Magazine 'The Bystander' of the 12th of June 1918, pages 21 until 25., item 1

• June 23, 2017 11:11:55 Maarten Brinkerink (TeamNL)

  466

  The Bystander, June 12, 1918

  
  

  "EDDIES OF WAR" (concluded)

  every one neatly tabulated and cross-indexed in his

  tired brain. He felt himself explaining carefully,

  kindergarten-wise, to the listening trio, how it had

  come about. How this block of shares had held up

  that ; and how pieces had been moved and counter-

  moved on the chess-board of finance. He felt listlessly

  that even now, condemned as he was, his erstwhile

  colleagues marvelled at his memory, and followed

  him only with difficulty and tense faces in the maze

  of markets through which he led them. They had

  taken him suddenly ; and his unnerring hand had 

  been removed from the edifice he was holding up

  for them. Unwise, yes ; crooked, if they liked ; dis-

  astrous, certainly. But they had been given fat

  and unfailing profits over a long period ; and he

  couldn't gamble with the market of military

  service.

  He spoke for three-quarters of an hour, drinking

  great gulps of water.

  They nodded him to go--a prisoner leaving the 

  dock. Jarvis had intimated that they would not

  proceed against him. "What was the good? Better

  close the book." But as he turned at the door he

  looked at Jarvis, whose lips again seemed to him to

  frame the unspoken words : "You've let us down."

  He stumbled into the crowded City street, and every

  passer-by had the pained look that was in Jarvis's

  eyes, and all their lips moved to utter the same dread

  sentence.

  
  

  "'Ere, 'old 'ard, where y'goin' to, you damned fool?

  Git down!" A sergeant lifted himself up from the 

  shell-hole in which he was crouching, and shouted

  again at the solitary figure, who ws staggering to-

  wards their machine guns, dragging a rifle by the

  sling, the butt bumping about his heels.

  The figure turned at the commanding voice. It

  gazed vacantly at th sergeant, and its lips mur-

  mured plaintively : "But, I let them down, you see."

  Then it walked unsteadily forward again.

  "Gawd!" muttered the sergeant. "There's another 

  one gorn an' perished 'isself!"

  
  

  • Revert to this revision
• June 23, 2017 11:02:31 Maarten Brinkerink (TeamNL)

  466

  The Bystander, June 12, 1918

  
  

  "EDDIES OF WAR" (concluded)

  every one neatly tabulated and cross-indexed in his

  tired brain. He felt himself explaining carefully,

  kindergarten-wise, to the listening trio, how it had

  come about. How this block of shares had held up

  that ; and how pieces had been moved and counter-

  moved on the chess-board of finance. He felt listlessly

  that even now, condemned as he was, his erstwhile

  colleagues marvelled at his memory, and followed

  him only with difficulty and tense faces in the maze

  of markets through which he led them. They had

  taken him suddenly ; and his unnerring hand had 

  been removed from the edifice he was holding up

  for them. Unwise, yes ; crooked, if they liked ; dis-

  astrous, certainly. But they had been given fat

  and unfailing profits over a long period ; and he

  couldn't gamble with the market of military

  service.

  He spoke for three-quarters of an hour, drinking

  great gulps of water.

  They nodded him to go--a prisoner leaving the 

  dock. Jarvis had intimated that they would not

  proceed against him. "What was the good? Better

  close the book." ...

  
  

  • Revert to this revision
  • Show revision
  • Compare to current version
  • Compare to previous version
• June 23, 2017 11:02:14 Maarten Brinkerink (TeamNL)

  466

  "EDDIES OF WAR" (concluded)

  every one neatly tabulated and cross-indexed in his

  tired brain. He felt himself explaining carefully,

  kindergarten-wise, to the listening trio, how it had

  come about. How this block of shares had held up

  that ; and how pieces had been moved and counter-

  moved on the chess-board of finance. He felt listlessly

  that even now, condemned as he was, his erstwhile

  colleagues marvelled at his memory, and followed

  him only with difficulty and tense faces in the maze

  of markets through which he led them. They had

  taken him suddenly ; and his unnerring hand had 

  been removed from the edifice he was holding up

  for them. Unwise, yes ; crooked, if they liked ; dis-

  astrous, certainly. But they had been given fat

  and unfailing profits over a long period ; and he

  couldn't gamble with the market of military

  service.

  He spoke for three-quarters of an hour, drinking

  great gulps of water.

  They nodded him to go--a prisoner leaving the 

  dock. Jarvis had intimated that they would not

  proceed against him. "What was the good? Better

  close the book." ...

  
  

  • Revert to this revision
  • Show revision
  • Compare to current version
  • Compare to previous version

Description