Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-28
CHATTER XIV,

rOfQ Duncan managed to maze
 new enemy and one more power
 \ fni to work him harm upon occa- < sion than all the rest whom ne had of
 fended.
 Napoleon Handy. president of the X
 National bank, whose name had been first populnrly shortened to "Nap" Tan dy ahd aftcrward extended again into \ spper" Handy, was the only man in Cairo who had enough of financial strength or of creative business capac- ity to be reckoned a rival of Captain Will Hallam or his competitor In com nercial enterprises. ! He had several times tried conclu- sions with Hallam in such affairs. but { always with results distinctly unsatis- factory to himself or, as Hallam one day explaine1 to Duncan, ''He has got good deal of education at my hands. and he has paid his tuition fees.'
 Tandy was not yet past middle age, but he was always called "Old Nap per Tandy,' chiefly because of certain objectionable traits of character that he possessed He was reputed to be the "meanest man in southern Illinois" He was certainly the hardest in driv- ing a bargain, the most mercileSs in it's enforcement. He was cordially hated and very greatly feared. Cold. self possessed, shrewd and utterly selfish, his attitude toward his fellow men and toward himself was altogether diff ferent from that of his greater compet- itor, Hallam. He felt none of Hal lam's sporting interest" as Duncan called it, in playing the game of com nlerce and finance. He was quick to see opportunities and somewhat bold in seizing upon them, but no thought of popular or public benefit to accrue from his enterprises ever found lodg- ment in his mind He had put large sum of money into the through line of freight cars, but he had done so with an eye single to his own ad- vantage, with no thought of anything but dividends. He had contemptuous- ly called Duncan "a rainbow chaser" because that young man had spoken with some enthusiasm of the benefits which the cheapening of freight rates must bring to the people east and west.
 In brief, Napper Handy was a very greedy money getter and nothing else. He hated Hallam with all that he had of heart because Hallam was his su- perior in the conduct of affairs and be- cause Hallam had so badly beaten him in every case of competitive effort and perhaps because of some other things.
 On his part Will Hallam, without hating, cordially detested the man whom he had thus beaten and made afraid.
 Nevertheless these two never quar- reled. Each of them was too worldly wise to make an open breach with one whose cooperation in great affairs he might at any time need.
 On the night of the ball Hallam took Duncan aside and said to him:
 q wish you'd take the o'clock train in the morning and go up to the mines for few days. Everything there seems to he at sixes and sevens. l can't make head or tail out of it all. All I know is that the confounded mine is losing a good many thousands of my dollars every month. want you to go up and make thorough in- vestigation. If you can't find a way out I'll shut up the hole in the ground and quit
 Captain Hallsm knew. of course, that Duncan could not get much sleep that night, but he had long ago learned that Gullford Duncan utterly dIsre- garded personal comfort whenever duty called. and so he lad no hesita. fion in thus ordering his young lirutcn- ant 10 take an early morning tr&ia on the heels of d night of dancing.
 Perhaps you'd better go up there with me" suggested Duncan.
 "No. That would embarrass mat ters I've been up several times, and want you to bring fresh mind to bear upon the trouble. I'll telegraph the people there to put everything at your command. I want you to study the situation and make up your mind. just as if the whole thing belonged to -ou-. Part of it does. you know. and more Of it shall If you find a way out. If the thing can Ire made to go I'll give you ten more of the hundred shares in addition to the five you al resdy own. Good night and gOOiby till you're ready to report
 Captain Will Hallam had recently bought this coal mine on a little branch rnilroad in the interior of Illinois He had not wanted to buy it. but had done 60 by way of saving A debt. The mine had been badly constructed at the be ginning. and latterIy l; had been a good deal neglected There were other diffi sultieS. as Duncan soon discovered and the coal resources of the property had never been half developed. In recognition of his services in examiR- Ing titles and other matters connected with the purchase Hsllsm had given the young man per cent of the com <any's stock. He was thus for the rrst time working in part for himself zhen he was sent to study the situa- ton.
 Quietly. but insistently. in face of the suriy opposition Of tie superintendent. who was alsO s;yIed ehief engineer. Duncan looked into things. It uss true. as the superintendent suIleRly sid that this young man k1sv BOth- ing of cosl mining But t wss also true. as DuDrzn answered that be knew bow to Iearu-
 And he dhd bezrn- He earne1 %