Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-08-26
MIGHTY MEAN TRICK
Story Of Love, Railway Fran
chises, Financial Deals and
Cracked Ice.
BY CHARLES p. BUSH.

he had thought himself when he grad
uated from college and started out &c
set the world afire.
He had worked hard and been faith
full to his quest for the almighty dol
lar. but somehow II had eluded him
Oh, to be sure he had earned de
cent living, but the big killing" he
had so fondly hoped for was still pain
fully absent.
He would not have cared so much
had II not been for Alice. Just TO
show his confidence-and like many
other youngsters both wiser and
more foolish than himself-he had
married the girl of his choice before
he had made a fair start. And as the
successes Of his dreams failed to ma
terialize and he saw Alice riding in
street cars instead of her carriage,
and practicing all kinds of nasty lit
tie economies which grated so on his
nerves, he became rather sore regard
ing himself and the world
Sometimes he got a little discon-
| tented with fate or luck or whatever
he happened to call it upon different
occasions, and it did seem to him now
and then that if he could have had a
little help at critical times he could
have swan out of the shadows. Par
| ticularly had it seemed TO him in mo-
ments of extreme depression that Old
! Williams, his wife's father, might
| have smoothed the road at times with
out hurting. For, be it known, Old
| Williams had made the killing Flem-
ing longed for so ardently and was
ever ready, apparently, to make in
vestments financing any other old
scheme in the world with the excep-
ton of the schemes mapped out by
him. But Old Williams policy could
not be questioned, because the old
man was uniformly successful in his
ventures and Fleming had not yet
shown any conspicuous success. Still
Old Williams had done much for his
other children, and Fleming some
times thought that it would be a nice
thing If ne would help him out in
some of his plans-or at least bright
en- up Alice's path bit.
Not that Fleming ever had applied
to the old man for assistance. He had
explained his plans at times, but as
for suggesting that Old Williams in
vest with him, it was furthest from
his thoughts; he would have gone to
Shylock himself first.
Now all these things being under
stood and the further fact that the
Flemings had cast their lot in the
west, where at the critical point of
this story Burton was stranded high
and dry with plan for an interurban
electric road, the promise of which
was admitted by everybody, but the
capital for which was not forthcom-
ing, it may be imagined with what
emotions he learned that Old Will
liams was about to favor his wife and
himself with a visit of uncertain du-
ration.
At this particular time the finances
OF the Flemings we're at their lowest
ebb because, while Burton could al
ways make a very decent income
from his profession as civil engineer,
he had conceived the idea of the cleo
trio line some months before and had
spent his time in working out certain
natural obstacles which alone had
stood for years in the way of building
the road. This, with the securing of
the franchises and options on rights
of way, had not only used up his
small savings, but had taxed his Dor
rowing capacity to the full. And
there the thing stuck. He could not
finance the road without giving up all
but a most contemplate share to the
men who put up the money. and hav-
ing done that sort of thing several
times he fatty refused, said he would
starve first, and the road never would
be built unless he was the dominant
force in the corporation.
At a result the Flemings were liv-
ing In a very small cottage on a very
back street and living along princi-
pally on hope that Burton would
finance his road.
Great heavens!" exclaimed Flem-
ing. bounding to his feet. I'VE never
can receive the old man here. Il
would be in everlasting disgrace with
him if he found you living here"
81 don't see exactly what business
II is OF his" replied Alice, smiling,
$50 long as l do not complain"
"Oh, thunder! | know all about
that" replied Fleming, but 1t never
would do. | reckon 1t is all my pride,
after all, but ! never could stand It,
No, we must make some sort OF a
front"
Il have it," he exclaimed a moment
later. Il will have to make a loan
and we will go TO the hotel and ex-
plain how ii is so much more conven-
lent to live that way with me away so
much on these railroad surveys"
but it will cost a lot. Burt" sug-
gested his wife soberly.
Cant help it," replied Fleming,
doggedly Il won't have him come 10
this howell Maybe he won't stay so
long II he sees we are paying hotel
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