The Lost Contract.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 129, 1 June 1907, Page 10

The Lost Contract.

The \eiir 1903 was one of teruble distress in Wall-street. Kailroad and industrial stocks were <hmn anywhere from tlihty to fifty dollais a shaie. Madison Avenue families that h?d been figuiinc on country estates shut up lilt house ana wtnt rbrortd, where they could live cheaply ■» ithout entirely losing cast. Cabmen who lusd been pricing automobiles oil tho etiength of accrued buckctshop Vrofils wero at theii wits' end t.i get hay nnd o,<ts. Anywhcro in upper Fifth Avenue if a man was f>ccn to smile it was at once suspected that ho wits either a dipsomaniac Oi a Standard Oil magnate. For two years Thoims Wctovcr had been buying up bituminous mines and consolidating them in tho Hoit Coal Corporation. He was carrying three hunched and fifty thousand shares of .Soft Coal stock, and life toes stuck over the edge oi the precipice. He went to Joseph U. Dustin, chaiTniiin and autocrat of the Midland and Atlantic Kailway, and stated his position with perfect frankness — being aware that Dustin knew just what it was, anyway. Dustin ajieed to find the money that would cnablo Westover to carry Ins load of Soft Coal clock foi five yrcirs, the loan to be renewed eveiy six months;. In return, Weatover agiecd to give Midland and Atlantic eighty per cent, of the fi eight oiiginating at his mines, at the regular schedule of rates. Aho, it was agreed that at the end of the five years Westover should receive a rebate of ten per cent, of tho fi eight that the mines had paid 1 to tbe railroad, the amount to be credited on his loan. As each gentleman had a memory which sometimes failed, the substance of this agreement was put in a little typewritten memorandum which both of them signed. Dustin absolutely refused, however, to lot the niemoiandum, or a copy of it, go out of his possession. So it was turned over to Wistrom, fiis confidential clerk. All would have gone well, perhaps; but times began to improve, money to loosen up, stocks to advance. As is veiy natural when the danger is past, it occurred to W*6tovcr that he had beeii too precipitate in throwing hunsclt so \miouervedly into Dustin's sheltering arms. Dustin drove with a tight rein. West- j over became restkss. He secretly entered into negotiations with Mii-sisb* ppi and I Seashore, Dustin's big lival; even surreptitiously gave them a lot of his coal to haul. Dustin found it out, and Baid nothing. But when Westover blithely appeared, to renew his loan, the Treasury Bank and the house of Loinan, Nchlmsinger and Co. which were carrying il, abruptly rcfusea-lo renew, demanded p"a.yment on the spot, and dumped the collateral on the market. Of course, Soft Coal slumped badly, and Dustin scooped in the three hundred ancl fifty thousand eliar-ea at a. price satisfactory to himself. This broke, and enraged, Mr. Westover. 11. Usually, Dustin's big car whirled up to tho station half a minute before the expiesK came in ; and he plunged to the last tseat on tho left-hand side of tho pailorcar aad promptly forgot his surroundings. To-day, however, he was not ablo to forest them. An irritating consciousness of fellow-passengers with nowspapers would como sneaking in. Eveiy ono of tho newspapers had, in big headlinoa on the front page, substantially thie : — "Joseph G. Dustin Indicted. Federal Grand Jury Holds Him on Eighteen Coants for Granting Rebates to Soft Coal Coiporation — Government Will Insist upon a. Prison (Sentence." And in every paper the fcaturo of the story was that while freight age:it3 and' liko underlings had been indicted am}, even, con vi< ted of lobnting, thin wa* tho first time tho law had ever laid a hand upon man high vp — the autocrat of a great railroad system, a multi-millionaire and colossus of the Street. A pious hope that Mr. Dunlin would spend a year or fo behind tho biirß was cpnvoyod, in ono form or another, with ticniiicant unanimity. Turning his head, Dustin caught the glance of a girl opposite. A newspaper lay in her lap. She had swung her charr uround so us to look at him — under a transparent pretence of watching tho hills on that side. As their i>luiicch met, Duatiu fiurpriwd an odd look in her blue eyc3 — as though sho wero just timidly making up her mind to step over and eneak to

him. Tho bashful intention was perfectly evident. He frowned forbiddingly and quickly shifted his glanc-3. Ho wondered irritably, if they had taken to setting tho youngsters on him to get subscriptions for Old Ladies' Homes — or, possibly, to get interview!* for the Evening Roar. She had seamed very young. Curiosity drew his eyes her way again. The girl was looking fixedly out of her own window and the smooth oval of her cheek was still crimson. He noted the soft, y«llow mass of her hair; her 6mall, pink ear. She could hardly be over sixteen. Probably he had been mistaken, and she P3olly had not any designs upon him. On the feTry-boat he caught two men with cameras etalking him, and exploded with wrath. These explosions were bad for his nerves— left them ragged and 1 wiry. His cab was delayed a full two minutes by a lower Broadway blockade. That, also, was irritating. So, when the elavator man clanged tho door very noisily, it was only by an effort that Mr. Dufitin abstained from kicking him. Entering Midland and Atlantic headquaTters, tho autocrat's swift and fiery glance took in Iho coloured servitor sitting by the gate that gives ingress to the privats offices ; also, a young mun sitting -w ithin the bar — a blonde, well-set-up youngster, hardly more than a> boy. lhe> coloured guardian, expert at reading the weather eignals, paled a little as he sprang to open the garc. As the chairman strode through the young man aiose in his path. "Mr. Dustin?" he began. But Mr. Du«tin merely turned his head to throw a vengeful glance at the falso guard and strode by. He meant to have the negro fired at once. Bursting into his own rocm he slammed tho door forbiddingly and touched offe of a row of buttons on his desk before he took off hia hat. He was hardly in his chair boforo Blaine — private secretary on probation sinco the death of Wistrom — came hurrying anxiously in, and spoke without waiting for his chief : "We've looked everywhere — all night — high and low," ha said in a norvotis haste. "That coiitract'is gone, Mr. Dustin." "It isn't gone! It's here!" Dustin tcplied, as though ho were tiring a pistol at the secretary's head. "1 tell you it's heTO ! AVistrom wired me it was ! When 1 saw him at Coronado he said it was among his papers !"' Tho chairman's voico rots.2 in almost uncontrollable rage. Ho j struck the desk so fiercely that it bruibed j his knuckles. "Do you understand that I've got to have it? Can you get that through your head?" "I went through everything — lifted ev-ery paper sheet by sheet. What can I do, Mr. Dustin?" said the seeictury. "Oh, do! Do!" Mr. Dustin had turned white. His lean frame was trembling. At the moment he wished simply to fall upon tho secretary and beat him. But Blaino stood before him so liko a whipped clog that he Someway felt th? futility of venting anger upon him. Ho could not even have that consolation. He writhed a little in his chair, and shouted : ( "Why in did Wishom dte 1" Blame tried to look as though he felt that Wistiom was a mere brute to havo done it. Dustin took a bite of his nether lip, and so far mastered himself as to say, tersely, "Get oat !' Storm signals and danger signs were invisibly seb oil over the office. People tiptoed past the chairman's door. Once more Wistrom Was regiettsd. He had known how to handle the old man. There had been romething about his big, heavy, peison v. hich obviously would not stand a "cussing."' To-d«y, Blaino had to threaten to discharge his stenogiapher befoie that hireling would 'go in and tell Dustin that Mr. Brady had come. For a n>oment after the young man failed avay Dustin gnawed nt the ,itn- , offend ing nether lip. Then he mechanically brushed a bony hund ov*r his rumpled hair, aroce, crossed the intervening office, and 1 entered the loom set ajmt for i.iettings of the diiectors and committee?. A gentleman of large frame stood by the door, globed, nnd "hat in hand. Ho woro patent-leather shoes. His dark tiousers woie pMci«6ly creused ; his coat a cutaway frock. There was a large opal pin in hie puff tie. His jaw wns somewhat undershot. He smiled blandly with his mouth ; but his giey eyes looked coldly out. Ditslin shook hands briefly; and his thought was, "Grin, d n you !" In a moment Placey, president of the Treasury B:ink, and 1 Mayer Schles.Jnger, of the lioufo of Loman, Schlessinger and Co., came in. The foui — together with Buiton, president of the road, who was r.ow out of town, and who didn't count, for much . any waj. as his duties weie merely to opnate"l!ie system— constituted the executive committee of Midland and Atlantic. The business of tho meeting — concerning an issue of collateral bonds — took half an hour. This finished, Mr. Dustin caught Mayer I Suhl.2Bsinger's eye ; gave him a bignificant look ; nodded almost imperceptibly toward Placey. Thus, when Mr. Brady took his leave, Plucey nnd Sohlessingcr lingered — as though they were doing it inadvertently. Departing, urbane Air. j Brady favoured Mr. Du&tin with a. still broader nnd blander smile— above which his gr<iy eyes looked coldly out. Therewas a little silence after tlfe door clavd, which Dustin bioko. "Yellow do,; !" he commented under his bieath. 'He's flirting all the time with the Mississippi nnd Seashore crowd. I wouldn't trust him round the block. He'll get out of here nest year." Placey and Schlessinger looked interested, hut non-committal. Dustin glpupod rapidly fiom one to the other — and risked it. "That WestoveT conliact is lost," he said. '•Lost?" Schlessinger questioned incredulouslj-. "I gavo it to Wistrom to take core of," Dustin explained. "Theio is no copy of it. Before I filed our nnswer to Westover's suit, in which I denied there was such a contract as ho alleged, I asked Wistrom, and ho euid he had it safo. Again, at Coronado, when we thought he was gotting well. I asked him ugain, and ho siiid he wns sure ho had it safe. Of courFC, I alwayn depended upon Wistrom —absolutely. But ho dwd. These blockheads can't find tho contract. '* Placey — a, distinguished-looking man, sweeping iron-grey moustache and ironfjicy hair — put his hand thoughtfully to his moustache. "The contract, as I recollect, mentions rebates," ho suggested mildly. Dii.stin nodded. "Over your signature," said Placey. "If tho Government can produce that contract irf court it can convict you." "Maybe," snid Dustin. "Ac'a matter of fact, no rebates havo been paid yet. They were to be adjusted at the end of the five years. Our books aio clean as a whiFtlc." Plncoy shook his head. "I'm afraid that pioic of paper would blow you up." "Don't mako any mistake, Placey," tho flutirmun replied. "That piece of paper will never he produced against me." "But you any it's gone," SchleM>inger objected. "I say they rant find it," Duel in corlcrteil. "Nothing ever got out of Wistioui's hands. I'm banking on him.'' At tho momont it tlid not occur to cither of them that^thia wnn odd— since Wislrom was three months iv his grave. "Here's tho pluy," Dustin continued. "Of course, it was Westover who went to that fellow at Washington and got me indicted. Probably Westover hus been talking to Brady, too. I wouldn't put it beyond Brady to know, through some ol my people, that we can't find tho contract. 'That grin of his means he thinks he's got mo in iv comer. What hu wants is to have Midland and Atlantic take that Tidewater road off his hands— at a largo profit to himself, of

course. lie's had that trick up his sleeve for d. year — waiting until he could catch me right." "Tidewater isn't worth his price," Schlessinger observed a bit uneasily. "We won't take it at his price. We'll tako it at our own price," Dustin return, cd. "I know Brady. The way to deal v ith him is to hit him over the nose befoie ho has time to speak. Ile'll ask for the earth if you don't. So I'm going to sec him before the day is out and tell him th.it he can soil us Tidewater at a proper pi ice within twenty-four Lours or elre we'll tie up with Direct Line, which will leave him and his Tidewater high u{> in the air." Sehlcssinger staled admiringly at the chaiiman, but nervously thrust his thumbs into his vest pockets. With a' slight motion l'lacey t-hifted his weight to the other foot. A faint line of doubt appeared in his forehead. "Tf y°u forco the play like that, Dustin," he caid, rather kindly, "and Brady has that contract, he'll blow you Sky-high." Du&tin looked him steadily in the eye. "He hasn't got it. I'll stake my life on it. I wanted to show you just how tho ground lies," he added with a cert'lin deciviseness. Downstairs in the middle of the marble rotunda, the two committeemen halted by a common impulse. "Great Heavens"! That man's got the nerve !'' Schlessinger murmured, with a sort of fascination. "To go at Brcdy hammer and tongs like that — when thnt contract may be in Biady's hands for all he knows!" "If Brady's got that contract," said Placey with on almost incidental air, '"he'll force Dustin out. Not even Dus. tin could stand up under a conviction in a Federal Court, with a gaol sentence staring him in tho face." They moved on leisurely. Schlessingcr thrust his thumbs into his vest pockets. "Yes," he and ho added philosophically : "Well, Dustin's been a profitable man." They passed out to the thronged and sunny flagging of lower Broadway. "It's a question," Placey commenced, "how much Midland and Atlantic needs Dustin, now that the big fights are over and the system solidly founded." "Oh, there s' always a man for the job," Schlcssingcr replied, still philosophic. "Brady's got some good propositions, too." At the corner they turned their backs to brown old Trinity and entered the narrow, fretted canon of Wall-f>trect. It was a world of men. In tho briskly moving streams that overflowed the strip of flagging on either side and 6pilled into the loadway lnrdly a woman was to be seen. Many, in tho endless press, looked up at the two committeemen with odd little nervous thrills at finding themselves elbow to elbow with a pair of the potentates of the street — gold lovd6 at whose touch foi tunes swelled and shrank. To these habitues it was like seeing five hundred millions in cash perambulate. They smclled of money. Mechanically the bankers quickened their puce. They were amid the whir and lush of one of the vastest machines built by man. It? pihposo was mainly to throw dice; but it was not tho lets exciting. Walking briskly on, they weic busy «c inning their hands in view of a Midden change of values that might occur. At the moment Dustin was an aco. With that contract in possession of the Government he would be only a two .spot. Of cour'-c, ono mustn't be caught when one has his money staked on a' dcucu. They separated, Placey turning off to j the TjeaMiry Bnnk, SSchkssiuger to the sedate marble offices of his firm.'lfo went dhectly to the senior paitner — a giizzled find hoiivy-shouldeicd veteran, who listened to liv f-Uny with the stolid unblinking g.ize thnt characterised him. "Very likely somebody's got thpt contract," the senior~commented, plucking meditatively at his nhcr bcaul. "Whoever 1 * got it can blow Dustin up. It's good to he around the coiner when thcic's j an explosion. We'll sit still and tee what turns up. If Brady's got it he'll tome to us." 111. Mr. Dustin was under no illusion. He knew well enough how they were seen- * ning their hands, and with what ad- | mirablc promptness they would throw j him into the discard if Brady made v I two-spot of him. Nevertheless, ho called up Brady and made an api ointment for <in interview. Leaving the office at five o'clock he took the Fubway to Forty-sccond-s.tree'l/, for that was the simplest way of getting out of this congested region where a carriage hud to move at a. snail's pace. As he cliinboj into a common cab at the Grand Central Statiun he was aware that it was a magnificent May day ; and when, waiting their turn at tho august hand of tho crossings policeman, they finally drew into Fifth-avenue, he leaned back in the vehicle with some sense of bodily relaxation. Two solid columns of cabs, carriages and automobiles rolled up and do\vn tbe nvenuo, f-iirly filling it from curb to curb. Most of the carriages bore liveried coachman and footman ; most of them contained woniHi. The women who -walked, brightening the wide flagging with their spring costumes, had v cntnin smart sophisticated air. This parade on the Avenue, wag the triumphal piccession of the lucky ; end it was as distinctly tho world of women as that which he had left wbb the world of men. Tho money that men fought for down there was poured out up here. Dublin himself wns carelessly, almost shabbily dmsed^ His cab was a plebeian item in the parade. Ifo was a Gtronger j to tho interior of many of the costly houses past which they jogged, lie didn't go in for "society" himself, and j was rather contemptuous of it. Yet this luxuiious showy women's world gave bicath to his nostrils. lie \ns conscious of his power over it. Outside of it," he wae still a master of it ; and tho incense that it invisibly offeied him titillated his brain. There, just oft' the Avenue, stood an Italian pnlace whoso door gave to the inmost fastness of fashion — 0110 of those several portals to which the women of this woild umpired ns to tho pearly gates. Duslin himself had never crowed tho threnhold ; but the mn.'i who owned it had hung in his nnteroom liko tbe needy supplicant to n giand seignior. That was fur sweeter to him than crossing the thrcGhuld. Such was his humour. This sceno about him attracted the eyes of a continent. The doings of these women werG spread over tho land by telegraph ns though thoy wore events of national importance. From coast to const housemaids gaped and barbeis momliscd over their gowns and parties. This was a dais, high and sunny, on which the most lucky stood in tho view of tho whole country. Dustin himself was not renlly on the dais ; but he could reach out his hnnd and shako it. He could smilo and make its sunshine more golden. Tho"-e on the dais know it. Knowing that they knew it lepaid him for his toils and etinlagcms. Ifis mood to foice the light with Brady shuipcned anil hardened. Dustin haled tho innn religiously. For five years 1)13 will and Brady's v ill hud hern coming together in all ports of bchind-sUirs and down-cellav cncouutcia, incoming and feeling of each other like two wary -wrestlers; sometimes gapping and trying for a fall. Now, ho -was going to have a showdown. Either Biady was coming under his thumb or he whs going under Brady's thumb. There- was 0110 huge, ndverrts chance, and ho wns aware of it. If Brady could get hold of that incriminating contract ho was beaten. The cab jogged on to tlie.iunujr plaza

opposite the park which made a kind of focal point of the Avenue, as the Avenue itself made a focal point of the city, and the city of the country. From the nation, a sign of envy drew to this spot and made its vital air.'*' And the plaza itself envied him! Feeling this, and leaning back in his common cib, Dustin's will was ra/or-sluup. He to go under slippery Brady's thumb? lie was keen to face the man and tako a big slash a,t him. They passed the marble house of the Metropolitan Club, tho leafage of the purk at their left, and turned down the cross street in which Dublin's modest town residence stood. Then, for tho first time, Dust in noticed the smart electric runabout gliding ahead of them ; saw it draw up to the curb in front of his house. It ■was Brady, ahead of time. As the large, trigly dressed and urbane figure emerged from* the shiny lunabout, Dustin's nerves tightened. Xow for the 6lash ! His quickened brain darted oat to that one advei'fC chanco of the contract, and his ncivy, holf-fonnulated thought was, '"I bank on Wislroin." Brady's foot was on tho brownstone steps when Dustin sprang from the cab. lie only half &aw two figuioß on the fligging — a youth and a girl. They seemed to liavo Qcen coming up to fclie house, ancl seeing Brady, to have halted, undecided. In the way one may notice a cart or a cat when running to cateli a train, Dustin realised that they were the girl he had seen on the car that morning and the youth who had waylayed him at Midland and Atlantic headquarters. But it could not be said that he thought about them. He called out to Brady. Mr. Brady paused, smiled pleasantly — all but his eyes — his undershot chin hold in a nose of dignified urbanity. He offered his hand. The two entered the house together. There were no preliminaries. Being seated, Dustin began abruptly : ''Why don't you and the Direct Line people get together? Tidewater and Direct Line might as well bo together. We've got to tate one or the other, or both soon." "Why not tike Tidewater?" Mr. Brady replied good-naturedly. "I can see thirty dollars a share in it." Bradv smiled broadly, even laughed. "It cost me more than that. I should say sixty." "Spofford was in to see me again today," Dustin observed, "I can get Direct Line on a favourable lease now. But I can't wait. I've got to fish or cut bait. He's coining again tit noon tomorrow." "Why be in a hurry?" Brady rejoined, still blandly. "As you are under indictment just now any move you make will be criticised." "Newspaper talk!" said Dustin contemptuously. "Tho indictment amounts to nothing." "The Government might turn up with that Westover contract, you know," said Brady. "With all this hullabaloo about rebates going on, you wouldn't get off lightly." So Brady had heard- the contract was lost ! That thought flashed into Dustin's brain. Brady himself was not quite so urbane now. His grey eyes looked very businesslike. Dustin held them steadily with his own. N "There isn't any Westover contract ; never was one," ho answered. It was a cast of the die. "I disagrco with you," Brady replied quietly. They had scarcely changed their tones or their postures. Yet the polite pretences had all fallen away, leaving them stiipped, shoulder to shoulder. Looking steadily into Brady's ' eyes, 1 Dustin comprehended that, if his own eyelash fluttered now, Brady would be on top of him in a moment. , "Thero is no contractors .repeated. . , "J" J Brady bent forward*-^ H^tlej aniplris largo hand, testing on' his knftc, gontly folded into, a fist. "You can't bluff me, Dustin. Don't try it," ho said, low. "I'll give you forty dollars a shnrc for Tidewater," Dustin replied. "Otherwise, I'll close with Spofl'ord at noon tonionov." Mr. Brady paused a moment, his cold grey eyes boring menacingly at the other. "See here, Dustin, don't crowd j too hard," ho said. "I don't want to sec you in tho penitentiary. It would ] hurt the general situation too much. If | I you close with Spofford it will be the ' last act of your railroad career. Why do you insist on a fight? You and I can get along all right if you'll treat mo docently." | It sounded quite magnanimous. At I any rate, it offered a good lino of retreat. Dustin understood that. But ho hated this man. It was time for v show-down — ho under Brady's thumb or Brady under his thumb ; ono or the other soundly licked. That subtle ancl heady air which he had inhaled on the Avenue 'arose anow to his brain. I "Now you're bluffing, Brady," ho sail calmly. "You can't get your mind off that contract. It's & dead card. Tidewater at forty, or I close with Spofford at noon to-morrow." Brady arose. "'Wo shall see," he said, "if that's the last word." "The laot word," said Dustin. A moment later ho stood alone in tho room — and very thoughtful. Now that it was over he wa3 rather frightened. That one fatal chance of tho contrnct did undeniably stand out against him. Ho might havo temporised — put t it off imtil they could search again. Abruptly he realised what it would mean to be convicted, sentenced to prison. His overdrawn nerves turned a bit sick. But if he should call Brady back now it would be to go un- | dor liis thumb. There wero spells dur- j ing tho evening, and in the night, when ho felt that, taking it altogether it would be pleasantcr living under Brady's thumb than living in jail. Twice or thrice ho thought of Wistrom with a singular, aculcness. If only Wistrom could reappear, and lay his good, fat, uovcr-failing hand oil that contract! In the morning he was both chtistoncd and profoundly irritated. Perhaps he had mado a big mistake in crowding Brady so hard? But, for the life of him, *ho couldn't turn back now. Such was tho habit of his will. Ho must doggedly stand his ground. A little after ten Blainc came in to say that Placey had just telephoned. He and Schlcssingor wore coming over at half-past ton, and wished to sec Mr. Dustin then. Usually Placey and Schlessinger consulted Mr. Duslin's convenienco in such cases. Now they Gimply sent word that they woro coming. This put some of tho fire back into Dustin's blood. Of course, Brady had been to sec them. Maybe they wore coming up to champion Brady's cause. Well, he had never yet laid down, no matter how stiff tho fight. It nerved him anew "Let mo know the minute they come," he said, with a certain biting relish. For ono moment he faced the possibility that they might bo coming to tell him that Brody had his hantls on that contract Thou ho »vas nwuro that Blainu lingered in the room, and lie looked up impatiently. The seerctaiy slid up to the desk and laid a card upon it. "Ho was up hcic twice yesterday," ho explained ncivously. "1 told him you weio busy. He says it's inipoit* ant." Dustin slated down at the card, which bore a printed name and a penciled lino beneath. "What does he want?" ho asked. "He doesn't say ; says it's for you personally," Blaino replied. Again Dustin considered tho card. Temperament, long habit and many disillusioning experiences made him bristle liko a hedgehog against people

who wanted to waste his time ; bore him with projects lhat didn't interost him ; try to work him for "tips" or subscriptions to orphan asylums. And, if the person were ono who might set up some specious claim to his consideration, he bristled all the more. He wasn't running an eleemosynary institution. He hesitatod to say "No," howovor. Finally, with a slight shrug, he said : "Well, show him in." When tho young man entered Dustin recognised him. ft was the youth who had waylaid him in the office tho day before and whom he had Been on the walk by his house. It came to him instantly that the girl he had seen in tho train was his sister. The family likeness was striking. And, by an odd, backward action of the mind, Dustin realised that he hati known who they wore when first lie saw them— that is, ho had been just'on the point of knowing. But he had impatiently shut it down. He roaliscd this now, and the realisation rather embarrassed him. "So yon are Felix Wislrom's son," he said, quite kindly. "Yes, sir," said tho youth. In ono hand ho held his hat ; in the other a ■folded paper which he had drawn from his pocket. "Father told me to give this to you." Dustin took the paper, but did not unfold it. There was no need. "Before father died he told us to put it in your own hands — not to give it to anybody else. Wo got back from California day before yesterday." The young man made the explanation very stiffly. J "H'm. Your father left you comfortably provided for?" Duslin uttered the intimation as gently as he could. "Yes, sir," the son replied. He turned his hat uneasily in his hand. Dustin perceived that, having done his errand, he wished to get out as soon as possible. If his bluo eyes were not exactly hostile, they wore at least uncompromisingly aloof. He was a very likablelooking chap — fresh, strong, well-set up. The old man saw in him a fine youth facing life. Besides, he was Wistrom's son. "How would you like to go in for rail-roading?" Dustin asked abruptly. Under the circumstances it was a great offer. "I shouldn't like it, sir. I'm going to study medicine," said the youth politely, but in a \ery conclusive way. Dustin slightly elevated his eyebrows and turned to the desk. "Well, if there's anything I can do for you at any time," he said benevolently. "Thank ycu," the young man replied, and backed out. Dustin was not used to having comparatively poor ypuths, at the threshold of their careers, rebuff him. It didn't fit xn with his conception of himself as a master of fortunes' whom the whole country envied. He felt disturbed. Not long afterward Blaino appeared to say that Placey and Schlcssinger had come. A slight and grim smile bent Dustin's lip as hp picked up the folded paper and went to the committee-room. He saw at once that his fellow-commit-teemen were somewhat agitated. "Of course, Dustin, you can playyou r own hand in your own way," Placey began. '"But I want you to consider what you're doing in pushing Brady into a corner this way. He declares that Westover contract is not in your hands and not destroyed. Now, you know " "Just a minute," said Dustin. He unfolded the paper and laid i\ before them. - They stared down at tho lost contiact. Placey took the document in his hands ; read it through ; examined the signatuies ; and looked ujV- at Dustin with something of the dumb ■'Vffihder a child shows over a feat of I' legerdemain. Dustin laid a finger on the contract. "You go tell Brady what you've seen here. Tell him, too, that he can fish or cut bait by twelve o'clock." Ho spoke not only decisively, but also bitingly. The others, staring up at him, lealised that ho was, in fact, the lord of luck — the samo subtle, daring, I invincibly fortunate Dustin. ! "I guess it will bring him into camp," j said i'lacey scntentiously. j Back in his own room, Dustin tore ' the contract into fine bits and sowed them into tho waste-basket. Tho episode was ended— with himself moro than over on top of the heap. Yet it | was not quite ended, either | The youth stuck in his memory — a fine, fresh, •likable young fellow. Wistrom's son, too. He had no son of his ■ odn. He would like to do something for Wistrom's boy. Ho wondered over tho youth's rigid, Uncompromising aloofness. He must be too sensiblo to hold resentment on account of the brusque I treatment ho had received the morning before, when a highway to fortune was opened before him. It couldn't be ' that ho had derived a prejudico from' his father. I As Dilstin was wondering, a brandj new thought that came from somewhere j quite outside of himself struck him 1 abruptly. This entirely alien thought ' was : "Tho boy read that contract. He knows that you are guilty as charged lin the indictment. He judges you and turns his back upon you. It wounds him that, in your service, his father had a hand in such things." i The chairman would have cast out this impractical thought if he could. But it persisted. Ho could read a confirmation of it in his recollection of the youth's face and manner. He experienced a searching and most singu- | lardosiro to see the boy again and explain to him how such manoeuvres were necessary in carrying out the larger strategics of finance. But lie comprehended that tho boy wouldn't understand — would still say, "Guilty. '' His desk was piled with work, and for almost the first time in his life ho had no stomach for it. Ho found himself thinking, inconscquently, "Sixtythreo years old in August."' He felt lonesome. Then ho Rave himself an impatient shake. "True, I'm getting old!" he thought, with a grim saicasm, and bent to the work. — Will Payne, in tho Philadelphia Evening Post.