The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-03-05

Bye bye, sweetheart"
IN half an hour?"
About that
Don't you listen to that mani" This
In q warning tone.
mo; I'm going to make him listen
to me-
"Oh, you dear boy! Bye bye, dearie!"
She waved plumply wrinkled hand at
him, and left the two young men alone
together.
Say, are you going crazy?" were
Wallace's first words, spoken as soon
as he was sure that she was gone.
Nothing of the kind. I'm perfectly
all right"
"You mean to tell me that"
1--WE got a whole lot to tell you. Sit
down.
AS Wallace found chair and, as If
exhausted, sank into it, Broadway
paced the room uneasily.
q"
The bell rang and Rankin hurried in,
on his way to answer it.
If It's anyone for me, I'm not at
home" said Broadway. I'm visiting
in-Paterson."
He turned again to Wallace.
Nov. in the first place." he said
gravely, x want you to understand
thoroughly that I'm positively serious
about this whole affair and that moth
ing you can say will change my plans.
Is that understood"
well, 60 on"
Mrs. Gerard and are going to be
married, and it's going to happen very
shortly, whether you like 1t or not. If
you care to retain my friendship you
must get used to THE sighed-"the
same as shall have to- Am clear?"
well, I'm listening"
Broadway sighed again. II know sew
eral girls who will cry very bitterly,
and l know lot of fellows who will
laugh very heartily; but the fact re-
mains that the lady who just left this
room is to become Mrs. Jackson Jones.
So, once and for all, get it out of your
head that it is a joke"
He glanced distastefully at his very
mournful friend, who seemed, some
how, to have shriveled as he heard all
this Incorporating talk
"And don't sit there like pallbear-
er! Smile! Utter few kind words!
Say something, anyhow! i"
Wallace leaned toward him, his eye
lighting with the fire of combat.
Nov"
Don't you dare to give me any ar
gument about this thing! 1t would
only be waste of words. My mind is
positively made up"
do you realize what"
What people are going TO say? OF
course do. I've gone over all of that.
I've threshed it out with myself from
every possible angle. know what
they're going to say, and ! know exact
ly what they're going to think"
well, what are they going to
Think"
"The natural thought will be that I
am marrying her for her money"
Nonsense. They'll know better than
that Everyones aware that you have
all the money any man could"
$50 you think SOP For the first
time Broadway laughed. 1t was a
scornful, scathing, tragic laugh. 1t
startled Wallace.
We'll, haven't you?"
Just second. Rankin! Oh, Ran
KIM"
Rankin was entering, even as he
called, bringing in telegram. Broad
way took it without needing it and
thrust it in his pocket unopened. He
was intent on showing Wallace how
affairs really were with him.
Rankin" he warned the man, II
don't want to be disturbed for the next
ten minutes. I have some business
which I wish to talk over with Mr..
Wallace without a single interruption"
Very well, sir"
AS soon as the man had left the
room Broadway settled to his task of
making clean breast Of it.
I'm going to let you in on little
secret, Bob-my secret. No one else
in the world knows. wouldn't tell
anyone else but you. l wouldn't tell
you if it weren't for the fact that we've
always been SO close and such good
friends. But remember-it's Masonic!"
Wallace gravely bowed. Certain
ly." He was intensely puzzled; he
could not imagine what was coming.
t'Well," said Broadway, with no
further prelude, Bob, I'm broke!"
you're d. What?" said Bob
Broke. Dead broke. Are you sur.
prised?"
"Say, what kind of joke is this?"
Broadway laughed ruefully. TITS no
joke to be broke, Bob; but It's even
worse than that with me. I'm in
debit"
'In debit"
ITO the extent Of about fifty thou
sand dollars"