The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-02-25

nara as though through the heavy
walls. as though at something, clear.
distinct, attainable beyond, and he
drew his fingers in q gentle caress
across the barrel of the steel-blue Colt.
An hour later. after changing clothes
with q scare-crow in the fields, he
swung aboard slowly moving freight
train and started westward toward
Los Angeles to nnd John Cole, now
Richard Walker-toward the attain.
ment of "his hearts desired"
That same night, Richard Walker
was a welcome visitor at the Hilton
residence. He spoke long and earnest
ly to Edith. pleading the sincerity of
his love, and painting well, though not
too obviously well, the splendid social
future of the future Mrs. Richard
Walker.
When he left that night he was
happier than he had been in many
years; in fact the vision Of a gaunt
man behind uncompromising steel
bars was almost obliterated from his
but not quite.
For Walker had made his plea well,
and had sealed it with kiss.
v
The bottom had dropped out Of A.
G. NJ, and Hugh Keene, unable to
cover, stared ruin in the face. He
had already drawn $1,000 on Richard
Walkers deposit with him, and felt it
would be unsafe to go further. The
funds of the Sunset club, of which he
was treasurer, were in his possession,
and he thought, uncertainty, of them
in considering lust where he stood"
A. & M. had broken badly, there was
no escaping that; but he felt sure It
was only a bear" raid, from which
the stock would quickly rally. If only
he could hold on! He knew that, es-
sentially, all this trading" was the
rankest form of gamble. But this
this particular case of his, 1t was SO
sure-so absolutely certain. He
soothed himself with the thought that
if he, as a broker, knowing the risk
of playing the market, was sure of A.
& M, why then, if A. & M. disap-
pointed, whose fault was that?
To have stopped where he was, with
the already certain loss of $4,000, not
his, would have been more level
headed than to have gone on; but to
stop now would have been tantamount
to an admission that his judgment had
in the first place been faulty, and to
admit that would be to admit that his
appropriation of Walkers money was
just stealing. OF course, it was not
stealing for him to borrow money
from q business associate, to help him
out, in a deal that entailed no risk
whatever for the money borrowed!
The next check he wrote to cover
his margins with George Sumner was
drawn from the account of the Sunset
club.
After that, he started briskly to 60
through his afternoons mail, and
stopped suddenly, with apprehension,
at an envelope addressed to him in
Richard Walkers hand. He opened it
clumsily, and read:
my Dear Keene:
II pen you q special invitation to at
tend q dinner at my residence tonight,
where I will announce the engage
ment Of Miss Edith Hilton and my
self. You know, l consider you in
italy responsible for my meeting
Miss Hilton, and am correspondingly
grateful.
VERY sincerely,
RICHARD WALKER"
The page dropped from his nerve
less fingers, and he was unconscious
for a few moments of any definite feel
ing other than a heavy, obsessing
pain, physical, mental, spiritual, that
started to become more acute and un-
endurable as he began consciously to
realize things. Then, with the utter
despair Of hopeless disappointment,
and as though to make his pain abb
solute and complete, now that it was
SO deep, he called Edith on the phone.
When he put the receiver down, he
had reached the lowest point of des
pair to which he had, or would ever
descend. It rather stupefied him with
its dull aching heaviness, heavfness
out of which he dreaded to come.
It was in this condition that George
Sumner found him when he came to
"jack him up" on his margins.
"She's broken ten points more,
Keene. Do you want to go on?"
No answer.
"If you do, you know, you'll have
to cover. I've been waiting to hear
from you"
81 say, do you want to cover, or
shall l SELF"
An impatient wave Of his hand was
all the answer Hugh Keene gave.
The other was a man Of few words,
and he had already spoken those few.
VERY well then. If you can't cover.
you're wiped out!"
It was those last words that Rich
ard Walker heard as he paused for a
moment outside the door. 1t was
these words that changed his smile
Of affable patronage to one Of IN
pleasant menace as he entered Keene's
o1ice.
He wasted no time in preliminaries,
but began, very abruptly. There's q
report about town, Keene, that is, in
the financial district, that you've been
loading yourself down with the worth
less A. & N. Is it true. and If it is.
what, man, in heavens name, have
you been buying it with?"
Keene was Immediately attentive.
you need have no fear" he said.
I'm glad of that" said the other,
because, to be frank with you. I've
had an unavoidable fear that. err
you'd hann ofbfpo that