The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-06-26
'rsumepts had prevailed.

arguments had prevailed.
Henry went IN person, and he WA
disagrcoabiy surprised 10 discover
Gray on the ground ahead OF HIM.
The latter bore evidences OF hard
usage IN tho shape OF "a black eye
aud numerous handagcs, reputed 20
be tho result OF an automobile col,
lisiou Henry regretted that bis
cnemy's injuries wcro so trivial. II
was Indeed a pity THAI NJ few ueci.
dents are fatal
lie bought rapidly, risht and LEFT,
as much 10 forcstall Gray as any,
thing cis7, and he was back az the
hank shortly with "a number ~
LEASES. Not until some time later
did he learn that ne had paid e
price Tor them twice ns hlsh Us that
charged for properties closer In,
Il was Bcli who brought his
unweioomo information home 20 him
brought Il homo IA his character.
tstie manner,
what the hen Rils you, any.
how" tho father inquired, In apo.
plectic wrath Have you gone
clean crazy9"
After some inquiry Henry 10.
allied what allied him ana who had
caused him 20 throw away his
money. but he did not surprise Bell.
Moro than once they had been par,
ties 20 wash sales" and helped 90
establish artificial values. but 10 be
victimized IN the Same manner was
like the taste OF poison.
or course. a meant little In tho
big game. A. most. tho firm had
been "Eypcd" only "a comparatively
few thousand dollars. and The loss
could probably be recouped by a
resale; nevertheless. tho incident
was significant. and. upon second
thought. 81 appeared 20 shed light
upon certain othor expensive trans.
actions Ia other fields.
Now oddly enough. this new oil
discovery did not develop as had
been expected-in fact. tho excite.
ment died out quickly-and when
Henry Nelson undertook 20 dispose
o. his holdings ho was faced by
heavy loss. for Gray was Offering
adjoining acreage az low prices
Following this unhappy expert.
cnee. the scandal about the Jackson
well became publlc-the Atlantic
company having az last located the
leak In its pipe linc--hnd tho whole
Red River district enjoyed n great
laugh. Henry Nelson did not laugh.
lie turned green when no realized
how close he had como 20 buying
that lease. or course. here was a
swindle that Gray could have had
nothing to do with. and yet Nelson
wondered why Bob" Parker had
failed 70 sell il 10 him Bob had
tied u upon an option awaiting his
return. and he had hurried back on
purpose 20 examine u. Way hadn't
he bought Il? Henry asked tina;
question OF tho girl. and. when shs
told him as much as she knew. he
began 70 believe that tho whole
thing was. indeed. an incredibly bold
attempt to swindis him. and him
alone.
Miss Parker, Of course. was deeply
chagrined at her connection with
the fraud; nevertheless. the banker
felt his flesh turn cold az the mar.
rowncss Of his escape. He assured
himself upon calmer thought. that
his imagination was running away
with him; thiA was too doveilshly
ingenious. too crooked And be.
sides. Gray had promised TO fight
fair. All tho same. the thing had
n suspicious odor. and Nelson slept
badly for a few nights. He decided
TO use extra caution thereafter and
SEQ that no neither paid moro for
leases than they were worth nor
permitted anybody 20 salt him.
Sailing. after all. was rare: one
read about II IN books, but no OK.
perienced operator had ever been
fooled In that way.
About this time big gasser blew
in north OF the Louisiana fields. and
wise oil men began 10 talk about
Arkansas and quietly 10 gather IN
acreage. Less than n week later
ono OF Nelson's fisid men brought
into tho bank youth who owned
some property in the latter state.
This yokel was a sick man; no was
thin and white. no had racklng
cough. and he knew nothing about
oil except from hearsay All no