The Detroit times., 1913-06-18
AntAar e ~ rssAiSAl Judss."
s0ust and the Unjust Go.

| 'Humph! What does Airing say
wonder If you hadn't better get
away from here. Steve?" asked the
general with kindly concern.
| And leave you to face the crisis?"
| 1t won't be the first one I've
faced" and Gibbs expanded his chest.
Maybe the climate just don't agree
with her."
mo, | sha'n't leave you: and
doubt II Marian could make the
change now.
We'll. you know best. Landray,
only don't let any sense OF honor
hold you here when it's to your in
terest to leave. I'm willing to split
with you tomorrow II you say the
word, and Ill think none the less OF
you. ! amt always been above run
ming away myself. Just remember
there's some money to divide now,
aud there may not be red cent six
months hence"
"Tll chance It," said Stephen firmly.
Just as you like, but I want you
to know that I don't consider you in
any ways obligated to me. You haze
earned all you have had out OF the
business; It wouldn't set well for me
to pretend otherwise"
THANK you, general" said the
younger man gratefully.
We'll, it's 80. You sleep on what
I've said"
Then the general took his leave,
and Stephen went back to his bed,
but not to sleep. He had thought him.
self on the high road to fortune, and
all at once things began to look black.
In the morning he went early TO the
Office. where Gibbs soon joined him
He looked into Stephens grave face
and smiled.
IT guess my call didn't give you
pleasant dreams, Landray. I've
Thought It over and I guess we'll just
keep quiet and see what happens"
But before the day was over, 1t was
evident that the information Gibbs
brought from Topeka was not held by
him alone. Before night there was
welldeveloped stampede among the
owners of lots. This acted on Gibbs
rather differently from what might
have been expected.
Well show en-" he said, that We
got confidence; let 'em get in panic,
let 'em get rid OF their lots, let em
play the damn fool. Grant Citys here
to stay! It's got a future in the very
nature OF things. We don't need the
county seat; they can locate that
wherever they blame please; but we
do want to get rid Of these specula-
ctors; I always been opposed TO specu-
lation. I'd rather see things go back
/ to the normal, even II we do lose:
would so, Stephen"
But hard on the news that Grant
City was not to get the county seat,
came the news that neither was 1t to
get the railroad.
ITS a lie They can't AFFORD to
ignore u.s." cried Gibbs when he
heard this. IT'S trick to depress
real estate! Any one who's fooled by
1t deserves to get skinned out of his
last dollar"
But the rumor was verified, and
even Gibbs was forced to own that
, for the present at least they had lost
the railroad.
"You amt involved, Landray." he
told staphen You stood to share
only In the profits; and l can't lose
much. for | hadn't five hundred dol
lars when I came here. and got sew
enty or eighty lots that are worth
something, and fifteen or twenty
houses"
Here Stephen recalled TO his mind
the fact that these houses were In
the main unpaid for. and that his cred
itors might swoop down upon him
at any moment.
MY creditors? Oh hell--let 'em
sweat and the general snapped his
fingers almost gaily, and said In the
same breath, 81 expect you're GUESSING
me, Steve. for fetching you here"
Nothing Of the kind, general" said
Stephen stoutly.
ri l fooled you. fooled myself,
Steve; l knew there was some foxy
gentlemen In this part of Kansas. but
I thought | was the foxiest thing on
two legs. have had my ambitions
too, Steve. and they amt dead yet,
q man Of my caliber don't give up
readily; but I'm adaptable. I don't sit
down to weep over an unpropitious
occasion; In some fashion | dominate
IT, For the present | suppose there is
nothing for us to do but wait and see
how things turn out"
And through one long hot summer
they watched things turn out. They
saw the departure Of the town-site
spectators; they saw the settlement
Of tents and prairie schooners disap-
pear from the waste beyond the town.
until at last there was only hN~olling
plain, with its thousands Of pegs that
ma rked the lots OF the various sub
divisions, or the streets by which they
were to be reached; and with this
swift panoramic change came lead
en- depression which ate into the very
soul There was no more. poker at
the Metropolitan. once feature OF
the nightly gatherings there; the
wilderness of signs creaked idly in the
breeze; half the houses stood tenant
less; the stages ceased to rumble in
and out of town; the remnant Of a
population loafed I'm heavy lethargetic
idlenees.
Gibbs and Stephen sat through that
long summer. idly for the most part.
in their shirt-sleeves In the shade Of
their Office; the only business they
had was to see Gibbs's creditors, and
In the end these ceased to trouble
them.
At first Stephen had been. somewhat
sustained by Gibbs's confidence; for
Gibbs had been sure things would
come right, that the depression was
only temporary: but In the end even
his fine courage failed him. He