Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-12-09
n

| clapped my hands to my ears and
screamed. SC suddenly n bomb-like
came those two words.
He has used some of them and has
only 100000 on hand"
only $904. 000?"
IL a Hamlet could compress into the
entire address to his mother the con-
centrated scorn and sarcasm infused
into he words, "Only 1904, 0o0i' he
would surely bring down the house.
Mr.. Rogers continued to glare at me for
fully a minute. / felt his eyes like X
rays searching the remotest recesses
of my mind. AS soon as the glare
shifted / felt sure he and I would be
strangers the rest OF our lives, and /
made up my mind to turn on my heel
n leave his office without a word. I
felt that he was in the right, and that
If / were in his place I'd glare too.
Suddenly the expression changed. He
said peremptorily, Lawson, get on the
first train for Philadelphia and bring
back those agreements executed and
with the $904, 900 instead of the 81, $780,
000.'
Mr.. Rogers" / began, but h stopped
me with an imperative gesture.
Don't say a word. bu do as I tell
you. / old you you were dealing with
a dog, but you wouldn't have it. Now
I'm going to put this trade through
even If / make a fool of myself IN do
ing 1t. You've done your work and that
whelp shan't keep you out of it's results.
I'm in this now, and we'll see If Addicks
can outplay me as well as you. Not
another word. understand the whole
thing"
| returned to Philadelphia deciding
once and for all certain things in re-
gard TO Mr.. Rogers and others affecting
the future of j. Edward O'Sullivan Ad-
dicks; and that night Addicks and I
had 1t out" / shall not attempt to
reproduce our talk. Suffice 1t to say
that when / called for the bonds Addick
began to hem and haw,' and then / re-
allied that he had again lied to me.
We were in his Philadelphia office, and
1t was night and we were alone. I de-
manded the truth, and finally he told
me he had no 100000 Of bonds. He
did not have a single bond. He had
used them to h last one and had de-
ceiyed me for months. About this in
terview Addicks has always maintained
that | laid hands upon him, and that he
was on the verge of doing some awful
thing, but this is false. l simply turned
the key in the door and without waste
of material drew a word picture of the
position he had placed me in. Also, /
said what L thought of him. That is
all.
/ was 1t 26 Broadway by 10 o'clock
the same morning. Mr.. Rogers was in
his main private office. His secretary
was with him. He was full of business,
and, / thought, preoccupied. AS / en-
tered, n before a word of greeting
passed, he ave me one of those keen
appraising glances that seemed to
pierce the innermost interstices of my
soul.
"WelI?' was all he said.
Your estimate OF Addicks was cor
rect. He has no bonds" / said, giving
him the worst of Ii at once. / was
desperate and certainly in no mood for
apology. Rogers looked at me. L
thought he gasped. He rushed
or we both slid. or how we
got there 1 don't know, but in an
instant after | had said, He has
no bonds" we were in one of a number
OF eight by twelve glass-sided pens he
called waiting rooms. but which the
clerks have dubbed visitors sweat
boxes" He put both his hands on my
shoulders and he yelled-fairly yelled:
Say that again! 1 did not get it."
That which followed had all the pow
err of the unsupported for me. In after
years l became on rather playful terms
with these extraordinary bursts of
wrath to which Henry H. Rogers oc-
casionally gives way, and which sweep
through the systems" shrine like a
tornado; but this was my first expert
ence, n 1t was a shock and a revela-
ton. Just what was going to happen
l could not imagine. / remembered
afterward that the pr~eponderance of
the impressions that chased each other
through my mind was that Henry H.
Rogers would surely have a stroke of
apoplexy. hen that he would bust"
However, / pulled myself together and
began:
Mr.. Rogers, what's the use of get
ting excited?"
Again he was off. When he stopped
for breath / raised my voice and made
it loud and emphatic enough to con-
vince even a man temporarily insane
that my part as audience and victim
had ended. / said:
MIR. Rogers, / can't say more than
that / apologize for the part I've been
made to play In this transaction, and
I'll leave your office prepared to take
any kind of medicine, however harsh
Il nav be. thatayali will deal ont on ac-
count OF, all this. Not only will I take
1T, but I'll think you are right in adj
ministering it."
Rogers once more got himself unde
control. / stepped toward the door.
Zone minute, Lawson-one minute.
What are o going to do? Go back
10 your associate, tnat gentlemanly,
square dealing fellow in Philadelphia
Mr.. Rogers" / replied. II ask no
mercy at your hands, but there's a limit
to the things a man will stand under
the mess I'm laboring with. I'm going
to do the best / can. What it will be
I don't know. There's a deal of money
at stake-my friends, the public's, my
own-Tm responsible for 1t. I've made
a terrible blunder. i am paying for 1t,
but nothing that has happened has all
tered my idea of the duty / owe myself
and others"
He was about to say something sar-
castle. Then he choked back the words.
His manlier nature rose to the sur
face.
Lawson" he said, I'm sorry for
you. Upon my soul l am"
You needn't be. Mr.. Rogers. It's all
right; it's part of the game, but I'm
awfully sorry I came near you" [
opened the door.
"One second more, Lawson" he said,
stopping me and putting out his hand.
I'm not only sorry, but I give you my
word have not a doubt-no.
sir, not a suspicion of your
good faith throughout this bust
ness-and IL at any time you
see your way to open negotiations
you're welcome. Do you understand?
You're welcome to come here or to my
house at any time you think you see
your way OUT"
I aafH .ucnI .bx,, ora holx11 lgo~~