The Calumet news., 1911-07-19


only fair TO say that 1t was n losing
venture from the first for those of us
who put the loaning capital into IL.
| AS you probably know, the money In
these mutual benefit companies Is
made on lapses, but when the lapses
come oil in a bunch
II am not particularly interested in
the general subject, Mr.. Flemister,"
Lidgerwood cut In. "As the matter
has been presented to me. l under
stand there was cash balance shown
on the books and that there was no
cash in the treasury TO make It good.
Since Hallock was the treasurer ] can
scarcely do less than l have done. |
am merely asking him and you to
will satisfy the losers"
There is only one explanation to be
made" said the x-building and loan
president brazenly. "A few of us who
were the officers OF the company were
the heaviest losers, and we felt that
we were entitled to the scraps and
leavings."
"In other words, you looted the treas
ury among you," said Lidgerwood cold
ly. SIS that II, Mr.. Flemisterr'
The mine owner laughed easily. "I'm
not going to quarrel with you over the
word" he returned. Possibly the pro-
ceeding was little informal II you
measure 1t by some Of the more highly
civilized standards"
II don't care to go into that" was
Lidgerwood's comment, "but / cannot
evade my responsibility for the one
member of your official staff who is
still on my payroll. How far was Hal
lock implicatedT"
"IIe was not implicated at all save
in clerical way"
"You mean that he did not share iE
the distribution of the money!
"He did not"
"Then 1t is only fair that you should
set him straight with the others, Mr..
Flemister."
The ex-president did not reply 40
once. He took time to roll cigarette
leisurely, to light IL and to take one or
two deep inhalations before he said:
Its a rather disagreeable thing TO do,
this digging into old grnveyards, don't
you think? AS for these kickers, real
ly don't know whatsyou can do with
them unless you send them to me.
And If you do that l am afraid some
of them may come back on hospital
stretchers. 1 haven't any time to fool
with them at this late day"
Lidgerwood felt his gorge rising, and
n great contempt for Flemister was
mingled with n manful desire to pitch
him out into the corridor. 1t was Il
concession to his unexplainable pity
for Hallock that made him temporize.
"In justice to Hallock, / think you
ought to make o statement OF some
kind that l can show to these men,
who, very naturally, look to me for
redress. VIII you do thatT
''I'll think about it," returned the
mine owner shortly, but Lidgerwood
was not to be put off so easily.
you must think of II to some good
purpose" he insisted. "If you don't
l shall be obliged to put my own con
struction upon your failure to do 80
and to act accordingly"
Flemister's smile showed his teeth
you're not threatening me- are you.
Mr.. Lidgerwood?"
"Oh, no; there Is no occasion for
threats. But IL you don't make me
that statement, fully generating Hal
lock, ] shall feel ut liberty to make
one of my own, embodying what you
hn istSf al nd
PEELED to do this you must not blame
me If am not able TO place the mat
ter in the most favorable light for
you"
This time the visitors smile was
mere barring OF the teeth.
"Is IL worth your while to make It
n personal quarrel with me, Mr. Lid
gerwood?" he asked. with thinly
yelled menace I'm his tone.
II am not looking for quarrelsome
occasions with you or with any one,"
was the placable rejoinder. "And
hope you are not going to force me
to show you up. Is there anything
else? If not I'm afraid shall have
to ask you to excuse me. This is one
of my many busy days"
After Flemister had gone Lidger-
wood was almost sorry that he had not
struck at once into the matter Of the
thieveries. But as yet he had no proof
upon which to base an open accusa-
tion One thing he did do, however.
and that was to summon McCloskey
and give instructions pointing to bit
OF experimental observation with the
mine owner as the subject.
HE can't get away from here be-
fore the evening train, and / should
like to know where he goes and what
he does with himself" was the form
the instructions took. "When we find
out who his accomplices are l shall
have something more to say to him."
I'll have him tagged" promised the
trainmaster, and a few minutes later,
when the Wire Silver visitor saunter-
ed up Mesa avenue in quest of diver
sion wherewith TO fill the hours OF
waiting for his train, small man, red
haired and with a mechanics cap pull