The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-02-25
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ILLUSTRATED 81 LAUREN STOUT

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the others quivering nerves like hot
sandpaper. ooh, lord no! How should !
you? You've been too busy playing
polo and winning bridge prizes How
many board meetings have you at,
tended this year? Your vote is prox-.
led as regular as clockwork. But
you're supposed to know. The people
down there in the street won't ask
questions about patent-leather pumps
and ponies; they'll want to hear about
such things as rotten irrigation loans
in the Stony-River Valley-to market
an alkali desert that is the personal
property Of the president Of this cor
poration."
Valiant turned blank white face.
"Sedgwick?"
Yes. You know his principles: It's
all right to be honest, If you're not
too damn honest He owns the Stony
River Valley bag and baggage. ii was
Il big gamble and he lost"
Valiant was staring at the othai
with strange look. Emotions to which
in all his selfindulgent life he had
been a stranger were running through
his mind, and outre passions had him
by the throat Fool and doubly blind!
A poor pawn, q catspaw raking the
chestnuts for INSCRIPTIONS men whose
ignomny he was now called on, per
force, to share! In his pitiful egotism
he had consented to be a tlgurehead,
and he had been made tool. A red
rage surged over him. No one had
ever seen on John Valiant's face such
look as grew on it now
He turned and without word
opened the door. The older man took
dangerous electric forces in the air
but the door closed sharply in his face.
He smiled grimly. mot crooked" he
/ said to himself; merely callow. A
.wellmeaning, manicured young fop
| wholly surrounded by men who knew
what they wanted" He shrugged his
shoulders and went back to his chair.
Valiant plunged down in the cleva-
tor to the street He pushed past the
guarded door, and threading the
crowd, made toward the curb, where
his bulldog, with bark of delight,
lcaped upon the seat Of FURNISHED
Cal, iuiHpililS anu NlOld dllllS Will pcnl-
up power. There we're those in the
sullen anxious crowd who knew whose
was that throbbing metal miracle, the
chauffeur spick and span from shining
capvisor to polished brown puttees,
and recognized the white face that
went past, pcltcd it with muttercd
sueers. But he scarcely saw or heard
them, as he stepped into the seat, took
tho wheel from the chauffeur's hand
and threw on the gear.
He drove mechanically past hun
'dred familiar things and places, but he
saw nothing, till the massive marble
fronts of tho upper park side ceased
their mad dance as the car halted be-
fore tall iron-grilled doorway with
wide glistening steps, between win
dows strangely shuttered and dark.
He sprang out and touched the bell
The heavy oak parted slowly; the con-
fidential secretary Of the man he had
come to face stood In the gloomly
doorway.
II want to see Mr.. Sedgwick"
"You can't see him, Mr.. Valiant"
But l will" Sharp passion leaped
into the young voice. "He must speak
to me-"
The man in the doorway shook his
head. "He won't speak to anybody
any more" he said. "Mr. Sedgwick
shot himself two hours ago."