The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-16
ust proved himself a sapnead, that's

just proved himself a saphead, that's all.''
 The shrunken figure in the chair strengthened up with surprising eIas- ttcity. You'll kindly drop any men, tion of Benssy." he said, with a snap of his jaws. T can put Benssy in a turning lathe, trim off thousandth of an inch of careless artifciality, split him up and make of him six better men than most of his recent associates. I know what's in the boy, and am highly pleased to allow him to be ut terly care free and an outward fool if he likes, but if I ever need him I'll skin him and have real man stand ing by the side of me. Now, what did you want to see me about7''
 .The Lake Michigan and Pacific" blurted Wallingford surlily, for so far his attack had been a boomerang.
 The eyes of Falls lighted with i'm mediate interest. "So you are the one who has the balance of stock hidden away?'' he commented.
 "You bet I amp declared Wal1ing- ford, leaning forward in sudden anger and holding his fist tensely upon the edge of the table. From that moment Falls lounged back in his chair and listened and never moved sfYou bet yS your unskinned man, let out to me when first met him that you are ac- tually going to build the connecting line between the Chicago and Manhat- tan and the Lake Michigan and Pacific railroads, and create the new Pacific trunk line upon which you made me lose the only real fortune ever had" WaIIingford's face had reddened, and his voice grew husky with emotion as he went on. Yes, you did! came to you with a proposition to sell that connecting strip of land for stock in the two roads, which were bound to advance in value when they were consolidated, and you led me into a wild mess of margin speculation, which cost me S5OO,0oo, all I had in the world. Now. Pm going to get it all back, with interest Do you hear me? With interest," The minute I found that you were actually going to slip this road through, which you had denied that you would ever build, I mortgaged everything I possessed, bor rowed everything I could; raked and scraped together until I had little over $500. 900. With this quietly bought outright all the loose stock I could find of the Lake Michigan and Pacific, knowing that you were doing the same, that you would not go into the open market for fear of boosting the price and that you felt your opera tions to be so secret that you had plen- ty of time to secure contro1.''
 Wall1ngford mopped his brow. He was hoarse now. Falls sat quietly re garding him, but did nothing so dra- matfc as even to light a cigar.
 ''Well, after I had invested all that I could I showed w. D. Ffshbaeker your order for 100 portable houses and called his attention to the points to which they were to be delivered and Fishbacker struggled with you for the rest notice that. you ran up. the price quite bit before all the stock was shaken loose. There isn't a share of 1t to be had, Mir. Falls, except from Fishbacker or myself, and you know how much chance there is for you ever to do business on any basis with Ffshbacker.'' His voice was very hoarse now, but even above the hoarse- ness it arose to a queer caricature of an angry shriek, and his face was pur- pie with passion. "I hold control, which you must have, and you must come to me for it, and you must pay my price!''
 (To Be Continued.)