The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1909-04-30

bled on the ore l couldn't be sure, but
wrote to Aunt Rebecca Winter She
sent a man down He looked up
things. 1t would take heap of money
to work the mines, but it might be a
big thing. She paid off the mortgage
and took another. First to last, she's
been mighty kind to us. She would
have done more had we let her. So |
went to Pittsburg and learned my
trade, and made enough to pay inter-
est, and the people at home got fair
ly good living. When | was q | was
back home, and got a company started
and put up a mill. You know how
those things have to creep up. But
there was ore, all right, and | under
stood my business and taught the
hands. We'd right sweet little mill.
Well, | don't want to take up your
time, sub. Those next 10 or IL years
were right hard work, but they were
happy, too. We prospered; we helped
the whole county prosper. We paid
Aunt Becky. We were in good shape.
We went through '93 paying our divi-
dends just as regular and making
them too, though we didn't much
more-it was close sailing. But we
were honest; we made a mighty good
article; and everybody trusted us.
Then came the craze for mergers, and
a number of us got together. Still we
weren't very big but we were big
enough to be listed. | didn't want It,
but some of the men thought it was a
terrible fine thing to be Iron Kings.
That was how. Keatcham was look
ing over the country for fish for his
net; he somehow heard that here was
a heap of good ore and new mills. The
first intimation we had was his sec
rotary coming as a northern invalid
why, he stayed at our house because
we were so sorry for him, the hotel
being in new hands and not right COM
Portable. He seemed so interested in
our mills, and bought some stock, and
sent presents to Phil and my mother
after he went"
THAT was Keatcham's private secre-
tary, you say"
YES, sub, Atkins. You met him on
the train-as sleek and deadly little
scoundrel as ever got rich quick. Oh,
he's deep. Well, sub, you know the
usual process. Convinced of the value
OF the property, Keatcham and one or
two others set out to buy it. They
got little blocks of it here and there.
Then Atkins wrote me in confidence
that some men were after the con-
trolling interest and meant to squeeze
us all out-offered to lend me money
to buy-of course, on margin. And
| was plumb idiot enough to be tolled
into his trap! /, who had never spec
ulated with dollar before, l didn't
borrow his money, but | took all l
could raise myself, and | bought enough
to be sure | could control the next
election. Then-the slump came, and
after the slump the long, slow crum-
bling. | controlled the election all
right, of course, but before the next
one came l was ruined, and Keatcham
put his own men in. | went desperate
~ to New York. | didn't know how
to fight those fellows; it was a new
game. ! didn't find Atkins. Maybe
because that wasn't his name when
the property was good-as if that mat
tered AS if anything mattered with
these gamblers who play with loaded
dice and dope the horses they bet
against! Phil had all his property in
the mills we all had. We mortgaged
the house; we had too, to protect our
stock You know how the fight ended,
and what happened at Cambridge.
That isn't all. My wife" He stood
a little straighter, and the light went
out of his eyes. 81 told you l don't
make friends easily, and l am not the
kind of man women take to; all the
same, the loveliest girl in the south
loved me ever since jumped over the
milldam to save her rag doll, once,
when she was visiting her aunt near
us. I'd married, when we seemed pros
porous. Now, understand me, | don't
say 1t was my ruin and Phil's death
that killed her and the baby; she had
pneumonia, and it may be that seeing
that paper by accident didn't turn the
scale; but do say that she had her last
hours embittered by it. That's enough
for me. When | got home with-with
Phil, she was dead"
Tough" said the colonel He be-
gan to revise his impressions of
Mercer.
Wasn't it?" the other asked with
a simplicity of appeal that affected the
listener more than anything he had
heard. He jumped out of his chair
and began pacing the room, talking
more rapidly. You're a man; you
know what | wanted to do"
xiii somebody. suppose. / should.
Just that ran Atkins to cover
after a while through Endicott Tracy
That boy is one of the noblest fellows
that ever lived; yes. sub. He was
going to help poor Phil, Pills room
mate had told him All those bovs-