El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-30
CHAPTER V

THE TEMPTING OF CAPTAIN OWEN KETTLE.
If one might judge from the lacquered
majesty of your Office appointments, said
Patrick Cambel, taking of the big
chairs in Shells inner sanctum, your firm
is doing Il roaring fine business"
Mr.. Theodore Shelf seated himself before
his desk and began sorting out some pa
pers. The turnover he said evasively,
is enormous Our operations are most
extensive"
Extensive and peculiar" commented
Cambel.
But 1 regret to say that during the
last IS months the firm S profits have seri-
tusly decreased and the scope of its opera
lions been much hampered. take credit
to myself that this diminution could have
been prevented by no action on my part 1t
Is entirely the outcome of the times-the
lazy greed of the working classes, foment-
cd By the frothings of paid agitators. The
series Of strikes which we have had to con
tend against IS unprecedented.
IS il? Well, 1 don't know. There have
been labor bothers all down through his
tory, aud l fancy they'll continue to the
end of time. If you'll recollect, there was
. certain Egyptian king who once had
troubles with his bricklayers, and 1 fancy
thero have been similar difficulties trottiEg
through the centuries in pretty quick sue
cession ever since. OF course each man
thinks his own employees the most un-
reasonable and graspinS that have ever
uttered opinion since the record began.
That's only natural but 1 might point
out to you that in definite results you
aren't in the worst box yet. Your chariot
hasn't been upset in the Red sea so far,
and it may be that certain operation in
the Mexican gulf will piece up the wheels
and set 1T running on triumphantly.
Grumble if you like, Mr.. Shelf, but don t
make yourself out to be the worst used
man in history. Pharaoh hadn' t half your
opportunities.
Yes, yes, !" said Shelf, who didn' relish
this kind of conversation, but we will
come to business, if you please
Fright you are. Let's finish floating the
swinGle.''
MIR. Cambel, =" exclaimed the other pas
sionately, will you never learn to mod
crate your language? There are a hundred
clerks within a hundred feet of you
through that door, and sometimes even
walls can listen and repeat. Besides OBJ
ject altogether to your phraseology. We
engage in no such things swindles in
the city. Our operations are all CONNER
cial enterprise
Every well,'' said Cambel, struggling
his shoulders, don't let's squabble over
it. You call your spade what you like
only reserve a right to slap on a palmer
brand. We're built differently, Mr.. Shelf
I prefer to be honest in my dishonesty.
And now, as I've said, let's get to bust
ness. You say the charter Of this steamer
of yours, the Port Edes, has expired and
she's back on your hands. She's 1000
tons, built under Lloyds' survey and
classed 100 AL. She's well engined and
has just been drydocked. She'll insure
for every sixpence of her value without
comment, and there's nothing more nat
ural than to send out your specie in such a
sound bottom. Remains to pick a suitable
complement
I've got master waiting here now by
appointment. His names Kettle. 1 have
him to a certain extent under my thumb,
and 1 fancy he'll prove reliable man.
He was once in our firm IS employment
''Owen Kettle, by any chance?'
Mr.. Shelf referred to paper on his
writing table.
Captain Owen Kettle-yes. He was
the man who lost the Doge of Venice, and
since then he's never had another ship
Poor wretch-yes, know. That Doge
Of Venice case was an awful scandal.