Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-12-28
XVII.
A GENTEEL

- 80 L~N
In my childhood at home, my father
was often away for a week or longer.
working or looking for work. My moth
| err had a notion hat a boy should be
punished only by his father; so, when
ever she caught me in what she re-
garded as a serious transgression, she
used to say: You will get a good
whipping for this. when your father
ONE home At first l used to wait
passively, suffering the torments OF ten
thrashings before the good whipping
came to pass. But soon my mind be-
gan to employ the interval more profit
ably. | would scheme to escape exc
cution of sentence; and, though my
mother was a determined woman,
many's the time / contriyed to change
her mind. / am nos recommending to
parerts the system of delay in eXecu-
ton of sentence; but l must say that
in my case II was responsible for an
invaluable discipline. For example,
the Textile tangle.
/ knew / was in all human probability
doomed to so down before the Stock
Exchange had been open an hour the
next morning. All Textile stocks must
start many points higher than they had
been at the close, must go steadily and
swiftly up. Entangled as my reserve
were in the coal deal, 1 should
~ ~ GA ~ wv AAI 5AAS 10 VII
any terms less h the loss of all l
had. At most, 1 could hope only to save
myself from criminal bankruptcy.
And now my early training in coolly
and calmly studying how to avert exe-
cution Of sentence came into play.
There is a kind of cor~nered-rat, hit-or-
miss, last-ditch fight that any creature
will make in such circumstances as
mine then were, and the inspirations of
despair sometimes happen to be lucky.
But / prefer the ~reasoned-out plan.
There was no signal of distress In my
voice as l telephoned Corey, president
of the Interstate Trust company, TO
stay at his office until 1 came: there
was no signal of distress in my manner
as / sailed forth and went down to
the Power Trust building; nor did /
show or suggest that / had heard the
''shot-at-sunrise' sentence, as I strobe
into Roebuck's presence and greeted
him. l was assuming. by way OF pre-
caution, that some rumor about me
either had reached him or would soon
reach him. l knew he had an eye in
every secret of finance and industry,
and, while / believed my secret was
wholly my own, / had too much at
stake with him to bank on that, when
| could, as l though, so easily reas-
sure him.
I've come to suggest, Mr.. Roebuck,'
said ], that you let my ~house-Black
lock and Company-announce the coal
reorganization plan. 1t would give me
a great lift, and Melville and his bank
don't need prestige. My daily letters
to the public on Investments have, as
you know. got me a big following that
would help me make the notation an
even bigger success than it's bound to
be, no matter who u it and in
vites subscriptions
AS I thus proposed that 1 be In a
jiffy caught up from the extremely
humble level of reputed bucket-shop
dealer into the highest heaven OF high
finance, that I be made the official
spokesman of the financial gods, his ex-
preston was so ludicrous hat I almost
lost my gravity. i suspect, for a mo-
ment he thought ! had gone mad. His
manner, when he overe himself suf-
ficiently TO speak. was certainly not un-
like what 1t would have been had he
found himself alone before q danger
III lunatic who was armed with a
bomb.
You know how anxious I am to
help you. to further your interests. Mat
thew" said he wheedlingly. II know
no man who has q brighter future. But
not SO fast. not SO fast, young man.
or course. you will appear as one of
the reorganizing icommittee-but we
could not AFFORD to have the
ment come through any less strong and
old established house than the Nation
al Industrial bank"
"At least. you can make me joint
with them" I urged.
"Perhaps--yes-possibly-we'n see,"
said he soothingly. There is plenty Of
time IA
Plenty OF time assented, as II
quite content. 1T only wanted to put
the matter before you." And I rose to
go.
Have you heard the news OF Textile
common?" he asked.
YES" said / carelessly. Then. all
In an instant. a plan took shape In my
mind. II own a good deal of the stock,
and I must say, / don't like this rise"
'Why?" he inquired.
because I'm sure It's a stock job
bling scheme" replied ] boldly. Il know
the dividend wasn't earned. / don't like
thai sort OF thing. Mr.. Roebuck. Not
because it's -unlawful-the laws are so
clumsy that o practical man often must
disregard them. But because II - tam