Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-10-12

earnluSS VI your cOul Lille uhu VoiS
or by the developments of your other
and far greater interests that are de-
pendent upon this extension. So when
they employ me to report upon the
project | am not free to consider any
of these things. l must consider only
their interests. / must ask myself
whether or not it will pay them to
undertake this extension. know that
1t will not. know that the extended
line cannot within generation to
come pay even operating expenses, to
say nothing Of interest on the cost OF
construction. am bound to set forth
those facts in my report. They pay
me to tell them what the facts are. OF
course, | shall tell them truly. Other
wise | should not be an honest man. !
should be swindler, taking their mon
ey as pay for deceiving them and In
ducing them to undertake losing en-
terprise."
ooh. that's oil right. But you might
be mistaken, you know. You've form.
ed Judgment after brief trip
through the country. That country
seems poverty stricken Just now, but
that's because it hasn't enjoyed the
stimulating influence Of railroad. IL
Is better country than you think, as
l can convince you il you'll let me take
you through 1t In carriage. We can
start at once-tomorrow mOrning-run
out to the mines by rail and there take
a carriage and drive through the coun'
fry: I've ordered the carriage, with
abundant supplies. from Chicago.
want to show you the resources Of the
country. I'll convince you before we
get ok that the country will build up
as soon as the railroad penetrates 1t
and that there will be an abundant
traffic for the road"
Pardon me-" answered Duncan.
"I've already been through that region.
I've questioned every farmer as to his
crops. I've questioned every merchant
in every village as to his possible ship
ments by the railroad and as to the
amount of goods he hopes to sci! If the
railroad is built Their replies are
hopelessly discouraglng. Taking their
outside estimates as certain, there can
not be enough traffic over such a line
for twenty years to come to pay operat-
ing expenses. In the meantime the
men whom you are asking to build the
road must lose not only the interest on
their investment, but the investment
itself. I know all the facts that bear
upon the case"
"All but one," answered Tandy.
"What Is that one"
"That q favorable report from you
means a check, right now and here,
tonight, payable to bearer for $10,-
OOO My check is supposed to be good
for oil it calls for. You can have II
now, and 1t will be cashed tomorrow
morning. Here it is. Payable to bear
er as it is, you needn't indOrse it, and
you need not be known in the matter
in any way. I'm talking business
| now"
| Duncan scanned the face of his in
! terlocutor for an instant. Then he rose
from his seat, and with utterance
choked by emotion managed to say:
II quite understand. You would
bride me with that check. You would
hire me to betray the confidence Of the
men who are paying me a very much
smaller sum than $4,000. You pro,
pose to buy my integrity, my honor,
my soul. Very well. My integrity,
my honor and my soul are not for sale
at any price. shall make an honest
report in this matter. Good night, sir!
I am not such scoundrel as you
hoped I might be-"
And with that GuilfOrd Duncan
stalked out Of the house, helping him.
self to his hat as he passed the rack
in the entry way.