The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-05-03

a Columbus newly returned. or a
Ponce de Leon with discovered foun
tains OF perpetual youth; and In the
spell OF the wonders In which he
dealt, and In which his hearers de-
lighted. Fucker felt his reason reel
and tOtter and all but collapse. AS
he came and went about the place
his eyes we're always turned In the
direction Of the grim Californian
They sought him out over the rim OF
his glass. each time 1t was raised to
his lips; and he watched him by the
hour as he sat In his chair and suck.
ed at the reed stem OF his red-c.ay
pipe. sucked and marvelled. or medi.
ated investment IN the company, a
transaction OF which he invariabc
thought better however. before the
day was ended. And when Rogers
was not there to tell his own story
which sometimes CHANGED. he did 1t
/ for him, but always with the incest
regard for accuracy. He had not
been 10 yards from his own front door
In five years. indeed, not since he hao
courted the third and present Mrs.
| Tucker, so that such news as he
usually had to disseminate was known
to all Benson long before he was in
possession OF 1t: but the excitement
of which Rogers was the centre, and
In the reflected glory OF which he now
dwelt, recalled the days that had fol.
lowed the knitting Of Sheriff Cadwaller
by Mr.. Johnny Saul in that very
room. and. CONSIDERABLY enough, with
| himself as the only witness.
Rogers had placed Benny In school,
ana each evening after supper he
| would steal up to the child's room.
where Benny carefully rehearsed for
MS benefit such portions Of the les.
| sons OF the day as he remembered,
| while his father listened, with look
OF tender yearning In his dark. sunk
en- eyes. Then, when Benny was
eafely bestowed in his bed. II custom
vas slack at the bar, and he alone
with Tucker, he would sit silent and
absorbed. thinking OF the boy ana
the future he had planned. of the
riches he would yet achieve for him
IN spite of sickness and mortal weari-
ness. II was all so fair a dream. and
his hopes so tenderly unselfish. that
the harsh lines Of his face would
soften; and his thin. shaver lips
whose hard expression usually indi
Gated nothing beyond a dry reserve.
would relax in slow. wistful smile;
and the old innkeeper watching him
would wonder In his vague way that
one who had seen so much Of violence
and bloodshed. who. by his own in.
different telling. had been no better
than others OF his own reckless class,
could look so mild and gentle
II tell you. Tucker, he's keen as a
briar." Rogers never wearied OF tell.
Ing his companion Il reckon he's
about the first OF us Rogers in many
a long year who's done more than
make cross when il came to signing
his name"
But you got something better than
learning. Tucker would say. with a
wise shake of his head. You got
knowledge; wonderful, astonishing
knowledge. Personally you've wedg-
ed open my mind more than any
other man know. not excepting
Colonel Sharp, who's been talking
Latin to me. which never did under
stand. for near about 20 years; but
| can't see that it's ever done me the
good you're doing me. Whatll you
drink"
From the incipiency OF the COM
pany on, that enterprise had seemed
TO Rogers to go forward with a deadly
slowness: Those who invested in the
shares requiring so much OF him be-
fore they were convinced that their
money would not only be safe, but
would increase with the dazzling
rapidity he said, and believed it must.
Yet. devoured as he was by i'm
patience, he told his story over and
over. with an earnestness that never
failed to fascinate his hearers. though
he had to meet the habitual caution
of men whose means had grown slow
ly In trade or petty speculations.
TITS disencouraging,' agreed Mr..
Tucker benevolently. But you
couldn't done better than get the
Landray boys to take hold. Every
body knows them-they got money
they got influence; no one can't ever
complain Of any sharp practice from
them. I've had dealings with them
myself; I bought the distillery from
them. traded them land thou
sand acres IN Belmont county. They
took that at valuation of $4,000,
and | got as much more to pay; but
I'm trying TO talk them into taking
another thousand acres instead Of
the cash. My aim Is to get shut OF
all that there land: then my money
will be here where can watch It,"
There were those among Rogers's
auditors. however. who appeared
quite ready to be convinced OF the
reasonableness Of all he promised
arguing with him against their own
doubt even: and when he thought 1t
only remained for them to decide how
many shares they could take, their
enthusiasm would suddenly wane,
they would become cold and hesitat-
ing frankly anxious TO make their
escape uncommitted from him and
from the Landrays, and this would
be the last he would see Of them for
days: he would give them up for lost;
and after he had fully made up his
mind that nothing would come Of 1t.
they would appear and put their
names to the paper which Stephen
Landray always carried, and II was
perhaps another hundred dollars ad.
ded to the capital stock of the Benson
and California Mining & Trading
company,
The necessity for haste was the
one thing he urged on Stephen and
his brother; but II was December be.
fore all or the shares were actually
taken, and he was forced 10 own that