Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1920-06-24

| Deen swallowing whole every woru
| uttered-"is just about to buy 'em.
You see Mr.. Pattington, I'm on to
| you eastern fellows. | know all about
your little game. | was just telling
MI. Blake here about it. know YOU'RE
Trying to get possession of the Queen
Bee | know you've had your secret
agents assaying her; l know you've
discovered What fat little chunk o.
sold she really is. But I'm afraid YOU
can't have her, Mr.. Pattington First,
because TIE Queen Bee people don't
want you eastern capitalists to own
the controlling interest: and. second,
because Mr.. Blake here has spoken
first, and, in fact, is just about to nego-
tate for the purchase of the remain
ing thousand shares. Isn't that right,
Mr. Blake?"
Quigg fixed his oX-eye benevoently
upon the susceptible Blake. who moist
ened his lips. fingered his hat looked
down, then up, and cleared his throat
ii guess" He hesitated. licked
his lips-and took the plunge with
rush: Yes. that's right, Mr..
Quigs. I'll take them thousand shares.''
Fitzhugh. keenly awaiting further
cues. searched the srafters face in
tently. end though lie received but a
bare flicker of an eyelash and the
falnteSt suggestion of nod toward
the door. it was sufficient, and with
no other comment he turned and left,
Indignantly slammins the door behind
him. For the benefit of those in the
outer room he again assumed his mien
of boredom as he leisureN sauntered
through and ont in the corridor.
He boarded the elevator and ascend
ed to the top floor eff the building. Be
fore an office devoid of lettering and
apparently unoccupied, he stopped,
took key from his pocket, unlocked
the door, let himself in and locked the
door behind him. He removed his
coat, hung it on hook. placed his
hat on the table and his gloves upon
the hat, then settled himself in the
chair and rested his feet on the steam
radiator. He lighted a cigar. eXhaled
a swirl of fragrant smoke, and took
a magazine from pile on the table.
tie mad barely read the table of con-
tents, however, before there was n
tap at the corridor door, and he adj
mltted messenger-boy, who handed
MN an envelope and departed. Upon
reading the dispatch he tore the paper
to small bits and hurried into the adj
joining ROOM throwing off his vest
and loosening his tie and collar as
he ran.
In ten minutes he reappeared. He was
completely metamorphosed Instead
of the smart morning coat, he now
wore a long tan "duster;;" instead of
the stylish derby hat, he Wore broad
brlmmed yellow one; and he wore a
soft flannel shirt with attached col
lar and rough trousers and dusty
shoes. Under one arm he carried a
horseWhip In fine, he was a typical
rancher, just arrived in Chicago with
a load of cattle and big wallet for
the thousand-dollar bills Even his
beard was magically changed: it was
tousled and all aSkew, and against
the 'sunburn" on his face appeared to
be that of a man sadly in need of a
shave rather than of one recently
barbered.
few minutes later he entered the
customers room" of Quigg 4 peevy.
Free and easily, as betitted one Of
untrammeled life. he strobe across the
floor toward Quigg's private office,
with great awkward movements of
his long body, Ticking his whip
against his thick trousers and putting
like a tugboat at his evil cigar.
Ostensibly. Quigg & Peevy were
brokers. In reality they were swim
dlers. superficial observer, visiting
their offices, would have supposed
their customers to be La Sale street
Spectators. A rigid investigator
would have discovered their only
patrons We're victims of the get-rcll-
quick fever. The chief business of
Quigg X Peevy was the selling of
worthless stock. The rows of chairs
IN the customers room" and their oc-
cupants, the rushing messenger bows.
the long blackboard and the phleg-
matte youth chalking cabalstic fig
ures, the chattering telegraph instru-
ment. operated automatically not
twenty feet away, were nothing more
than stage properties and players, en-
ployed for the sole benefit of the suck
ers who made them possible.
And upon this opera bouffe stage of
sham and hypocrisy strutted Daniel
Fltzhugh, dreamer and actor. His
roles were many and varied, but he
portrayed them all with unerring ac-
yes, even art. When he
was informed that it was time for an
other entrance" he never knew. until
the messenger came with directions,
what part he would be called upon to
enact. Now 1t was that of West
ern millionaire, bluff, ungrammatical,
breezy; again that of French finan-
cler, Suave, polite, tangling his Eng
fish; anon it was some great banker
from Liverpool, frigd and precise.
But the character he most often por-
no Sfl1