News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-01-20
he West and East, and various other

monty IuTSe returned IL Win TdlHol
a guilty look.
Had no idea was so important,
he defended himself II suppose
really shouldn't have done it, but
Lord, man, it was temptation"
but what on earth did you do?"
Il told you-went abroad. Took In
Europe and Asia ana sections of AT
RIGA. I'd be there yet If ! hadn't got
SO homesick for a certain insignifi.
cant village on the Hudson. And I've
learned a heap, Sponable. I'll be able
to write now. Want something differ
ent?"
Indeed we do. But where did you
ever get the money to travel on?"
demanded bluntly. Somebody leave
you fortune?"
why, no; from my stories.
found a new market; that's all"
For whom are you writing now?"
| inquired rather coldly.
Haven't the faintest idea," said
| Monty Purse.
l stared at him in amazement.
well, for Look here, you seem to
be sober. Suppose you tell me all
about it"
"Well," he began thoughtfully, to
ward the end of last January was up
in my room working on a Patterson
story and feeling bad Sponable, if
there's one form of unmitigated Hades
it's being in debt 7 was
ut was getting late and was about
ready to turn in, when the landlady
came up with visitor
He was queer-looking guy. I'm
der height, fat, bald, and-well, some
how, HE sort of made me feel nerv-
Gus.
"He introduced himself as Joseph
Macon and came to the point right
away. He had followed the Patterson
stories from the start, he explained,
and wanted to corner my output.
Il was in the yes, who is it?'
frame of mind toward a proposal just
then. And his cigars were irreproach-
able.
"'What is your proposition?' I
asked
"Tll take all you write, he came
back. 4 amt goin' to tie you down,
Mr.. Poise, but l en- use at least one
a week. see?
"'And the price, asked.
Zone thousand plunks per each,'
he said, watching me anxiously,
thought.
Il nearly had heart failure when he
produced roll like a tent-bag, and
counted out eleven one-hundred-dollar
bills on the table.
There you are, Mr.. Poise,' he
grinned. Does them look like bust.
ness 2"
well" sighed Monty, Ticking away
his cigarette stub, that was the be-
ginning. Wasn't it the whitest deal
ing you ever heard of? l never knew
my stuff was so popular.
Next day l moved to a hotel,
squared with everybody I owed, and
a couple of weeks later, after piling
up half dozen stories, sailed for
Europe.
81 guess that covers the situation
he ended and sat smiling introspec-
lively.
Shall we move?" he suggested at
length. I'D like to see what old BY
looks like again. Have they got up
any more electric signs?"
felt his eyes on my face as we left,
but could not meet them, and he was
obviously troubled.
Have you seen anything that looks
like my stuff in any magazine?" he
asked.
shook my head.
That's funny. Suppose I ought to
be satisfied, but one does like to see
ones stuff in print"
well" l said rather grimly, 81
think l can oblige you. Come over
this way"
We crossed to Broadway and went
into a newspaper Office. He was silent
now and rather troubled.
| asked to see the files and ran
through them while he watched UNI
CeloIlg. hI ldoI pOlhtCu w oh 'eSih'
"'Clever Crooks Get Five Thou
sand Dollars From Farmer" he read
aloud. "McMaken Gang Busy Again
Works Ingenious Scheme on Steu-
ben County Farmer" He finished it
with slowly paling face.
Good heavens, Sponable, what |
does it mean?" he whispered; but ]
was still busy with the files. showed |
him another item.
But l don't understand" he cried, |
almost in a wall. Those are two of |
my last stories! Dyou mean Macon's |
a reporter, syndicating my stuff as
fake news?"
"Worse than that" I told him gen.
thy. you've been aiding and abet- |
ting a number of felonies, Monty. |
Your man is undoubtedly the head of |
an Internally capable gang of conf
dence men. You have been supplying |
him with his schemes for the past six |
Avoid Late Hours.