The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-09-18
CHAPTER X-Continued
IL


"Jeb has not, sister, quit his claim
THAT is not ]. e. Braddon. He does
not speak about you much; but he
does a lot of listening, when you're
mentioned. He's giving you time
to get yourself Strengthened out"
Suppose she married Cathal O'Mara?
What did it mean that, as she lay in
the late afternoon shadow, she so
much as played with the fancy?
("And now my times with you are
spent; there's nothing Of you left for
me in all the future Well be in the
world, both of us, but may never
again speak to you or see your face.")
Agnes stirred, and twisted little.
She wanted to be in the world with
Cathal O'Mara.
They Travelled slowly through Pro-
vence, into northern Italy in the au-
tumn, on to Interlaken below the jung
frau. and reached Paris, at last, In
November; and there they were when
the crash came, and the cafes and
the contingencies alike-the Cafe
de la Paix and the American branch
banks on the Place de la Concorde
and Boulevard Hausmann-became
places Of panic.
To the crowded hotels of the Rue
de Rivoli and about the Etoile the
cables carried to Americans only mes
sages Of catastrophe. 'Millionaires"
overnight became penniless, or worse.
Little slips Of paper told them: "All
you had is gone; and you owe more"
A few words on a cablegram slip
less than a score of syllables, some
times-and a man who last week strut
ted and boosted that he was worth six
millions shut himself alone in his ten
room suite at the hotel and shot HIM
self.
What had changed? What curse
caused this incredible calamity that
spared no one?
The Gleneiths, mother and daugh-
ter, moved among groups utterly con-
fused. Beatrice had cable from her
husband in Chicago: "All right enough
with us. Don't worry"
She was not dependant, as many
about her were, upon monthly remit
tances from home, or upon renewals
of a letter of credit. Bob had pro-
vided generously in advance.
Some wives, in her situation, were
however cashing their letters Of credit
and cabling the proceeds home So as
tonishingly had the situation reversed
itself!
TAen the second big "drop" came.
It had come much closer to the Glen
eiths than merely to people they knew;
but the two of the family in Paris
had not yet received letter written
that day. They had only Bob's Sec
Ond cable to his wife: "Some tempo
rary losses of course, but nothing seri-
Gus; no necessity whatever to alter
any Of your plans"
4, Bees letter arrived the next week:
Six o'clock, Tuesday. Just
before I go to meet Davis.
Well, Agnes-for it's your turn-we
got it. Today at noon Collitt, Ayreforth
and Remble admitted inability to meet
obligations. The afternoon papers have
1t in headlines; also our phone has been
busy. It appears to have surprised many
friends.
Nobody knows-or tells-how much
we're short: but it's a few hundred
thousand, not counting what's owed to
Father when he threw in a lot OF
money last week to try to save Davis.
Father shouldn't have done It. He's
been taking losses on his own that
would sink anybody else.
Why did let Davis in for this? But
never dreamed he could get in SO
deep. I didn't know that men could
lose more money than they ever had.
1t seems they can.
OF course / never figured that It
might happen at time when 1t would
make SO much difference to Father.
And there are others besides ourselves
to consider. Davis seems to have done
his bit, you see, dear, in making pau
pers of many trusting people.
Every one is grateful to Jeb in these
days, Agnes-everybody lucky enough
to have taken his advice. He's been
insisting on the utilities, and especially
the insult properties, you know. OF
course, they're down; but in COMPARE
son with other things, they're just Glib
raltar. lot of people are thanking
God tonight or J. z. Braddon.
I'm going to the train, now. to meet
my husband.
Both boys perfectly fine, Mother.
Bee had mailed 1t, her sister real
lied, on the way to the train; but
what place to stop a letter-before
she met Davis on the day he had
failed completely
Had he come on that train? And
how was her Agnes put herself be-
side Bee ON the platform awaiting him
-. a.
mind, though her sister had accom-
plished 1t eight days ago. She could
see him stepping from the car slowly
but unwaveringly, with lips pressed
tight and white; with his eyes looking
at his wife, who could not help con-
trasting him on this day Of his public
failure with Jeb Braddon, whom all
people more than ever praised and ad-
mired.
Bee would be-Agnes knew that she