Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

a a, 506 aged to save so much—when the easy- money tide receded? He did not. Hence the trips to New York, and hence the announcement, presently, that Mr. Stokes had been allotted a “‘ limited block ” of shares in the Alhambra Leasing and Drill- ing Company, which he could now offer resi- dents of Templeton and vicinity at the at- tractive price of forty cents a share, prior to an advance in price shortly to be an- nounced. Mr. Stokes made it plain that he meant exactly what he said by “ limited al- lotment ”—that he really had only about enough shares to satisfy the demands of his regular customers and acquaintances. Sure enough, his regular customers and acquaintances did absorb this initial block, whereupon Mr. Stokes permitted it to be known that he had been able to secure a second allotment, but at an advanced price, fifty cents a share. He explained clearly enough, too, that this ten-cent advance in price was equivalent to just so much profit for the fortunate investors whose sagacity and foresight had led them to buy the stock at the forty-cent price. About now Mr. Stokes employed an im- ported salesman of pleasing address to work among the citizens of Templeton and see also what could be done in the outlying farming districts. Ed French, of the Sands County Trust and Savings, scanning the re- ports of his bookkeeper, was gratified to, see the rapidity with which Stokes’s account grew. But he took pains to warn his paying teller and bookkeeper to keep a very sharp lookout on every transaction of Stokes with the bank. “ That bird is cleaning up,” he thought. “You never can tell when he may take a notion to jump!” VL. BetH BENson pressed a button, sum- moning Michael Flannery. “ Ask Mr. Sayles to see me, will you, Michael ?”’ “Yes, Miss Beth.” Presently Mr. Sayles appeared before her desk in the big directors’ room. “ Hello, Win,” said Beth. Alice and the kiddies?” _“ Fine, Beth. Nice day, isn’t it?” *“ How are ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Sayles was a good looking young man, about her own age. He looked rather easy- going, not overmature. He was blond and wholesome. If you had scrutinized his face, perhaps you would have noticed a hint of anxiety in the blue eyes as he entered the room in answer to Beth’s summons. “How long have you been with the bank?” she asked. “Nearly four years.” “ Like it?” “Why, of course I like it.” Win Sayles looked a trifle puzzled. ‘“‘ Father started you in at ten dollars a week, didn’t he? And now you're getting forty-five.” “ That’s right.” Beth drummed gently on the edge of her desk with her finger tips—a habit inherited from old Joe Benson. She looked off. through a window and was very thoughtful. Then she turned back to the young man. “Sit down, Win,” she said. : Sayles sank into a chair. The glint of anxiety in his eyes was now the light of absolute panic. ‘“*Can’t you live on forty-five dollars a week, Win?” “ Why — er — yes — of course—well, it isn’t real easy, with a family the size of mine—but we manage to scrape along—” “ Been speculating?” Win didn’t reply. He was in a hole—a deep one. He squirmed in his chair. “We've been a little curious about you lately, Win. I can’t imagine any reason but one why you should have been putting in so much of your spare time—and some you couldn’t spare—over at the Templeton House. We know pretty much who the regular frequenters of Stokes’s bucketshop are, and I’m sorry to say you’re among them. I’m awfully sorry, Win. I’ve known you all my life—we went to high school to- gether, and your sister Letty was—is—an intimate friend of mine. Oh, Win, why didn’t you think of your mother, and your nice wife and kids—I/m just heartbroken.” “But, Beth, wha—what— Suppose I did drop a little change over at Stokes’s—” Beth flushed, her grief suddenly trans- formed into indignation. “Win Sayles, you know what I’m talking COnMICE OO;KS COM)