The Pulaskian., 1916-04-21
Not more than tE-at9

Not more than tE-at? Oh. yes; you say the Hillman check is in; l had overlooked it. All right, thank you.''
 When the waiter had removed the desk set the engineer leaned toward his table companion:
 MT. Massingale, I'm going to ask you to tell me frankly what kind of a deal it was you made with Cartwright and the bank people,"
 Tt was the biggest tom-fool razzIe that any Twin live man out of luna tic 'sylum ever went into" confessed the prisoner of fate. "I was to stock the Susan for half million-oh, she's worth it, every dollar of it; you might say the ores in sight for it right now" this in deference to Brouillard's brow-lifting of surprise They was to put in hundred thousand cash, and was to put in the mine and the ore on the dump, just as she stood"
 The engineer nodded and Massingale went on.
 T was to have two-thirds of the stock and they was to have one-third. The hundred thousand for develop ment we'd get at the bank, on my notes, because was president and the biggest stockholder, with John Wes, as indorser. Then, to protect the bank accordin' to law, they said, we'd put the whole bunch O stock-mine and their'n-into escrow in the hands of Judge Williams. When the notes was paid, the judged hand the stock back to us."
 Just moment" interrupted Brouil- lard. Did you sign those notes per sonally, or as president of the new company"
 That's where they laid for me" said the old man shamefacedly Right there is where John Wes' ten-dollar-a- bottle sody-pop stuff we was soppin up must "a foolished me plumb silly"
 So it amounts to this: You have given them clean third of the Susan for the mere privilege of borrowing one hundred thousand dollars on your own paper. And if you don't pay, you lose the remaining two-thirds as we'll"
 That's about the way it stacks up to sober man. Looks like needed a janitor to look after my upper story. don't it? And I reckon mebby do."
 ~One thing more," pressed the re- lentless querist. Did you really handle the d-thousand-dollar develop ment fund yourself, MT. Massingale?"
 Well, no; not exactly. Ten thou sand dollars of what they called a contingent fund was put in my name; but the treasurer handled most of it. nachurly, we bein' a stock company"
 Brouillard took out his pencil and began to make figures on the back of the menu card. He knew the equip ment of the Little Susan," and his speciality was the making of estimates. Hence he was able to say, after a min ute or two of figuring:
 It's bad business any way you att tack it. What you have really got for yourself out of the deal is the ten thou sand-dollar deposit to your personal ac- count, and nothing more; and they'll probably try to make you debtor for that. Taking that amount and a fair estimate of the company's expendi- lures to date-say thirty-five thousand in round numbers, which is fairly chargeable to the company's assets as whole-they still owe you about fifty five thousand of the original hundred thousand they were to put in. If there were time-but you say this is the last day?"
 "The last half O the last day." Mas singale amended.
 That being the case, there is no help for it; you'll have to take your medicine and pay the notes. Do that, take an iron-clad receipt from the bank I'll write 1t out for you-and get the stock released. After that, we'll give them whirl for the thirty-three and third per cent they have practically stolen from you"
 The old mans face, remindful now of his daughters, was picture of dis mayed incertitude.
 Il reckon you're forgettin' that hain't got money enough to lift one edge O. them notes," he said gently.
 Brouillard had found piece of blank paper in his pocket and was rapidly writing the "iron-clad" receipt.
 No, hadn't forgotten. have some thing over hundred thousand dollars lying idle in the bank. You'll take it and pay the notes"
 It was a bolt out of clear sky for the old man tottering on the brink of his fourth pit of disaster, and he evinced his emotion-and the tense strain of keyed-up nerves-by drop ping his lifted coffee cup with crash into his plate. The little accident was helpful in it's way--it made diver sion-and by the time the wreck was repaired speech was possible.
 Are you-are you plumb sure you