Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-06-13

q window that overlooked the street
to watch for Bill. Six passed. The
half-hour chime struck on the mantel
clock. Hazel grew impatient, petu-
liant, aggrfeved. Dinner would be
served in twenty minutes. Still there
was no sign of him. And for lack of
other occupation she went into the hall
and got the evening paper, which the
carrier had just delivered.
A startling headline on the front
page stiffened her to scandalized atten-
ton. Straight across the tops Of two
columns 1t ran, q facetious caption:
WILLIAM wAGsrAFF IS A BEAR
Under that the subhead:
Husky Mining Man Tumbles Prices and
Brokers. Whips -Four Men in Broad
Street Office. slugs Another on
Change. His Mighty Fists Sub
due Society's Finest. Finally
Lands in Jail.
The body Of the article Hazel read
in what a sob sister would describe
as a state of mingled emotions.
WILLIAM Wagstafr is q mining gentleman
from. the northern wilds of British Column
bia- He is q big man. q natural-born
fighter. To prove this he inflicted a black
eye and a split lip on Paul Lorimer,
broken nose and sundry bruises on James
L. Brooks. Also Allen T. Bray and Ed
Commissions In the melee The fracas oc-
CURED in the office of the Free Gold Min
ing Company. 1864 Broad street, at $3.50
this afternoon. While hammer1nS the
brokers ,>o1tce officer arrived the
scene and Wagstan was duly escorted to
the city bastile. Prior to the general en-
counter In the Broad street office WAg-
star walked Into the Stock Exchange. and
made statements about the Free Gold Min
ing Company which set all the brokers by
the ears. Lorimer was on the floor. and
A reporter was present when Wagstan
walked on the noor Of the Stock Elk
change; He strobe tr up to s the post where
'T serve notice on you right now. he
said loudly and ansrily. that II you sell
another dollars worth OF Free Gold stock.
Lorimer appeared to lose his temper.
6ome word was passed which further in
censed Wasstan. as s sno the broker D
stars punch would do credit to a cham
pfon pugilist, from the execution It
wrought. He Immediately left the Stock
Exchange, and not long afterward Broad
street was electrified by sounds of combat
in the Free Gold office. 1t Is conceded
that Wagstaf had the situation and his
three opponents well in hand when the
COP arrived
None Of the men concerned would dis
cuss the matter From the remarks drop.
the policy of marketing Free Gold stock
was inaugurated without his knowledge or
consent
Be that as II may. all sorts of rumors
are In circulation. and Free Gold stock.
which has been sold during the past week
sr :. h at p as v deat chany. cnosed There
has been q considerable speculative move
lment in the stock, and the spectators
are beginning to wonder If there IL a
screw loose in the company affairs
Wagstan's case Will come up tomorrow
forenoon. A charge of disturbing the
peace was placed against him. He gave
- cash bond and was at once released
When the hearing comes some OF the
parties to the AFFAIR may perchance d.
vulge what lay at the bottom of tho row
Any f1ne within the power of the court
TO impose II q mere bagatelle. compared
60 the distinction Of scientifically man
handling four OF society's finest In one
afternoon Al one bystander remarked In
the classic phraseology OF the street:
ssWagstaff's q bear!"
The brokers concerned might consider
this to have double meaning
Hazel dropped the paper. mortified
and wrathful. The city jail seemed
the very Pit itself to her. And the
1urid publicity, the lifted eyebrows OF
her friends. maddened her In prospect
Plain street brawling. such as one
might expect from a cabman or taxi
mahout, not from a man like her hus-
band. She involuntarily assigned the
blame to him. Not for the cause.-The
cause was Of no Importance whatever
to her-but for the act itself. Their
best friendsi She could hardly realize
1t. Jimmie Brooks. jovial Jimmie. with
broken nose and sundry bruisesl
And Paul Lorimer, distinguished Paul.
who had the courtly bearing which
was the despair of his fellows, and the
manner of a dozen generations Of cul-
ture wherewfth to charm the women
of his acquaintance. He with a black
eye and split lipi So the paper
stated 1t was vulgar. Brutali The
act of cave man.
She was on the verge OF tears.
And just at that moment the door
opened. and In walked Bill.