The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-29
THE SAVING OF THE
 HOUSE OF MacHENRY
BY HANS HANSEN. Copyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pub

BY HANS HANSEN. (Copyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pub fishing Co.)
 The grey head dropped on the ma- horany desk for the dozenth time and the form shook with sobs. An. how astonished the great world of finance, and the equally great world of society, wouId have been to have heard those sobs from the cold and correct and powerful form of the great business man these two worlds knew so well. And how astonished these. two worlds would have been could they have seen the white, despairing face raised from the desk after the paroxysm passed. For these worlds knew Alexander Mac- Henry as the most self-contained, self poised and seIf-reliant of men, suc- cessfuI rich, powerful and of the sternest integrity-always dominant, always cool, clear. unsentimental.
 Little they suspected this pleasant afternoon what he faced on the mor- row.
 And this is the end of it all," he said to himself, wringing his hands. "A bankrupt, a worse than pauper, the cause of many other bankrupts and ruined men and women." "Oh, just Heaven, thou knowest that I did not deem 1t possible through any combination of causes" he con- tinued, rising and pacing the floor. "An unsullied reputation. an honorable life, a successful career to be wiped out by the scratch of a pen." He sat down and opened drawer in his desk There lay glistening. ghastiy revolver. T cannot face 1t. I cannot face it." he said. There is one way--and I have a right to be weak once."
 Then he dropped the revolver. NO, have not the right" he said, new terror coming into his face. My fam fly, my poor, weak, helpless victim ized family After spending all my life uniting them for poverty or self-sup- port I chance and lose their all and see them thrown into the street. The wife and girls are hardly less compe- tent to meet the world than Harlow |. All see before the girls and the boy are cheap clerkships, and for mother and I a garret and then to the poor house. Even then what can I do? A bankrupt seldom recovers--never al my age. But will stay and work with my hands for them and suffer with them. It Is my pennance." There came a quick, sharp rap at his office door and he turned the key me- chanically. Enter a joyous and debon- nair young man in his early thirties, attired in the latest fashion, and fairly beaming with health, good spirits. good nature and enjoyment of life.
 Say, dad" said the newcomer, throwing himself into a chair and re- moving his gloves, T don't want to be a hog, but this automobile business is thunderingly expensive. Would you mind. Hello, what's the matter with you?" This latter as he caught sight of the old mans face.
 You're ill.," he went on, leaning forward anxiously.
 Worse than that, Harley" groaned the elder, dropping his head in his hands, through which the tears leaked.
 The son sprang quickly to the oth- CTS chair and laid his hand affection ately on his shoulder. Tt couldn't be worse than that" he said.
 Tt is." said the father. looking up desperately at the young man. T am ruined-absolutely, hopelessly and for a bankrupt"
 Harlow sank into his chair in dis may.
 "Everything is involved" the father went on. "The business, the house your mothor's private fortune, the for tunes left you and your sisters by your grandmother-every Worse than that, there will be unpaid debts for many, many thousands beyond all this loss. I fear scores of others will be ruined through my accursed idiocy."
 How did 1t happen?' asked the son in bewilderment. Doesn't the business pay?"
 ''Yes, heavens, yes" replied the father. That's the sin of 1t. The bus mess is on the solid rocks of success, conservatively managed. But fool, fool that I was, I wanted greater success
 and power-no, not that, 1t was simply
 business habit, the habit to take ad- vantage of every circumstance and con dition, the result of forty years of
 hard business training. And so 1 spec ulated--yes, that's the word-I bet on the result of the threatened war in the East, I didn't deal in futures, don't think that, but along the legitimate lines of my business. l invested far beyond my resources, feeling sure of my judgment and my inside information | Had things gone as l expected l would | have quadrupled my fortune. As 1t is --ah, just heaven, forgive me-" At this point the son caught sight | of the revolver in the half open draw
 er Give me that" he said, sternly pointing to 1t.
 The father looked at him in sur | prise. He had never suspected SC masterful a tone from the young man l who had been but a devotee of pleas l ure all his life. He handed 1t to him | silently. Harlow put it in his pocket How much are we in for?' he asked gravely.
 A million and a quarter-just a few | thousands less."
 would that amount pay everything so as to leave the business absolutely sound?
 'Yes; and I have strained every nerve to get 1t. But money is tight