Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-04-14

thirty thousand dollars for
your wife. What do you say?"
You scoundrel!" shouted Kane.
shaking his fist at the others face.
You contemplate blackguard!"
Its more than any court would
give. Take it or leave 1t. Kane" said
Jerrold quietly.
II accept" said Kane suddenly.
III.
Three years later he saw his wife
again. They met in an elevated train.
going north after the days work was
over.
He was shocked at the woman's ap-
pearance. Jerrold could not have been
as kind a companion as she had ex-
pected, to Judge from the sadness Of
her expression. There was haunted
look upon her face.
They looked up and saw each other
across the aisle. He got of at the
next station, but, when he reached the
platform, she had followed him.
Il want to tell you, Dick, that IL
am sorry" she said in low voice.
At the remembered tone he felt the
old longing sweep over him; he longed
to take her in his arms, but he only
bowed and stood aside.
Il want to give you my address in
case" she began.
Thank you, but l can find Mr.. Jer-
rold any time WISH" he replied. And
she shrank from him, crimson with
modification.
She had handed him the pasteboard.
and automatically he had extended
his hand. The letters burned them
selves into his brain like fire. He
knew he could never forget that place.
All the way home he saw 313 Morti-
mer street craven against the heavens.
So she was firing of the new love!
He wondered whether she had heard
had heard that he, with the price Of
her shame, was now we'll established
in Wall street. He had put the thir-
ty thousand into a brokers' business;
with his knowledge acquired in Jer-
rold's Office, he had soon become
wealthy. But she could not know that
the one purpose for which he lived
was nearing accomplishment.
Step by step he had logged Jerrold.
He had pursued him remorselessly,
had hammered his stocks, had learned
the secrets of his private speculations
and made good use of them. The
month of wild speculation that had
just ended had been 6 hard one for
Jerrold. 1t had left the little clerk a
millionaire.
Nv.
Jerrold sat in his Office, utterly bro
ken. Everything had gone up in
smoke, and at last he knew the name
of the man who had ruined him.
He had learned too late. His own
place of power had fallen to the clerk.
He had lost seven million dollars, and
Kane must have made three times
that sum. A sense of irony was strong.
er than his rage.
"A gent, sir, wants to see you"
I'll see nobody"
Il think you'll see me, Mr.. Jerrold,"
said Kane, who had followed hard on
the heels of the Office boy. Its five
years since you saw me before" he
added, quietly.
Jerrold sprang up with snarl. But
the clerk did not finch; he seemed
transformed, and it was he who pos
sessed the ease, the confidence.
Yes, l have your money. Jerrold.
he said. In this life, Jerrold, the
riches and the women go to the strong.
You backyard" he burst out fiercely.
I've brought you your seven millions.
your dirty millions. Now take them
to your wife and tell her that's her
first husbands wedding present to
her second"
And he flung a check upon the other
mans resk.
Jerrold stared at it, stared at the
man who had bested him. who was
already going: Suddenly he felt him.
self choking; he realized that the
tragedy had eaten into Kane's soul,
had branded it indelibly with shame.
"Kane!" he muttered huskily. See
here! Didn't you know"
Know WHAT" cried Kane.
"Why-that she didn't marry me!
/ haven't seen her since that day.
She went West and-and thought bet
ter of it, Kane. Lord. to think you
didn't know! The money"
Damn the money!" yelled Kane.
rushing from the Office.
And in the heavens. dancing in lurid
red on their blue background, he saw
the number of the house on Mortimer
street.