Phoenix tribune., 1920-05-29

"As though our lives depended on
It,"
Hunt watched the servant fill his
glass, then lifted it and surveyed his
host solemnly across its rim.
so be it." he rumbed in a sepul-
chral voice. "The blame be upon your
head if we lose"
Fitzhugh's prediction was bounti-
fully fulfilled next day. December
wheat went tumbling and crumbling.
Hunt, thanks to Fitzhugh, managed
to squirm from under with whole
skin and few thousands profit. Hur-
rying through the outer office of Bur
ton & Burton, he spied Fitzhugh and
fell upon him with open arms pressing
into his hand check for thirty thou
sand dollars.
what had we better do now. Dan?"
"Sell December wheat. It's going TO
zero. This slump will keep up indeh-
nitely"
"Right-o!" Hunt was fairly burning
with excitement-the gamblers ex-
element than which there is none
more feverish.
you may sell half a million for me-
You'd better sell an equal amount
yourself" Fitzhugh produced a slen-
der check book and started to fill out
a check. Abruptly he paused. bit his
lip, made as if to return his fountain
pen to his pocket. Il forgot some
thing" he said slowly.
whats wrong, Dan?' Hunt looked
properly solicitous.
'Nly--a draft Should have been
sent from New York day before yes
terday. My brother has it, but he's sud
denly fallen i'll. Probably forgot all
about it. That's all. I'm sorry, Hunt
butt can offer you nothing except my
personal check, and thatu be only for
a few thousands"
In a flash all of Hunts reverence
for wealth and his desire to toady, to
it were to the front What an oppor-
tunity to be of service to this man of
millions! He could have wished for
nothing better. Don't worry about
that for a minute Dan" He spoke
with the utmost friendliness. 'T'll at
tend to your margins for you. Five
hundred thousand, believe you said?'
YES" Fitzhugh rapidly filled ont a
check for twenty thousand dollars.
Take this, anyhow, Hunt" He tore
the check from the book. "Just as an
evidence of good faith, he laughed.
The courtier took the check in the
same jocular spirit in which it was
offered, scarcely glancing at its figure.
After little they parted, Hunt hasten
ing to the private office of Burton,
senior.
Fitzhugh went straight to his bank
and deposited the thirty thousand dol
lars. Immediately afterwards he
started back TO the Board of Trade.
When nearly there. however, he
stopped, paused irresolute, then turned
and walked slowly in another direc-
ton. For over an hour he roamed
restlessly about the loop. He seemed
intirn of purpose. aimless of destina-
tion.
Once, without exactly knowing why.
he entered the post office and strolled
absently about the dark corridors. He
was leaving by the western entrance,
when, happening to glance to his left,
he saw on the glass over doorway,
General Delivery"
He came to a dead halt. A hot
blush of shame pricked him. He felt
suddenly mean, contemplate. He en-
tered the room and asked if there We're
any mail for Daniel Fitzhugh The
clerk handed him half-dozen letters
pOstmarked from small town in Rus
sia.
He opened and read them one by
one. standing near the window In all
of them Esther breathed her love for
him, yet there was a difference as the
letters progressed. In the first two
she wrote chiefly of him and secondly
of the work she was doing for the
Cause. The next one was solely about
him and there was a more insistent
note in her passionate declarations.
In the third was tone of despair,
hint of fond hopes fast slipping away;
and the last two were flied with bit
ter reproaches. piteous pleadings-
jealousy!
From word she let drop in one of
the earlier mlssives he OWNED she
was in dire need Of money. Even at
that moment she might be suffering
from lack of necessities.
He stuffed the letters "a a coat
pocket, went to his bank and procured
bill of exchange to her order for
thousand dollars
At one Of the public desks he wrote
on the back of a deposit-slip: "The
goal is not yet in sight. but I'm run
ming fast"
This he attached to the draft and
sealed in an envelope. which he adj
dressed and mailed to her while re-
morse was hot upon him.
From the post office he went to
hotel in Randolph street. asked for
stationery and wrote the following: