The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1904-05-21

The grandeur OF the sacrifice had
struck them dumb. They did not un-
derstand the motives beneath II all. but
the fact was patent Zig Junko broke
down and sobbed.
After a time the stream OF logs
through the gap slackened. In mo-
ment more. save for the inevitably
stranded few. the booms were empty.
A deep sigh went up from the atten-
tive multitude.
'She's gone" said one man. with the
emphasis or novel discovery. and
groaned.
Then the awe broke from about taeir
minds. and they spoke many opinions
and speculations. Thorpe had dlsap-
peared. They respected his emotion
and did not follow him.
1T was Just plain foolishness. but
II was great" said S',earer. THAT no
account 1ackass OF Big Junko aln't
worth as much per thousand feet as
good white pine"
Then they noticed group OF men
gathering about the cifice steps. and
on II some one talking. Collins. the
bookkeepcr, was making n speech.
Collins was a little Ratchet faced
man. with straight. lank hair. near
sighted eyes. tinid. order loving dis
position and great suitability for his
profession. lie was accurate. unemo.
tional and valuable. All his actions
were as dry as the sawdust in the
burner. No one had ever seen him ex-
cited. But he was human, and now
HIS knowledge OF the company's affairs
showed him the dramatic contrast. He
knew. He knew that the property OF
the firm had been mortgaged TO the
last dollar in order to assist expansion,
SO that not another cent could be bor-
rowed TO tide over present difficulty.
lie knew that the notes for $60,OUl
covering the loan 10 Wallace Carpenter
came due in three months. He knew
from the long table OF statistics which
he was eternally preparing and com.
pairing that the seasons cut should
have netted n profit OF 100000. enough
10 pay the interest on the mortgages,
10 take up the notes and TO furnish n
working capital for the ensuing year.
These things he knew In the strange
concrete arithmetical manner OF the
routine bookkeeper. Other men saw
desperate phase OF firm rivalry He
saw n struggle 10 the uttermost ON.
or men cheered n rescue He thrilled
over the magnificent gesture OF the
gambler scattering his stake in largesSc
10 Death.
1t was The simple turning Of the hand
from full breathed prosperity to life
less failure.
His view was the inverse Of his mas.
ters. To Thorpe il had suddenly be.
come very little thing in contrast ia
the great. sweet. elemental truth that
the dream girl had enumerated. To
Collins the affair was miles vastcr than
the widest scope OF his own narrow
life
The firm could not take mp It's notes
when they came due; IL could not pay
the interest on the mortgages. which
would now be forecoscd 1t could not
even pay in full the men who Ind
worked for lt-that would come under
courts adjudication.
He had therefore watched Thorpc's
desperate sally to mend the weakened
chain in all the suspense of Il man
whose entire universe is IN the Keeping
OF the chance moment. Ii must be re-
membcred that at bottom. below the
outer consciousness, Thorpe's hnal lie.
cision had already grown to maturity.
On the other hand. no other thought
than that Of accomplishment had even
entered the little bookkecpers head.
The rescue and all that il had meant
had ht him like stroke OF apopleXy.
and his thin emotions had curtlled to
hystcria Full Of the idea he appeared
before the men.
With rapid. almost incoherent speech
he poured il out 10 them. Professional
caution and secrecy were forgotten.
Wallace Carpenter attempted to push
through the ring for the purpose OF
stopping him. A gigantic river man
kindly but firmly held him back.
IL guess it's just as well we hears
this" said the latter.
IL all came out-the loan 10 Cnrpen-
ter. with hint at the motive-the
Vaccinations of the rival firm on the
board OF trade; the notes. the mort
cages. the necessity OF n big seasons
cut; the reasons the rival firm had for
wishing TO prevent that cut from mr.
rlving at the market: the desperate and
varied means they had employed. The
men listened. silent. Hamilton. his
eyes glowing like Goals, drank In every
word. Here was the master motive he
had sought; here was the story great
TO his hand.
"Thnt's what &c ought 10 getr' cried
Collins. almost weeping And now
we're gone and bust just because that
Internal river hog had 10 fall OF
booml It's q shame! Those scaiawags
have done us after air.
Out from the shadows OF the woods
stole Injun Charley. The whole bear
Ing aud aspect OF the man had chang
cd His eye cleaned with a distant.
farsceing fire OF It's own. which took
no account OF anything but some re-
mote vision. lie stole along almost
furtively. but with n proud upright