Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-12-30

Our problem in this day and genera
tion Is so to draw the line of distinc-
uon that these necessary concessions
to human frailty will not debauch US;
may be made without prejudice to that
high sense Of personal honor and in
tegrity which must be the cornerstone
of any successful business career. This
state of affairs which you describe is
deplorable-most deplorable; but-well
we may think of such obstacles as we
do of toll-gates on the highway. The
road Is a public utility, and 1t should
be free; but we pay the toll, under
protest, and pass on"
Mr.. Henniker was a large man, be-
nign and full-favored, not to say unc-
tuous; and his manner In delivering
an opinion was blandly impressive, and
convincing to many. Yet Tom was not
convinced.
"Of course, I came to ask for the
loan. and not specially to justify It." he
said, in mild irony which was quite
lost on the philosopher IN the presi-
dents chair. It wasn't sure just how
you would regard II II you should know
the object for which we are borrowing.
and this high sense Of personal honor
you speak of impelled me to be alto
gether frank with you"
Quite right; you were quite right,
Mr.. Gordon" said the banker, urbanely.
You are young in business, but you
have learned the first lesson In the
book Of success-to be perfectly open
and outspoken with your banker. AS
/ have said. the venality of these men
with whom you are dealing Is most de-
plorable, but ."
There was some further glozing over
of the putrid fact, a rood bit Of 1t, and
Tom sat back in his chair and listened,
outwardly respectful, inwardly hot
hearted and contemptuous. Was this
smooth spoken, orac,llar prince Of the
market-place predetermined hypo-
crite, shaping his words to fit the mon :
ey-gathering end without regard to
their demoralizing effect? Or was he
only subconscious Pharisee, self-de-
| ceived and complacent? Toms thought
ran lightning like over the long list of
the Vancourt Hennih ers: men of the
business world succe sful to the Croe-
sus mark large and oeral benefactors
founders of colleges, Libraries and hos
! pitals, gift-giver to their fellow men,
| irreproachable in private life, and yet
apparently stone bird on the side of
the larger equities. Gould it be posi-
BILE that such men lioerately admit
ted and accepted the Doubt standard
In morals? 1t seems fairly incredible,
and yet their lives appeared to pro-
claim 1t.
Having obtained tie sinews of war,
Tom kept the appoir tment with Nor
man. and their joint discussion of the
business situation n Ide him too late
for the early dinner rt Woodlawn. To
f, complete the delay, he evening train
lost half an hour wi 4 a hot box at "A
| point mile short O., Gordonia. Two
| things came of these combined time
| killings: man in a slouched hat and
| the brown jeans of the mountaineers,
who had been watching the Woodlawn
| gates since dusk from his hiding place
| behind the field wall across the pike
| got up stiffiy and went away; and Tom
| reached home just in time to intercept
Ardea on the steps Of the PICTURESQUE
veranda-
asked, when she paused on the step
above him.
"Yes-no; ran over to tell you this
we moved Nancy to-day
"Oh! Well, that's comfortable. Shr
was willing?"
| Yes: almost, at first; and altogeth-
er willing when told her that I-tha,
she" There was an embarrassed mo
ment and then the truth came out
Perhaps I should have asked you first
but she was quite satisfied when I told
her that she owed her changed condi
| tion to the person whose duty 1t was to
provide for her. You don't mind dc
your"
mo, I don't mind" he said, absently
and the under thought dealt savagely
with Nan-with a woman who, for tn,
sake of the leaves and the fishes, an6
the shielding of the real offender, would
suffer an innocent man 10 go to the so
cial gallows for lack Of the word which
would have cleared him. He laughed
rather bitterly and added, out of the
heart Of the under thought: I'm gla
I'm not naturally inclined to be pes
simistic."
What makes you say that?"
Because, after hearing"-he changed
his mind suddenly, and transferred tn,
hard word from Nan to Mr. Vancour
Henniker-"after what I've been hear.
ing this afternoon l find myself more
in the notion Of weeping with the an.
gels than of laughing with the devils.
What has happened?" she asked
sympathetically alive to his need Il
one breath. and keenly apprehensiv,
for her own peace of mind in the next
IAN exceedingly small thing, as tn,
worlds measurements go. I was II
town, and made a business call on Mr.
Henniker. He's member of you
church, isn't he? I needed some none,
to bribe lot Of political graftes in
Pennsylvania city where I'm trying t,
sell bill Of water-pipe. I went 10 ME-
| Henniker to borrow II"