The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1920-05-13


front; billiard chuckled and contin
ued his stroll.
He entered the Hotel Onondaga
from the east and headed across to-
ward the newsstand. Out Of red
and gold chair In the spacious lobby
a gentleman rose TO meet nina gen.
tieman who In appearance was a very
fair replica of the well-known Get
Rich-Quick Wallingford, except that
he was somewhat more refined and
less obese. His animation was OBJ
vious, but he delayed to remove both
his gray suede gloves before he offered
to shake hands with billiard.
"Well" said Martin Harmon, eff
fusively, you're looking great Must
agree with you up here, what1 Didn't
expect me, did your"
NO" billiards. expression was .
study; he had dealt so long with Har
mon at a distance that he had almost
forgotten what the broker looked like
"Why didn't you wire me you were
coming?"
Didn't know 1t myself until pretty
near train-time-spur of the moment
Well, got any business yet?"
Involuntarily, billiard smiled, and
the smile spread wonderfully, until
Harmon caught the contagion of it and
beamed more royalty than ever "The
man you called the 'decoy duck-re'
! member when you wrote that to me?-
WELL he quacked yesterday"
Harmon put his hand on billiards
shoulder; it was an accolade.
Really? How much"
Thirty" Fer the life of him Hill
Hard couldn't resist q slight forward
thrust of his chest.
Mr.. Harmon's eyes glazed for an in.
slant.
"Good-good! That's clever work.
son! Clever and quick. But knew
you'd do it. Thirty! That's fne
Anybody else?"
billiard laughed exultentlg.
Eyes, three more-a total Of sixty
two. l mailed you draft yesterday
morning; the others are in my pocket
now. I've just come from the bank"
"Great work, son!" Mr.. Harmon
breathed rapturously. "That puts ui
pretty nearly where we belong. Sixty
two thousand! It's running start 70
the big race! You certainly didn't ge\
left at 1.-THE post, billiard! Deducted
your commissions yetr
mo; thought you'd rather do the
bookkeeping in your own office and
send me check"
Harmon's approval was manifest.
"You show me the drafts and I'll
write you q check this minute. Let's
go sit down in the grill, and have
something This is fine work, now
want to tell your
81 rather thought so myself" Hill.
lard had led the way to the grill and
Communicated side-table. I'm
fact" He lowered his voice. "Ir
fact, as things have worked out AR,
Harmon, l almost wish / hadn't tr1ec
to play it just this way. / mean"
But Harmon had already grasped
the point.
"Oho! Is that so? You must have
made a hit. And all your old friends
you were so het up about-weI emf
they as peevish at you as you
thought?"
mo" Hilliard grew warm. I'D gige
good DEAL" he said soberly, ''if |
hadn't tangled myself up in all that
imitation history. Well, I'm in for II
now. I've published so much that
didn't need to-Tm wondering how In
thunder l can ever get out of it when
the time comes. That was the idea
you remember-coals OF fire. Whatt
bothering me is that there's nobody TO
tend the furnace"
"But ! thought you were so anxious
TO keep in the shadeY
Eyes, hut didn't need TO crawl In
hole, and pull ii in after me! Well
Wen wait and see. After I've gore
little further-and Of course, you know
I've hardly scratched the surface
yet"
II know you haven't" The big man
tucked his gloves into his breast peck.
ct and brought out silver cigarette
case. "Have oneT