The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-23

Dy IaDOr over Wnlcn plncneu slckly
faces had burned the midnight oil!
The older man had turned back to
the desk to draw a narrow typewrit-
ten slip OF paper from a pigeonhole.
Here" he said. ''is list of the bonds
of the subsidiary companies recorded
in your name. These are all, OF
course, engulfed in the larger failure.
You have, however, your private for
tune II you take my advice, by the
way" he added significantly, you'll
make sure of keeping that"
What do you meanT' John Va
liant faced him quickly.
The other laughed shortly. "a word
TO the wtse." he quoted. Its very
good living abroad. There's a boat
leaving tomorrow"
A dull red sprang into the younger
face You mean"
Look at that crowd down there
you can hear them now. Theren be
a legislative investigation, OF course.
And the devil'n get the hindmoSt."
He struck the desk-top with his hand.
Have you ever seen the bills for this
furniture2 Do you know what that
rug under your feet cost? Twelve
thousand-it's an old Persian What
do you suppose the papers will do to
that? Do you think such things will
seem amusing to that rabble down
there?" His hand swept toward the
window. IT'S been going on for too
many years, l tell you! And now
some onell pay the piper. The light
ming won't strike me-Tm not tall
enough. You're a vice-president"
do you imagine that knew these
things-that l have been a party to
what you seem to believe has been a
deliberate wrecking?" Valiant tow
cred over him, his breath coming fast,
his hands clenched hard.
Your" The manager laughed again
an unpleasant laugh that scraped
the others Quivering nerves like hot
sandpaper. "Oh, lord no! How should
you? You've been too busy playing
polo and winning bridge prizes. How
many board meetings have you at
tended this year2 Your vote is prox-
led as regular as clockwork. But
you're supposed to know. The people
down there in the street won't ask
questions about patent-leather pumps
and ponies; they'll want to hear about
such things as rotten irrigation loans
In the StonyRiver Valley-to market
an alkali desert that is the personal
property of the president Of this cor
poration."
Valiant turned blank white face.
"Sedgwick?"
Yes. You know his principle: It's
all right to be honest, If you're not
too damn honest He owns the Stony
River Valley bag and baggage. 1t was
a big gamble and he lost"
Valiant was staring at the other
with a strange look. Emotions to which
in all his self-indulgent life he had
been a stranger were running through
his mind, and outre passions had him
by the throat Fool and doubly blind!
A poor pawn, a catspaw raking the
chestnuts for unscrupulous men whose
! ignominy he was now called on, per
force, to share! In his pitiful egotism
he had consented to be tigurehead
and he had been made a tool. A rec
rage surged over him. No one haC
ever seen on John Valiant's face such
a look as grew on it now.
He turned and without a wore
opened the door. The older man tool
a step toward him-he had a sense o.
dangerous electric forces in the air
! but the door closed sharply in his face
He smiled grimly. Not crooked" h'
said to himself; merely callow. A
well-meaning, manicured young fol
wholly surrounded by men who knew
what they wanted" He shrugged hi!
shoulders and went back to his chair
Valiant plunged down in the eleva
tor to the street. He pushed past thu
guarded door, and threading thu
crowd, made toward the curb, wher'
his bulldog, with bark of delight
leaped upon the seat of FURNISHED
car, rumbling and vibrating with pent
up power. There were those In th'
sullen anxious crowd who knew who's
was that throbbing metal miracle, thu
chauffeur spick and span from shining
cap-visor to polished brown puttees
and recognized the white face tina
went past, pelted 1t with mutteret
sneers. But he scarcely saw or heart
them, as he stepped into the seat. tool
the wheel from the chauffeur's hant
and threw on the gear.
He drove mechanically past a hun
dred familiar things and places, but h
saw nothing, till the massive marble
fronts of the upper park side cease'
their mad dance as the car halted be
fore a tall iron-grilled doorway witt
wide glistening steps. between wiz
dows strangely shuttered and dark.
He sprang out and touched the bel
The heavy oak parted slowly: the cor