Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-01-15
THE BROKEN BROKER
BY JAMES J. MONTAGUE.

is not necessary to describe the furni-
ture in the room. Sufficient to say no
article cost less than $4s3.75. Some of
it, bought second hand on Fourth ave-
nue. cost much more.
Taking his topcoat from the hands of
the fOotman, Aubrey descended the
steps of his million.dollar mansion and
took street car for the nearest sub
way station.
AS he departed Belinda was suddenly
crushed with remorse.
"Why," she mOaned, "did throw
that beefsteak at him9 might have
used the scrambled eggs Then would
have hit himl"
Arrived at his office in Wall street,
Aubrey glanced at the ticker, gasped.
The ticker did not tick. 1t did not
even took.
"Bustedl 4" he cried, referring to the
ticker. He spoke more truly than he
knew.
The door swung open and a short,
square.built man, but why worry about
his description. He merely had to have
some kind of dimensions.
"Ah," said Aubrey, "you have come
to wind up the ticker.i"
"No," returned the man pleasantly,
"I have come to wind up your busi-
ness"
"But haven't any business" said
Aubrey. f'This is brokers' office. Z"
} The man, however, was in no mood
) for Jest. He took all the books and de-
I parted.
0 Aubrey smiled grimly.
| "When he takes stock" he NUT
Q tered, che will find he owes $356,57S.OS
l besides all my grocery and barber
5 bills.'
A Having no longer an office, Aubrey
s decided to go to tho matinee.
5 But the police had suppressed every
7 thing that dealt with sex, Sextuplt
A presses had been torn down from news
6 paper offices, sextants from the cal
3 loused hands Of transatlantic naviga
6 tors Essex county had been effacet
,3 from the map of New York. The polic'
3 at that minute were forbidding tn
Y teaching of comic sexions in higl
j5 schools
"a There being no sex to write Of, ther
)6 were no plays. Aubrey tried the pictur
" shows, but found they were all moving
"A What was there TO do1 He had n
I3 money. If he had thought Of this bt
70 fore he needn't have troubled abou
30 the theatre, but Aubrey had lived to
l3 long in New York to think.
A "What," he asked himself, "is tn
IS thing to do when there is nothing els
- to dot"
n His face lighted with an idea. "Yei
- yes. 90 home," he said and tune
Sc his steps in the direction indicated o
pocket map of New York he carrie
for just such emergencies.
is II was late In fact, it was ten mil
utes past p. m. He had forgiven B'
linda for throwing the beefsteak, bein
of more charitable in this respect than tf
butler, who had given notice.
How the poor girl must be suffering
How bravely she had borne up und'
40 disasterl Yesterday she had pawne
Nv the piano and her eighty-dollar tanG
slippers. She had tried to pawn
"a couple Of children, but the ehildrt
#. were chubby, and slim children were
bo style that year, as the pawnbroker h0
superciliously told her
IF Belinda could love him with Il
fervor Of the early honeymoon Aubr'
was sure all would be well. The mi
.r at the office had taken all his deb
from him. He was still young al
u strong. He might get a job tearii
battleships to pieces for the admin
tration, or marking down wages in
factory.
Dreaming new dreams, he ascend
the steps. A light swish Of silks b
trayed feminine presence in the ha
"My darlingl" exclaimed Aubre
stretching out his arms while he hop
against hope.
"My ownl" cried a soft voice, n
slim figure hurled itself into his eI
brace.
Aubrey was amazed at this receptic
But he needn't have been. II was I
noarsiphted housemaid next door W
had welcomed him. He had gone
the wrong stairs.
-
IS THIS KNOCK OR BoosT7