Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-01-04
(Coprsht I5. by the obbs- Merrill Coz &0YA
ODE Deluge A
Ez BY DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS -

BY DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS

! tIBuItIltduS III tNfly bClSti iih'H - ~
tive life-feIlows with well shaped
white-haired or prematurely bale
heads. and grave, respectable faces;
they look dignifed and substantial, and
the soul of u~prightness; they coin thelf
looks into good salaries by selling
themselves as covers for operations OF
the fnanciers. And how those opera
| tions, in the nude, as it We're, would
terrify the plodders that save up and
deposit or invest the money the finan-
ciers gamble with IN the big green Ia
bles!
Presently / shook his arm impatient
ly. His eyes met mine, and | fixed
them.
'Tm going to pun through" said I.
But IL / weren't I'd see TO il that you
were protected. Come, what's your
answer? Friend or traitor?'
Cant you give me m security
any collateral?
mo more III / took from you when
] saved you as you were going down
with the rest in the Dumon smash. My
word-that's all. L borrowed on the
same terms you've given me before, the
same you're giving fou of your heav-
lest borrowers right now
He WINGED as l thus reminded him
how minute my knowledge was or the
workings Of his bank
Il didn't think this of o Matt
he whined. Il 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. / light with every weapon
| can lay hands on. And i know as
well as you do that, If you get into
serious trouble through this loan. at
least five men we could. name Woul
have to step in and save the bank and
$500 - Aln UA..nl hIanE mail
them, just AZ you've blackmailed
them before. and they you. Black
maiTs a legitimate part or the
game. Nobody appreciates that bet
ter than you 1T was no time Tor the
SNUG hypocrisies under which we peo-
pie down town usually onduc our
business-just as the d~esperadoes used
TO patrol the highways disguised as
peaceful merchants.
send round in the morning n get
the money said he, putting on a re-
signed, hopeless look.
Il laughed. "TH feel easier If | take 1t
row." | replied. "We'll fix UP the notes
ana checks at once.
He Redeemed. but after a brief hest
tation busted himself. When the papers
were all made up and signed, and l had
the certified checks in my pocket, |
said: WAL here. Bob. until the Ma
tionaI Industrial people call you up.
I'll ask them TO do il, SO they can get
your personal assurance that 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
can't deposit today"
I've a special arrangement WITH
them 1 replied.
His face betrayed him. j saw that at
no stage of that proceeding a / been
wiser than In shutting off his last
chance to eyade. What scheme he had
In mind | don't know. and can't
imagine. But he had thought out some
thing, probably something foolish that
would nave given me trouble without
saving him. A foolish la In a tight
place Is as foolish as ever, n Corey
was a foolish man-only a fool commits
crimes that put him in the power of
others. The crimes OF the really big
captains OF industry and generals Of
finance are of the kind h 81 puts others
i'm their power.
PUCK up, Corey said /. "Do you
think I'm the man to shut a friend in
the hold OF a sinking snip? Tell me-,
who old you | was short on Textile p"
zone of my men," he slowly replied,
as he braced himself together.
Which one? Who?" ! persisted.
For 1 waEted to know just how far
the Jews was llhCig W cpl Nsth
He seemed to be thinking out a lie.
The TRUTH" / commanded. II know
Il couldn't have ben one OF your men.
Who was It? I'll not give 1t away"
1T was Tom Langdon," he finally
said.
/ checked an exclamation of amaze
ment. 1 had been assuming that / had
beer betrayed by some one of those
tiny mischances that so often throw
the hest nlanS into confusion.
Tom Langdon." / said sa~tirically.
1T was he that warned you against
me?'
"lt was q friendly act said Corey.
He and | are very intimate. And he
doesn't know how close you and l are"
Suggested that you call my loans,
did he?" | went on.
You mustn't blame him, Blackjack;
really you mustn't" said Corey earnest
ly. for he was a pretty good friend to
those he liked. as friendship goes I'm
finance. HE happened to hear You
know the Langdons keep "a sharp watch
on operations In their stock. And he
dr1pped in 10 warn me as n friend.
You'd 10 the same thing in the same
circumstances. He didn't say a word
about my calling your loans. Ito be
frank instantly thought Of IL myself.
1 intended to do it when o came.
but"-a sickly smile-"you anticipated
me-
II understand" said good humored-
~. II don't blame him" And ! didn't
then.
After I had completed my business
at the National Industrial, l went back
to my office and gathered about the
threads of my web OF defense. Then /
wrote and sent out to all my newspa-
pers 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 have read my letter. would be
believing that Matthew Blackjack had
detected the Textile Trust In n stock
jobbing swindle, and had promptly
turned against IL. preferring TO keep
faith with his customers and with the
public. As / read over my pronuncia-
| miento aloud before sending 1t out, ]
found In il a note of confidence thai
checred me nightly. I'm even strong
err tina / thought" said I. And I felt
stronger still as i went on to picture
] the thousands upon thousands through
out the land rallying at my call TO give
battle.
XVIII.
ANITA BEGINS TO BE HERSELF.
had asked Sam Eliersly to din,
with me-; SO ~preoccupied was ] that no