The Alaska citizen., 1910-11-14
George Randolph Chester
 In Saturday Evening Pos,
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settled upon an investment l would like 70 suggest that you become in reresteI in our local Brightlight Electric Company"
 "I thought there was no gas or electric stock for sale said Bobby slowly. clinging still 10 vague i'm pression that he had gained five or six years before.
 Not 10 the public replied Mir. Sharpe, smiling. and there would not be even privately except for he necessity of reorganization. The 3rightliGht needs more capital for expansion. and I have too many other interests, even aside from the Consumers Electric Light and Pow. CT and the United Gas and Fuel Companies, to spare the money my self - and the Brightlight is too good 10 let the general public in on" He smiled again quite mean inEly this time. This is quite conf dentiul. of course" he added.
 Bobby showed his acknowledg- ment of the confidence which had been reposed in him, and generous ly began at once 10 reconstruct his impressions of the impossible MT. Sharpe. You couldn't believe all you heard you know.
 The Brightight," went on Mir. Sharpe. lis at present capitalized for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. and is q good ten-per-cent.- dividend-paying stock at the pres ent moment; but it's business is not growing. and | propose to take in Tf.,;, al A rho TQripbt- light to a half-million-dollar corpOr- qti3n. clear off its indebtedness and project certain extensions. l under stand that you have the necessary amount, and here is the proposition l offer you. Brightlight stock Is now 4uoted at q hundred and seventy two. We will double it's present capitalization. and you may take up
 he extra two hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth Of it's stock at par. or about three-flfths of it's actual value That is a bargain 10 be snapped at, MT Burnt.
 Did Bobby Burnt snap al this proposition? He did not. Bobby had learned caution through two bitter failures. and of caution is born wis iom
 Two hundred and fifty thousand !ollars' worth of stock in five hundred-thousand-d corporation won't do for me" he declared with ! frmness that was pleasant to his own ears "I don't care to go into any proposition in which have not he controlling interest"
 MT. Sharpe opened his mouth very ht,t i'm meliately closed it again without having said it, and Bobby, seeing hat hesitation. hastened to explain.
 You see. Mir Sharpe, he went on. stcelng himself for a bone-hard business talk. T have had my eye eeth cut by very painful opera ton. The first thing l did when my father died was to consolidate the John Burnt Store with Silas Trim mcr's; and l had the majority of stock let Trimmer, however, take in sixty thousand dollars of ad- ditional capital, and this stock was sold where he could control it. Re suit, the entire business now goes under the name of Trimmer & Co., l have no more to do with 1t than you have. except for the holding of my stock. which is very careful to pay no dividends. As you see, l have had my education in stock con- troll"
 MT. Sharpe smiled most engaging ly
 q don't blame you, Mir. Burnit," he said; but to show you that am more willing to trust you than you are to trust me, if you care Q go into this thing I'll agree 10 sell you from one to ten shares of my individual stock-at it's present market value, of course"
 That's very good of you" agreed Bobby, suddenly ashamed of his un- generous stand in the face of this spOrtsmanlike attitude. But really I've had cause for timidity After I lost control of the business which had been the nucleus of my fath- CTS fortune I spent two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in retaining for suburban lots a swamp which could not be reclaimed on account of underground springs Silas Trim mer got the advantage of me there again through my inexperience, and. naturally. my money is a rank cow ard"
 Caution, is not cowardice," said MT. Sharpe in tone which convey ed world of friendly appreciation. This matter must be taken up very soon, however, and 1 cannot allow you more than a week to in vestigate. I'd be pleased to receive your legal and business advisers at any time you may nominate. and to give them any advantage you may wish"
 'Tll investigate 1t at least, and I thank you for giving me the op- portunity," said Bobby. really very contrite that he had been doing Sharpe such mental injustice all these years. By the way" he sud denly added, has Silas Trimmer anything whatever to do with this proposition?"
 Mir Sharpe smiled
 MT. Trimmer does not own one share of stock in the Brightlight Electric Company, nor will he own it" he answered.
 Tn that case" said Bobby, 'I am satisfied to consider your offer without fear of heart-disease."
 CHAPTER II.
 The departing caller met an in- coming one in the outer office, and Agnes Elliston, sweeping into Bob- by's room, breathlessly gasped:
 That was Frank Sharpe!"
 "The same" admitted Bobby, I