The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-17
]. .Wallingford| ]. In His Prime } By GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER 1.
 Copyright. 1913. by the Bobbs-s
 ! Merrill Go.
By GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER
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i. tCoutinued.3
Copyright. 1913. by the Bobbs-


 shaking his head at him and giving a sidelong glance toward Blackie. MT. Bessmer nodded in comprehension of the warning to be secretfve. Walling= ford took him by the arm and walked into the operating room with him, coo1ly closing the dentist out with Blackie. '1d rather not have MT. Daw know anything of our affairs, 2 Ae explained.
 .T guessed as much,' ? smiled Bess- mer. "but at first I thought he was an intimate friend of yours"
 -He's an intimate business rival, denied Wallingford. chuckling.. We have some great fights
 What is your business, if may ask 2y' Bessmer naturally inquired.
 -The purchase and sale of stock in unprosperous companies J. Rufus told him, with a perfectly straight countenance
 ~I guess you could do it. Bessmer Opined, with sigh. wish you would think it worth while to take hold of my factory 2
 sWhat time do you go back to Oak, I Center2''
 "On the 2:4O traIn.''
 'I'n ride over with you z promised WaIlingford, and they shook hands i on it.
 MT. Bessmer, much relieved as to l jaw and with renewed hope as to | business, took a seat in the parlor car | of the 2:4o train, correctly gazing that the respiendent WaIIingford would ride 1 there or nowhere The train waited It's appointed four minutes: its bell changed; its whistle footed; its smoke puffed, and it pulled out, and still no WaIlingford!
 k Bessmer suddenly felt weary and l old He had not realized until now 1 how critical his business situation real l ly was. The proof of it lay in the fact that he had grasped so desperate lT at the word of chance stranger. f
 sWeil. Mir. Bessmer, how's the jaw?'s inquired cheerful voice at his el- l bow, and, looking up, he found Blackie 1 Daw. laden with a suit case. hat I box, an Oxford and a saxophone case.
 Haven't any, so far as the feeling is concerned.' responded Bessmer, his heart jumping with the sudden mem | ory that Blackie Daw was in the same ] line of business as the man who had 1 failed him. q. didn't notice you get ting on the train.''
 l 'tYou were looking for Jim WaTling. l ford; that's the reason,' laughed Blackie, slowing grips in every avail. able corner, and sitting down, like Q real sport, with no regard whatever fo1 the tails of his Prince Albert. 'I side tracked him.
 MT. Bessmer contracted bis brows and turned on Blackie glance of dis approval. sThat was not fair to either Ri WaIIingford or myself. 2, he charg cd.
 tTt's all in the game declared Black fe lightly. 'sI saw he had a business opportunity with you, so had phoRJ telegram delivered to him and sent hin on wild goose chase; then I made your dentist tell me all-about the Bess mer Malleable Process company, ane here amr'
 MT. Bessmer could not see the joke 'fMr. Wallingford might have pur chased my stock," he protested.
 "So might L. B1ackie consoled' him 'on the other hand, MT. WaIingforC might not have purchased it. and } may not. Tell me the news" ,1 x*
 J. Rufus Wallingford paused oppo
 site the corner of the Bessmer Mallea
 bie Process company and made a com
 prehensive estimate of it. It was
 more or less toy plant, but radiate' the impression of extreme business st
 thoroughly that it's walls seemed t
 
 ] bulge and quiver.
 : With a nod of satisfaction Mailing ford walked into the office where Nil Bessmer, with gray filings on his ha and in his hair and mustache and eve cltnging to his eyebrows, was ben 1 over much soiled building plan.
 I'm in no hurry, MT. Bessmer," sal
 Wallfngford cheerily. ''When your
 not so busy I'll take up with you tn . matter of the purchase of that stock. ! MT. Bessmer seemed somewhat en barrassed. "rm very sorry to sa ] you're too late,'' he returned, his cor { science sniting him that he had hell ) ed to trick this friendly sbig strange
 out of possibly prof1ta ble deal.
 +tYou don't mean to say you've sol il it?'' protested Wallingford }. Tn spite of his computations a glear h of satisfaction lit MT Bessnner'S eyes.