Macon beacon., 1916-08-25

tors meeting that was called. and
wasn't held. three weeks ago"
II was a crude little expedient, but
It suilced. Cortwright tramped to the
phone and cursed and swore at it un-
til he had his man at the other end Of
the wire. The man was the lawyer,
as II appeared, and Cortwright abused
him spitefully
You've balled it-balled 1t beauti-
fully" he shouted. Come over here
to Brou!lards Office and bring Sher-
merhorn and the stock and the notes
and Jackson and the secretary's books
and Massingale and your Internal self
Get a move, and get it quick! We
stand TO lose the whole Joaf because
you had to butt in and sweep up the
crumbs first!"
When the procession arrived, as it
did In an incredibly short time, Brouil-
lard laid down the law.
we don't need these" he said curt
ly, indicating the two deputies who
came to bring David Massingale. And
when they were gone: Now, gentle
men, get to work and do business, and
the less time you waste the better
chance there will be for your bank
salvage. Threo requirements make:
you will turn over tho stock. putting
Mr.. Massingale in possession of his
mine, without incumbrance; you will
cancel and surrender his notes to the
bank; and you will give him docu-
ment, signed by all of you, acknowl-
edging the payment in full of all
claims, past or pending. While you
are Strengthening things out. III ring
up the yards and rally your guard"
Cortwrght turned on the lawyer.
"You hear what Brouillard says; fix
it. and do it suddenly"
1t was done almost before Brouillard
had made Leshington, in charge of the
yards. understand what was wanted.
Now a note to your man at the
mine to make him let go without put
ting us to the trouble of throwing him
over the dump" said the engineer,
when he had looked over the stock
transfers, examined the Cancelled notes,
and read and witnessed the signatures
on the receipt in full.
Cortwrght nodded to the lawyer,
and when Williams began to write
again the king Of the promoters
turned upon Brouillard with a savage
sneer.
Once more you've had your price,"
he snarled bitterly. you and the old
man have bilked US out of what we
spent on the mine. But we'll call 1t
an even break If you'll hurry that gang
Of huskies."
Wen call 1t an even break when it
Is one," retorted Brouillard; and after
he had gathered up the papers he took
the New York check from his pocket
book. indorsed it, and handed it to
Cortwright. That Is what was spent
out of the hundred thousand dollars
you had Mr.. Masslngale charged with.
as nearly as we can ascertain. Take
it and take care Of it; it's real money"
He had turned again to the tele-
phone to hurry Leshington, had rung
the CALL and was chuckling grimly
over the collapse of the four men at
the end OF the mapping table as they
fingered the slip of money paper. Sud
denly 1t was borne in upon him that
there was trouble Of some sort at the
door-there were curses, blow, a mad
rush; then 1t was Stephen Mas
singale who had fought his way past
tho door-guarding sentry and stood
blinking at the group at the far end
Of the mapping board.
you're the houn' dog I'm lookin'
for!" he ragged, singing out Cartwright
when tho dazzle of the electrics per-
mitted him to see You'll rob an old
man first and then call him a thief
and set the sheriff on him. will you-?
Massingale's pistol was dropping to
the firing level when Brouillard flung
away the telephone earpiece and got
between. Afterward there was a
crash like collision of worlds, a
whirling, dancing medley Of colored
lights fading away to gray and then to
darkness, and the engineer went down
with tho avenger Of wrongs tightly
locked in his arms.
After the period OF darkness had
passed and Brouillard opened his eyes
again upon the world Of things as they
arc, he had confused idea that he
had oversight shamefully and that the
indulgence had given him bad head
ache.
The next thought was that the head
ache was responsible for set of singu
lar Authorizations. His blanket bunk
in the sleeping shack seemed to have
transformed itself into a white bee
with pillows and snowy sheets. ant
the bed was drawn up beside an opeI
window through which he could lool
out, or seem to look out, upon vas
: sea dimpling in the breeze and reflect
5 ing the sunshine so brightly that i
Il made his headache darting agony.
Il When he turned his face to escap,
9 the binding glare of the sun on th
/ sea the hallucinations became sooth
o lnGly comforting not to saw eCStatiC