The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-09-08

The office boy brought in a later edi-
ton of an evening paper. jacobson
picked it up. We'll, he hasn't wasted
any time, has he?" he said presently,
pointing out to Graham an interview
with President Oldham. in which the
latter declared war to the knife on the
Independent company. II have given
orders" President Oldham declared,
to have suits started for infringement
of our patents and large damages
against the officers and directors of the
Independent company. The Interna-
tiOnal and Universal Match Corporation
will follow the most vigorous course
possible in protecting the interests of
its stockholders"
Well" said Jacobson shortly, mo
body on the street will pay any atten-
ton to that anyhow until either you or
l confirm it. And that's just what we
won't do. It's about time the old man
was left holding the bag"
Next afternoon Graham went over
to the office of Peter Potter 1t was
located on the nineteenth floor above
the ground in the mysterious and lone
~ jungles of the great Astoria sky
scraper. ''P. Potter. Real Estate" was
the simple sign on the office door. Be
fore now real estate sign has covered
a multitude of sins.
An old cOlOred man in buttons took
Graham's card into the inner office. in
to which Graham was presently usher
ed. Peter Potter was standing in the
center of the room when he entered.
Potter greeted his caller with a nod,
but did not offer to sit down. He was
tall, slender man, with a long, lean,
clean-shaven face and broad shout
ders. Although the two were alone in
I z ha n tal in,
inaudible a few feet away. AS for Pot
ter, he stood sideways to his caller and
listened, saying nothing more than
yes" or indeed" at long intervals and
looking steadily out of the window,
where, above the towering roofs, the
signal smokes of the savages of COM
merce waved and fluttered in the
breeze from the lake.
AS Potter listened he rocked to and
fro, from heels to toes like some great
bird about to take flight for its distant
eyTie. His eyes were round and bright
and fierce like an eagles, and when he
shrugged his broad shoulders and sunk
his head down between them the re-
semblance was still stronger.
SO that's the situation" Graham
was saying THE Independent people
seem to have plenty of money. And
/ can't figure out where they get 1t
from"
oldham has plenty of ready cash,
hasn't he?" asked Potter casually.
"Oh, yes" answered Graham. he's
got money all right. but l should think
he's hardly dare"
Dare! my dear boy" interrupted
Potter. why it's just part of the
game"
We'll, anyhow, We want to turn the
case over to you. How soon can you
let me know? I'll call you up tomor-
row. if you please"
Call me up?" questioned Potter.
DO you think l do business over the
telephone? If you'll drop in about 5
O'Clock ] may be able 10 tell you wheth-
er I'll undertake to handle the case -
Graham looked around the great,
bare room. There was no typewriter,
no busy bOokkeepers, no telephone
booth. none of the usual machinery of
business. Nothing was in sight but
Potters flat topped desk, unlitteTed
with papers, and two wooden chairs.
The working plant Of Peter Potter,
business privateer, was plainly located
under his derby hat.
IN call at tomorrow" said Graham
as he left the room.
Peter Potter sent his cOlOred man out
with Instructions to buy half dozen
boxes OF matches made by the indie
pendent Match company.
BE sure and get the Independent
matches" said Potter, and get dozen
boxes in the original wrapper. / must
have them in the unbroken wrapper"
Potter took the bundle of matches
home with him that evening 20 his
bachelor apartment on the North Side.
He went directly to the kitchen and
put away the bundle unwrapped.
BE sure and leave that bundle where
have put it until morning" he said
to his Chinese butler.
Next morning after a leisurely break
fast. he went out into the kitchen and
got the bundle, untouched. He carried
il into his living room. tore the paper
and opened box of matches. He took
a match from the box and struck il
on the side. 1t did not light. He tried
a dozen more Not one of them would
light. He emptied the box of matches
onto a sheet of white paper and laid it
outside the window on a case originally
made for printing photographs, where
the sun would fall full upon it all the
morning.
They he lay down on a couch in the
front room and started to re-read 1.-THE
Three Guardsmen" for the twentieth
time. Toward noon he reused himself,
went to the window and took i'm the
paper on which the matches had been
exposed. The paper felt hot TO the
touch. 50 tervid had been the rays of
the sun
He tried to strike a dozen or more of
the matches. Not one Of them would
work. Something resembling a smile
passed over Potters face.