The Detroit times., 1913-10-28

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amusement, the tacit assumption OF
his prerogatives by other waiting
hands. The huge wheels had contin-
ued to turn. smoothly, Inevitably. and
he had drawn his dividends /. and
that was all John Valiant swallowed
something that was very IKE sob.
AS he stood trying to plumb the
depth OF the calamity. self-anger he
gan to stir and buzz IN his heart like
q great bee. Like tingling x-ray
| there went stabbing through the husk
woven OF a thousand inherent habits
| the humiliating knowledge of his own
uselessness. In those profitless sea-
sons through which he had sauntered.
as he had strolled through his casual
years OF college. he had given least
of his time and thought to the con-
Germ which had absorbed his fathers
young manhood. He, John Valiant
one of its yice-presidents! waster, on
I whose expenditures there had never
been a limit, who had strewn with
the foolish ~ free-handedness OF a
prodigal! Idler with q reputation In
three cities as Q leader OF cotilliOns!
Fool" he muttered under his
breath, and on the landscape outside
the word stamped itself on everything
as though a thousand little devils had
suddenly turned themselves into let
| ters OF the alphabet and were skip
ping about In tours.
Valiant started as the other spoke
- H. I'LL - 1x>A En-
the window and was looking down at
the pavement How quickly some
news spreads"
For the first time the young man
noted that the street below was filing
with desultory crowd. He dis
tinguished q knot of italian laborers
talking with excited gesticulations-
d smudged plasterer, TOOLS in hand
clerks. some hatless and with thin
afpaca coastal peering at the voice
less front OF the great building. and
all, he imagined. with a thriving fear
In their faces. As he watched, a wo-
man. coarsely dressed. ran across the
street. her handkerchief pressed to
her eyes.
The notice has gone up on the
door," said the manager. II sent word
to the police. Crowds are ugly some
times"
Valiant drew sudden sharp
breath. The Corporation down in the
mire. with crowds at It's doors ready
TO clamor for money entrusted to IT.,
the aggregate savings Of widow and
orphan. the piteous boarded sums
earned by labor over which pinched
sickly faces had burned the midnight
oil!
The older man had turned back to
the desk to draw a narrow typewrit-
ten slip Of paper from q pigeonhole.
Here" he said, rs list OF the bonds
Of the subsidiary companies recorded
In your name. These are all. of
course, engulfed In the larger failure
You have, however, your private for
tune. n you take my advice, by the
way" he added significantly, you'll
make sure Of keeping that
What do you mean?" John Valiant
faced him quickly.
The other laughed shortly. "A
word to the WISE" he quoted. Its
very good living abroad. There's a
boat leaving tomorrow"
r A dull red sprang into the younger
face. You mean
Look at that crowd down there
you can hear them now. There'll be
legislative investigation, OF course
And the devilll get the hindmost."
He struck the desk-top with his hand.
Have you ever seen the bills for this
furniture? Do you know what that
rug under your feet cost? Twelve
thousand-it's an old Persian. What
do you suppose the papers will do to
that? Do you think such things will
seem amusing to that rabble down
there?" His hand swept toward the
window. ITS been going on for too
many years, tell you, And now
some one'll pay the piper. The light
ming won't strike me-I'm not tall
enough. You're q vice-president.'
DO you imagine that knew these
things-that l have been q party to
what you seem to believe has been
deliberate wrecking?" Valiant tow
cred over him. his breath coming fast,
his hands clenched hard. > : > -
"You?' The manager laughed again
An unpleasant laugh that scraped
the others Quivering nerves like hot
sandpaper. 'Oh. lord, no! How
should you? You've been too busy
playing polo and winning bridge
prizes. How many board meetings
have you attended this year,? Your
vote Is proxied as clockwbrk. But
you're supposed to know The people
down there IN the street won't ask
questions about patent-Ieather pumps
and ponies; they'll want to hear about
such things az rotten irrigation ~loans
In the Stony-River valley--to market
an -alkali desert that Ia the personal
property OF the president of this
| Corporation"
Valiant turned blank white face.
'Sedgwick?"
Yes. You know his principle: It's
all right to be honest. IL you're not
TOO damn honest He owns the Stony.
River Valley bag and baggage. II
was a big gamble and he lost"
| For moment there was absolute
silence In the room. From outside
came the rising murmur of the crowd
and cutting through It the shrill cry
or newsboy calling an evening extra.
valiant was staring at the other with
strange look. Emotions to which in
all his self-indulgent life he had been
stranger were running through his
mind, and outre passions had him by
the throat. Fool and doubly blind,
a poor pawn. catspaw raking the
cnestnuts for INSCRIPTIONS men
wEose ignominy he was now called