The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1912-11-01
must be awfully important He look
ed so worried. don't think ever saw

him worried before
IN 20 at once. Stuart said.
He strobe rapidly across town to-
wari the Bowery. through Fourth
street. wondering what could have hap
pened to break the accustomed good
humor of the doctor.
The doctor had long since retired
from the practice Of medicine as q
profession aud only used ii now as his
rleuns of ministerng to the wants of
Is npighborS His neighbOrs were II
large tribe. however. scattered all the
way from the cellars and dives of Wa
! ter street to the shanties and goat
ranges Of the upper Harlem. Stuart
! had never met man so full of con
tagious health. He was born physi-
clan There Was healing in the touch
Of his big hand Healing light stream
ed from his brown eyes. and his iron
| gray beard sparkled with it. His
presence in a sickroom seemed to fill
it with waves Of life. and his influence
over the patients to whom he minis
| tered was little short of hypnotic.
Stuart found the doctor standing ut
| the door Of his factory. shaking hands
and chatting with his employees as
they emerged from the building at the
close Of a days work. A plain old
| fashioned brick structure Just off the
| Bowery was this factory. and across
| the front ran weatherbeaten sign
which had not been changed for more
than fifty years: Henry Woodman
Manufacturing Chemist"
The doctors father had established
the business fifty-twO years ago, and
| the son. who bore his fathers name,
had succeeded to its management on
his death which occurred just after
! the return of the younger man with
his victorious regiment from their last
campaign with Grant before Peters
burg and Appomattox.
He took Stuart's hand in his big.
| crushing grip and handed him letter.
which he opened and read hastily:
No. so Gramercy Park
To DR.. Henry Woodman:
Dear Sir-I must have an answer to the
proposition of the American Chemical
| that hour the matter will be definitely
! closed JNO. C. CALHOUN BIVENS.
April 2, 1898.
Still looking at the letter he asked:
"What does it mean?"
IAN ultimatum from the chemical
trust. I'll explain to you when you've
seen something of my work tonight
The first hour | want you to put in
with me at the diSpensary."
Stuart's eye rested on the embossed
heading of the letter, NO. 60 Gramer
| paper 1t was the Primrose house.
Mans home. Her mother had sue
ceeded
Bivens, the new sensa ton in high
finance, she had established as her star
boarder in Stuart's absence; Bivens,
his schoolmate at college; Bivens. the
little razorback scion of poor white
trash from the south who had sudden
| ly become millionaire!
His blood boiled with rage. AS he
turned and followed the doctor he
laughed with sudden fierce determine
| ton
The dispensAry was Wo0dman's hob
| by. The old fashioned drug store stood
| on corner OF the Bowery, and in the
rear extension. which opened on the
side street he had established what he
laughingly called his life line free
dfspensary where any man needing
medicine OF a doctors advice could
have it without charge If unable to
| pay.
For two hours Stuart saw him min
lister with patience and skill to the
friendless and the poor: for each
cheerful word and the warm grasp OF
his big hand with the prescription.
The young lawyer watched with curl
GUS interest the quickened step with
which each one left. The medicine had
begun to work Before the prescription
was filed.
When the last applicant had gone
Stuart turned to the doctor:
And what Is the proposition which
the distinguished young head of the
chemical trust has made your"
That sell my business to them at
their own valuation and come into the
trust or get OF the earth.
And you wish my advicer'
Eyes"
what figure did he nams?"
"MoRe than it's cash value"
'''Then you Will accept. of course?"
81 would If there were not some
things that can't be reckoned in terms
Of dollars and cents. If | take stock
In the American Chemical company l
am a party TO their methods. an heir to
their frauds"
Yet isn't the old regime of the small
manufacturer and the retailer doom
ed? Isn't combination the new order
of modern life? Will it pay you to
light losing battle? Bivens is not a
man Of broad culture. but be is very
smooth young gentleman
Hes contemplate little scamp"'