Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1906-11-24
DANGER SIGNALS.


over the bills before the legislatures
-ot those states in which 1 had inter
Ssts trusted that work to my law
Ysrs-and, like every man who ever
absolutely trusted an important divi-
sion OF his affairs TO another. l was
severely punished. One morning my
sye happened to light upon a minor
paragraph in a newspaper list OF
the small bills yesterday approved
ny the governor" In the list was one
defining the power OF sundry COM
missions" Those words seemed to
me somehow to spell Joker" But
shy did l caN up my lawyers TO ask
them about IL? It's a mystery to me.
All | know is that, busy as l was.
something inside me compelled me to
drop everything else and hunt that
"lDker' down.
! got Saxe-then senior partner in
Browne, SAKE & Einstein-on the
phone, and said: "Just see and tell
xae, will you, what is the bill defining
1he power OF sundry commissions
the bill the governor signed yester-
day.
Certainly, Mr.. Blackjack" came
the answer. MY nerves are, and al
ways have been. on the watchout for
the looks and the tones and the ges-
Gnres that are just shade of the
Natural; and feel that | do SAKE no
injustice when | say his tone was, not
a shade, but full color. off the nat
ural. So l was prepared for what he
said when he returned to the tele-
phone. I'm sorry. MFR. Blackjack, but
we seem unable to lay our hands on
Chat bill at this moment"
why not?" said |. in the tone that
makes an employee jump as if whip
Nash had cut him on the calves.
He had jumped all right. as his
Esnice showed. Its not in our file
szaid he. Its house bill No. 427, and
rs apparently not here"
The hell you say" l exclaimed.
why
II really can't explain" he pleaded.
and the frightened whine confirmed
WY suspicion.
II guess not" said !. making the
words significant and suggestive.
and you're in my pay to look after
sach matters! But you'll have to eX-
y4ain, If this turns out to be serious"
Apparently our file of bills is com
plete except that one" he went on.
II suppose it was lost in the mail,
ard / very stupidity didn't notice the
gap in the numbers"
Stupid isn't the word I'd use, said
]. with a laugh that wasn't OF the
Kind that cheers. And | rang off ana
asked for the state capitol on the
Tong distance"
Before / got my connection SAKE,
whose Office was only two blocks
away, came clustering in, The boy
Haas been discharged, Mr.. Blackjack, -
he began.
What boy" said l.
The boy in charge OF the bill file
the boy whose business it was 70
keep the file complete
Send him to me. you damned
xeoundrel," said /. III give him a
fob. What do you take me for any
way And what kind OF cowardly
boand are you to disgrace an innocent
boy as a cover for your own crooked
york.
Really. Mr.. Blackjack, this Is most
. extraordinary" he expostulated.
Extraordinary? l call 1t Grim
fnal.' retorted. Listen to me. You
book after the legislation calendars for
me. and for Langdon. and for Roe
buck, and for Melville, and for half
a dozen others OF the biggest finan-
eiers In the country. It's the most
important work you do for us. Yet
you, as shrewd and careful a lawyer
as there Is at the bar, want me to
believe you trusted that work to a
boy, IL you did, you're damn fool.
II you didn't, you're damn scoun-
klrel. There's no more doubt in my
mind than in yours which OF those
horns has you sticking on it,
You are letting your quick temper
ret away with you, Mr.. Blackjack, "
be deprecated.
"Stop lyingi" l shouted. 81 knew
you had been doing some skulduggery
telephone. And If / needed any proof,
the meek way you've taken my abuse
would furnish It, and to spare"
Just then the telephone bell rang
and | got the right department and
asked the clerk to read house bill 427.
II contained five short paragraphs.
q. The Joker" was in the third, which
gave the state canal commission the
right to institute condemnation pro
y E,eedings, and to condemn, and to
abolish, any canal not exceeding 30
miles in length and not part of the
connected canal system Of the state. "
When / hung up the receiver | was
20 absorbed that had forgotten SAKE
was waiting. He made some slight
sound. wheeled on him. / needed
n vent If he hadn't been there
sbculd have smashed a chair. But
there was he-and / kicked him out
~ my private Office and would have
Kicked him out through the anteroom
into the outer hall. had he not gath
cred himself together and run ike a