The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-05-27

"And l still hold to my original decla-
ration that if you are l want to be
empress" she declared
Something clattered at Kelvin's feet.
Startled. they all looked down. 1t was
| bright steel dagger. ~
beg your pardon" said Blagg,
STOPPING down to get it. He had come
In unobserved with a message. ut
was very awkward of me. AS it hap
pens. this is only Mr. Kelvin's paper
knife. which I accidentally brushed OF
the corner of his desk. But, after all,
| IT Is dagger, too. and rather an un-
lucky omen to drop at the feet of
man who declares his desire to be en-
peror of the United Statesv'
The incident was passed over as of
| no moment. and Rollins laughed in
keen amusement.
"Your man Blagg is as good as
vaudeville" he observed "At first
was inclined to take him rather Sc
riously, but he's too melodramatic to
mean anything. l happened to see
that paper knife incident out of the
corner Of my eye. Blagg deliberately
| pushed it off the desk to fall at your
| feet"
Kelvin Joined in the laugh. "He's
absolutely harmless" he said. "but he's
an excellent wireless operator"
Shortly afterward the paper knife
disappeared from Kelvin's desk, but
no one noticed its absence.
The argument with Rollins had but
one possible result - Hepperdon and
Raymer got their concessions, as did
few others. Raymer had originally ap-
peared as representing the entire pack
ers' combine. but when the matter was
put squarely up to him he promptly
| left Speed. Melton Sears g. Co. and the
| rest of them out in the cold. took
comfortable rebate for his own ship
ments and let them pay the full
| freight. Valentine was left out en-
tirely, Kelvin. with a smile. pointing
out that Breed himself controlled all
but one of the men whom Valentine
claimed as his own. The Oswald bill
was killed in committee.
! Valentine was one Of the loudest OBJ
jectors. His business was ruined. and
the wooden mills combine resolved it.
self into its original members Kel-
WINS publicity bureau seized upon this
as the first shining example of what
the fiat rate had done for the public,
and Kelvin went soaring again in the
public esteem. The mills Of the WOOL
en- combine had once more become i'll
dependent concerns. competing with
one another, with the double effect Of
raising the price Of wool and lowering
the price of the finished article. the
farmers and the public being the great
benefciaries. and Rollins had done
this, with Breed back Of him as the
momentum, and back of them both
Kelvin as the dynamic force. Great
was Kelvin. Then the beef combine
came to blows. Raymer, us he we'll
might, was underseling the other
packers and gobbling up their trade.
Some Of this internal war leaked out.
and again the fiat rate. Breed, Rollins
and mighty Kelvin were heroes. The
Unified Steel corporation. the wooden
combine and the beef trust-there
was a record over which to crow!
Who now was the friend Of the people?
Why, Breed and Rollins and Kelvin,
great Kelvin!
But Kelvin had long since absented
himself from Forest Lakes. leaving be-
hind him no thought of any interest
that might be there, save as it con-
cerned his own boundless aims. The
dreams Of two women. one dark and
one fair. followed him. but he would
not have cared now if he had known
He left the field to his rivals. and
plunged into his new plans with the
same concentration that had marked
his previous undertakings. Henry
Breed, watched savagely by Zephan,
spent his half hour daily in his huge
money vault and day by day spent
more and more furtive time upon his
Bible, while Blagg at dead Of night
practiced necessarily upon his sample
combination lock. He could open it
now. set upon any combination. by the
mere feel Of the drop of the tumblers.
Kelvin's new task was an agreeable
one. He took up pleasant quarters in
Washington and began to entertain the
list Of senators whom Breed counted
/
circle of acquaintance grew. He was
gone about three months. and when he
returned he sent for Rollins.
"Have you sent Hepperdon and Ray.
mer and the others their rebates?" he
asked.
Yesterday, up to the LIST Of the
month";" replied Rollins. "Why?"
Because there are to be no more.
Collect your fiat rate and keep it
without single exception. We've
won"
"Rebate to the United Food CON-
pany, as usual, Rollins" interrupted
Breed, with chuckle. THAT'S my
only profit on bread now, you know.
since Kelvin reduced it to cost. And
rebate in cash, Rollins. always in