White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-06-03
CHAPTER 1

II, was characteristic of Peter Mil
man that he should bear the shock OF
the second Of his life's tragedies with
no visible symptom of emotion.
The first of these blows had been
dealt him twenty-five years before
lie had suffered 1t In this same rich
~ furnished room of his house in
Lower Fifth avenue Sneed, the but
Ter, who had just handed him the
morning papers, had brought nina
quarter Of century ago-the letter
In which his wife told him she had
gone away and would not return.
The second blow swept away his
comfortable fortune. At fifty, with
out near relatives and long estranged
from old friends, Peter Milman would
be compelled to move from the house
IN which he had been born-the house
where he hoped to die-to mix with
the world he had forgotten, among
people he had grown to mistrust
The three morning papers Sneed
placed before him, although they
varied somewhat in their telling of
Hazen Brewers failure, had substan.
TALLY the same account Of it.
Brewers liabilities were fifteen mil
lion dollars. His assets were given
as less than five thousand dollars
Somewhere, sandwiched among these
vast debts, was Peter Milman's modest
million. =.
The butler, sensing Ill news from
the hastily read captions, grew re-
lieved when he saw his employer take
out his pocket-scissors and begin to
clip such extracts from the papers as
interested him. Later these clippings
would be arranged Systematically with
the thousands of others which during
long years Milman had gathered. In
the library, steel-lined drawers, care
fully locked, held the harvest Of these
gleanings.
At three o'clock Peter Milman came
down the stairs and selected cane.
He was dressed as though he were
going to pay an afternoon call. He
was one Of those slight, small-boned
men so often seen in the dwindling
| families of races near extinction. His
smartly cut coat, his immaculate silk
hat and distinguished cane made him
seem, from rear view, boyish fig
ure. 1t was when one saw the pale,
lined face, the tired eyes, and the
thin supercilious mouth, that one real
lied this was a man to whom the
world has long since seemed empty
vanity. On the whole, Peter Milman
presented the appearance of one to
whom familiarity would be distastefuI
and friendship the slow growth of
years.
He was on his way to see his law
yer and find out how he stood finan-
cially. He felt almost certain that he
| had fallen with Hazen Brewer. Not
for more than twenty years had Peter
Milman been so much disturbed. Ruin
meant giving up his home. The idea
was intolerable.
| He entered the private office of Her.
man Loddon as one assured of his
position and certain of his welcome.
Assuredly Loddon, who owed so much
to the Milmans, would be able to sup
ply him with the information he de-
sired.
The first direct fntimation Of the
difference between a millionaire and
d poor man was given him as he en-
tered Loddon's room. Loddon re-
manned seated. Hitherto he had risen
ctumsily to his feet at sight Of his
distinguished client and with awkward
gestures motioned him to the seat of
honor. And his face had been wreathed
with smiles. For the first time Peter
Milman saw the man Herman Loddon
as he really was. Loddon hated him,
and had always hated him. There could
be no other explanation of his lack of
courtesy and the sneering smile with
which he greeted his client. For a
quarter-century he had worn a dis
arming smile. Hazen Brewers failure
had swept away the necessity for u.s.
Ing it any more. Things, then, were
desperate.
Milman's manner was still as Ioftily
courteous as ever.
II hope you have been able to find
out the extent of Mr.. Brewers mis-
fortunes" he said.
"Misfortunes ~ Loddon cried. ellis
crimes, you mean"
II am not asking you to PREJUDICE
my FRIEND" Peter Milman said quietly.
IT want to know If the morning papers
are correct in stating that his entire
fortune has disappeared"