The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-03-24
Business Is Business
BY HART

puTtntT VI pluuty " iiuuihuhs bi'nS'S'
Eve can't seem to get n majority of
stock some ones holding out on us.
Have you had our tracers on the Jobr'
IL should say l havel" Roger Had
mans voice was weary. For the past
three months Jevons and Harrod have
been on the road. They've combed the
country. nearly but they can't ccou
for the three thousand shares we need.
That block"
"But surely there's o record OF Its
original sale !" snapped Gibney.
"Of course We traced 1t to a. little
town In Pennsylvania funny old
chap with observation-disclosures
held the whole block. Jevons got wind
of II and few down TO get II at any
price. but he was too late. Somebody
beat him to II by less than three hours.
The old duffer didn't know who II was
simply said n man came along and
offered him twice what the stock was
worth, and he sold for spot cash.
Jevons even went so far as to put
detectives on the job, but they couldn't
get any trace except that the fellow
was slim and g~ood-looking. wore a
light suit, aud bought a ticket for
Philadelphia nj the local station. The
train went right up In air then. and
there's absolutely no further trace"
"well-" Gibney's voice was thought
full, "we've got L get that stock some-
how. / wonder II whoever bought 1t
is holding out FOR a big price? lie
must know what we're planning. and
what control OF X. K Y. will mean TO
us. l suppose he thinks he can get
whatever price he asks"
''The worst Of II is that he's pretty
nearly right, at that" rejoined Had
man. "When our deal comes of It's
absolutely necessary TO have the con-
troll, and we can't have II without
those three thousand shares, aud this
fellow knows lt-and that's all there
Is TO Il. We pay"
"we do, l suppose-and-yet-"
sand yet-whatr'
ut strikes me as being rather queer
that this chap, whoever he Is, hasn't
tried to make a dicker. We are going
to pull our stunt at the end Of the
week, and he must know that we want
the stock as soon MS we can get 1t.
He has inside Information. that's sure.
Well, the result would naturally be
that he would come around here and
point his block Of stock at our beads
and say Stand and deliverv But he
hasn't made a move-and todny's
Wednesday. don't understand IT,"
Gibney was a sadly worried mar
when he went home that night. and his
pretty wife, who was waiting for him
with her usual smile, received a scan
ty greeting. During the evening meal
she tried to make conversation, but
failed dlsmally. Once she asked what
was worrying him.
Nothing you'd understand" replied
Gibney shortly. Alice opened her
mouth as though to reply. but thought
better Of It and confined her attentions
to the salad. The evening passed 81
lently for both.
Next morning, the day before Glib
ney & Hadman's big coup was slated
TO come Off. Gibney was Informed by
the girl at the door that a young maj
wanted to see him. On inquiring hill
business, he was Informed that thu
visitor would make no statement
merely saying that he wanted to SCI
the head Of the frm at once. Chine!
told the girl TO show him in, and called
Hadman from his Office.
Dollars to collar-buttons It's thu
,h... xpteb tla - afaak Him " hi
said. II want you here-weli NEE
him together. Maybe the two OF u
can get reasonable figures out OF him
But oh, how he has u.s."
The man who entered the ofic'
seemed hardly more than a boy. III
was dressed In a lig~ht-colored suit
and wore a derby hat which he di'
not remove A white bandage Gov
cred most of his right cheek an
curved well under the chin.
"Good morning, gentlemen" he sal
in a voice that betrayed a cold In tn
head. "Tm sorry to come aroun'
looking such a wreck, but the fact !
! I've met with an accident-automobil
and I'm a little smashed as TO tn
face" A one-sided grin a~ccompanie
this information. 1.-THE doctor tell
me to keep my hat on. too. And nov
8 IL you've quite done staring at tn
: bandage and things. we might as we
get down to business. have her
-" he tapped his breast-pocketT"
block OF three thousand shares Of II.
> X. stock, which represents the balanc
OF power-the amount needed for cor
Q troll Of the road. You want It'll hay
! II. What do you sayf'
8 "You young scoundrel !" roared Hat
I man. 'Thls is blackmaill !"
Hardly, Mr.. Hadman. This
business. You were too slow to q
what you wanted-I succeeded by m