Evening star., 1921-05-15

always omits the aposthrophe. The
full subhead was
James Josiah Randers health.
| Under it came this:
| "Rumors of the sudden illness of Mr..
Randers. although met with prompt
denials at his office today. caused
| marked uneaSinass in the stock mar
ket. This coupled with rumors that
there was some change in the plans
| for financing G. S. r. brought sharp
decline in that stock"
| Mr.. Randers did not wait for more.
| He jabbed viciously mother o'-pear!
button labeled "Stenographer." and
when young man hurried into the
room it was TO receive rapidly die
| tated statement, also under sub
head. The subhead. worded by Mr..
Randers himself. was ITO the Press"
This was the statement:
BASED apparently on the omission by
! the newspapers of accounts of certain
entirely private social affairs at the
home of James Josiah Randers. mali
| cious rumors have sprung up regard
ing Mr.. Randers' health and the man
agement of certain properties with
which he is identified. Mr.. Randers.
when seen at his office today. was in
to deny that there had been any
ichange in the plans for reorganizing
| and financing Consolidated Suburban
! Traction, and added that he would
/ soon issue Il statement giving 1ull
details of the proposed bond issue"
Tell Dunwoodie to give that to
! the reporters" he directed. Make
plenty of copies and see that they all
i get it,
| Less than ten minutes later tele-
phone bells were jangling in the
financial bureaus Of fifteen news
! nouncing that an important state
mcnt from James Josiah Randers was
| then on the way by messenger. He
had always enjoyed making these an
! nouncements: but the first comment
he heard now made him vince. The
! third left him stunned. "Randers,
you say? Thanks: old man. No hur-
ry about it, though. Don't bother with
la messenger. Mail it to the office"
! Meanwhile the market was breaking
| badly. In Wall street rumor does the
been variously assassinated, sent to
Matteawan. killed in an elevator
smash: had died suddenly Of apoplexy.
! eloped with Norma Talmadge. His
share Of c. S. T. offered braced them
! selves for the onslaught only to be
! swept off their feet by the Hood Of
selling orders that poured on the floor.
! Lambs and professionals alike were
unloading. Before Dunwoodie had
|
/ the last of the reporters languid COM
ments singing his numb brain, the
stock had dropped ten points
| Mr. Randers stood at the stock
| ticker feeding the tape through his
! fingers. Before his eyes Consolidated
| Suburban Traction was resuming its
former junk-pile rating. In his vaults
| were fifty millions in bonds to be
hoated on rising market. They
! would float noW-like mad.
| n,,ryunndja ont tered He making
! a queer noise in his throat. Mr.. Ran
! ders looked up, question in his
| frown.
! "I-I-notified all the newspapers"
| faltered the secretary.
| "Those were my Instructions re-
turned Mr.. Randers coldly. my an
noy me further about it,"
Mr.. Dunwoodie looked at his en-
ployer helplessly. His throat hurt him.
Speak" doomed Mr.. Randers.
I Mr.. Dunwoodie swallowed. "They
don't want it," he said bluntly. He
more diplomatic; but. after all. that
was the simplest.
| A mass of ticker tape fell writhing
| at James Josiah Randers' feet.
what did you say?" he demanded
Ihoarsely.
They turned your statement down."
Mr. DunWoodie spoke hollowly. He
! recoiled as he spoke. He had never
seen Mr.. Randers look as he looked
now. The great mans cheeks were
ashen.
| A statement from James Josiah
Randers refused by the press. 1t was
impossible Moore than that-it was
| uncanny. Mr.. Randers blinked q mo-
ment in daZed perplexity. and then, as