The San Francisco call., 1908-10-04

seat beside him. None the less, there
floated out of the mist OF abstraction
an instantly vanishing phantom of half
recognition for the westerner. Some
thing in the pose of the young woman,
the way she leaned forward and held
her hat with the tip of her gloved fin
gers was, for the f1eeting moment, al
most reminiscent
If Ford had wished to speculate upon
abstruse problems of identity there was
neither time nor the mental aptitude
A little later he had given his card to
the servant at the door and was wait
ing in a darkened and most Oppressive
library for the coming of the master of
the house. The five minutes of waiting
nearly finished him. AS the absurdIy
formal clock between the bookcases
ticked off the leaden winged seconds
his plan for the rescue of the Pacific
Southwestern took the form of Grass
impertinence, and only the grim deter
animation to see a lost cause decently
coffined and buried kept the enthusiast
with his face to the front.
After all. the beginning of the inter
view with the tall thin. gray haired
and hatchet faced old man. who pres
emily stalked into the library and
gave his hand with carefully ad-
his college classmates was only little
more depressing; it was not mortal
Ford had been born in Illinois; and so,
something better than a third of a. cen
tury earlier, had the president. More
over. Mr. CoIbrith had, in the hey
day of his youth, shared rooms with
the elder Ford In the fresh water uni
versity which had later numbered the
younger Ford among its alumni These
things count for somewhat, even when
the gap to be bridged is that between
the president of railroad and one of
his minor officials.
But when the revolutionary project
was introduced the presidents guarded
cordiality faded like a Photographic
proof print in the sunlight, and the air
of the darkened library grew coldly
inclement.
so you came to talk business. did
you?" said the high rasping voice out
of the depths of the easy chair oppo-
site; and Ford ragged inwardly at the
thought that he had clearly placed
himself at a disadvantage by becoming
even constructively the guest of the
president. AS a rule | positively re-
fuse to discuss such matters outside
OF their proper environment: but I'll
make an exception for Douglas Ford's
son. Your plan is simply impossible.
I can understand how it may appear
possible. and even attractive to a
young man, and especially to the young
man who has invented it. But as an
investment for capital-my dear young
sir, go back to your division and strive
by faithful service to rise in the ac-
cepted and time honored way You
are wasting your time in New York
Curiously enough, Ford found his
evaporated courage recrystallizing un-
der opposition.
Il can not. believe that I have made
the plan, and the present condition of
the system, sufficiently clear to you,'
he insisted; whereupon he went pa
tiently and good naturedly over the ar
gument again, emphasizing the desper-
ate straits to which the Pacific South
western was reduced.
I'VE know all that. Mr. Ford" was
the unyielding reply. But granting it
to be the fact don't you see the abso-
lutte futility of asking for thirty five
millions additional capital at such a
crisis?"
NO, l don't" said Ford stubbornly.
81 know-as / can not explain to you
in detail in half hour interview-that
this plan of mine can be made success
full. For two years. Mr. Colbrith, 1
have been the man on the ground: no
word that / am saying to you is specu-
lative. Every clause of the PROPOSE
behind it,
e.No doubt it seems so to YOU, came
the rasping voice from the chair
depths. But thirty five millionsl -
with qSAvering gasp. And at a time
when our earnings are falling off
steadily and the stock is going down
day by day. lists simply prepos-
ferrous, ! must really decline to dis
cuss it any further.
EorJ bod l,ic packet of data IN, hand
II have the exhibits here. carefully
tabulated and condensed. Won't you
reconsider far enough to examine them,
Mr.. Colbrith?"
thin. white hand of negation and
protest waved out of the depths of the
engulfing easy chair.
Il am sorry to disappoint you, Mr..
Ford. l knew your father, and we were
great friends. You are like him. he
added reminiscently He might have
died rich If he had gone into corn buy
ing with me when we We're graduated
as / wanted him to. But he was too
enthusiastic He wanted to turn the
world upside down-just as you do,
my dear young man; just as you do"
Ford got upon his feet. The time
had arrived for the firing of the shot
of last resort and he aimed it delib-
erately
II came to you first, Mr.. Colbrith. be-
cause it was my duty as subordinate,
and your own appointee, and because
you were my fathers friend so many
years ago. 1 may say frankly that 1
did it against good advice. Men who
profess to know you have counseled
me to appeal directly to the board.
What ] wish to know now is if you are
willing to take the entire responsibility
of turning this plan of mine down. Will
it not relieve you of all responsibility
if you will call a meeting of the direc-
tors and let me lay this absurd pro-
posaI of mine before it, You can aura