The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-11-07
PLUGGING A LEAK
The Story Of = Faithful Old Employee
Who Was Faithlsss

A good looking young fellow OF per
haps thirty-five. well dressed and pros
porous In appearance. came into the
once Of the Burns Agency one day
just as the once manager and myself
were going TO lunch.
Il want some help IN O queer stu
alton. and came here, though what
have got IL probably little out OF
your line" he said.
What is IT." asked the manager.
well, 1t isn't anything that would
care to talk about here where any
body who entered might hear me"
said the stranger emphatically. IF
you can give me a few minutes Of
your time In a private. secluded Of
nee, out Of sight and hearing OF every
body. / may convince you that I've
got case you can take, and II don't
I'll pay you gladly for the time spent
IN hearing my story"
The manager promptly led the way
TO an ante room, and shutting the
door, sat down and said: We'll, let's
have it."
The man looked at me question
ingly
One OF our men," said the manager.
Go to your story"
Well" said the man. my name is
Hilary Bronson OF Bronsonville, Pa.
You've heard of the Bronson Chem
zeal engines? Well, we make them
the Bronson Chemical Engine COM
pany. My father started the bust
ness before l was born. He made a
great success with 1t, as you know.
He invented the Bronson engine, and
not only invented 1t, but made a sue
cess at manufacturing and selling It,
Two years ago, when he was seventy
two years old, he retired from bust
ness and turned the company-the
management Of it-over to me-"
Mr.. Bronson paused and looked
nervously around the office and at us.
"Gentlemen, are you sure that no
body can hear us? And have l your
word that what | tell you will be q
secret between u.s."
He regarded us both suspiciously.
We'll" said the manager, IF you
be good sense on your part to tell US
your story. But you know the repu-
tation that this agency has. 1t never
could have gained such a reputation,
Mr.. Bronson, If it ever-even once
had violated a clients confidence"
mo, certainly not" said Bronson,
relieved. But you understand, what
I've got to unburden Is something
that absolutely puts me in your pow
er. You could ruin me- understand,
If you cared to use my story against
me. So you see how careful I've got
to be-"
Mr.. Bronson" said the manager,
every day in the gear we are en-
trusted with that same kind of story.
You think you are an exception.
Everybody does. You can trust us as
fully as you can trust yourself"
Thank you," said Bronson. You'll
pardon my caution, I'm sure"
Mere common sense" we said TO-
gether. Go on"
Bronson crossed his legs and be.
gan.
It's a long story, but I'll make II
as short as I can. have told you
that two years ago my father retired
from business and turned the man.
agement of the Bronson Chemical En-
CINE works over to me. But the
story goes q long time further back
than that. It goes way back to the
time I was in college. IL was bad
boy, a mighty bad boy, at school.
had been a sort Of village pet at home
you know: soH Of the man who
made Bronsonville and heir to the
big factory. and all that. I came to
school spoiled, completely spoiled. Ny
father thought I was q little wild:
but he didn't know what q bad lid II
was he'd been raising.
Well. when I came to college some
of the prestige that had gained
among bartenders and gamblers IN
small towns around Bronsonvill<
came with me. There was q buncf
in school that was OF about the same
breed, and they hailed my arriva
with considerable Joy. don't meek
to go into details; suppose you know
what these stories sound like too vel
to need to have them repeated But
anyhow, II came out Of school ow
ing $4,000. and owing it to the kline
Of people that couldn't possibly tel
my father about. Couldn't speal
about them even.
There were other debts that b
squared when 1 graduated, plenty O
them. But this $4,000 I couldn't pos
sibly mention to him. He would hav
kicked me out on my head, and right
II 80, Il he had known Of them.
Nov, I'd got pretty sick Of th
wild young goat sort Of existence b
this time. The knowledge Of thos
$4,000 worth Of I. o. us hangin
over my head had sobsrsd me u
good and plenty. ALI wanted to d
was to get back to the big work
there IN Bronsonville and work like
slave trying to make good the way
Bronson should. Oh, I was REFORMED