Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-08-17

be-Sherry's:
Lorelei laughed. you are inexpe-
rienced. The Johns never eat on Fifth |
avenue. the lights are too dim. But
why supper? You can't eat
"A Welsh rabbit would be the death
of me; Holsters are poison" lie con-
fessed; but I've read that chorus
girls are omniyorous animals and seek
their prey ut midnight"
Most of them would prefer bread
and milk; anyhow. l would. But I'm
not hungry, SO let's ride-we can talk
better, and you're not the sort of man
to he seen in public with one of Berg.
mans show girls"
The banker acquiesced With alacrity
To his driver he said, Take the Long
Island road"
The machine glided into noiseless
motion
why do you choose the Long Island
road?" asked Lorelei
Its pleasant" responded Merkle.
II ride nearly every night. and like
the country. You see. can't sleep
unless Fin in motion. get most OF
my rest in a car: there's something
about the movement that soothes me-"
How funny"
Peculiar, parhops. but scarcely hui.
morous I'd be dead or insane with
out an automobile. keep four
Franch cars in my garage. all specially
built as to spring suspension and up
al 4
night in one or the other of them. SO
long as Pm moving fast | manage to
snatch miserable sort of repose. but
the instant we go slow l wake up. |
used to sleep at twenty miles an hour:
now | can't relax under thirty
Forty is fne-siNty means dreamess
peace"
''It does indeed. if one happens to
have q blowout" laughed the girl
The car was now larting through
unfrequented side streets. where the
asphalt lay in the shadows like dark
pools. Up the approach to the Queens
borough bridge it swept, and took the
long incline like Il soaring bird. Black
wells island slipped under them, an
inky, bottomless pit of despair. The
breath of the overheated city changed
as by magic. and the thin-faced suf
ferer at Lorelei's side drank it In ea
gerly. Even in the dim flash of the
passing illuminations she noted how
tired and worn lie was, and a sudden
pity smote her.
won't you pretend I'm, not here.
and drive just as yeu always do? |
won't mind" she said.
my dear, it's late. You'll need to
go home"
mo, no"
Really" His eagerness was genu-
Inc. Wont your people worry?"
Her answer was a short, mirthless
laugh that made him glance at her GU
r.ously. "1'hey know I'm perfectly
safe. It's the other way round: a man
of your standing takes chances by be-
ing alone with woman of-mine."
(which reminds Inc of Miss Lynn
and Mr. Harmon. You've decided to
accept my oifer9'
NO. can't be hired spy
you said over the phone that you
had learned something
II have. | believe there is an effort
on foot to get some of Mr. Hammon's
money dishonesty. ! have reason
for wishing to prevent it,
81 knew / wasn't mistaken in YOU"
smiled Merlsle.
"Oh don't attribute my actions to
any high moral motives. I'm getting
little rusty on right and wrong. Fer
sonally. ! have no sympathy with I.Ir.
Harmon. and l don't imagine he ac-
quired all of his tremendous fortune
in perfectly honorable way. Besides,
he's married man"
ut isn't alone Jarvis or his family
or their money that is concerned"
Merllle said. graycly. Great financial
institutions sometimes rest on founda-
lions as slight as one mans person
ality-one mans reputation for moral
integrity A breath of suspicion of
any sort at the wrong time may bring
on a crash involving innocent people.
"Hammon at this moment carries
tremendous top-heavy burden of re-
sponsibilities: his death would be no
more disastrous than a scandal that
would tend to destroy public conf
dence in him as a man.
doesn't he know that himself?"
"Perhaps. But his infatuation over
took him at an age when Il man is
fool. Young men are always objects
of suspicion in the financial world for
their emotions are unruly; but when
old men fall in love they are superbly
needless of the consequences. prom
ised to tell you something about JAR
Wis. and will, since you spoke of his
married life. From the time he could
walk he never knew anything. never
heard anything except steel He be-
came rolling-mill superintendent al
most before he was of age. They say
he never did less than two mems work,
and often more: but he could make
others work. too. and there lay the Sc
cret of his success. His mill held the
tonnage record for years.
when the corporation was formed
he played big part in the deal and
got big slice Of the profits. He
went into other things than STEEL and
he rrospered. He never failed at any
thing. Jarvis had no vices and but
one hobby-at least his vices We're neu-
trail. for he had never taken time to
acquire the positive kind. His hobby
was Napoleon Ronaparte. He read ev-
erything there was to read about Ma
poleon: he studied his life and pat
termed his own on similar lines. Do
bore yOu MISC LHnirht