The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-10-01

MF SciillOp. Line macllne is the same
size. and that little needle is more than
four times as far around the dial as
it was the last time | saw test. Mr..
Bang has been making steady progress
with pitifully inadequate means. and /
for one believe that he will solve his
problem"
DO you think so?" asked Mr.. Bang,
with pathetic eagerness. Sometimes
! believe I'm mere drunkard oven
this thing, and ought to quit it,
Don't you do it." Wallingford heart.
"Plugging away like that at any thins
Is bound to win, and when you hit it
you'll make us all millionaires. Bring
your model down to the stockholders
meeting at the hotel tonight. Dinner
will be served at Z, but I'd like to have
you there a little earlier. must hus-
tie now; I've lot to do"
They found Mr.. Steele. in a red cra-
vat and gray waistcoat. waiting anx-
tously for them at the hotel. Walling-
ford saw him first and thanked his
lucky stars for that. He jerked Blackie
into the first entrance to the bar and
handed him 500.
"Your part in this opera buffet will
be to keep this Steele person conspicu-
ously hidden" he directed. II have
to work fast, and he'd make me slut
ter"
Blackie took the money nstlessly.
DO you mind II give him knockout
drops?" he inquired.
Npnicnn him NM, ~ro~< n1,.
sented Wallingford and. going out
upon the side street from the bar.
slipped into the ladies' entrance and
up the rear stairway to the governors
suit. where he telephoned to the stock
holders Of the long torpid Bang Sun
Engine company, inviting them to the
banquet that night and to the special
meeting. This exciting and sometimes
almost riotous duty performed and an
appointment made by telephone with
a certain Mr.. Gettitt. he once more
slipped down the rear stairway.
Mr.. Gettitt was superintendent of the
electric light plant and was thick
necked party with an acute alcoholic
aura. Its treat to see you. WAL
hngford." he declared, with fervor. II
heard you was in town before you tele-
phoned. and ! figured right away
there'd be something in 1t for me- You
stung me the last time with nothing
but stock. and there's no market for
waste paper any more I'll take cash
this time, thank you"
you'll take share in a nice bust
ness" Wallingford corrected him. 1.-THE
city owns the electric light plant l be-
lieve?"
ut thinks 1t does"
"That makes your position political
one. Does the board of aldermen
make any restrictions on your COD
tracts?"
I'VE are all brothers." Mr.. Gettitt
complacently affirmed.
Wallingford drew paper pad to-
ward him and produced lead pencil.
The dear friends and fellow stock
holders of Mr.. Wallingford came to the
meeting with a snickering determina-
ton to skin him alive and hang his
hide upon the outer wall to dry If he
so much as limited at involving them
in penny of expenditure. They had
sat with him. to their cost, at just
huch dinners us this; so when the cof-
fee came and Mr.. Wallingford, after
seeing that each man was served, pick
ed his napkin from his lap and laid
it beside his plate, they nudged one
another and said:
Nov we get it. Grip your pocket
book. He's going to make a speech"
He did. He had been surprised and
panied upon his return to find that, In
his absence. his motives and even his
integrity had been questioned. True,
he had sold them some Of his own
stock in the Sun Engine company and
had left the city, but they must re-
member that they had been much
more eager to buy it than he had been
to SELL
"He's got US there" mumbled She'll
barker of the Manufacturers bank to
his neighbor, Pete Scallop. "He led
Us like drove Of sheep and made us
beg to be sheared. The mans a won
der!'
"He's crooky' snapped Scallop.
wait till he gets through. You'll see
he has some big graft to work on u.s."
AS for his resigning the presidency
and leaving the city, Mr.. Wallingford
had other business interests, and as
Mr.. Bangs engine was not at that
time ready for the market, as they all
knew when they invested, he could not
afford to remain, so in order not to
clog the operations of the company he
had resigned his Office. He was sorry
now that he had done so. AS much as
he liked these gentlemen personally he
was compelled to charge them with
having been remiss in their duties.
not only to themselves, but to him.
The eleven stockholders and the five