The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 1 — page 88: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

78 eyes—‘ we may be able to marry in August after all. Wheelock and I had a little confab this afternoon. I can’t say anything just yet; but there’s a chance of my getting a little money on the side which would help some.” Underneath his cheerfulness was a sense of misgiving. What Wheelock had offered seemed a little too much. The cashier had taken him to lunch. They had gone to a very quiet café and taken a table with high backs to the seats like a Pull- man section. Wheelock had spread a newspaper before him. “See this?” he had asked, pointing to the page of stock quotations. ‘“‘ See what’s happening to Tubular Brass preferred? Ten points in two days! Lordy! I'll have the price of a summer at Newport out of it anyhow.” Bruce looked interested; tried to look intelligent. His knowledge of stocks was gleaned from old numbers of magazines which certainly had not encouraged having much to do with them. “ Evans,” Wheelock said next, “ you ought to be in on this. Let’s see. I don’t know as I could do anything to-day. But this will go on for another couple of weeks. From what I hear, Tubular Brass is headed straight for par. Want to take a chance?” Evans was almost frightened at the thought. To win a hundred dollars, or two hundred possibly, would be such good | fortune as would almost sweep him off his feet. But, if Wheelock were to loan him a hundred dollars and he were to lose— “‘ How’d I ever pay you back if I lost?” he put the objection. “You won’t be the only one in a hell - of a fix if you lose,” Wheelock said with a laugh. ‘ Only, there isn’t a chance to lose. These war babies have made stock- playing such as never happened before.”’ “Of course I don’t know anything about them,” Bruce said. “I’ve never had money enough to invest in anything.” “You will, if I can raise a little extra to put you in on this,” promised the cashier. THE ARGOSY. Already had begun Bruce’s lessons in the duties of his new job behind the paying - teller’s windows. Already. his speedy advancement had been accepted as a day’s wonder by his fellows. He could endure the fact that some of them who had treated him with least -respect before were obviously now envious. Others were showing a friendly interest hitherto unknown to the worst drudge in their office. Already the promotion had lost that part of its glamour which put it among things too good to be true. He had ac- cepted it; come to figure on the ways of spending the big increase in his income; begun to realize how very little difference it could make in his life. But promoting him ‘cost “Wheelock nothing. The question now arose as to why Wheelock should wish to loan him money out of personal funds. Evans had been trying to puzzle it out all afternoon. He told himself that it was but plain common sense to let worry alone. Every reason, however, had been given to be- heve Wheelock’s motives were not un- selfish. The utter change had been wrought by his charge that Mercer’s place was due to favoritism on account of his uncle’s very large deposits and stock in the bank. aeons It was conceivable that Wheelock and Mercer should not wish such.a charge to be circulated about the institution, still more that they should wish, to keep it from being spread outside. It was con- ceivable that they should believe him the only one who suspected its truth. Now that the utter novelty of such treatment had faded a little, he found it not wholly unthinkable that their wish should cause some effort to make friends of him. But to lend him money for a gamble on stocks, with the knowledge that ke could not return it in case of loss—the effect was too big for the cause! Could it be—no,-he would not allow himself to think that there was something Wheelock and Mercer feared worse to CORMICGLOOOKS (E@)