The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-03-31
you foot-loosef" he demanded.

chains"
Married, eh1 Great Scott, / might
have guessed It So you're on your
honeymoon. ehT
mo such luck, you vichy drinking
fconoclast. II you had ever gotten far
enough from this club during the past
| fifteen years to get a breath of real
| fresh air, you'd understand why !
want to enjoy civilization for week
or two before I go back to mine SUI
perintendent's cabin on some bleak hill.
No, stree. Old jeremiah Q. Work and
| have had a falling out. Dad burn
your picture. Neddy. want some
class I've been listening to q dago
shift-boss playing the ACCORDION for
three years-and he could only play
three tunes. Now want Sousa's
band. I've been bathing In tepid, dirty
water in redwood sluice-box, and
now l desire steam room and nee
die shower and an osteopath. I've been
bossing Greasers and Italians and was
forced to learn their language to get
results, and now want to speak my
mother tongue to my old friends. BY
thunder I'm going to have new deal
all around"
"Very we'll, Jack. Don't excite your
self. I'll give you exactly thirty days
to sicken of 1t all-and then I shall
come and claim my property"
"Neddy, I'll not work for you. I'm
mad. I won't play"
you're 1t. ] just tagged YOU"
II require a rest-but unfold your
proposition, Neddy. was born a
poor, weak vessel consumed with a
curiosity that was ever my undoing.
| can only protest that this Is no way
to treat a friend"
Nonsense! My own brother wants
this job, and | have refused to give II
to him. Business is business-and I've
saved 1t for you"
Jerome leaned forward and laid his
finger cOnfidentially on Webster's
knee; whereat the light-hearted wan
derer carefully lifted the finger.
brushed an imaginary speck OF dirt
from II, and set 1t down again. "Be
serious, you ingrate." Jerome pro-
tested. Listen! I've been working
for two years on consolidation up
near Telluride, and I've just put It
across. Jack. it's the biggest thing In
the country. Colorado Consolidated
Mines Company. Limited English
capital. Jack. Pay 'em 9 per cent
and they'll call you blessed. There's
twenty five thousand a year In II, with
house and good cook and an au.
tomobile and chauffeur, and Jou can
come to town whenever you please,
provided you don't neglect the COM
pany's inteests-and / know you're
not that kind Of an engineer"
do have to put some money into
1t. Neddy?"
advise It can let you in on the
ground floor for that hundred thou
sand Of yours, guarantee you a hand
some profit and In all probability a big
cleanup"
II feel myself slipping, Neddy. New
ertheless, the tail goes with the hide.
I'm not In the habit of asking my
friends to guarantee my investments,
and II you say It's right. I'll spread
what have left of the hundred thou.
sand when I report for duty"
ITS been tremendous job get
ting this consolidation over, Jack.
When"
'In PHYS name! Spare me. I've
heard all | want to hear about your
cOnfOunded consolidation. News!
News! Give me news! have to
beg for drink Nose, you bla@
sinner, how dare you appear before
mo ~ jtbnnf hrjn a ri
Nose, the aged colored porter of
the Engineers club flashed a row of
ivories and respectfully returned the
democratic greeting.
Letter for you. sub. The Secre-
tary told me to give it to you, Mistah
Webster"
THANK you Nose. Speak up, Ned
dy, and tell me something. Ever hear
anything of Billy Geary"
He was tearing the edge Of the en-
velOpe the while he gazed at Jerome,
who was rubbing his fat hands to-
gether after the fashion of elderly men
who are well pleased with themselves.
"YOu have chance to become one
Of the greatest and richest mining en-
gineers in the world, Jack" he an
swered. 'now that you've cut loose
from that young crook Geary. i don't
! know what's become OF him. and
neither does anybody else. For that
matter, nobody cares"
II do-and you can take the brief
end Of that bet for your last white
chip. Don't let me hear you OF any
body else say anything against Billy
Geary. That boy goes for my money.
every turn In the box. Don't make
any mistakes about that, oldtimer."
Webster's face suddenly was seri-
GUS; the bantering intonation in his
voice was gone, and new, slightly
strldent note had cvept into It. But
Jerome waved his hand soothingly.
"All right, old Johnny Pepper-box,
have 1t your own way. Nevertheless.
| I'm a little mystifed. The last /
knew Of you two, you had testified
against him I'm the high-grader trials
at Crinpla Hrook on6 ba bod ,n,,Iad