Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1916-08-25


mean" he gasped.
She nodded.
The three days battle which Bat
son Kendrick fought upon the stock
exchange single-handed, against the
pool of rivals which had been organ
lied against him, ranks in historic in
terest with some of the old-tinie
Gould-Fiske melees.
Desperately he met the onset of his
foes. But now the last stand was
made The floor of the exchange was
In a turmoil. No one yet had time to
reckon where he stood in the wild
swirl of operations. Failures and sus-
pensions of smaller houses were be-
ing announced every moment. Then
the bell rang sharply. A sudden 81
lence descended on the shouting, ges-
ticulating throng of brokers. Every
body sensed what was coming. And
then the formal notice was read out.
The great house of Batson Kendrick
& Co. had gone to the wall.
Hatless, coatless, his eyes bloodshot.
and his face working convulsively, tho
man who three days before had been
one of the biggest powers on the
street. was up in his office struggling
almost insanely with little group or
supporters and clerks who tried In
vain to restrain and quiet him. AT
last he broke loose from them and
rushing out the door was lost In the
or0r,Ie alone fba
In the same moment in a building
not half block away, Ruth, heavily
yelled, stood back from the ticker
over which she had been leaning
tensely for the last hour.
It was in the private office OF the
leader of the rival pool, and as she
stood back, she turned to him and one
or two enthusiastic associates.
We'll" she said, its over" She
pushed back her veil as she spoke
and they wondered to see her so
composed.
YES" said the leader of the pool,
ut is over, Mrs. Kendrick, and the
result is largely due to you
He laid a folded slip Of paper on
thu table before her. This Is check
which have made out to your order,'
he said, "and l have left the amount
blank. You may fill it in for any sum
up to a million"
She nodded carelessly, but made no
move to take it up. Then after few
moments OF further conversation, she
left the office. 1t was not until after
her departure that they discovered
that she had left the check still lying
on the table.
Out at the entrance to the building,
she found Blair waiting for her. lie
caught her by the arm and guided her
swiftly to a limousine which stood be-
side the curb. .
He gave simply the direction up
town." to the chauffeur, then stepping
in beside Ruth, turned to her eagerly
as the car moved forward through the
crowded streets. She stayed him with
quickly uplifted hand.
Don't, Fleetwood" she begged.
Don't" 49,
But he was not to be denied. Ear
nestly he pleaded with her TO. obtain
divorce and come away with him to q
new life. For all the impression that
he made though, he might have been
talking to a marble statue.
ooh, can't you understand" she
broke out at length, when one has
been as / have in the grip of great.
crushing forces, all this sounds pitiful-
ly trifiing and inane. Love! Protec-
ton! Soft endearments!" her lip
curled. They were all the world to
me once but now they don't arouse
even a thrill. DO you think that a
woman can pull down all the pillars
of her temple Of life about her and
still remain the same? tell you that
am dead here" and she struck her
self on the breast; my heart is AS
cold and hard as a stone"
She was silent moment as he drew
back, scarcely knowing how TO take
her outbreak. Then she spoke with a
certain note OF weary appeal.
1T is useless, Fleetwood" she shook
her head, Absolutely useless. Leave
me here, wont you. / want TO be
alone"
Blair bent a long glance OF scrutiny
upon the face she turned toward him;
and as he gazed, the hopes he had
cherished died within him.
She was right. The girl he had
known and loved was dead. This was
only hard, bitter, disillusioned woman
in whom it would be as difficult to
arouse spark of love as to fan into
flame the cold ashes upon a dead altar.
And, noting the change-recalling
the vivid, glowing impersonation OF
youth she once had been, the promise
she had given OF splendid woman
hood-his lips involuntarily framed
the question OF his sorrowing heart:
WHO'S GUILTY?
(END OF THIRD STORY.l