Evening star., 1924-01-20

Tryon here tells me that he doesn't
not" He stared belligerently at Pei
ham. What the blazes are you, any
way? prima donna?"
Pelham chuckled; he liked this Wig
orous, irascible old man. Jerry hu-
mors me so that | do act little Bit
= upstage," he admitted.
"Well, don't act that way with me, !,
cried Bleakie. Suddenly he beamed
! upon Pelham, >, thereby extracting
i from his words all possible offense
| Young man, if you'll find out what
ails my partner, Tom Horton, you
may write your own check"
| "Those are sweetly sympathetic
| words" said Pelham. II have always
a chair by the fire. and a seat at my
table, for gentlemen whose conversa-
ton is SO interesting"
X ); !: *
BTRYON realized that his partner
and their new client had ac-
| quired a liking for each other. Jerry
loved Pelham, and the surest way
| TO Jerry's heart was to indicate that
! .ne liked Pelham. Bieakie saw the
beaming face of Jerry and frowned.
"Quit grinning like cat that's
stolen cream" he cried. Lets see
this wonderful partner of yours pro-
ouce the goods"
Suppose you describe the goods,
Mr.. Bleakie," suggested Pelham.
| Fair enough declared Bleakie.
| MY partner. Tom Horton, is acting
| like a madman, and I want to know
! why"
! whats he doing?" asked Pelham.
! Making a fool of himself" snap
ped Bleakie.
There are so many ways in which
| that may be DONE" smiled Pelham.
Meaning that you want me to get
to the point. eh?" demanded Bleakie
Il would like to know what's wrong
| with Mr.. Horton" said Pelham gently.
Young man. I like you. I haven't
been shut up SO politely in long
time. What sort Of golf do you
play?'
Rotten, when I've work to do" re-
piled Pelham. -"
why. you impertinent young jacka-
napes" cried the banker. Then he
grinned cheerfully. "All right, here
are the facts
His rubicund countenance assumed
an alert seriousness
tom Horton and I have been part
ners for forty years. said .Bleakie
Although our tastes are different, I
believe / know him about as we'll as
he knows himself. I've always gone
in for sport and more or less of a
good time. Tom is different. He
rarely even plays cards. His idea Of
a good time is to collect rare antiqui-
ties, precious stones, first editions of
ancient books-all that sort of thing.
I've known him to spend four hours
standing in front of a picture, staring
at it, never moving, as though hypno-
tized. The man is beauty insane AL
ways has been. The things he owns
would fill museum. And no expert
ever got a dollar from Tom He's
told me that probably lots of his pos
sessions are fakes, but that it doesn't
matter: they're beautiful. And sud-
denly this man, without a moments
warning. starts destroying a collec-
tfon that it has taken forty years to
gather"
"Destroying? cried Pelham.
"Dispering, I should say; but it's
just as bad. He's selling all his pos
sessions. And he's selling them at
any old price. You must understand
that because you've paid two hundred
thousand dollars for painting doesn't
mean that you can get that price for
it. at a, moments notice 1t takes
time to find a purchaser who will
meet your price. And Tom is letting
things go almost to the first bidder.
If he continues, twenty million dol
lars worth of precious things will go
for two or three million" ..'sss.
Hes mad" declared Pelham.
Exactly" said Bleakie, positively
Cant you have him restrained?
asked Pelham.
"The firm Of Bieakie & Horton does
more hundreds Of millions of dollars
business in year than I'd be pre-
pared to tell you offhand, young
man. replied B1eakie. ..If it leaked
out that I was trying to prevent my
partner from disposing of his col
lection it might cause, a panic that
would shake the financial world. I
can't do that"
Wont he listen to reason% de-
manded Pelham.
Listen to it?'' cried Bleakie. "He
won't even see me. He simply teIe-
phoned me one day last week that he
wouldn't be down to the office for a
month or SO. Said he was going to
sell his collection, and rang off, I
went to his house and he refused to
see me. ] talked with his secretary
and that gentleman, informed me that
he had pleaded and argued with Tom
without result. The next day Tom
telephoned me again, thanked me for
what he termed my misguided objec-
titons to his action but told me that
minding ones own business was a
marvellous policy. s.
"It's a matter that must be conf
Dental. AS yet it has not leaked out
to the press. Toms secretary told me
that all sales were being made
quietly.
"Now, if I consult lawyers they will
suggest obvious things-injunctions,
medical examinations, trustees, the
declaring of Tom incompetent. I'd
rather be dead than subject my part
ner and dearest friend to such indig-
mites. But at the same time lido
not like to see him lose. $4,000, 900.
came to you to have you tell me
IL there is any way short of legal pro-
ceedings whereby can prevent Tom
from this insanity"
Pelham shrugged. 'T'm afraid tina.
such a matter is completely out Of our
line, AIr. Bleakie," he told the banker
s.-f ~