Bellefonte, Pa., January 20, 1928.
THE MILKY WAY.
In winter time, to pail the cows,
We're up before the sun;
We clean and feed and milk again
Long after day is done.
In summer time we sweat an swear
And swat the pesky flies
From early morn till late at night.
It ain't the life you’d prize.
And bow to spend our idle hours
Don’t worry us whatever,
For days may come and days may go,
But cows go on forever.
This life's a grind, but then we're sure
Of steady compensation,
That squirts a little sunshine on
A gloomy situation.
One day last fall poor father phoned—
He sure did sound forlorn—
He said to me with husky voice:
“The frost has caught our corn.”
Now you folks who are keeping COWS,
I know will all agree,
With silos waiting to be filled,
What's frost to you and me?
Small grain may blight, the corn may
freeze
Despite our best endeavor,
For crops may come and crops may go,
But cows go on forever.
My brother's fruit crop last fall
Was left upon the trees;
The railroad couldn’t haul the stuff;
It had to stay and freeze.
To beat the game with hogs and steers,
You've got to: be darn clever,
For beef may drop and pork go down,
While milk flows on forever.
KENNEDY & WISE, Versifiers.
YOU WIN, I PAY.
The son of Julius H. Albec, Wall
Street financier, Jimmy Albee, and pl
his partners, own a promising gold
mine development in the Malays on
which they are forced to stop work
for lack of capital.
Their several families refuse to
send money, but Jimmy’s father de-
termines to come out and investigate
the proposition. He wires his son
that his allowance is stopped and that
the must put his proposition over
alone,
“I will make you a fair and square
offer—a challenge if you like—and
Lord knows I hope you win!” says
his father, adding:
“If within six months from date
you can produce to me irrefutable
evidence that you have got the bet-
ter of any sane and responsible bus-
iness man in a legitimate business
deal (said deal not to infringe the
criminal laws of the State) I will
back you in any venture you choose
to name!”
Jimmy, taking up the challenge,
promises his partners that he will
sell a third share in the mine.
* * *
“But, dear old thing!” protested
Mr. Saxonby, genuinely perturbed,
“don’t, do not, I beg of you, attempt
the impossible and come an almighty
cropper for our sakes. It'll take
twenty thousand pounds to get us sol- |
idly on our feet and put in the stuff
we want to carry on. Who the blazes
is going to give it for a third in
this?”
Mr. James Van Hoyt Albec
smashed his mighty fist down upon
the verandah rail.
“Who?” he answered, breathing
hard. “Who the blazes d’ye think!
My old man! He wants proof. He
shall have it—bless his heart—in the
neck! I'm no piker! I'm going to
sell him a third share in the Bonanza
for twenty-five thousand, not twenty;
and when he wants to see the sane
and responsible business man I’ve
stung, he’ll only have to look in his
shaving glass. Get me? You watch!”
He strode away.
“Where are you off to?” inquired
Secretary and Treasurer Arbuthnot,
plaintively.
“Into the wilderness to think this
job out,” answered Mr. Albec over
his shoulder, and stalked on towards
the horizon.
The machinery of young Mr. Al-
bec’s mind being—unlike the muscles
of his stalwart frame—somewhat in
a state of corrosion from lack of use,
the centrifugal idea for the salva-
tion of “Golden Tribute” and the in- |
clusion of the Albec among its share-
holders seemingly refused to have
conception in the brain of the stum-
bler along the pathway of High Fi-
nance.
For two days he sat upon distant
rocks and other lonesome and arid
places, scowling at as much of the
Federated Malay States as impinged
upon his vision. In which state of
tortured impotence he attracted the
attention and curiosity of the pon-
derous and vociferous Chong-su.
In the inscrutable and devious
mind of that worthy celestial was
an intense regard—amounting to
adoration—for the iron-muscled
young Hercules; a feeling entirely
lacking for the other partners. ‘Blon-
el Bll’ as Chong-su fantastically
rendered Mr. Beauclere’s betitled ap-
pellation, he respected entirely. ‘Blon-
el Blill’ was a person of great exper-
ience in open-cast alluvial mining, a
man who never took liberty—or per-
mitted one. A calm, equable person
who claimed the respect of the con-
tractor of Chinese labour—and got it.
Messrs. Arbuthnot and Saxonby he
regarded as entirely superfluous and
unnecessary in the general scheme of
creation. If they had any justifica-
tion to put forward for existance,
Chong-su was not aware of what it
might be.
ut ‘M’lisser Oblec’ was a vastly
different proposition. Physical
strength was in Chong-su’s eyes the
summit of all human perfection. In
it he trafficked and by it he lived and
amassed much moneys; and of all
men that he had ever seen, none pos-
sessed it in so prodigious a degree
of excellence as ‘M’lisser Oblec.’
The culminating apex of that gen-
tleman’s supremacy in the mind of
Chong-su occurred during a riot
among celestial gentleman of the en-
tourage; a bloody little melee that
looked like spelling the final extinec-
tion of the corpulent gang-boss. The
joust was at its height when the ex-
Yale heavyweight strolled unsuspect-
ingly into the compound. Perceiving
with an expert eye Chong-su’s peril,
Mr. Albec there and then treated the
unruly disciples of Confuscius to so
masterly an exposition of the noble
science of hit, stop, and get away that
the exhibition left upon the mind of
Chong-su an indelible impression,
never to be effaced.
That one man (without appearing
in any way incommoded; indeed,
seeming to enjoy his job) could ren-
der unconscious with a blow his work-
steeled coolies, and serve them in this
way as fast as they would attack
seemed a physically impossible feat.
Even he, Chong-su, had not accom-
plished so splendid a result with the
loaded bamboo with which he assailed
the enemy in the rear. It was not
impossible to one man, because he,
Chong-su, had himself personally wit-
nessed this special revelation. In-
cidentally it had also saved his life;
he was under no misapprehension as
to the ultimate result of his minions’
manhanding of him. Therefore, a
man who had done such things light-
ly was a man to be venerated. And
Chong-su, being a Chinaman, vener-
ated with no half-heart: next to the
graves of his ancestors, his whole ad-
oration centred itself upon the mass-
ive person of Mr. James Van Hoyt
Albec, and there remained fixed and
unwavering.
Chong-su observing from respect-
ful distance the worried features of
his diety as he sat scowling unpleas-
antly at the landscape, first woadered,
then pondered; and finally, with tor-
tuous indirectness moved toward the
furrow-browed student of la haute fi-
nance. Insinuating himself upon a
neighboring outcrop of quartz, he sat
and scrutinized M’lisser Oblec with
silent perplexity.
“You blin all slame muchdam wol-
ly,” he remarked chidingly at length
in the extraordinary lingo that con-
stituted for him the beautiful and
revered language of the English peo-
es.
Mr. Albec turned and regarded the
intruder gloomily.
“You'd worry little yellow bird, if
you had to churn the gray matter
extract ideas from the mush in lib-
eral quantities. Me, no thinker,
Chong, and that’s a hard boiled fact.”
To which Chong-su responded with
a bland and voluminous smile and
pronounced a highly beneficient and
unanswerable “Hoki.”
From the capacious padded sleeve
he dexterously produced an incredit-
able roll of paper money of strange-
ly assorted variety and denomination.
Without further preamble he thrust
the lot into the hands of the aston-
ished Mr. Albee, and beamed more
benevolently, if possible, than before.
“All slame fi’t’ousan dollar. You
tlake ’em. Much big flen’ Chong-su.
All slame, one stlong feller. Hittem
hand-bang coolies much sleep—glood!
Chong-su much plenty lich man. Plen-
ny. m 3 r—hokil”? -. i. .
Jimmy started to his feet, and roll
in hand, faced his opulent admirer.
“Chong,” he said earnestly, “you're
a2 good chap, but I couldn’t dip into
your wad. I'm hard up in a way, but
dollars aren't the breaking point.
Much business—same? I've got to
put over a big deal—much brain—
ino can have got. Get me?”
| For some moments Chong-su pon-
dered this confidence, then reseated
himself upon his piece of outcrop.
“You all slame tellem Chong-su
slow. Much can do think. Chong-su
much too damn clever. Hoki.”
At which invitation, and in the sim-
plest and plainest language at his
command, Mr. Albec unbosomed him-
self of the full extent of his perlex-
ities, to which recital, and with a
total lack of expression that would
have reflected the highest credit upon
the Sphinx itself, Chong-su listened,
and seemingly also marked and in-
| wardly digested as well.
| “Hoki,” he grunted at the finish of
| the morbid narrative. “Me tellum
you. All slame Chong-su much good
glood blizness. You sellum mine you
father. Plenny glood mine—Chong-
isu know. You all slame muchee lis-
ten glood. Chong-su tellum you plen-
ny quick.
Leaning gravely forward, and with
a face upon which shone the uncon-
scious innocence of childhood, he pro-
ceeded to exhibit to his astounded au-
ditor, the workings of the most tor-
tuous and delicately balanced brain
he had ever encountered. A mind
that for keeness of edge, subtlety of
construction, analysis and certitude
of reasoning would, in the humble
opinion of Mr. Albec Junior have had
the old man, John D. Morgan, Na-
tional State Bank Stillman, and the
rest of the elect of Finance “gallop-
ing with the crowd.”
It was his first introduction to the
mind celestial and the astounding
vastness of that organ stunned him.
In the space of ten minutes Chong-
su, with the most complete personal
detachment, had constructed, ana-
lyzed, and passed acceptance upon a
solution of M’lisser Oblec’s difficulties
that would have done infinite credit
fo fe great Signor Machiavelli him-
se
“Chong,” he gasped open-mouthed,
“you're a wonder and some added!”
Chong-su, again with his beam of
childlike innocence, arose, and once
more stoutly repulsed the wad of me-
gotiable assets his companion was
thrusting upon.
“You all slame stlop here,” he ad-
vised. “You workmen coolie. Mtluch
bamboo, plenny hand-bang, mluchee
sleep. Senr’ Blonel Blill, much glood
man, all slame big genelem. ‘Chong-
su glo Slingapore t’moller. See Quong
Meng mlutch big man, plenny money.
You keepem doltar—can do pay some-
time. Hoki. Chong-su all slame
plenny mloney. All slame mlutch
clever feller Chong-su.” :
With modest appraisement of his
mental equipment, Chong-su stalked
solemnly back to the open-cast, and
with bamboo and caustic quip raised
the standard of native labour on the
“Golden Tribute” several points near-
er perfection. :
“Hatt,” suddenly remarked Julius
H. Albec to his daughter as they sat
upon the balcony of the “Raffles” at
Singapore, “I'm worried about Jim-
on ;
And indeed there was that upon
the massive leonine face betokening
that its owner was not quite at ease
in his mind. A troubl shading in
the steelly gray eyes that might be
attributed to anxiety, or perhaps an
intense speculation upon some per-
turbing subject. :
Miss Olbec compressed the lips of
her firm little mouth. She glanced
at her parent with the greatest in-
dignation. “You make me absolutely
wild with ‘once upon a time talk.
‘When you were Jimmie’s age you'd
been working ten years because you
just had to, not because you liked it.
This new idea of yours is ridiculous!”
“Nonsense, The best of a deal
against any reputable business man.
What's ridiculous about that?”
“In a strange country with neither
money nor influence behind him.
Easy—of course!” smiled Miss Albee,
sarcastically. “You may think it’s a
fair deal—I don’t. He’s bound to
lose.”
‘I don’t care ten cents,” said her
father grimly, “whether he does or
not—so long as he makes a clean cut
fight of it. I haven’t asked him to
tackle John D., or Morgan, or—or
me. Let him make a showing. Ill
know what's in him when he’s
floored.”
“He won’t be floored!” exclaimed
Miss Hattie with flashing eyes. “He
won’t—he won’t! And when he is,”
she continued with true feminine con-
sistency, “you’ll just stand round and
be utterly piggish and-—-and horri-
ble!”
Mr. Albec, a twitch at his cast-iron
mouth, surveyed his lovely daughter
in silence for a moment.
“If you think,” he retorted slowly,
“that I’m out here stewing in my own
juice in this hell-prepared climate for
the sake of doing pig mimicry over
my own son, youre due to guess
again. And from little odd things
I’ve already picked up here, it’s about
time I did blow into the game. I've
got a notion he’s not getting a square
deal.”
“Whatever do you mean?” asked
Miss Albec, sitting up very sharply.
“I’ve been pulling a few wires to
get an inside line on this rabbit war-
ren Jimmie’s scratching up for gold,
and I find the whole proposition is
kind of spotted. There’s some good
claims, but most bad. Bellamy our
Consul here, says it’s a million to
one against Jimmie’s prospect being
worth ten cents.”
“But if he isn’t getting—" began
Miss Albee, impetuously.
“Yesterday evening,” continued Mr.
Albec calmly, “I was sitting around
in the smoking lounge after dinner
when nearby me came and squatted
a big Chinaman; raerchant. riandarin
or something. I'm uot acquainted
with the degrees of Chinese aristoc-
racy, but some of the richest men
here are of that colour. This particu-
lar one looked money all over. He
hadn’t been ‘here long “when another
icined him—a man I’ve since learned
is called Quong Meng, and one of the
big bugs of this locality. He Spoke
English as well, if not better, th
I do. With him was a near-white
gentleman as foxy-looking a jackal
as youbd see bundled out of a fan-tan
raid on Mott Street. Because of him
I suppose they discussed their frame-
up in English, not figuring on my
taking any interest or knowing any-
thing of the subject. Which I
shouldn’t if I hadn’t very distinctly
caught the nam: “Golden Tribute” |
and again, Kuala Lipis.” He paused
and eyed his cigar maditatively.
2 ay |
“Go on, father, go on!” urged Miss !
Albee, impatiently.
“There’s some scheme on foot to
buy into this mine; and the twist
centres around Chinese labour on it,
which one of these gentry has some-
thing to do with the control of. So
far as I could ‘get it, the coolies are
systematically robbing the mine of
the biggest part of the gold it does
pan out, to make a bad showing for
these pig-talied swindlers to buy in at
a low figure. Seems a third interest
is already on the market or at any
rate these two have got an offer of
it.
“How dare they—the brutes!” de-
manded Miss Hattie, clenching her
little hands fiercely. :
“So far,” returned Mr. Albec, im-
perturbably, “I haven’t asked them.
Though I don’t mind admitting in one
that it sticks in my neck to see my
son skinned out by a pair of pot-
bellied chinks.”
“Is there no way of finding out
the trath of things?” asked Miss
Hattie, anxiously. “You’re so fear-
fully clever in these affairs, aren't
you.” The faintest inflexion of sar-
casm in her voice caused Mr. Albee
to glance sharply at his daughter be-
fore replying.
“Yes,” he answered slowly, “there
is. That gentleman Mrs. David J.
Engell introduced to you last eve-
ning.
“The Honorable Mr. Beauclerel”
Miss Albec flushed a delicate and ex-
tremely becoming shade of pink and
studied the toe of her Pinet shoe with
great assiduity. “Whatever has he to
do with it?”
“Bellamy tells me that he is one
of the inside men in auriferous gold
mining around these parts. Knows
every inch of this Kaula Lipis coun-
try and all the locations. According
to B. he is one expert, and a ‘thor-
oughly dependable and honest man. I
must say he struck me in that light.
A gentleman; no doubt of it. It oc-
curred to me - that having got so
friendly you might get a little in-
formation out of iam nz:
Miss Hattie rose abruptly and
stared out over the harbour.
“Fathet,” she exclaimed, “how mi-
dicuous! I—I hardly know Mr. Beau-
clere at all. I simply couldn’t—”
For three solid hours last evening,”
interposed Mr. Albec dryly, “you en-
tertained the gentleman with your
wit and wisdom, while T listened im on
these Chinese yeggs. You conferred
with him again after supper. At ten
this morning when I left to call on
Bellamy, you were conducting a
heart-to-heart seance with him in the
lounge. You were still at it when I
got back to the tiffin meal, After-
noon tea saw him again pretty ad-
jacent. Earlier on this ‘evening—”
bec, with an unusualy color.
Beauclere and I
and—"
“Thank Heaven,” retorted Mr. Al-
bec dryly, “that a genuine conversa-
a fixture till around bedtime. How-
ever, I'll extract the information
next—chat.,”
Miss Albec started, and regarded
her parent anxiously.
“You're not going to offer Mr.
of that sort!” she said hurriedly.
Julius studied her a moment with
compressed lips, then addressed him-
“When I make a had break,” he
Shs vel slowly, “it isn’t one of that
sort.
he were born. By the way,
not mentioned your brother or this
mine to him in one of these volumin-
ous chats of yours?”
wanted our interests
frightfully secret.”
Her father nodded.
here kept so
what I’ve told
high-binders.”
He was later aroused from a pro-
found concentration upon this ques-
tionable affair by a solid footstep
halting beside his chair. Glancing up
he perceived the gentleman whose
acquaintance he was desirous of mak-
ing—the Honourable Mr. William
Mote Beauclere.
“Miss Albec has given me to under-
stand that you wanted a chat with
me,” began that gentleman with his
pleasant smile; a smile that the keen-
you of these yellow
ive.
foreign to Mr. Beauclere.
this scheme (erroneously
by him to Mr. Albec Junior), and th
thorny paths into which it had led
him. His curses had been none the
less heartfelt since his introduction
to the beautiful sister of the frenzied
financier of Kuala Lipis. As a mat-
ter of fact, it but required his
thoughts to dwell at all insistently
upon that fascinating little lady to
reduce him to a condition of remorse-
ful pulp. As for Chong-su, the mere
sight of that miraculously garbed
phenomenon made him shudder,
did the celestial ever betray acquaint-
ance with him. In this frame of
tion to wreck the whole outfit before
giving utterance to one downright
falsehood, he presented himself be-
for Mr. Albee, who rose and shook
him warmly by the hand.
“I'm obliged to you, Mr. Beau-
clere,” he said briefly, then plunged
into ‘his subject with his usual direet-
ness. “There are one or two point-
«rs I want about mines in this coun-
try and I'm told you're the man to
ask.”
The Honorable Bill bowed silently,
took the chair indicated, the cigar of-
fered, and grimly wondered what
; came next upon the agenda.
“Anything I can inform you.
‘m sure,” he murmured.
| “I'm told you are one of the best
men in alluvial gold mining here?”
The Honorable Bill started appre-
hensively. “Er—know a bit. Been at
it a long time. Plenty better men
though.” A modest reply that
pleased the magnate tremendously—
as did also his direct dot-dash-dot
method of speech.
pen to know anything of a gold mine
at Kuala Lipis in Pahang called the
‘Golden Tribute’? I have a very par-
ticular reason in inquiring about that
property.”
Mr. Beauclere drew an involuntary
breath. “Bet you have,” he thought,
and gulped something down; then,
with diabolical calmness replied. “I
know the mine perfectly well.”
“Good. Mr. Beauclere, may I ask
your candid opinion of it as a prop-
osition 7”
The Honorable Bill opened his
mouth to speak, then shut it again
without utterance. For a moment he
sat in frowning communion with him-
self; symptom of habitual care before
expressing an opinion that impressed
his intent watcher most facorably.
“Without being in any way a Raub
Mine,” he commenced slowly, “the
proposition’s good. Present moment
strangled for capital. People owning
it worked like slaves—say that for
them. Sunk everything but not
enough. Not suffiicent labor to get
big stuff; or machinery. Prospects
are good; indications can’t lie. Sure
of that.”
The Honorable Bill knitted his
brows and pondered a moment.
Twenty to twenty-five thousand in-
vested make it pay well. Pounds, of
course. Given the work and enthu-
siasm behind it now. Everything in
that.”
“Ah,” commented Mr. Albec, mus-
ingly. “Then a man who'd been of-
fered a third interest at around that
figure wouldn’t have been especially
singled out for trimming?”
“Certainly not. If I had the cash,
sink tomorrow. Haven't unfortunate-
ly. Mightn’t suit a man of your cali-
bre, though. Not big enough. Also
not on spot. Genuine proposition to
a man interested. Sure of that.”
nks,” said Mr. Albec. “Er—
you know the men running it—the
syndicate 7”
“Kmow ’em well as the next,” an-
swered the Honorable Bill, truthfully.
“There’s one of them of my name,
I fancy?” said Mr. Albec, with tent-
ative duplicity.
“Yes. American too. Rare chap,
for work—hard graft. Do as much as
ten coolies if allowed. Can’t be done
of course. Low caste. Good chap,
and best gang-boss on mine.. Coolies
work for him. If they don’t—~fattens
‘em out. They understand that—ev-
erybody satisfied. Not much exper-
fence of course as yet, but getting it.
“Do you,” pursued Mr. Albec, “hap-
tion didn’t ensue, or you’d have been the absent James,
I manded
want for myself. You might mention !
the fact that I'd be glad of a word your opinion be of his business abil-
with him at his leisure when you ities—if you've had any opportunity
Clere a—an expert’s fee or anything |
self to the lighted end of his cigar. i chap—!”
| “Don’t know what he’ll pull off even-
‘tually—mnot my line of business.
“I was sizing up men before you or | in particular.
you’ve | perience—much greater than mine of
That the gray eye of the elderly
“Mr. financier had glowed warmly at this
merely chatted, intelligence was obvious even to the
| harrassed mind of the Honorable Bill.
He had put extra decisiveness into
his short-chopped words of praise for
feeling that com-
mon honesty to his co-adjutor de-
it.
“And what, Mr. Beauclere, might
of judging? Does he show any sign
of—of initiative; daring in methods
—for a youngster of course?”
“By gad, ke does!” replied the Hon-
orable Bill with whole-hearted con-
cession of this particular virtue.
“Ideas positively amazin’ Conserv-
ative minded man myself. But that
He broke off and stood up.
Tackles things make me shiver—one
Don’t know your ex-
course—but fancy lad who'll tackle
things bound to land somewhere big
sooner or later. Can't keep him
“No,” answered Miss Albee, “you down.”
1
“Then don’t,” he commanded. “Or
Mr. Albec rose and gripped the
Honorable Bill’s hand with a warmth
that made that honest gentleman feel |
like a double dyed sink of iniquity.
“Mr. Beauclere,” he
{ you've helped me through a bigger
i
|
|
|
{ information,
eyed financier instantly noted made | bucked up considerably and took 2
his homely face exceedingly attract- | more optimistic view of things. ; )
“Rather a decent concert Riverside |in the morning,”
rive this evening,” he ventured tim- 'orable Bill dubiously.
At that particular moment the D . ]
“Man-of-War band, very kick. Every right of
smile camouflaged a condition of orously.
acute nervousness—a ghastly feeling decent and
of Machiavelian chicanery entirely haps—"
A good |
many times in the last couple days “Mr. Beauclere,” he responded, “if
had the honest-souled Bill cursed the ! there is any form of culture that I
dazzling brain that had conceived | neither understand nor appreciate,
attributed is music blown out of those oompah-
€ | oompah arrangements.
though never by the faintest glance !
Glad
|
'
proposition than I—than I can ex-
plain just now. I'm indebted to you, |
and I shan’t forget it.”
exclaimed, !
“Not at all, not at all,” murmured
the Honorable Bill vaguely.
mation honest at any rate.
that.”
“I do. I—I wish you'd dine with us ' waist and
tonight—my daughter would be de- |
lighted I know.”
“Infor- | of 1
Bank on Honorable Bill intrepidly placing one
. - _— A
“I don’t know how you can talk Make first class man—keen.”
such utter rubbish,” flashed Miss Al-
. Suddenly, with perfect English and
in a deep sonorous voice that boomed:
gratefully upon the ears of the mag-
nate, Quong Meng spoke:
“The purchase then is agreed up-
on at twenty-five thousand pounds
English money. The price is big,
but,” he emitted a fat, wheezy chuck-
le that made the American’s foot
itch, “the output will soon go up. It
is worth it—to us.” He chuckled
again meaningly, and the veins up-
on the financier’s forehead swelled.
“Tomorrow I meet you here, at mid-
day, then you Chong-su go north to
Pahang. I will bring a bank draft
to close the business.”
“Hoki,” Chong-su lumbered to his
feet heavily.
“What was the last average 7”
questioned the putty-faced gentleman
with the foxy eyes as they turned
away.
“The last average to them does not
matter,” quoth the sonorous Quong
Meng sententiously. “It will be very
different to us.” = And again that
maddening chuckle reached Mr. Al-
’s ears as the trio departed upon
their nefarious way.
“I'll bet it will, you yellow scourge,”
he muttered through "his shut teeth.
“When you get it. But you haven’t
got it yet by a long shot!”
. Miss Hattie upon her return was
informed that her august parent had
retired to his bed; whereupon the
music lovers supped tete-a-tete, and
later, put in an hour in earnest con-
versation upon the balcony.
Their departing for the night was
a surprisingly tender nature; the
arm around Miss Albec’s slender
kissing her fairly on the
amazing occurrence, to
lips. An
young lady responded by
which the
At which pleasing return for his flinging her arms about his neck and
the Honorable
all that.
Mr. Albec smiled at him grimly.
Choice of '
evils give me neuralgia. My daugh- |
ter, Hattie, however, is differently |
constituted. She can assimilate it in- {
to her system with enjoyment. If
you can spare the time to escort her,
i
it est.
Bill returning the caress with compound
interest.
“Speak to your father first thing
murmured the Hon-
“Expect he’ll
course. Feel
Fancied per- rotten over this finance business.”
|
“Bill,” returned Miss Albec firmly,
you’re not to go near papa until I
tell you to. As for Jimmie’s affair,
you’ve been perfectly square and hon-
All that you've said has been
absolutely true. Dad,” she continued,
the very tiniest soupcon of sarcasm:
in her voice, “is the cleverest man at
Finance—High Finance—in this:
whole universe. He'll tell you so any
time you've got ten minutes to sit
| around and listen—which you won't:
I've no doubt she will be eternally 'N&Ve uow you're engaged to me. Go
grateful—and so shall I. In any;
case I've several important things to |
run over in my mind this evening, ' vo
business affairs that wait around on !
the mat until I'm ready.”
A suggestion pounced upon by the
Honorable Bill with undiluted delight
and later by the beautiful and spirit-
ed Miss Alb ithout visible si fi
mind, and with the steeled determina- | 8 jas RE ION Wish 2 sign oF |
abhorrence. !
For some little time Mr. Albec sat |
and digested the information culled
from the wonderfully observed Mr.
Beauclere; then glancing at his |
watch decided that he had just time
to start a certain scheme operating
before dinner. Slipping from the ho- '
tel he made his way to Telegraph
office, enjoyed one minute of thought-
ful nourishment upon the end of his
lead pencil, and dispatched the fol-
lowing telegram:
“Albec, Golden Tribute Mine,
Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Here-at- |
Raffles-Hotel-with - Hattie - got- |
private-line-on-things - concern- |
ing-your-mine - reason - believe- |
underhand-work-on-sale-two- fat |
Chinamen-one-third - as - before- !
wire-price - and - twenty - four |
option-purchase-to - date - from- :
time-of-my-wire-of - acceptance. |
Love-from-Hattie-and-self - hope !
to-see-you-soon-wire - at-once—
“Dad”
“And now,” mused Mr. Albec as he
walked briskly back to the hotel, I'll
put a crimp in your little game,
Messrs. Hog-fat and Chop-suey or
whatever your names are. Next time
you pick on a son of Julius H. Albec
for the sucker, you’ll watch out that
father’s not in the immediate vicin-
ity.”
Whatever the ebyssmic machina-
Putty-face Combine, upon that partic-
ular evening when Mr. Albec found
them whispering myteriously togeth-
document, they
determined that the outer
should glean nothing of them.
to bed and don’t worry. You leave
Dad to me.” mm
The breakfast gong was still re-
rberating its appa ling din along
the passages when Mr. Albee stepped
up to the rack, and took from it a.
telegram addressed to himself. Tear-.
ing it open, he read as follows:
“Albec, Raffles Hotel, Singapore.
Delighted-receive - wire - don’t-
understand-about - native - labor
no-trouble-here - regret - option-
impossible-until - another - deal-
decided-on-or-off - hurry - along-
love-Hattie-and-self - Jimmy—"
Twice Mr. Albec perused this:
missive, a frown growing ‘ and set-
ling between his eyes, then with his:
jaw thrust out and a set determined
look about his mouth he strode brisk-
ly along to the Telegraph office, and
{ without hesitation wrote as follows:
“Albee, Golden Tribute, Kuala
Lipis, Pahang. Wire-receixed-
offer - thirty - five - thousand-
pounds-English - third - share-
Golden - Tribute - Mine-if-deal
settled-before-noon-today - Con-
sult-partners-and-wire-me - on -
or-off-if-on-accept-this - as - con-
tract-and-follow-telegram - here-
earliest-Julius H. Albec.”
This dispatched, he returned to the:
hotel, made an excellent breakfast,
then settled himself down in the
lounge to await events.
Came ten o'clock and with it his:
daughter more radiant and lovely
than ever; thrillingly so in the eyes
of one gentleman who breakfasted in
solitary state and eyed her wistfully
through the glass doors of the dining
room. Miss Hattie was informed
i that her parents had passed the best
| of nights and was feeling pretty top-
tions of the Chong-su, Quong Meng, |'motch general
| which pleasing intelligence that de-
lightful young lady joined the wist-
' ful-locking gentleman v-hose whole
er over what appeared to be a legal demeanor brightened,
were evidently quite promptly ordered a second breakfast:
world to keep her company. Wherear Mr.
| Albec,
Vv. Upon receipt) of
and who
observing operations: surrep-
With consummate guile Mr. Albec i titiously from around his newspaper,
had idexterously indinuated himself ' grinned hugely.
into a fourth chair at their table,
his back upon them, immersed him-
self ostentatiously in his newspaper,
and strained his ears until the drums
ached to catch their conversation.
For all the results he achieved he
might just as well have been suffer-
ing at the band concert in the com-
pany of his daughter and the Honor-
able Mr. Beauclere.
But for a succession of soft sibilant
whispers which goaded him into a
transport of baffled fury, he heard
not one choate word, not one intelli-
gible syllable. The situation stung
him to a point of seething rage and
frenzy; for one glimpse at the docu-
ment they were prodding with fat,
long-nailed fingers, he would have
willingly sanctioned assault and bat-
tery.
What in particular was fast re-
At eleven of the clock a telegraph
messenger entered suddeniv and
handed a message through the win-
dow cof the bureau. Immediately the
| thin, teedy Eucasian hall-buy who
owned it was heard piping:
“Albee! Teiegram fr Albec!”
Mr. Albec grabbed at the message
and tore it open avidly. I: was word-
ed as follows :---
“Albee, Raffles Hotel Singa-
pore. Right offer - thirty - five-
thousand - pounds - one - third
share-Gelder-Tribute - accopte:d-
behalf-self-and - partners . sales
date-time-of-lodging-this-am - on
way-down.—Albec.
“Hal” breathed Mr. Albec with a
grim sigh of relief, that settles that!
He folded the telegram and placed
it carefully in his pocket book, then
ducing Mr. Albec to a condition of |Teseated himself in a comfortable po-
murderous frenzy, was the contempla-
tion of the fact that the aim and end
—the Alpha and Omega—of these |
piratical
blooded trimming of his son!
Julius H. Alec’s boy, a hard working
lad acording to an honest man who
was capable of judging. His son, who
was putting up an honorable busi-
ness proposition to this gang of pig-
tailed sharks in comic opera clothes
—and assuredly Solomon in all his
glory had nothing on Messhe. Chon-
su and Quong-Meng in the matter of
raiment. Well, they wouldn't get
away with it! He would see them
in hell first. He'd break that bunch
or—! In his impotent fury at miss-
ing the import of their whisperings,
the great financier had to take firm
colloquies was the cold-!
Tae |
His ! ried snatch at tiffin—when afternoon
| tea rolled along at four o’clock. No
grip of himself to prevent his jus-
tifiable wrath’s getting the ascendan-
cy of him and manhandling the pre-
cious triumvirate upon the spot.
I
sition immediately commanding the
hotel entrance.
“Now you gang of yellow hyenas,”
he muttered, “I'm waiting!”
He was still waiting—but for a hur-
materialization of the Chinese expon-
ents of finance had so far been forth-
coming. Mr. Albec turned grudgingly
in the direction of the table presided
over by his fair daughter (attended
upon by the Honorable Bill Beau-
clere) when the door flung open, and
Mr. James Van Hoyt Albec, burnt al-
most te the color of a roasted coffee
bean, burst in, greeting his family
with a wild exhuberance peculiarly
his own. ;
“Jimmy boy,” said Mr. Albec, grip-
ping at the huge paw of his son, “it’s
good to see you again. You—you
look good.” There was a great lov-
(Continue@ on page 6, Col 6)