Evening star., 1916-08-13
MAGAZINE SECTION for August ls, 1916

Roanoke Central stood like rock at 81.
Grimly, with the ragged remnants of
his bruised brain, Pennrhyn calculated his
possible losses. One more day remained.
The day after tomorrow the goods were
to be delivered to the buyer. Should his
bear operations tomorrow prove as fruit
less as to-day, the result would be to wipe
out the entire capital accumulated in his
fifteen years Of desperate hazard and
strain. Instead Of the five millions clear
profit on which, with almost mathematical
certainty, he had counted, he faced ruin
just that and nothing less.
For a moment the meager equipment
on the deal table before him blended its
glittering points in a kind of reeling swirl.
For the first time in week, Pennrhyn
was conscious OF his own overpowering
WEAKNESS. So there he sat, staring mo-
tionless at his telephone, while the warm
May air blew in through the open window
and touched his left cheek and temple
with soft coolness. The right side OF
his head, turned away from the window,
burned with dull fever. In that mo-
ment he realized the powerlessness of even
his devastating will power to whip his
nerves and flesh TO further effort. From
the street far below him came up to him
family the hum of the cty's chase after
work and play and life. The breeze that
futtered through the window was family
edged with salt, bearing with it the haunt
ing g.immer Of shining waves, of dipping
mainsails, and Of rest-limitless, monoto-
nous, soul-steeping rest.
For the first time, Pennrhyn realized
that he had fought for week; that he
had not been in bed for two nights; and
that the limit of his iron strength had been
reached. And, like a groggy champion
sparring for time, he had just enough
vital essence left in his befogged brain to
realize that, il he wished to make further
use of his powers, he must conserve what
was left by immediate repose. When his
partner entered the Office ten minutes
later, Pennrhyn announced his intention
TO return home for nights sleep.
"And Tomorrow, he added heavily,
"we'll eat 'em alive!"
Linton nodded shortly. His keen eyes
were running swiftly over the jottings on
his partners table, of matters to be at
tended to that evening. Otherwise all
operations in the final desperate assault
of tomorrow were held inside those COM
plcated over-magnetzed brain-cells of
Pennrhyn-that wearied machine which
nights rest in the keen mountain air
was to restore to its normal activity.
"WHAT'S that light up there on the
other side of the lake?' Pennrhyn
inquired of his wife, with jerky gesture
made visible by the glowing tip of his
cigar.
They were sitting, after dinner, on the
wide, dim veranda of the largest and most
expensive cottage in the summer colony.
Between them was gold coffee service
and q liqucur set Of painted Bohemian
glass. The FURNISHED gold and crystal
glowed with tiny points of reflected light
in the darkness.
In the deep, velvety pile Of the wide
oriental rug beneath the feet of the Penn
rhyns, the tap of their cushioned rattan
rockers was softened to mere squeak
squeak, squeak-squeak, as regular and me-
chanical as the ticking of clock. All the
dry, cynical dullness to which the en-
forced companionship between two per-
sons can be reduced was in that small,