Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1916-04-06

''The Allerton bill wassput throuSh,
Its final passage last night" explained
| Walters.
"Oh. yes. the Allerton bill." smiled
Marley. II knew all about that"
You don't seem to have got In early
on the advantages" remarked Walters,
scenting a story. IT'S a law now, op.
| erative from its pussage." sd
1t won't hurt anybody" chuckled
Marley. There wasn't much Of inn.
portance in It,"
to make political corpse OF Allerton.
they'll embroider that fifty year fran
chise clause on his shroud."
Franchise clause? don't under
stand"
II thought you didn't know the pro.
visions Of the bill.' went on Walters,
delighted to have uuearthed a new an
| gle to the story. ",The thing is 20
beautifully juggled that it automatical-
~ extends all franchises granted with
in the last ten years to an extra fifty
years Of lifetime on the same terms as
their original charter"
| Good" returned Marley. "AI my
franchises have been renewed within
| the last ten years."
Now know you've been asleep" re-
joiced Walters, not that he had any
enmity for Marley, but merely that he
liked good story. THE bill specifcal-
'y does not apply to renewals, but to
original franchises. Why, yours abso.
lutely expires in three years, If that's
the case: moreover. the franchises at
the end Of that time belong to Sledge's
company"
"lmpossible!" gasped Marley.
Get your alarm clock fixed" advis-
ed Walters. Monday night the coun-
ell in secret session granted franchises
to Sledgc's company covering every
street in the city. including-now, listen
Including those streets now covered
by franchises when those franchises
| expire"
For just moment Marley felt the
strength leaving him. spasmodic i'm
pulse due to an entirely automatic men,
tai impression that he still owned the
old company.
IFS q bald faced stealw he hotly
,harged. indignant at Sledge's whole
sale appropriation.
ITS n pippinw agreed Walters
Fact Of the matter is, Marley, that
unless you completed that consolida-
tion with Slcdgc ut the expiration Of
three years he can make you tear up
your rolling stock and other trash
Did you consolidated"
NO" laughed Marley, and for q mo-
| oil g..
he had been mentally unbalanced by
the news. NO. Walters" Marley
chucklcd when he had succeeded In
controlling his voice; 81 didn't consoli-
date. | sod out"
"On the lcvcl:" Qucried Walters in
credulouSly. "To whom? How much ?
Did you get tho cash?"
II got the cash. but that's all I'll
answer" laughed Marley. II might
reveal somebody else's secrets II
told you more" and despite the plead.
ing Of Walters he refused to make an.
other statement.
He turned from the telephone, still
chuckling. but suddenly noticed that
his hand was trembling as II It had
been palsied. His body seemed to
have realized before his mind the over.
whelming disaster which he had es.
capped.
Why. II he had not sold out at the
exact minute he did his stock today
would be worse than worthless. The
entire company would not bring more
than the junk heap value Of It's worn
out equipment. He could not have met
the mortgage OH his house, he could
not have paid q dollar Of his debts, he
would have been left without penny.
and he would have dragged down into
bankruptcy hundreds of poor families
like Henry Peters. who had their all
invested in his enterprise. True, they
were ruined anyhow or would be, but
he had curiouSly Immoral sense that,
by stepping out from under before the
crash came and by being no longer at
the head Of the doomed company, he
was passing along the moral RESPONSE
hility Of their downfall to the up state
syndicate and to Sledge. Thank God,
lie was safe
Again his bell rang
"Marley:" queried a tense person.
YES" he acknowledged, trying to
place the voice as that Of some news.
paper man 9f his acquaintance and
feeling again that comfortable sense OF
escape.
"This Is Goldman" rasped the voice
Say, Marley. we're In a pickle"
"Whats the matterw inquired Mar
ley. watching his right hand curiously.
1t wabhled spasmodically where It lay
on the table. and he seemed to have
no control over It
"Firm revoked my authority TO act
two days ago. Just got their notiflca
ton"
"Yes?" queried Marley, with q
strange Inability quite to grasp the
meaning Of this.
well" went on Goldman, I'm send.
Ing out your stock by a messenger boy