Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-23

ioAo' nlrs. Wilson Woodrow.
Inc hrst part of the strange real-Iire
romance OF Tom Mercer and Janet Cor.
uon was more or less like that OF an
oio-'ifne English mclodrama hut the
i"'ter and more tensely exciting part
VI IL was Ike no other story ever told
since the birth OF time.
Ihey were brought up together. Tom
ana Janet. In the historic little villar,
OF Samoset, on the very edge of tho
crock that formed the borderlIne be.
tween New York and Connecticut.
The village Itself was on the New
YORK side OF tho creek. But in two
Eood strides and without getting wet
above the knee, man could easily
step into Connecticut
Hiram Gordon-Janets father-wa,
the big man" of Samoset. His house
was the most pretentious. his lnnd,
were the broadcast in the little COM
munity
He and Tom MERGERS father had
been chums from their college DAYS,
And Tom and his sister Miriam were
ever welcome guests in the big Cor
don mouse. Since the death of their
parents tho two Mercer children had
been all hut adopted by Hiram Gordon
Miriam Mercer was prlm. unattrac.
tive girl. with sharp tongue and an
oddly soured nature. Gordon's infu-
encc had secured for her the position
of principal of tho Samoset grammar
school. And she spent most of her
time at her duties there. growing more
and more aloof from her old friends.
From the first. she had disliked Jano,
Gordon and had vainly tried to innu-
cnce Tom against her.
as for Tom. himself-from child
hood he and Janet had loved each
other. Their fathers had smiled on
the pretty romance. And when, in
young manhood Tom asked Hiram
Gordon's permission to marry Jane,
the request was heartily granted
The course OF true love gave every
promise Of running with most un-
cvcntful smoothness. nawed only by
Miriam MERGERS sour and futile opoo-
sition.
Hiram Gordon was the president and
chief stakeholder of the Samoset Bank.
Tom had position of trust under him
and on the first of the year was to
succeed the retiring old cashier This
would mean for him an income on
which he and Janet could very COM
fortabiy marry.
Then. all at once. the rlacidly un-
eventful happiness of the two lovers
received a sharp setback.
a fever of stock speculation had
swept the country. AS reaction after an
area OF hard times. Hiram Gordon was
infected by 1t. He SAVIOR thought
he saw-a chance to turn his comfort
able fortune into enormous wealth.
He spcculatcd heavily. not only with
his personal funds. but with those OF
tho bank as well. And presently came
the collapse of the bubble of false pros
perity that had lured so many thou
sands people into crazy Investments
Panic reisned in Wall Street. Dozens
OF banks were wrecked. And. with an
army Of other unfortunates Hiram
Gordon lost his all
Gordon could have faced the loss Of
his own fortune. But tho fact that
dozens of people had been impover-
ished through his folly was more than
he could bear.
He made hurried trip to New York,
trying there to raise funds to cover his
investors losses. He found the New
York money market tight closed and
he could not wiring from it single
dollar.
But. through n Broad Street broker
he CHANGED to meet there. a young
inancier named Marc Lander. who had
fattened on the panic that had ruined
so many better men.
Lander had a reputation that was
none too savory. He had made his
wealth by clcverly gambling OH long
shots" in the financial world. And he
consented, at Gordon's request. to Jour-