Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1907-09-20
cHAPTER xxv.-cen.Inued.

|
all my Coal holdings. They will be
worth double my total liabilities with
In three months-as soon as the re-
organization is announced. / leave 1t
entirely to your sense of justice
whether shall have my part of them
back when this storm blows over"
Why didn't you go to Roebuck?"
he asked without looking up.
Because it is he that stuck the |
knife into me-
Why"
81 don't know. suspect the Man
AsQualc properties, which | brought I
into the combine, have some value,
which no one but Roebuck, and per-
haps Langdon, knows about-and that
in some way was dangerous to them
through that fact. They haven't Civ
en- me time to look into it."
A grim smile fitted over the face.
you've been too busy getting mar
rted, chs"
Exactly" said |. It's another case
of unbuckling for the wedding-feast
and getting assassinated as pen
atty. Do you wish me to explain any
details of the combine-of the Coal
stocks there?"
mot necessary" he replied. AS
had thought, with that enormous ma
chine of his for drawing in informa-
ton, and with that enormous men,
DRY of his for details, ne probably
knew more about the combine and its
properties than l did.
"You have heard of the lockout"
inquired-for / wished him to know
had no intention of deceiving him
as to the present market value OF
those stocks.
"Roebuck has been commanded by
his God" he said, ito eject the free
American labor from the coal regions
and to substitute importations OF
coolie Huns and Bohemians. Thus
the wicked American laborers will be
chastened for trying to get higher
wages and cut down a pious mans
dividends and the downtrodden cool
les will be brought where they can
enjoy the blessings of liberty and OF
the preaching of Roebuck's mission
aries"
but had spoken as If stating color
less facts. And righteousness and
Roebuck will prevail" said |.
He frowned slightly. n sardonic grin
breaking the straight, thin, cruel line
of his lips. He opened bis tables one
shallow drawer, and took out pad
and pencil. He wrote few words
on the lowest part of the top sheet
folded It, tore off the part he had
scrubbed on, returned the pad and
pencil to the drawer handed the SCRAP
OF paper to me. Il will do H." he said
"Give this to Mr.. Farquhar, second
door to the left Good morning.
And in that atmosphere of vast affairs
speedily dispatched his consent with
out argument seemed. and was, the
matter-of-eourse.
I bowed Though he had not saved
me as favor to me, but because
1t fitted in with his plans. whatever
they were, my eyes dimmed. =
shant forget this" said |, my voice
aot quite steady.
81 know it," said he CURLY. :"
know you"
saw that his mind had alread!
turned me out said no more. ant
withdrew. When | left the room
was precisely as 1t had been when
entered ft-except the bit OF pape
torn from the pad. But what dii
ference to me, to the thousands. tn
hundreds, of thousands directly an
indirectly interested in the Coal com
bine and it's strike and its products
was represented by those few, almos
illegible scrawIings on that scrap Q
paper.
Not until had gone over the stir
alton with Farquhar. and we ha
signed and exchanged the necessar
papers, did l begin to relax from tn
strain-how great that strain was
realized few weeks later, when tn
gray appeared thick at my temple
and there was in my crown what wa
for such a shock as mine, a thin spo
81 am saved!" said | to myself. vel
turing long breath. as stood on tn
steps of Galloway's establishment
where hourly was transacted bushes
vitality affecting the welfare of score
Of millions of human beings, wit
James Galloway's personal interest /;
the sole guiding principle. Saved
I repeated, and not until then did
fash before me, Il must have paid
frightfui price. He would never ha1
consented to interfere with RoebuC
as socn as | asked him to do ii, u
less there had been some powerf
motive. II had had my wits abo
me, / could have made far bett
terms" Why hadn't my wits abo
me? Anita" wsS mr. instant answ
TO my own question. ANITA again
had a bad attack of family mar
panic" And thus II came about tn
| went back to my ONCE. Feeling al
I had suffered a severe defeat.
stead OF Iubiiant over md narrow
cane