The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1918-04-19
CHAPTER xV-Continued.

He rolled away in his car. and Haze
watched him from the window, trih
puzzled. She recalled Blls remarl
at luncheon. In the light Of Brooks
explanation, she could see nothinl
wrong. Cn the other hand, she kncy
BIZ Wngstaff was not prone TO juml
at rash conclusions. If he objected e
certain manipulations Of the Free Cole
Mining company his objection wa
likely to be based on substantial
grounds At any rate she hoped moth
Ing disagreeable would come Of it.
So she put the whole matter out o
her mind. She dressed, and Wen
wholc-hcartedly about her own affairs
Dinner time was drawing close whcI
she returned home. She sat down 10y
window that overlooked the stree
TO watch for Bill. Six passed. Tn,
halfhour chime struck on the mante
clock. Hazel grew impatient petu
liant, aggrieved. Dinner would be
served I'm twenty minutes. Still there
was no sign of him. And for lack of
other occupation she went into the hall
md got the evening paper. which the
carrier mad just delivered.
A startling headline on the front
page stiffened her TO scandalized atten-
tion. Straight across the tops OF two
columns 1t ran, facetious caption
WILLIAM wAGsTAFF is A BEAR
Hinder that the Subhpad.
Husky Mining Man Tumbles Prices and
Brokers. Whips Four Men in Broad
Street Office. Slugs Another on
Change. His Mighty Fists Sub
due Societys Finest. Finally
Lands In Jail.
The body of the article Hazel read
In what sob sister would describe
as state of mingled emotions.
William Wagstaff Is a mining gentleman
from the northern wilds of British Colum-
bia. He is a big man, n natural-born
tighter. 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
ward Gurney Parkinson suffered certain
contusions 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 hammering the
brokers n police officer arrived on the
scene and Wagstafr was duly escorted 10
the city bastile. Prior to the general en-
counter in the Broad street office WRg-
stan 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
III ii
A reporter was present when Wagstaff
walked on the floor OF the Stock ES-
change. He strode up to the post where
Lorimer was transacting business.
'T serve notice on you right now" he
said loudly and angrily. "that II you sell
another dollars worth OF Free Gold stock,
I'll put YOU out Of business"
Lorimer appeared TO lose his temper,
Some word was passed which further in
censed Wagstaff. He smote the broker
and the broker smote the floor. Wag-
staff's punch would do credit to a cham
pion pugilist. from the execution II
wrought. He Immediately left the Stock
Exchange. and not long afterward Broad
street was electrified by sounds OF combat
in the Free Gold office. II is conceded
that wagstafr 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
ped by Wagstaff. however, II appears that
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
as high as a dollar forty found few TAX
ers at par when Change closed. There
has been a considerable speculative move
naUt I'm thu stock and the SnaCula
are beginning 10 wonder II there is n
screw loose in the company affairs.
Wagstaff's case will come up tomorrow
forenoon. A charge OF disturbing the
peace was placed against him. He gave
n 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 the row.
Any fine within the power OF the court
TO impose Is mere bagatelle. compared
to the distinction of scientifically man.
handling four OF society's finest In one
afternoon. AZ one bystander remarked in
the classic phraseology OF the street:
Wagstafrs n bear"
The brokers concerned might consider
this to have a double meaning.
Hazel dropped the paper, mortified
and wrathful. The city Jail seemed
the very Pit itself to her. And the
lurid publicity. the lifted eyebrows of
her friends. maddened her in prospect.
Plain street brawling. such as one
might expect from cabman or a 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 friends! She could hardly realize
II. Jimmie Brooks, jovial Jimmie. with
a broken nose and sundry bruises
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 wherewith to charm the women
OF his acquaintance. He with a black
eye and split lip! So the paper
stated. II was vulgar. Brutal! The
act of a cave man.
She was OF the verge of tears.
And just at that moment the door
opened, and In walked Bill.