Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11
BY HENRY
KITCHELL
WEBSTER
Drawing by Rose O'Neill Wilson

in short the pOsseSsor of modern
sion of Aaddins lamp: he has only to
think and to Decree and the slaves of the
lamp do the rest
Yes all that was true and Smith knew
it; but he meant to steal the lamp.
Il suppose you know. Beaumont
began. that [ own at present practi-
49, cally the voting control in the Tropical
Products Company? L saw your last
annual report That's why l sent for
II hope you pleased with the
a. showing made! Smith inquired
HI politely.
m The showing is all right j." said Beau
TsV mont, if it's justified by the facts
1877 Il don't believe that you have any
III serious doubt of that If you have. it
cdrnN can easily be set at rest.
H EHs, No" said Beaumont bluntly Il
EjTi lit haven't But it was piece of incredible.
w lin almost criminal stupidity to print such
I'LL figures in formal report. without giving
w any confidential summary of it in
advance. Why. the thing might have
become public. in fact it almost did be-
come public But by quick work and
,er good luck stopped it before it did
~ much harm A dozen men knew it came.
ng however and were unpleasantly curious
re as why it suppressed
,as Beaumont paused there for a moment,
l" as if expecting Smith to make
no swer, to offer explanation But the
,as young man said nothing. and his dark
serious face which turned seward.
offered no clue to what going in
his thoughts
Il don't know" Beaumont resumed, whether
it was your fault MCCraCken's OF course
knew in a vague way what the situation was down
here. McCrackens instructions were to give you
plainly to understand what sort of report
wanted What want to learn from you is whether
McCracken did that or not. Didn't you know Mr.
Smith, that the company to be reorganized?"
Yes" said Smith quietly. Il knew that.
guessed it, at least.
Then why" demanded Beaumont unless you
deliberately intended to defy us. your employers
and l not disposed to think that very likely
why did you send that report? Couldn't you see
that it would disturb the whole basis of readJuSt-
ment?'
Smith looked his big antagonist squarely in the
face. what l could not see, he said quietly.
was in just what way the basis of readjustment
any affair OF mine
BEAUMONT met the look in silence for moment.
- then rose heavily from his chair. crossed
the veranda, and rang the bell II want Scotch
and soda" he said, and guess you do too"
To the big capitalist S mind there had been no
ambiguity in Smith last words. That they might
possibly be construed to mean that the young man
felt it his duty manage the plantation as he was
hired to do, and to tell the simple truth about the
sequences to crowd of stock Juggling fnanciers:
never occurred his mind at all AS he understood
it, Smith had practically declared that he must have
his price.
And curious as it may seem, Smiths taking
of this position raised him immensely in Beaumonts
regard. From the lofty emnence from which he
governed his affairs Beaumont had cast occasional
glances at Horse Island and its manager The
latter he had always conceived to be rather stupid
honest. cheese pairing little chap who could safely
be regarded negligible factor in the present
campaign He had ordered that Smith be given
his opportunity to come in out of the ram. as 1T
were but was not much surprised when he neglected
to avail himself of it.
This theory of his regarding the manager had
been somewhat undermined during his two days
stay at Georgetown. He had talked about Smith
with everybody he encountered, and there seemed
to be a prevalent impression that the manager
was really big man Sir Evelyn Chatton thought
So clearly OF course he only colonial Gov.