The San Francisco call., 1908-10-18

ing-got the meeting habit, you know.
Everybody's in a blue funk, but we
still have the daily roundup TO swap
funeral Statistics.
'All right Meet me here in the morn
ing, and well go and join the pro-
cession. Can you make it 8 o'clock?"
Sure. It's too late to go home and
I'll stay here. Then you'll be meas
urably certain that 1 can't escape. May
1 see the tip end of the club?'
No said Ford, grumpily. You
don't deserve it. Go to bed and store
through the hardest days work you
ever hoped to do. Good night"
They met again at the breakfast table
the following morning. and Ford talked
pointedly of everything save the
p S-W. predicament. One of Adair' s
past fads had been the collecting Of
odd weapons; Ford discovered this and
drew the young man skillfully into a
discussion of the medieval secrets OF
sword tempering.
I've bit of the old Damascus, my
self, said the engineer. ~Tybee-he
was on the Joppa-1 Jerusalem road in the
building-pickedi it'up for me. Curious
piece of old steel figured and fiowered
and etched and inlaid with silver. There
were jewels in the pommel once, I
take it; the settings are still there to
show where some practical turned van
fal dug them out
Adair was quite at loss to guess
how old swords and their histories
could bear upon the financial situation,
but he was coming to know Ford bet
ter. Some one has said that it is only
the small men who are careful and
troubled on the eve of a great battle.
So the talk was of ancient weapons un-
til the time for action arrived; and a
smooth faced gentleman, sitting at
nearby table and marked down by
Ford-though not by Ford's compan
ion-Iistened for some word of en-
ightenment on the railroad situation,
and was cruelty disappointed.
why wouldn't you talk?" asked
Adair when they were driving down
town in the young millionaire's auto.
"Or. rather, why did you persist in
keeping me to the old swords?"
Ford laughed.
For one reason, 1 enjoy the old
swords-as a relaxation. For another.
Mr.. Jeffers Hawley, who was once
one of the Transcontinental lawyers
in Denver, was sitting just behind you.
with eager ears. You didn't know
that. Hold on a minute; tell your
man to stop at the Chemical bank. 1
want you to introduce me to the
cashier
Now. what the deuce are you start
n
queried Adair, as they came out of the
bank together and climbed into the
tonneau of the waiting touring car.
Couldn't you draw on the treasurer?
What's the use of your being the as
sistant to the president, I'd like to
know?"
Wait" was the answer; and the
questioner waited, perforce.
The board was already in session
when the two young men were admitted
to the private room in the rear of the
Broad street offices, and Ford was well
coined as man who has recklessly
steered the ship upon the rocks. There
Were even some open recriminations,
notably on the part of the president;
but Ford sat quietly under them, max
ing no defense. and folding and refold-
ing slip of paper in his fingers as he
listened.
When they gave him leave to speak,
he still made no attempt to explain.
Instead. he rose, walked to the other
end Of the table, tossed the bit of
folded paper across to Mackie, the
broker
Il inherited a little money, and 1
have made and saved enough more
to make it an even $4,000" he said.
Il don't know of any more promising
investment just now than Pacific South
western at 2911. Will you be good
enough to buy for my account, Mr..
Mackie2"
The effect was electrical. President
Colbrith sat up very straight in his
chair; two or three of the anxious ones
opened on Ford with a rapid fire of
questions; and Brewster the copper
magnate. sat back and chuckled softly
in his beard.
No, gentlemen; there is no change in
the situation. so far as 1 know. OF
course, you are not so foolish as to
let newspaper talk of the tieup at the
Chicago elevators influence you," Ford
was saying to the anxious inquirers
And, apart from that, everything is
going our way. AS 1 have remarked,
our stock at the present figure is good
enough for me, and 1 only wish 1 had
100000, instead of $4,000, to put
into it,
Brewster stopped chuckling long
enough to hold up a finger to the
broker You may buy for my account.
too Mackie. while you are at it-and
keep on buying until tell you to
quit"
This broke the deadlock instantly.
and for few minutes the board room
was as noisy as the wheat pit with a
corner threatening. Brewster, still
laughing in his beard. pulled Ford out
of the press at the brokers end of the
table
I'm going to ask only one thing
of you, young man. he began, his
shrewd little eyes twinkling Just let
me know when you are going to get
out, so can pull through without
having to take the bankruptcy"
I'll do it. Mr.. Brewster" laughed
Ford. 'Ony I'm not going to get out
unless you folks freeze me OUT
Then it isn't long blufr on your
part?"
TT is. and it isn't. We still stand to
win If we have the nerve to hold on
In which event P. s. W. at 29 and a
fraction is a gold mine. That's one
view of it. and the other is this: we've
simply got to corner our own stock II
we expect to sell thirty millions addi-
tional bonds.''
We'll, I guess you've gone the right
way about it But are you sure about
these Chicago terminals? A legal
friend of mine here says you'll never
get in
He was possibly paid to say it."
said Ford hotly. There has never
been a shadow of doubt touching our
trackage rights on the c. P. and ID.
contracts, or upon our ability to main
tain them All the TranscontinentaI
-