The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-12-02

PhtdDllhneu n CUSTOM OF ElNlnH nlilStll
a quiet half.hour OF inviolable seclu.
sion In which to read and consider
his mail. During this sacred interval
the stenographer, standing guard In
the outer office. had instructions to
deny his chief to callers Of any and
every degree. Wherefore. when. at
20 minutes TO IL. the door OF the pri.
vate office opened to admit a stranger.
the president was Justly annoyed,
Well. sir. what now" he demand.
cd, impatiently, taking the i%ntruder's
measure in a swift glance shot from
beneath his bushy white eyebrows.
The unannounced visitor was a
young nan OF rather prepossesslng ap.
pearance, Z trife tall for his breadth
OF shoulder. fair. with blue eyes and Il
curling. reddish beard and mustaChe,
the former trimmed to a point. SO
much the president was able to note
In the appraisive glance-and to re-
member afterward.
The caller made no reply TO the curt
question. He had turned and was
closing the door. There vas n quiet
insistence in the act that was like the
tation.
III you have business with me,
you'll have Co Reuse me for a few
minutes" he protested. still more i'm
patiently. he good enough to take a
seat IN the antcroom until | ring.
Mcfarland should have told you"
The young man drew up a chair and
sat down, ignoring the request as. n
he had failed to hear II. Ordinarily
Mr.. Andrew Galbraith's temper was
eQuable enough; the age.coolcd TEN.
per OF a methodicRl gentleman whose
long upper lip was In itself an adyer'
! tisemcnt OF se~lf.control. But such a
deliberate infraction OF his rules
coupled with the stony %impudence OF
the visitor, made him spring up an.
grily To ring for the Waterman.
The intruder was too quick for him.
When his hand sought the bell push
he found himself looking into the
muzGle OF a revolver. and so was fain
to fall back into his chair. gasping.
"Ah.h.h!" he stammered. And when
the words could be managed: 80
that's II, is it'-you're a robber!"
NO said the invader OF the presi.
Dental privacy calmly, speaking for
the first time since his incoming. u
am not n robber, save in your own
very limited definition Of the word.
] "a - FrHnRAlT "a INN V.nV IT. CT
brai'h-one Of the %uncounted thou
sands-and I want money. II you cal
for help. ! shall shoot you, Il is
merely a question OF money. and Il
you are amenable TO reason"
III l'm-but I'm not amenable &c
your r~casons'" clustered the presi
dent, recovering a little from the frs
shock Of terrified astouudmcnt. II re
fuse 10 listen 10 them. III not have
anything to do with you. Go away!'
The young mans smile showed hi
teeth, but IL also proved that he wal
not wholly devoid Of the sense o
humor.
Keep your temper. Mr.. Galbraith.
he advised cOolly. The moment 4
mine, and ! say you shall listen frs
and obey afterward. Otherwise go,
die, Which is 1t TO be? Choos
quickly-time Is precious"
The president yielded the frs
point. that OF the receptive ear: bu
g%rudgingly and us one under stric
compulsion.
We'll. well, then: out with IL. WI,
have you to say for yourselt?"
This; You are rich. you rcpreseu
the existing order OF things, | al
poor, and | stand for my necessit,
which Is higher than any mammal
4, law or custom. You have more none
, than you can possibly use in any !,
! climate personal channels. | hav
, not the price OF the next meal. alread
twenty.four hours overdue. cam
, here this morning with my life in m
hand TO invite you TO share with m
a portion OF that which is yours chief
by the right OF possession. II you d
II, well and good. II not, there wi
be a new president OF the Bayou Stat
Security, DO ! make myself sufncien
Q ~ explicit?"
I Andrew Galbraith glanced %furtiveI
at the paper.weight clock on his des
II was nearly eleven, and MacFarlau
would surely come in on the stroh
OF the hour. II he could only fen
of the catastrophe for n few minute
until help should come. He searchC
In his pockets and drew forth a han
q full OF coins.
"A The invader Of p~rivacles glanced
the clock in his tarn and shook h
head.
You are merely trying 10 gain tim
and you know II, Mr., Galbraith.
q stake In this game is much more tins
e a handful OF charity silver; and
don't do you the injustice to belize
z that you hold your life so cheapl,
you who have SO much money an
II at best. 40 few years TO live"
The president put the little he,
OF coins on the desk. but he did n
4. abandon the struggle for delay. ,
- sNNNFIaNIa A.a ..taA SAaz 10 -