Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1907-05-03

suspicion. You see, Mr.. Martin, IN M
\ position | am compelled to be liberal
The government cannot set other employ
ers tie example Of grinding men down b.
low wages. However, reasons apart, there
Il the fact. We cannot 90 on without
pore money and / may tell you, in con,
ddence, that the political situation makes
Il imperative we should 70 on. Not only
my personal honor pledged, but the oppo
sition, Mr.. Martin, led by the Colonel, Il
making itself obnoxious may say
very obnoxious"
THE Colonel, sir" said I, with free.
dom engendered Of dining, SIS beast"
Well" said the President, with toll.
Grant smile, the Colonel, unhappily fol
the country, Is no true patriot. But he
Is powerful; be Is rich; he is, under my.
self alone, in command of the army. And
moreover, believe he stands we'll with
the Signorina. The situation, in fact
is desperate, / must have money, Mr.,
Martin. Will your directors make me a
new loanf"
knew very well the fate that would
attend any such application. The direc.
tors were already decidedly uneasy about
their FIRST loan; shareholders had asked
awkward questions, and the chairman had
found no small difficulty in showing that
the investment was likely to prove either
safe or remunerative. Again, only fort
night before, the government had made a
formal application to me on the same sub
ject. / cabled the directors, and receiv-
ed a prompt reply In the single word,
"Tootsums," which in our code meant,
Must absolutely and finally decline to
entertain any applications" commune
Gated the contents of the cable to Senior
Don Antonio de la Casabianca, the min
lister Of finance, who had, of course, COM
municated them in turn to the President.
ventured to remind his excellency Of
these facts. He had heard me with silent
attention.
II fear" 1 concluded, therefore, that
It Is impossible for me to be of any assist
ance to your excellency."
He nodded, and gave slight sigh.
Then, with an air Of closing the subject,
he said
II suppose the directors are past rea-
son. You occupy a very responsible POI
sition here for so young man, Mr.. Mar
tin-not beyond your merits, l am sure.
They leave you a pretty free hand, don't
they"
1 replied that as far as routine bust
ness went / did much as seemed good in
my own eyes.
"Routins business2 including invest
ments, for instance?" he asked
YES" said investments in the or
binary course of business discounting
bills and putting money out on loan and
mortgage over here. place the money,
and merely notify the people at home Of
what have done"
"A most proper confidence to repose in
you," the President was good enough to
say. Confidence is the life of business !;
you must trust man. 1t would be abb
surd to make you send home the bills,
and deeds, and certificates, and what not.
OF course, they wouldn't do that"
Though this was statement, somehow
1t also sounded like question, so l an
swered
"As rule they do me the compliment
of taking my word. The fact is, they are,
as your excellency says, obliged to trust
somebody" u@s- R-.,.. >...-.
Exactly as I thought. And you some.
times have large sums to placer
At this point, Notwithstanding my re-
spect for the President, began to smell
4 rat.
"oh, no, sir" replied, usually very
small. Our business is not so extensive
as we could wish"
Whatever" said the President, look
ing me straight in the face, whatever
may be usual, at this moment you have
large sum-a very respectable sum-of
money in your safe at the bank, waiting
for investment"
"How do you know that2" 1 cried.
"Mr. Martin 1t is no doubt my fault
am too prone to ignore etiquette but
you forget yourself"
FASTENED to apologize, although was
pretty certain the President was contem-
plating queer transaction, If not fat
burglary,
Ten thousand pardons, your excellen-
cy, for my most unbecoming tone, but
may ask how you became possessed of
this information?"
"Jones told me-" he said simply.
AS it would not have been polite to
express the surprise felt at Jones' sim
plicity in choosing such a confdant,
held my peace.
ITO be continued.)