Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1907-01-11
XXXII.
any RIGHT EYE oFFENps ME.n

XXXlI.
any RIGHT EYE oFFENps ME.".
Next day Langdon's stocks wavered
going up little, going down q little,
closing at practically the same figures
at which they had opened. Then |
sprang my sensation-that Langdon
and his particular clique, though they
controlled the Textile Trust, did not
own SO much as one-iftieth of its vot
Ing stock. True captains of indus.
try" that they we're, 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 its
bonds and stocks. said in conclu.
sion:
The largest owner of the stock is
Walter G. Edmunds, of Chicago-an
honest man. Send your voGnc proxies
to him, and he can take the Textile
company away from those now y.un.
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
ne could be bought. And so on, day
alter day. 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 | to Joe
the first time, and the last. during
that campaign that | INDUCED in A
boast.
III Edmunds sticks to you" re.
piled cautious Joe.
But Edmunds did not. I do not
know at what price he sold him.
self. Probably II was pitifully small;
cupidity usually snatches the instant
bait dckles 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 an.
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 l straightway began to
spread out in my daily letters the
facts of the trusts enormous earnings
and OF the shameful sources OF 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 brooding silence,
longing for her. now with the i'm.
perious energy Of passion. and now
with the sad ache of love. What was
she doinge What was she thinking!
Now that Langdon had again played
her false for the old price, with what
eyes was she looking into the; future!
Ava, settled in q 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 az
/ entered her little drawing-room,
said. 1T was curiosity that brought
me. l wished to see how you were In
stalled"
isn't Il nice and small?' cried she.
BILLY and haven't the slightest diff
Guilty in finding each other-as people
so often have In the big houses" And
It was Billy this and Billy that. and
what Billy said and thought and felt
and 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.
Il needn't ask II you are happy"
said ! presently, with q dismal failure
at looking cheerful. Il can't stay but
Q moment" / added. and II / had
obeyed my feelings, I'd have risen up
and taken myself and my pain away
from surroundings as hateful to me
rs summer sunrise In deathcham.
Der.
-0hl' she exclaimed. In some con-
fusion. sThen excuee re- sas 80