The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-11-29
THE
CRAFTERS
By
FRAN CTS Lynn d q
y ,oOpyright. lSO.. BY The BOObs-Morrin Coz

ne edlLOr WagBed DIS neau IN sy IN
pathy.
Il wish could help you. David.
You've done a big thing for me-foE
tie Argus; and all have to hand you
in return is a death sentence. Mac
Farlane is back"
Here? In town."
Yes. And that isn't the worst OF
It. The governor sent for him"
Have you any idea what is in the
wind7" asked Kent, dry-lipped.
I'm afraid / have. My young men
have been nosing around in the Trans
Western affair, and several things
have developed. Matters are approach
ing a crisis The cut-rate boom Ia
about to collapse, and there is trouble
brewing in the labor organizations.
II Bucks doesn't get his bench
men out of 1t pretty soon. they
will be involved in the smash-which
will be bad for them and for him.
politically"
II developed most of that a good
while ago." Kent cut in.
Yes; know. But there is more
TO follow. The stock-smashing plan
was all right. but It is proving too
slow. Now they are going to do some
thing else"
can you give IL a manner" asked
Kent, nerving himself
Il can. But first tell me one thing:
as matters stand, could Guilford dis
pose OF the road-sell Il or lease ity''
No: he would first have to be made
permanent receiver and be given
authority by the court"
"Ahl that explains Judge MacFar-
lanes return. Now what I am going
TO tell you Is the deadest Of secrets
II came to me from one OF the Over
land officials, and I'm not supposed
to gossip. Did you know the Overland
Short Line had passed under Piants-
gould domination?"
Il know they elected a Plantagould
directory at the annual meeting"
Exactly. Well, Gullford is going
to lease the Trans Western to its COM
petltor for term Of SO years. That's
your death sentence"
Kent sprang to his feet, and what
he said is unrecordable. He was not
a profane man, but the sanguine
temperament would assert itself ex-
plosively in moments of sudden stress.
when is this thing to be donef'
he demanded. when the temperamental
gods were appeased a little.
Hildreth shrugged.
Il have told you all / could, and
rather more than | had any right TO.
Open the door behind you, won't you!
The air is positively sulphurous.
Kent opened the door. entirely miss
Ing the point of sarcasm in his heat
But you must have some idea." he
insisted.
81 haven't; any more than the gen.
eral one that they won't let grass
grow ander their feet"
mo. God blast the whole-I wish
could swear in Sanscrit The mother
tongue doesn't begin to do justice &c
t. Now | know what Bucks meant
when he told me to take my railroad
II I could get It, He had the whole
sthiDg coopered up In a barrel at thai
minute"
Il take It you have no alternative
10 this" said the editor, tapping ths
pile OF affidavits.
mot q cursed shred of an idea!
And, Hildreth-" he broke OF short
because once again the subject sud
denly grew too large for coherent
speech.
Hildreth disentangled himself from
the legs OF his chair and stood up 10
put his hands on Kents shoulders.
"You are up against 1t hard, Da-
vid," he said. and he repeated: I'D
give all my old shoes to be able TO
help you out"
"a know it," said Kent; and then he
turned abruptly and went away.
Between nine and ten o'clock the
same evening Kent was walking the
floor OF his room, trying vainly to
persuade himself that virtue was its
own reward. and wondering IL a small
dose of choral hydrate would be de-
fensible under the cruel necessity fo-
sleep. He had about decided in favor
Of the drug when u tap at the door
announced the coming of a bell-boy
with a note II was a u essage from
Portia.
IF you have tLrosn away your
shsnce oe6nitely. and are willing 10