Evening star., 1921-05-15

society page; her practiced eye took
in seven columns at glance. There-
fore she ahenfmed impatiently and
turned to the page following. DOUBT
less. she reasoned, the affair had been
given SO much space that it had been
put on page apart from the
society items. But as she scanned the
next and the next and the next page
a queer look came over the ladY'S face.
and. squeaking chagrin. she threw the
Herald to the hoor. laughed nerVousiy
and rang for her maid.
Bring me the other morning pa
pers," she commanded: all of them.
The maid did SO quickly and left the
room.
to discard it with a gasp. as if it had
stung her. In truth it had. Her
breathing was bit labored now. and
with fingers that trembled she began
searching the other papers. In her
desperation even the want ad columns
did not escape her. But the quest was
fruitless The name Randers did not
appear once. The cotillon had been
ignored.
Mrs. Randers swept the litter to the
floor and sank Imply back among the
pillows.
Mother. what in the world is the
NATTER"
Startled, Helen Randers stood in the
doorway.
Something that might have been a
homeopathic groan came from among
the pillows. Helen, now quite alarmed,
ran to the bedside. Her glance caught
the tumble Of papers on the floor.
"Oh. mother" she exclaimed, why
do you let these newspaper articles
get on your nerves? Let them print
Have you seen the papers" This
from the pillows.
mo.
We'll. we're fnsuIted-insulted by
every paper in the city" Mrs. Randers
sat up by way Of emphasis.
Helen snatched up the Herald
What have they printed" she cried.
Nothing" This weakly from the
pillows.
, Helen Eanders gasped. Nothing"
she queried incredulously-"the
papers have printed nothing--about
-the--cotillion? Her face had the
| look Of child challenging fairy
tale.
Mrs. Randers nodded.
The Herald slipped from Helen's
fingers. Her eyes were flashing mis-
chief. For an instant she turned her
face away. Then she bent over her
mother.
, NO wonder you're overcome she
said. They let us alone at last. We're
free-free from the vipers Of the
press Hooray. Won't father be happy.
Ho" sratified YOU must be-"
/ Mrs. Rande-s sighed I'm most
grat'ffed. my dear" she said. and
your father will. Of course, be greatly
! relieved"
I\NHEN James Josiah Randers
| reached his office that morning.
an hour before his wife was awake.
| he saw things with the exaggerated
! clearness that comes with loss of
sleep Today he saw with particular
| vividness that The time was at hand
for floating the fifty-million- dollar
bond issue of Consolidated Suburban
! Traction.
! In a two years secret campaign Mr..
| Randers had acquired control OF 500
miles of tottering street-car lines
! tributary to New York. Scattered
through a dozen different companies.
! with most of which passing a dividend
| had come a habit. the securities had
| in the past been kicked about among
| the cats and dogs Of the curb. But
! when Consolidated Suburban Traction
| was born with a capitalization of one
| hundred million common and fifty mil
lion preferred stock. there was a
! scramble OF the minority to swap old
| lamps for new--at a ratio satisfactory
| to Mr.. Randers Pending the bond is-
sue no improvements had been made
but the common. first offered at rs
had risen steadily from the moment
| Of it's listing on the exchange. The
magic name Randers had worked won.
ders.
when the common hits par and the