Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1915-01-20
Copyright A. c. McClurg & Co.. l9l4)
CHAPTER XXI.
Brand, the immutabIe

That Brand, despite all appearances
had deliberately sold Reynolds out
was not certain But in Dicks mind
there was no doubt about it. He saw
or imagined an Interior motive that
made 1t reasonable conclusion, but
he dared not reveal his suspicious to
Bob. Dick had never believed the mil.
lionaire persisted in his excursions to
Staten Island merely for financia.
benefit to either Bob or himself He
accounted for Brands first appearance
on the grounds of selfinterest and the
subsequent visits he attributed to in
terest In Mrs. Reynolds. That he could
be so penurious as to actually scheme
to get back the stipend he had melted
out to Bob did not appeal to Dick,
either. For, whatever the amount was,
the young writer knew it was but a
stipend to Brand. He believed that
the capitalist wished to crush Rey-
nolds and raise such an insuperable
barrier to his success that he would
succumb and become alienated from
his wife through hopeless realization
OF his own unworthiness. But there
was Mrs. Brand to consider in this
line OF deduction and the millionaire
had never given sufficient evidence of
unloyalty to warrant it. At least, not
enough to arouse such thoughts in
Bob.
But young Meade, usually SO far see
Ing, had drawn a cursory perspective
and perhaps prejudiced one. For
Dicks antipathy to Brand was found
ed on two things. He despised him as
the traducer of Bob and he hated him
for his associations with Jane; the
more bitterly, too, because Brand had
removed her from the sphere of his
own intimacy In short, Dick was
Jealous Of Brand, though he did not
analyze his feeling In just that way.
When the cataclysm had come for
Bob that afternoon-when the ticker,
that instrument of Joy, or torture, had
told him of his ruin, he had found but
one definite conclusion. He would ask
Brand to meet the overdraft on his
bank and call 1t quits. He had been
prompted to attempt what now stood
out clearly as a criminal act, through
failure to secure an expected mortgage
on his home and through belief that he
would win on the stock. The house,
fortunately. was still unincumbered,
but in the face of failure he shrank
from reducing Jane to absolute pow
erty and had determined to ask this
final boon of Brand. He had tele-
graphed the millionaire asking him to
come that evening before the theater
party.
Now, Dicks revelation gave an en-
tirely different aspect to the case. Bob
had lost and Brand had won and Brand
could afford to pay. True, the million.
aire had not told him to buy CONSOLE |
dated Wire that day. but he had not
advised him not to, and II Brand knew
enough to get in on the right side OF |
the collapse. he must have known the |
crash was coming many hours before !
1t did. There were rumors In the street |
that the concern had gone into the |
hands Of receiver. II this were true
the capitalist must surely have been
warned of 1t. He was very close to
the officers Of the company, Reynolds
was positive.
Young Meade passed two more hours
with most unsociable host who In
sisted that he remain but who sat
either In moody silence or paced the
floor amid his mental flagellations of
Brand, impatient for his arrival. He
went up to his room for more cigar
cites and while he was gone the mil
|ionaire arrived. Dick went to him
smiling pleasantly as Frieda admitted
him.
Hello, Mr.. Brand" he greeted, with
extended hand. I'VE meet once more.
though I've given you quite a rest"
Brand took the hand and dropped 1t
quickly as II the mere act of touching
t were ample condescension on his
part
"How do you do. Mr.. - forgot
your name" he added lightly. He
,poke az II it were Of little conse-
luence. anyway.
Meade. Richard Meade" Dick
prompted, unabashed.
"Oh. yes; still on the newspaper"
mo. I'm nearly respectable now"
he reporter answered Magazines"
Brand looked relieved. He handed
lis hat and coat to Frieds and ad-
RANGED to the fireplace.