run crnzKN, Wednesday, ai'iul is, 1010. M Copyright. i CHAPTER VIII. "T "r TEDNESDAY morning ar- rlvcd In somo miraculously I Y V abrupt fashion. It found ' ' them sitting In a sunny corner ot the library. The Cherub was smoking one of his fat, black cigars by special request of the count ess, and be was regarding with ap proving eyes her slim white fingers na they employed an Ivory needle In th j fashioning of some utterly useless af- j fair that looked like a lot of holes (edged with spider webs. She was wearing some kind of a ihouse gown, with lace falling allur lingly away from her white neck and Irounded arms. Somehow or other th (Cherub felt that he was enjoying a I rare privilege. lie was Inclined to accept the gift humbly and In silence, fearful lest It be taken suddenly away from htm. And then cama Epplngs to announc the presence of Mr. Nicholas Wallo .way, adding that his errand was ur gent and Important. ( "Perhaps I had better take my work j in to another room," suggested the countess, starting to rise. "No, nol Don't disturb the cobwebs. Nick's business Isn't half bo important as ho thinks It Is. Bring him right In, Epplngs." "But I had rather not" Whatever her protest might have 'been, it was cut short by tbe prompt entrance of young Mr. Walloway. Ht stopped abruptly, and it seemed as If his gray eyes stared hungrily at tbt jpretty picture she made, standing there in the morning sunshine. Th color went from bis cheeks, and his I lips were tensely drawn. "Well, Nick, you see I'm still rustl 'eating. Great, isn't it?" smiled the Cherub. With an obvious effort young Mr. Walloway shook off his embarrass ment. Acknowledging tbe Countess Vecchl with a stiffly formal bow, he turned to the Cherub. "You must forgive me, Devlne, for hunting you up like this, but I thought I ought to do It It's a matter of busl ines j. Couldn't we" And he looked suggestively at tbe door. "I haven't any ollice here, Nick, and ,thls room la as good as any other. You mustn't mind, countess. Any business I do today will not take long." "But" began Mr. Walloway. "Oh. let's havo it, Nick. Bottom dropped out of something?" The Cher-! ub was smiling amiably. "I rather think you would have thought so If you had been on the floor Just before closing yesterday. ITho Bates-Rimmer crowd Is after P., IZ. and N. I believe they mean to gob ble it up." "Ah, that gang, eh?" This timo the Cherub showed his white teeth when he smiled. "They began it as soon as they found you were not on deck, and they've 'been at it ever since. Your brokers had ten clerks out looking for you." "Got nervous, did they?" "Nervous! Why, man. didn't you see whero P., Z. and N. closed yester day?" "Haven't rend a paper since I've been here, Nick, and don't intend to. When you go back tell my brokers to keep cool." "But the Bates-Rlmmer crowd mean mischief, Cherub. There's u lot of them in a big pool, and they're ham imerlug your railroad holdings right and left. Some one has been leaking Information, and they're hitting you where It will hurt. AVhen 1 saw how things were going I began wiring you. Didn't you get tho messages?" "I knew those must be from you, Nick; no one else knew where 1 was." "But why didn't you answer?" "Well, I didn't read them, for one 'thing; I was too busy. We were hav ing a bully time, the countess and I, feeding the swans." "Feeding the swans!" Mr. Nicholas Walloway mado a gesture Indicating (despair. "Did you ever watch swans squabble for sweet crackers, Nick?" "Crackers! Ycu might Just as well have thrown bunches of thousand dol lar bills at them. Why, Cherub, P., Z. and N. opened at au this morning. As soon as I found you hadn't shown up I started for you. I had my car meet me at tho station, aud it's outside now. We can Just make the 11:30 back, and perhaps you'll be In timo to stop them before it's all over. Como en; let's start" ' "Sorry, Nick, but I couldn't think of tit. I'm taking a holiday, you sec." "What! Do you mean to say that jyou'ro not coming?" Mr. Walloway (gazed doubtlngly at the Cherub. "Not today, Nick." "Oh, I say, Cherub, don't be an" lie checked himself with a swift glance at tho countCBs, whoso brown eyes In stantly sought the cobwebby stuff In her lap. "Don't bo foolish," ho con. tinned. "I haven't told you all-the worst, you know," " Well," yon can tell' mo all labouT It tomorrow, Nick." "Tomorrowl Great Scott, man, you don't understand! They mean to fin evm -By SEWELL FORD 1909. by Mitchell Kcnneriey 0 ish the Job today. Tomorrow migm a well be next year. Why, you've barely a fighting chance left now, and I don't know that you have that Tbt street Is wild with It" "I guess things are not as bad as all that Nick. I'll be down bright and early in the morning." Mr. Walloway put both hands oa Mr. Dcvine's shoulders. "Cherub," ho said, speaking with an effort at calmness, "you're too good a man to be beaten by a gang like that You must come back. You havo friends-Iota of them. We'll get them together and go after that crowd. Besides, It's the old Bates-Rlmmer crowd." urged Wnlloway. "You know them. They're like a pack of mangy wolves." "Yes; you're right, Nick. They've snnppcd at my heels many a time." "And now they're nt your throat Cherub. Come on, won't you?" For an Instant the' Cherub hesitated. Then he Jumped to his feet As he "TBS, TESl OO, AND AKD EHASH THEM." did so he met the earnest eyes of the Countess Vecchl. Until then he seem ed to hare forgotten her presence. "There!" exclaimed tho Cherub. "I had almost forgotten. I promised to drive you Into the villago this after noon to buy more stuff for making cobwebs, didn't I, countess?" Mr. Walloway threw up his hands. "Devine," he said hoarsely, "I'll wait outside In my car for just three min utes and a half. If you are not there by the end of that time I'll have to go back without you." "All right, Nick. Much obliged for coming." "But you'll send some word, even If you don't go, won't you?" "You might give my regards to old Rimmer." Mr. Devlne had followed his friend to the door. Now he returned, to find that the countess had been looking ex pectantly after him. Tho cobwebby affair had been dropped hastily to the Uoor and lay tangled at her feet "You are making this sacriflco to keep me from leaving the house that was once my home?" she said. "Then I must tell you that I shall not ac cept It. Vou must go at once." "Oh, thoso fellows aro always ready for that sort of thing. I suppose they will do more or less damage, but I guess I can stand it." "You must go back with Mr. Wallo way. Please, go!" "No; I can't" "Can't! Why can you not go?" "Because well, becauso I think more of showing you that I'm not a born gambler than 1 do for all tho railroad stock In the country. That's why." This came straight from tho heart of Cherub Devlne. And tho countess could sec nnd hear. She understood. "Oh, oh!" There was surprise in the cry, perhaps Joy. For nn Instant she bid her faco in her hands. When she took them away tho spots of color were gleaming beneath her brown eyes. Shyly and very demurely sho came to him with clasped hands and gazed up at him as if to search for tho truth In his face. "I believe you," she whispered. "Oh, I do believe In you! But I want you to go. Go this time, to please me." "Honest? Are you sure you want mo to go?" Ho gripped his hands tightly at bis side as ho looked at her. "Yes, yesi Go, and and smash them." The lighting spirit of all the old Continental Hewlngtons must havo blazed up and burned anew In her brown eyes. "Don't let them beat you. Smash them hard!" Sho made a gesturo with her soft, white hands to illustrate what sho wished him to do. Tho Cherub smiled. "But you will not run away while I am gone, will you?" ho demanded. "Perhaps not if you smash them hard enough. Hurry! Ho Is start ing!" Sho whirled him about by tbe shoul ders and pushed him toward the door. "nold on. Nick, I'm coming!" shout, ed the Cherub. The countoas ran down the stent and tossed a package to him. "I almost forgot," she said breath lessly. "I wanted to ask you to sell thoso for me. They're some stocks or bond or something, and I want them sold. That's all." The inner works of the vohlclo bc ican to whir violently, tho big car leaped forward, and a moment later the Countess Vecchl could see only a little cloud of dust that showed through the trees lining tho road to the village. It remained for a train boy to"di close Just how the public viewed the crisis in Mr. Devlnc's affairs. Half way to the city the boy came aboard with the early afternoon editions. From the headlines It was evident that the disturbance In Wall street had become popular topic, the- sensa tion of the hour. One enterprising journal Indulged In half page cartoon, which was sup posed to represent the situation. It was entitled "Plucking a Cherub." A scandalous caricature of Mr. Devlne It was, showing him most Inadequate ly clothed, but possessed of a pair of wings from which a group of bad boys were gleefully pulling what fow feathers remained, while the victim rubbed bis flsts Into tear leaking eyes and made no attempt at defense. "Oh, my, my!" and Mr. Devlne rock ed mirthfully over the cartoon. "It would be funnier If it wasn't so d d near the truth!" growled Wal loway. "Of course I don't know Just how deep you've plunged on this P., Z. nnd N. deal, but I gathered that you'd gone In rather steep." "Yes." admitted the Cherub more soberly, "I havo. In fact, It's tho big gest thing I ever tackled." Nick Walloway gazed at him Incred ulously. "And right in the middle of It you take a day off to feed the swans at Uewlngton Acres!" "I'd take a year off If it was neces sary." Young Mr. Walloway paled a little. "Devine," he began hesitatingly, "It's It's the countess, Isn't it?" Tbe pink In the Cherub's chubby cheeks flashed up behind bis cars. "The countess!" he exclaimed. "Why. she's way out of my class. Kick! Oh, she's about a hundred per cent too good for me aristocratic, ro flncd. old family and all that Why, she wouldn't look at me, Nick! You know she wouldn't" "I know that you've been looking at her and and" Something was in terfering with tho speech of young Mr. Walloway. However, he mastered the difficulty. Suddenly reaching out, he grasped the Cherub's right hand and gave it a crushing grip. "I 1 wish prou luck, old man." Perhaps Mr. Devine was a little sur prised by this unexpected display of emotion from tho usually reserved young man. If bo was be brushed It aside. "Luck nothing, Nick! Much obliged for your good wishes, my boy, but I haven't the ghost of a show. Now, If I was a chap like you thcre'd be somo hope for me. Say. Nick, I wonder you never took a" "Beg pardon, Dovlne, but let's stick to tbe point. I should not presume to Intrude my advice on personal mat ters, but If I were you I would drop P., Z. and N. until you can glvo your whole time nnd thought to tho busi ness. Why don't you pull out?" The Cherub ceased to stare dreamily. "Nick," he said abruptly, "I'll tell you something. I've changed my plans. I'm going to do something besides speculate in that stock. I'm going to buy that road, and I've got to get control before next Friday noon." "Cherub, you're crazy! It's Impossi ble! Why, tho Bates-Rlmmer crowd scooped In two-fifths of tho stock yes terday, so they say. You know what that means they'll -wreck It wring it dry. Tbe small outside holders havo been tumbling over each other to un load. See here" and he pointed to a newspaper on his knee "fifty lots of fered during tho first half hour today and the quotations dropping by quar ter points. Why, you can't stop 'em, man. They've got you on the run." "Yes, yes, it looks llko it, I know. But wait until I've had a chance at them. Let me think this thing over." Mr. Nicholas Walloway withdrew Into his corner of tho smoking com partment to stare nbseutmlndedly out of the window. Tho Cherub was soon apparently engaged In a profound con templation of tho end of his cigar. You would not have guessed, to look at him, that ho was considering any thing more serious than tho flavor of tho tobacco. Not until they were on tho ferry did he break the silence. Then, briefly and crisply, ho outlined his plan of action. Nick Walloway heard him through with a glow of ad miration in his eyes. "If you can do that, Cherub, you'll win," ho declared; "but if the scheme slips up" "Then I'm down and out But It's got to go through," and Mr. Devlno's mouth lost some of Its cherubic curves. "You'll do your part, Nick. Oh, It will bo easier than you think! They'll never suspect you're In It And don't try to report until 11 tonight Then you know whero to come private din ing room, tenth floor. I'll havo 'em all there at 11." When Cherub Dcvlno appeared on tho floor a half hour beforo closing timo tho rumors of his defeat were passing from mouth to mouth. The Bates-Rlmmer retainers wero Indulg ing In a war danco of victory. Silently tho Cherub passed to his ac customed corner and began tearing pieces of paper Into small bits with tho samo calm, unhurried air of ab straction as usual. Many glances were tuurnuxul nn Kirn nvvat nt (harrt oi rlous, a few sympathetic, soma tri umphantly vindictive. Everywhere he was regarded as a beaten man. Now and then a gray uniformed floor boy handed him messages, which ho read leisurely and as leisurely reduced to fragments. Just as tho session closed Pop Rtmmcr passed near blm and turned to favor htm with an apellko leer. Tho Cherub blinked unrcspond Ingly. He seemed too dazed by mis fortune even to dlsguiao his chagrin. A Bomcwhat different Cherub Dc vlno It was, however, who met hi half dozen lieutenants that night be hind tho seclusion of safely locked doors on the tenth floor of a gaudy big hotel. Ho hnd become an alert, masterful, confident person, who thrill ed those about blm by a revelation ot ungucsscd resources and unsuspected reserves of force. The climax of tbe struggle was reached during Thursday. Along about tho noon hour the members of the Bates-Rlmmer combination were forced to admit that tho Cherub was still In tho fight They made tho ad mission with profane unction. They did not understand why it was so. They only know that In some mysteri ous manner their triumphant career had been checked. Thus It went All that aftcrnooa the contest waged. Now the price of P, Z. and N. stocks slumped desper ately, now it skyrocketed amazingly. Other stocks were affected. The wholo list quaked and quivered as the struggling giants of finance wrestled heedlessly about tho arena. Placidly smoking a fat black cigar and tilting comfortably back In on of Wnlloway & Co.'s mahogany office chairs, Cherub Devlne received bul letins from tho front That was the position in which Nick Walloway found him when, after the day waa over, he rushed In, haggard of face and with an anxious look In his eyes. "We lack fifty shares." he announc ed briefly. "Then that's fifty we must get to morrow morning," responded the Cherub. "It can't be done." declared Wallo way. dropping hopelessly into a chair. "The country has been raked with a fine toothed comb. We can't get hold of another share. I'm sorry. Cherub, but I've done my best for you. The P., Z. nnd N.'s annual meeting Is held at noon tomorrow, and the Bates-Rlmmer crowd has practically got us beat en now. If we only had fifty shares more we could wipe them off the face of the earth." "You're as bad as the countess," chuckled the Cherub amicably. Then as this reflection recalled something to bis mind he thrust bis hand into an inner pocket of bis coat and drew out a long envelope, at which he stared blankly. A twinge of guilt pricked bis con science. There he had completely for gotten the first errand with which she hnd Intrusted him. Doubtless It was to exchange tills stock for cash that she bad been so anxious to come to tho city. Perhaps she had been ex pecting a remittance by every mail. Shamefacedly he opened tho envelope to make an Idle examination of the contents. At tho first glimpse his ex pression changed, nastily he ran through the documents, then shoved them back iuto tho envelope. A moment later he asked quietly, "How many shares did you say we lacked, Nick?" "Fifty," gloomily responded Mr. Wal loway, his head between his bands. "And about how much would they bo worth to me just now?" "Worth! Why, anything three hun dred, five hundred, a thousand dol lars a share If you could get them which you can't" "No?" responded the Cherub. '.'Well, what do you say to those?" and ho tossed the long envelope to Wnlloway. That young man took his head from between his hands and glanced re proachfully at tho Cherub. It waa no time for Joking. But he took the pack et and began n spiritless investigation. Suddenly he Jumped to his feet "Devlne!" ho exclaimed hoarsely. "These aro P., Z. and N. preferred!" "Sure." The Cherub was watching him with calm interest. "And there aro twenty-five fifty ono hundred shares!" "Right again, Nick." "But where on earth Cherub, are you n wizard?" "Just make a note of It that I owe the Countess Vecchl a hundred thou sand dollars. Guess I cau afford to bull tho market a little on her ac count, eh?" "Afford to! Why, Devlne, this gives you control of tho road. You've got tho Bates-Rlmmer crowd under your thumb. You'vo won, man; you've won!" to be continued. To Walk Well. Don't drag your feet or fling them or lag or stride. Learn to glide into a room gracefully. It Is Impossible for a woman to bo awkward in her walk it she walks straight and keeps her knees stiff. The act of swinging the feet out gives one a graceful gait. Walk slowly. Skirts wind around your calves when you walk rapidly, and all semblance of graco is lost Walk in a leisurely manner, as if you wero a princess, not a hurried, wor rled, overworked woman. Don't swing your shoulders. Don't swing your arms. Don't twist yourself in sinuous mo tions. Don't contort Don't wlgglo. Hold your chin lu. This is the most Impprtant thing of all. Don't walk or look or act like an old porson. There are no old persons In these days. Touch tho ground first with the balls of your feet, with tho heels striking an Instant lator. : Selections 1 THE APPLE CELLAR.' How to Makt and to Keep It as Neat and Sweet a It Should Be. An apple collar should be the tidiest and sweetest corner of the bouse. Nothing else should over be stored In It. Us walls should bo at least twen ty Inchos thick and It should have abundant light. All summer It should be open to draughts of nlr and kept free from any decay. There should be no mouldy boards nor any smell of mildew; In other words, the air should be fit to breathe. When the apples aro stored the draught should be stopped and when steady cold sets In you should shut the collar tight and let It stay tightly closed until May. You can place such a cellar as this conveniently under part of your barn r under your carriage house, says Outing, only there should be no stable adjacent The floor overhead should be covered with autumn leaves spread thickly to prevent any change of at mosphere below. The thermometer all winter should stand at about 33 Just above freezing. Put your apples In shallow blna, cement the floor to keep out rata and If barrels are used set them up somewhat from the floor. Presentiment Is Verified. A remarkable story of a presenti ment and Its verification comes from Fnrnham, England. Mr. H. Harland of Aldershot, whilst out driving In the adjoining district of Farnborough, was oelxjd with the feeling that something serious had happened to one of his children, who was staying with Its grandfather at Fnrnham. He Imme diately telephoned to the grandfather, and was informed that nothing had occurred. Mr. Harland, however, vas unable to get rid of the Impression, and he telephoned to his wife, wh. cycled off at once to Fnrnham. On the way she overtook a party who were taking her child to the grand father's house from Moor park, where It had fallen into a deep stream and had a narrow escape. Rather Clever, What? While the proverbial Englishman may not be able to distinguish a Joke In less than two weeks' time he often says something to arouse the risibili ties. Among the passengers on one of the big ocean liners lately coming from Cherbourg was a Britisher with an appetite for information on topics of every conceivable description. Wherever knowledge was being dis seminated he was to be found. One day ha overheard another pas senger remark that the captain had said they should see Sandy Hook with in twenty-four hours. "Sandy Hook!" exclaimed the Eng lishman; "and who's he; some promi nent Scotchman In New York?" Valued Reform In Turkey. One of the reforms which have been placed to 'the credit of the Young Turkish party In the Ottoman empire Is the abolition of the "red ticket reg ulation." Until this took place a red card was Issued to a Jew on arrival in Palestine, the possession of which entitled the holder to a three months' residence. If the red ticket man wish ed to remain longer, the credential had to be renewed, and this naturally led to abuses In the nature of graft. The abolition of this restrictive meas ure was urged upon the authorities by Israel Zangwlll. Horse Dies from Grief. Grieving over the death of his mas ter, Rob, an old horse owned by tho lato Capt. Theodore Sammons of the Henlopen life saving station in Lewos, Del., refused to eat anything or even lift his head. The animal lay down In his stall and was found dead next morning. Bob had been driven for years by Capt. Sammons as he made his trips to the life saving sta tion or into town. He would allow none but the captain to feed or take care of him. High Record for Balloons. The record of altitude in aeronau tics has been attained by Slg. Placen za and Lieut. MIna, In an nBcenslon mado from Milan, says the Scientific American. Their great spherical bal loon, the AlbatroBs, carried 2,000 pounds of ballast at tho start and reached an elevation of 38.700 feet, or more than seven miles. The aero nauts experienced a temperature of 25.8 degrees Fahrenheit, and landed near Milan three and one-half hours after they started. Unquestionable Probity. A housewife who had met with un pleasant experiences through a dis honest servant took the precaution beforo filling the vacancy, to writo to the applicant's last employer for ex plicit Information as to the girl's hon esty: "I believe Molllo to be thor oughly honest," came the prompt ro ply. "I certainly never knew her to take anything, not even my orders. She didn't even tako pains." Houses 4,000 Years Old. Pole dwellings 4,000 years old, simi lar to thoso discovered In the north of Switzerland, have been unearthed In a swamp on tho plateau east of Lake Vetter, 120 miles northwost of Stockholm, The excavations disclosed petrified apples, wheat kornels and nuts, pottery, flint and horn imple ments, amber ornaments and wild boar teeth, all In good state ot preservation. a iioiLSirs Ton nails. Tils Hoofs Play tlio FAi-t and Grow n Third of an Inch n Month. Few persons realize that a horse's hoof Is really the samo thing as the toe nails of human beings or ot animals having toes. The horn ot a hoof grows Just as a toe nail docs. The hoof grows more rapidly In unshod horse thnn In those wearing shoes, and It grows faster In horses whloh are well groomed and well fed. But on tho average the horn grows about a third of an Inch a month. Hind hoofs trow faster than foro hoofs. The too of the hoof being the" longest part. It takes longer for the horn o grow down there than at the heel. For Instance, tho toe will grow entirely down In from eleven to thirteen months, while the heel will grow down In from three to five months. As the new horn grows out cracks or defects In tho old gradually work down to where they can be cut off. Just as with human finger nails you can watch the progirss of a bruise from the root to the tip. New York Bun. Anu Temperature. The greatest dally change of tem pernture to be found on the earth's surface Is In Arliona. There Is fre quently a change of 86 degrees In 12 hours. Animals of the Earth About!, 500 dICsrent kinds of ani mals are known on earth that Is, warm-blooded, mllk-glvlng creatures like our common domestic animals. New Zealand Half Holiday In Now Zealand everybody Is bound by law to take a weekly half holiday, and there must be no shirk ing the obligation. Bad Headache? How your head throbs and snaps I But your head is not to blame. The trouble is lower down. Your stomach is all out of order and your liver is sick. You know you are constipated perhaps you hare neglected it for days. The poisonous bile Is getting into your system. Your-whole body rebels. You feel tick all over, but your head suffers most. Don't fool or temporize with a bilious headache. Don't take harmful drugs which only deaden the pain. Start right. Begin at the cause. 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