The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-24
By FRANCIS LYNDE

company is a heavy pure haser of 1un- ber, and the greater part of the differ ence between the preferential and the regular tariff rate is taken up in our bills for stock sold to the raiIFoad.''
 Let me be quite clear upon that point, MT. Hathaway. You mean that you are allowed to charge the railroad company more than the market price on the lumber it buys?'
 The president of the lumber trust nodded. 'Yes; that's practically the way of it, he admitted Then he once more pressed the time worn ar gument: Its the only way we can live and do business nowadays, Mir. B1ount. Like every other >lafge cor poFation, we have a small army of little areholders-widows, orphans, charitable institutions and trustees accounts. I have brought a list of cur stockholders, and I'd like to have you look 1t over.''
 Blount took the paper mechanically and quite as mechanically ran his eye down the list of names. At the bot tom of it. written in with a pen, was the name of Patricia's father, with his residence and occupation filled out in full
 While Evan was staring at the pen written name Hathaway went on elo- quent1y emphasizing the disastrous re- suits that would fall upon the people for whom he was in the largest sense the trustee, the disaster hanging upon the withdrawal of the preferential rate.
 Blount broke him in the midst of the special pleadings. ''I see you have recently added one new name to this list, that of Professor Annera"
 "Ye6," interrupted the Twin Buttes president land he is a good example | of our stockholders. Those like An ners-couege professors, preachers and the nke-buy stocks when they buy I lem at an for an investment and pay l for lem out of their hard earned saw ings.''
 ~T know" said Blount, frownfng. i The fact that Patricta's father was in vokved added fresh and exaEperating complication, but he must come to 1 some decision. ''Let us get down to 1 the present fact" he went on brusQue- ly. t'What is it that you want me to l do, Mir. Hathawayf'
 'I want you to set the machinery in 1 motion so that we can have our rate
 continued for another two years on the same terms as before. You are going to need every vote you can get
 this year, MT. Blount, and you can't
 afford to turn us down."
 Blount returned the printed list o1
 stockholders and fell back upon the
 pencil sharpening. ''Ls it possible thai
 you don't recognize the bald criminal | 1ty of such a transaction, Mfr. Hath
 away?'' he asked quietly.
 F 'rOf course don't" was the ready
 reply. eft is the universal rule of the
 business world everywhere. You dc
 something for me and I do something
 for you. You make it possible for us
 to live and do business in lumber, and
 we will do what we can to make &l
 possible for you to get your square
 deal from the people of this state
 That's the whole thing in a nutshell
 MT. B1o1nt.''
 cone question" snapped BEount trying to fix the rowing gaze of tho hawklike eyes. With whom did yog make this arrangement two year ago?v
 'sWfth Mr. Mevickar himself.''
 And you think you can do f
 againT'
 ''I know I can, but don't want tE go over your head They all tell mt : that you are handling this end of i , for the railroad company, and Pm no
 going around hunting a chance t
 make enemies. There's no hurry
 Take your own time to think it owe
 and to communicate with Mir. Me Vfckar if you want to. When you ge things fixed you can wire me just on word to Aretas. Just say Yes an sign your name to 1t, and that will b enough
 For a full half hour after the pres
 dent of the lumber trust had close
 the door of the private office in tn }, Temple court building behind hi1 r Blount sat rocking gently in his ptvc chair, fighting once more with tn soul nausea which was threatening overwhelm him.
 : So Vice President McVackar had d. | cetved him after all, and he was ner' ly fence put up to screen the chical t cry and trickery which were going O s just the same as before. More, th !, vice president had let him stultif l. himself in thousand ways. All h t brave talk about openness and ia
 dealing would be set down as mel f dust throwing to conceal the working of a o~rupt and criminal machin l. grinding away in the background T And his fatt1er-how did he hgu1 . in this despicabIe business7 Had l
 plotted with McVtckar to bring b own son to shame merely because tn son had refused to be a tool in u hands of the great machine7 It VI grossly incredible, and yet Evs
 Blount remembered that thus far b = father had said no word opposing u
 course he had taken. Gould it be pc sible that a father could become
 much the boss as to forget the co1 g mon ties of kindred2
 s B1ount's mind-but more than | mind, his heart-went gropfng out
 vain teachings for confdant and { > adviser. There was no one to who