Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-02-16

EN- anu Dullu. DlS UP loI Jou'
stock"
Bozzam merely blinked. This was
blow so unexpected that he could
scarcely comprehend It, Moreover, II
was a blow beneath the belt.
dig up?" he family repeated.
1.-TWO hundred thousand cash,
Sledge rumbled. ~ dug. He tossed
Bozzam a receipt from Johnson, the
secretary of the Ring City Rapid
Transit company, showing that Ben
jamin F. Sledge had paid seven hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars cash
for seven thousand five hundred
shares of stock in that live corpora.
ton. Here's the stock added
sledge, throwing down one lone Ger
tificate for the entire amount.
"You don't mean that you're going
to make a bona-fide company outS OF
this?' Bozzam incredulously question
ed.
1.-THE moneys in the bank. Make
good or let CO."
Bozzam felt his circulation stop,
ping.
1--WE can't let co." he blurted, in
acute pain
sure not" said Sledge, lifting his
heavy upper lip to snarl at him vim
dictively. "You cheap crooks thought
you could double-cross me. You
bought stock in Bert elders name.
You loaned Marley enough to buy con.
troll. Any way you fix 1t, you lose.
Bozzam reflected over that state
ment carefully. He viewed 1t from
every angle He twisted and slanted
it. and turned 1t upside down to look
at the bottom. 1t was flawless
statement, sound and solid in every
particular, and he admired it.
81 believe everything they ever said
about you," he acknowledged. and
laughed pleasantly. Now, let's get
down to cases, Sledge. How can we
compromise this mess?"
Nothing doing. No double-crosser
ever gets away from me-
so I've been told commented
Bozzam, smiling with keen apprecia-
ton of some unlimited joke. 1T seems
to me this is now up to Moodson,"
and he touched bell.
A girl entered.
Send Mr.. Moodson in. please said
Bozzam, and Sledge looked at his
watch.
Mr.. Moodson arrived, and took a
chair opposite Sledge, and on the
other side of Bozzam, his mouth so
tightly closed that one wondered how
he could induce himself to eat. He
looked at his watch, but held the
face toward him like a poker hand,
and dropped it stealthily back in his
pocket as if he feared that some
one might get the time of day away
from him.
I've a queer little puzzle for you,
said Bozzam cheerfully.
Mr.. Sledge has determined to make
q bona-fide company out of the Ring
City Rapid Transit, and, of course,
will not sell the franchises. He has
put up his seven hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, and requests us to
put up our two hundred thousand to
complete the capitalization. He
knows that you financed the drama
at the recent stockholders meeting,
that you bought a thousand shares Of
stock for thirty-five thousand, and
loaned fifty thousand on two hundred
thousand dollars worth of Merleys
Now. here is the case in nutshell:
If YOU put up the two hundred thou
sand dollars to pay for the stock in
this new company, it will drive the
other one out of business, and you
can get half cent a pound for your
thousand dollars worth Of
stock certificates in the old company
If don't sub
scription you get exactly the same
price for your old stock as you would
if you did. Now, what is the answer
in view of the fact that Mr.. Sledge
is absolutely implacable, and means
to do lis harm? l shall leave you
gentlemen to discuss the question"
He left the two experts in silence
facing each other glumly across his
desk, and went into the adjoining
room, where he surprised the meek
little stenographer by sinking on the
arm of a bench and laughing noise.
lessly until he grew purple in the face
Timbers came in, looking much dis
tressed for fat man, and surveyed
Bozzam in establishment.
slip me the good one he begged
Il need laugh worse than l ever
needed drink on the fourth of Janu-
ary."
We've stung Moodson" snorted
Bozzam. For that matter, we all get
stung, but I'm willing to lose my end
Of it in order to see that inhuman
ghoul get his"
Timbers grinned to his full capacity,
which was much.
81 didn't know you hated Old Gloom
as bad as l do. Where did he go to
die?"
Have look" offered Bozzam,
pointing to the frosted-glass partition.
In a cornor of the panes there was
a little clear space, made by the seal.
ing of the glass, and to this Timbers
applied his eye. Moodson's face had
turned sallow yellow, and had taken
On an expression as If he had just
swallowed quinine, but beyond this
he had not moved, and neither gentle.
man had said word-Sledge, sitting
in comfortable enjoyment, waiting