Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-11-01
DANGER SIGNALS.


v.
DANGER SIGNALS.
At that time / ala ~ myself go over
the bills before tho legislature OF those
states i'll which | had Interests. |
trusted that work 10 my llWyers-and.
like every man who ever absolutely
trusted an important division Of his
AFFAIRS TO another. i WAS severely pun
lshNd. one morning my 80 happened
to light upon a minor paragraph in n
new spapcr-a list of the "slnall bills
yesterday approved by the governor"
In the list was Il defining the power
of sundry commissions Those words
seemed to me somehow to spell .'jok-
err But why did / call up my lawyers
to ask them about it, It's a mystery
to me. All | know is that. busy as |
was, something inside me compelled me
TO drop everything else and hun that
Joker down.
| got SaXe-then senior partner in
Browne. Sake and ilinstein-on the
phone. ana said. Just sec and tell me.
will you, what is the bill defining the
power of sundry commissions'-the bill
the governor signed yesterday?'
"Certainly, Mr.. Blacklock.' came the
answer. My nerves are. and always
80 'tth' III A-G hNAAAiA'bl ~ htAf
looks and tones and the gestures that
are just a shade off tine natural: ana i
feel that | do SAKE no injustice Whcn
| say his tone WAS, not Il shade. but
a full color. off the natural. So / was
prepared for what he said when he re
turned to the telephone. TIA sorry.
Mr.. Blackjack. but we seem unable to
lay our hands on that bill at his mo-
ment."
Why not?" said I. in the tone that
makes an employe jump as if a whip
lash had cut him on the calves.
He had jumped all right, as his voice
showed. It's not in our file" said he.
It's house bill No. 49,. and its APP
parently not here"
The hell YOU say" exclaimed.
WHY"
II really can't explain he pleaded,
and the frightened whine confirmed my
suspicion.
Il guess not" said /. making the
words significant and suggestive. "And
you're in my pay to look after such
matters. But you'll have to explain.
if this turns out to be serious.
apparently our file of bills is COM
pletc except that one" he wen. on. II
suppose il vas lost in the mail, AID |
very stupidity didn't notice the gar in
the numbers
stupid isn't the word Ia use said
|. with n laugh that wasn't of the kind
that cheers. And | rang off n asked
for the state capitol OH the long dis
lance
Before l got my connection SAKE.
whose office was only two blocks away.
came clustering in. THE boy has been
discharged. Mr.. %Blacklock.' he began.
What boy said l..
The boy in charge of the bill file
the boy whose business it was to keep
the file complete
Send him to me-. you damned scoun-
drel," said l. TN give him q job. What
do o take me for. anyway? And
what kin of a cowardly hound are you
20 disgrace an innocent boy as Il cover
for your own crooked work?'
Really, Mr.. Blackjack, this is most
extraordinary" he expostulated.
Extraordinary? l call it criminal
l retorted. Listen to Inc. You look
after the legislation calendars for me.
and for l.angdon, and for Roebuck. and
for Melville. and for half q dozen others
of the biggest ~financiers in the country.
It's the most important work you do
for us. Yet You. as shrewd and care
full a lawyer rs there is at the bar, want
to n boy. If YOU did, you're Il damn
fool. If you didn't, you're Il damn
s~coundrel. There's no more doubt in
my mind than our which of those
horns has you sticking on it,"
"You are letting your quick temper
get away with you, Mr.. Blackjack" he
deprecated.
stop lying" l shouted. Il knew
you had been doing some sk%ulduggery
When l first heard your voice on the
telephone. And if l needed any proof.
the meek wa you've taken my abuse
would furnish it. and To spare
Just then the telephone bell rang and
,rot the Ijptt damn = ,,at,f ,,,I N,
h clerk to e house bill 427. 1t
contained five short paragraphs. The
Joker was in the third, which gave
the state canal commission the right
ito institute condemnation PROCEEDINGS.
and to condemn, and to abolish. any
ana nos. exceeding thirty miles in
length and not n part of the connected
canal system of the state"
When hung up the receiver | was so
absorbed that l had forgotten SAKE was
Waiting. He made sonc Slight sound.
l wheeled on him. l needed "A vent. IL
he hadn't been there l should have
smashed a chair. But there was he
office and would have kicked him out
through the anteroom into the outer
hall had he not gathered himself to-
gether and run like a jackrabbit.
Since that day l nave lone my own
calendar Watching.
By this incident l do not mean to
suggest that there are not honorable
men in the legal profession. Most of
them are men of the highest honor.
as are most business men. most per-
sons of consequence in every depart
ment of life. But you don't look for
character in the proprietors. servants.
customers and hangers-on of dives. No
more ought you to look for honor
among any of the people that have to
do with the big gilded dive of the dol
l%arocracy. They are there to gamble,
and to prostitute themselves. The fact
that they look like gentlemen and have
the manner and h language of gen.
tlemen ought to deceive nobody but the
callow chaps Of the sort that believes
the swell gambler Is IAN honest fell
low" and a perfect gentleman other
w!se," because he wears a dress suit