The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-01-21
MessingWell's
Failure
He Kept His Promise
Faithfully
By cLARIssA MAcKIE

4
S>~v~~~~~~s~.>~~~~.-~~s
The telephone bell rang sharply. and
the girl at the typewriter paused and
drew the receiver to her ear. She
frowned as she recognized the voice at
the other end OF the wire.
Perhaps you better talk to Mr.. Mes
singwell; wait moment, please" she
said. pressing a button at the side OF
her desk. She hung up the receiver.
but did not resume her interrupted &C.
cupation. From behind the closed glass
door Of her employers private Office
came the deep bass murmur of his
voice as he talked with Rudolph Fear
ing.
Suddenly she caught her breath as
Messingwelps voice rang suddenly
sharp and distinct to her listening ears
very well. Fearing; If you don't hear
from me by noon you can do your
worst-and go to the devil afterwardr'
Then she heard the receiver slammed
on its hook and the creak Of his chair
as he swung away from his desk.
Emily Carman had been Alden Mes
singwell's chief clerk for two years
1t was losing game for Messingwell
He had come at the bidding Of dying
father to carry on the long established
business Of Messingwell & Co., which
aid nd ~
younger son had managed to involve
almost to the point of failure when a
death stroke laid the father low. The
younger son had taken himself as far
away from the tottering business as
his means would permit, and so Alden
was left with his promise to fulfill to
the best Of his ability
'I'n do the best l can, father" he
promised. I'm not a good business
man-doctors seldom are, you know
but as long as l have penNH to my
name the old sign shall swing above
the Office door,"
His father had begged him to keep
up the appearance of prosperity. 1.-THE
business will come back again, Alden.
Just give it a chance to recover from
the depression"
The depression was thing of the
past, and prosperity was abroad In the
land, and there still remained the de-
cay1ng business, perhaps little
strengthened here and there, but bound
to die in the near future The machin-
cry in the long mill buildings was out
of date, and Messingwell's methods
were hepelessly old fashioned.
The week before Alden had closed
down the mills and given the hands
two weeks vacation. The notice tackled
on the door spoke of an inventory
being taken. but Rudolph Fearing had
laughed as he read 1t and promptly
hired all of the Messingwell hands for
his own modern, up to the minute fac
tories He knew that Alden had not
the money to pay his workers another
weeks wages; that there were no Or
ders on his books: that failure was
staring the unfortunate physician in
the face
Emily Carman knew all these things,
and 80 she hesitated before she turned
the knob that opened the door between
her Office and Messingwell's. At last
she summoned courage and slipped in
side. standing with her slender. erect
figure beside him.
did you call me, Mr.. Messingwell r.
she inquired.
He swung about and turned a pale.
respondent face toward her. mo, /
didn't call, Miss Carman But" he
paused for an instant and looked In her
face for the flash Of sympathy he had
never failed TO find there, and again he
was rewarded. did you know Fearing
had bought up every obligation we
over he asked bluntly.
II heard it yesterday" she said
steadily.
He gives me until noon to settle,
then he will close me up for good. I've
made mess of it alln' he ended with
sudden passion. II ought to have hired
manager and kept out of il myself
She permitted little silence to fol
low in order that be might recover his
poise. Then she said: "Of course 1t
seems hard to let the business go to a
man like Rudolph Fearing. but every
drm must come to an end some day,
timely or otherwise II you sell all the
buildings. machinery and fixtures /
have calculated there would be enough
to wipe out all the obligations and
leave clean record for the firm of
Messingwell & Co."
His establishment was genuine you
have calculated?'' he repeated. "You
have estimated the possibility Of my
giving up-you have seen what
blanked failure | ann" He smiled bit
terly and turned his eyes away from
her.
at isn't failure to withdraw from
business because one cannot honorably
carry 1t on" she returned with spirit
''If failure is the ultimate end, why not
draw out before 1t actually happens
and thus Illustrate the end?"
He shook his head hopelessly II
promised father I'd hang on to the
business as long as I had a penny.
haven't got much now. but think
know how can stave Fearing of for
awhile"
.'You cannot do it. Mr. Messingwell."
said Emily sadly "If he holds all the
notes you can't force him to arbitrate"
''Pll borrow the money from some
body and pay him off," replied Alden.
reaching for his hat wen struggle
along somehow for another month. ant
II Sherwood win only rake in few or.
ders on this trip we may be able to
start up once more
who are you going to borrow It
fromf" asked Emily, and so much a
part of his business has she now be-
come that Alden Messingwell did not
consider whether his chief clerk was
overstepping the bounds of her position
or not Only those two knew the real
situation Of the Messingwell mills.
I'm go to Giles. He offered to put me
on my feet once before" Alden stood
with his hand on the doorknob.
AT ruinous interest. and he'd sell you
out to Mr.. Fearing without the slight
est conjunction" exclaimed Emily.
"I've got to do something's cried
Alden and left the Office.
Half an hour later be came back,
white and shaking. He beckoned Miss
Carman into his Office and closed the
door. HE turned me down-he turn
ed me down, Miss Carman,' he gritted
between his teeth. HE treated me as
IL had been beggar suing for aims,
and he talked loud enough to inform
his whole office force the nature OF
my errand. That is the man my father