The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-03-26
CHAPTER TX.

l
tried to tell Bob Wallace what, in
could not, for he had not the least
idea
DO you really mean to keep the
plant?" asked Wallace specifically.
Eyes, and pass it to my children"
said the dazed young gentleman.
"You haven't any children, you con-
founded asst"
And they'll pass it to their chill.
dren," said the coming magnate of the
chewing-gum trade.
Il think you're crazy"
Bob, it's cinch. But let me tell
you" And he tried to, with but slight
success.
Wallace was shrewd young man.
rs it your conscience or the girl that
has driven you insane?" he asked.
"l'm thinking about Jonesville. My
grandfather built this town."
well, he made a blamed bad job
of it. Why didn't he build a place a
man could get decent drink in while
he was about it?"
And my father kept it going.''
well, he didn't keep it going very
fast"
And now I've got to keep my faith
with it. 1t is sacred duty. I must
not abandon it."
Say" said Wallace, in disgust
Where did you get that stuff? Have
you gone out and tried to get decent
drink here? This town ought to be
abandoned. 1t ought to be put out
of it's misery"
1.-THE trust would close the plant and
ruin all these people,"
You'd think they were first cousins,
to hear you talk about them"
Bob" Broadway chided in a soft
and earnest voice, they are far more
than that; far, far more than that
They are charges placed by Providence
In the care of the Jones family. And,
Bob, I'm the last Of the Joneses."
Let us hope there'll never be an.
other like you."
'There'u never be one more earnest
you can bet on that, Bob"
They were In a shady stretch OF
Main street, and, at night, shady
stretch of Main street, Jonesville, is
about the darkest spot on earth out.
side of Africa
Let's stop right here. in the dark
till you get over it," said Wallace. tits
late, but there might be some mad
dened, joyous ,Jonesville roisterer TIC
see if you went into the light.'
Il mean every word of it. There are
no roisterers in Jonesville; they're all
honest workingmen, horny-handed gum
makers, toilers for the fortunes of my
family That's why I'm protecting
them
! The horny hand of some insane
asylum guard will be upon Your shout
der if you don't watch out"
"Ha, ha! Ha, hal" laughed Broad.
way somewhat cacklingly.
4 think you're going TO be Violent!
said Wallace. He'll probably need
both horny hands. Bu1 he'll subdue
you! Now, try to give me some co.
! herent notion of what's the matter
with you, will you?"
! 1--we awakened to my duty"
Time you did; you've had a nice
long nap. What do you see, now you
have aroused?"
| "A pleasant little city, working hap.
PLY at well-paid industry I'm the pay.
master. A great nation, wagging tire.
| less jaws. They're chewing the Jones
gum Jones gum, mind YOU; not some
| gum that the Consolidated puts up
against the public as just as good as
that my ancestors made famous
SEE
For heavens sake, shut up! You'll
see snakes if this keeps On. That lem.
onade that Mrs. Spotswood gave you
has gone to your empty head"
1T was not the lemonade that Mrs.
Spotswood gave me, it was the touch.
ing line Of talk that-er-that Josie
Richards gave me-" He paused while
| Wallace waited with his jaw loose
on it's hinges. Say, Bob, isn't she a
queen?"
80 that's it?"
But he made NO further protests. He
| was level-headed youth, was this
! young advertising man. He knew as
we'll as anyone that if the trust feared
| and wished to purchase the Jones
gum it could be but because the trust
knew that the Jones gum was dan.
gerous competitor. II, managed as it
had been, unadvertised. it had been a
dangerous competitor to the trust
then it was worth having
ly worth keeping.
And some day Broadway must do
something. He could not forever play
the idler on the Great White Way,
even if his millions we're numbered.
It was no life for an actual man, and
Bob was sure that hidden somewhere
in his friend were the true elements
OF worthy manhood. Nothing had oc-
cured to bring them out, that was all.
He thought they might be coming now.
Reaching the hotel, they found the
place in utter darkness. Not light,
even turned down for the night, was
visible at any window; not sound of