Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-08

shortly the colonel took his leave.
The next morning after an unevent-
full hour Of sorting, reading and an
swering letters for Miss Smith to copy
on the travelling typewriter. Keatcham
gave his new secretary a sharp sensa-
ton; he ordered in his quiet but per-
emptory fashion: Now put that trash
away; sit down; tell me all you know
Of Cary-real name IL Cary Mercer,
isn't it?"
The colonel said 1t was; he asked
him II he wanted everything
Everything. Straight. Without a
chaser" snapped Keatcham
The colonel gave it to him. He be-
gan with his own acquaintance: he
told about Phil Mercer; he did not slur
detail; neither did he underscore
one; Keatcham got the uncolored
facts. He heard them impassively,
making only one comment: "a great
deal of damage would be saved in this
world II youngsters could be shut up
until they had sense enough not to
fool with firearms" When Winter
came to MERGERS own exposition Of
his motives and his design il success
full in his raid on the kings OF the
market, Keatcham grunted at the end
he breathed noiseless jet of a sigh.
You don't think Mercer is at all"--
he tapped the side of the head.
mo more than you are"
Cor you?"
"Oh, WE'LL" the colonel TESTED, I'VE
all have prejudice in favor of our
own sanity. What | meant was that
Mercer is bit Of fanatic; his hard
luck has-well prejudiced him"
4 Keatcham's cold. firm lips straight
| ened into his peculiar smile, which
was rather of perception than of
humOr.
One might say Of him-Aunt Rebec-
Ca Winter did say of him-that he
saw the incongruous. which makes up
for humor but he never enjoyed IT;
possibly 1t was only another factor In
his contempt OF mankind.
Colonel" said Keatcham, do you
/ think Wall street is den Of thieves"
/ II do" said the colonel promptly.
II should like to take machine gun
or two and clean you all out"
| Keatcham did not smile; he blinked
! his eyes and nodded. II presume a
good many people share your opinion
of us"
Millions" replied the colonel.
! Again Keatcham nodded. II thought
so," said he. "Of course you are all
of; Wall street is as necessary to the
commonwealth as the pores to your
skin; they don't make the poison in
/ the system any more than the pores
do; they only let 1t escape And sup
pose you think that big financiers who
! control the trusts and the railways
and"
! U.S." the colonel struck in, well"
You think we are thieves and liars
and murderers and despots?"
"All of that" said the colonel placid
| ly; "also FOOLS"
you certainly don't mince your
words"
You don't want me to. What use
would my opinion be in one-thou-
sandth attenuation? You're no homeo-
path; and whatever else you may be,
you're no coward"
| yet, you think Il surrendered to
Mercer? You think l did 1t because
/ was afraid he would kill me? sup
pose he would have killed me II
hadn't eh?"
HE can speak for himself about
that; he seems-well an earnest sort
of man. But don't think you gave in
because you were afraid, If that is
what you mean. You are no more
afraid than he was. You wanted to
live. probably; you had big things on
hand. The Midland was only a trump
in the game; you could win the odd
trick with something else; you let the
Midland go"
Pretty close. '-Keatcham really
smiIed-"but there is a good deal
more of it. I was shut up with the
results of my-my work. He did it
very cleverly had nothing to dis
tract ME. There we're the big type
written pages about the foolish peo-