Charlevoix county herald., 1914-09-05
Continued from last week.

clean, firm flesh of DreXePS cheeks
and the clear eyes tLat seemed in
these last two years to have bathed
i'm the pure color of the sky itself
until they had taken on its pellucid
blue.
Cant see it just yet" h, replied.
81 have a fight or two on my hands
that rather hold me to it. You ought
to know how that is"
And yet, Dave" he aid, 81
wouldn't go back into that maelstrom
again under any inducementw
81 don't know" commented the
other, shaking his head. 1T is a
mighty interesting maelstrom, and a
man has to be strong - resist being
drawn down. Suppose you've heard
of my Traction Consolidation bat
tle?"
Drexel heard it indiirerently.
mot word" he replied. Il
haven't seen a newspaper since I've
been here, and don't want to see
one"
Nonsense! You don't mean it!'
said Kane incredulously. Am | to
understand that you're not interested
in Blakeley's fight against the
President, and that you're not even
keeping track of the war;"
"There is a war, isn't there ?" an
swered Drexel. Il have heard talk
of one some place on the other side
of the earth, but | can't really see
how it should interest me-"
Kane whistled.
"Not even il its Influence on Ma
tional Pacific, | SUPPOSE" he sug-
gested, watching Drexel narrowly.
"Not even that" was the steady
reply.
If anything had stilreC him it
would have been this, for National
Pacific had been his ideal, his creed,
hi worship. The tremendous con-
structive operations of its lusty
youth had fascinated him in his own
young days. He had looked upon it
as the acme of human enterprise
When he had made his advent on the
Street, its masters had seemed to
him lords of creation, and when,
after struggle of years, he had
held it in the hollow of his hand, he
felt for time that hu had attained
the height of financial achievement.
He was pleased, now, however, to
find that even this magic name had
lost its thrill.
"No, Kane" he said with a finality
that was not by any means of the
surface alone. 81 am through with
that life forever. Here | have found
rest and peace after what you have
good reason to know was a rather
stormy career, and here | propose to
end my days in the supremest con-
tent that the Creator has provided
for His creatures. I'd ike to show
you what life this is. Stay overnight
with me. Stay week."
Kane shook his head
Sorry, old man, but can't do it."
"Stop to supper, anyhow. III go
so far as to call it dinner in your
honor"
Cant possibly do it, Tom.
must be over at the junction by
seven o'clock. | may drop down
some time this summer fo. a week
end stay with you, but just now I
must make up for lost time"
Once more he shook hands with
Drexel and climbed into his machine.
"By the way, Tom," he said as he
settled himself down, speaking of
National Pacific, you ought to see
the way Harmon is smashing it."
Harmon ?" echoed Drexel.
Eyes, Ed Harmon. He's been after
it hammer and tongs for six months
now, with blow after blow, he and
his followers. They have Curtis and
that crowd, to whom you released
your holdings, on the run. He has
wrecked half dozen of the minor
lights, and is after Curtis himself.
1t is common talk on the Street that
Harmon will have National Pacific
broken into little bits by fall, and
will have gobbled up the pieces.
Well, good-by, old man"
Kane whirred away. Drexel gaZed
after the big red machine until it
was out of sight, and then. with a
sudden shrug of the shoulders, he
turned back to the field that was his
special pride. Here he was expert
menting with a new line of wheat
culture in which he was lastly inter-
ested-a shorter, heavier = growth,
with a head nearly twice ss long as
the best known variety, and with
grains much larger. 1t had been an
absorbing occupation, the develop
ment of this grain; and for the rest
of the afternoon he devoted himself
absorbedly to that days observation
and deduction.
Occasionally some thought Of
Kane and what he had said would
recur, but it gave Drexel very little
unrest. What did he care about the
doings of the Street? He had at
tanned happiness at last, and he in
tended to retain his hold upon it. He
pitied Kane and Curtis and the 9th
ers who were chained for life to that
pitiless wheel of Ixion.
After supper he went out upon the
porch, as was his nightly habit, and
sat with his feet upon the rail, look
ing across the level fields and above
the green-sloped hills I, where the
fieecy, pearl-gray clouds that sailed
in the golden sea of the sunset were
already taking upon themelves deli
cate carmine keels.
Harmon! His ancient enemy, the
man he had thrashed and thrashed
again until, N those later years,