The Ordway new era., 1916-04-07

F4,rtance that u cannot DO oeieyeu,
causes Ars Fosland and myself TO
return to the city Immediately for an
| hour or 90. am sincerely apoiogetic.
and trust that you will have q jolly
| dinner"
"Is Gail going with you!" inquired
the alert Mrs. Helen Davies. observ'
ing Gail in the gangway adjusting her
| furs.
she has to chaperon me. while Ger
aid is busy" Arly glibly explained
You're 1t. Aunt Grace. You and
Uncle Jim have to be hosts. Good.by!
and she sailed out to the deck. fol
lowed by the still troubled Gail. who
managed to accomplish the laughing
adieus for which Arly had set the
precedent.
| A swift ride in the launch. In the
! cool night air. to the landing; BRISK
walk to the street: then Gerald. nav
ing seen the ladies' safe under shelter.
I even II II were bu. the roof OF night
| haN taxi, stopped at the first saloon
4 There he phoned half a dozen mes
sages There were four eager young
men waiting in the reception room OF
/ the FosIand house. when Gerald
party arrived. and three more followed
them up the steps.
Gerald aided in divesting the ladies
! of their wraps, and slipped his own
big top coat into the hands OF William.
and saw to his tie and the set OF his
waistcoat and the smoothness of his
I hair. before he stalked into the recep-
| ton parlor and bowed stitily.
Gentlemen" he observed. giving
his mustache one last smoothing first
of all, have you brought with you the
written guarantees which l required
| from your respective chiefs. that. In
| whatsoever comes from the informa
ton am about to give you. the names
of your informants shall. under no cir
cumstances. appear in printT
One luckless young man fat
checked one, with a pucker in the cor
ner OF his lips where his cigar should
have been. was unable to produce the
necessary document, and he was un
| der a scrutiny too close to give him a
chance to write it.
Sorry" announced Gerald, with po-
| lite contrition. las this Is very
strict condition. | must ask you to
leave the room while l address the re.
naming gentlemen"
The remaining gentlemen. of whom
there were now eleven. grinned appre-
/ ciatively. Hickey would have been
| the best newspaper man in New York
| If he were not such careless slob
He was SO good that he was the only
man from the Planet. The others had
sent two and three. for Gerald's mes
sage. while very simple. had been
most effective. He had merely an
nounced that he was prepared to pro
| vide them with an international sensa
ton, involving some hundreds OF bill
lions OF dollars-and he had given his
right name!
Hold the stuff till telephone" &"
begged Hickey. Say, II get that
written guaranty up here in fifteen min.
utes, will 1t do?"
Gerald looked him speculatively in
the eye.
If you tele ephone, and can then as
sure me, on your word of honor, that
the document l require shall be in
the house before you leave, l shall
permit you to remain" he decreed; !;
and Hickey looked him quite soberly
in the eye for half q minute.
| "l'll have it here all right" he de-
cided. and sprang for the telephone,
and came back in three minutes with
his word Of honor They could hear
him. from the library. yelling. from
the time he gave the number until he
hung up the receiver. and II there was
ever urgency in mans voice. 1t was
in the voice OF Hickey.
Gerald Fosland took a commanding
position in the corner Of the room.
where he could see the countenances
of each Of the eager young gentlemen
present He stood behind a chair.
with his hands on the back OF 1t, in
his favorlte position for responding to
toast
Gentlemen: Edward e. Allison is
about to complete transportation
system encircling the globe The ac.
QUESTION of the foreign railroads will
be made possible only by war. which
is already arranged. The war, which
will be between Germany and France.
will begin within a month. France.
unable to raise war fund otherwise
will sell her railroads. The Russian
line is already being taken from its
present managers, and will be turned
over to Allison's world syndicate with.
in week. The important steamship
lines will become involved In financial
difficulties. which have already been
set afoot in England. Following these
events will come successful rebel,
lion In India. and the independence OF
all the British colonies
You will probably require some tan.
gible evidence that these large plans
are on the way to fulfllment | call
your attention to the fact that. last
| NaQk tho aei A..x,, -hx,uu ..i<,