Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-04-06


ton is 80 to draw the line OF distinc-
ton that these necessary concessions
TO human frailty will not debauoh us;
may be made without prejudics to that
nigh sense OF personal honor and in
tegrity which must be the conversations
of any successful business career This
state OF affairs which you describe Is
deplorable-mos deplorable; but-well,
we may think OF such obstacles as we
do OF toll gates on the highway. The
road Is public utility, and It should
be free; but we pay the toll, under
protest. and pass on"
Mr.. Henniker was a large man, be-
nisn and full favored, not to say unc-
tuousi and his manner In delivering
an opinion was blandly impressive. and
convincing to many. Yet Tom was not
convinced.
"Of course, came to ask for tho
loan, and not specially to justify It," he
said, in mild irony which was quite
lost on the philosopher in the presi-
dents chair. Il wasn't sure just how
you would regard It II you should know
the object for which we are borrowing.
and this high sense Of personal honor
you speak of impelisd me to be alto
gether frank with you"
Quite right; you were quite right.
Mr.. Gordon" said the banker, urbanely.
You are young in business, but you
have learned the first lesson in the
book OF success-to be perfectly open
and outspoken with your banker. AS
l have said. the venality OF these men
with whom you are dealing Is most de-
plorable, but ."
There was some further glozins over
OF the putrid fact, q good bit of II, and
Tom sat back in his chair and listened,
outwardly respectful, inwardly hot
hearted and contemptuous Was this
smooth spoken. oraoular prince of the
rnarket-place predetermined hypo-
critic, shaping his words to At the mon
ey-sathering end without regard to
their demoralizing effect7 Or was he
only subconscious Pharisee. self-de-
ceived and complacent? Toms thought
ran lightning-like over the long list of
the Vancourt Hennikers: men of the
business world successful to the Cros-
sus mark, large and liberal benefac tors.
founders of colleges libraries and hos
pitalH, gift-givers to their fellow men.
irreproachable in private life, and vet
apparently stone blind on the side OF
the larger equities. Could II be posi-
BILE that such men deliberately admit
ted and accepted the Doubt standard
In morals? 1t seems fairly incredible.
and yet their lives appeared to pro-
claim It
Having obtained the sinews of war
Tom kept the appointment with Nor
man. and their joint discussion of the
business situation made him too late
for the early dinner at Woodlawn. To
complete the delay. the evening train
lost half an hour with a hot box at A
point mile short OF Gordonia. Two
things came OF these combined time
killings: man in a slouched hat and
the brown jeans of the mountaineers.
who had been watching the Woodlawn
gates since dusk from his hiding place
behind the field wall across thes pike,
got up stiffiy and went away; and Tom
reached home just in time to intercept
Ardea on the steps of the picturesque
veranda.
Been visiting the little mother ?s' he
asked, when she paused on the step
above him.
Yes-noi I ran over to tell you tina
We moved Nancy to- day"
"Ohl Well, that's comfortable. shc
was willing7"
or willing when told her that THAT
She" There was an embarrassed mo-
ment and then the truth came ont.
Perhaps I should have asked you first;
but she was quite satisfied when told
her that she owed her changed condi-
ton to the person whose duty II was 10
provide for her. You don't mind. do
your"
"Nn r,ofr,
and tho under thought dealt savagely
with Nan-with woman who. for the
sake of the loaves and the fishes, and
tho shielding of the real offender would
suffer an innocent man 10 go to the so
cial zallows for lack OF the word which
would have cleared him. He laughed
rather bitterly and added. out Of the
heart Of the under-t thought: I'm glad
I'm not naturally inclined to be pes
simistic."
What makes you say that?"
Because. after hearing"-he changed
his mind suddenly. and transferred the
hard word from Nan to Mr.. Vancourt
Henniker-"after what I've been hear
ing this afternoon / find myself more
in the notion of weeping with the an
gels than of laughing with the devils"
What has happened?" she asked
sympathetically alive to his need IN
one breath. and keenly apprehensive
for her own peace of mind In the next
AN exceedingly small thing. as the
worlds measurements go. 1 was in
town. and made business call on Mr.
Henniker. He's a member of your
church. Isn't he? / needed some money
to bride lot OF political grafters in II
Pennsylvania city where I'm trying to
sell bill of water-pipe. I went V Mr.
] Henniker to borrow It,"