Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-02-17

NO, Iatner, gray heaven, no..
1T isn't Il joke" he insisted. stop
ping before her, and now the mask OF
c%onstraint dropped from his face. Mol
~, you know that he threatened to
break me. Well, he has done it."
"Nonsense! she replied. unable to
conceive Of that condition in its actual
ity since there was no halt in their
luxury. cit is impossible
ut is a fact" he stated as calmly as
he could. cat the various banks
which Sledge controls l had obliga-
tons. which 1 thought were only NOM
inally considered to be call loans. ag-
sregating q hundred thousand dollars.
These were protected by my traction
stock Last week the bank called them.
l lc received $S7,500 in cash on
Il cei ii deal. and l had considerable
trouble to raise the additional $4,000.
[ had to deposit S25.OOO worth of my
stock to III it, and yesterday I had
to put up twenty-five thousand more"
But why" asked Molly, sitting
down and considering the matter scri-
ously for the first time.
Because in one day merely by an
nouncing that he was financially back
ing 4 competing company Sledgc low
cred the value of my stock from a hun
dred dollars Il share to thirty-fiyc.
That same announcement broke the
West End bank, has crippled two eth
ers and made paupers of q hundred or
more small stockholders"
How horrible!" she exclaimed. The
poor peoplc!" Then the wonder of
Il word" she unused. But, father, 1
don't see yet how he could do it. You
say thai your stock was worth Il hun
dred dollars a share yesterday morning
n only thirty-tive now?
He nodded his head in confirmation.
Each share of stock represents a
certain part ownership Of the street
railway company, doesn't it,"
Again he nodded.
well, the road is still there" she
argued. You still own as much Of it
as you did before. Why, father, Sledge
has just scared everybody. Your stock
will be worth what it was, Or nearly
so, after this panic is over. Even COM
petition can't keep you from hauling
people and making money at it."
ut can keep us from hauling enough
to make anything like our previous
profits, and earning capacity is what
gives stock its value. That is not the
big trouble now however. [ have a
10000 mortgage IN this place, which
is all it would bring at q forced sale,
although it is worth double the money.
1t expires on the LIST Of the month,
and Sledge knows it. 1t is held at n
Of his banks, and it will not be e1-
tended"
you'll have to pay it," she surmised.
What With?" he demanded. cat
the present prices, at which. by the
way, nobody cares to buy, it would
off that mortgage. I would be abso-
lutely penniless."
"How did you come to w so
much?" she puzzled. 81 thought we
were wealthy"
That's the way business is carried
on he explained.
"Then anybody can be broke" she
decided, with Il trace Of awe. "Why
don't some Of you good business men
get after Sledge?"
He looked at her pityingly.
1T can't be DONE" he confessed
Molly
Il know what you're going to say
she interrupted him. Il won't do it
I'm going to marry Bert if it breaks
everybody"
"That would be a very commenda.
BILE spirit if you loved him." he quietly
remarked. 81 don't think you do, how.
ever. Nor do l, by any means, believe
Bert capable of a love worth the sac.
rifce OF everything. The Maryland
Gliders do not constitute a universe in
themselves, nor is much happiness tc
be found in a marriage which is q so
cial triumph. I'm afraid, Molly, that
you're stubborn and will not let your
self criticize your wv mind"
"Of course I'm stubborn she ad
mitted, as if that were a virtue. 1.-THE
date is set, and it will stay set. Dc
all you men have to give up because
| won't marry somebody? Is that the
way your brilliant business is conduct
ed? l won't be a part of a bargain
You urge me not to marry Bert be
cause you decide l don't love him
and you urge me to marry a man who
can bring your stock to par. Father
you're scared. Can't you think Of any
way out of your fuctuation but having
me marry Sledge"
"He loves you," he told her with
conviction. "Sledge never gives up"
That's why he WINS" she asserted
He tries everything. Why don't you:
Why don't you announce that the new
company is illegal and that it will be
fought in the courts? Have the news.
paper say it can't build it's lines. then
the price Of your stock will go ur
again. Why don't you trade some OF
your stock for stock in the new com.