The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-03-17
He Put 1t Over
By H. IRVING KING
&c by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.I
(WNU SerYicel

Randolph, and for Gerald, the son of
his deceased friend, Simon Cuthbert,
he had no idea of allowing his two
wards to marry. He regarded Ger
aid as too lacking in business ability
to ever really get on in the world.
He was too light and airy in his talk
and behavior to suit old Roderick, who
was a ponderous person and liked
solemnity and ponderosity in others.
Roderick's idea of the proper sort
of a husband for Alice was Gilbert
Anderson. Anderson was a hustler, al
ways in business up to his neck; full
Of schemes for making vast amounts OF
money. He had not made any yet, but
there had always been plausible rea-
son why the particular scheme he had
been trying to put over had not sue
ceeded. Gilbert had marked ROderick
as his own and deferred to him.
Alice detested Gilbert and told her
uncle she was going to marry Gerald.
Her uncle said emphatically that she
was not and she replied: You just
wait and see." When she had said
mo" to Gerald upon his proposing,
he had replied: "Say, old girl, you
don't really mean that-do you" To
which she had answered: "Why, Of
course don't, you silly. Only we
have got to wait. Uncle is dead set
against you and is touting for that
Anderson person. But I'll be twenty
five In six months and my own mis-
tress. Under the terms Of fathers
will II marry before 1 am twenty
five without uncle's consent, / forfeit
my money, and I don't want to do
that. In six months you come and ask
me again."
This set Gerald to thinking. Six
months was a long time to wait; but
Alice was a level-headed girl and quite
right to want to avoid sacrificing her
fortune. When Gerald had turned
twenty-one Roderick had called him
into his office and shown him lot of
figures, Of which he comprehended
only enough to know that they repre-
scented a considerable fortune, and he
had insisted that the old man go on
managing his affairs.
The next day Gerald went to call
upon Roderick McKesson. "Oh, you?" !
said Roderick, "what is it? Make it
short, am busy"
AS a rule Gerald was trif1e loud
in his dress; today he was attired So
berly. His manner was generally a
trife frivolous; today he had an air
of seriousness and suppressed energy.
You would have spotted him any
where for a business man accustomed
to deal with important questions. It
was not for nothing that Gerald ha6,
been star in amateur theatricals.
"Sir," said he gravely, 81 called to
ask If you could not reconsider your
objection to my marriage with your
niece?"
mo" roared Roderick, II never re-
consider"
Gerald saw a large envelope lying
on Rodericks desk in the upper left
hand corner Of which was printed in
large type, 1.-THE Agawunsk Finishing
Company" "Have you-er-have you,
if it is not an impairment question,
invested anything in that concern?"
And he pointed to the envelope. !;
81 have" snapped Roderick, what
of it?' )
"Well," replied Gerald, II have been
taking rather an interest in business
matters of late; especially new enter!
prises, and the Agawunsk company is
a rather doubtful concern"
Nonsense" cried Roderick, "they !
have contracts ahead for twenty
years."
"Yes," said Gerald, land they show I
these contracts to lure investors. The
fact is they are losing two cents q
yard on every yard of cloth they
finish"
II am too busy to talk further with i
you today" said Roderick. The old
man got exceedingly busy after Ger
aid left, calling up credit concerns and
financial men who kept well informed
of all that was going on. Roderickt
himself had been rather "out of it" for
some years, jogging along in old ruts.
He had been lured into the AgawunSk;
scheme by Gilbert Anderson-and he
had invested ten thousand dollars Of
Gerald Cuthberts money in the con-
cern
When the old man had finished his
Investigations he had a grim look. The
first thing he did was to transfer the
Agawunsk bonds to his own account
and deposit certified check for ten
thousand to the account of Gerald.
1.-THE young whippersnapper has busi-
ness ability after ALL" he grudgingly
thought.
AS matter Of fact Gerald was So
intensely jealous Of Gilbert Anderson
that he kept his ears open for any
thing concerning him. Having over
heard two business men mention Gil
bert's name at the club In a sighting
manner he had taken one of them aside,
demanding further information. And
it had taken Lester Craddock an hour
and half to get through Geral
head a full comprehension of
status of the Agawunsk company.
"Alice," said Roderick to his niece
that night, "young Cuthbert is getting
to be quite business man. have
changed my opinion of him."
"And he PLAYS rafting game Of