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TG TSN TR
A TALE OF
RED ROSES
Po
By
GEORGE
RANDOLPH
CHESTER
Copyright, 1884, by the Bobbs-
|i
SYNOPSIS
Sledge, & typical politician, becomes in-
tatusted with Molly Marley, daughter of
a street car company president. He sends
her red roses.
On Molly's 1nvitation Sledge attends a
party. Before the crowd disperses Molly
thanks Sledge for his kindness, and then
he proposes: marridge. Her refusal is
treated as only temporary by Sledge.
Molly attends the governor's ball, and
her attractiveness results in her climbing
the dizzy heights of popularity. The no-
table respect accorded Sledge, however,
>
Jexes her.
Sledge moves for the car company’s re-
organization. He asks Marley for Molly's
hand, but is refused. Having financially
ruined Bert Glider, Sledge threatens to do
the same to Marley.
Marley's loans are ordered called by
Sledge. Feeder, who receives a salary for
keeping quiet about the public fund scan-
dal, confesses during Sledge’s questioning
_ ands roughly handled.
Molly becomes angry at her father's ob-
vious fear of Sledge. He tells her to migr-
ry him, but she refuses and suggests a
«ght on Sledge, which encourages Marley
Sledge visits Bozzam, and a heated ar-
gument arises. The chief finds Bozzam
is working against Him. The reorganized
railway company stockholders meet. Mar-
«oy presides, and Sledge is present.
The two votes of Marley and Bert Glia-
er are sufficient to carry the amendment
to the resolution -for the purchase of the
franchise for $50,000 cash.
Sledge receives an announcement of tng
gement of Molly and Glider. Bozzam
tells Marley Sledge decided not to sell the
franchise at any price, and that he is
financially dead.
Sledge goes to the state capital and gets
everything fixed up for the passage of a
bill granting a new car company a fifty
year franchise free of charge.
Marley visits the state senator at home
and meets Sledge. He finds out the par-
ticulars of the bill and then wires a syn-
dicate for best offer for controlling inter-
est.
At her father’s suggestion Molly, accom-
panied by Fern, visits Sledge. Delighted,
Sledge again starts to lavish presents on
her. Marley arranges a meeting with the
chiaf.
Two exquisite autos are sent Molly and
Fern. edge orders Marley to say he
sent them. - A quarrel arises between Glid-
er and Molly, but he checks it quickly.
Sledge presents Molly with a megnifi-
cent diamond at the theater. Marley sells
his stock. .The cal leader learns that
Molly and Glider are to be married in the
afternoon. i
CHAPTER XV.
A Large Surprise For Each of the Girls.
LEDGE began his deliberate
siege upon Molly with the same
care and vigor that he would
have exercised in conducting a
most important political campaign.
On that first evening at the theater
he made Molly’s wishes, expressed or
unexpressed, both a study and a law.
A draft blew on her: She had a scarf
around her shoulders before she was
through with her first slight shiver.
and immediately thereafter Sledge
snapped his fingers for an usher and
ordered the fire escape doors closed.
She . looked over the program of
entr’acte music and sighed for a miss-
ing favorite. .
“Write it down,” directed Sledge.
handing her a fountain pen and a
check blank.
Laughing, she wrote it, thinking that
he would no doubt send her the sheet
music next day.
Again he called the usher.
“Pake this to Joe, and tell him to
have it played,” he ordered. “Any-
thing else you'd like, Miss Molly 7”
“I’m afraid to mention a wish for
fear I'd get it,” she laughed in more
or less embarrassment. But Fern, who
was having the time of her life, gig-
gled and, telling him to recall the boy,
added a favorite of her own to the
musical program.
“You can have a good time most any
place,” Sledge complimented her, with
a growing fondness for Molly's friend.
“You're a nice kid. I ought to have
invited your gentleman friend along.”
“I don’t see who it would be,” laugh:
ed Fern. “Molly knows so many nice
chaps, but the most of them are such
boys.”
“Excuse me a minute, girls,” begged
Sledge and unloomed himself from the
background.
“Where now has he gone?’ wondered
Molly, half amused and half apprehen-
sive. y
“He’s probably noticed that some
girls have candy,” surmised Fern, who
had come to believe him infallible. :
“He'll bring back a ton of it.”
“I hope he isn’t going to order the
spotlights turned this way,” snickered
Molly. “He'd do it, I think. He's ca-
pable of anything.”
“Ag long as it’s nice,” admitted Fern. |
“I'll bet you never had a man treat
you with more respect.”
“That's true enough. He's rather a
surprise to me in that. He's a fine
friend to have, Fern.”
Just as the overture struck up Sledge
returned to the box, followed by a
large handed man of about thirty-five,
whose face and neck were red from
much cheerful exposure to the weath-
er. He had a merry blue eye and pom-
padour hair, and he wore diamond
shirt studs and cuff buttons.
“Tommy Reeler, girls,” introduced
Sledge. “Miss Fern Burbank, Tommy. |
rected.
, she earnestly assured him.
siastically told him, ashamed, in some
' Miss Molly Marley.”
Mr. Reeler in great heartiness and!
in friendliness all unafeaid shook
hands with both the girls and sat dewn .
by Fern.
‘I'm in luck,” he confided to the
crowd. “I was feeling loneseme enough
to take a drink when Ben dug me up |
and slipped me the news that he had a
girl for me. How do you like our
town, Miss Fern?”
“I love it,” returned Fern, not dar-
ing to look at Molly, whose brimming
eyes she knew to be fixed upon her.
Under the crescendo of the music
the conversation became paired off,
and Sledge. with complacent self ap-
probation, watched the couple in front
of him.
“Tommy's a right guy.” he confided !
to Molly. ‘Big contractor, paving and
city buildings. Wife died last winter.” |
“That was too bad,” responded Mol- |
ly sympathetically. |
“She was due.” declared Sledge. “I'd
' 'a’ killed her.” |
“Was she so dreadful?’ inquired
Molly, forcing her share of the con-
versation.
“A souse,” grunted Sledge. ‘Tom-
my don’t touch it, but she got a dif-
ferent kind of a Heinz on every
night.” :
“Drank?” guessed My, trying to
remember for Fern’s bésiiiit. ;
“For the family,” Sledge corroborat-
ed, “and all this time Tommy a decent
y
Sete]
|
|
|
SR vse to
“Why, it's a diamond!” she gasped.’ | to
, little man. of great energy and dg-, and :
‘corp
guy. He deserves a good woman, but
he don’t get to meet 'em. He’d be a
great pal for your little friend if she
can nail him.”
“] never heard Kern express a pref-
erence for widowers,” she suggested.
“He's the same as not,” Sledge as-
sured her. ‘‘There’s no kids. Tom-
my’s a grand boy.”
The music struck a pianissimo pas-’
sage.
“Me for a blond,” Tommy Reeler
unintentionally explained te the audi-
ence, and before she could stop it the
clear silvery giggle of Fern blended
with the piccolo obligato.
Reeler looked around at Sledge with
a broad grin and nodded his head em-
phatteally in the direction of Fern.
“Having a nice party?’ asked Molly
softly, bending forward. But Fern
was speechless.
The curtain rose, and the play be-
gan, and Sledge. bending Knotted
brows upon the stage, sat decently
aloof. If anybody liked this sort of
thing far be it from him to interfere
with their pleasure. Between the acts.
however. he came right back on the
job. He arranged for Tommy and
himself to take the girls out to see the
new waterworks plant on the follow-
ing day and to witness as balcony pa-
trons on the following night a barn
dance of the West End club. He plan-
ned a Country club dinner for the day
after, and then reaching nonchalantly
into his waistcoat pocket he dropped
into Molly's lap a glittering bauble,
which looked like a glass hickory nut.
“Take that down te Duvay’s and
have it fitted to your finger,” he di-
She picked it up incredulously. It
couldn’t be real!
“Why, it's a diamond!” she gasped
as it lay flashing and gleaming in her
hand, and she saw the perfect cutting
and wonderful fire of it. The realiza-
tion startled her so that she almost
dropped it.
“It had better be or somebody goes
to jail,” he informed her. ‘That rock
set me back the price of a house and
lot.”
“But, Mr. Sledge, I can’t accept this,”
“Why not?” he demanded, studying
her heavily. “You're to be my wife.”
She was panic stricken more by his
look than his words.
“It’s too large for a rimg, for ome
thing,” she evaded.
“Why?” he again rumbled:
She decided to leave out the question
of good taste.
“You couldn’t put a glove over it,”
she explained.
He looked at it reproachfully.
“Hunh!”. he commented.
peach, though, ain’t it?”
Here was a proposition on which she
could heartily agree.
“It’s a beauty—a marvel!” she enthu-
“It's a
degree, that she so much admired the
“Uh-hunh!” grunted Sledge.
She handed it over to him, and as his
palm touched hers she felt the tingle
of him for the first time. It was as if
she had inadvertently touched an elec-
tric battery. and she jerked back her
hand.
Between them they dropped the dia-
mond, and it rolled under Fern’s chair.
Tommy Reeler picked it up.
“Swell pebble, Ben,” he approved
and poured it into Fern’s hand, where
it lay glittering and glittering and glit-
tering -and would not be still.
“Oh. you darling!” Fern murmured
to it. “Where did this drop from?”
“Present for Molly,” explained Sledge
modestly. “Too big for a ring. Can't
pull a glove over it. I’m goana have it
set in a necklace.”
Three days later the necklace came
out, but by that time Molly had given
up all hope of heading Sledge off. The
only thing she could do, she resolved,
in a hilarious conference with Fern,
would be to accept temporarily any
crazily extravagant gift he showered
upon her. After the need for fooling
him was over she could send them
back, and this resolution, once having
been formed, the girls spent much
time in eager expectation of what the
next surprise might be. Sledge was at
least making the game exciting, and
his perfectly mad, but equally earnest,
antics gave both Molly and Fern more
fun than they had ever known.
In the meantime, while Sledge and
his cheerful co-worker, Tommy Reeler,
were keeping the girls busy day and
night, the preparations for the secret
wedding went steadily on, as did the
business preparations of Bert and
Frank Marley. Thanksgiving day ap-
proached, and things began to focus
themselves in the Marley home. The
representative of the up state syndi-
cate came to town on schedule. He
spent three days in going over the
books of the company and examining
into Marley's loans. Also, he looked
up the matter of the franchises. The.
company had been given originally a’
twenty year city charter, which had
been twice renewed for tem year pe-
riods. its present renewal having three
years to run. :
“It looks like the regular thing.” he
said to Marley. ‘I’m satisfied to give
you thirty-six straight through. for:
your stock. take up your loans and al-
low you the difference in value: buf,
before I do business, I'll have to see
Sledge about this franchise." |
“It was part of our understanding |
that you were to stay away from him.” |
insisted Marley. “If your presence.
and your errand here are known,
Sledge will do something destructive,
He has it in for me and will wipe me
right off. the map.”
“He might have it in for me. and I
have to see what he can do.”
“I'll make it $34 a share. and you
see him afterward,” offered Marley. .
“Now, I'm bound to see him.” de-’
clared Mr. Coldman, who was a wi
|
|
3
cisiveness. “Don’t you worry. He
won't connect me with you. I've been’
in this game too long not to be able to
cover my tracks.” |
Coldman’s interview with Sledge
was brief, concise and satisfactory.
and he began by stating exactly who
he was an@ whom he represented.
“We're looking for street car bar-
gains,” he explained, “and we've been :
advised that stock in the Ring City.
street railway is well worth picking
up at its present price. Do you think
80?” :
“None
for sale, though.”
“It does seem to be scarce,” admitted
Coldman. ‘‘Still, we’ll take what we
can get if it looks good. I understand
there’s some talk of consolidation.”
“Uh-hunh!”’ grunted Sledge.
“That would probably bring the
stock up to par.” judged Coldman.
“Can’t tell.” commented Sledge.
“Is there any trouble about renewal
of franchises?’ inquired Coldmen. pon-
dering deeply upon whether Sledge was
remarkably frank or remarkably adept
in seeming so.
“Guess not.” said Sledge. *“I got a
date,” and he went to keep it, wearing
his new Prince Albert and his silk hat,
his gray gloves and his red rosebud
with such complacency as almost to in-
duce Phil to give up his job.
Marley went home intoxicated with
elation that night.
“Molly, girl, we’ve won!” he ampounc-
ed. “Go ahead with your wedding to-
morrow, and be as open about it as
you like. Tomorrow I lift the mort-
gage on this house and sell it to Murd-
stone, who has offered to buy it as
goon as I can give it to him unencum-
bered. I have already sold my stock
and Bert's, including the amusement
park; have delivered it. and here is the
check.”
“I told you we would win!’ exulted
Molly and ran with the news to Fern.
“I’m sorry,” confessed that young
lady. ‘‘The fun’s all over.” a
“It was fun, wasn’t it?” admitted
Molly, startled to find that she almost
regretted the ending of it. “You still
have Tommy, though.”
“No,” denied Fern, “I'll have to put
Tommy in my pretty little blue car and
send them back together. Poor Sledge!”
“Here's where he gets the first blow,”
sighed Molly. “You have to go up and
phone him that I'm ill and can’t see
him tonight nor tomorrow.”
“Coward!” hissed Fern, in mock
tragedy and went in to telephone. She
came back slowly. “Poor fellow!” she
said. “Honestly, it's a shame, Molly.”
Molly herself was rather listless. She
was standing in front of a huge vase
containing Sledge’s latest consignment
of red roses. She broke off one of the
most perfect specimens and pinned it
at her belt.
“Poor fellow!” she agreed; then ber
eyes snapped. “I'm going to make him
send me his dog.”
“' to m ontracts. conclude business
live thing as it lay in her palm.
io AEE
“I wouldn't dgre,” declared Fern.
“p'd feel miserable every tine ne pars-
ed. I wonder what Sledge will do to
right.”
Interesting News For the Big Boy.
CHAPTER XVI.
LEDGE did what any other fool '
lover would have done. He tel- |
ephoned three times that even-
ing to see how Molly was, and
when he went home he drove two miles
out of the way to pass the house. He
was equally solicitious the next morn-
ing and bandled his business with sin-
gular lack of concentration. The last
two weeks had made him more slavish-
ly in love with Molly than ever, and
he missed her as a morphine fiend does
his *dope.”
Coldman dropped in to see him at ¥) o
o'clock. !
“1 want to talk consolidation with
you, Mr. Sledge,” he offered, sitting
smilingly in the visitor's chair.
“What consolidation?” asked Sledge.
“The street railway companies. We
have just purchased the controlling in-
terest in the companv now operative.”
Sledge turned on him a slow glance.
“From Frank Marley?" he demanded.
“From Frank Marley,” repeated Cold-
man pleasantly, looking as if he ex-
pected to be applauded for his enter-
prise.
“You're up against it,” Sledge warn-
ed him. “Did you pay?”
“Gave Marley my check yesterday
afternoon.”
“Today's a holiday,” advised Sledge.
“Better stop payment.”
“] don’t understand.” faltered Cold-
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“You will when you're stung,” ad-
vised Sledge.
“I'm not stung,” announced Coldman
emphatically. “Our people don’t take a
chance on getting in wrong. That
check can be stopped.”
“Go to it.” ordered Sledge and punch-
ed the bell. "Where's Bendix?’ he de:
manded of Adolph. {
“Don't know. Want him?” |
“Quick!” ordered Sledge. “Why
didn’t you tell me you was after con-
trol? Now you don't get anything.”
*] get out—that's one cinch!" stated
Coldman. rising and looking at his
watch.
“How? asked Sledge.
“That's my affai¥. I'd be a sucker to
lay myself liable by an admission of
the knowledge.”
“] want to know,” persisted Sledge.
“1 want to be sure of it.”
“You're gunning for Marley.”
mised Coldman.
“Sure | am!” agreed Sledge. *‘l don't
want you stung. How do you crawl?”
“Do 1 get back in after it's all
straightened out?"
“You can have a chunk of it.”
Coldman surveyed him thoughtfully.
“They do say you stick to a promise
like “hat. he mused. “Well, two
weeks ago I had a written authority
sur-
$e. checks, in the name of my
ration. Day before yesterday
that authority was revoked. We al-
ways do that.” .
Bendix came in.
“Marley got out from under.” Sledge
told him. “Why?”
“So the wedding could come off,”
returned Bendix, with an involuntary
glance at the red rose boutonniere.
“The wedding!” repeated Sledge.
“Look here. Bendix, don’t you kid
me!’
“1 wish 1 was,” replied Bendix,
showing, for the first time, his knowl-
edge of how important all this was to
the big boy. *Molly and Bert Glider
are to be married right off the bat.”
No man had ever seen Sledge pale
before.
“When?” he wheezed.
‘Right away. This afternoon!
They're being married now!”
Although there were to be no guests
at the Marley wedding, the house was
naturally in a state of much tensity as
the time approached. Molly. for two
hours before the minister was to ar-
rive, was engaged in the finishing
touches, of her toilet. which was fully
as elaborate. though not so conven
tional, as if the function was to be
the most formal one possible, and her
boudoir, from one end to the other,
was clattered with fluffy finery, with
toilet accessories, with two maids and
Fern Burbank, the three latter articles
being in a state closely bordering on
hysteria.
Downstairs Bert Glider wandered
from room to room feeling more in the
way than if he were an unbidden guest
at somebody else's wedding, his only
human companion being an occasional
contact with the thin legged butler,
who, under the excitement of the occa-
sion, had opened a surreptitious bot-
tle of champagne in the pantry, and,
there being plenty of room in his in-
tellect, had succumbed to the inevita-
ble gloom of the occasion.
The most busily occupied one of all,
however, was Frank Marley, who,
from immediately after breakfast, had
ensconced himself in his den, where
he somewhat sadly finished his con- |
pection with many odds and ends of |
local business and social institutions, !
writing checks and friendly notes all '
the morning.
He even had his lunch brought in to
him, for, truth to tell, he preferred
rather to be alone than to be with |
Bert on this particular day. He felt
somehow as if he could never be quite |
in accord with the man who was to
take from him his motherless Molly,
and he tried to quell the fear for her ;
which arose in him. Moreover, Bert
represented the new life which stretch-
ed before him, and he was not quite
ready for it now that the time had |
come. He was an old man, he real
ized, and it is a dangerous matter to
uproot old trees. He had lived the
best years of his life in this city, had
worked here, and had married here,
and had built up his fortunes hers, and
here Lad occupled a position of some
honor and respect. And, try as he
would, he could not look with toc
much confidence upon achieving the
same thing as a stranger in a strange |
place. |
It was all wrong. he told himself. |
and he would not even be properly |
thankful for the crumb of luck which |
he had wrested from the bygone feast. |
In his pocket he had the check which |
removed hun from the nerve racking |
fluctuations of his street car fortunes. |
which insured Molly and Bert and |
himself an entrance into a new life |
and new opportunities. which made |
Famous Ball
Ty Cob Player, Says:
“Tuxedo is
a good, pure,
mild tobacco
and makes a
wonderfully
pleasant pipe-
smoke.’’
2
him safe from Sledge. and yet he felt | ~
no great exultation. |
It was a relief to him when Molly |
had him called to look at her where |
she stood at the head of the stairs in |
her bridal gown. a fresh and glowing |
vision in her pure. shimmering white. |
The sight of her gave him a thrill of |
hopefulness too. the first of the day.
“You're a beauty. Molly.” he called
ap to her. I declare, I don’t see how
I have been lucky enough to keep you |
with me so long as this.”
“That's a nice daddy.” she gayly as-
sured him.
(To be continued.)
CONFLUENCE
The I. O. O. F. Lodge of this place
held a very interesting meeting re
cently when the following officers
were elected: Noble grand, Gilbert
Butler; vice grand, H. P. Burnworth;
secretary, G. A. Frantz; trustee, J.
W. Clouse; representative to grand
lodge in May, D. P. Pore. William A.
Burnworth, candidate for district de-
puty grand master of the county re-
ceived the full number of past grand
votes present, which numbered 20.
Miss Helen Bowlin who has had a
long siege of illness, is improving.
B. F. Miller and family, formerly
of Charleston have moved to the M.
F. Bowlin farm at Horseshoe Bottom
where they will reside this summer.
Elmer Shipley, who recently under-
went an operation at Frantz’ Hospit-
al, is able to be out again.
R. J. Frantz, who has been at
Bruceton Mills, W. Va., for several
months installing aceteline gas light-
ing plants, is home for a few days.
The Ladies’ Aid Society of the
Lutheran Church has contracted with
a popular Lyceum Bureau to give five
entertainments in their church begin-
ning early in the fall and distributed
through the winter.
Miss Marie Younkin, who was tak-
en suddenly ill several days ago, is
still very poorly.
Mrs. Roy Vansickle has moved from
the Bomar house, West Side, to the
E. B. Black house on Arden street.
T. W. Black has completed his new
garage and has his new Overland
touring car installed in it waiting for
nice weather to come.
Mrs. C. M. Cunningham, who is
confined in the Frantz Hospital afier
undergoing an operation, is improv-
ing slowly.
Charles McDonald, of Charleston,
Lis reported very ill at present.
Rev. William Grant, the blind evan-
gelist of this place, is holding evan-
gelistic meetings at Rockwood.
Mr. and Mrs. E. W. DeBolt of Char-
leston, are making preparations for
an extended visit in Kansas and Miss-
ouri.
Reports from the bedside of H. M.
Lawver, who was taken to a hospital
in Pittsburg several weeks ago, state
he is just about the same.
Silas Hileman is improving and
beautifying his lawn around his pleas-
ant residence on the West Side.
The little child of Mr. and Mrs.
Harvey Bittner of the West Side who
has been quite ill, is reported better.
0. B. Maddox, of Fairmont, W. Va,
is visiting relatives here.
Mrs. A. F. Groff entertained the
Ladies’ Bible Class of the Lutheran
Church, of which she is a member, of
Many Famous
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isthe famous “TuxedoProc-
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pra
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her home Thursday evening, A very
enjoyable evening was spent. A nice
lunch was served by the hostess.
Miss Maris Younkin is improving
from her recent severe illness.
The Lutheran Sunday school is
preparing for a beautiful Easter ser-
vice on Easter Sunday evening.
William Burnworth and daughter,
Lucile,who have been ill for the past
several weeks, are improving slowly.
A five thousand dollar breach of
promise suit has been entered at Scm-
erset by Miss Grace Stark of this
place against Mr. Sturtz a traveling
salesman of Cumberland, Md. - Mr.
Sturtz was recently married to anoth-
er young lady, hence the suit.