Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-12-03
The City
Of Purple
Dreams
By
EDWIN
RAJ r D
Copyright BY P. G. Browne q Co.
CHATTER xiil.-Continued.

CHATTER xiil.-continued.
III
Near the close of the days session,
without exactly knowing why. he went
ON the floor" for few minutes. A
man shouted In his ear:
"July's gone to dollar and half !"
Without answering, without even
looking at the man, he stood watch
ing the monster turmoil. The uproar
was deafening.
The old Spectator turned away.
Very carefully, very slowly, he made
his way through the hurly-burly, de-
scended the steps that led to the
ground floor, his hand sliding jerkily
along the banister. When he entered
his brokers' Office his hair was no more
white than his face, and as he sat
down and held his hand moment over
his eyes his fingers trembled as one af-
fiicted with palsy. 1t was the first time
in his twenty-odd years of specializing
that he had been seen unnerved. He
looked at his broker and shook his
head.
Hes dt.xe It," he said, with a pitia-
BILE pretense of smiling. "He's done
it, Howard. He's got us. He's cor
nered the market"
Authoritative news of the corner
went out over the land. The name of
Daniel Randolph Fitzhugh doomed
gigantic on the financial horizon He
controlled all the wheat. He could
exact for 1t whatever price he wanted.
II he chose. he could get fifty dollars
a bushel.
He was the King of Wheat
His name became household word.
Scarcely man, woman, or child in the
middle West but prattled of him. The
farmers lauded him as a benefactor of
humanity. Others condemned him as
thief. Thousands of letters of every
description flooded his mail. Loaves
Of bread dwindled in size Mutterngs
reached him. His life was threatened.
His wealth multiplied with prodi-
gious leaps. At no time could he tell
how much he was worth. He knew it
was more than fifteen millions and less
than thirty.
Then there came a day when he was
TO settle with Otis. The defeated
gladiator made the appointment for
eleven o'clock that morning In Fitz-
hugh's Office.
At five minutes to eleven Fitzhugh
was alone awaiting him. He had given
orders that none but Otis was to be
admitted, and that afterward they
back in his cushioned chair before the
mahogany desk. and gazed round the
luxurious room. reverie came over
him. He recalled his first venture in
wheat, made with few thousands
Won in poker game; he remembered
the time he had worked for Quigg for
four hundred dollars month And
then. his memory slipping his control
and leapng back further still, he
thought of the time when-No! Had
he been a dishwasher? Had he shaved
in the scullery of filthy kitchen for a
miserable weekly pittance?
The door opened. Symington Otis
entered.
In these days of his monarchy Fitz-
hugh saw many sorts of characters ex-
posed raw and naked to his gaze. He
saw men come cringing to him. begging
clustering and trying to OUTAGE him.
Otis behaved in neither manner He
walked in quietly. and closing the
door, remained standing, with no greet
ing whatsoever. He looked ten years
older than his actual .age. Fitzhugh
returned to his chair. The silence had
lasted fully half minute before he
spoke.
1T has been agreed, Mr.. Otis. that
shall deal with you as l see fit
Otis nodded. He did not speak
MY rule has been to give no quar-.
ter and ask none. | see no reason why
your case should mark an exception.
see every reason why 1t should not
For eight years or more your hand has
been against me You have opposed
my ventures, INSTRUCTED my PATH. hin
dered me In every way"
Il came here" interjected Otis cold
ly. ito talk business not to discuss
our personal affairs
And we are going to discuss those
affairs. Mr.. Otis"-Fitzhugh rose, and
with his hands resting on the desk in
front of him, leaned toward his visitor
who now stood opposite-"I will lei
YOU out of my corner on only one con
dition."
Which tsp
That you tell your daughter
You need not 60 further, | will
consider nothing that involves my fam
fly"
Then you refuse to deny to her.
Absolutely
the preposterous falsehood yo,
repeated?'
II repeated no falsehood. II was the
truth
at was lie The woman is dead
now, and l shall say nothing against