The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-10-11
THE
CRAFTERS
By
FIR AN CTS Lynn d 3
,oOpyrisbt. 100 by The BObOs-Msrrill CO..
CHAPTER xIv.-coSrrxuED.

He did t.; and in further obedience
opened the thin Quarto at the map Of
the United States. There we're heavy
black lines. linked In with a pen, trac-
Ing out the various ramlflcations OF n
great railway system. The nucleus Of
the system lsy In the middle west, but
there was a growing network OF the
black lines reaching out toward the
Pacific. And connecting the trans
Mississippi network with the western
was a broad red line paralleling the
Trans-Western railway.
She smiled at his sudden start Of
Comprehension.
DO you begin to suspect things!"
che asked.
lie nodded hts head.
You ought 20 be a man. II you
we're, should never give you a mo-
ment's peace until you consented to
take a partnership with me. It's as
plain as day, now"
'Is It? Then wish you would
make 1t appear so TO me. am not
half as subtle as you give me credit
Tor being"
yet you worked this out"
That was easy enough; after had
seen Mrs Brentwood's letter, and
yours from Mr.. Hunnicott. The Plant
agould people want your railroad. and
the receiversBip 10 q part of plan for
acquiring il. But why is Maj Guilford
spending so much money for improve
nnentsG'
His reasons are not far 60 seek
now that you have shown me where
TO look. His instructions are to run
the stock down so that the Planta-
gould can bry II In. Cut rates and
big expenditures will do that-have
done Il. On the other hand. 1t Is
doubtless n condition OF the deal that
the road shall be turned over whole
as to its property values-there is to
be no wrecking in the general accept
Ance OF the word. The Plantagould
doesn't want a picked skeleton"
Miss Portals eyes narrowed.
tits skillful bit OF engineering
Isn't it?" she said. You'd admire IT
as artistic work yourself IL your point
of view were not so hopelessly per-
sonal"
You don't know half the artistic
skill Of e yet he went on. Besides
all these different ends that are being
conserved, the gang is taking care Of
its surplus heolers on the pay-rolls of
the company More than that, 1t is
making immense political capital for
itself Everybody knows what the
policy of the road was under the old
regime: An the tariff the traffic will
stand Tsut now a Bucks man has
hold Of 1t. and lIberality is the word.
Every man in Trans-Western territory
is swearing by Bucks and Guilford.
All, my dear friend, his excellency
the governor u a truly great mani"
She nodded.
I've been trying to impress you
with that fact all along. The mistake
you made was In not Joining his party
early in the campaign, David"
But Kent was following out his own
line OF thought and putting 1t In words
as II came.
Think OF the brsin-work Il took to
bring all those things into line. There
was no hitch, no slip. and nothing
was overlooked. They picked their
tine, and II was a moment when we
were absolutely helpless. I had fled
our charter, but our local organiza-
ton was still incomplete. They had
their judge and the needful case In
his court. pending and ready for use
at the precise moment. They had
Hawk on tho ground. armed and
equipped; and they knew that unless
miracle interviewed they would have
nobody but an unprepared local attor-
ney TO obstruct them"
'Ts that all?' she asked.
mo. The finest bit of sculpture Is
on the capstons Of tho pyramid. Since
we have had No hearing on the merits,
Guilford is only a temporary receiver.
subject to discharge il the allegations
In Hawks amended petition are not
sustained. After the major has suf-
hciently smashed the stock, Judge
MacFarlane will come back, the hear
ing on the merits will be given, we
shall doubtless make our point. and
the road will revert TO the stock
holders. But by that time enough OF
the stock will have changed hands on
tho wreck price to put the .Planta-
gould people safely in the saddle, and
the freezeout will be fact accom-
Diishsls