Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-09-05
XXXII.
XXXII.
."MY RIGHT EYE oFFENDs ME.".

closing at practlcally the anne figures
at which they had opened. Then
sprang my sensation-that Langdor
and his particular clique, though they
controlled the Textile Trust, did moi
W SO much as one-fiftieth of it's vot
ing stock. True captains Of indus
try" that they were, they made theil
profits not out of dividends, but out OF
side schemes that absorbed about
two-thirds of the earnings of the
Trust, and out of gambling in It's
bonds and stocks. | said in conclu
sion:
The largest owner of the stock is
Walter G. Edmunds, of Chicago-an
honest man. Send your voting proxies
to him, and he can take the Textile
company away from those now plum
derirg it."
AS the annual election of the Trust
was only six weeks away, Langdon
and his clique were in a panic. They
rushed into the market and bought
frantically, the public bidding against
them. Langdon himself went to Chi
cago to reason with Edmunds-that
is, to try to find out at what figure
ne could be bought. And so on, day
after day, | faithfully reporting to
the public the main occurrences be-
hind the scenes. The Langdon at
tempt to regain control by purchases
of stock failed. He and his allies
made what must have been to them
appalling sacrifices; but even at the
nigh prices they offered, comparative
~ little Of the stock appeared.
I've caught Them" said | to Joe
tho first time, and the last, during
that campaign that | INDUCED in a
boast.
IT Edmunds sticks to you" re-
Piled cautious Joe. 4
But Edmunds did not. | do NOT
Know at what price he sold him
sell. Probably it was pitifully small:
cupidity usually snatches the instant
bait tickles its nose. But | do know
that my faith in human nature got its
~severest shock.
Fortunately, Edmunds had held out,
or, rather, Langdon had delayed ap-
preaching him, long enough for me to
gain my main point. The uproar over
the Textile Trust had become so great
that the national department of com
merce dared not refuse an investiga-
ton; and | straightway began tn
spread out in my daily letters the
Facts OF the trusts enormous earnings
and OF the shameful sources CT those
earnings.
In the midst OF the adulation. Of
the blares upon the trumpets Of fame
that saluted my waking and were
waited to me as ] fell asleep at night
in the midst oball the turmoil, | vas
often in a great and ~hrooding silence.
longing for her, now with the i'm
perlous energy Of passion, and now
with the sad ache Of love. What was
she doing? What was she thinking?
Now that Langdon had again played
ner false for the old price, with what
was she looking into the future?
Alva, settled in a West Side apart
nent not far from the ancestral white
elephant, telephoned, asking me to
come. went, because she could and
would give me news Of Anita. But as
entered her little drawing-room,
'aid: 1T vas curiosity that brought
ne. wished to see how you were in.
sailed"
Isn't it nice and small?' cried she.
'Bhly and ! haven't the slightest diff
'uity In finding each other-as people
q often, have in the big houses" And
{ was Billy this and Billy that, and
Vhat Billy said and thought and felt
before they were married, she had
allied him William, and had declared
Billy" to be the most offensive com
ination Of letters that ever fell from
.uman lips,
Il needn't ask if you are happy"
aid presently, with a dismal failure
t looking cheerful. II can't stay but
moment" ! added, and il I had
beyed my feelings, I'd have risen up
nd taken myself and my pain away
rom surroundings as hateful to me
$ a summer sunrise in a death-cham.
er.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, In some con
ision. Then excuse me-" And she
astened from the room. I
! thought she had gone to order, or /;
to bring, the tea. The long /,
linutes dragged away until ten had
assed. Hearing a rustling in the hall. {
rose, intending to take leave the liz {
ant she appeared. The rustling i
.opped just outside. I waited a few
sconds, cried: Well, I'm off. Next /
I want to be alone, I'll know &
to come and advanced to the /
Dor. 1t was not Alva h~esitating s
Iere; 1t was Anita. +
II beg your pardon said /, coldIy. 4
II there had been room to pass Il
lould have gone. What dcyil nos. Il
'ssed me? Certainly in all u rela. /
0ns | had found her direct and frank. a
anything, too frank. Doubtless ii d
the influence Of my associations t,
'wn town, where for SO many months l.
had been dealing with the short b
I'd crowd Of high finance, who
hardly play the game straight ii
when that was the easy way to
n. MY long, steady stretch in that d
and sinuous company had put &,
? In the state Of mind in which IT is Il
possible to credit any human being b
tn a motive that Is decent or an ac- b
N that is not a dead-fall. Thus the t
vious Transformation In her made
impression on me. Her haugf.ti- lc
IS, her GOODNESS, were gone, and s;
tn them had gone all that had been