The Starkville news., 1920-03-19

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bachelors exclusively, this building,
and If its smart elevators, smarter at
tendants and potted plants and costly
appointments were any criterion, it
was also exclusively for wealthy
| bachelors.
The Japanese servant served dinner,
after which FitZhugh and his guest
sauntered to front room. evidently
intended for library and study. and
there ensconced themselves before
low bay window commanding mag
nificent view Of the lake. Hunt settled
himself cCntentedly in a chair, whose
soft cushions embraced him in a de-
licious manner. laZily emitted a stream
of cigar smoke and allowed his gaze
to wander about the beautiful room.
replete with soft tones and colors.
Suddenly FitZhugh stood up Let's
get down TO business, Hunt" He
spoke very briSkly and. crossing the
room, took from the round safe en-
bedded in the wall several packets of
papers secured by thick elastic bands.
These papers contained mass of
data covering the past seven weeks,
consisting of crop reports, statistics
from many different sources. newspa-
per clippings and kilograms and cable
grams that had exhausted his ready
money to the last cent. He walked to
heavy desk Of solid mahogany,
switched on the light that was mini
ature of the gorgeous one on the table,
and spread the papers on the fiat top
of the desk. And while Hunt sat OPP
posite, following him with conten-
trated attention, he went over them
point by point, dwelling fully on every
detail explaining clearly the reasons
for his belief. So lucidly did he do
this that q child might have followed
him.
MY deductions are substantiated,"
he summed up, "by the fact that Otis
and his following are not bulling the
market as you supposed they would.
What's more, they're not going to bull
it. I've put myself In their place. Otis
and company will make their attack
when the enemy is in its most vulner-
able state, and that's just the condi-
tion the enemy's in now."
There was Il conversational pause,
while Hunt reperused some of the pa
pers scattered about the desk.
so you think we'd better unload?"
he said finally, sitting back and mo-
tioning to Haki to fill his champagne
goblet.
"As though our lives depended on
It,"
Hunt watched the servant fill his
glass, then lifted it and surveyed his
host solemnly across its rim.
$50 be it," he rumbIed in a sepul-
chral voice. "The blame be upon your
head if we lose"
Fitzhughs prediction was bounti-
fully fulfilled next day. December
wheat went tumbling and crumbling
Hunt, thanks to Fitzhugh, managed
to squirm from under with a whole
skin and few thousands profit. Hur-
ton 4 Burton, he spied Fitzhugh and
fell upon him with open arms. pressing
into his hand a check for thirty thou
sand dollars.
what had we better do now, Dan?
Sell December wheat. It's going to
zero. This slump will keep up indefi-
nitely."
"Right-o!" Hunt was fairly burning
with eXcitement-the gamblers ex-
citement, than which there is none
more feverish.
You may sell half million for me.
You'd better sell an equal amount
yourself" Fitzhugh produced slen-
der check-book and started to fill out
a check. Abruptly he paused, bit his
lip, made as if to return his fountain
pen to his pocket. Il forgot some
thing" he said slowly.
whats wrong, Dan| Hunt looked
properly solicitous.
"My-a draft. Should have been
sent from New York day before yes
terday. My brother has it, but he's sud
denly fallen i'll. Probably forgot all
about 1t. That's ALL I'm sorry, Hunt.
but | can offer you nothing except my
personal check and that'll be only for
few thousands"
In flash all of Hunts reverence
for wealth and his desire to toady to
1t were to the front. What an oppor-
tunity to be Of service to this man of
milliOnsl He could have wished for
| nothing better "DOn't worry about
that for a minute, DAN" He spoke
with the utmost friendliness. "Tll at.
tend to your margins for you. Five
hundred thousand, believe you saidT'
Eyes" Fltzhugh rapidly filed out a
check for twenty thousand dollars
Take this, anyhow, Hunt" He tore
the check from the book. "Just as an
evidence of good faith" he laughed.