Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-07-09
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CHAPTER NU.-,Coutinurd.)

the company is thoroughly rotten i'll III
its past history. and here you 20 plrng
ing into it up 10 your eyes. And they
say you're the most conservative banker
on the river
II guess you don't have to get me on
Of many scrnpcs." said Porter.
"When's the annual mceting?" asked
Fenton.
i IT'S day after tomorrow close call
but III make II all right"
"Mr. Porter, | want you to remember
that I haven't given you any advic" at
all in this matter. It's an extra hazard
ous thing that you're doing. Now, l don't
know anything definitely about it. but
I've got the impression that Margrav"'
paralleling your lines in this business
"Where'd you get that?'
Its this way" said Fcnton. in his
q~uietest tones. "A Baltimore lawyer that
I know wrote me a letter asking me
about Margravc's responsibility. 1t seems
that my friend has a client who owns
some of these shares. a good deal OF
that stock went TO Baltimore and Phia-
delphia. you may remember. | assume
that Margrnvc is after it,"
"Wirc your friend right away not to
sell ;" shouted Porter, pounding the table
with his fist.
81 did that this morning. and here's his
answer. | got it just bcfor" you cam"
in. Mnrgrave evidently got anxious and
wired them TO send certificates with draft
through the Drovcrs' National. They're
probably on the way now" II" passed
the telegram across TO Porter, VINO put
on his glasses and read il,
snow continued lenton, Il don't
t... -,,l ..I.,. ,h;. ,nn,nc hnt il looks
to me as If Mnrgravc was hot on the
track of the trolley company himself and
Tim Margrave isn't "A particularly pleas
ant fellow to 90 into business with. is
hep #
.Rut the bondholders would still have
their chance. wouldn't they. even II ne So'
a majority Of the stock, a
well. you haven't any bonds. have
YOU? First thing | know you'll be telling
me that you've got a few barrels OF
them" he added, ickingly. He could not
help laughing at Porter. ID.
s'Nv dear boy, I've got every blamed
bond !" @<.
Fenton sat gazing at him in stupetied
wonder. He walked around the table and
put his hand on Porter's shoulder. lie
was trying to keep from laughing. like a
rasentsvshostS s aautzstosNrcbuke a. Child
and yet laughs at the cause of its Of
fense.ssP orte sly ihought that he
had done an extremely bright thing.aats
"As I understand you. you have bought
all of the bonds and half of the stock"
about half. I'm u littlc-just a little
short
xviii you kindly tell me what You
wanted with the stock if you had the
bonds!" @. .H
'.NeIl, | figured il this way, that the
franchise was worth the price l had to
pay for the whole thing, and if l had the
stock control I'd save the fuss OF foreclos-
ing. You lawyers always make a lot of
rumpus about those things, and a receiv-
ership would prejudice the Eastern mar
ket when l come to re~organize and sell
out
Fenton lay back in his chair and
laughed, while Porter looked ut him a lit
tie defiantly, with his hat tipped over his
eyes.
you'd better finish your job and MAXI
sure OF your ma iority," said Fenton. His
rage was rising now and he did not urge
Porter to remain when the banker got
up to do. He was not at all anxious to
defend Il franchise which the local courts,
always sensitive to public sentiment,
might set aside.
i'ii see you in the morning frst
thing said Porter at the door, which
Fenton opened for him.. Il want you to
go to the meeting with me and We'll need
a day to get ready"
The lawyer watched his client walk
toward the elevator. 1t occurred to him
that Porter's step was losing it's elastic
ity. While the banker waited for the cle-
- No Loo nod u-oari1v uvntuSf tha yirn
screen Of the shaft.
~ Fenton then sat down with a copy of
the charter Of the Clarkson Traction
Company before him, and spent the re-
mainder of the day studying it. He had
troubled much over Porter's secretive
ways, and had Iabored to shatter the dan
eerous concsit which had gradually grown
On in his client. Porter had. in fact, a
contempt for lawyers, though he leaned
on Fenton more than he would admit.
Fenton, on the other hand, was constant
II fearful lest his client should undo him
self BY his secretive methods. He had
d~ifaculty IN getting all the facts out of
him even when they were imperatiyely re-
Quired.
The next morning Fenton was at his
Office early and sent his boy at once to
ask Mr.. Porter to come up. The boy re-
ported that Mr.. Porter had not been at
the bank. Fenton went down himself at
10 o'clock and found the presidents desk
closed.
where's the boss?" he demanded.
Won't be down this morning. said
Wheaton. Miss Porter %telephoned thai
he wasn't feeling well, but he expected to
be down after luncheon"
CHAPTER XIII.
Porter's illness was proclaimed in the
irst editions of the afternoon papers.
which Wheaton saw at his desk. News
gains force by publication, and when he
read The printed statement that the prcsi-
dent OF the Clarkson National Bank was
confined to his house by illness. he felt
that Porter must really be very sick and
he naturally turned the fact over in his
mind to see how this might affect him.
The directors came in and sat about with
their hats on, and Wingate. the starch
Rapufactnrsrs who had seen Porter's doe
TOR. pronounced the president very sick
man and suggested that Thonapson.sh the.
invalid vice president, ought to be noti-
fed. The Others acquicsced, and they pre-
pared a tiesram to Thompson at Phoe-
nix cnsgesting his Immediate return. il
possible
Fenton spent the afternoon in court.
AZ Intended to call At the Perters, on