Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-25
CHAPTER K.
Mr.. Walsh Meets Mrs. Craighill.

Wingield was mistaken when he an
nounced at the Allequippa Club apropos
OF Walsh's purchase of controlling in
terest in the Wayne-Craighill Company.
that Roger Craighill had never appre-
ciated Walsh's services. Col. Craighill not
only valued Walsh highly. but he took &C.
casion to express. in q statement given to
the newspapers. his deep sense of loss
upon the retirement of my faithful chief
of staff, who after years of painstaking
labor. reaps the reward OF his own in
dustry and fidelity More than this, Col
Craighill made Walshs passing the occa-
sion for dinner to all the employees in
his office. and to the managers of the
mines and coking plants in which ne was
interested. Walsh was thus used as an
illustration of the qualities that make for
honorable success. This banquet pro-
vided al a leading hotel toward the end
of October. was memorable on many &C.
counts, and not least for the address de-
lfvered TO the company by the head of
the table-an utterance marked by noble
sentiment and expressing the highest
Wingfeld characterized this somewhat
coarsely as hot air. when he read IL in
the newspapers: the colonel was. he
averred, the Prince of ,-.e Platitudinous.
The colonel thinks he is looking
through the windows of his soul upon hu-
mainly" remarked Wingfield to a shrewd
skillful occulist with whom he shared
such heresies: but the windows of his
soul are all mirrors" But Wingfield was
almost the only man in town who refused
to accept Roger Craighill at rather more
than face value.
Wayne. glancing a few days later At
Mrs. Blair's list OF persons to be invited
to her reception i'm their stepmothers
honor. suggested that Welsh ought to be
asked.
why Walsh?" asked Mrs. Blair. blunt
ly. when l pass him in the park driv-
ing his beautiful horses and with a long
black cigar in his mouth, he makes me
shudder''
When he takes up a list of accounts
payable and runs his eye down the col
umn all the people who owe money any,
where on earth shudder. ne a sphinx.
but like him. He's been mighty good to
me- and if you don't mind I'll say that he
will be missed at the office more than the
colonel knows"
said that no man is indispensable. and
he wouldn't have lost Walsh il he had
needed him. Fathers proud that an old
subordinate can go out of the office into
business of his own"
Maybe" persisted Wayne, maybe
Walsh isn't the subordinate
What do you mean?"
Il mean that Walsh has been. far more
than the colonel knows. the deus ex
machina of our affairs. Father has not
known the details of his various interests
for years-not since I went into the Of
flee. He sees only the results and. thanks
to Walsh. they have been very satisfac-
tory. When there was a nasty trip to
take i'm q hurry to head off strike, or
to see why we weren't making the usual
tonnages, old Walsh slipped out of town
and looked after il without a word.
Father thinks he did II all: probably
thinks it honestly. and Walsh let him
think il. That's Walsh's way. When
father went out in his private car and
found all the properties In bang-up shape
he thought he was looking at the results
Of his own management; but. in fact.
Walsh's eagle eye and iron grip had done
the real work"
(To be continued tomorrow)