The Meeker herald., 1914-01-17
Messingwell's
Failure
He Kept His Promise
Faithfully
By cLAR,sA tlAcxE

The telephone bell rang sharply. and
the girl ut the typewriter paused and
1rew the receiver to her ear. She
| frowned us she recognized the voice at
the other end of the wire.
"Perhaps you better talk to Mr.. Mes
singwell: wait moment, please" she
said. pressing button at the side Of
her desk. She hung up the receiver.
but did not resume her interrupted &C.
cupation. From behind the closed glass
door of her employers private Office
came the deep bass murmur of bis
voice as he talked with Rudolph Fear
ing.
Suddenly she caught her breath as
| Messingwell's voice rang suddenly
sharp and distinct to her listening ears.
VERY well. Fearing: If you don't hear
from me by noon you can do your
worst-and go to the devil afterwardt'
Then she heard the receiver slammed
on its hook and the creak of his chair
as he swung away from his desk.
Emily Carman had been Alden Mes
singwell's chief clerk for two years.
1t wns losing game for Messingwell.
He had come ut the bidding of dying
father to carry on the long established
business OF Messingwell & Co.. which
old Messingwell and a spendthrift
younger son had managed to involve
almost to the point Of failure when a
death stroke laid the father low. The
younger son had taken himself us far
away from the tottering business as
his means would permit, and SO Alden
was left with his promise to fulfil to
the best of his ability.
IN do the best can, father" he
promised. I'm not good business
man doctors seldom are. you know
but as long as have a penny to my
name the old sign shall swing above
the office door"
His father had begged him to keep
up the appearance of prosperity. THE
business will come back again, Alden.
Just give II chanceeto recover from
the depression"
The depression WINS thing of the
past. and prosperity was abroad in the
land. and there still remained the de-
caying business, perhaps little
strengthened here and there, but hound
to die In the near future. The machip-
cry in the long mill buildings was out
of date. and Messingwelrs methods
were hopelessly old fashioned.
|, The week before Alden had closed
down the mills and given the hands
two weeks vacation. The notice tucked
| on the door spoke of an Inventory
being taken, but Rudolph Fearing had
laughed us he read it and promptly
hired all of the Messinewell hands for
his own modern. up to the minute fac
tories He knew that Alden had not
the money to pay his workers another
weeks wages; that there were no or
ders on his books: that failure was
staring the unfortunate physician in
the face.
Emily Carman knew all these things,
and SO she hesitated before she turned
the knob that opened the door between
her office and Messingwell's. At last
she summoned courage and slipped in
side. standing with her slender. erect
figure beside him.
did you call me, Mr.. MessingweIl?'
she inquired.
He swung about and turned a pale,
Respondent face toward her. mo.
didn't call. Miss Carman. But" he
paused for an instant and looked in her
face for the flash Of sympathy he had
never failed to find there, and again he
was rewarded. did you know Fearing
had bought up every obligation we
owe?" he asked bluntly.
81 heard 1t yesterday" she said
steadily.
He. gives me until noon to settle.
then he will close me up for good. I've
made mess of it ALL" he ended with
sudden passion. II ought to have hired
manager and kept out of it myself"
| She permitted little silence to fol-
low In order that he might recover his
poise. Then she said: "Of course 1t
seems hard to let the business go to
man like Rudolph Fearing. but every
firm must come to an end some day.
timely or otherwise. II you sell all the
buildings. machinery and fixtures
have calculated there would be enough
to wipe out all the obligations and
leave clean record for the firm of
Messingwell < Co."
His astonishment was genuine. "Ycu,
have calculator" he repeated. you
have estimated the possibility of my
giving up-you have seen what
blanked failure am?" He smiled bit
terly and turned his eyes away from
her.
ut isn't failure to withdraw from
business because one cannot honorabIy
carry 1t on" she returned with spirit
"lf failure Ia the ultimate end. why not
draw out before 1t actually happens
and thus Illustrate the end?"
He shook his head hopeiessly. al
promised father I'D hang on to the