The Cairo bulletin., 1912-12-14
The Corrector OF DeStinies
Being Tales of Randolph Mason as Related by
His Private Secretary, CORTLAND Parks
The Interrupted Exile
BY Melville Dapisson Post
Copyright by Edward j. Clode

-h"hiu D. SlOlc
Red Riding Hood is full of heart
aches. | used to see in fancy this
wolf in my smoking jacket by the fire
in this chair here. have barred him
out from my little Red Riding Hood;
put | await the destiny of the helpless
old grandmother"
He reached out his arm, moved
some papers on the library table. un.
covering legal document in its blue
stir wrapper.
Il have got to sign this for him."
he went on, land .hen blow on my
fingers to warm them suppose. The
place here Is decided to Emily, and
this property is all have left"
He took up the paper and handed
1t over to me. | read it carefully
through. 1t was first mortgage on
certain coal lands and mines of the
Pittsburg vein in what is known as
the Fairmont region, securing a two.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. issue of bonds.
1t was made by the Cruger Coal COM
pany to the Exington Trust company
as trustee.
You see, Courtlandt,' the old gen.
tleman went on by way of explana-
ton, 81 am the Cruger Coal company
president and all, with few friend
ly dummies to make the corporation
valid. / owe this wolf two hundred
thousand dollars. lie agrees to take
the bond issue for the debt. lie might
as well take a deed for no property.
1t is worth perhaps forty thousand
dollars more than that; but he will
get it in the end for the debt A deed
direct to him would be a little bold
just now, bit like eXacting smart
money, punitive damages for the loss
of Emily"
He leaned over, got little flaming
twig from the fire, and relighted his
burned-out cigar with it. Then he
went on.
There is fragment of unbelieve-
able history about that debt, Court
landt, manufactured with the greatest
care by. this wolf. Three years ago,
when I knew only the exterior of the
man, he came to me and said that the
Midland and Underwater railroad wish
ed to borrow about half a million dol
lars, and that he was exceedingly
anxious to assist it to obtain the
money; that the banks in New York
were short because of the recent Janu-
airy payment of dividends, but he was
advised that the Granite Mountain In
surance Company at Montpelier had
lot of idle money He was not &C,
quainted with the officers of this COM
pany, but some one had told him that
was born in Montpelier and that my
cousin, Senator Lapman, was presi.
dent of the company Perhaps ] would
give him letter Of introduction. l
gave him a letter, saying that he was
known to me and that he was a man
Of large financial relations, in fact,
a rather friendly letter.
Business in New England is on a
rather higher plane than one finds it
here. Ones word goes further. When
ones father and grandfather are
known, the value of what one says Is
also known. Well, this wolf took his
railroad man up there. presented his
letter and got the loan for him, pledg
ing his word for the soundness of the
securities and, by strong inference,
pledging my word too. The insurance
company paid out four hundred thou
sand dollars, and took the bonds Of the
railroad for one half.million of dol
lars.
Three months later the railroad
went into the hands OF a receiver, was
sold, brought merely the value of the
receivers certificates, which the court
had issued to cover its operating ex-
penses, and the bonds we're, of course,
worthless
Senator Lapman came to me, and
l went at once to the wolf. | told him
that the Granite mountain officials
had relied on his word and mine, that
he had guaranteed the security in per-
son before the board, and it must now
be made good He replied that | was
quite right he would make it wholly
good, but that heswould have to Dor
row the money, as he had not so much
to his credit. He asked me to wait
while he went across the street to his
bank. In few moments he returned,
said the bank would loan him the
money ON his personal note, but that,
to keep within its rules, the note
would require two names on it. He
could put his office boy on, he said,
but II / would indorse it. the transac.
ton would appear rather better.
81 knew that he was perfectly good
for that sum, as good as the sub-treas,
ury, and i at once said that ! would
comply with his request.
1--WE went together to the bank, al
officer made out note, he signed il
and passed it to me. ! noticed that II
was in the form OF a joint note; but
/ remembered that banks often pre-
ferred obligations in that form and
did not hesitate to sign it. Then, al
his request, the bank delivered the
money to me and went at once t.
Montpelier and adjusted the matter
with the insurance company. forgo
the incident then, but remembered
hnur hnnnra hlo tho unlf ,.r q - -..--- ---.