Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-09-16

owner because he and his netghb0rS
control the stock.
"They can vote II as they see flt,
hold all the directorate places, and
really own the company. 1t is merely
question of old friends and neigh.
bors controlling 1t instead Of northern
people. Tell him, of course, that the
Sweltons lose nothing, because they
will get their dividends on the re-
mainder of the stock. He'll fall
strong"
you want me to pull deal like
that" half shouted. SELLING fake
stock in concern we have no connec-
tion with? Forged stock?" sneered
"Do you want to crack rocks with
me?"
He leaned back to get view Of his
sketch, added another line of two, and
answered me:
"The years haven't taught you
much, have they, Jim?" 1t wasn't
really question; it was only fiat
toned statement. you ought to
know me better than that. But you're
not supposed to know, as l do, that in
the western part of Virginia. about
two hundred miles from the Little Ha-
only about two feet wide, and it flows
through a useless marsh most of the
way, where land can be purchased
very cheap.
'1n fact, thirty acres cost a man !
sent down there only thirty dollars.
The creek has a natural water fall.
think there's a drop of a foot and a
half over some fallen logs.
"Now have an idea that if it was
properly developed Little Hazel creek
would furnish power The corpora
ton papers for the Little Hazel Power
Development Company, of Little Ha-
eel creek, went up to Albany Sester-
day.
"Of course the papers are specific
in their location of Little Hazel creek,
but the stock certificates are dated
New York, where the main office is to
be. Don't you think Walton is familiar
enough with the Little Hazel Power
Development Company to buy those
shares without bothering about de-
tails of Incorporation"
I listened in sort of daze to his
words as the light broke and the dam
nable ingeniousness of it hit me. The
innocent old man with his thoughts Of
years on the Little Hazel river natu-
rally could think of no other Little
Hazel.
knew he would jump at the stock
Of the Little Hazel Power Develop
ment Company, because there was
only one Little Hazel to him. And
when he walked up!
When the Swelton Company began
work he discovered that the stock
he had bought for his neighbors was
on worthless marsh creek two hun
dred miles away!
He could do nothing. The company
had been properly organized. The in
corporation papers made plain the
fact that the plant was to be built on
the creek and not the river he knew
SO well.
There would be no redress; no way
on earth that he, could touch Mike
Garven.
And, as sat there thinking, I re-
membered the old mans gentle voice
as he stood before the stuffed, twisted
bodies of those hideous boa-constric-
tors.
Snakes that walk instead OF
crawl" - snakes that he couldn't be-
lieve existed. felt again the shuddeY
of the girls body against mine; once
more saw the look in her eyes.
was at his desk, my hands, white
knuckled, clutched at its edge as
leaned forward to shout my defiant
words in his face.
"By Heavens, I won't! And you
won't either! I'm going to warn that
old man! I'm going to tell him every.
thing that you have told me about the
AFFAIR.""
l stopped. The gray eyes that had
been staring into mine dropped. Some,
thing made mine follow them.
looked down at the sketch he had
drawn as he talked.
1t was Of convict, in his cursed
stripes. but the face was mine, and
over the head in great scarlet letters
was: "Forgery!" beneath it was:
"Ten years."
The lash of the master had cracked