Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-01-26
CHAPTER XIV.


But don't talk about that yet. We
have got to show these fellows sub
stantial profits before we can get them
in deeper. Besides" he added with a
sharp glance. 1T won't be case of
profit for all of them"
Haggleton lowered his voice.
1--WE have six bakers in the combina-
ton already. Within a week We'll
have ten. Within two weeks we'll
have all the bakers around here tum-
bling over themselves to get in. &c."
he smiled. don't you see?"
WHAT"
''These outside bakers won't be able
to stand against us. Inside Of six
months half of the bakeshop bosses
down here will be working for the
combination"
Philip looked serious.
'1s that's that necessary?'
"It's the law" said Haggleton
grimly. 1.-The law in big things and lit
tie things, that the master mind
rules"
No doubt the arguments advanced
by Philip in his own mind to satisfy
his own uneasiness regarding Hag-
gleton's methods would have been
met by other arguments had Gentle
been there to counsel him. but the old
diver had been away great deal with
the wrecking boats. And it was not
until the third week that Philip was
really brought face to face with facts
as they were. This came about
through his call on Margaret after her
return to Mrs. Binney's boarding
house.
Radiantly happy, proud Of her hero,
the girl had yet seen that very after
noon on her return a cloud gathering
upon the horizon OF their future In
common. A bakers assistant whose
wife she had nursed through a pro-
tracted illness. man, therefore. sorely
in need OF continued employment, had
appealed to her for intercession. It
was serious news, and 1t was made
more serious by Gentle. who was
present. The news was that the bake
shop combination had done the assist
ant cruel wrong by depriving him of
his job in a bakeshop on Madison
street. He was a victim Of the knead-
ing machine. east adrift and desperate.
Get another place? Where? He had
been to three other bakeshops where
men had been discharged on account
Of the very same machine. and two
Of them were fathers of families. That
was a nice business for Philip Ames
to be in, wasn't it. and he calling him
self friend IF the poor?
So he rallied on and presently STUN
bled away, leaving a message thai
Philip could go straight to a hotter
place than any bakeshop.
Gentle looked troubled. He hest
tated moment: then. as he met hel
brave, comprehending gaze, he decid
ed that she could help and that nov
was the moment to do it. So he tolC
her exactly what was on his mind
There was an old proneness in PHILIP
to money love. 1t was a fault tina
had come through his father, wht
was-well, she knew Mr.. Haggleton
did she not? Philips mother was thu
| finest woman Gentle had ever known
true womanly woman. In SOM
| ways Margaret reminded him Of her
/ and he was sure she could influence
| him wonderfully for good if she un
derstood this danger. Philip was full
Of the noblest ideals His soul re
belled at the unfairness of things. 81
was a fighter; but, alas, he could fgh
two ways-selfshly and unselfshly.
Il oil ho% 81
time in Philips development Hal
Margaret not noticed how absorbed b
4 was in this bakeshop scheme?
cts all Mr.. Haggleton's fault" de
clared Margaret
"Mr. Haggleton is the occasion,
\ Gentle replied judiciously; 1.-The caus
! is in the blood"
Margaret tried to draw from Cent?
: facts about Philips mother
did she realize that there was thi
other side to him?' she asked.
"Oh, yes, she realized it; she realize
it fully. And sometimes it frightene
her to think that with all her Low
! and care she could not free Phili
/ from this-this tendency to be like hi
father"
How did she know he had it?'
Even as boy he was wonderful
shrewd in making bargains with othe
boys. / tell you. Margaret" he wen
on, there Is so much at stake her
that-well. the selfish Philip must nc
win; the other Philip, his mothers sol
must win
"Oh, yesr' cried Margaret
"And with your help he can win, br
! we mustn't forget that the enemy
! there to be reckoned with"
"You mean his fathers SOM"
I Exactly" replied Gentle.
All this had prepared Margaret fc
a serious talk with Philip when b
called thatsevening. but when he cam
she was quite disarmed by his attitud