Liberty Express, Volume 13, Number 32, Liberty, Union County, 10 March 1916 — Page 3

A TALE

Qf CHESTER lyP

question." He left the two experts in silence, fnelus each other glumly arross his desk, and went Into the adjoining room, where he surprised the meek little stenographer by sinking on the arm of a bench and laughing noiselessly until he grew purple in the face. Timbers came in. looking much distressed for a fat man. and surveyed

Bozzara in astonishment

Arrali

of h'u

CHAPTER XI.

"3'ng a Little Protection For- tha

People. HAT sterling friend of the pop-' ulace. that stalwart defender of the rights and the morals and the welfare and the purses aduiiriug constituents, that vo

ciferous choke of the neonle. Stnte

j Senuor Allertun. was discovered by I

Slip me the good one." he begged. ; Sled ke iu the act of serving the public

"I need a laugh worse than I ever

needed a drink on the 4th of January."

"We've stung Moodson!" snorted Eoz-

inte

thes

ests by playing iHjker in the rooms

.ssemblyniau Buckley, and with

i two conscientious patriots. deei

also Jin the exercise of their duties to ,

t IU CIIHUb j . r - .. . ii the tomnim wi.iit I, .1

zum. "tor tnat mauer. we u bci - i . ce me Cijr mvu

Meuize wanted tu kw-.'rmw.hio iv..i

"But the worst Is yet to come." per Bisted Bendlx, beginning to have a cer tain lugubrious enjoyment in the inter mlnable list of disasters. "Schwarz man tells me that Judge Lansdale positively refuses that appointment as attorney for the anti-dry movement. If he stays on the bench. Sledge, nothing on earth will make you right. With all your power, and all your influence, and all your money, and all your friends, you can't get away from that trial; and If you ever come to a show down they'll get you. The best you can do will be two years away from the sunshine. When you go out for a walk you'll have your hand on the shoulder of the man In front of you. and when you get back Into the Occident you won't have enough of the organization left to act as pallbearers." Sledge's chin sank a little lower on his collar. lie had never permitted

the shadow of defeat to tom b even the '

hem of his coat, but now its dimness seemed very close to him. and in that shade there was a chill. Adolph brought In a letter, a square

out of place on the edge of a beer tray, j V-j

uruuii luv ii, erui .iuuiiu uui n nil a jerk of his thumb and started to open it, but the flap was sealed with a fancifully wrought monogram stamped In gold sealing wax. and after a moment of reflection he passed it silently over to his chief. Sledge opened It mechanically and

and build. Dig up for your stock." Bozzam merely blinked. This was a blow so unexpected that he could

drew out a neatly engraved card, which read as follows: Mr. B. Franklin Marley begs to announce the engagement of his daughter, Ethelyn. To Mr. Albert T. Glider. Sledge slipped that announcement calmly In his pocket and turned slowly to bis pitcher on the table. Whatever his Idea concerning that may have been he changed it, for, his eyes slowly distending, he reached out and grabbed the pitcher, and suddenly there was a splintering crash He bad thrown the pitcher with Its contents straight through the window, glass and ll! I "All off with the roses, eh?" surmised Bendlx, considerately concealing his sympathetic knowledge of the hurt which had been Inflicted. "Xawr roared Sledge. "They sent me some blanked pink ones!"

i i mi riMMi vm m i mi

t t

CHAPTER X. The Quarrel. SLEDGE'S first step toward "picking up the beans" was to send Bendlx down to round up the Third ward and then to lock himself In the president's room of the First National for an hour, at the end of which time he sent for Davis. "1 want $750,000," he directed. "Yes. sir." hesitated Mr. Davis; then he added apologetically, "You know we expect the bank inspector to surprise us day after tomorrow." "Wire him to put it off ten days," or dered Sledge. "I suppose you'll fix us up with a temporary acknowledgment of some sort and be ready to turn over some securities In that time." "Any way you say," agreed Sledge Indifferently, and fell again to such

deep musing that he did not hear

Davis' elaborate explanation of how the thing would be managed. Presently Davis, who carried a onltentiary sentence to bed with him every night In case anything happened to Sledge before morning, brought him some papers to sign, and the felony was committed simply, neatly and with no apparent effort. Sledge, bearing his certificate of deposit, went over to the Merchants' bank, where he transacted a little equally expeditious business with President Johnson, who, with his forehead corrugated like a washboard, took Sledge's check and gave him a receipt for it; then the boss went to see Bozzam. "You sold those franchises yet?" he demanded. "Not yet," replied Bozzam. "But I'm going to. Look here, Sledge, why not be reasonable about this thing? Fifty thousand is all we can get. Why not take it. give us our fifth and let us wt away. We're disappointed, but we're not saying anything." "Aw, hang up!" rasped Sledge. "You told Bendlx you had a right to sell it and was going to. Why "didn't you?" "I've been waiting because I wanted to act with your consent" Sledge chuckled. "You mean Marley was afraid to buy until I agreed." "He would rather have you satisfied," admitted Bozzam. "Well, I ain't," announced Sledge "We don't sell." "Not at all?" asked Bozzam. reveal lng the secret worry under which he had labored ever since the meeting. "JHxr replied Sledge. "We keep 'em

"Nix!" replied Sledge. "We keep 'em and build." scarcely comprehend It. Moreover. It was a blow beneath the belt. "Dig up?" he faintly repeated. "Two hundred thousand cash," Sledge rumbled. "I dug." lie tossed Bozzam a receipt from Johnson, the secretary of the Ring City Rapid Transit company showing that Benjamin F. Sledge had paid $700.000 cash for 7.500 shares of stock in that live corporation. "Here's the stock," added Sledge, throwing down one lone certificate for the entire amount "You don't mean that you're going to make a bona fide company out of this?" Bozzam incredulously questioned. "The money's la the bank. Make food or let go." Bozzam felt his circulation stopping. "We can't let go!" he blurted in acute I '.in. "Sure not said Sledge, lifting his heavy upper Hp to snarl at him vindictively. "You cheap crooks thought you could double cross me. You bought stock In Bert Glider's name. You loaned Marley enough to buy control. Any way you fix it you lose." Bozzam reflected over that statement carefully. He viewed It from every angle. He twLsted and slanted it and turned It upside down to look at the bottom. It was a flawless statement, sound and solid in every particular, and he admired It. "I believe everything they ever said about you," he acknowledged and laughed pleasantly. "Now, let's get down to cases. Sledge. How can we compromise this mess?" "Nothing doing. No double crosser ever gets away from me." "So I've been told," commented Bozzam, smiling with keen appreciation of some uuhinted joke. "Yt seems to me

this Is now up to Moodson," and bei

touched a bell. A girl entered. "Send Mr. Moodson in, please," said Bozzoin, and Sledge looked at his watch. Mr. Moodson arrived and took a chair opposite Sledge and on the other side of Bozzam, his mouth so tightly closed that one wondered how he could Induce himself to eat He looked at his watch, but held the face toward him like a poker hand and dropped it stealthily back In his pocket, as If he feared that some one might get the time of day away from him. "I've a queer little puzzle for you, Moodson," said Bozzam cheerfully. "Mr. Sledge has determined to make a bonafide company out of the Ring City Rapid Transit, and of course will not sell the franchises. He has put up his $750,000 and requests us to put up our $200,000 to complete the capitalization. He knows that you financed the drama at the recent stockholders' meeting; that you bought 1.000 shares of stock for $33,000 and loaued $50,000 on $200.000 worth of Marley's. Now, here Is the case in a nutshell: If you put up the $200,000 to pay for the stock In this new company It will drive the other one out of business, and you can get half a cent a ihhhkI for your $8o,(M) worth of stock certificates in the old company. If you don't make good on this subscription you get exactly the same price for your old stock as you would If you did Now, what Is the answer, in view of the fact that Mr. Sledge Is absolutely Implacable and means to do us harm? 1 shall leave you gentlemen to discuss the

stung, but I'm willing to lose my end

of It In order to see that inhuman ghoul get his." Timbers grinned to his full capacity, which was much. "I didn't know you hated Old Gloom as bad aa I do. Where did be go to die?" "nave a look," offered Bozzam. pointing to the frosted glass partition. In a corner of one of the panes there was a little clear space made by the scaling of the glass, and to this Tim bers applied his eye. Moodson's face had turned- a sallow yellow and had taken on an expression as if he had Just swallowed quinine, but beyond this he had not moved, and neither gentleman had said a word Sledge, sitting In comfortable enjoyment, waiting, and Moodson suffering intense contraction of all his vital organs. Timbers leaned against the woodwork to chuckle. Bozzam drew him kindly away. "Let me look," he requested. "Besides, you're shaking the partition." In quiet Joy he watched the wordless duel within for a moment, and then he suddenly turned to the meek little stenographer, who was placidly readbig, and asked her to call up Marley. "What do you want with the fluff In this pathetic hour?" inquired Timbers. "Hand him his," snickered Bozzam. "Why does anybody get fussy with Sledge? He turns one little trick and unwhiskers the whole bunch of us, clear down to the village heartbreaker." "Fancy Bert?" guessed Timbers. "Where does that barber's pride come inr "I don't think son-in-law pulls off his amusement park, does he?" Bozzam reminded him, reaching for the telephone. "Hello. Marley!" he called. "I'm surprised to hear your voice." "Why?" Inquired Marley stiflly. being constitutionally opposed to any thing In the nature of flippancy and being always severe with Bozzam fur that very reason. "Because you're dead," Bozzam in

formed him. "Hadn't you he rttfTrtr

4I don't understand you." r pnm4 (

red fro

Lui

ity

ivU i- ocx r mui uise t ai-. who was heavv set. but m.t fnt !

and' who looked like a prosperous shoe !

mei; uant. and old Pnn Crpeiuim ti.o1

eyed administration wheelhorse ' a Pickerel county, and Calvin T. her, the ministerial looking profanexpert, and Can Dhrzlesbv. the

avowed and prufesstHlly bitter enemy ! Of fSkihre. WllOS nvprv ivhlto tvMcL-url

... . ....... " v. . u.-.uv. I

wals needed as a calendar for his many hojWabie scars of forensic battle. tt was Cap Digglesby who was the flrfet to hall the visitor as he entered thiedoor. j'Hello, malefactor of great wealth." h(J called. "Have you a spare queen of i-Jibs about your person?" I'Tni shy on queens," confessed SjeJge, looking down with indifference af the game he played so indifferently, puck ley. I'm dry." j "Beat you to It old man." replied fcuekley easily. He was a spare person, Mth the neatly combed appearance of a dancing master, but with intensely fclear eyes and deep creases in his (checks. "I sent word to the bai as soon 'as the phone announced you. Your stein will be right up." "Thanks!" grunted Sledge, and considerately fell to estimating the jackpot Allerton. a smooth featured man witL a good forehead and a smlltmr

.eye, picked up the two cards which! had been dealt him, compared them i judicully with the three he held, fold-1 ed them together with minute care i ami tucked them neatly under the J deck. Looking up. he caught the cold- ! ly disinterested eye of Sledge. Every 1 man of the six at the table had tried that same thing, but Allerton was the only one who succeeded. Sledge, paus- .

tfig to Inspect carelessly the bountiful- j

i I arranged siJeboard, moved into the '.

a&ioining room. Allerton arose from

table.

Deal me out for a couple of rounds,'

he suggested. "Buckley, watch my stack. There's twenty-three fifty in it, and Pop Gresham's pile is mighty low." "Vp Gresham took ten blues from Albrton's assortment and added them

Well, what's new?" asked Allerton.

closing the door carefully behind him and sitting on the edge of Buckley's bed. "Street car business." returned Sledge. "I see we have two companies down lme." remarked Allerton. "Which one are you in?" V'N'ew one. Seven hundred and fifty tnousand."

"Whew!" whistled money Involved?"

Allerton. "Any

Marley. Tm very busy Just n,w. Ir. uyds own. Bozzam." ' , i tCkfirfze me ten from your friend's "What's the oser'ilaughed that ken--! 7. Buckley," lie buckled, with tleman. "Nothing you can do will save . .-layfulness intended to conceal his

your scalp. Sledge has Just decided not I satisfaction. ..

to sell those rrancmses at any price. "I thought you were the duly authorized agent empowered to act," protested Marley. "I was as long as it was a phony company," explained Bozzam "But Sledge has Just played a lor down trick on us." f "How could he? What has he done?" "Put up his money. Made the company legitimate. He's going to build.' Marley surprised Bozzam. "I had expected that" he calmly announced. "Suppose he does?" "Oh, nothing," answered Bozzam, with a wondering glance at Timbers. "He'll Just put you out of the business, that's all" "I don't see how," Insisted Marley, his voice now pompous again. "You must remember, Mr. Bozzam, that I am uow in absolute control of the King City Street Railway company an can use to the advantage of the company and of myself, for the first time io my career, my training and ability in Jnanagement I fancy that I can protect myself, even against strenuous competition." , "Goodby, old friend," said Bozzam. in his tremolo. "You may not know what has' happened to you, but I do, and I'll send you a bunch of lilies In the inoraIng." He turned from the telephone In numb amazement "Ho actually doesn't know he's hurt" he puzzled. "He's been president on his own vote Just long enough to' get enlargement of the coco. How's the quarrel?" ! "Fierce!" grinned Timbers, turning from the peephole. "Sledge has Just looked at his watch, and any minute now I expect to see Moodson move a toe." - "They're wonders, both of them," enJoyed Bozzam. "I'm still admiring

how many of us second rate yeggs Sledge nailed to the wall with this no

pin Moodson and you and me, farcy

Bert, and Marley and about a million

poor lollops of stockholders. "That stock would make good cia

rette lighter-," agreed Timbers. if Moodson hurries, though, he can tell the shares be put in Gilder's name." "But he can hold the bag for the $,'K,000 he loaned Marley. I don't know how Sledge will do it but he'll make that stock worth nothing a share and put a curse on whoever holds It" "Hush!" warned Timbers. . "I think Sledge Is reaching for a cigar. No; It's only his watch. That's twice." Bozzam crowded him away from the peephole. Five minutes more passed into eternity, and the silent wonders still sat rooted In the selfsame spot; then Sledje

suddenly got up and passed out of the j

Even the seasoned senator, used as he was to private and personal discussions involving comfortable figures, was startled at the sound of that word. "That listens very cheerfully," he conceded. - "Do you suggest that I bux up that amount of stock for myself In the various street car companies of the state or that myself and friends should club together for that amount?" "Hundred thousand extra for them." responded Sledge with the promptness of a man who has done all his figuring beforehand. Allerton spent some minutes in quiet thought "There's the legal business, too." Sledge reminded him. "That's so." agreed Allerton. "An attorney who is also a large stockholder could control that clientage. Suppose I see Buckley about this? Send him In, will you?" Appreciating the convenience of having no witnesses to conversations which so intimately concern the serving of the public, Sledge loafed out and stood nonchalantly over the table. The five men looked up at him keenly, but Sledge was staring into Cap Digglesby's hand. Buckley finished his deal and glanced up again. He immediately arose. "Take my hand, will you. Sledge?" he begged, and he removed Sledge's stein from the sideboard to the table. Sledge sat down and fingered Buckley's chips while he drank at his beer. "Hope you break him." observed Calvin T. Luther as he presently dealt the

cards. "Buckley's too all fired lucky, and I think he plays crooked myself." "House committee!" yelled Franchise Walters. "That's unciublike language." Sledge looked at his cards and put in chips and drew and bet with the air of a man who Is confirmed in the opinion that the general average will "get" a square player In the end. no matter how he guards himself, and. since not caring whether he won or lost Buckley's chips, he bet the same on a flush as he did on a pair of deuces. He had Increased Buckley's stack slightly when that gentleman returned. Sledge was about to rise, but Buckley sat In Allerton's place instead. "Keep your seat Sledge," he observed as he nodded to Cap Digglesby, Sledge's bitterest and most relentless foe on the floor of the house of representatives. "Yes. keep it five handed." urged Digglesby. "I want to stretch my legs a few minutes, and a four handed poker game is about as exciting as a prayer meeting." Digglesby walked around the room two or three times and looked at the patriotic pictures with which the walls were plentifully decorated for the benefit of Buckley's earnest constituents, then he sauntered into the hall and stretched bis legs Into the next room, where the senator. In deep thought awaited him. Digglesby returned to the poker game by and by, and as he sat down smiled cheerfully at Buckley. Buckley, who had been playing casino, seven-uj' and pinochle with his poker cards and making a mad havoc in Allertou's chips in cousequence. Immediately drew a pair to his triplets and "bet his head off" with keen zest. Digglesby gave no sign or glance at

Bieuge. out nevermeiess. alter another deal. Sledjre arose stolidly from

the table, and. without making any bones about it. walked directly into the bedroom. Allerton was lounging In a cushioned window sill, smoking a

"All cash," Sledge told him. "On the level" "You must have a good outlook," wondered Allerton. - "Naw!" repudiated Sledge. "It's rotten! No franchises." "I thought you held easily salable ones, from what I saw in the papers," puzzled Allerton. "If you haven't, however, you can easily get them from

the city council." "They're no good," Insisted Sledge. "Short terms." "That's right," agreed Allerton, beginning to see the light. "Franchises in this state can be granted for twenty years and are renewable In ten year periods at the option of the city council. I suppose your new franchises are for twenty years." "Uh-hunh!" assented Sledge. "That's when the profits begin." "For both the company and its official friends," smiled Allerton. "It's rather a good provision as far as the public is concerned, however. It gives the people a voice." "Why?" demanded Sledge. Tbey only ride." "And pay." amended Allerton. "We talked this over before at Waver's house and at your office. I think I called attention to the fact that the people were beginning to expect a consideration for such valuable property as franchises." 'They expect a private car for a

nickel," claimed Sledge. "We need

franchise legislation." "It's a dangerous thing to tackle,'

objected Allerton. "The voters are beginning to have ideas about such

things." "That's why we have to work quick, Sledge informed him. "What do you want?" asked Allerton "Fifty year franchises free."

"Good Lord!" exclaimed Allerton. "Why, Sledge, the man who would pro-

jtose that might Just as well retire from

politics forever." "Sure!" agreed Sledge.

The senator stopped, with a shock,

and reflected.

"The street car Interests In the state

are. large, that's a fact" be acknowl edged.

"Great game." approved Sledge. "I

door and went down to the depot and'. ,waQt tock all over the state. You'd

took the 2:30 train for the Late capltaL

better Invest

"It might be attractive," considered

the senator. "How much stock do you

thl'.ik I should secure? "Million."

"It's almost harsh with them," dryly commented Allerton. cigarette, and with his.foot pushed the big leather rocker around to a more Inviting position. "The old veteran found a way," he comfortably explained. "If we attempted to railroad a bill empowering the granting of fifty year franchises without remuneration it would be snowed under so quickly that the teller couldn't keep track of the votes. There aren't ten men In the capltol building who would dare go home to their constituents If they supported such a" measure." "Sure not" agreed Sledge. "Never let anybody do anything in a law. Keep 'em from it" (To be continued.)

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