The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-02-08
l0ho
MLkNTSefY VIRGINIA
81 HALLI LIrulL RlYIS 9s s145 astaza)
ILLUSTRATED 81 LAUREN STOUT

0y labor over which piuched sickiy
faces had burned the midnight oil!
The older man had turned back to
the desk 10 draw a narrow typewrit.
ten slip Ct paper from pigeonhole
Here, be said, is list Of the bonds
OF the subsidiary companies recorded
in your name These are all. Of
course, engulfed IN the larger failure
You have, however. your private for
tune. Ii you take my advice. by tha
way, he added significantly, you'll
make sure Of keeping that"
What do you mean?" John Va
liant faced him quickly
The other laughed shortly. "A word
to the wise, be quoted. "Its very
good living abroad. There's a boat
leaving tomorrow"
a duh red sprang into the younger
face. You mean"
Look at that crowd down there
you can hear them now Therell be
a legislative investigation, of course
And the devil'll get the hindmost"
He struck the desk-top with his hand
Have you ever seen the bills for this
furniture? Do you know what that
rug under your feet cost? Twelve
thousand-it's an old Persian. What
do you suppose the papers will do to
that? Do you think such things will
seem amusing to that rabble down
there?' His hand swept toward the
window. It's been going on for too
many years, tell you' And now
some onell pay the piper. The light.
ming won't strike me-Fm not tall
enough. You're vice president"
DO you imagine that | knew these
things-that have been a party to
what you seem to believe has been a
deliberate wrecking?" Valiant tow.
cred over him, his breath coming fast
his hands clenched hard
Your The manager laughed again
AN unpleasant laugh that scraped
the others quivering nerves like hot
sandpaper. oh, lord no! How should
you? You've been too busy playing
polo and winning bridge prizes. How
many board meetings have you at
tended this year? Your vote is prox
led as regular as clockwork But
you're supposed to know. The people
down There in the street won't ask
questions about patent.leather pumps
and ponies they'll want TO hear about
such things as rotten irrigation loans
in the Stony River Valley--to market
an e(l,ali desert that is the personal
property Of the president of this cor.
poratjon"
Valiant turned a blank white face
"SedgWick?" .a
Yes You know his principle: It's
all right TO be honest, If you're moi
too damn honest He owns the Stony
River Valley bag and baggage. 1t was
big gamble and he lost
Valiant was staring at the other
with a strange look. Emotions to which |
IN all his self-indulgent life he had
been stranger were running through |
MS mind, and outre passions had him
by the throat, Fool and doubly blind,
a poor pawn, catspaw raking the |
chestnuts for INSCRIPTIONS men whose
ignomlny he was now called on, per
force, to share! In his pitiful egotism
he mad consented TO be fgurehead
and he had been made tool. A red
rage surged over him. No one had
ever seen on John Valant's face such
a look as grew on it now,
lie turned and without word
opened the door. The older man took
step toward him--he had sense of
dangerous electric forces In the air
but the door closed sharply in his face.
lie smiled grimly. Not crooked" he
said to himself; merely callow. A |
weltmeaning. manicured young flop
wholly surrounded by men who knew