Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-02-23
CHAPTER XVIII. (Continued)

Father, can you sell your Stock?
II could" he informed her, toe
.cmplacent and well pleased with his
performance Of the day to be annoy
3D. II see no reason for doing so
however"
ITO whom could you sell it,"
"An upstate syndicate has made
me an offer"
Good" she replied. 81 WOULDN'T
want poor people. like Jessie Peters
father to buy it.
( Whats the occasion Of all this?'
demanded Marley.
81 wish you would sell your stock
to this syndicate Immediately" she
urged him.
III were you | would not attempt
to mix into affairs which I could not
possibly understand Since you seem
to be genuinely distressed, however
! don't mind telling you that the com
pany, since I have become the abso'
lutte controller of it, has brighter
,uture than ever, and it would be very
foolish in me to dispose of my stock
at the tremendous loss such g course
would entail at this time"
"How much could you get?" she
wanted to know.
mot to exceed fifty thousand dol
lars, Molly"
"oh.' She, replied family. "You
owe more than that, don't you?'
Il meant fifty thousand, clear OF all
my obligations he explained. was
Bert here tonight"
"Yes. Father, Mr.. Sledge will new
pr stop until he has absolutely ruined
you"
"Oh, it's Sledge. is it?" he laughed,
relieved. "Sledge has done his worst,
and has failed. You'd better go to
Oed.'
"Mr. Sledge has never done MS
worst she persisted. II met him TO-
day. and he frightened me dreadfully.
.'Did he make any threats?'
mo: he just smiled" and Molly
shuddered "He is awful"
Hes not so bad Marley soothed
her. give spent most of the day IN
his company, and we're all working
together for the common good OF the
street car business. Sledgc has in
vested very heavily in the new COM
pany. and he is not so foolish as to
parallel my lines merely to ruin my
business, when there is so much bet
ter territory OPEN"
81 don't know she doubtfully OBJ
jected.
Il do" he triumphantly assured
her. 81 saw list today of the streets
which the city council has ordered
improved, and not one of them parai-
lels the routes of my car lines.
He poured himself glass of whls-
XIV. in calm enjoyment Of her blank
expression.
81 don't see what that has TO 90
with It," she acknowledged.
THAT shows how little you know
of business" he informed her. NOW
I'll tell you little secret. There is
an ordinance which compels street
car companies to pay half the cost
Of whatever improvements are maze
on the streets over which car lines
run Well, when Sledge thinks IL
time to build new street car line, ne
has those streets paved first at the
city's expense. AS soon as those
streets are paved. you'll read some
morning that the city council has
granted franchises over these routes
for Sledge's new company
"Is that the way all business is con-
ducted?" aghast at the world OF specu'
lation which this opened up.
Nearly" he replied with the POM
pously smiling faulty OF men VINO
believe such absurdities.
81 don't like men very Well she
decided 81 suppose, though. that
since they're all alike, the strongest
one is the most satisfactory, after
ALL"
Il think so,'' smiled her father, ac-
,epting that as compliment. He
paused and picked up an engraved
card from the table. 1t was sample
Of Molly's wedding announcement.
These are very neat" he commented.
Thanksgiving day. Are you going
10 announce the date through the
papers?" ..
.No,' she hastily assured him,
Father, don't want you to say
word about the date of my wedding.
/ am confident that if Mr.. Sledge finds
it out he will create trouble. ] don't
want him to know it, anyhow"
There isn't very much that he can
do now he told her, laughing, man.
like, at her foolish feminine fears.
He'd burn down the house If he
took notion she insisted
"He must have scared you properly
with mere SMILE" he chided her
"a short time ago he scared you
to death with mere newspaper an
she retorted. You
were so frantic with fear that you
wanted to force me to marry him.
~ can protect you from him now,
he vaingloriously affirmed, big. still.
with the Importance of having at last
the final say in his own car company.
"You wanted the protection then,
she reminded him. You need it now.
Even If 1 don't know anything about
business, wish you'd sell that stock.
I know Sledge!"
CHAPTER xxx.
A Friendly Chat on the Peaceful Sab
bath.
Marley, as president of the Ring
City Street Railway company, and as
chairman of the impromptu conven-
ton of street car magnates, was SO