The Alaska citizen., 1910-12-05
s;c e; w w w ; ; m w 5 5 BObbY'S ILLUMINATION 5
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 e$cc cc cc sos sco ccS md. swinging about the axis of his lwn spine. threw the entire force f his Iody behind his right arm, md the fist of that arm, caught Ripley below the ear and dropped him like a beef. just as Bobby came running back from the office
 What are you doing here, Bino Whats the matter?" demanded Bob by. as Ripley. dazed, struggled to his feet. and. though weaving, drew himself together for another on slaught
 "Ma;ter," snaried Bif T landed on a frame-up. that's all. This af ternoon | saw Sharpe and this Rip ley together in a bum wine-room on River street, swapping so much of that earnest conversation that the partitions bulged: and I dropped to the Gouble-cross that's being hand d out to you. I've been trying to telephone you ever since. but when couldn't find you l came right down to run the plant. That's all"
 You're all right. Biff," laughed Bobty. but I guess We can call this ore-roun1 affair, and I'll take charge"
 Don't stop 'em," cried Daily say ag,ly turning to Bobby. Hand it to him, BiIT. He's crook and an all round sneak He beat me out of this job by underhand means, and there ain't a man in the place that ain't tickled to death to see him get the beating that's coming 10 him Paste him, Bif!'
 "Biff!" repeated MT. Ripley, sud denly dropping his hands. 'Biff, Who?"
 MT. Bif Bates. the well-known and justly celebrated ex-champion middle weight" announced Bobby with a grin. MT. Ripley MT Bates"
 "Bif Bates." repeated Con Rip ley. Why didn't some of you guys tell me this was Riff Bates? Mir Bates, I'm glad to meet you" And with much respect he held forth his hand.
 Go chace yourself" growled Mir Bates in infinite scorn.
 i Ripl Y replied with a sudden vol l Icy of abuse. Couched in the vlest language, but to this Bff made no reply. He dropped his hands in his coat pockets, and, considering his work done, walked over to the wall and leaned against it, awaiting fur thCr developments.
 "Daly." said Bobby sharply, break ing in upon Ripley's tirade, are you competent to run this plant?" Certainly, sir" replied Daly. T should have had the job four years ago. l was promised it."
 You may consider yourself in charge. then. Mir. Ripley. if you will walk up to the office I'll pay you off
 Bobby, jubiant, went to see Chal- mers next day. The lawyer lis .ened gravely. but shook his head
 Pm bound to tell you, MT Bur nit, that you have no case. You must have more proof than this to bring charge of conspiracy. Rip
 ey had a perfect right to talk with sharpe or to telephone 10 some one, and mere hot-headedness could ex- | 'l'l-lI l'IA Silul Ills oil lllt llSll D. Your enthusiastic friend Bates has ruined whatever prospect you might have had. Your suspicious once aroused, you should have let your man do as he liked. but should have watched him and caught him in 8 1 trap of some sort. Now it is too late. Moreover. have bad news for you Your contract for city
 lighting is ironclad, and cannot be be broken, but I saw today a paper i signed by an overwhelming major l ity of your private consumers that the service is not even reasonably satisfactory and that they wish 1 the field open to competition With this paper to back them. Stones council granted the right to the i Consolidated Company to erect poles, string wires and supply cur rent We can bring suit if you say so, but you will lose it." Bring suit. then," ordered Bob ] by vehemently. Why, Chalmers. the contract for the city lighting alone would cost the Brightlight money every year The profit has all been made from private consum- CTS"
 1 That's why you're losing it." said i Chalmers dryly. "The whole project is very plain to me now. The Con Sumers and the United Companies never cared to enter that field. be- cause their controlling stockholders were also the Brightlight controll ing stockholders, and they could "et more money through the Bright light than they could through the other companies; and so they led the public to believe that there was no breaking the monopoly the Bright 1 light held upon their service. Nov however, they want to gain another stock-jobbing advertisement by driv- ing you out of the field. They planned from the first to wreck you | for just that purpose-to make Con- so'idated stocks seem more desira- ble when the stock sales began to | dwindle and they are perfectly willing to furnish the consumers in vour twelve blocks with current at their present ridiculously low rate because, with them. any possible profits to be derived from the bus mess are insignificant compared to the profits to be derived from the sale of their watered stock The price of illumination and power, lat CT. will soar! Watch it. They're very bright crowd" and MT. Chal- mers paused to admire them. T, Ir, D~hS hS,,