Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-05-13

these men who sat humbly waiting
here was no less a parsonage than the
president of the Continental Union
Banking and Trust Company: the
other was head OF the Atlas Safe
Company. a concern tributary to and
! allied with Consolidated Metals, and
which had OF late monopolized Theo
dore Van Vechten's fostering care. In
/ the world OF finance and commerce
theirs were names to conjure with;
here they we're merely iieutenants
awaiting their captains pleasure.
"Well?" Mr.. Van Vechten at last
broke the silence.
Rudolph was brief and to the point
Last Saturday ended the third
week since Paige and Josephine left
Paris for London. In letter mailed
just before starting, Paige informed
me that she expected to remain in
England two or three weeks--three
at the longest-and mentioned a num-
Der of friends she proposed visiting.
Some / know, and some | don't Since
then ! have had no word from her:
have your"
Mr.. Van Vechten pressed a button.
IL might have controlled the door in.
stead OF the clerk, so promptly did
the latter appear. To him he said:
Have Timmons get out the latest
Devereaux letters. and show them to
Mr. Van Vechten when he comes out"
And turning to the young man again:
Il suppose II will be impossible for
me to knock off 10 meet them. And
this uncertainty about sailing date
IL disarranging your plans-h'm,
see. II you could cable"
ITO what address? How would It
look to send cables to all our London
acquaintances. asking IL they know
where Paige is? The newspapers
would be sure to get hold of It. She
and Josephine are the ones who
should be cabling--or at the very
least send a card"
We'll" decided the older man,
look at JOS las' letters; II they
don't contain something definite, 20
wherever II is you want to-just so
IL isn't too fer away. BY the
way. you received notice of direc.
tors meeting next Saturday night, the
NINTH"
did /? A good many things come
In the mail that Barnicle doesn't let
me see"
IF Barnicle is faithful to your In
terests." commented the Man OF Iron,
grimly. The had better not hold up
anything like that The notice was
mailed to you with the others. par
tlcularly desire that you be present"
Van vechten eyed his uncle curl.
ously.
Saturday night" he repeated at
length. MY unfamiliarity with bust
ness may be to blame, but isn't that
a deuced peculiar time OF day for a
directors meeting. Uncle Thoodore?"
1T is a bit unusual" his uncle was
agreeing, and Rudolph was surprised
to observe the thin lips as closely ap-
proximating a smile as it was possible
for them to achieve; but the occa-
sion will be unusual You Will not re.
greet canceling anything else and max
ing It point to attend"
The Continentals president now
felt called to chime in.
1T will be festival occasion. Mr.
Rudolph" he said with heavy levity
AN exceptionally rich and Juicy mel.
on will form the piece de resistance E"
II all the dead and gone Van vech.
tens had materialized In the flesh and
without warning appeared at that
meeting their advent would have
been no more surprising. and scarcely
less extraordinary, than what actually
was on the cards to happen. II really
was too lad that the Man OF Iron and
his satellites-the lion and the by.
enas." as Rudolph characterized them
should not have been vouchsafed
some premonition OF tie climax they
were unwittingly preparing for,
II see" said Rudolph after a pause.
You chaps have squeezed some poor
devil dry. and mean to hold wake
random surmise that ELECTED no re-
Spouse. Very We'll don't think,
though. shall want to leave town for
while. Timmons can find me either
at my club or lodgings"
An inspection of Mrs Devereaux s
letters. which Timmons handed him
when he emerged from the private Of
tice. shed no light upon the two ladies'
movements or Intentions. Paige wrote
only when the spirit moved her
which was seldom: and so her silence
was in no way remarkable But II
seemed that a woman OF Josephine
/ Devereaux mature experience should
realize the ACCESSIBILITY OF keeping
him and his uncle better informed
Paige Carew. II may be inferred
was an orphan: she had been since
early childhood
However. he straightway forgot hel
thought OF her no more for abou
five minutes. when she was brought
to mind again in most unexpected
/ way.
CHAPTER u.