Bunker Bean

xploding, "extent of excess of maintenance over normal 'quirements cannot be taken as

ean. "Let Julia do that. I'm as good a ma

stiff-cuts mus' natchally come ahead of

over that telephone," wrote Bean. "You

contemptuously, and put an evil

had they meant? One day, a week, a month? Would they have it done the next time they took him out in that car fo

ould do was to provide a place big enough for a growing dog. And Breede, of course, would cast the girl off penniless, as they always did, telling h

saw his son, greatest of all left-handed pitchers, shutting out Pittsburgh without a single hit. A very aged couple in the grandstand tried to claim relationship with his pitching marvel, saying he was their grandson, but few of the yelling enthusiasts wou

with a varying response. Sometimes he was adamant and told them no; they had made their bed twenty years before, and now they could lie on it. Again,

the unexciting express business for a while, un

name written on them. Of course there were hundreds of shares at the brokers', but those seemed not to mean so much. And they had gone down a point, whatever that was, since his purchase. Th

thered by a black silk ribbon. They were intensely respectable things when adjusted to the nose, but he knew he should clash

flowed down upon a waistcoat he wouldn't mind owning: black silk set with tiny white stars, a good background for a small gold chain. There would be a bunch of important keys on one end of that chain. Bea

important trunk-line that it wouldn't hurt him any to have those trousers press

ing to work up from the bottom. Old Metzeger was deep in a dream of odd numerals. The half-dozen o

ngerously thin ice. He might get safely across; then again he mightn't. He leaned confidentially on the back of Bean's chair and Bean looked up and through the

Express stock in your name. Now it is not impossible th

g he knew to be true he could only aver "it is not impossible." Of a certain familiar enough e

moment uncertain

aid. "Right th

know-this is between us-that I couldn't place them for you. I m

about that," said Bean. "You

ey would take it not

on to them,"

might not inconceivably react to your a

t them myself," responded Bean, uncons

not unwilling

le," said Bean. "I h

like to thin

to get at, anyway? He didn't know; but he would s

hing of less conse

have been snappier. He glared at Tully, who looked shocked, hurt, and disgusted. Tully sighe

stock; he had never thought any too well of that express directorship; but let them send some one that could talk straight.

arkham's approach to Bean was emphatically footed, as that of a man unable to imagine ice being thin under his feet. H

one was telling me you h

icious all at once. Tully and Markham had both opened on him with "By the way." H

ot to smile. He apparently considered it a rare jest that Bean should own any

of the Federal people going to meet informally here, and they happen to want a little block or two of the stuff

sort of a plan about th

or two above to-day's quotations. Just let me have them and I'll get your check made out right away; you can go out of here with more money

s hesitation, but that opening, "By the way," of Markham's had

ham, "Be a good fellow. It's only need

t," said Bean. "I've been

dend was 3 per cent.

"and that's just why. Y

he office speculating. He doesn't consider it ... well, you know one of you chaps

t sell just now

l," said Markham, allowing it

ay. You might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. To Markham sta

nothing of le

blow. Then Markham walked back to his own room. His tread w

freeze him out. He had never spoken of this plan, but probably they had consulted some good medium who had warned them to loo

esk. That meant Breede. Very well; he knew his rights

an innocent crack

u had that F

ht it five

he

ica

to s

k I'd r

won't

N

al

er two had. And would he have said to Breede with magnificent impudence, "I can imagine nothing of less consequence?" He thought he would have said this; the masks were very soon bo

al of them brushed by him. Let them freeze him out if they could. He wondered what they said at meetin

f this informal meeting. The large, impressive, moneyed-looking directors sat easily about t

up were obliged to proceed with caution. Otherwise people would get silly ideas and begi

bored, until Markham made a reference to fifty shares tha

incongruously held a cigarette between lips that s

answered Markham.

said the dire

said Breede. "He sa

ell!" said t

sent to take notes, "and he said to me, 'Mr. Tully, I am unwilling to im

same thing,"

ser. "Fifty shares!" he added, twirling the glasses on th

quiet director who had listened

r, fixing the glasses firmly on his purple

expected it. If they didn't let him alone, he would tell

e end of the table and fastened his eyes on a railway map that bedecked the opposite wall, one of those mendacious maps showing a t

d beard and the constant indignation. Bean looked at him. H

leman, when he had diverted Bean's attention from the interesting map. "Ne

phonetically

arly effective waistcoat of white piqué striped with narrow black lines, and

he ornate director. Bean

eed those shares in a little matter of votin

fountain pen of a chaste design in gold. Bean

man, the pen poised. "Don't keep me waiting; do

rawn from the wall. He

n a moment. I'll

gentleman triumphantl

. But the advanced dresse

!" he r

tificates. The old gentlema

Funny name that! Bunker Bean! Boston, by gad! Not bad that, I say

book and waved it toward Bean as he t

Mr. Chairman-" but Bean had gone. Observin

sly, with the convinced air o

hache was good, but perhaps Bulger had used that too often. Still Tully would "fall" for a toothache. It gave him a chance to say that i

old Metzeger as he swiftly changed from his

ord with his able mouth. An adept in lip-reading could have seen

fice was in the

eck. You know I've got a sort of an idea I'd like a little more of that Federal Express stuff. Just bu

d the expert. "Why don't you get down on som

ou see, I want it merely for a technical purpos

signedly. "We'll do what we can

rted for

second thought, "you're up at Bre

for a few days

the expert. "

ly accepted

ed the expert genially. "Things

"But I can't stop, thanks! G

e expert. "We try to make this li

d Bean. "I'll

aid the expert to him

effect on his face. He rather liked it. He pulled the front of his hat down a bit and held the cigar at a confident angle. He thought it mad

"I'll show them they can't keep me off that board. I knew what to

iscovered his absence. He winked at Bulger to assure him that the worst interpretation coul

n Bean," called the

e door of the booth, letting

t you take, mornings

-morn

t for you to take just eggs and toast; a little

e; eggs and-things

hat way. I'm making up lists. Tell me, do you like a p

nd I'd e

. What are you do

things into shape. Yo

want to be sure everything harmonizes and I've just p

t; that's th

ng about-you know-to p

s been pretty much thinking abo

l to me. I'll manage. It's the dearest joke! I may not tell them for two or three days.

s." He was fearfully hoping her keen

, don'

wh

now, s

eed! We just

o people ever did

ld think so;

eel that way. W

ng the double nod as sh

hey used terms like "the tired business man," "increased cost of living," "small investor," "the common people," and "enemies of the Public Good." The man was especially bitter against

siness man eating boiled eggs of a morning in a dining-room panelled with fumed oak, the flapper across the table in some little old rag. H

ctionable of them, nerving himself to say presently that he could imagine nothing of less consequence, there had come before his eyes the inspiring face of the wise and good king. But