The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-12
9consanuad.1

dance of the West End club. He plan ned a Country club dinner for the day after, and then reaching nonchalantly into his waistcoat pocket he dropped into Molly's lap glittering bauble, which looked like a glass hickory nut.
 stTake that down to Duvay's and have it. fitted to your finger" he di- rected.
 She picked it up incredulously. It couldn't be reaN
 why, it's diamondr' she gasped as it lay flashing and gleaming in her hand and she saw the perfect cutting and wonderful fire of it. The realiza- tion startled her so that she almost dropped it.
 esIt had better be or somebody goes to jail" he informed her. That rdck set me back the price of house and Iot.''
 .sBut, MT. Sledge, I can't accept this,' she earnestly assured him- rsWhy n6tSs' he demanded, studying her heavily. You're to be my wife"
 She was panic stricken more by his look than his words
 .'It's too large for ring, for one thing" she evaded,-
 why 2" he again rumbIed.
 She decided to leave out the question of good taste.
 'You couldn't put glove over 1t,' she explained.
 " He looked at it reproachfully.
 Hunhr he commented. .It's a peach, though, ain't it?"
 Here was proposition on which she could heartily agree
 Its beauty yLa marvelr' she enthu- aiagttca1Iy told him, ashamed, in some degree, that. she so much admired the live thing as it lay in her palm.
 She handed it over to him, and as his palm touched hers she felt theztingle of him for the first time It was as if ehe had inadvertently touched an cleo stric battery, and she jerked back her hand
 Between then they dropped the dia- nOnd and it rolled under Ferns chair Tommy Reeler picked it up
 Swell pebble, Ben,'' he approved and poured 1t into Ferns hand, where it lay gIitterdng and glittering and gilt teEtng and would not be still.
 @Oh, you dariingF' Fern murmured to it. Where did this drop from?''
 Present for Molly explained Sledge modestly. '"Too big fer a ring. Can't pull n glove over it. Pm goana have 1t 1 | Three days later the neckIalce came out, but by that time Molly had given up aA hope of heading SIedge of. The only thing she could do, she resolved, in hilarious conference with Fern, would be to accept temporarily any crazily extravagant gift he showered upon her. After the need for foolfng him was over she could send them back, and this resolution, once having been formed, the girls spent much lime in eager expectation of what the next-surprise might be. SIedge was at least making the game exciting, and his perfectly mad, but equally earnest, antics gave both Nelly and Fern more fun than they had ever known
 Tn the meantime, while SIedge and his cheerful co-worker, fomny Reeler, were keeping the girls busy day and night, the preparations for the secret wedding went steadily on, as did the business preparations of Bert and Frank Marley. Thanksgiving day ap- preached, and things began to focus themselves in the Marley home. The representative of the up state syndi- cate came to town on schedule He spent three days in going over the books of the company and examining into Marley's loans. Also, he looked up the matter of the franchises. The twenty year city charter, which had been twice renewed for ten, year pc riods, its present renewal having three years to rRp-
 Tt looks like the regular thing" he, said to Marley. I'm satisfied to give you thirty-six straight through for your stock, take up your loans and al- low you the difference in value; but, before do business, I'll have to see Sledge about this franchise
 f.It was part of our understanding that you were to stay away from him. insisted Marley. If your presence and your errand here are known, Sledge will do something destructive. He has it in for me and will wipe me right off the map"
 eHe might have it in for me, and have'to see what he can do.''
 sIn make it $34 a share and you see hfIn afterward" offered Marley.
 Now, I'm bound to see him. de- clared MT. Goldman, who was a wiry little man, of great energy and de- c1stveness. Don't you worry. He won't connect. ne with you. I've been sn this game too long not to be able to cover my tracks"
 Coldman's interview with Sledge was brief, concise and satisfactory, and he began by stating exactly who he was and whom he represented.
 Were looking for street car bar gains" he explained, "and we've been advised that stock in the Ring City street railway is< well worth picking up at Its present price. Do you. think sog'
 "Uh-hunhT' grunted sledge. None for sale, though
 ''It does seem to be scarce,'' admitted Goldman ~Stfll, we'll take what we can get if it looks good I understand there,s some talk of consolidation