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

CHAPTER XIV.
A cardboard clock with movable
hands nailed to the door of room .
indicated to all corners that Mr.. Peter
| McMannis would return to No. 2lE
Water street at certain hour. The
/ truth of this legend was, however, al
Ways omen to doubt, what with mis-
ehievous boys who turned the hands
averv time they passed the door, and
the frregularity of the tenant for whon
II vouched. But when by any chance
It happened to testify truly, McMannls
could. by turning the key in the door,
utterly discredit it; and this he almost
Invariably did. It's functions were
therefore largely ornamental although
che renciled insults scrubbed across
It's patient face-of which you lie"
was the mildest-might be said TO rod
1t of even that virtue
The delegate-at-large had not for
gotten his maiden effort with John
Kennard's Sons. He had promised
himself the firm should receive close
attention. and McMannis never broke
promise made to himself. One OF
his earliest activities had therefore
been in the factory on the Hudson
where he discovered wide hsiu, Dut
)ne of little promise. The union Ia
Dor was practically unorganized, ana
although many of the workers were
lnion men, many were not. Indeed
there was a regrettable apathy among
the members about seeking recruits
for their ranks, and general dis
tnterestedness in the cause. TO rem
adv this was McMannis' object, ana
although he found several personalities
which promised we'll for future lead
arsnlp. most OF the material was poor,
and such response as he did receive
was unenthusiastic. There was moth
ing in the factory itself upon which
he could at present build. The wages
were union scale or better; the man
agement was strict, but the work
steady. and if the profits were large
the employees seemed to think they
received a fair share. Had it not been
chat every man in the union was srist
20 his mill, the new delegate would
have postponed payment Of his per-
sonal grudge. and turned his attention
to more impressionable material.
There was no mail awaiting Mr.. Nc
Mannis' arrival at his office, but he
had brought his newspaper, and sit
ing down at the small desk, he spread
It out and began reading it leisurely
Tnder the heading, interpretations at
Albany Yesterday" he noted a list OF
; names in fine print He started TO
> read them and suddenly stopped with
an exclamation of surprise
! "The Confederated Machine compa-
= nies: authorized capital $50 900 900.
! Machine companies? That was in
Kennard's line. What did it mean?
Was John Kennard actually planning
7 10 sell out? What if a combination
. was forming? Something was afoot
: and money might be made BY working
it properly. If he could get on the
: track of the facts, the opportunity OF
:. lifetime lay before him. How could
= he learn what was going on? He
must not guess, he must not prophesy
prematurely or raise any false alarms
Il He must know what he was talking
u about when the time came TO talk
and until then, what not to speak Of
There was netting more to be learned
= from the newspaper. He knew the
Il, pararraph BY heart If Kennard va
~ about to sell out. who would be in tn
y secret? His confidential CLERKS, o
az course. Not very promising allies 10
an outsider in Q place like Kennard
ye Sons. Il consolidation was the puf
pose of this incorporation, who woul
nd know of it? Josh Harlan, OF course.
~ Mr.. McMannis closed and locked HI
,,s door, turned the cloek-faee to the oaE
and hurrying to the nearest telephon
pay-station, called up the office Of tn
=. Milling Companies, where Mr.. Harla
reigned as vice president. Central wa
somewhat tardy in making the neces
- sary connection, and McMannis gre
:. impatient as he sat sweating in tn
stuffy little cabinet. Two or thre
"a times he put the receiver to his ca
and hearing nothing but the faint hun
ming of the wires, swore into the TUT
for the benefit of the operator. Elici
ing no reply, he rang the bell Ion
and angrily, until at last he was r.
warded by hearing Mr.. Harlans voic
AS he had merely called up the Nil
ing Companies and had not yet aske
- specifically for any one, McMannis We
somewhat surprised to find his frier
and patron already at the phone.
=, "HeIlo?" sang Mr.. Harlan's voice, il
,at quiringly.
~ McMannis opened his mouth to al