Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-01-14
Continued from page y.

(Contlnueo from page ~.
pointed out. "Molly. | think Sledge
proved a very good case a2a..st i:ert
He called him a pinhead."
Molly wanted to smoker. but she was
indignant instead.
That's better than being fathead,"
she retorted. That's what Bert calls
Sledge. 1t seems to me that they're
about even"
"That's where they stop being even,'
declared Marley. "Sledge threatened
to break Bert and did it. Bert threat
ened to expose Sledge and Sledge beat
him to it,
! That's my fault" she half angri!y
+ acknowledged. II Dragged"
Bert led you to think you might.
he countercharged. HE even had me
believing that l could defy Sledge. and
it can't be done. Molly. That mans
too big, too decisive and too fearless
The minute he found that Bert. and
through him, you and |, knew that
Feeder would prove Sledge's guilt in
the public funds case he sent for Feed
er, knocked him down. had him beaten
half insensible and arrested for at
tempted blackmail'
"He isn't just instantaneous--he i'm
mediate" laughed Molly. 1T was n
| fool thing to do. though. Feeder has
exposed him and saved us the trouble
and Sledge probably will go to the
penitentiary. as l told him he would"
you have innocent IDEAS" kindly
observed her father Bert probably
encourages you in them, but it is my
duty to warn and protect you. Here
is exactly what will happen: Feeder
will go to the penitentiary for the
crime Of not having kept his mouth
shut. Sledge will be indicted by the
grand jury. but the case will never
come to trial. He has appointed half
the judges on the bench. and the other
half are afraid Of him. His lawyers
will fight from court to court on one
technicality after another until cleo
ton is over. and then the public will
forget all about 1t. You can't fight Il
man like that"
II can be the one human being in
the world he can't order around" she
smilingly insisted. what do you want
me to do-marry him?"
YES" was the unexpected reply.
"Great goodness" laughed Molly.
ARE you bluffed too?"
"Worse!'' he said, rising and walking
up and down in the few short PAGES
the length Of the room allowed him.
He had crumpled newspaper in his
hand. and now be threw it on the
table. DO you want to be turned
homeless into the street?'
"In the shivering snow with little
red shawl over my head?" she giggled.
mo. father; gray heaven. no.!
ut isn't joke" he insisted. stop
ping before her, and now the mask Of
constraint dropped from his face. Mol
ly. you know that he threatened to
break me. Well. he has done it.
Nonsense" she replied. unable 10
conceive of that condition in its actual
ity since there was no halt in their
luxury. ut is impossible"
1T is fact" he stated as calmly as
he could. "At the various banks
which Sledge controls had obiga
tons, which thought were only nom
inally considered to be call loans. ag-
| gregating a hundred thousand dollars
These were protected by my traction
stock. Last week the bank called them
l recently received $S7,5O0 in cash on
certain deal. and had considerable
trouble to raise the additional $500
had to deposit $4,000 worth of my
stock to secure it. and yesterday had
to put up twenty-five thousand more"
But why?" asked Molly, sitting
down and considering the matter seri-
ously for the first time.
Because in one day merely by an
nouncing that he was financially back.
ing a competing company Sledge low
cred the value Of my stock from a hun
dred dollars share to thirty-five
That same announcement broke the
West End bank has crippled two 9th
ers and made paupers of hundred or
more small stockholders
How horrible!' she exclaimed. 1.-THE
| poor peopler' Then the wonder of
! such power came to her with just
| word" she unused. But, father !
don't see yet how he could do 1t. You
say that your stock was worth a hun
dred dollars share yesterday morning
and only thirty-fve 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 il still there she
argued. You still own as much Of 1t
as you did before. Why. father, Sledge
has just scared everybody. Your stock
will be worth what 1t was, or nearly
so. after this panic is over. Even com
petition can't keep you from hauling
people and making money at it."
1T can keep us from hauling enough
to make anything like our previous
profits. and earning capacity is what
gives stock it's value. That is not the
big trouble now. however. have a
$4,000 mortgage on this place, which
is all it would bring at a forced sale.
although 1t IS worth double the money
1t expires on the LIST of the month.
and Sledge knows it. 1t is held at one
| Ia al II h1,