The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-01-06

distinct, attainable beyond, and he
drew his fingers in a gentle caress
across the barrel of the steel-blue Colt. |
An hour later, after changing clothes
with a scare-crow in the fields, he |
swung aboard slowly moving freight |
train and started westward toward |
Los Angeles to find 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
mind-almost, but not quite
For Walker had made his plea well,
and had sealed it with kiss.
v
The bottom had dropped out OF A.
& M, and Hugh Keene, unable to
cover, stared ruin in the face. He
had already drawn $4,000 on Richard
Walkers deposit with him, and felt 1t
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 ''just where he stood.
A. & NJ. had broken badly, there was
no escaping that; but he felt sure 1t
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. & NJ 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
sop 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 a 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 go
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:
"T pen you a special invitation to at
tend a dinner at my residence tonight,
where l 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 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 alb
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 evel
! descend. 1t rather stupefied him witt
: its dull aching heaviness, heavmesE
out Of which he dreaded to come.
= 1t was in this condition that George
= Sumner found him when he came t.
"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 hav'
to cover. I've been waiting to hea
from you"
No answer. 49,.
II say, do you want to cover, O
shall Isell?" >+.@.
, Anaimpatient wave of his hand wa
> all the answer Hugh Keene gave.
The other was man of few words
and he had already spoken those few
: every we'll then, If you can't cover
you're wiped out!"
1t was those last words that Rict
ard Walker heard as he paused for
moment outside the door. 1t wa
these words that changed his smil
d of affable patronage to one of III
y pleasant menace as he entered Keene'
y office.
e He wasted no time in preliminarie
q but began, very abruptly. There's
d report about town, Keene, that is,
the financial district, that you've bee
s, loading yourself down with the wort
'e less A. & M. Is it true, and If it I
II what, man, in heavens name, hay
1t, you been buying it with?"
II Keene was Immediately attentive.
er "You need have no fear" he sal
20 I'm glad of that" said the othe
because, to be frank with you, "
le had an unavoidable fear that, er-
is nall thnA would hnan snnethinD tn