Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-10-15
CHAPTER XIV.
In the Mold.


In the Mold.
Then began what promised to be-
come rake's progress. Mark sought
out new companions and got himself
invited to Join their revels. He tried
hard. at first recklessly, then deter
minedly< and then wistfully to enter
into the spirit of dissipation. The at
tempt was fiat failure. The thor
oughgoing habit Of mind that looked
unerringly for the last result saw
through at once to the dregs in the
cup. His companions privately laughed
at the spectacle of this hard serious
man awkwardly essaying the role of
devil OF fellow; but for the humor
he thus unwittingly provided they
would soon have got rid of him as q
ath's-head at their feasts He sue
ceeded only in still further impairing
his health. in acquiring a bad taste
in the mouth and relaxing al along
the line his habit Of rigid abstemious-
ness.
After a few months he returned to
the old routine.
Il hear" Henley interrupted con-
sultation one day to remark, you've
been sowing wild oats Got 'em all
harvested"
Mark nodded, grinning sheepishly.
Crops in the barnard for sale
cheap. l agree with the prophet that
all Is vanity"
What made you-d2 IT."
Il don't know. To see what it's
like, / gness. Bxt | didn't have the
knack of it,
Trouble at home" thought Henley
shrewdly
Aloud he said: Il imagine not You'd
better stick to business. where you
ut in"
4 sometimes think that's all vanity.
too"
AT least we have something to be
vain over. And on the whole there's
more romance in making steel than in
helping to support the Tenderloin."
Mark made gesture of disgust.
After frowning pause. he answered:
Il don't know. The trouble Is, I've
lost the romantic point Of view. To
me the business is nothing but a
money-making machine now-and
something to do. / wonder why we
work so hard to get money we don't
need. We get no good out of 1t. Tim
othy Woodhouse gets more pleasure
out Of his flying machines that won't
n.y."
Just walt" said Henley dryly, "un-
til somebody tries to take 1t away from
you. Nearly every man of unusual VI
tally goes sooner or later through
the stage OF questioning the existing
scheme OF things. Things are, is all
the answer he gets The sooner he
quits asking questions, the better for
his peace OF mind"
Tbay returned to the matter In hand,
which was the fleeing OF Timothy
Woodhouse.
No one would have been more sur.
prised than Timothy to learn that he
had any fleece worthy Of the atten'
ton of such shearers as Henley and
Truitt. But years before a Lochinvar
had come out of the West with stock
to sell in the Iroquois Iron Ore Min
ing, Development & Transportation
company. He had gifted tongue. He
departed for his own place, richer
received a profitable lesson in the
credulity of his fellows. Later inspec
ton revealed that the longnamed
company's properties consisted of an
immense field of admittedly good ore
but its development work only Of the
extraction of the sample so proudly
exhibited by the promoter and III
transportation facilities Of franchise
to build railroad through 800 miles
of wilderness. In those days the build
ing of railroads was not lightly under
taken. The investment seemed to fal
short of Lochinvar's prospectus,
Naturally" Timothy once said rue
fully. Since invested"
But time had come when makers
Of steel began to operate on a large
scale and to look far ahead into tn,
future. The MacGregor company con
ceived the project Of buying that or
field and building that railroad.
commenced secretly and leisurely pick
ing up blocks Of stock In Lochinvar'
company; It could be bought for tn
proverbial song. But Henley got vim
OF It. He, too. began buying stock
secretly and swiftly, also for sons
BY the time the MacGregor compan.
learned Of his rivalry. he needed bu
o thousand shares to own control o
the company. its properties and fran
ohises.
"And / know just where thos
shares are to be had" Henley toll
Mark. do you know one Timoth,
Woodhouse?"
II bought my house from him. An
~ wants me to lend him money :
haiid his pew flying machine. H