Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-11-16

purposes beyond getting comfortably
through each day"
And getting real happiness" he in
terrupted, with just a tinge Of bitter
ness.
1--WE wouldn't think it happiness"
was my answer.
THE worse for u.s." he replied. We're
under the tyranny of tomorrow-and
happiness is impossible"
May / look at your BEDROOM" /
asked.
Certainly" he assented.
/ pushed open the door he indicated.
At first glimpse l was disappointed.
The big room looked like a section Of
n hospital ward. 1t wasn't until | had
taken a second and very careful look
at the tiled floor, walls. ceiling, that
/ noted that those plain smooth tiles
were of the very finest, were probably
of his own designing, certainly had
been imported from some great Dutch
or German kiln. Not an inch of drap-
cry, not a picture, nothing that could
hold dust or germs anywhere; a square
of sanitary mating by the bed; anoth-
er square opposite an elaborate eXercis-
ing machine. The bed was of the sim
plest metallic conStructiOn-but / noted
that the metal was the finest bronZa
On it was a thin, hard mattress. You
could wash the big room down and
out with the hose, without doing any
damage.
Quite a contrast" said I. glacing
from the one room to the other.
MY architect is q crank on SANTA
ton" he explained, from his lounge.
/ noted hat the windows were huge
to admit floods OF Highland that they
were Theoretically sealed so that the
air should be only the pure air supplied
from the ventilating apparatus. To
- tIay vrA,Y1l hoo
seemed a cheaply got together cell; to
me, once / had examined it. it was
evidently built at enormous cost and
represented an extravaganza of COM
mon sense luxury which was more than
princely or royal.
Suddenly my mind reverted to my
business. "How do you account for the
st~eadiness of Textile, Langdonr' l
asked, returning to the carved sitting
room and trying to put those surround
ings out of my mind.
Il don't account for t." was his
languid, unintecested reply.
ANY of your people under the mar
ket?"
1T isn't to my interest to have it sup
ported, is it?" he replied.
II know that" l admitted. But why
doesn't It DROP"
Those letters of yours may have
overeducated the public in confidence
suggested he. Your followers " the
habit OF believing implicitly whatever
you say"
Yes, but I haven't written a line
about Textile for nearly a month now
I pretended to object, my vanity fairly
purring with pleasure.
That's the only reason I car give"
said he.
you are sure none of your people
is supporting the stock?" / asked, as
a form n not for information; for
l thought I knew they weren't trust
ed him to have seen to that.
I'D like to get my holdings back"
said he. L can't buy until it's down.
And l know none of my people would
dare support it."
You will notice he did not say direct
ly that he was not himself supporting
the market: he simply so answered me
that I, not suspecting him, would think
ne reas~~red me. There is another of
those mysteries of conscience. Had ii
been necessary, Langdon would have
told me the lie fiat and direct, would
have told it without a tremor of the
voice or a blink of the eye. would have
lied to me as / have heard him, and al
most all the big fellows, lie under oath
before courts and legislative commit
tees; yet, so long as it was possible,
he would thus lie to me with lies that
were not lies. AS If negative lies are
mot falser and more cowardly than posi-
tive lies, because securer and more de-
ceptive.
"Well, then, the price must break
said I. 1T won't be man days before
the public begins to realize that there
isn't anybody under Textile"
mo sharp break he said carelessly.
mo PANEL"
"Tll see to that" replied I, with not
a shadow of a notion OF the subtley be-
hind his warning.
IT 'pope it will break soon" he then
said, adding in his friendliest voice with
what I now know was malignant
t~reachery: You we it to me to bring
it down" That meant that he wished
me to increase my already far too
heaz and dangerous line of shorts.
Just hen a voice-a woman's voice
came from the salon. MAY I come in?
Do 7 interrupt" it said. and it's tone
struck me as having in it something of
p~laintive appeal.
Excuse me a moment, Blackjack"
said he. rising with what was for him
haste.
But he was too late. The woman en-
tered searching the room with a pierre
ing, suspicious gaze. At once I saw be-
hind that look. a jealousy that bounced
on every object that came into it's view.
and studied it with a hope that feared
and a fear that hoped. When her eyes
had toured the room, they paused upon
him, seemed to be saying: You've
baf1ed me again, but I'm not discour-
aged. I shall catch you yet"
"Well, my dear?" said Langdon,
whom she seemed family to amuse.
Its only Mr.. Blackjack. Mr.. Black
lock. my wife,"
/ bowed; she looked coldly at me, and
her slight nod was more than q hint
that she wished to be left alone with
her husband.
/ said to him: "Well. I'll be off. Thank
you for"
lone moment" he interrupted. Then
to his wife: Anything special?"
She flushed. "No-nothing special. /
just came to see you. But If / am dis
turbing you--as usual"
Not at ALL" said he. when Black
lock and / nave finished, III come to
you. 1t won't be longer thar an hour
or So"
rs that all?" she said almost savage
ly. Evidently she was n of those
women who dare not make scenes
with their husbands in private M so
are compelled to take advantage of the
Lpresence of strangers to ease their
minds. h was an extremely pretty
woman, would have been beautiful but
for the worn strained, nervous look
that probably came from her jealousy.
She was small in stature; her figure
was approaching that stage al Which a
woman Is called well rounded b. the