The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-08-04


conceivafIe That aftar having bae0
shown all the details. vo1 might Sill
desire to etay ont. There is nothing
to conceal"
Kennard Emit his brows. snd his
voice had ? tone 81 tolerant boredom
which was un1nistatable.
"No. Of course not, he answered,
''but should be wasting your time If
I allowed you to think I might BE- per
shaded 10 consider This negoti7ti0n- !
know the trade pretty thoroughly. Mr.
Harlan There ere able men IN it and
strong men. BIT personality and
many other items enter into all suah
calculations. end undarstanding the
business as I do / can't hela thin ling
this idea Of combination a little ridicu-
lous."
For a few moments both men were
silent. Then TT. FaTlap SHRUGGED his
shoulders. and replaced the papers in
his pocEet
az dent w9nt vor to decide tonight
Mr. Kennard," he rsmers Cd earnestly.
"matters have nroeressr4 further than
you imagine. + thin We have ass1r-
ances from practfc~1I~ the whole trade
Individually eertein men may seem uE-
important united they VIII be no mean
antagonist NV reasons for wanting
your cooperation are net wholly sell
fish. Of course [ do not underestimate
the financial and commercial value Of
your support, but if you win permit
me to say so, I have a strcng feeling Of
personal friendship for YOU, and. b.
lieve me, I know of nothing should
regret so much as to see our interests
clash"
There was no doubling the sincerity
Of Joshua Harlan as he spoke these
words, and their serious tone, together
with the mans intense manner. would
have carried weight with far more
critical auditor than Kennard. As
he studied the face before him and
listened to the deep. earnest voice. he
was conscious again of his first i'm
preston of Harlan, an impression
which had faded every time they had
met. as sometimes a promising sketch
vanishes with each new toech of the
artists brush. But John Kennard's
son was not the man 10 be controlled
by impressions, fleeing or recurrent
and when he answered. faint trace OF
the old superior smile lowered about
his lins.
II appreciate what YOU have been
good enough to say. Mr.. Harlan" he
remarked after pause "and / think I
should make it perfectly plain to you
why l would not 90 into this thing
even If | thought 1t a good business
venture. The very first evening We
met, you may remember Mason and
the others joking about my being q
crank on work-people. Well. I'm a
crank still. | think I take more in
terest in my worFmen than do in the
factory, although, Of course, the two
are so closely allied II Is only when
one stops to think that he can locate
the center of his interest. These men
are something more to me than ami
mated wheels. / am something moro
| to sthem than their employer. | have
small village of them on the Hud-
son. and for some years | have con-
Quoted the business largely for them
| although it has resulted in my own
| profit too. That is at the bottom OF
my rejection of any proposition Of the
syndicate, Mr.. Harlan"
The two men strolled downstairs to-
gether, but it was not until they were
about to part that Mr.. Harlan spoke
again.
There's one thing more | ought to
! say" he began. "You may think II
strange that knowing what | do.
should have accepted your invitation
to inspect your factory. I did so be-
cause | could not well refuse at the
time, and thought something might
turn up to prevent, as it did. But
want you to know I never intended to
make the visit. You understand, dc
You not?"
Kennard shook his hosts hand re-
assuringly.
Certainly" he answered heartily.
Il appreciate your scruples. but they
were unnecessary. Quite unnecessary,
I renew the invitation. Come any day
you like. Well take you from cellar
to roof. and promise we won't do II
by blowing you up"