Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-09-11

| pay ! Ia.
II might If you dicllered with me
hard enough" laughed Wallingfor,i.
"y0u1l get some of the hardest dick
aring that was ever done to you"
| promised Spraddes, reaching an awk-
| ward arm for his coat. I'm going out
and buy stock. ! can get to where it
| ia quicker than you can"
~ guess So" sighed Wallingford.
with the air of an abused person. But
promise me one thing-whether you
obtain any stock or not report to me
at the hotel this evening, won't you?"
"All right" agreed Spruddles and
fipfopped out Of the room in earnest
haste without waiting for Wallingfcrd
to accompany him.
Perfectly contented. Wallngford re-
turned to his hotel and waited. Sprad-
dies. as he had expected. hunted him
UP at 3 o'clock instead of half past 5.
You owe me wages, anyhow, he
announced. with his oddly shaped grin.
"petey WiIks beat me to it, and even
he didn't get any. You'd think Bess-
mel StOCh " DIS uilluOLlsS. anu oiu AK
Spooger wanted to have me ostracuted
because I only offered him $105.'
Wallingford felt sweet pence surg
ing through him. Eli Spooger was
planted and ripe. He hurried away
from that topic.
Ibid you try buying any ut the fac
tory?" he asked. eager for news Of
Blackie.
Spraddles exhibited such alarming
manifestations Of amusement thaE
Wallingford was on the point Of call
ing a doctor.
"Bessmer's got new partner" the
Billiken said when the worst of the
symptoms had passed. Hes a long
skinny fellow and was playing the
sailors hoe down on horn like a big
gourd pipe when l was down there
this noon, and Sandy McClintock was
patting a big hole in the cinders with
both feet
"Bessmers new partner must he &c
centric" wondered Wallingford. real
~ anxious to know the prevailing
opinion.
81 thought he was fool, but I hap
pened to say so to Tommy Grail. ana
nearly got a licking. The men down
there are crazy about him. They say
he's the busiest kidder in the United
States. but there with the large brain
or the straight arm jab or any other
game"
Wallingford chuckled to himself as
he pictured Rlacl1ic in his earnest spe-
cialty Of having good time wherever
he happened to be. when does the
factory intend to start work again r
he inquired. sympathiZing with the
proprietor.
"Bessmer says they never lose
stroke. He says they laugh more and
work harder than any set OF men ne
ever saw. ! think I'll get job down
there myself"
GLOW about the stock?" asked Wal
lingford. suddenly remembering that
he had serious business Oh hand.
"There isn't any," declared Spraddles
"When | asked Mr.. Daw about it he
said that the maIleable casting bust
ness was his regular ambition. Hes
learning to make molds."
Eli Spooger looked over his glasses at
Wallingford With a benevolent smile
and rubbed his bony old knees very
very gently. Eyes. am Mr.. Spoo-
GER" lie acknowledged to Wallingfords
query, and his voice was full Of human
kindness. "And you are Mr.. Walling-
ford, l am sure"
Wallingford smiled with fully as
much benevolence as Mr.. Spooger had
scribed accurately" he returned and
ceased to study Mr.. Spooger with any
degree OF curiosity. On the door OF
Mr.. SpooSer's plain but clean little Of
fee in neat script was the golden text,
ELI Spoogcr, first mortgages" On the
walls were bright colored pictures OF
little children playing with lambs and
happy fathers returning from honest
toll to vine clad cottages and sweet
faced grandparents playing horsy for
the babies. and Wallingford knew
without looking twice that a benevo-
lent old man who could smile as sweet
ly as Eli Spooger would foreclose a
widows mortgage Cd a snowy night
and prove it to be an act of mercy.
Certainly" agreed Mr.. Spooger.
Amy gentleman endeavoring to buy
control in Il local concern for the bene-
ct of trust is sure to Ge much dis
cuSsed."
ITO he continued1