The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-07-07

ut amt pretty" said Porter, critical
ly, but IL you don't like 1t you can move
when you get ready. The bank is your
landlord, and we don't charge you much
for 1t. You've doubtless got your inven-
tory Of stuff with you, and here in the
safe you'll find the accounts of these COM
panies, copies of public records relating
to them, and so on. You're going up
against q pretty tough proposition, young
man. You'll hear a hard luck story
wherever you 60 out here Just now; peo-
pie who owe your friends money will be
mighty sorry they can't pay. Many Of
the ranch lands your people own will be
worth something after a while. That
Colorado irrigation scheme ought to pan
out In time, and | believe 1t will but
you've got to nurse all these things. Make
your principals let you alone. Those
fellows get in a hurry at the wrong time
that's my experience with Eastern In
vestors. Tell them to 20 to Europe-get
rid OF them for a while, and make them
give you a chance to work for them.
They're not the only pebbles. I'll send
the combination of the safe up by the
boy, and you can get bird's-eye view of
the situation before lunch. Mr.. Wheaton,
our cashier, is away to-day, but he's ia
miliar with these matters and will be
glad to help you when he gets home.
When you get stuck call on US. And drop
down about IL 80 and go up to the club
for lunch. Take it easy you can't do 1t
all In one day."
II hope shan't be a nuisance to you,"
said the younger man. I'm going to
fight 1t out on the best lines l know how
If 1t takes several summers"
well, it'll take them all right" said
Porter, sententiously.
Left to himself Saxton examined his
new quarters, found a feather duster
hanging in a corner and brushed the rirt
from the scanty furniture. This done he
rat down by the open window, through
which the breeze came cool out Of the
great valley; and here he could see, FAR
over the roofs and spires of the town,
the bluffs that marked the broad bed Of
the tawny Missouri. He was not as
buoyant as his last wores to the banker
implied. Here he was, he reflected,
man OF good education, as such things
so, who had lost his patrimony In a sin
gle venture. He had been sent, partly
out Of compassion, he felt, to take charge
OF investments that were admitted to be
almost hopelessly bad. The salary prom
isei would provide for him comfortably,
and that was about all anything fur
ther would depend upon himself, the sec
retary Of the Neponset Trust Company
had told him; 1t would, he felt, depend
much more particularly on the making
over by benign powers of the consider
able part Of the earth's surface in which
his principals money lay hidden. As his
eyes wandered to one of the Office walls,
the black train of great transcontinen-
tai railroad caught and held his attention.
On one Of Its northern prongs lay the re-
gion Il his first defeat.
Three years Of life-ar up there" he
meditated, "and all my good dollars are
scattered along the right Of way" Many
things came back to him vividly-how
the wind used to howl around the little
ranch house. and how he rode through the
snow among his dying cattle In the great
storm that had been his undoing. With
his eyes still resting on the map, he re-
Cured to his early school days and to
his four years at Harvard. There was
a burden Of heartache in these recolec-
tions. None of the professions had ap-
pealed to him, and he had not needed
his fathers wish that he enter the law.
The elder Saxton, who was himself
lawyer Of moderate success, died before
Johns graduation; he had lost his moth
er In his youth, and his only remaining
relative was sister who married before
he left college.
A review Of these brief and discourag-
ing annals did not hearten him; but he
fell back upon the better mood with
which he had begun the morning; he had
new chance, and he proposed to make
the best Of 1t. He put aside his coat and
hat, and opened his desk. The banker
had sent up the combination of the safe
and Saxton began inspecting its contents
and putting his Office in order.
The books and papers began to inter-
est him, and he was soon classifying
the properties that had fallen to his
care. He was so deeply occupied that
he did not mark the fight Of time and
was surprised when a boy came with n
mepsaBo hhom Iofter tndt ne was ready
to 60 to luncheon.
"You mustn't overdo the thing, Young
man." said the banker amiably. as bs
closed his desk. Don't you adopt our
Western method of working all the hours
there are. do 1t now because my neigh
bors and customers would talk about me
II didn't, and say that l had lost INV
grip in my old age"
The Clarkson Club stood at the edoe
of the commercial district, and its brick
walls rose hot and staring in the July
sun as Porter and Saxton approached.
Here we are said Porter, leading
the way into the wide hall. "We,u ar.
range about your business relations later.
There's q very bad lunch ready upstairs.
and we'll 60 against that first"
There were only few men in the din
ing room, seated at a round table. Por.
ter exchanged salutations with them as
he passed on to a small table at the end |
Of the room. Those who were of his
own age called Porter, Billy" and he
included them all in the careless nod of |
old acquaintance.
They went from the table for an. in
spection Of the club, and arranged with
the clerk in the Office for room on the
third floor. They stopped In the louns-
Ing room, where the men from the round
table were now talking or looking at
newspapers. Porter introduced Ssxton
to all OF them. Several Of the men who