The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-10-25
DANGER SIGNALS.

DANGER SIGNALS.
| At that time did not myself 20 over
the bills before the Legislature OF those
states In which I had interests. L
trusted that work To my lawyers-and.
like every man who ever absolutely
, trusted an important division OF his
affairs to another. I was severely pun
ished. One morning my eye happened
To light upon "A minor paragraph In
| newspaper list OF the small bills
yesterday approved by the governor"
| In the list was one defining the power
OF sundry commissions" Those words
seemed To me somehow TO spell "Jok-
err" But why did call up my lawyers
90 ask them about IT. It's mystery
| TO me. All I know is that. busy M
was. something inside me compelled me
tn drop everything else and hunt that
Joker" down.
I got saxe-thcn senior partner I'm
Browne. SAKE and Einstein-on the
! phone. and said: Just see and tell me.
I viii you. what IL the bill defining the
! power OF sundry commissions'-the bill
the governor signed yesterday"
Certainly. Mr.. Blackjack" came the
answer. My nerves are, and always
have been, on the watchout for the
looks and tones and the gestures that
are just n shade of the natural: and l
F, feet that I do Sake no injustice when
| / say his tone was. not n shade, but
n full color. of the natural. So l WAS
prepared for what he said when he re-
turned To the telephone. I'm sorry.
| Mr.. Blackjack. but We seem unable To
lay our hands on that bill ut this mo-
ment."
why mott" said I. I'm the tone that
makes an cmploye jump as IL whip
/ lash had cut him on the calves.
He had jumped all right. ms his voice
showed. IT'S not In our flle." said he.
ITS house bill No. Az. and it's APP
| parently not here"
THE he'll you say" / exclaimed.
WHY"
81 really can't explain" he pleaded.
and the frightened whine confirmed my
| suspicion.
II guess not" said /. making the
words significant and suggestive. And
| you're Ga my pay To look after such
matters. But you'll have To explain.
| IL this turns out tn be serious.
Apparently our file OF bills Is COM
plcte except that one" he went an. Il
suppose 4, was lost In the mail. and l
very stupidity didn't notice the gap In
the numbers"
stupid isn't the word I'll use" said
! I, with u laugh that wasn't OF the kind
I that cheers. And rang of and asked
I for the state capitol on the long dis
lance"
/ Before I got my connection Sake.
I whose Office was only two blocks away.
came clustering In. THE boy has been
discharged. SIR. Blackjack" he began.
What boy?" said i.
"'rhc boy in charge or the bin file
the boy whose business II was to keep
the file complete
send him to me. you damned scoun-
drel." said I. I'm give him Job. What
I IL sH.ls. IaF n "a 4 ~ IL
what kind OF a cowardly hound are you
F. 20 disgrace an innocent boy as a cover
i for your own crooked work."
Really. Mr.. Blackjack. this is most
extraordinary" he cxposiulated.
Extraordinary? / call IL criminal"
| I retorted. Listen To me. You look
after the legislation calendars for me.
and for I.angdon. and Tor Rocbuck. and
| for Melville and for half "A dozen others
OF the biggest financiers In tipc country.
It's the most important work you do
/ for US Yet you, as shrewd ana care
| full a lawyer ms there Is At the bar. want
me 10 believe you trusted that work
! To n boy. IL you did. you're "A damn
! fool. II you didn't you're =, "A damn
scoundrcl. There's no more tioubt I'm
my mind than yours which 'of those
horns has you sticking on ~"
! You are letting your quick temper
| get away with you, Mr.. Blackjack" he
deprecated.
/ you had been doing some skulduggery
when | first heard your voice on the
! telephone. And " l needed any proof.
\ the meek way you've taken my abuse
would furnish Il. and To spare"
! Just then the telephone bell rang and
got the right department. and asked
/ the clerk To read house bill i2I. II
\ contained five short paragraphs. The
! "iokcr" was In the third. which gave
the state canal commission the right
to institute condemnation proceedings.
] and TO condemn. ana To abolish, any
canal not exceeding thirty miles In
length and not a part OF the connected
/ canal system Of the state"
/ when 1 hung up the receiver I was so
absorbed that had forgotten Sake was
I waiting. lie made some slight sound.
1 wheeled on him. l needed "A vent IL
| ne hadn't been there l should have
smashed n chair. But there was he
and 1 kicked him out OF my private
office and would have kicked him out
through the antcroom into the outer
hall had he not gathered himself to-
gethCr and run like "A Jackrabblt.
Since that day have done my own
calendar watching.
BY this incident / do not mean 90
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 or dives. No
more ought you To look for honor
among any OF the people that have 10
do with the big glldcd dive of the dol
iarocracy. They are there TO gamble,
and TO prostitute themselves. The fact
that they look like gentlemen and have
the manners and the language OF gen.
tlemen ought TO deceive nobody but the
caliow chaps OF the sort that believes
the swell gambler Is IAN honest fell
low and a perfect gentleman other