The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1912-11-07

make good. And wanted 70 90 Ludl
well, II couldn't do It, life wasn't
worth keeping. oh. ! was reformed
all right. good and plenty
well, went back to BronsonviIIe
and went to work. And made good
| The old man offered to let me start
fa tile Office. No. said, plenty Of
time for that after I've gone through
the works. so / went in the works,
worked in the foundry department,
the machine room, the assembly de-
partment, paint shop all through the
place-for one solid year. ] made
good. felt had to. The old man
was proud OF me. He didn't know
what it was that was driving me to
make good.
"Then went into the office and In
o few months | was treasurer, and a
good one, too--for few months. You
see, these people who held my |. o.
us were smart. They held on while
was working in the works. But the
miEute they heard I'd got to be treas
urer Of the company, down they came
on me. They began to squeeze. Cad!
gentlemen, you have no idea what
went through for the next six months.
There l was, working my head of,
making good, the pride Of my father,
an exemplary young man, and there,
over my head, hung those awful !, @.
us that would make me an outcast
the minute they were dropped.
Il couldn't raise $4,000 without
giving some explanation for it.
couldn't explain why wanted 1t. /
suppose you can guess what is COM
ing? was treasurer Of the company
/ had all Its funds under my control
without any supervision from any
body. MY father trusted me as he did
himself. Nobody to know it-and /
always figured / would be able to
slip 1t back before its absence was
discovered. Yes, I'll took $4,000
worth of the firms money and paid
up those /. O. US that were driving
me crazy.
Il came near getting away with 1t.
would have done 1t but for old Car
berry. Carberry is the manager OF
cur office. He started In as an office
boy for my father when father was
making engines with his own hands,
That was as years ago. He's been
taere eyer since Carberry has. He's
fathers colsttdential man.
"He never Mad the brains to get In
to the firm. He had hoped to become
manager sons day, but he didn't have
the ability to force himself into ti.s
Job. That soured him, but he didn't
let father see 1t.
Well, Carberry got next to my taxi
ing the $4,000 There wasn't any
thing In the office that he wasn't next
to. And just as soon as he got next
to 1t, he had q club over me that be
could brain me with.
when was made manager Of the
company two years ago. Carberry
saw his chance He would have been
made manager himself, probably, ii it
hadn't been for me. and 1t was his
ambition to get that job before he
died. He had me by the horns now,
of course. He could make me whistle
to his tune, and whenever he wanted
to. He went about it in foxy man
ner; he is making me fall down on
my Job as manager"
Bronson stopped and sat back in
his chair, the moisture standing out
upon his forehead. The manager and
looked at one another in surprise
WELL" said Bronson, what do you
think Of it2"
Smooth work," said tho manager.
"But how does he do it3''
Easiest thing in the world. Comes
into my private offlce-my private Of
ice as manager OF the company
makes suggestions. Suggests that we
handle such and such q matter so and
Sc, / know perfectly well that the
suggestion is hopelessly rotten, but
what can I do2 Every once In while
the old ghoul Will come in and remind
me OF what he knows. Yes, sir; he
throws it right up to my face that he
is in possession Of the secret that
could ruin my life and break my
fathers heart. So I've got to act on
his suggestions put them through as
my own ideas. you understand and
then things so wrong. and then I've
got to stand the blame for 1t, Of
course. Then Carberry comes into the
scene, puts in his oar and straightens
things out by doing just what or any
intelligent man would have done In
the first place II I'd been free, and
when things are Strengthened out its
This place would be up against 1t II
we didn't have old Carberry to
straighten out young Bronson's bull
headed mistakes.
"Im being dlscredited, absolutely
and hopelessly. I'm made to appear
as a sort of an idiot who sits in the
managers chair because my father
owns the works. but Carherry- Car
berry is the fellow who keeps the
plant from going on the rocks. Can
you beat that for pleasant little sit
Uation9 I'm beginning to under
stand why some men commit murder"
Getting despeFate7" said the man
ager easily.
'Well, wouldn't your"
"oh, no You don't have to worry.
Why don't you engage us-take Cor