Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-07-10

OLQeE was neaQ OF tu9 Atlab oHI6
Company. concern tributary to and
allied with Consolidated Metals. and
which had Of late monopolized Theo-
dore Van Vechten's fostering cane In
the world OF finance and commerce
theirs were names to conjure with;
here, they were merely lieutenants
awaiting their captains pleasure.
"Well7" Mr.. Van vechten at last
broke the silence.
Rudolph was brief and to the point.
Last Saturday ended the third
week since Paige and Josephine left
Paris for London. In letter mailed
Just before starting. Paige informed
me that she expected to remain in
England two or three weeks-three
at the longest-and mentioned q num-
Some / know. and some I don't Since
then l have had no word from her:
have your"
Mr.. Van vechten pressed button.
1t might have controlled the door In
stead Of the clerk, 30 promptly did
the latter appear. To him he said:
Have Timmons get out the latest
Devereaux letters, and show them to
Mr.. Van Vechten when he comes out"
And turning to the young man again:
II suppose 1t will be impossible for
me to knock on to meet them. And
this uncertainty about a sailing date
is disarranging your plans-h'm.
see. II you could cable"
ITO what address? How would 1t
look to send cables to all our London
acQuaintances, asking II they know
where Paige is? The newspapers
would be sure to get hold Of it. She
and Josephine ARE the ones who
should be cabling-or at the very
least. send a card"
WELL" decided the older man.
look at JOS last letters; II they
don't contain something definite. go
wherever 1t Is you want to-just SO
1t isn't too far away. By the
way, you received notice OF direc-
tors meeting next Saturday night. the
ninth?"
Did 1? A good many things come
in.t the mail that Barnicle doesn't let
me see."
'If Barnicle is faithful to your In
terests," commented the Man of Iron.
grimly, ''he had better not hold up
anything like that. The notice was
mailed to you with the others. par
ticularly desire that you be present"
Van Vechten eyed his uncle curl
ously.
length. MY unfamiliarity with busi-
ness may be to blame. but isn't that
deuced peculiar time of day for a
directors meeting. Uncle Theodore7"
1T is bit unusual" his uncle was
agreeing, and Rudolph was surprised
to observe the thin lips as closely ap-
proximating a smile as II was possible
for them to achieve; but the occa-
sion will be unusual. You will not re-
gret canceling anything else and max
ing 1t a point to attend"
The Continental's president now
felt called to chime in.
at will be a festival occasion, Mr..
Rudolph" he said with heavy levity.
AN exceptionally rich and Juicy mel
on will form the piece de resistance"
If all the dead and gone Van vech-
tens had materiaiized In the flesh and
without warning appeared at that
meeting" their advent would have
less extraordinary. than what actually
was on the cards to happen. 1t really
was too bad that the Man of Iron and
his satellites-the Lion and the hy-
enas," as Rudolph characterized them
should not have been vouchsafed
some premonition of the climax they
were unwittingly preparing for.
81 see." said Rudolph after pause.
You chaps have squeezed some poor
devil dry. and mean to hold wake
a random surmise that elicited no re-
sponse VERY well. ! don't think.
though, shall want to leave town for
a while. Timmons can find me either
at my club or lodgings"
An inspection OF Mrs. Devereaux's
letters, which Timmons handed him
when he emerged from the private Of
fee, shed no light upon the two ladies'
movements or intentions. Paige wrote
only when the spirit moved her,
which was seldom; and SO her silence
was in no way remarkable. But 1t
seemed that a woman of Josephine
Devereaux' mature experience should
realize the advisability of keeping
him and his uncle better ,informed.
Paige Carew. 1t may be inferred.
was an orphan; she had been since
early childhood.
However, he straightway forgot her
thought of her no more for about
five minutes. when she was brought
to mind again In most unexpected
way.
CHAPTER II.