The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-04-28
Ole
Perrin Contract


north of England. there is no more re
spected name than that OF Perrin The
firm OF John Perrin d Company, has
built ships for generations. and Is
practically the oldest established trim
In W.
The present head Of the firm, John
Perrin, is a widower with one dauSE-
ter. 1t has been said that Mr.. Perrin
Is the longest-headed man in w, anu
that what he does not know ABOUT
shipbuilding is not worth knowing.
Dorothy Perrin, at the time THIS
story opens, was 10 years OF age she
was wonderfully pretty girl. with
a sweet sympathetic nature. MOST OF
the eligible bachelors OF W had
fallen in love with her at different
times. but so far. Dorcthy's heart was
In her own keeping.
Mr.. PERKINS, offices were Of an ex-
tensiye nature, and he employed
large number Of clerks. 1t is with
two of the latter that we are princl-
palIy concerned One OF them. wal
ter Jerrard, a nephew of Nh Perrin,
was in the private office. and II was a
common rumor that one day he would
be taken into the firm. The other
employe, Arthur Evison, was a con-
fdential clerk to Mr.. Perrin, and had
been in his employ since his boyhoou
days.
Both of the young men tfor they
were each of them but 25 years OF ase)
lived in W, but. whereas Jerrard
was an orphan and lived with his I'M
Gle, Arthur Eyison resided with his
mother. who was q widow, and his
earnings constituted their sole in
come.
In common with the many other |
bachelors OF W, both Eyison and |
Jerrard had succumbed to the charms |
of Dorothy Perrin. but 50 far the Oh
ject Of the affection was unaware OF |
it.
Each Of the two men, however. knew
the others secret, and this quickened
dislike that they lad long mutual
ly fostered. Evison dstrusted Jer-
rard; he saw behind that handsome
face and careless expression mean
and shfty character. In his turn Jer-
rard had the natural dislike of Evil
son, which his kind invariably bear
toward men of an upright DISPOSE
ton
Arthur Evison could scarcely be
called handsome, but there was some
thing attractive in his strong, clear
cut features; people could distinguish
at once his manly. truthful nature.
and in consequence he was liked ard
respected by nearly all who knew him.
Some years ago the shipbuilders OF
Britain began to grow alarmed at the
Of foreign cOuntries-An
erica and Germany in particular. So
much was this felt il W that man!
houses were forced to close Oh ac-
count Of the bad times.
Several of the old houses. though.
such as John Perrin & Co, were able
o face the difficulties, but even with
hem matters were serious. For Mr..
Perrin personally it did not matter,
le being possessed OF large private
means.
However, when the North Atlantic ,
Steamship Company asked fer tenders
or two new liners from several OF the
Of w, matters began 70
how signs Of improving. /
The two new liners were to be larger
han any Of the North Atlantic Com
,anys present fleet, and would be the ::
argest vessels ever built in a W ;
hipyard.
Perrin & eco, was one Of the firms J.
sked to tender. and they naturally =
lr. Perrin knew that his only serious =.
ival was Josiah Grey, whose yard :
djOined his own. :
Arthur Evison had great deal to :
o with the preparation of the esti- :.
late, as had also Walter Jerrard. They :,
,ere both at the frequent consulta- -
Ions held in Mr. PERKINS, private Of :
ce, and naturally the whole affair
Tas conducted with the utmost secresy "
o one handling the papers without q
lr. PERKINS, knowledge. :"
Every night all the papers were Sc -
urely locked up, Mr.. Perrin himself -
arrying the key. p
One evening Arthur Evison was re- :"
lrning from a solitary walk across -
le common when he was somewhat ~
stonished to see Walter Jerrard in y
ompany with an employe of Josiah ~
rey. Evison knew that his fellow y
ERIK had hitherto had nothing but u
odding acquaintance with his present
but he put down their be- Ia
lg together to chance meeting. ~
hey had not seen him, and he speedily III
,rgot the matter 8
1t was Evisons custom several even DIV
in, 4 n