The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-02-15
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CHAPTER XVII.
!. Molly Starts For a Drive.

face, a sip OF brandy, restored
Frank Marley to conscious
nees. but he was an old man. He
seemed visibly to have shrunk in hi:
clothes and the flesh to have sagged
fl his cheeks. He tried to smile brave
~ when they set him in his chair, ba.
THE attempt was q pathetic failure.
III guess I'm out Of the game he
confessed MY hearts bad7' - 4
Molly took up the telephone
..I'H call DR. Brandt she aaxious1y
decided
s'Don'tH' he begged, stopping her with
his hand. sit isn't physica1s it's men
tai I've lost my nerve. Molly, Stedge
wins. NJ ere broke
How can that Be?" she puzzled, un-
able 10 comprehend it. You even
showed me the check
sHere it ISL, said Bert, who had pick
ed it from the floor and was smoothing
it out
WorthIessr' Marley groaned at sight
oft Il can sue for it, but they'll beat
me-
Bert edged in between Molly ana
Fern, so that he could stand directly
in.front of Marley and see his face.
kDo you mean to tell me that our
whole plan has fallen to the ground?''
Marley nodded miserably.
Elbow did it happen %
81 don't quite understand, wavere@
; Marley 81 haven't the details, but By
some trick Sledge has secured fifty
year franchises for every street in the
city, including mine"
How does that affect you? persist
ed Bert his eyes falling again to the
check Nhat document looked so much
believe It rather than Marley.
.eAffect mer' protested Marley, warm
ed into a Hihe more of life as he ex-
planned ut renders my street rail-
way company junk heap. We lose,
everything"
-But the sale,'' insisted Bert.
t.Tnvalid. Goldman claims he was
nat authorized to act.''
Bert ripped out an oath.
II suppose that If the sale had been
aproftable one You never would have
heard of the invalidity''
Marley smiled and shook his head
Then all our plans are off, discov-.
red Bert THE Person tract is I'M
saIable for enough to clear its own
mortgage Your stock and mine are
worthless. You lose this house. I am
stuck for the loan 1 made to give you
control. We haven't money enough
to go into business. and we can't go
back east Molly, it looks ike a post
ponement!'s 4--.-.sa-
Jessie Peters edged closer and slip
ped her arm around Molly.
Not on my account,~' Protested Mar
ley. fumbling at his collar, and he
arose feebly to adjust 1t before the
mantel mirror.
TrTTw -.
rIed to his support.
He turned to her and put his hands
% her shoulders.
1'm sorry, Molly he said simply.
looking into her eyes with more foz-s-
ness than he was in the habit Of shc@r-
ing her.
Eve can stand it." she comfo~ted
him. After all, it's only just. l feel.
so much less wicked if we suffer with
al the poor people we have helped to
ruin
A short laugh from Bert interrupted
her, and she turned to him with ris-
Ing fame in her eyes, but little les
sic Peters had caught her hand and
was looking up into her face.
The minister, a tall chap who had
won the hammer throwing medal in
his last year at college. had withdrawn
discreetly to the parlor when the con.
Tersation had begun, but now came
back apologetically.
Il am sorry to urge you" he observ-
ed, looking at his watch 81 have a
briefaapppintneElts sbut Z can return
II don't know hesitated Molly,
giancing at Bert Wait just min
ute.''
The thin butler, who was now cross
eyed, came through the hall to the
front door, which he opened, and a
second later he was sitting in the UNI
brelIa rack.
Say, youser' beloved the voice CT
Sledge as his huge bulk followed 1y
Tommy ReeIer, slammed back through
the hall, filing the perspective like q
ferry crowding into her dock. as /.
all overT'
Fern was the first one to recover
from the shock
.sNo,"eshe said meekly. but her eyes
danced of the devil as they met those
OF Tommy Reeler
"Then it's offt' yelled Sledge ara
grabbed the startled Molly by the
wrist.
Bert endeavoreG to throw himself Ia
between the two and to face SIedge,
but that experienced old ward leader.
who had not forgotten the training of
his early days, gave h.@ : zssick ell
bow in the pit Of the stomach. and
Bert doubled up in the middle like a
Jaekknife and dropped heels up on
couch, clawing for breath while SIedge,
as resistless as an auto dray, dragged
the struggling Molly steadily toward
the front door.
Opposite the library he met with an
TT.
preacher threw himself upon the big
boy bodily, avoided the pile driver al
bow, grabbed sledge around the neck