Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1907-01-12
CHAPTER xvi.-Continued.
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81 owe lot to you, Matt" he plead
ed. But I've done you great many
favors, haven't II"
THAT you have, Bob" | cordially
agreed. But this isn't favor. It's
business"
"You mustn't ask it, Blackjack he
cried. 1--WE loaned you more money
now than the law allows. And can't
let you have any more"
Some one has been lying to you,
and you've been believing him." said
L. when l say my request isn't a
favor, but business, | mean it,
Il can't let you have.any more" he
repeated. Il can't" And down came
his fist in a weak-violent gesture.
leaned forward and laid my hand
strongly on his arm.
I'm addition to the stock of this con-
Germ that l hold in my own name"
said |, Il hold five shares in the name
of a man whom nobody knows that
even know. If you don't let me have
the money, that man goes to the dis
trict attorney with information that
Il
puts your company out OF business
and into bankruptcy before tomorrow
noon. l saved you three years ago,
and got you this job against just such
an emergency as this, Bob Corey.
AND, by God, you'll toe the mark
But we haven't done anything that
every bank in town doesn't do every
10 Il 1Y,'t
lend money to dummy borrowers and
over-certify accounts, our customers
would go where they could get accom-
Imodations"
That's true enough" said |. But
I'm in a position for the moment
where l need my friends-and they've
got to come to me. If don't get the
money from you, I'll get it elsewhere
but over the cliff with you and your
bank The laws you've been violat-
ing may be bad for the practical bank
ing business, but there mighty good
for furnishing ingratitude and treach-
cry"
He sat there, yellow and pinched,
and shivered every now and then. He
made no reply.
Presently shook his arm inpatient
1y. His eyes met mine, and | fixed
them
I'm going to pull through said l.
But if | weren't, I'd see to it that you
were protected. Come, what's your
answer? Friend or traitor?"
Send round in the morning and get
the money" said he, putting on a re-
signed, hopeless look.
l laughed. I'll feel easier if | take
it now" / replied. Wen fix up the
notes and checks at once"
But it's too late" he said. You
o can't deposit to-day"
1--WE made special arrangements
with them" | replied.
His face betrayed him. l saw that
at no stage of that proceeding had |
been wiser than in shutting off his
last chance to evade. What scheme
he had in mind | don't know, and can't
imagine. But he had thought out
something, probably something fool
ish 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-only
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
that puts others in their power.
Buck up, Corey" said l. DO you
think I'm the man to shut q friend in
the hold of a sinking ship? Tell me-
who told you | was short on textile?"
"One of my men," he slowly replied
as he braced himself together.
(Which one? Who?" | persisted.
For | wanted to know just how far
the news was likely to spread.
He seemed to be thinking out lie.
1.-The truth" | commanded. 81
know it couldn't have been one of
your men. Who was it? I'll not give
you away"
1T was Tom Langdon," he finally
said.
I checked an exclamation of amuse-
ment. I had been assuming that
had been betrayed by some one of
those tiny mischances that so often
throw the best plans into confusion.
tom Langdon," | said satirically.
'It was he that warned you against
me?"
1T was a friendly act" said Corey.
~''He and I are very intimate. And he
doesn't know how close you and |
are"
Suggested that you call my loans,
did he?" | went on.
You mustn't blame him, Blackjack;
really you mustn't" said Corey ear
nestly, for he was pretty good friend
to those he liked, as friendship goes
in finance. "He happened to hear.
You know the Langdons keep a sharp
watch on operations in their stock.
And he dropped in to warn me as a
friend. You'd do the same thing in