The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-02-25
The Crash.
eWIo1XI tHI2 3y eo65s -InfxRuL ca
CHAPTER |.

Failed" calculated John Valiant
blankly, and the hat he held dropped
TO the claretcolorcG rug like huge
white spiotch Of sudden fright The
Corporation-failed"
The young man was the glass Of
fashion, from the silken ribbon on the
spotless Panama to his pear!-gray gait
ters, and well favored-a 1.-THE stalwart
figure, with widc-sat hazel eyes and
strong brown hair waving back from
a candid forehead.
Never had his innocuous and but
ter-lly existence known a surprise
moro startling He had swung into
tho room with all the nonchalant hab-
its, the iugrained certitude Of the man
born with achievement ready made in
his hands. Aud a single curt state
tment-liko tho ruthless blades OF u
pair Of shears-had shipped across
the one splendid scarlet thread in tho
woof that constituted life as he knew
ut. He had knottcd his lavender scarf
that morning vice-president Of tho
valiant CorporatiOn-one Of the great
est and most successful Of modern
day organizations; he sat now in the
fading afternoon trying to realize that
the huge fabric, without warning, had
toppled to its fall
How solid and changeless it had
lalways seemed-that great business
fabric woven by the father he could
$50 dimly remember! 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, it had stood as a very Glib
sraltar Of finance, type and sign Of
brilliant organization. Now, OH the
heels Of trusts dissolution which
would be nine-days' wonder, the vast
structure had crumbled up like card
board The rains had descended and
ltne Hoods had come, and it had fallen!
The man at the desk had wheeled
lin his revolving clair and was looking
'at the trim athletic back blotting the
daylight. with smile that was little
ishort OF covert SnCer. He was one
of the local managers Of the corpora
'tlon whose ruin was to be that days
sensation, q colorlcSs man who had ac-
quircd middle age with his first long
trousers and had been dedicated to tho
commercial treadmill before he had
bought safetyrazor He despised all
'loiteHrs along the primrose paths, and
John Valiant was but decorative fig.
'urehend.
Valiant started as the other spoke at
his elbow He hal come to the win
dow and was looking down at the
pavement. How quickly some news
spreads!"
For the first time the young man
!noted that tho street below was films
with dcsultory crowd. He distin-
guished knot Of Italian laborers talk
ling with excited gesticuations - a
smudged plastcrer, tools in hand,-
;clerlis. some hatlcss and 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, won.
an, coarsely dressed, ran across the
!street. her handkerchief pressed to her
.eyes
The notice has gone up on the
door" said the manager II sent word
ito the police. Crowds are ugly some.
times"
Valiant drew a sudden sharp breath,
The corporation down in the mire,
with crowds at its doors ready to
clamor for money entrusted to it, the
aggregate savings Of widow and or,
phan, the piteous boarded sums earned
by labor over which pinched sickly
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 a list OF the bonds
lof the subsidiary companies recorded
iin your name. These are all, OF
.course, engulfcd in the larger failure.
You have, however, your private for
tune If you take my advice, by tho
way" he added significantly, you'll
make sure Of keeping that"
What do you mean?" John Va
lliant faced him quickly.
The other laughed shortly. "a word
to the wisc." he quoted. Its very
igood living abroad. There's boat
leaving tomorrow"
a dull rcd sprang into tho younger
face. You mean"
Look at that crowd down there
you can hear them now. There'll be
"a legislative investigation OF course
And the devilll get the hindmost"
I1e struck the desk-top with his hand
"Have you ever seen tho bills for this
furniture? DO you know what that
rug under your feet cost? Twelve
lthousand-it's an old Persian. What
do you suppose the papers will do to
that? Do you think such things will