Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1906-10-19
TRAPPED AND TRIMMED.

lHere are TWO KINDS or dangerous
temptatiOns-those that tempt US, and
those that don't Those that don'l,
give us false notion of our resisting
power, and so make us easy victims
OF the others. thought | knew my.
self pretty thoroughly, and | believed
there was nothing that could tempt
me to neglect my business. With this
delusion of my strength firmly in
mind, when Anita became a tempta-
ton to neglect business, said to my
self; TO go up town during business
hours for long lunches, to spend the
mornings selecting flowers and pres
ents for her-these things look like
neglect of business, and would be so
In some men But couldn't neglect
business. do them because my af-
fairs are so we'll ordered that e few
hours Of absence now and then make
no difference-probably send me back
ITeSler ana cseareT,
! When I left the Office ut half.past
twelve on that fateful Wednesday in
June, my business was never in better
shape. Textile common had dropped
a point and quarter in two days
evidently it was at last on its way
slowly down toward where | could
free myself and take profits. AS for
the coal enterprise nothing could pos
sibly happen to disturb it; | was all
ready for the first of July announce
ment and boom. Never did | have a
lighter heart than when joined Anita
and her friends at Sherry's. 1t seemed
10 me her friendlineSs was less per-
functory, less a matter of appearances.
And the sun was bright, the air deli
cious, my health perfect 1t took all
the strength of all the straps Monson
had put on my natural spirits to keep
me 0rom being exuberant.
q | had finally intended to be back at
my Office half an hour before the ex-
change closed-this in addition to the
obvious precaution of leaving orders
that they were to telephone me if any
thing should occur about which they
had the least doubt. But so comfort
able did nls vanity make me that |
forgot ito look at my watch until a
quarter to three. | had momentary
Qualm; then, treasured, l asked Anita
TO take a walk with me. Before we
set out | telephoned my right.hand
man and partner, Ball. AS | had
thought, everything was quiet; the
exchange was closing with textile slug.
gish aad down a quarter. Anita and
/ took car to the park.
We walked for an hour, talking with
less constraint and more friendliness
than ever before, and when | left her
I, for the first time, felt that | had
left good impression.
When l entered my offices, |, from
force of habit, mechanically went di.
rect to the tcker-and dropped all in
an instant from the pinnacle Of
heaven into boiling inferno. For the
ticker was just spelling out these
words: "Mowbray Langdon, president
Of the Textile association, sailed un
expectedly on the Kaiser Wilhelm al
noon. A 2 per cent raise Of the divi
dend rate of textile common, from
the present per cent to 6 has been
determined upon"
And / had stsked up to. perhaps be
yond my limit Of safety that textile
would fall!
Ball was watching narrowly for
some sign that the news was as bad
as he feared. But it cost me no effort
to keep my face expressionless; wa:
like a man who has been killed By
lightning andclies dead with the lool
on his face that he had just before
the bolt struck him.
"Why didn't you tell me this" sale
| to Ball, "whea | had you on thu
'phone% My tone was quiet enough
but the very question ought to hav'
shown him that ny brain was like
schooner in a cyclone.
"Wa heard 1t Just after you ram