The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-06-08
Silas of Hebron Valley.
By M. j. PHILLIPS.

John G. Davidson. with his cleanly
shaver, comedy face. cleft chin. blue
eyes and firm jaw. might have been
from appearances, an actor. He might
have been mistaken for a pop liar preach
er. or a professional baseball player. His
age was. apparently. anywhere between
thirty and fifty years.
He had the air of good living and pros
perity which the man of the world is
| supposed to wear.
| All guesses as to his profession, how
ever. would probably have gone wide OF
| the mark. He was senior member OF
the firm Of Davidson & Cole. Of Wall
| Street, a firm which bore rather shady
reputation. Even now he was hurrying
home from a hunting trip in Maine,
which had been cut short by the tip. ir-
regularly received. Of big killing
to be made the next day on the stock
! exchange.
| In other words, Davidson & Cole were
preparing to garner several hundred
| thousand dollars because the Hillma rs
| and the Silvers We're about to close in a
| death grapple for the control of the
New York and Western. Each faction
| held about one-third of the stock: spec
| ulators and investors held the other
| third, mostly in small blocks. The Silvers
needed the road. it was said, to stihe
| its changes of becoming dangerous
| competitor. The HilInan crowd desired
1t for those very possibilities.
The stock was down to 81, but accord
ing to the information CLEANED by the
brokers. the Silvers were prepared to
pay $50. if necessary. for the shares con-
stituting the balance of power.
Despite the suspicion which attached
to him on Wall Street. Davidson's face
was one people instinctively liked and
trusted. When. at remote junction.
point. Silas Ashlar entered the smoker Of
the train. shaking the snow-fiakes from
his ulster-it was mid-winter and storm
ing-he took the seat beside the broker.
Ashlar was .. and his good-natured
face, unchiseled by the stress OF city
life. was round and immatured, yet
withal there was native shrewdness In
1t and frank honesty.
Davidson was a man to inspire not
only confidence, but condolences; be-
sides, he was in the mood for CONVEX
sation. In the course Of half an hour
the country youth was unburdening
himself to this agreeable stranger as
he had never talked to his closest
friend.
II live over to Hebron Valley. in
Vermont" he said. I'm clerk in old
man Briggs general store. Been
workin' there since / was fourteen.
The old man wants to retire now,
and I'd like to buy the business"
II see," rejoined Davidson politely.
Silas beat a tattoo with clumsy I'm
gers on the window sill and smiled
with embarrassment before he pro-
ceeded. ."There's-there's girl. you
know"
Indeed: Briggs daughter. I sup
poser"
mo; Jennie Gardner. We're-we're
engaged. you see. That's why ! want
the store"
Feel as II you'd ought to be set up
in business before you marry. eh?
queried the broker. smiling little.
We'll, no: I don't" replied the
young man reluctantly. "and Jennie
don't; neither does her ma But her
father-he's John Gardner. the banker
there at Hebron-he don't like me.
Thinks / amt got money enough. I
guess. Then there's another fellow,
the postmaster. he wants Jennie to
marry"
Davidson's interest quickened. why
don't you run away with the girlr'
he asked.
"She won't do II: she's afraid Of
her father. 90 10 her mother. for that
matter. He's . hard man.s