Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1919-07-05
Observation-Disclosures
CHAPTER xxI-contInued.

Swept III 4lhG u OtGlC Lac nuns
himself at Bayard and clenched his
elbows in his hands and roared:
''Bayard! Bayard It's come
We're richl We're made! Eureka
Uneeda! Munitions Wowl Listen
The other night while was trailing
a job in darkest New Jersey / ran
across a little clue, and a little man
who told me little secret. The Ger
mans have been getting ready for this
war for years, piling up guns and am
munition for Der Tag. The other
countries were caught only half ready.
They have stopped the Germans on
the Marine, but they've been using
their shells at such a rate that the
famine is near. Their only hope is to
buy supplies of US. They're going to
dump enough contracts on this coun-
try to furnish about a million dollars
to every citizen. Their agents are
pussy-footing round to distribute con-
tracts quietly.
"The Bethlehem Steel company has
gathered in a big lot of them, and 1
had a tip that the stock was going
to boom; so are a lot of other stocks.
I'd sell my right arm for little cash.
But there's no market for detached
right arms, so used mine to sign up
a few little contracts for placing con-
tracts, and I've plucked them and
brought them to you" He broke into
dance and whirled Bayard off his feet.
Bayard tried to be patient. "That's
all very interesting, Clay, but take
your decisions down to Bellevue,
where they'll put you in the right cell.
What can you or do with ammuni-
ton contracts"
accept 'em, you blamed ijitl Open
up your old shut-up factory and get
busy"
1--WE have no machinery for making
ammunition"
"Get it,, then, or adapt your ma
chineryl They need millions of each
article, for there are millions Of men
in the field using up what they've got
so fast that it's only matter Of
weeks before they'll be desperate"
Bayard began to see the scheme
also the obstacles. "But it takes
money to make those things. Where
will we get the cash for the pay rolls
and the raw materials?"
"From the banks! The banks are
bursting open with idle money; it's
rotting on their handsT'
Bayard went aglow with the realiza-
ton of the opportunity. He began to
5remble at the vision Of the sudden
avalanches Of wealth pouring down
the bleak mountains of despair. He
could hear the roar of the Niagaras
of gold.
Daphne and Leila came rushing
from concealment. Clay's beatitude
was so complete that he forgot his re
sentiments and kissed them both.
Bayard was frantic to be at work
He resolved to telephone the presi-
dent of his company at once and lay
the matter before him. Leila cannily
advised Bayard to grasp the whip
hand of the situation and keep it. She
began to dance about the room like
a Miriam celebrating the passage OF
the Red sea.
"Phe first thing we'H do" she said
twill be to get my jewelry out of the
pawnshop and the second will be tC
buy some more. And, oh, the dresses
and the hats! !"
This asserted a SOLDERING effect or
Bayard. "No," he announced. "We'vt
gone through hades once because
gambled away my reserves. This time
I'm going to get a big reserve before
/ spend a cent. I'll never risk another
ordeal like the one we've beer
through. No more fractures Of thu
Thirteenth for mel"
Leila laughed.
Bayard went to the telephone t,
start the wheels of the factory in mo
ton by summonlng the president Il
council. He paused to ask: "Hel
want to know who the foreign agen
is you are dealing with? Or are therr
several? Who shall say?"
"Wetherell," said Clay.
The great Skoda gun that suddenl.
one day dropped a monster shell il
Dunkirk twenty miles off could hardl,
have caused more stupefaction thai
the name of Wetheren decorating il
that room.
Daphne snatched her hand froI
Clay's. Bayard sprang up so sharpI
that he almost threw Leila forwar,
on her face. Instinctively he caugh
her by the arm and saved her fror
falling. But instantly he flung he
arm from him in a gush of disgust
Clay gaped at the tableau in Devil
derment. He had not dreamed tina
any of the three had ever heard o
fWetherell. He could not imagine tn
bitterness the name involved.
''Will some kind friend please tel
me what all the excitement is about2
This was not easy. Who wanted t
tell Clay that Leila had just been az
cused of neglecting her husband an
her own duties for the society Of thi
very Wetherell? Leila herself we