Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-12
THE EvNEING sTROY I
Mr.. MEREDITH LEARNS.
BY sTANLY BARTON.

\ BY STANLY BARTON.
) Copyright, 1910, by Associated Liter
) airy Press.
) John Meredith, of Moore & Meredith
} at the sudden death of his father came
J into possession Of his fathers share in
J this furniture mandatory. Young
J Meredith knew about as much about
) the making Of this line Of goods as he
) did about the scientific production of
. Cheshire cheeses, which was nothing
at all.
, Meridith, ST., an elderly, active man,
. had not taken death into his scheme
J. of things, and his sudden passing
J found his son and only surviving men,
Der of his family at hunting lodge
, In Virginia with number of his New
) York friends. The youth took up the
reins Of business with remarkable
, seriousness
The older Meredith had been man
Of many enterprises. He had kept, at
all times, an observant eye upon OPP
portunity, and awaited himself Of every
slip in the business methods Of 9TH
. ers.
When John Meridith, the obsequies
over, found that his father, without
. his knowledge, had driven wedge
. into the firm of Moore, purveyors of
. furniture to quality, he was inter-
. ested.
He decided to let other enterprises
run along in the hands Of the capable
, ones always to be found connected
I. with the Meridith concerns, while he
/. concentrated virile methods to bear
. upon the unnatural lull in the sale Of
. the Moore article.
The old superintendent, Craig by
. name. who had been connected with
. the establishment since his sixteenth
. year, looked with grudging admira-
ton at the tall, strengthened youth,
, with the keen black eyes of his father
and the broad shoulders, swinging
. stride and. 1.-the carriage that comes
. from life in the open. According to
. the lights Of this old man, the ego
|. tism of this boy was nothing short Of
sacrilege.
Where" asked John Meridith,
upon his first trip to the factory, us
i S. M. Moore?"
In New York City, answered the
old man slowly. Il would like to tell
you some things about your partner,
Mr. Meridith, If you care to listen.
IL"
Il wouldn't" snapped the son Of
his father Il make 1t point never
to hear gossip. At your age, Craig,
you should be above such things"
n The look of surprise on the old
mans face was followed by a sudden
flush Of anger. He eyed Meredith
peculiarly and bowed low.
"You own three-fourths Of this
plant, Mr. Meridith. Your word is
law. I apologize for my ill-advised
words"
We'll, don't let it happen again. y
{ interrupted Meridith, half pacified.
The old craftsman bowed again and
left the ONCE.
Meredith settled Immediately into
harness. A letter Of coincidence upon
the death OF his father reached him
from s. M. Moore, but no mention Of
business was made therein.
TOO much blue blood in the veins
of these Moores," commented Meri-
dith
: On the fourth morning after the
beginning Of the youths activities he,
as usual, called in the stenographer
who always took down his letters.
The summons failed to bring the
time-faded automaton with the ac-
curate pencil whose ability he had SO
admired Instead came a young girl
J. with frightened blue eyes. She ap-
4 preached the mighty presence. II am
Miss Thomas, the new girl" she ex-
planned.
z Meredith eyed her critically. Where
: is Miss Nast?" he asked.
!, OCho Sc boliovo oo,, %aY,o ~,o,,,,
dictation accurately.
; Meridith rapidly began on his let
tiers. Occasionally he favored the girl
classic profile was Ice cold, as she in
4 hand.
is that all, sir?"
: 1T u.s." answered the youth, "and
: wish to congratulate you on your
rapidity. Hereafter you will take my
letters. Please remember"
! He turned quickly to resume his
, work, SO quickly, in fact that he did
not catch the scornful little smile
that touched for a passing second the
J perfect lips Of Miss Thomas.
A bright memory Of the pretty
, stenographer fingered to haunt the
young man. This irritated him II
am getting sentimental he ruminat.
ed. But, by Jove, that girl certainly
has all the hall marks Of a thorough
bred"
Meridith's egotism received hard
Jolt in his dealings with the custom
ers of the Moore Meridith product.
1nsted of increasing business by his
new ideas. trade lessened Old Gus
tomers-almost always good for q
substantial order each month-curi-
ously cut Moore-made stuff from
their buying list, nor could the con-
GERMS statesmen win reason from
them.
AS time went on, Meridith's inter-
est in his stenosranhar increased. She