The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-03-10

fresh"
"That's what I been thinkin'."
"When?" -
"what about Friday. when the Bum
kers- -Bollweevil report comes out7"
"Good idea Friday 1t Is"
Not another word. but. as 1t hap.
pened. It was enough to start Mr.. Ran
dolph honking uptown the moment he
had dropped his laconic fares at their
next board meeting. No one had TO
tell him who Lewisfader was; he had
son. and if there was one thing above
all others that said offspring was good
at, It was blowing his fathers, horn.
Lewisfader was this and Lewisfader
was that, but principally and especial
ly he was the central rock in the money
maelstrom known to the stock market
as "Amal. l. S. & c." which had only
lately dared to swell Its portentous
belly in the company of the most de-
veloped and vicious saurians of the
financial world.
All the way uptown. Mr.. Randolph's
face was concentrated in the nearest
approach to q frown Of which 1t was
capable. He was not, however, weigh
ing the substance Of what he had heard
this way and that, for the simple rea-
aon that the moment the one word,
'Iewisfader," had reached his ears, he
had seen the great light and grasped
his hunch beyond any thought Of look
ing back. That part Of 1t was settled;
what worried him now was the amount
Of ways and means in his pocket BY
thinking very hard, he added up his
capital without bringing It forth to the
light Of day. The exact sum was six
ty-eight dollars and nifty cents.
No sooner had he passed the test in
mental arithmetic than he drew up q
little beyond the front door Of the Rock
ct club. He started to leave his cab,
paused. considered, and then deliber-
ately lowered the flag. As he entered
the lobby of the club, four scandalised
fronts leaped to bar his way. They
asked him a variety of biting ques-
tons: Did he think 1t was night
lupchwagon7 Which chambermaid
was he calling on? Was he looking for
Mills hotel?
"HerbertI" roared Mr.. Randolph.
The functionary named, head door
man for the Rocket club since first it
started on its appropriately meteoric
career, leaped from his dignifled seat
on the somnolent side lines and stared
wide eyed at the servile apparition
that had dared shout the open sesame
to that inviolate portal.
"Mr. Randolph! he gasped at last,
and the stunned fronts started to stink
away.
"Hold on, there |" said Mr.. Randolph,
and divested himself of cap to one,
overcoat to another. gloves to the third,
and asked the fourth for light. Her
bert" he continued, in modulated
tones, 'the cab outside is waiting for
Mr.. r. FL. Randolph. 1t may be there
for some time. Have an eye kept on
it."
.Yes, Mr.. Randolph. I'll see to It.
Mr.. Randolph. George, Mr.. Randolph's
letters"
"Never mind the letters" counter
manded the oft-named one. and pro-
ceeded to thread his way to certain
small room strategfcally placed wen
within the depths of the edifice and
far from the maddening tumult Of the
streets The said apartment at the
moment Of his arrival contained I'VE
occupants seated round q circular table
Of convenient height and clothed In
pale green. kindest Of all shades to the
eye Of man. There were no mirrors
on the walls.
Mr. Randolph's entry was greeted
first with CONSERVATION and then with
shouts.
Bobby, you old scout l"
"Herv, by great balls Of sweat"
"Randy. from where the devflr'
The speakers arose and pump
handled Mr.. Randolph's arm.
'Ye gods. man, where you beenf
gtrayed in from a fancy dress7"
"Never mind the glad rags, fellows"
said Mr.. Randolph. II was Just feel
ing lonely for the sound Of chips. Room
for anOtherr
"The surest thing! You don't know
these two chaps, do your Mr.. Seegar,
passed on to NJ from Frisco, and Mr..
Bowling True, our latest new member.
Gentlemen. this Is Mr.. Randy Ran
doaph Of New Haven and New York.
in disguise but still the best ever"
Table stakesf' murmured Mr. RAN
dolph, as he took his place, apparent
ly at random. but at the left Of the
two comparative strangers.
~Of course Same old ante. Same
old game. You talk as though you'd
hnou aUou for . month ~
For a moment, but for moment
only. Mr.. Randolph was dazed- Was
It possible that the last three weeks
hadn't been a year7 He drew out his
sixty-eight dollars and fifty cents nom
chalantly, as though they were merely
the loose change he had on his per-
son. bought fifty IN chips, and laid the
small heap Of what was left of his
cosh IN tho hoard The strain on HIS