Middletown transcript., 1914-11-28

OF facial expression would have seen
premonitory symptoms Of sinister
apprising. Dick. unaWed, ignored his
question.
mo, they're not fairy tales" he per-
sisted, they're cold. hard. immutabIe
facts. / don't wonder at your recourse
to that stuff." He pointed to the bot.
tie.
Never mind the sermon, Dick.
What do you know, or what have you
heard7"
Il know that you're broke: that to-
day they LEFT you fat. Eheared you
and trimmed you and shaved you You
don't have to affirm, or deny It. but
know. Now you know why I'm here"
who told you that?"
-Your broker. Is that good enough p
"My broker9 You mean to say that
Henning told--a stranger my private
affairs-my confidential dealings with
himY'
I'm not a stranger Bob, and conf.
Dental business Is only confidential
while you have money. When you're
cleaned it's different. No, 1 don't mean
that he interjected. Il don't want TO
rub It in on Henning. heard part Of
the story from another source and
then wormed 1t out Of him. hap
pened to do Henning favor once and
when told him was friend Of yours
he didn't feel 50 much reluctance about
confessing up. know what you lost
and you know, but there Is something
you are not so well informed about.
You don't happen to know, do you.
that your munifcent friend Mr.. Brand
won about two hundred thousand dol
lars on the stock you lost on and that
your forty thousand is comfortably re-
posing in the Eastern National bank
tonight TO his credIt?"
Indnitesimal is the difference be.
tween love and hate; In the lapse Of
second the coward becomes the fear
less hero; despair is but the herald Of
desperation, and In the brief moment
that Reynolds sat digestlng the full
force Of the reporters words he
chAnged from the crushed and hope
less puppet and sat erect, vibrant,
wide-eyed- stripped Of his ass skin.
He had been buying the stock Of the
Consolidated Wire company on the
Pdvtee OF Brand. he had talked to
Brand ctnsr lAe telephone the day be-
fore and Brand had given him no warn
ing Of the collapse. Consolidated Wire
had dropped Is points and Brand had
added a fat portion to his fortune.
Well, Brand would do the explaining.
. Dick, having done his worst, was
now all commiseration. He had not
come to taunt. but to help. He went
to Bob's side and put hand on his
shoulder. His voice rang with sincere
solicitude.
~Come on. ield man" he begged,
"and get out of this. Close up here
tomorrow and start again. Tell Jane
the truth and come over to the bunga-
low with mother and me. It1l work
out all right. You've had your ding
among your would-be patricians and
you've failed What do you say Bob2
VIII you do it3 VIII you come back
with met"
He stood with his arms outstretched
In mute appeal. but Reynolds raised
his hands In depreciation.
"It's too lats. Dick" he answered.
'If wanted to couldn't do it now.
L'Ve got to stay and fight It out"
Fight It out! With what. Bob?
Why, you were beaten before you
started. Next thing you know they'll |
be taking the butter and eggs out Of
your icebox and you'll be hungry"
They've done that already, Dick.
but I'll fght, just the same" He
Jumped to his feet and grasped the
writer's arm with trembling hand. Il |
tell you I've got to fight, Dick. You |
think you know the worst. You know |
only half OF It. / signed an overdraft |
,or S10,0Oo today and it'a gone through.
The bank teIephoned me this after
noon and I've got to raise the money /
or go to jail But wont 90 to fail.
Don't worry. / know the man that1l
Keep me out OF It He's coming here
;onight and when he leaves III have
mother grubstaxe. I've been bought, /
Dick: bought-but I haven't been paid
or"