The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-09-29

IF they win and can make me sell,
they clean the deck.
What You haven't gone as deep
rs that"
Kennard nodded.
1--WE borrowed out, as they say.
And I've been under heavy expenses
Of late, you know he added.
81 know you're Quixotic crank!
exclaimed Maddox, impatiently, as he
glanced around the small hall bed
room in which they were talking
How long have you been in this hole
tn-the-wall, anyway
Long enough to save some money,
and every penny counts in this night,
Dave"
Il think you overdo ii"
Possibly, but it's good training in
case we lose
You mean"
81 mean I'm ruined, old man, If we
all at the election. | don't think the
banks would carry me six months
longer, even if the price of the stock
Kept up, which it won't. Trundell
will flood the market with shares after
he election and catch mine on the
all. But what's the use of being dole
Ill? We've done all we can, and might
as well sit down and wait"
Maddox shook his head.
1--WE haven't done all we can he
INSISTED, until the story or that meet
ng has been told You can't calculate
the effect of public opinion. Told in
he right way, that story would be
more than likely to change some vote,
md | believe the papers would raise
such a row that more than one man
would hesitate to support those fell
ows. I'm going TO send for Bob Fer
ris. of the Record"
mo, Dave, there's no use fighting
your battles in the newspapers, or
washing your dirty line in public"
mot unless the public's interested.
Gut l tell you they would be interest
I'd in this case. 1t must be tried, any
way"
ITS useless, Dave, and well, l
don't like to fight that way. I'd have
% accuse those people of being rob
bers and wreckers and"
Maddox stared at the speaker in as
constituent.
well, aren't they?" he gasped. ut
strikes me you didn't mince words
much when last you met"
Eyes, but"
Kennard paused in evident confu-
sion and Maddox laughed.
"Out with it, Jack, old man." he ex-
claimed you're the poorest liar |
think | ever heard Give us your real
reason"
Kennard did not answer for a mo-
ment. Then he looked straight into
Dawes eyes.
81 can't do it because" then he
stopped short and added quickIy-"be-
cause I've been Mr. Harlan's guest and
and he's been mine. Don't you I'M
dertsand?"
Maddox thought he understood. The
inquiry Miss Harlan?" rose to his
lips, but he checked it and merely
shrugged his shoulders as he an
swered:
All right, Jack. But if something
should happen to leak out through
some hole or another, still have faith
enough in human nature to believe
Kennard laid his hand on the speak
er's shoulder and regarded him stead
lily.
at mustn't leak out, Dave-it
mustn't leak out at all.
Then Maddox felt sure he under
stood, and taking Kennard's hand in
his, shook it firmly.
"All right, old man." he answered
earnestly, "'fen leaks, as the boys
say"
When Maddox called at the Office of
the Confederated Companies and asked
permission to look over the list OF
stockholders, the fact was Immediate
ly reported to Mr.. Trundell, who re-
ceived the information with evident
satisfaction.
Counting noses, are they" he
laughed. Much good may it do EN-.
The names on the books won't mean
anything to them They'll never dis
cover anything"
But Maddox did discover something
He noticed that a large block of stock
had lately been transferred by Joshua
Harlan TO his daughter, Leslie.
1t was not, however, until he had
thought over this for a night, that
he called upon Mrs. Danville Parsons
oa5 +clJ bor avarvthin0 he knew and
some of the things he suspected, about
John Kennard, the Confederated Com
pauies, and others.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Public benevolence goes stale at least