Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-02-05
CHAPTER TX.

E
had left the judges house, Broadway
tried to tell Bob Wallace what, in
deed, was the matter with him, but
could not, for he had not the least
idea.
do you really mean to keep the
plant?g asked Wallace s~kepticaIly.
Yes, and pass it to my children"
said the dazed young gentleman.
"YoH 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.
7 think you're crazy
Bob, It's a cinch. But let me tell
you" And he tried to, with but slight
success.
Wallace was a shrewd young man.
us it your conscience or the girl that
has driven you insane?" he asked.
I'm thinking about JonesyiIIe. MY
grandfather built this town
We'll, he made a blamed bad job
of it, Why didn't he build a place a
man could get a decent drink in while
he was about it?'
"And my father kept it going"
We'll, he didn't keep it going very
fast"
And now I'VE got to keep my faith
with it. It is a sacred duty. I must
not abandon it."
Say" said Wallace, in disgust.
Where did you get that stuf2 Have
you gone out and tried to get decent
drink here? This town ought to be
abandoned. It ought to be put out
of its misery"
"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, 'tthey 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'H lever be an
other like you"
"Theren never be one more earnest,
you can bet on that, Bob!"
They in a shady stretch of
Main street, and, at night, a shady
stretch Of Main street, JonesviIIe, is
about the darkest spot on earth out
side of Africa.
Lets stop right here, in the dark.
till you get over it." said Wallace. cts
late, but there might .be some mad
dened, joyous ~Jonesville roisterer to
see If o went into the light"
81 mean every word of it.. There are
no roisterers in J~onesville; they're all
honest workingmen, horny-handed gum
makers. toiIers forsthe fortunes of my
family. That's why I'm protecting
them"
The horny hand Of some insane
asylum guard will be upon your shoul-
der if you don't watch out"
"Ha, ha! Ha, hal" laughed Broad
way somewhat cackIingly.
II think you're going to be Violent"
said Wallace. Hell probably need
both horny hands. But he'll subdue
you! Now, try to give me some CO
herent notion Of what's the matter
with you, will your"
"T've 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 welI-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"
Tt was moi 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 its hinges. SAY, Bob, isn't she a
queen?'
$50 that's it?"
But he made no further protests. He
was a ~leVel-headed youth, was this
young advertising man. He knew as
well as anyone that if theetrust feared
and wished to purchase the Jones
gum it could be but because the trust
knew that the Jones gum was a dan,
hgerous competitor. If, managed as il
had been, unadvertised, it had been q
dangerous competitor to the trust
then it was worth having-emphaticaI
ly worth keeping.
And some day Broadway must dc
something. He could not forever play
i - E - aE -~l
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 a light
even turned down for the night, wal
visible at any window: not a sound Of