The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-03-07
CHAPTER l.


The young man was the glass OF
fashion, from the silken ribbon on tho
spotless Panama % his pearlgray gait
ers, and well favored "a 1.-the stalwart
figure, with wide-set hazel eyes and
strong brown hair waving back from
a candid forehead.
Never had his innocuous and but.
ter-hy existence ,nOwn a surprise
more startling. He had swung into
the room with all the nonchalant hab
It's. the ingrained certitude OF the man
born with achievement ready-made in
his hands. And q single curt state.
ment-like the ruthless blades Of
pair OF shears--had shipped across
the one splendid scarlet thread In tho
woof thai constituted life as he knew
IL. lie had knottCd his lavender sca.f
that morning vice.presidCnt OF the
valiant CorpOratiOn-one of the great
est and most successful of modern
day organizations: he sat now i'm the
fading afternoon trying 20 realize that
the huge fabric. withoqEwarning, had
toppled to it's fall.
How solid and changeless IL had
always seemed-that great business
fabric woven by the father he could
so dimly rememberl His own invested
fortune had been derived from the
great corporation the elder Valiant
had founded and controlled until his
death. With almost unprecedented
earnings. IL had stood as a very Glib
raltar OF finance. u type and sign of
brilliant organization Now, on the
heels OF a trusts dissolution which
would be a ninedays' wonder. the vast
structure had crumbled up like q card
board. The rains had descended and
the floods had come. and it had fallen.
The man at the desk had wheeled
In his revolving chair and was looking
at the trim athletic back blotting the
daylight, with smile that was little
short OF q cove. sneer. lie was one
OF the local managers OF the corpora
tion whose ruin was 10 be that days
sensation, a colorless man vino had ac-
quired middle age with his first long
trousers and had been dedicated to the
commercial treadmill before he had
bought a safety-razor. lie despised all
loiterers along the primrose paths, and
John Valiant was but decorative fig.
urshead.
Valiant started as The other spoke ut
his elbow. He had come 70 the win
dow and was looking down at the
pavement How quickly some news
spreads!"
For tho first time the young man
noted that the street below was filing
With a desultory crowd. lie distin-
glished knot of Italian laborers talk
Ing with excited gesticulations a
snudged plasterer, tools in hand
clerks, some hatless aud with thin
alpaca coats-all peering at the voice
less 'front.' OF the great building and
all, he imagined, with thriving fear
In their faces. AS he watched. a wom.
an. coarsely dressed, ran across the
street, her handkerchief pressed 10 her
eyes
The notice has gone up on the
door. said the manager IL sent word
TO the police Crowds arc ugly some.
times"
valiant drew sudden sharp breath.
The corporation down In the mlre.
with crowds at It's doors ready to
clamor for money entrusted to it. tho
aggregate savings OF widow and or.
phan. the piteous boarded sums earned
by labor over which pinchcd sickly
faces had burned the midnight oil,
The older man had turned hack 10
the desk TO draw a sorr0w typcwrit.
ten slip OF paper from a pirconhole.
Here he said. lis u list of the bonds
or the subsidiary companies recorded
In your name. These are all. OF
course. ensuifed la the larger failure.
lou nave. however. your private for.
tune. III you take my advice. by the
way he added significantly. "youu
make sure OF keeping that"
what do YOU ueau?" John Va
liant faced him quickly.
The other laughed shortly GA word
TO the wise, he quoted IT'S very
good living abroad. There's a boat
leaving tomorrow
A dull red sprang into tho younger
face. you mean"
'Ic)k at that crowd down th.ro-
you can hear them now ThcrcU bo
legislative investigation. OF c0gre.
And the dcyilll get tho hiudmost
lie struck the dcsk.tOp with his hand
Have you ever seen the bills for this
furniture? po you know what thlI
rug under your feet c)st2 TWpI.e
thousand ara old Persian iVhl
do you SUPPOSE tho rllprs viii DO Io
that? DO you think such thlnH viii
seem amusing t0 that r,hhlo down
therc?" Ills hand .uout toward tho
window. it's boon e1iur on f1i. too
many years. 2 tcll yu, aud now
some oneil p1y Ono piper Th. Hoht.
ming won't strito u.-Tm r.t tain
enough. You're vi.r-r.os sid.rt'
10 you imagine Ob.t N.. fheeo
uings-th1t have b..0 Ye-ty fo
what you seem to believe lss been .
r.fftor1fo Wr.rLff fr'H I.I...t .