The Yale expositor., 1907-04-12
XXXlI.
"MY RIGHT EYE oFFENDs Me-.

Next day Langdon's stocks wavered,
going up a little, going down little,
closing at practically the same figures
at which they had opened. Then
sprang my sensation-that Langdon
and his particular clique. though they
controlled the Textile Trust, did not
own so much as one-fiftieth of its vot-
ing stock. True captains of indus
try" that they were, they made their
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 Its
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.
dering 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
he 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
high prices they offered comparative
ly little of the stock appeared
I've caught them" said to Joe
the first time, and the last, during
that campaign that | INDUCED in a
boast.
If Edmunds sticks to you" re.
piled cautious Joe.
But Edmunds did not. do not
know at what price he sold him
self. 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 APP
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 to
spread out in my daily letters the
facts OF the trusts enormous earnings
and of the shameful sources OIL 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 of all the turmoil, was
often in great and brooding silence.
longing for her, now with the i'm
perious 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
her false for the old price with what
eyes was she looking into the future?
Alva, settled in a West Side apart
hlCAi HOl ldl llOlil llt dIlCGSlEdl Willie
elephant, telephoned, asking me to
come. went, because she could and
would give me news of Anita. But as
j entered her little drawing-room.
said: 1T was curiosity that brought
me- / wished to see how you were in
stalled"
Isn't IL nice and small? cried she.
Il q. III Al (l
Guilty in finding each other-as people
so often have in the big houses And
IL was Billy this and Billy that, and
what Billy said and thought and felt
and before they were married. she had
called him William. and had declared
BILLY" to be the most offensive COM
bination of letters that ever fell from
human lips.
81 needn't ask If you are happy"
sGid | presently, with a dismal failure
at looking cheerful II can't stay but
a moment" I added. and If had
obeyed my feelings. I'd have risen up
and taken myself and my pain away
from surroundings as hateful to me
as a summer sunrise in death-cham-
Der.
oh" she exclaimed, in some con
fusion Then excuse me-" And she
FASTENED from the room.
| thought she had gone to order. or
perhaps TO bring, the tea. The long
minutes dragged away until ten had
passed. Hearing rustling in the hall.
rose, intending to take leave the IN.
slant she appeared. The rustling
stopped Just outside ! waited a few
seconds, cried We'll. I'm off. Next
time / want to be alone, I'll know
where to come" and advanced to the
door II was not Alva hesitating
there: IL was Anita.
Il beg your pardon said |. coldly.
n there had been room TO pass |
should have gone What devil pos.
sessed me2 Certainly in all our rala.
tions had found her direct and frank.
II anything. too frank Doubtless II
was the influence Of my associations
down town. where for so many months
I had been dealing with the short
card" crowd OF high finance. who
world hardly play the game straight