Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1907-07-05
| THE
| DELU'GE
BY
DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS
Author Of The Cost. The Plum Tree.
The Social Secretary. etc.
TRAPPED AND TRIMMED.

TRAPPED AND TRIMMED.
There are two kinds of dangerous
temptations-those that tempt us. and
those that don't. Those that don :,
give us a false notion Of our resisting
power, and so make us easy victims
of the others | thought knew my
self pretty thoroughly, and | believed
there was nothing that could tempt
me to neglect my business. with TINS
delusion of my strength firmly In
mind, when Anita became tempta-
ton to neglect business, said to my
self: ITO go up town during business
hours for long lunches, to spend the
mornings selecting flowers and pres
ents for her-these things look IKE
neglect of business, and would be SO
in some men. But couldn't neslect
business. | do them because my al
fairs are so well ordered that lie"
hours of absence now and then make
no difference-probably send me back
fresher and clearer.
When | left the office at haltpast
twelve on that fateful Wednesday IN
June. my business was never In Detoer
shape. Textile common had dropped
a point and quarter in two Gays
evidently it was at last on It's way
slowly down toward where l could
free myself and take profits. AS LOT
the coal enterprise nothing could pos
sibIv happen to disturb it; | was all
ready for the first of July announce
mont and boom. Never did | have
lighter heart than when joined ANITA
and her friends at Sherry's. 1t seemed
to me her friendliness was less per-
functory, less a matter of appearances
And the sun was bright, the air dell
cious, my health perfect. IL TOOK all
the strength of all the straps Monson
had put on my natural spirits 10 Keep
me from being exuberant.
| had finally intended to be back at
nv office half an hour before the ex-
change closed-this in addition to the
obvious precaution Of leaving orders
that they were to telephone me II any
thing should occur about which they
had the least doubt. But so comfort
able did my vanity make me tnat
forgot to look at my watch until
ouarter to three. I had momentary
oualm: then. treasured, asked Anita
tn take a walk with me. Before we
set out | telephoned my right-hano
man and partner, Ball. AS mao
thought. everything was quiet; the
exchange was closing with textile slug
gish and down a quarter Anlta anu
| took a car to the park.
We walked for an hour. talking Win
less constraint and more friendhness
than ever before, and when LETT ner
7 for the first time, felt that l had
left a good impression.
When | entered my offices, |, from
force of habit, mechanically went dl-
rect to the ticker-and dropped all IN
an instant from the pinnacle OF
heaven into a boiling inferno. For the
ticker was just spelling out these
words: "Mowbray Langdon, president
of the Textile association, sailed I'M
axnectedly on the Kaiser Wilhelm at
noon. A per cent raise OF the divl-
dend rate of textile common, from
the present per cent to has been
determined upon"
And had staked up to, perhaps be-
vond nv limit of safety that textile
would fall
Rail- was watching narrowly for
some sign that the news was as bad
as he feared. But it cost me no enort
IN keen nv face expressionless; | was
lilo a man who has been killed by
lightning and lies dead with the LOOK
on his face that he had Just before
the bolt struck him.
why didn't you tell me this SAID
I to Ball, when | had you on the
,nhone?" My tone was quiet enough
but the very question ought to have
shown him that my brain was IKE
schooner in a cyclone.
1--WE heard it just after you rang
off - was his reply. We've been try
ing to get you ever since. I've gone
everywhere after textile stock. very
few will sell. or even lend. and they
ask-the best price was ten points
above to-day's closing. A strong ups
ont that textiles are to be rocketed.
Ten points up already-on the mere
r,,nor, Already ten dollars to pay on
every share / was "short"-and l short
more than two hundred thousand l
felt the claws of the fiend Ruin sink
info the flesh of my shoulders. bali
doesn't know how I'm fixed | remem-
her thought, land he mustn't know.
lit a cigar with steady hand and
waited for Ioe's next words.