The Argosy, Vol. 84 No. 2 — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

300 going to hold for a hundred and ten. Had your lunch?” The friend led the way back toward the tables with the high backs like that at which Bruce had taken his first lunch with the cashier. Wheelock suddenly saw Bruce. He paused. “Sorry you’re so far along with the’ feed,” he said; “liked to have you join us.” Then he glanced down at the futile figuring Bruce had done. : “Just figuring your losses, eh? It is tough. I got scared out at fifty-seven and an eighth. If I’d held on—I hate to think of it! I had twelve hundred and didn’t make ten bucks a share on it. What do you know about it?” His tone was as mournful as Bruce was feeling. But Bruce dropped his eyes. He was not ready to show one thing that he knew about it, which was that, one way or other, Mr. Howard Wheelock, cashier of the Ironclad Trust Company, had. lied colossally. CHAPTER XI. A LONE HAND. BRUCE forgot his worry about the little check which showed the employees of the Ironclad that he had an aecount in an- other bank. The fact that he had failed to make a perfectly possible five thousand dollars was too much more serious. Of. Mr. Wheelock’s utterly irreconcilable statements he did not know just what to nrake. There was the possibility that the cashier had merely bluffed with his friend in the café. Yet it would seem a foolish manner in which to bluff—to announce one’s intention to purchase a town house when every one could find out eventually’ that the house did not materialize. On the other hand, there might be some reason for lying to a man who had fol- lowed one’s advice and lost by the follow- ing. There might be reasons for telling another man to play safe with one’s money THE ARGOSY. when one was willing to take larger chances with his own. Bruce knew well enough that the loss of what he now had would not worry him nearly so much as the loss of Wheelock’s twelve hundred would have done. Wheelock may have taken that into con- sideration, may have wanted to. make sure that his protégé made money whether he himself did or not. There was the bare possibility that the cashier felt a fatherly responsibility which would not risk the utter turning of a head by too great a gain at once. At all events, he would not give heed . to the feeling of suspicion which seemed to awaken at every turn in the strange events which had followed his hint at the favoritism holding Mercer in his place. He had done enough suspecting, without any ground for it. Everything thus far indicated a perfectly straight, friendly in- terest. It was simply ungrateful to sus- pect a friendship so highly beneficial and beneficent because he could not compre- hend its grounds. After all, it occurred to Evans, busi- ness men appreciated smartness. That was a thing he had never shown until he had revealed his discernment of thé cause of- the head-bookkeeper’s position. He had heard a story of a concern which ad- vanced an employee because he had been ciever enough to steal from it and hide his defalcations until he won the money to repay them. Maybe his break of a week ago had awakened appreciation of his brain-power. At all events, a greater interest had taken hold of Bruce Evans than the ques- tioning of his superior’s motives or con- trary assertions. He had missed the op- portunity to make five thousand dollars. But that epportunity had existed: The thing was to find another opportunity— and not to miss it. Instantly Mercer’s club flashed into his mind. It had not been far from his thoughts since the sudden evaporation of Thursday night’s terror into Friday morn- ing’s tremendous surprise. He had suf- CORMICOOOKS (C@