Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-09-28
CHAPTER XIV.

vt was about this time that Gull
ford Duncan managed to make
lew enemy and one more power
Il full to work him harm upon occa-
| sion than all the rest whom he had Oh
| Tended.
Napoleon Tandy, president Of the X
| National bank, whose name had been
| first popularity shortened to NAP" Tan
! dy and afterward extended again into
"Napper" Tandy, was the only man
| in Cairo who had enough Of financial
strength or Of creative business capac-
| ity to be reckoned rival Of Captain
VIII Hallam or his competitor in COM
mercial enterprises.
He had several times tried conclu-
sions with Hallam in such affair.", but
always with results distinctly unsatis-
factory to himself, or, as Hallam one
day explained to Duncan, "He has got
a good deal of education at my hands,
and he has paid his tuition fees"
Tandy was not yet past middle age,
but he was always called "Old Nap
per Tandy," chiefly because of certain
Objectionable traits of character that
he possessed. He was reputed to be
the "meanest man in southern Illinois"
He was certainly the hardest in driv-
ing q bargain, the most merciless IN
its enforcement. He was cordially
hated and very greatly feared. Cold, self
possessed, shrewd and utterly selfish,
his attitude toward his fellow men
and toward himself was altogether diff
ferent from that of his greater Compel
itor, Hallam. He felt none of Hal
lam's sporting interest" as Duncan
called it, in playing the game Of COM
merce and finance. He was quick to
see opportunities and somewhat bold
in Selling upon them, but no thought
of popular or public benefit to accrue
from his enterprises ever found lodg-
ment in his mind. He had put large
sum of money into the through line
of freight cars, but he had done SO
with an eye single to his own adj
vantage, with no thought Of anything
, but dividends. He had contemptuous-
" called Duncan "a rainbow chaser"
because that young man had spoken
with some enthusiasm Of the benefits
which the cheapening Of freight rates
must bring to the people east and west.
In brief, Napier Tandy was very
greedy money getter and nothing else.
He hated Hallam with all that he had
of heart because Hallam was his su-
perior in the conduct of affairs and be-
cause Hallam had so badly beaten him
in every case of competitive effort and
perhaps because of some other things.
On his part Will Hallam, without
hating, cordially detested the man
whom he had thus beaten and made
afraid.
Nevertheless these two never quar-
relied. Each of them was too worldly
wise to make an open breach with one
whose cooperation In great affairs ne
might at any time need.
On the night of the ball Hallam took
Duncan aside and said to himi
II wish you'd take the. z o'clock
train In the morning and go up to the
mines for few days. Everything
there seems to be at skies and sevens.
/ can't make head or tail out OF 1t all.
All know Is that the COMPOUNDED
mine is losing good many thousands
of my dollars every month. / want
you togo up and make thorough In
vestigation.. If you can't find q way
outsIll shut up the hole in the ground
and quit"
Captain Hallam knew. Of course,
that Duncan could not get nuchssleep
that night but he had long ago learned