The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1897-05-28
CHAPTER XVII.


When John Kenyon enterd his Office
it seemed to him that his clerk looked
at him askance. He imagined that
innocent gentleman had been reading
the article in the Financial Field, bu-
the truth is John was hardly in a frame
Of mind to form a correct opinion on
what other people had been doing.
Every body he met in the street, it
seemed to him, was discussing the
article in the Financial Field
He asked if anybody had been jim that
morning. and was told that there had
been no callers. Then he passed into
the directors room, closed the door be-
hind him, sat down on a chair and
leaned his head on his hands with his
elbows on the table. In this position
Wentworth found him some time later,
and when John looked up his face was
haggard and aged.
"Ah! 1 see you have read it,"
Yes"
do you think Longworth is at the
bottom of that article?"
John shook his head. ooh, no." he
said; ''he had nothing whatever to do
with it,
''How do you know?"
. Kenyon related exactly what had
passed between the oily young man of
the Financial Field and himself In that
very room. While this recital was 60
ing on Wentworth walked up and
down, expressing his opinion now and
then in remarks that were short and
pithy, but hardly fit for publication.
When the story was done he turned on
Kenyon.
WELL" he said, there is nothing for
it but sue the paper for libel"
What good will that do?'
What good will it do! Do you
mean to say that you intend to sit here
under such an imputation as they have
cast upon YOU and do nothing? What
good will it do? 1t will do all the good
in the world
I'VE cannot form our company and
sue the paper at the same time. All
our energies will have to be directed
| toward the matter we have in hand"
But, my dear John, don't you see
the effect of that article? How can we
form our company if such a lie remains
unchallenged? Nobody will look at
our proposals. Every one will say:
What have you done about the article
that appeared in the, Financial Field?'
| If we say we have done nothing, then,
of course, the natural inference is that
we are a pair of swindlers, and that our
scheme is fraud"
Il have always thought" said John,
that the capitalization is 100 high"
Really. 1 believe you think that ar
ticle is not so unfair after all. John,
am astonished at you"
But if we commence libel suit 1t
cannot be finished before our option
has expired. If we tell the people that
we have begun to sue the Financial
Field for libel, they will merely say
they prefer to wait and hear what the
result of the case is. BY that time our
chances of forming 4 company will be
gone"
Before John could reply there was a
knock at the door, and the clerk entered
with letter in his hand which had just
come in. Kenyon tore it open, lead it
and then tossed it across the table to
Wentworth. Wentworth saw the name
of their firm of solicitors at the top OF
the letter paper. Then he read:
DEAR SIR: You have doubtless the ar
ticle in the Financial Field of this morn
ing referring to the Canadian Mica Mining
! company. We should Re pleased to know
what action you intend to take in the mat
ter. We may say that, in justice to oul
! reputation, we can no longer represent YOU
company unless a suit is brought against
the paper which contains the article
! Yours truly, W.'HAWk-
II Wentworth laughed with a certain
bitterness. WELL" he said, IF it has
come to such,a pass that Hawk fear: