Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-21
are giving me no news, Mr.. Stage,
and you are consuming precious

front OF SlagS, ana opened IL. THESE,
yon see. are clippings from the Bos-
ton press, concerning my sons &C
tivities. l am fully informed, sir;
more, fully informed. believe, than
yourself. Therefore I shall not re-
quire your services. at present"
'What?" demanded Stage. his
greedy and bulging eyes blinking
with chagrin. You mean to say
you've been keeping tabs on him, all
this timer" The discovery dealt him
a severe blow. Ne perceived in any
possible reconciliation between Eliot
Vinton and Bradford a formidable
peril TO himself. At all hazards he
must labor to set the shipmaster
more and more strongly against his
son; for should these two ever come
together again, Stages double cross
ing of both men would inevitably
become known-and after that his
fat hide would not be worth the
hemlock bark to tan It. This Internal
scrap book, with its tacit evidence Of
Ninton's continued interest in his
son. limited at great and growing
dangers to the law ghost. His un-
healthy. fat face palcd so a kind of
sickly yellow as he stammered:
''You-you mean you're stil keep
ing UP with him, Mr.. Vinton?. You're
thinking of forgiving him, and"
I'm thinking of nothing of the
kind, Mr.. Stagg. His action In this
matter of the mission, If In nothing
else, has brought irreparable dis
grace on the name of Ninton. It has
caused that name to become a SUBJ
ject of comment. discussion and even
rfdfct,le. My son has fixed impass-
able barriers between himself and
me-"
Stage breathed easier, with sigh
of immense relief, and some tfnge OF
color returned to his jowls as he
commented:
/. That's unfortunate, Mr., Vinton;
most unfortunate. ] had hoped to
bring about a reconciliation. AS
father. myself, I understand
YOU do not understand this and
never can" Interrupted Eliot, in a
hard voice. II blame most of all the
unforgfvable creature who first came
between us, but also blame my son
Severely, and always shall. Never
theless am Keeping this record" He
gestured at the scrap book "a clip
ping bureau privately furnishes me
the cuttings. l can not endure the
thought of my sons actions being
recorded in the papers, as matters of
sensationalism and jest, while re-
main In ignorance OF them. Thus I
am turning the iron In my own
wound. Why do / tell you this? I
hardly know, Mr.. Stage, except that
YOU helped me in the matter, at the
very first. Now. however, do not
require any further assistance. II
you have no other business with me,
must positively beg to be excused.
Good day." u ''ss
He replaced the scrap book in the
drawer, which he Locked, and with
no further look or word to indicate
that he even recognized the law
ghosts presence, bent resolutely over
his work. his face impassive as q
mask Stage. finding no further
loop hole thru which he could feas-
IDLY continue to solicit funds, recog-
nized himself as defeated, and with
a look of Violent malice at the ship
ma ster-malice still tinged with
Wholesome fear-arose and took his
leave.
When he was gone, the old man
summoned Tatlow, his head clerk.
and gave most positive instructions
that henceforth nobody was to ebe
admitted to the, inner office without
first having sent in card.
Nobody, you understand p" he re-
peated with acrid emphasis. NO
BODY at all. / can not and will not
tolerate any more such Interruptions
as have just been subjected to. The
privacy Of my work must be pro-
tected. II any other person gets past
you. on any pretext whatsoever, the
CONSEQUENCES will be most disagree
able to yourself Understand me?"
Tatlow understood and said so,
then with proper apologies and prom
ises withdrew. The shipma ster re-
turned to his desk, but not to his
work. Instead, he once more opened
the drawer, took out the scrap book,
and-precious as was his time-once
more re-read a number of the para
graphs. Finally he pushed away the
book, stood up, wandered over to the
window that gave on State street
and stood peering out above the
tumble of, the city's roofs, away to-
ward the ever-moving harbor and the
shipping, so much of it in his con-
troll. A few silent minutes he re-
manned there at the open window,
thru which some breaths Of light
east wind bore the freshening deep
sea tang to his nostrils. Then with
a sudden snap of his fingers, as If
he sought to wake himself from
reverie, he turned back resolutely to
his desk, this time really to work.
Irwin Stage, meanwhile, was climb
ing the hill into Pemberton Square,
on his way back to his lair beside
the shadows of the court house.
Damn it," thought he, as he
puffed his way up the steep side
walk Another failure! Every
things going to the bad. Meiny's
squeezed this lemon dry--there's not
drop of juice in it, for the present.
sour But something will develop,
after all, so that I can shake the old
man down again. He'll still be good
for thousands, to me. In six months
or a year, something's bound to turn
up. If can only get the young fool
and the woman together again, that's
bound to open the way to the old
FOOLS pocket. This Vinton snarl is
potential gold mine. Til beat Meiny
to it yet or go out of the business
and turn preacher
With hopes somewhat dashed for