turkey red.
He's Oven ~ over Q year to make
some money for ourselves. and now
he's come for It." he dourly opined.
you lust wait. He'll ask for 1t In
little while"
Wallingford meantime was demand
Ing with some heat TO know what they
had done IN his absence. II the people
Of his own town, who were most inter
ested. would not support Mr.. Bang In
his experiments BY tho eternal Mr..
Wallingferd would! Here was $1,000,
q - 4 II 49, ~ - -