The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-09-21

"Ay," returned John Smith, fall
ing into his manner as he had fallen
into his stride.
Ever been hungry. mater" ask
ed the flatman, swallowing an apall-
ing mouthful of his luncheon; that
is. ever mad hungry, and neither
coin nor crum to yer hand?"
Never" replied John Smith.
II ave-" said the flatman. TWAS
one winter when the canal froze,
and we were hard up. Not bite
or sup for two days. Then begged
a copper and bought bread. Damn
tilt were good"
The man looked up with an as
sertive little light In his eyes.
There be those" he said, chat
would take the very bread out of
the mouths Of the poor to buy them
satins and silks. Such is the man
that owns that boat"
He pointed to the fiat. On her
bows was painted, "The Maria, $50.
Ephraim Knowles"
John Smith turned away his eyes.
1t was the name of one Of the sleep
ing partners in the Shiloh mills.
"You know him." inquired the
flatman.
cay" said John Smith.
"Then you know naught good of
him." was the grim retort.
"Naught," admitted John Smith.
The flatman dashed out with his
whip in the air.
Damn him!" he said.
John Smith was working late on
his special accounts. 1t was Thurs
day. and by Saturday night, or
Monday morning, at latest, the
news must flash out-by telegraph
If need be-over two counties that
bread was advanced a farthing. So
John Smiths unwilling brain and
hand worked hard over the final
sheets of calculations. And, sudden.
ly, as a man awakens from sleep
into the real world-John Smith
knew-he knew what he had been
doing, knew what the next week
would see in a hundred towns: put
this and that together in throb
after trob of thought, and then, the
entire scheme plain to eyes and
brain. laid down his pen and wept.
The fiatmans voice sounded in his
ears.
There be those that would take
the very bread out of the mouths of
the poor"
John Smith sat with his head in
his hands, thinking deeply. Thou
sands of people were living on the
very verge of starvation. This
6l5O.OOO which the five proprietors
OF the Shiloh mills expected to reap
from their coup would spell stark
hunger over many a square mile of
English ground. He saw that the
keystone of the whole edifice was
the owning by the Shiloh mills of
the half-dozen large cargoes due to
arrive in the course of the next
week.
John Smith got up. crossed to the
massive iron Golfer. took out the
contracts. and burned them to
ashes in the fading office fire. Then
he wrote half a dozen cablegrams
put his papers in the safe, leaving
the keys in the lock. and went
home.
In the morning of the next day
Saturday there was no John
Smith at the Shiloh mills, but the
managing partners were startled bv
series of cablegrams acknowledge.
ing receipt OF their instructions
canceling contracts, etc, and in the
sale catalogs for the ensuing week
stood the cargoes of the ships AL.
mira. Mary Jameson, Hector. Juan.
ita. Rose and Ellen porter. And
when the astonished merchants
sent in rage for the contracts. thew
were missing. and the couple knew
that their plot had failed. and that
E15o,OOO had slipped through their
fingers.
The Shiloh mills still flourish
and in the Office of certain firm of
London merchants there Is an old
white-haired clerk, who is called
John Smith. He is very faithful and
accurate. but not bright.
The clerks in the Office are very
fond OF him. "He might have done
better If he'd had chance" thew
say, been chief clerk, or cashier
or something. But then he takes
no real interest in his business. and