Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1906-12-21

~
but I HAVEN'T THE SLIGHTEST
INTEREST IN CROOKED ENTER
PRISES now"
in to see you," said he. y wanted
to explain about that unfortunate Tex
tile deal"
This, when the assault on me had
burst out with fresh energy the day
after he landed from Europe!
could scarcely believe that his vanity,
his confidence in his own skill at un-
derground work could 50 delude him.
Don't boIher," said l. AN that's an
Gent history"
But he had thought out some lies
he regarded as particularly creditable
to his ingenuity; he was not to be
deprived Of the pleasure Of telling
them. So l was compelled TO listen:
and, being in an indulgent mood. | did
not spoil his pleasure by letting him
see or suspect my unbelief. II he
could have looked into my mind. as
l stood there in an attitude OF "a.
tent attention, think even his self.
complacence would have been put out
OF countenance.
With his first full stop, / said: 81
Understand perfectly. Langdon. But |
haven't the slightest interest In crook
ed enterprises now. I'm clear ont of
all you fellows stocks. I've reinvest-
Cd my property so that not even .
panic would trouble me-"
That's good" he drawled. I saw
ne did not believe me-which was nat
ural, as he knew nothing Of my ar
rangement with Galloway and as
sumed was laboring in heavy wealth
er. with a bad cargo Of Coal stocks
and contracts. Come to lunch with
me. I've got some interesting things
to tell you about my trip"
A few months before. | should have
accepted with alacrity. But | had lost
interest in him. He had not changed;
II anything, he was more dazzling
than ever in the ways that had once
dazzled me. 1t was that had changed
my ideals, my point of view. had
no desire to feed my neW-sprung con-
tempt by watching him pump in vain
Tor information to be used in his Sc
cret campaign against me. mo,
thanks. Another day." replied, and
left him with a curt nod. noted
that he had failed to speak Of my mar
rage, though he had not seen me
since. "A sore subject with all the
Langdons," thought |. 1T must be
very sore, indeed. to make a man
who Is all manners. neglect them"
Il am strong and secure" said I
to myself IS | strobe through the
wonderful canyon Of Broadway, whose
walls are those mighty palaces OF
finance and commerce from which
business men have been ousted By
cormorant captains Of industry" /
must use my strength. How could
/ better use II than By Huttering
these .vultures on their roosts, and
perhaps bringing down q bird or twoi
l decided. however, that 1t was bet
ter to wait until they had stopped
rafting their beaks and claws on my
shell In futile attack. Meanwhile"
l reasoned carefully" | can be get.
ting good and ready"
Their first new move, after my hI.
tie talk with Langdon, was intended
Is a mortal blow to my credit Mel.
vile requested me to withdraw mine
and Blackjack and Company's &C.
counts from the National Industrial
Bank; and the fact that this huge and
powerful institution had thus branded
me was slyly given to the financial
reporters Of the newspapers. Far and
wide 1t was published, and the public
was expected to believe that this was
one more and drastic measure in
the campaign Of the honorable men
Of finance to clean the Augean Stables
OF Wall Street" My daily letter to
investors next morning led OF with
this paragraph-the first notice | had
taken publicly Of their attacks on me:
In the effort to discredit the only
remaining uncontrolled source of
o unarUiai u,d;n, tne Dig bandits have
ordered my accounts out Of their chief
ssmbling-house. ! have transferred
We accounts To tho Discount and ua-