Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1920-08-11

| the "sunburn" on his face appeared to
be that Of a man sadly in need OF
/ shave rather than OF one recently
| barbered.
/ few minutes later he entered the
customers room" Of Quigg < Peevy.
| Free and easily, as beftted one OF
untramneIed life. he strobe across the
floor toward Qulgg's private office.
/ with great, awkward movements OF
his long body. flicking his whip
against his thick trousers and putting
IKE a tugboat at his evil cigar.
Ostensibly. Quigg & Peevy were
brokers. In reality they were swim
dlers. A 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 were victims of the get-rich-
quick fever. The chief business Of
Quigg & Peevy was the selling Of
worthless stock. The rows Of chairs
In the customers room" and their oc-
cupants, the rushing messenger boys.
the long blackboard and the phleg-
matte youth chalklng cabalistic fig
ures. the chattering telegraph instru-
mens, 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.
nd 1T o
sham and hypocrisy strutted Daniel
Fitzhugh. dreamer and actor. His
roles were many and varied. but he
portrayed them all with unerring ac-
curacy-and. yes. even art. When he
was Informed that II 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 II was that OF a West
ern millionaire, biuff, ungrammatical,
breezy; again that of a French finan-
cier. suave. polite. tangllng his Eng
fish; anon It was some great banker
from Liverpool. frigid and precise.
But the character he most often por-
trayed was the Eastern capitalist"
Peevy was thin. pale man. OF a
dropping eye and a pointed chin, and,
was deeply attached to a small briar
pipe. His business was to round up
the boobs and steer 'em In" Quigg.
aided by Fltzhugh. did the rest.
After the second week Fitzhugh be-
gan to'cOncelve a Sinking dislike for
the knavery he was abetting. After
the third he began to hate 1t. Capa-
bilities were stirring within him
capabilities which told him he was
worth infinitely more than one hun
dred dollars a week. aud that every
week he worked for that sum he was
throwing away money. It was near
the end of the first month that he
Ssked his slippery employer for hun
drrd-dollar weekly increase. He was
a little surprised when 1t was prompt
ly granted him.
II was thinking about increasing
your pay. Fitz." said Qugg. in his
large. careless way. you're worth
two hundred a week to me-"
But when three weeks later the
CRATER was told It was four hundred
dollars u week or nothing he frowned.
pinched the pink roll of flesh under
his chin with his chubby fingers. and
rocked himself gently In his swivel
chair. "Tll tell you what, FItz. I'm
about to tackle the biggest thing I've
ever attempted. I'm launching upon
the grandest little mail-order scheme
in America expect to spend cou-
pie o. hundred thousands In advertis-
ing. If II goes through as certainly
think IL Will, I'll do the level thing by
you"
That's not the point" broke In the
| petitioner. do or do not get my
| four hundred-now?
You do not" Quigg's nal:.s de-
seconded firmly upon the arms of his
chair. His big jaw acquired u bel
ligerent aspect.
That's all l want to know" Fitz-
hugh stood up briskly. This is
Wednesday. You therefore owe ms a
hundred dollars. I'll take It now"
/ 'sA 0NNht 4 tn CAA apNn anu keep
cool. believe you're a game sport. In
spite of the low way you're acting, and
I'm going to make you a gambling
proposition. Some friends o mine are
getting up nice, quiet little game of
poker tonight and I'm going to sit In.
| The pot'li run hlgh--no limit. Be
tween ourselves Wen cooperate in
this game. I'll finance the partner
| ship with five thousand dollars. II
we double that amount you get half
the winnings and your tour hundred a
week. If not. you'll still contrive to
scrape along on two hundred"
The poker game that night took
place In South side hotel. II was a
sIx-handed game. the players being OF
| the class commonly known as "men
about town" Two were professional
gamblers. another was a wheat pit
/ Spectator. a fourth was wealthy va.
loon owner. The remaining two were
Fitzhugh and Quigg. Playing com
menced shortly after eight. Compared
to subsequent betting. It was modest
at first. five-dollar limit having been
imposed. About nine. however. the
limit was removed. and the game he
| gan To warm up. Another hour. and Il
had reached the point where tive-and
six-hundred-dollar pots were the rule
a -.