Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-05-15
XXXII.
XXI.
."MY RIGHT EYE oFFENDS Me-"


and his particular clique, though they
controlled the Textile Trust, did not
own so much as one-fiftieth of it's vot-
ing stock. True captains of indus
try that they were, they made their
profits not out of dividends, but out OF
side schemes that absorbed about
two-thirds of the earnings of the
Trust, and out of gambling in It's
bonds and stocks. l said in conclu-
sion:
THE largest owner of the stock is
Walter G. Edmunds, of Chicago-an
honest man. Send your voting proxies
to him, and he can take the Textile
company away from those now plum
dering It."
AS the annual election of the Trust
was only six weeks away, Langdon
and his clique were in a panic. They
rushed into the market and bought
frantically, the public bidding against
them. Langdon himself went to Chi
cago to reason with Edmunds-that
is, to try to find out at what figure
he could be bought And so on, day
after day, I faithfully reporting to
the public the main occurrences be-
hind the scenes. The Langdon at
tempt to regain control by purchases
OF stock failed. He and his allies
made what must have been to them
appalling sacrifices; but even at the
high prices they offered, comparative
ly little of the stock appeared
I've caught Them said l to Joe
the first time, and the last, during
that campaign that l INDUCED in a
T, boast.
If Edmunds sticks to you" re-
piled cautious Joe.
But Edmunds did not I do not
| know at what price he sold him
self. Probably it was pitifully small;
| cupidity usually snatches the instant
| bait uckles its nose. But | do know
| that my faith in human nature got its
| severest shock.
Fortunately, Edmunds had held ont
or, rather, Langdon had delayed ap-
preaching him, long enough for me to
gain my main point. The uproar over
the Textile Trust had become so great
| that the national department of COM
merce dared not refuse an investiga-
ton; and | straightway began to
| spread out in my daily letters the
| facts of the trusts enormous earnings
and of the shameful sources CT those
| earnings.
In the midst Of the adulation. of
the blares upon the trumpets of fame
| that saluted' my waking and were
| waited to me as | fell asleep at night
in the midst of all the turmoil, | was
often in a great and hrooding silence.
| longing for her, now with the i'm
perious energy of passion, and now
with the sad ache of love. What was
she doing? What was she thinking d?
Now that Langdon had again played
her false for the old price, with what
eyes was she looking into the future ?
| Alva. settled in a West Side apart
ment not far from the ancestral white
elephant, telephoned, asking me to
come. / went, because she could and
would give me news of Anita. But as
entered her little drawing-room,
said: 1T was curiosity that brought
me. l wished to see how you were in
stalled"
Isn't it nice and small?' cried she,
Billy and l haven't the slightest diff
Guilty In finding each other-as people
so often have in the big houses" And
1t was Billy this and Billy that, and
what Billy said and thought and felt
ana before they were married, she had
called him William and had declared
BILLY to be the most offensive com
bination of letters that ever fell from
human lips.
L needn't ask if you are happy.
said l presently, with a dismal failure
at looking cheerful. Il cant stay but
a moment" l added, and if haf
ooeyed my feelings. I'd have risen III
and taken myself and my pain ava,
from surroundings as hateful to me
as a summer sunrise in a death-cham
Der.
Oh" she exclaimed. in some con
fusion. Then excuse me-" And sh.
fastened from the room.
thought she had gone to order. o.
perhaps to bring, the tea The Ions
minutes dragged away until ten ha(
passed. Hearing rustling in the hall
l rose, intending to take leave the II,
slant she appeared. The rustlin.
stopped just outside. | waited a few
seconds. cried: Well. I'm off. Mex
time l want to be alone. I'll know
where to come and advanced TO tn,
door. 1t was not Alva hesitatin.
there; it was Anita.
Il beg your pardon" said l. coldlv.
II there had been room to mass
should have gone. What devil nos
sessed me? Certainly in all our rela
tons had found hei direct and frank
If anything. too frank Doubtless i
was the influence of my association
down town. where for so many month
had been dealing with the "shor,
card" crowd of high finance, VIII
would hardly play the game straigh
even when that was the easy way t