The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-01-04

&kLHIS 10 IEkAA KS MAS SttG o. atIS
shells OF naea that are conspicuous
cgureheads tn every department. CT IS
i've EIge-geiows with We'll shape,
whtte-Aa3red or prsuaaturely hal
heads, and raw respectable faces
they look disniied and substantial, an
the soul OF op~sightneSs: they coin thei
looks into good salaries by sellin
themselves as covsrs for operations c
the ~fiuanciesS. And how those opera
tons. in the nude. SIS It were. woUl
tArrtfy the ploddsrs that save up an
deposit or invest the money the finan
cters gamble with on the big green ia
hies,
Presently \ shook his arm impatient
s & Ass eyes met 'n'hs' ana ! x
Tn going to pun through" said !
~But Ii I weren't I'd see to II that 70,
answer? Friend or traitor"
Cant you give me any security
any collaterale"
mo more thar l took from you wher
saved you as you were going dowr
with the rest in the Duuont smash. Ny
word-that's all. I borrowed on tbs
came terms you've given me before, the
same you're giving four of your heav-
test borrowers right now"
He WINGED as l thus reminded him
how minute my knowledge was of the
workings of his bank.
II didn't think his of you, Matt
he whined. II believed you above such
holdup methods"
Il suit my methods to the men I'm
dealing WITH" was my answer These
fellows are trying to push me off the
life raft. I fight with every weapon
I can lay hands on. And l know as
well as you do that, If you get into
least five men we could name would
have to step in and save the bank and
cover up the scandal. You'll blackmail
them, just as you've blackmailed
them before, and they you. Black
Uairs a legitimate part of the
ter than you" 1t was no time for the
SNUG hypocrisies under which we peo-
Die down town usually conduct u
business-just as the desperadoes used
10 patrol the highways disguised as
peacefulemerchants.
Send round in the morning M get
che money! said he, putting on a re-
stgned, hopeless look.
I laughed. I'll feel easier if I take it
now" l replied. Wen fix up the notes
and check at once"
He redeemed. but after a brief hesl-
tation busted himself. When the papers
were all made up and signed, and / had
said: Wait here, Bob, until the Ma
tional Industrial people Gail you UP.
III Isl them to do it, SO they can get
your personal assurance hat every
things all right. And I'll stop there
until they tell me they've talked with
you"
But it's too late" he said. you
ean't deposit today"
1--WE q special arrangement with
them" I replied.
His face betrayed him. I saw that at
no stage of that proceeding had I been
wiser than in shutting off his last
chance to evade. What scheme he had
Tn mind I don't know. and can't
Imagine. But he had thought out some
thing. probably something foolish that
would have given me trouble without
saving him.. A foolish man in a tight
place is as foolish as ever, and Corey
was a foolish man-enly a fool commits
others. The crimes of the really big
captains of industry and generals Of
Hnance are of h kind that puts others
In their power.
buck up, Corey. said I. DO you
think I'm the man to shut a friend in
who told you I was short on Textile?"
"One of my men," he slowly replied,
va ne braced himself together.
Which one? Who?" I persisted.
For I wanted to know Just how far
the news IA likely to spread.
11C 6CG1ilGG W US llilllhllls OUT u lie.
The truth" I commanded. II know
It couldn't have ben one of your men.
Who was It? I'll not give 1t away"
ut was Tom Langdon." he finally
said.
4 checked an exclamation Of amaze
ynens. 1 had been assuming hat I had
been betrayed by some one Of those
tiny m%ischances that so often throw
best plans into confusion.
Tom Langdon," I said satirically.
cit was he hat warned you against
me?"
ut was a friendly act" said Corey.
II and ] are very intimate. And he
doesn't know o close you and 1 are"
Suggested that you call my loans,
did he?" 1 went on.
"You mustn't blame him. Blackjack;
eeailv you mustn't" said Corey earnest
iy. for he was q pretty good friend to
those he liked, as friendship goes in
finance. II happened to hear. You
know the Langduns keep a sharp watch
on operations in their stock. And he
dropped in to warn me as Il friend.
You'd do the same thing in the same
circumstances. He didn't say a word
about my calling our loans. Ito be
= intended to do 1t when you came.
out"--a sickly smile-'you anticipated
me"
~E understand said / good humored-
y. II don't blame him. And / didn't
then.
After I had completed my business
at b National Industrial, l went back
to my office and gathered about the
threads of my web of defense. Then 1
wrote n sent put to all my newspa-
gers and all my agents a broadside
against the management of the Textile
Trust-it would be published in the
morning. In good time for the opening,
of the Stock Exchange. Before the first
quotation of Textile could be made
thousands upon thousands of investors
and Spectators throughout the country
would ave read my letter, would be
believing that Matthew Blackjack had
detected h Textile Trust in a stock
1obbing swindle, and had promptly
turned against it. preferring to keep
faith with his customers and with the
public. AS / ead over my pronuncia-
miento aloud before sending it out, I
@ound in 1t a note Of confidence that
ciaecred me nightly. I'm even strong
or than Thought" said I. And 1 felt
stronger still as j went on to picture
thousands upon thousands through
out the land rallying at my call to give
battle.
XVIII.